its being originally impofed; as God's own people were afterwards difperfed every where to cure it.

After the difperfion, particular revelations were in all probability vouchfafed, wherever men were capable of improving by them, and difpofed to regard them. We find Peleg had his name prophetically given from that difperfion, which was to happen in his days *; and not only his father Eber, but all the heads of families, mentioned in the eleventh of Genefis, from Noah to Abraham, are with some reason supposed to have had the fpirit of prophecy, on many occafions. However, Noah was undoubtedly both priest and prophet; and living till Abraham was near fixty years old, might well be able to keep up a tolerable sense of true religion in the world; which was then but very thinly inhabited+, His religious fon Shem

like

Gen. x. 25. Vid. Winder, p. 130. and Mr. Rotheram's Sermon on the Wisdom of Providence in the adminiftration of the World; who fuppofes that not only the intention, and end of God's difperfing mankind over the face of the earth, but likewife the plan of their difperfion was communicated to them, p. 15. Comp. Jofeph. H. J. L. 1. c. 4. It was in Chaldea, Canaan, Egypt, and the neighbouring countries, fays a learned writer, [Leland, Advantage and Neceffity of the Chrift. Rev. Vol. I. P. i. c. 19. p. 435.] that the great corruption firft began; or at least these were the places where it made the moft confiderable progress, and from whence it feems to have been derived to other nations. And accordingly it pleafed God in his wife and good providence to take proper methods for putting an early check to the growing corruption in those parts of the world where it chiefly prevailed.'

P.

† Gen. xiii. 9. Vid. Part iii. p. note (W); and Newt. Chron. p. 185-6. The ark itself, a certain monument of the deluge, continued several ages after Abraham, and preferved the memory of it, even among Pagans; (Vid. Lucian de D. S. Allix, Reflect. 68. Jofeph. Antiq. L.i. c. 3. ib. 20. 2. & Chryfoftom. Orat. de Perf. Char.) and might ferve as the Prototype, or model for fhip-building. Evelyn on Navigation and Commerce. p. 18,

n

likewife was living fo long as Jacob's time, and could not but be a great means of continuing the faith and worship of the true God among his defcendants*.

But notwithstanding a few righteous men, and fome remains of true religion; idolatry, with its perpetual attendants vice and fuperstition†, had in a little time so far prevailed among the fons of Noah, as to make it highly expedient for God, as well to fhorten the lives of Men‡, as to withdraw his presence from the generality, who had made themselves unfit for fuch communication: and to fingle out fome particular people, to bear his name, and be his more immediate fervants; and thereby preserve his worship pure, in fome part of the world, amidst the various corruptions that were going to. overspread it.

With this view Abraham is called; who was driven out of an idolatrous nation, in all probability, for oppofing and refusing to comply with its idolatry; and after many remarkable trials

of

Concerning the notices of religion in the world about this time, fee Allix, B. i. c. 14. Winder, c. 9. Comp. Meier, Difp. Theol. de Veftig. Rel. Patriarch. inter Gentes. Brema, 1757.

+ The attendants and effects of idolatry are well described by the author of Wisdom, c. xiv. 23-29. So that there reigned in all men, awithout exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and diffimulation, corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury. 25. Difquieting of good men, forgetfulnefs of good turns, defiling of fouls, changing of kind, dijorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness, 26. Add c. xii. 4, 5, 6. Vid. Arnald in loc.

Concerning this great change in the divine acconomy, fee Part III.

|| Maim. M. Nev. Buxtorf. p. 421. See Chandler's Vind. O. Teft. Pt. ii. p. 474. Judith v. 8. Shuckford, Vol. I. B. v. p. 269. It is a tradition

4

of his faith and conftancy, admitted to a particular intimacy, and friendship with his Maker. God enters into covenant with him, inftitutes circumcifion, as the fign and seal of this covenant*, engages to be his present guide, protector and defender; and to bestow, not only all temporal benefits on him, and on his feed+; but to make some of them the means of conveying a blessing of a higher kind to all the nations of the earth; who should in an extraordinary manner be blessed through him‡. Abraham, no doubt, was fixed upon for his fingular piety, and truft in God under various trials; and entitled to these high privileges by his extraordinary virtues; for whose fake (or rather for the fake of encouraging and rewarding of which virtues) the fame privileges were continued

tradition among both Jews and Mahometans, that Abraham's father Terah was a maker and vender of Images, from whom fome derive the name of Teraphim; (i. e. Terah-aphim, images reprefenting Terah's countenance) and tell many ffories of his difference with Abraham for a time on that account. Some of these may be seen in Calmet, or Bayle, Dict. Art. Terah, and Abraham. This is confiftent with the account of Abraham's having once been himself an idolater, as some interpret, Rom. iv. 5.

Rom. iv. 11. Concerning the propriety and various uses of this inftitution, fee Le Clerc. on Gen. xvii. 10, 11, 12.

+That the promise of poffeffing all the land from Egypt to Euphra tes (Gen. xii. 7. xiii. 14, 15. xv. 18, &c.) was made to Abraham's feed in general, though the especial covenant was reftrained to a part of them, fee Remarks on part of the 3d Vol. of the Moral Philofopher, p. 89, 90. That the full execution of the former promise depended on their obedience, vid. Durell. App. p. 153.

↑ Gen. xii. 3. xxii. 18. xxvi. 4. xxviii. 14. Rom. iv. 16, 17. Gal. iii. 8. 17. That the efpecial covenant, limiting the Meffiah's defcent to one branch of Abraham's pofterity, and that peculiar difpenfation which attended it, were not inconfiftent with the original grant or promife, which conftituted Abraham the Father of many Nations, from whom all nations of the earth were to derive a Bleffing, and to whom therefore the Gospel is faid to have been preached before Chrift came into the world; fee Taylor's Covenant of Grace, p. 6. 13, &c.

ed to a part of his pofterity, though far less worthy of them. But we cannot think that it was fo much on his own account that he was thus diftinguished; or that for his fake only*, faith, or fincerity, is faid to be imputed to him for rightecufness; but rather for the common benefit of mankind was all this done; in order to make him an inftrument, in the hand of Providence, (and a fit one he was) to convey the fame faith, and fear of God, to all the nations round him. And accordingly we find him greatly favoured, and distinguished among the neighbouring princes; and Kings reproved for his fake; who are acquainted with his prophetic character, and defire his interceffion with God†, and obtained afsistance through that interceffion. History tells us of his converfing on the subject of religion, with the most learned Egyptians‡, and being very highly esteemed by them; from whom probably they afterwards derived the rite of circumcifion||, among

Rom. iv. 24.

+ Gen. xii. 17. and xx. 7.

Jofephus L. i. c. 9. contr. Apion. paffim, Damafcen. in Eufeb. Præp. Evang. L. ix. c. 16. There is at this day, a felect number of families in Egypt, who call themselves defcendants from Abraham, and are in high efteem there, and give themselves up intirely to the study of Mufic, Medicine, and Aftronomy, and never intermix with any other Egyptians, or marry out of their own families. Noveau Voyage de Grece, d'Egypt, &c. Hague, 1724. p. 106, &c.

Shuckford, B.v p. 322, &c. and B. vii. p. 132, &c. Comp. Spencer de Leg. 1. 4. & Cleric in Gen. xvii. 10.

Others derive it from Jofeph. Univerf. Hift. Vol. I. p. 527. note r. and p. 453. note u. Add Jenkin, Vol. I. p. 97. Grot. Ep. 327.

Others fuppofe it introduced by Ishmael, (Rev. Exam. Vol. II. p. 190.) or his pofterity the Shepherds, or Arabians, as is made very probable by the author of Remarks on part of the 3d Vol. of the Mor. Philof. p. 59, &c. Comp. With Egypt. L. iii. c. 6. Bochart. Geogr. L. iv. c. 32. This fubject is largely difcufs'd by Findlay, Vind. p. 2. §. 21.

among other religious inftitutes. We are informed, that his name was had in the greatest veneration all over the Eaft*: that the Magians, Sabians, Perfians, and Indians all gloried in him, as the great reformer of their religion†. And as he was let into the various counfels of the Almighty," and taught to reason, and reflect upon them; as he was fully apprised of God's just judgment in the miraculous overthrow of the four wicked cities, with the particular circumstances of it ||; as well as his moft gracious intent of providing a Redeemer for all mankind, and rejoiced to fee bis day§, and faw it; 'tis very probable, that he and

his

* Vid. Eufeb. Præp. Evang. L. ix. c. 16, 17, &c, + Prideaux, Parti. B. iv. p. 225. Comp. Hyde De Rel. Vet. Perf. c. 2. and 3. and Univerf. Hift. paff. "Tis remarkable that the Lacedemonians retained the memory of him for above 1600 years, and under their king Areus claimed kindred with the Jews, as being of the stock of Abraham. 1 Maccab. xii. 21, &c. Jofeph. Ant. L.xii. 5. (fee Waterland's Poftfcript to Script. Vind. P. 2. p. 142. or Jenkin, Vol. I. p. 53. and 90. How this might come about, fee Stilling fleet, Orig. S. B. iii. c. 4. or Shuckford, B. x. p. 51.) nor is it unlikely that from the Abrahamans, or sons of Abraham, the Brachmans might descend, and derive their name. Newt. Chron. p. 351. 'Tis likewife obferved, that the Perfians adhered fo ftrictly to the religion of Abraham, as to keep clear of the moft grofs idolatry, for a long time. Vid. Cleric. in I. xxi. 9. & Ind. Philolog. Stanley, voc. Statua.

Some authors call them five, according to the common name, Pentapolis (Wifdom x. 6. Jofeph. B. J. v. 8.) including Zoar, which had been condemned to destruction, but was spared at the interceffion of Lot. Of these, two are sometimes named by themselves, as being fuperior to the reft. Gen. xix. 24, 25.

Some fuppofe that, befide the four principal cities in that valley (Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma, Zeboim, or Bela, Gen. xiv. 2. Deut.xxix. 23.) there were nine other inferior ones deftroyed (called the daughters of Sodom, Ezek. x. 46, &c ) which agrees with the account of Strabo, Geogr. L. xvi. Comp. Cleric. App. Com. in Gen.

Gen. xviii. Some of the causes, ends and uses of this fevere difpenfation, and teftimonies of its reality, are fet forth in Owen's B. L. §. 9.

Job. viii.56. yaλλaσaro, geftiebat, longed earneftly. Bp. War. burton fuppofes, that the command of facrificing Ifaac, was a mode