lieve that, from the earliest periods of time, they were divinely appointed, as the means of propitiating the favour of God; and were, doubtless, designed to be typical of Christ, who "hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour."

CHAP. X.-In the line of Shem was the covenant confirmed: and of him his father, in the spirit of prophecy, exclaimed, "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem:" this appears to indicate that, amongst the posterity of his first-born son, would be preserved the knowledge and worship of the one true God. And very remarkable is his prediction concerning Japheth, from whom those nations have mostly sprung who believe in the divine mission of the Messiah, and who profess to be his disciples. "God shall persuade Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem." For, whilst the descendants of Shem, who peopled the vast regions of Asia, have degenerated into an almost universal system of gross idolatry, those of Japheth have been favoured to inherit the privileges attendant on some knowledge of the gospel of life and salvation. Thus, in a spiritual sense is the declaration fulfilled, "God shall enlarge, or (as it may be correctly rendered) persuade Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem."

On Ham, the "younger son," a sentence was pronounced which foreshadowed that spirit of disobedience to the Most High which so awfully characterized his "Cursed be Canaan: a servant of servants

race.

shall he be unto his brethren." From Canaan, the son of Ham, proceeded the children of Heth, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites, and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, with all those nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

CHAP. XI.-In the first ages of the world, the life of man was prolonged to a date that almost baffles contemplation for race after race arose, until patriarchs beheld many populous nations, of which they were the ancestors: and Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years; during which period he saw the earth again peopled around him. "And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech."-"And it came to pass," that "they journeyed from the east," and "found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there." And they made brick and mortar : "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." And the Lord beheld the city and the tower which the children of men builded; and the dispersion, which they had resolved to avert, was the consequence of this presumptuous enterprise: "Because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth."-"And they left off to build the city: therefore is the name of it called Babel"-a term which signifies confusion.

CHAP. XII.-A veil of solemn mystery shadows

much of the current of events during the primeval generations of men: but a transient, yet distinct glimpse is sometimes afforded, through the pages of divine revelation, by which circumstances of a most interesting character may be traced, and by which the authenticity of the holy record is clearly established. An instance of this occurs in the brief notice of the families of each of the sons of Noah, "after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations;" "by whom the earth was divided after the flood." We are informed that from Mizraim, the second son of Ham, proceeded many nations; amongst them the Philistines, who dwelt in the border of the sea, south-west of Canaan; and we have reason to believe that he founded Egypt, the adjoining territory, which is recorded as being very early a distinct kingdom, and called by his own name, Mizraim. The several nations of whom we read in succeeding time, generally derived their names from the immediate descendants of Noah; often being designated by that of the head or patriarch of their tribe. Asshur, the founder of Asshurea or Assyria, was the second son of Shem: from Arphaxad, his third son, we trace the patriarch Abraham, and the promised seed, called Hebrews, through Eber, the grandson of Shem; and from Aram, his youngest son, sprang Uz, in whose land lived the patriarch Job.

CHAP. XIII.-The first individual of the new race of men of whom we have any farther record than the name, is Nimrod, the son of Cush, the grandson of Ham. From the brief mention that "he began to be

a mighty one in the earth," that "he was a mighty hunter before the Lord," we may infer that, regardless of his dependence on the Supreme Governor of the Universe, he had assumed a power and influence incompatible with a state of allegiance to his Almighty Creator. He founded the first earthly empire; "and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel." He established also the cities of "Erech and Accad and Calneh in the land of Shinar." In connection with this short, but remarkable history, we are also informed that, from the land of Shinar "went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the cities Rehoboth and Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and Calah; the same is a great city."

Thus we are clearly instructed as to the very early foundation of the two mighty kingdoms, Babylon or Babel, called also Chaldea, and Assyria, or Nineveh. For a long period of time they were separate and rival monarchies, but were at length merged into one; and eventually destroyed, according to the prophetic declarations of the sacred Scriptures.

CHAP. XIV.-When eight generations after the deluge had succeeded each other, a very remarkable person-descended from Shem, to whom we have before incidentally alluded-is introduced to our special notice. This is Abram, the son of Terah; born (355 years after the flood, and 147 years before the death of Shem) in Ur of the Chaldees. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai. And when Terah had nearly finished his earthly course, he "took Abram his son, and Lot,

the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, Abram's wife; and they went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan." This migration was evidently undertaken by the special direction of the Most High: for, says the martyr Stephen, "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, into the land which I shall show thee." The patriarch Terah did not reach the land of Canaan; but, at the age of two hundred and five years, he died at Haran (or Charran.) After this event, "Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him;" and, at the age of seventy and five years, "He took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son, and all the substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran, and they set forth to go into the land of Canaan." Thus, "by faith Abram, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." And Abram "passed through the land," unto the plain of Moreh. "And the Lord appeared unto" him, "and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land." And there Abram "builded an altar unto the Lord." He afterwards continued his journey southward; and again "builded an altar, and called upon the name of the Lord."

CHAP. XV. With the command, which, as we have seen, the Lord gave unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy