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have been near 140 years of age at his death. Would notv I'' 

 demand, the Holy Scripture, which records Joshua to have 

 been wery " old and stricken in years," when he could not have 

 yet reached a century ; Avhich mentions Gideon dying " i?t 

 good old age," but much younger than Joshua; which relates- 

 the great age of Eli, so that he bad even lost his sight at 

 ninety years; which speaks of Jesse, the father of David, 

 (1 Saml. 17-12.) as considered and respected in Israel as an- 

 aged man; which records, in like manner, the diminution of 

 human life, in the days of Moses, even to seventy years; 

 and which had taught the Israelites to look upon length of 

 years as a peculiar mark of the favour of Heaven, (Deut. 1 1. 

 V.21.) (1 Saml. 2-32.); have dwelt on, or, at least, comme- 

 morated this prolonged existence.^ In vain will my adversa* 

 ries array against me the authority of the text ; it is evident,, 

 their mistake originates in their failing to distinguish two. 

 things, which are, however, clearly discriminated in the sa- 

 cred historian, viz. the death of Othniel, and the period 

 during which the land had rest from war. (Jud. 6. v. 11.) The 

 Vulgate unites the latter part of the alledged verse with the 

 beginning of the following, in this manner:: "^ And Othniel, 

 son of Kenaz, died, and the eliildren of Israel did evil again 

 in the sight of the Lord;" thus evidently distinguishing the 

 period of repose, mentioned in the former verse, from the 

 duration of his life, aftei- his victory, which could not have 



o 2 been; 



