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regret to what was past, and in that way had awakened in them the thought 
and hope of better and higher things. No doubt it is true that Ewald in a 
very large measure regards this feeling as of natural growth, but at the same 
time it is perfectly true that God works by natural feelings and causes ; and 
although I fully believe that in that growth of the desire and hope for the 
Messianic kingdom, there was the direct operation and guidance of the Spirit 
of God acting upon the people, especially through the prophets ; yet at the 
same time I believe that God was pleased to act upon His people not only by 
the prophetical voice, but also by the whole government and dispensation to 
which they were subjected. Not only did the voices of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and 
Ezekiel awake a sense of expectation of the coming Messiah in the people ; 
not only did those voices keep alive the hope in their breasts, but every 
circumstance in the natural life of the people was so ordered by God as to 
lead up to the same end, just in the same way that their marvellous disper- 
sion throughout the whole world enabled them to be missionaries and 
messengers to spread a knowledge of the true God, and prepare the way 
for the advent of Christ. In that dispersion, which, as commonly viewed, 
seems to be simply a punishment for their sins, we see God’s providence 
working for the diffusion of a particular knowledge throughout the world ; 
and so, in the other instance, we see how their circumstances and government, 
their intercourse with foreign nations, and so on, were all directing their 
hopes and thoughts towards a Messiah. Thus, a great historian like Ewald 
seizes upon the facts before him in a simple narrative form, and shows how 
he can connect them together by means of a hypothesis. We see how he 
works in the true province of the historian and throws light upon his subject 
we see how he shows that all those points, which we formerly regarded as a 
mere- summary of facts, have, to a person who reads them aright, a bearing, 
a purpose, and a moral, which they do not possess for any one less informed. 
Such is the service which Ewald has rendered to the study of the history of 
Scripture, and for that I think every student should be deeply grateful. 
But I mention this merely as an illustration of what I wish specially to main- 
tain, that so far from its being beyond the province of the historian to bridge 
over gaps, and bring together isolated facts, by means of hypothesis and 
conjecture, it is, in my opinion, essentially within his province so to do. 
He may do it ill or well — it is a difficult work, in which many a man will fail, 
but not on that account is it less the right method to pursue. It is the true 
way by which alone we can derive real benefit from the study of ancient 
records and legends. It is just as much the business of the historian thus 
to connect together isolated facts, as it is the business of the jeweller to 
take up pearls and string them together so as to produce a graceful orna- 
ment. (Cheers.) 
Rev. J. H. Titcomb. — I am sure we have all heard with very great pleasure 
what has fallen from Dr. Currey, and are glad to welcome him as a new 
member and speaker in this Institute, the meetings of which we trust he will 
often adorn. But I feel that, in a friendly way, I must defend this paper 
from some of the remarks which Dr. Currey has made. If he will allow me 
