32.  Nehemiah carries on the history for about twelve years, when he himself was governor of Jerusalem, with authority to re-build the walls, &c.

33.  The story of Esther is prior in time to that of Ezra and Nehemiah; us you will see by the marginal dates; however, as it happened during the seventy years captivity, and is a kind of episode, it may be read in its own place.

34.  This is the last of the canonical books that is properly historical; and I would therefore advise, that you pass over what follows, till you have continued the history through the Apocryphal Books.

Of Job.

35.  The history of Job is probably very ancient, though that is a point upon which learned men have differed:  It is dated, however, 1520 years before Christ:  I believe it is uncertain by whom it was written:  many parts of it are obscure, but it is well worth studying, for the extreme beauty of the poetry, and for the noble and sublime devotion it contains.

36.  The subject of the dispute between Job and his pretended friends, seems to be, whether the Providence of God distributes the rewards and punishments of this life; in exact proportion to the merit or demerit of each individual.  His antagonists suppose that it does; and therefore infer from Job’s uncommon calamities, that, notwithstanding his apparent righteousness, he was in reality a grievous sinner:  They aggravate his supposed guilt, by the imputation of hypocrisy, and call upon him to confess it, and to acknowledge the justice of his punishment.

37.  Job asserts his own innocence and virtue in the most pathetic manner, yet does not presume to accuse the Supreme Being of injustice.  Elihu attempts to arbitrate the matter, by alledging the impossibility that so frail and ignorant a creature as man should comprehend the ways of the Almighty, and therefore condemns the unjust and cruel inference the three friends had drawn from the sufferings of Job.  He also blames Job for the presumption of acquitting himself of all iniquity, since the best of men are not pure in the sight of God—­but all have something to repent of; and he advises him to make this use of his afflictions.

38.  At last, by a bold figure of poetry, the Supreme Being himself is introduced, speaking from the whirlwind, and silencing them all by the most sublime display of his own power, magnificence, and wisdom, and of the comparative littleness and ignorance of men.—­This, indeed, is the only conclusion of the argument, which could be drawn at a time when life and immortality were not yet brought to light:  a future retribution is the only satisfactory solution of the difficulty arising from the sufferings of good people in this life.

Of the Psalms.

39.  Next follow the Psalms, with which you cannot be too conversant.  If you have any taste, either for poetry or devotion, they will be your delight, and will afford you a continual feast.  The Bible translation is far better than that used in the common prayer-book, and will often give you the sense, when the other is obscure.  In this, as well as in all other parts of the scripture, you must be careful always to consult the margin, which gives you the corrections made since the last translation, and it is generally preferable to the words of the text.