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, and 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 connexion 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 daughterin-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 country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee," a promise was annexed, which clearly foreshowed the coming