THE ^= 1 fjplete Commentary on the Hoiy ^M i Scriptures. GENESIS-EXODUS. LONDON : ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C One Shilunq Net. r Ex Libris \ C. K. OGDEN The Library \ ity of California, The gift of Mrs. Cummings, 1963 The Volume of this Cheap Edition of THE BIBLICAL MUSEUM will be Issued Monthly in the following order. The first Volume will be Published on December ist, 1898. NEW TESTAMENT SECTION, Vol. I. — Gospels according to Matthew and Mark, II. — Gospels according to Luke and John. )( ,, III — Acts and Romans. ,, IV. — I Corinthians to Philemon. V. — Hebrews to Revelation, and Index. OLD TESTAMENT SECTION Vol. I. — Genesis and Exodus. II. — Leviticus to Deuteronomy. III. — Joshua to Samuel. IV. — Kings to Chronicles, V. — Ezra to Job. VI.— Psalms. VII. — Proverbs to Song of Solomon. VIII.— Isaiah. IX. — Jeremiah to Ezekiel. X. — Minor Prophets, and Index. The Superior Edition of THE BIBLICAL EDITION, Published at 3/6 each Volume, and also Handsomely Bound Sets for Presentation, are still on Sale. THE BIBLICAL MUSEUM. THE BIBLICAL MUSEUM / A COLLECTION OF NOTES EXPLANATORY, HOMILETIC, AND ILLUSTRATIVE, l^olj) g^crtptures* ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR THE USE OP MINISTERS, BIBLE- STUDENTS, AND SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS. JAMES COMPER GRAY, Author of "Topics for Teachers," " The Class and the Desk," <£-c., <£•«. OLD TESTAMENT. VOL. I. LONDON : ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1899. \. THE HOLY BIBLE. I. THE PENTATEUCH rilE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED GENESIS. 2031126 THE HOLY BIBLE. I. Title : Bible, fr. Gk. /3ij3\oc (= hook) the name of inner bark of linden, or teil-tree : applied to this bk., bee. it is of all books " The Book " — par excellence. II. Other names. (1) Scripturks, i.e. writings : or, in Gk. Hagifl-grapha ^= Holy Writings. (2) Word ov God, the most full and signi- ficant title. III. Divisions. 1. Two chiep :— (I) T/tc Old 'Jr.st. The record of the covenant (see N. Teat. Bibl. I\Ius. i. 1) of salvation through a Saviour who sliould come in the fulness of time. (2) The New 'Test. The record of the fulfilment of that cov. in our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Other Divisions. i. The Old Te.st. contains— (I) The Pentateuch (or .'j bks. of Moses). (2) Historical (Joshua to end of Chrons.). (3) I'oetieal (Job to end of Song of Sol.). (4) Prophetical (Isa. to INIal.). ii. The New Test, contains — (1) Historical (Mat. to Acts). (2) Ejntitolary (Roms. to Jude). (3) Prophetical (Rev.). 3. Minor Divisions, i. Cliaptera. As first projected, and still used, were arranged {eir. middle of 1 3th cent.) by Card. Hugo de Sancto Caro, to facili- tate the use of his concordance to the Lat. Vulg. ii. Verses. By R. Stephen, who printed the fii'st Gk. Test, with his vv. at Geneva (1.5.")1). The 1st Eng. Bib. so divided was print, at Geneva (loCU). IV. Genuineness. The A. "V. is the final result of a careful collating of many anc. I\ISS. i. Heb. MSS. For his crit. Heb. Bib. Kennicott coll. (530 ; De Rossi coll. 734 more. The oldest Heb. IMS. (now at St. Petersbui-g) cannot be less than 1,300 years old. From these Heb. MSS., the Septuagint ti-ans. (made ab. 300 B.C.) does not dif. in any important degree ; and as that trans, was usually quoted by our Lord and the Apostles, it may be regarded as truly representing the old Heb. original, ii. Gk. ]\ISS. Of these there are many hundreds in existence, of wh. the chief are (1) C. Vaticanus (A.D. 300—400). (2) C. Alexandrinus (A.D. 400— 500). (3) C. Sinaiticiis{\.\y. 300 — 400). No one doubts the genuineness of the present versions of the Gk. and Rom. classics, yet of only 15 MSS. of Herodotus, wh. have come down to us, the oldest is of the 10th cent. V. Ancient Translations. 1. Tlie Sei'TUAGixt, or trans, of the .svirw/y (hence written LXX.) of the 0. T. in Gk. Prob. l)egun at Alexandria in the reign of P. Lagus. at the instigation of Demetrius Philareus, and finished in the reign of P. Philadelishus ((•('/•. B.C. 285). 2. The Peschito (or literal) Syriac. O. T. {cir. A.D. 100 — 200). 3. The Latin Vulgate, by Jerome, presbyter of Dalmatia, who (in 382) at wish of Damascus, Bp. of Ro.. undertook revision of old Lat. ver. The present Lat. Vulg. is a transcript of the corrected edition of Jerome's pub. by Pope Clement VIII. (1593). VI. Famous Eng. Vers. 1. Bede. trans. Bib. into Saxon (735). 2. Wicliff's (1380), not printed for manyyrs. 3. Tyndale's (1525), the first printed Eng. Bib. 4. Coverdale's (1535), a revis. of No. 3. 5. Matthews', or J. Iloijers' (1537). This founded on Nos. 3 and 4. 6. Tavernee's (1539), revis. of No. 5. 7. Cranmer's, or the great Bihle (1539) ; this a reprint in large fol. of No. 4, revised. The first pub. " by authority." S. Geneva (1557 — (30). ed. by Coverdale and others: and also called "the Breeches Bib. " (see on Ge. iii. 7). 9. The Bishops" Bible (1568), revis. and ed. by Abp. Parker. 10. Parker's (1572), same as No. 9, with pi-e- faces, etc. 11. The Authorised Ver.sion. n-ritten A. V. (l(Ul). 54 learned men, forming (j companies, of wh. 2 comps. sat at "Westminster. 2 at Oxford, and 2 at Cambridge, began this ed. in 1()07, and completed it in 4 yrs. (For names of translators, rules, etc.. see Bible Lore, 87 — 91.) VII. Hebrew Com- ments. 1. T.vugums, fr. Chaldee word = explanation. (1) The most anc. is the T. of Onkelos {cir. 1 — 200 A.D., on the Pentateuch. (2) Of Jonathan Ben Uzziel. (3) Pseudo-Jonathan. (4) Jerusalem T. 2. Mishnah, the second THE nOL\ BIBLE. or oral law of the Jews (A.D. 150), trads. explanatoiy of the law of Mose.s. 3. Gkmaka, i.e. perfection (cir. A.D. 300 — 500). 4. Talmud, doctrine or learning, composed of Mishnah and Gemara united. 5. Masorah, Le. tradition. Not known who compiled it. Consi.sts of notes on letters, words, verses, etc. In course of time took the form of marg-. notes to text. As applied to Eng. Bib., and including the N. Test., they are as follows : — Boohs, in O. T., 39 ; in N. T., 27 ; total, r,(3. Chapter.'^, in 0. T., 92!) ; in N. T., iCi) ; total, 1,189. Vri-.trli in 0. T., 23,214 ; in N. T.. 7,959 ; total, 31,173. Words, in O. T., 592,493 ; in N T 181,253 ; total, 773,74(5. Letters, in 0. T., 2,728,100 ; in N. T., 838,380 ; total, 3,566,480. Middle chap, (and least). Ps. cxvii. ; mid. ver., Ps. cxviii. 8. The word " and " in O. T., 35,535 ; in N. T., 10,684 ; total, 46,219. Word " Jehovah;' 6,855 times. Of the Old Test., Prov. is middle bk. ; Job xxix., mid. cap. ; 2 Ch. XX. 18 the mid. ver. ; and 1 Ch. i. 1 the shortest ver. Of the j\"e7v Test., 2 Thess. is mid. bk. ; betw. Ro. xiii., xiv. the mid. cap. ; Ac. xvii. 17 mid. ver. : and Jo. xi. 13 is the shortest ver., both in the N. T. and in the whole Bible. All the letters in the alphabet are in Ezra vii. 21 ; 2 Kings xix. and Isa. xxxvii. are alike. Neither the word '-God" nor "Lord" occurs in Esther. VIII. English Comments. 1. J. Calvin (trans.) 52 vols. 8ro. (1845—56). 2. J. DioDATi, fol. (1651). 3. Assembly op Divines, 2 vols. fol. (1657). 4. Dr. J. Mayer, 6 vols. fol. (1653). 5. J. Trapp, 5 vols. fol. (1654). 6. Patrick, Lowth, etc., 6 vols. 4to. (1822). 7. M. Poole, Annotations, 2 vols. fol. (1700). 8. S. Clarke, /oZ. (1690). 9. M. Henry. 10. Dr. E. Wells, 8 vols. ito. (1724). 11. Dr. W. Wall, 3 vols. 8m (1730 — 34). 12. Dr. J. Gill, 9 vols. >;. (1763). 13. R. Goadby, 3 vols. fol. (1759—70). 14. J. Allen, 2 vols. fol. (1763). 15. Bp. T. Wilson, 3 vols. ito. (1785). 16. J. Brown, of Hadington. 17. J. Wesley, M.A., 4 vols. 4to. (1764). 18. T. Haweis, 2 vols. fol. (1765—66). 19. Dr. W. Dodd, 3 vols. fol. (1770). 20. J. Priestley. LL.D., 4 vols. 8vo. (1803). 21. Dr. J. Fawcett, 2 vols. 4to. (1811). 22. J. Hewlett. 3 vols. ito. (1811). 23. Dr. R. Hawker, 10 vols. 12/wo. (1816—22). 24. Dr. Boothroyd, 3 vols. ito. (1824). 25. T. Scott, 6 vols. ito. (1841). 26. Dr. A. Clarke. 6 vols. 8m (1844). 27. Drs. D"Oyley and Mant, Sfo. (1845). 28. J. Benson, 6 vols. Svo. (1848). 29. Ingram Cobbin, Condensed Sro. (1839), Portable l2mo. (1846). 30. Dr. Kitto, 4 vols. Sro. (1855). 31. Dr. Wm. Jenks, 5 vols. 8m (1855). 32. Bp. Wordsworth, 8 vols. Sro. (1870). 33. Brown and Faussett, Poi-t. Com., 2 vols. Sro. (1863). 34. The Speaker's Commentary, now (1875) in course of publication : — "We have long held that a perfect commentary on the whole Bi!)le cannot be produced by any one author. The very unequal value of parts, where this has been attempt^ed, warrants this belief. Even those that aim less at the critical than at the devotional and exposition of the sacred A\Titings, are not of equal merit throughout. The various languages in which the books of Scripture were originally composed ; the purposes for which they were written : the subjects of which they treat ; and their other manifold characteristics, reqixire for their apt elucidation specially constituted minds and appropriate mental tastes. Each book, too, has many sides : the historical, the scientific, the doctrinal, the devotional, the practical, often meet in one brief treatise. Hence not only may all the resources of one mind be laid under contribution by one short book, but a combination of minds peculiarly gifted is often needed for its full and perfect explanation. Some are skilful in clear- ing up verbal difficulties, others in identifying natural objects, or in tracing historical or scientific allusions, while the special forte of a third class is to deal with doctrinal matters. From all this it follows that so far from any one mind being fully competent to produce a perfect commentary on the entire Holy Scriptures, many minds are needed fully to expoimd each, individual book." — J. C. Gray. I. THE PENTATEUCH. Pentateuch = five books, fr. Gk. Trtvrf, five, and nvxoc, wh. meant orig. a vessel, tool ; and came in Alex. Gk. to si{^. book. The Jews termed it " the law," or '"the five-fifths of the law ; " or, in brief, " the fifths," ea. bk. being called " a fifth." The. names in the A. V. are fr. the Gk. Ver. (i.r. LXX.), and partially denote tlieir snbjects. The orig. Heb. name of ea. bk. was its first word or words. The Pentateuch forms the first chief div. of the 0. T. : see Intro, to ea. of the Jiiu- liuoht i-r.yM'i-tifeli/. THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED GENESIS. I. Title. Genesis, fr. Gk. y'eviaig, a birth : bee. it descr. the generation or production of all things. This is the LXX. title. The Hebs. called this bk. Bcreshith = in the beginning : fr. the first word in the Heb. text. II. Author, Moses ; for, at least, 3,()0() yrs. never doubted by Jews or Xtians. T. Ilobbes (Ifi.oO) objected that these bks. were so called not bee. n-ritten by, but relating ^0 Moses. In proof of his authorship, we have — 1. Unanimous test, of antiquity. 2. M. is declared to be the author. (Ex. xvii. H ; xxiv. 4 — 7 ; xxxiv. 27; Nu. xxxii. 2 ; De. xxxi. 9, 19 — 24.) .S. Confirmed by other 0. T. -writers (Jos. i. 7, 8; viii. 34, 3.5; Jud. iii. 4 ; 2 K. xxiii. 25; 2 Ch. xxx. If!; Ezr. viii. 3; Ne. i. 7, 8). 4. By Xt. and Aposs. (Ma. xix. 7 ; Lu. xvi. 29 ; xxiv. 27 ; Jo. i. 17 ; vii. 19 ; Ac. iii. 22 ; xxviii. 23 ; Ro. x. .">). .5. All the Hist, events of Hebrews rest upon authority of these Bks. 6. Objections can be, and oft. have been, easily refuted. III. Time, uncertain. Some (as ^«.?<'Jn/«, ffr.) think it waa written in Midian while M. was keeping the flocks of Jethro ; others (as Theo- doret, etc.) that M. wrote it after the exodus and giving of the law, since prior to the call (Ex. iii.) he was a private person, unendowed with the spirit of prophecy. So also the time covered by the hist, is unsettled. Ace. to usual computation, 2.3G9 yrs. ; but ace. to Dr. Hales, 3,G19 vrs. TV. Design, two- fold. 1. To solve the problems of the creation, and the intra, of moral evil. 2. To furnish the hist, of the patriarchal church, as showing the line of the predicted Saviour. " It is a purely historical work. It serves as the narrative preamble to the legislation of ^Moses. It is the first vol. of the hist, of man in relation with God" (Murphy). V. Sources. Since the latest events in Gen. occ. cents, bef. the death of M., it becomes a question what are the sources to wh. it is to be traced back. The chief hypotheses are — 1. Documentary, i.e. That M. formed Gen. fr. an Elohim, and a Jehovah record, with the aid of 10 smaller memoirs. (This sugg. by Astrue, 1753, is, in part, adopted by Eichhorn. (rrandierg, Jiohmer, etc.) 2. Fragmentary, i.e. that Gen. was single, email, fragmentary pieces. Hence var. superscriptions, concluding formulas, repetitions, vars. of style. (This the view of MiehaeH.'<, Jahn, Vater, JIartmann, Grunde, etc.). 3. Complementary, i.e. that the Jehovist author of Pent, had bef. him an older document, that of the Elohist, wh. he remodelled and extended {Etrnld, de Wctfc, Bleeh. etc.) 4. Cry.tfalUzation (so called by De- litzsch). sugg. by Ewald, who thought there might be 4 sources : 2 Elohistic, and 2 Jehovi.stic. 5. The original unify (f Gen. (in com. with rest of Penta- teuch). (This is the view of the Rabbins, and of nearly all the older theo- logians.) And that the \Lse of the twodif. names of God is owing solely to the two dif. significations of those names {Banhe. Ilengstenbcrg, Drechsler, Haver- oiich. etc.). ''The use of ea. of the two names — Jehovah and Elohim — is everj'where in Gen. adapted to the sense of the passages in w'h. the writer baa purposely inserted the one name or the other" (Haver nick). Sgnopis. (According to Bmh.) The Creation i. ii. Sabbath and Fall iL-iii. Adam and Posterity to the Flood iv. Genealogy of Patriarchs v. World bef. the Flood vi.-vii. 1-5 The Flood vii. S-viii. 1-13 Covenant with Noah viii. 13-ix. 1-18 Noah prophesies cone, his Sous...ix. 18-29 Confusion of Tongues and Dispersion X. xi. 10-27 Life of Abraham xl. 27-xxv. 1-11 Death of A. to Sale of Joseph ...xxv. 11-36 Joseph and Israel in Egypt xxxvii.-xlvii.-27 Death of Jacob and the Patriarchs xlvii. 27-1. (According to Ayre.) PART I. Earlyhist.,etc., of Mankind. 1. Creation and Eden i. ii. 2. Man's Fall and Expulsion iiL 3. Antediluvian World iv.-vi.-8 4. Flood and Eestoration vi. 9-ix.-29 5. Call of Abram, etc x. 6. Confusion of Tongues, and Descent of the Chosen Race xi.-l-26 PART II. Early hist, of Jews. 1. Abraham xi. 27-xxv. 18 2. Isaac xxv. 19-xxxviii. 9 3. Jacob XXXV. 28-xxxvi. 43 4. Israel in Egypt xxviii. 10-1,-26 Secti&as. I. Creation i. Creation II. 05 I L vi. xi. Isaac xii. Jacob (According to Murphy.) Chapters. i., il 3 The Man ,,, ii. 4-25 The Fall iii The Race iv Line to Noah v., vi. 8 The Deluge vi. 9, viii The Covenant ix The Nations x., xi. 9 , Line to Abram x. 10-26 Abraham x. 27, xxv. 11 , fxxv. 12-18 VIIL \xxxv. 19, xxv IX. jxxxvi X. (xxxvii. 1 XI. Documents. LI B IL III. IV. V. VI. VIL Practical Hints. — 1. Read the Bible with prayer. 2. Go to it to learn, not to judge. 3. Read it methodically, regularly, day by day. 4. Compare Scripture with Scripture. " God is His own interpreter ; and He wall make it plain." 5. Apply as you read, and practise what you leam. fi. Read with a spirit of self-examination. 7. Judge of and interpret other books by this ; not this by others. 8. Be men of one book, and that book the Bible. Wlien Sir Walter Scott was dying, he said to the watcher, "Bring the Book." ""WTiat book ?" asked Lockhart. The dying man replied, " There is but ONE Book." — Tojncs for Teachers. 10 GIWESIS. [Cap. 1.1-5. CHAPTER THE FIRST. 1, 2. [vv. 1, 2 include the hist, of the world prior to the be^iru of the six days.] (1) beginning," absolutely : begin, of time : "no time bef. d'eation"*" : this may rcf. u.s back to an epoch, hundred.s of thousands of yrs. fr. our age.' God, Ileb. Eloh'im. (plti)=" eternal powers."'' The Divine Name fr. this v. to ii. ii. created,* out of nothing : gave being to : the . . earth,/ an idiomatic formula = the whole world, the universe.*" (2) earth, wherein now we live, was then without . . void, lif. wastenesa and emptiness; i.e. Chaotic, deep, "a raging deep of wild waters and storm." moved,'' lit. wa-s hovering, or brooding. T/ic creation (on the whole chapter). — We learn that — I. There was a beginning, and this -was the act of God. II. The disorder of primal creation is reduced to order by the power and intelli- gence of this Divine will. We might have had matter created by will, but all miglit have remained shapeless and inane. The life of God is imparted to the chaotic world. Light is approved by God. Power develops through will and intelligence into emotion. III. This progress of creation passes from order, through organization, into life, until it culminates in man. Plants and { animals are after their kind. Man is after the likeness of God. He is subject to expres-sed law — a king, he is yet to obey. Moral law must be recognised by him.' T/if bet/inninff. — "Between the initial act and the details of Genesis, the world, for aught we know, might have been the theatre of many revolutions, the traces of which Geology may still investigate, and to which she, in fact, has confidently appealed as the vestiges of so many continents that have now passed away."* — "The first ver.se of Genesis seems explicitly to as.sure the creation of the universe and the heaven, including the sidereal system and the earth, more especially specifying our planet, as the subsequent scene of the operations of the six days about to be described. Xo infoiTnation is given as to events which may have occun'cd upon this earth, unconnected %vith the history of man, between the creation of its component matter, recorded in the fu'st verses, and the era at which its history is recorded in the second verse ; nor i.s any limit fixed to the time during which these intermediate events may have been going on. Millions of years may have occupied the indefinite interval between the beginning in which God created the heaven and the earth, and the evening or commencement of the first day of the Mosaic naiTative." ' 3 — 5. (3) said" . . light,'' it is not said that L. was now first made:'' but that now at God's bidding it n-as. i.e. M-here the darkness had been (God Himself is light). (4) good,'' fitting, suitable, beautiful, ])crfect. divided . . darkness,' separated, suffered not the light to blend with the darkness ;/ but to alter- nate with it. (5) and . . day . . night, i.e. the distinguishing "It 13 in vain to I mark of what we call day, and night, evening. . day, lit. Inquire scien-[-the evening was: and the morning was.— Day One." We the creation n Jo. i. 1—3; He. i. 10; Ps. cil. 1'5. 6 Augustine. (• cf. Mc.Caul. " Aids to t'aitli," 200— '20:1 d Murp/iy. e He. xi. .3 ; Col. i. IG; Re. iv. 11. /Pr. iii. 19; Ne. ix. 6; Ps. xcvi. 5; Je. xxxii. 17. g Al/ord. h Ps. civ. 30 ; Is. Xl. 13. " The order of the universe has a spiritual root; the purpose of love which changes is also the purpose of love which directs it. He whocan bind and loose the forces of nature has thus revealed the eternal purpose in which they originate." — Westeott. i C. D. Bev an, LL.B. k IJr. Chalmers. " Let us read both of God's books — Nature and Scripture — with reverence, humility, and prayer for the illumination of His Holy Spirit; and He will re- veal Himself to us in both.'' — Wordsworth. I Or. Buckland. day one a Ps. xxxiii. 9; cxlviil. a. ftJobiixviii. 19; Is. xlv. 7; Ps. Ixxiv. 16; 2 Co. iv. G. c Wordsworth. Cap. 1. 6-8.1 OEMESJS. 11 know not how often the evening and the morning were repeated dui-ing the period hero called One Bay. Light, and its laws. — I. The light God has made, and His mind concerning it : 1 . Physical light — good ; light, sweet ; pleasant. Sun, the emblem of many things ; cheerful revealing ; 2. Mental i light — good. Hence in some parts an idiot is called "dark."! 3. Gospel light — good ; the light of the stoiy of God ; light that i shined out of darkness to enlighten Gentiles ; Christ the Light of the world, the Sun of Righteousness ; 4. Spiritual light — good ; | 5. Essential light — light of heaven from the Father of lights. | II. The law by which it is governed : 1 . Not mixed, but separated ; j 2. Sons of light must have no communion with darkness ; 3. Chui'ches should be lights in the world ; 4. Truth not to be mixed with error. Learn— (1) Love the light ; (2) Walk in it ; (3) Enforce the law concerning it. An ancient tc.^t'tmong to the .^itlUmity of the first crcatire fiat. — " In the same way the Jewish lawgiver, a man of no ordinary genius, when he had conceived in his mind a just idea of the grandeur of the Supreme Being, has given expression to it in noble language, in the beginning of his work containing his laws : — • And God said,' what 1 ' Let there be light : and there was light. Let the earth be : and the earth v\'as." " s—JJay.t of Creation. The correct translation, '• evening was, and morning was, day one," makes it clear, that throughout the periods de- scribed as " day one," " a .second day," etc., there were evenings and mornings, the natural result of the revolution of the earth on its axis ; and that the period wh. is styled " a day " represents a series of days and nights.'' 6 — 8. (G) firmament,'' expanse, that wh. is spread out : as by beating ; as leaf -gold. (7) made, (not create as v. 1) formed out of what now existed, the . . under, ocean, seas, etc. the . . above, rain, etc. (8) heaven, here the region of cloud. and . . evening, etc., lit. " and evenina" was, and morning was. —Day T\"^ " The creaiton of the firmament. — Observe, concerning the firma- ment, — I. God's command—'' let there be." 11. Its creation — " and God made," etc. III. Its use and design — to divide the waters from the waters. IV. Its naming — " heaven." It is the visible heaven, the pavement of the holy city.* Never-changing cloueh. — With the movements, though silent, of the clouds, as, massively dark or softly brilliant, their swelling mountains change, unite, separate, and unite again, unveiling infinite depths of calm, sweet azure, or, if it be sunset, fields of clear burning brightness that seem to reach into heaven itself. Looking at the clouds merely as aqueducts, we miss the chief part of their beautiful ministry, which is to fill the sky with the idea of life. Rhymesters and parlour naturalists would have us believe that skies, to be perfectly beautiful, must be '• cloudless." It is not only not true, but it would be contrary to the nature of things for it to be true. The skies even of Italy are not cloudless, except, as in our o^vn country, at certain periods, and derive their charm from their transparency, rather than from cloudlessness. Clouds are to the heavens what human beings are to the earth. They dwell in them and move about in them, various in their aspects and their missions, as men and women ; and as of the latter B.C. 4004. tiflcally, as some have done, of what kind thia first-created light was." — Al- ford. " It is now tolerably well understood, that the light is not conditioned by perfected lumi- nous bodies, but, on the contrary, that light bodies are conditioned by a preceding luminous ele- ment." — Lange, " God's speaking is His willing, and His willing is His doing." — Bp. Hall, d Ecc. xi. 7. e2Co. vi. 14; Ps. Ixxiv. 10; civ. 20. /but see Bush in Ice. " Light ethereal, first of things, quintessence l)ure.''— Milton, g Longinns, De 'Subl. ix. h MeCa u stand. day two a Job ix. 9 ; Ps. xix. 1 ; cxlviii. 4; cslvii. 8; Is. xl. 22; Je. li. 15; Job xxxTii. 16. b M. Henry. "The poets fabu- lously fancied that the giants scaled heaven by heaping moun- tain upon moun- tain. What was their fancy is the Gospel truth. If you would get to heaven you must climb thither by putting Mount Sion upon ]\tount Sin ai." — Bp. Hopkins. "Clouds that looked as though an angol in his upward flight had left his mantle floating in mid-air."—/. HailHe. 12 [Cap. i. 9-13. e Orindon. day three a Je. V. -Ji; •-' Pe. lii. 5 ; Job xxvi. 10; Ps. XIX. 7; xcv. 5; cxxxvi. 6; Ecc. i. 7. " 1. The use of the sea in the economy of crea- tion should lead us to admire the wisdom of God. It supplies water for rain, rivers, etc. ; coola the air and wind ; preserved fresh by currents, tides, salt, etc. ; is a wonderful storehouse of provision. '.'.Are our sins like a stone cast into the sea — for- given and for- gotten? 3. Have we that right- eousness that abounds as the waves of the sea? 4. Avoid that wickedness which makes man as a trou- bled Rea.."-Topics for Teachers. T. 9, 10. W.Jones (Najland), Con- siderations on the Natural His- tory of the Earth and its Minerals. Wis. vi. 58. 6 Dr. U. BashneU. " I cannot look upon the ocean and the moun- tains without loving them; and I am greater than they be- cause I can do BO.' e Uarlwig. a Ps. cxlvii. 8; He. vL 7. This div. is sim- ple and nat. It proceeds upon two concur, marks, the struc- ture and the seed. In the first the green leaf, or blade, is promi- nent; in the come all the true dignity and grace of earth, so of the former comes every splendour that glorifies the Bky.« 9, 10. (9) gathered," out of the watery desert. Hitherto land and water formed one mas.s. and . . appear, the up- heaving of the land, etc. (10) earth, Heb. A retz == land, earth- soil, seas, the ocean. The Heb. yamin, is fr. a word = tumul- tuous agitation. Moral I/.W.1 of tJw sea. — I. One great problem of God, in building a school for man, was, how to distribute the school. No one government could occupy the whole domain. But, since the world is distributed into nations, which are likely to be hostile to each other, they need to be separated by natural barriers. This is well effected by spreading the sea betAveen them. II. It will be found that the sea has oftentimes contributed to the moral and social advancement of the race, by separating one part of the world even from the know ledge of another, and preserving it fci. discovery and occupation at an advanced period of history. III. WTiile oceans have a disconnecting power, they "have, at the same time, a connecting power, bringing all regions and climes into correspondence and commercial interchange. The good resulting from commerce is incalculable : 1. Its spirit is thfe spirit of peace ; 2. The nations engaged in it will, of course, be the most forward nations ; 3. Through it. these nations, most forward in art, are gradually civilizing barbarous tribes ; 4. It opens the way for the universal spread of Christianity. TV. The sea has yet another kind of moral use. more direct than the others, in the influences it has over the minds) mist, fog-vapour, earth, ha-aretz. ground, adamah. (7) formed, fashioned, shaped. dust . . ground,'' man a fragile " vessel in the potter's hand." and . . life,<^ of no other living creature do we read this, man , . soul,<* " materialism ■^^^ll never explain these words."' The primeval condition of the earth and of man (on v. 4 — 25). • — In these verses the state of things on the earth at its first creation is briefly described. I. The economy of the kingdom of inanimate nature, or the vegetable world, was fitted at once to maintain the sovereignty of God, and to provide for the welfare of man, as a compound being having both body and soul (vs. 5 7). Three things are here implied as necessary to the growth of plants — 1. Soil; 2. Climate; 3. Culture. II. The moral world also, the spiritual kingdom, was rightly adjusted. Man — 1. As a sentient being, was placed in an earthly paradise (vs. 8 — 15) ; 2. As a rational and religious being, was subjected to a Divine law (vs. 16, 17) ; 3. As a social, or companionable being, was furnished with human fellowship (vs. 18 — 25)./ . 3Ian, a living soul. — He did not merely possess it; he became it. It was his proper being, his truest self, the man in the man. All organised beings have life in common, each after its kind. This, therefore, all animals possess, and man as an animal. But. in addition to this, God transferred into man a higher gift, and epecially inbreathed even a living — that is, self -subsisting — soul ; a soul having its life in itself.? 8, 9. (8) and . . planted, man's first home in the world divinely contrived: specially fruitful and beautiful, garden, or park, idea of inclosure. eastward, foreplace : this sugges- tive of its being in the best part of the district called Eden," delight, this the name, not of the garden, but of the region wherein it was situated. It is quite undecided where E. was.'' (9) grow . . food, realising the old Spartan prayer, '■ grant us the beautiful with the good." the . . life,<^ " the fruit whereof con- ferred immoi-tality."''* "A symbolical tree, a sign not only of a 17 B.C. 4004. c Knohel, " This higher signifi- cance waa not fully brought out till the giving of the jSIosaic law; though there are traces of the re- currence of the day being ob- .seiTCd in pre- Mosaic times; cf. iv. 3; viii. 10,-12." — Afford, d L. D. Sevan, LL.B. e Bibl. Treat. man a living: soul "By the use of the name Jefw- vah, the narra- tive advances a very important step towards the peculiar theocra- tical character of the Penta- teuch ; but hj combining it with Elohim, it reminds, also, of the omnipotent Creator. The God of the uni- verse is the God of Israel ; but the God of Israel is, at the same time, Governor of the whoJe wOT\d."-Kalisch. a Ps. civ. 14 ; Job V. 10. b 1 Co. XV. 47; Ge. iii. 19; Job iv. 19; Ps. ciii. 14; Ec. xii. 7; Is. Ixiv. 8. c Job xxvii. 3; XXX iii 4; Ac. xvii. 25; Is.ii. 22. d 1 Co. XV. 45; He. xii. 9. e Coleridge, f Dr. Candlislt. g Coleridge. Eden a Is. li. S; Ez. xxviii. 13. 6 "Eden com- prised that tract of land where the Euphrates and Tigris sepa- rate; fr.that spot the 'Garden of Eden ' cannot be 18 OENESia. [Cap. ii. 10-14. B.C. 4004. distant. Let it Bufflce that wo j know its general position ; but we are not permit- ted to penetrate within, a.s if the angel with the naming sword forbade the ac- cess." — Kdlisck. c Ge. iil. -'2; Pr. ill. 18; Re. ii. 7; xxii. 2, 14. tl A I/or J. f Ainstcorlh. "The tree of life, it is proh., was designed to sus- tain and refresh the life infused into man at his c r 6 a t i o n." — Wordsfcorth. f Afford, g Lange. the river of Eden a He. xxii. 1. b Many critics, as Baumgarten. Kitto, etc., arc of opinion that the po:^ition of the rivers has totally changed in the course of time, especially since snd by the de- luge. cGe. XXV. 18; 1 Sa. XV. 7; Ge.x. 7. dNu. li. 7; Ex. xvii. 14. e Da. X. 4. ;"//. Scoii, n.A. "1. Elvers fer- tilise and beau- tify ; lives ■shoiild be useful. 2. The cold and rapid river of death will soon have to bo passed. That it may not bear 11 8 away to etemil death, seek a present Saviour; so shall we, like Israel of old, find the pas- sage safe and easy, and we shall be willing to advaDco at ble.''sccl natural life in Parafli.'se, for a time ; but of a .'spiritual life after in heaven for ever, if he continued in obedience to his Creator."" midst, vi.'^ible. accessible, tree . . evil, wh. "con- ferred knowledge of the difference betw. rij^'ht and wrong."'/ To cat of this tree wa-s wrong : he who did so \\ould at once see and feel the dif. betw. that .state and one of innocence. ParndiKc. — Paradise, a.s — I. A fact in the earth. I. The bloom of the earth ; 2. The home of the first man. II. An emblem. An emblem of — I. The paradisaical disposition of the earth; 2. Its paratiisaical power, namely, for children, and in festal con- templation ; .'{. Its paradisaical prefiguration ; a.s of the new paradise in the other world and in this.? Jfan (Did iroman. — Man is strong; woman is beautiful. Man is daring and confident; woman is diffident and una.ssuming. ]\Ian is great in action ; woman in suffering. Man shines abroad ; woman at home. Man talks to convince ; woman to persuade and please. ]\Ian has a rugged heart ; woman a soft and tender one. IVIan prevents miseiy ; woman relieves it. JIan has science ; woman taste. Man has judgment; woman sensibility. Mania a being of justice ; woman of mercy. Each possesses peculiar gifts and a wide sphere of usefulness, and, by the wise use of these respective gifts, society is benefited and God is honoured. 10 — 14. (10) river . . Eden," otw great river, wh. may or may not have had its source in E. parted, divided, branched out. heads,'' arms, streams. (11) Pison (orrrftotvhn/). not identified. As all is conjecttire, it is useless to enumerate the var. opinions. Havilah,"^ where, uncertain. (12) bdellium, Hob. hcdolah. of wh. we know little, but that it was like manna,"* and as that resembled coriander-seetl. some (as Aimr/ii) think pearls are meant. But most think it was a kind of gum. onyx, Heb. sJioJui 111 = -pale. (13) Gihon, prob. the Xile. Ethiopia, Heb. "land of Cush."' (H) Hiddekel,' Heb. DiJIaJi. rapid : prob, the Tigris. Euphrates, Heb. Fraf., the sweet or broad stream. 77(6' four rivrr.s of Eden. — Here we have — I. Treasure — the Pison. 1 . Here were gold and precious stones ; 2. Moreover, that gold was good. II. Ignorance — the Gihon. Ethiopia was in darkness. The true light was lost there. III. Power and wicked- mess — Hiddekel and Euphrates, on which were Nineveh and I Babylon. IV. Righteousness and peace — the river of Eden, the I fountain-head of the four./ 77//" art of creation. — Long lay the type of creation in His I searchless bosom. From eternity it had there been resolved. It now emanates in the perfection of beauty. It now beams out with the self -furnished evidences of wisdom and love. Chaos ; hears and obeys ! The work is begun and swiftly hastens to its I consummation. The waters fall back to appointed channels ; the 1 solid masses are fi.xcd to sustain and bind a framework of a thousand orders and kinds ; the distorted twinklings of light are embodied and find " their tabernacle in the sun ; " the rugged i shapes and swells into lovely forms, and melts away into enchant- ! ing landscapes : the repulsive differences of attraction, instead of ; agitating the globe to its centre, gird and balance it ; the latent seeds of each fair flower and luscious fruit break out along the river which flowed in Eden to water the garden ; and the wild war of discords hu.«hed into soft sunrise, and fragrant breath, [ and holy calm of a Sabbath da^vn, in which God rested from His Cap. li. 15-20.1 OEIfESh'i. 19 work and '• was refreshed," in which man was " made upright," I stretched forth his hands to his Father-Creator, with songs of praise comely for one so upright, and with the effectual fervent prayer of one so righteous ; in which higher intelligences took a holy sympathy, and perfomied a benevolent part, — while hanging with wondering delight over the teeming scene, the sons of God pressed into view and shouted for joy Is 15—17. (IT)) dress," till, cultivate, keep, guard. (IG) Of . . eat,'' of every ti-ee of the garden, eat, eat mayest thou, i.e. eat without stint or fear. (17) But . . evil, see v. 9. thou . . it, the only prohibition by wh. God asserted His supreme sovereignty. for . . die,"-" '■ thou wilt have the sentence of death within thee wh. grows on sin as its root . . sin, pain, sorrow are not only fore- runners of death, but parts of death.""* The sentence included especially moral and spiritual death. The Paradise-Ufi% not an unrestricted. ttate. — There'is limitation of — I. Action : the calling to dress and keep. II. Enjoyment : not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. III. The treatment of nature, and especially of the beasts : no enclosing. IV. Human society : regulation of man-iage and domestic life.' — God's voiee to man on his e7itering into earthli/ life. I. That man's earthly sphere of life is furnished with vast and varied blessings. TTiere is — 1. The sensational tree ; 2. The intellectual tree ; 3. The social tree ; 4. The religious tree. II. That these blessings are to be used under certain Divine regulations. Regu- lations, which are — 1. Proper ; 2. Liberal ; 3. Needful. III. That the violation of these regulations will entail the utmost ruin — " thou shalt surely die."/ Traditions of t lie Mill. — Tlie Persian tradition is to the effect that man, at first, enjoyed a period of happiness and innocence in an elevated region which his god, Ormuzd, had assigned to him ; but it was necessary to his existence in this state, that he should be humble of heart, and humbly obey the Divine ordi- nances ; pure he must be of thought, pure of word, jjurc of deed. For a time, the first pair were holy and happy. But at last Ahri- man, the evil one, appeared, and beat down their good disposi- tions ; and, under the influence of his glozing lies, they began to ascribe their blessings to him. Emboldened by this success, Ahriman the liar presented himself again, and brought with him fruit : of which they ate : and in that instant, of a hundred excellences which they possessed, all but one departed from them ; and they became subject to misery and death. 18 — 20. (18) It . . alone," regard being had to his social and moral nature : and also to the fulfilling of the Divine will ; i. 28 ; help . . him, lit. a help as over against him, before him, so as to meet him, tally and correspond to him as his counterpart!. (19) out . . air, see on i. 24. brought . . Adam,* by super- natural influence, as aft. they were brought to Noah in the ark. what . . them, hence he had the gifts of speech, reason, per- ception, etc. whatsoever . . thereof, the names given, an- swering prob. to their nature, met with God's approval. (20) Adam . . him, ea. other creature had its mate : but the man was alone. The creation of nomcrn. — Here we have an instance of — I. The Creator's care of man, and His fatherly concern for his comfort, B.C. 4004. His command. " — Topics for Teachers. g Dr. R. W. Hamilton. permission and prohibi- tion a Ep. iv. 28. h 1 TL iv. 4 ; vi. 17. c Ro. vi 23; 1 Co. XV. 22; Ja.i.5. d Wordsworth. " Death is not only the actual separation of soul and body, but includes all that culminates in that separa- tion. A man may, as we say, ' die by inches :' and may be said, especiallyif pass- ing fr. a state where death was not the necessary end of his days, to die. When the seeds of death begin to work iu him. It is not suificiently borne in mind that man's exclusion fr. the tree of life wh. could have conferred immortality on him, was the carrying out of this sentence." — Alford. e Lange. f Dr. Thomas. the naming: of the animals a Pr. xviii. 22 ; 1 Co. xi. 9. 1 Ti. ii. 13; iv. 1—3. 5Ps. viii. Ge. ix. 2. 6— S; "The names gi\'en by Adam had, doubtless, their foundati n in th9 nature uf 20 (iicyEsis. [Cap. il. 21-25. B.C. 4004. tho creatures to wli. thoy were given. An evi- dence of man's intuitive knnw- ledge, derived fr. God ; and of tho origin of lan- guage as Qod's gift." — Words- worth. c M. Ilenril. "ToaoU him to live unto r. S. Johnson, S.S.,i. 1. h T. W. Richards, M.A. "■Wherever found, women are the same kind, civil, oblig- ing, humane, ten- der beings, in- clined to be Ray and cheerful, Observe — 1. Ciod's pity for his Bolitude ; 2. His resolve to provide society for him. II. The creatures' subjection to man. and his dominion over them. God brought the animals to Adam that he might name them, and so give a proof of — 1. His knowledge ; 2. His power. III. The creatures' insufficiency to be a happiness for man. Observe— 1. The dignity and excellency of human nature ; 2. 'Hie vanity of the things of thi.s world.'' A true hrlpnuct. — The Rev. Philip Henry u.sed to give two pieces of advice to his children and others, in reference to marriage. One was, " Keep within the bounds of profession." The other was, '• Look at suitableness in age, quality, education, temper," etc. He used to obscr\^e, from Gen. ii. 18, " I will make him an helpmeet for him ; '' that where there is not meetnest^, there will not be much help. He commonly said to his children, with refe- rence to their choice in mamage, " Please God, and please your- selves, and you shall never displease me ; " and greatly blamed those parents who conclude matches for their children without their consent. He sometimes mentioned the saying of a jjious gentlewoman, who had many daughters : " The care of most people is how to get good hiisbands for their daughters ; but my care is to fit my daughters to be good wives, and then let God provide for them."' 21 — 25. (21) deep sleep, prob. a trance or ecstasy : so the LXX, took . . ribs, "the miracle is in the creation, not in the choice of subjects to create from."" (22) made . . woman, lit. builded her to a woman, brought . . man,'' " Here He [God] appears as the first bridesman. "<' (2U) Ttiis . . now, Ut. this is for this time, this once. The only woman produced in this way. bone . . flesh,'' nearness of mar. relation. Husband to care for wife, as for himself. woman, Heb. Itiha man, Heb. /s7;.e (21) Therefore, ctcf This may have been spoken by Adam : but was more proh. the inspired reflection of Mo.ses. But by whomsoever said, it is prophetic of all mankind. (25) ashamed,? they knew no shame, bee. they knew not sin. Ecc. — Let us speak of — I. The woman. 1. Her creation ; 2. The purpose God had in view in creating her. II. The wonder- fur institution by which man and woman are made one. It is wonderful that this institution should be found so early in human history. III. The glorious imion of which this institution is a ty]ie. Adam is a type of Christ ; and since Christ was the spouse of the Church, then Eve was a type of the Church. And our con- clusion therefore is that the marriage of Adam and Eve, and tho marriage institute altogether, is typical of the union between" Christ and the Church.* The relation of n-omaii to man. — The woman was made of a bone ; and but one hone.ne es.tet onsea. lest she should be stiff and stubborn. The species of the bone is expressed to be a rib. a bone that might be best spared, because there are many of them : a bone of the side, not of the head : the wife mu.st not usurp authority over her husband : nor yet of the foot : she is not a slave, but a fellow-helper. A bone, not of any anterior part : she is not \pr(plata, jirefeiTed before the man : neither yet of any hinder I part ; she is not jJo.' bul keep possessio;», all the posse vjf liell cannot vio- lently eject me; but I cowardly surrender to his summons. Thus there needs no more to be my undoing but my- self." — Fuller. d Michow. e Kitto. the first sin a 1 Ti. ii. 1-1 ; So. viii. 44. "Clothes are the ensigns of our sin and covers of our shnme. To be proud of them is as great a folly as for a beggar to be proud of his rags or a thief of his halter. Aa the prisoner looking on his irons thinketh of his theft, so wSj 22 OENEsrs. [Cap. lil. 8-11. B.C. 4004. lookinK on our garineuts.should think on our sins." — Trapp. 6 Ho. V. 12; 1 Jo. li. 11!; Ja. i. 14, IS; iv. 7; 2 Co. ii. 11; Ma. vi. 1.3. "Tbo Oonevan Bible (1st cd. 3000) i.s Bomo- times called the ' Breeches Bible,' fr. ius trans, of V. 7. 'They sewed fl}rge-trce leaves tojjether, and made themselves breeches.' " c/. A.MacdomilJ. V. 4. Tip. Mant, iii.23; Dr. M ford, ii. 100: S. Siiut/i, ii. 143. d Ilumholdt. fear and shame a Ps. xciv. '.) ; cxxxix. 7 ; Job xxxi. y.3; xxxiv. 21, 22; 2 Ch. xxvi. 9; Pr. XV. 3; Je. xxiii. 24; Am. ix. 3; He. iv. 12, 10; De. v. 25,20. b Ps. cxix. 120; Job xxiii. 1.5; 1 Jo. iii 20; Re. iii. 18. "Pure nakedness was God's crea- ture, and he was naked b e f . without fear or Bhame." — Ains- icorth. "The bad heart runs fr. God, and would run fr. its own terrors ; as the wounded deer fr. the dead- ly arrow that sticks in its side; but refusing or- dmary trial, it is in danger to be pressed to death inevitably." — Trapp. c Ps. xc. 8. d II. J. ifarlyn. e Dr. Sprague. wiwlom of the world. Among the maxims of this wisdom are these — 1 . That happineas is the end of human existence ; 2. That j nature is a sufficient source of happiness ; 3. That mans chief happiness lies in forbidden objects; 1. Tliat God is what we fancy or desire Him to be. II. The qualities of sin. 1. The elements of all sin are here, — sen.suality, covetousness, ambition; 2. Sin orig-inatcs in unbelief ; 3. It wears a specious appearance of goodness. III. Tlie results of sin. It — 1. Transforms its victims into Satanic incarnations ; 2. Reveals its own deceptive- ness : 3. Covers its victims with confusion." Shirt trees. — "We saw, on the slope of the Cerra Dnida. shirt trees fifty feet high. The Indians cut off cylindrical, jjieccs two feet in diameter, from which tliey peel the red and fibrous bark, without making any longitudinal incision. This bark affords them a sort of garment which resembles a sack of a very coarse textui-e, and without a seam. The upper opening serves for the head, and two lateral holes are cut to admit the arms. The natives wear these shirts of Marina in the rainy season ; they have the form of the pouches and manes of cotton which are so common in New Grenada, at Quito, and Peru. As in this climate the riches and beneficence of nature are regarded as the primary causes of the indolence of the inliabitants. the missionaries do not fail to say in showing the shirts of IMarina, ' in the forests of Oronoko, garments are found ready made upon the trees.'""* 8—11. (8) voice . . walking, it was the votce (not the Lord) ivalhiurj : i.e. it sounded along through the avenues of the garden, growing louder and louder, cool . . day, l\t. in the wind of the day, I.e. towards evening, hid . . garden." guilt-inspired ten-or : once tliey would have joyously welcomed that voice. (9) Adam . . thou ? this was what the voice said. "NMiere was he morally/ A sinner vainly flying fr. his Maker. (10) afraid . . naked,' the devil had deceived him with a lie : not so could he deceive God. (11) who . . naked? only a heart knowing cr'il could have told thee that, hast, ete.?'' by this question the origin of the fear and shame was urged home. (iod'x call io Adam. — Our text suggests — I. Man's departure from God. Adam was in a state of — 1 . Alienation from God ; 2. Fear of Him ; 3. Delusion about Him : 4. Danger. II. Gods concern about man's departure. God is concerned about man's departure from Him, because it involves — 1. Evil : and He is " of purer eyes than to behold iniquity: 2. Suffering; and He "is love."' III. God's personal dealing with the wanderer."* Mliere art tlinn? — Apply this question to — I. The profes.sing Christian. He ought ever to be — 1. At his iiroper work : 2. In his proper place ; 3. In a .state of mind to seek the Divine blessing ; 4. "WTiere he can meet God in judgment without fear. II. The sinner. He is where he ought not to be. He is — 1. In his sins: 2. In the path- way of eternal ruin : 3. In a state of condemnation ; 4. 'Wander- ing in a land of darkness and gloom ; 5. Under God's immediate eye : G. In the hands of angiy Lord.« Tlte Dir'ine omni.srience.—^ovcie of the natives of South America, after listening a while to the instructions of the Popish missionaries, gave them this cool answer: — "You say that the God of the Christians knows everything, that nothing is hidden from Him. that He is everywhere, and sees all that is done below. Now, we do not desire a God so sharp-sighted ; we choose to live Cap. ili. 12-15.] GEiVESIS. 23 with freedom in our woods, without having a pei'petual observer , of our actions over our heads." 1 B.C. 40(li IS, 13. (12) and . . said," equivocating, woman . . tree, [ you gave the woman, she gave the fruit. He shifts the blame in guilty fear fir.st iipon Eve, but indirectly on God. I . . eat, not denying but extenuating : stating lant, what should have been confes.sed fir.<'omise. — Consider from these words — I. Tlie grace of which they are the germinal revelation. II. The way in which God is fulfilling the promise. Inferences — (1) Salvation begins with God ; (2) No consciousness of guilt, however deep, warrants mistrust of God's mercy ; (8) Satan's overtures, however specious, tend only to evil ; (-1) In Christ, and only in Him, is salvation provided and to be sought for.'' Death conquered. — Death, the old serpent's son, Thou hadst a sting once, like thy sire, That carried hell and ever-burning fire ; But those black days are done ; sinful evasions a Pr. xxviii. 13; J a. i. Vj. h Ga. vi. 7. " There is nothing of so ill couRe- quouco to the public ns false- hood, or (speech being the current coin of converse) the putting false money upon the world; or so dark a blot as dis- sembling, which, as Montaigne saitli prettily, 'is only to be hi-ave towards God and acoward to wards man; ' for a lie faceth God, and shrinketh iroxx man." — Doyd. c Dr. Vaughan. d W. R. Cooper. the promised seed a Ma. xiii. 38; Jo. viii. 44 ; Ac. xiii. 10; 1 Jo. iii. 8; Is. vii. 14; Lu.i.31— 35;Qa. iv. 4. 6 Eo.xvi. 20; Ep. iv. 8 ; Col. ii. 16; He. ii. 14, 15; 1 Jo. iii. 8; Jo. xvi. 11; xii. 31; Lu. X. 17—20; Be. xii. 17. c Is. liii. 3, 4, 12; Da. Ix. 2G ; Ma. iv. 1. Labour, ''Tis the primal curse, but softened into mercy made the pledge of cheer- ful days, and nights without a groan." — Qoxrper. d Analyst. " Labour is be- come necessary 24 oKyicsis. [Cap. ill. 1&-21. B.C. 4004. . "Had I a careful and pleasant' companion, that j should show me | my angry face in a glass, I should not at all take it ill. Some are wont to have a looking-glass held to them while they wash, though to little purpose ; but to behold a man's self so unnatu- rally disguised and disordered, will conduce not a little to the impeachment of a,ug0T.''-Plularc}i. t). 3,4. Bp.C'ony- Leare, ii. lyi. / T. Grantham, £.D. g CntUnden. IT. The injuries done to the poml are noticed in heaven. A Witness testifies aj^fainsb every unjust act, wlio in — 1. Conversant with all the circiunstanccs of the case ; 2. Truthful in His evidence; H. An eye-witness. III. An impartial investigation will be made touching these ^vrongs. 1 . A righteous Judge ; 2. An ojjportuuity for proving innocence offered ; '.i. Only integrity can stand the trial. IV. The evil-doer is the greatest sufferer in the end. 1 . No j)rosperity ; 2. No home ; 3. No peace.* Virtiici (if nuhi.'itnj. — The chiefest action for a man of spirit, Is never to be out of action ; we should think The soul was never put into the body. Which has so many rare and curious pieces Of mathematical motion, to stand still. Virtue is ever sowing of her seeds, In the trenches for the soldier ; in the wakeful study For the scholar ; in the furrows of the sea For men of that profession ; of all which Arise and spring up honour.'' 3 — 5. (.']) and. . . time, lit. at the end of days. Cain . . ground, Adam inculcated the duty of religious worship, as well as industry, offering'. Hob. ?«(«r//rt= oblation, token of subjec- tion, or submission . (4) Abel . . flock," a sin-offering: and . . thereof,* 1'it. the fatnesses of them : i.e. the best portions, re- spect . . Abel,'' he offered with faith in the appointed Lamb of God. offering, wh. was a type of Xt. (">) Cain, who lacked faith, offering, neither rightly selected, nor offered, he . . respect,"^ there was prob. some visible sign of acceptance or rejection, wroth, "^ filled with burning, intense rage : instead of spirit of self-examination and repentance, and . . fell, became gloomy, sullen. AhcVs .mcrlficc. — Let u.s — I. Consider the offerings of Cain and Abel, and the way in which they were received by the Almighty. II. Make some observations upon this Scripture narrative. 1. Not all who wor.ship God are acceptable worshippers ; 2. If we desire to serve God acceptably, we must serve Him \\'ith our best ; 3. Our persons must be rendered pleasing to God. or our offerings will not be accepted by Him. III. Deduce from the whole a few practical reflections — 1. None can stand before God with accept- ance, save through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. 2. The visible Church of God hath ever been a mixed company, consisting of the evil as well as the good ; 3. A sacrifice has been appointed of God for the sins of the whole world, and, through it, all who believe shall assuredly be saved./ 3Ian, the child of Jfrrri/. — "\Mien God, in His eternal counsel, conceived the thought of man's creation. He called to Him the three ministers who wait constantly upon His throne, — Ju.stice, Truth, and Mercy, — and thus addressed them : " Shall we make man?" Then said Justice, " O God! make him not; for he will trample upon Thy laws." Truth made answer also, " God 1 make him not : for he will pollute Thy .sanctuaries." But Mercy, dropping upon her knees, and looking U]i through her tears, exclaimed. " O God I make him : I will watch over him with my care through all the dark paths which hcmay have to tread." Then God made man. and said to him, " man I thou art the child of Mercy : go and deal with thy brother."* Cap. iv. 6—12.] GENESIS. 27 6 — 8. (G) why . . fallen ?" question to tuxn his attention to real cause of rejection. (7) if . . well, offerest the right Bacrifice, with a right spirit, shalt . . accepted ? * as well as thy bro. lieth, lit. croucheth. Thy sin, like a beast of prey, ready to spring upon thee. (But some think the meaning is,<^ " if thou doest not well, sin" — i.e. a sin-offering — "lieth at the door" — i.e. is close at hand. "Sin" sin-offering: as Xt. was "made sin" — i.e. a sin-offering — "for us.") and . . him, some think this means that Cain, if he did well, should, as the first- born, have the pre-eminence over his bro. ; others, that he should overcome the sin now crouching at the door. (8) Cain, reject- ing Divine counsel, talked . . brother,^ familiarly, concealing his anger. Cain . . him,'' the first death in the first family : murder the offspring of envy. TJie religion of nature, and the religion of the Gospel. — Intro- duction : — Cain's religion, in common with many false religions, was one — (1) Which had in it some good: (2) Of expediency; (3) Which lacked faith. (4) Abounding in self-righteousness. (5) That persecuted others. Abel's religion — (1) Embodied all the good that was in the other ; (2) Surpassed it, even in its own excellencies — "more plenteous sacrifice;" (3) Recognized the existence of guilt, and its merited doom ; (4) Was actuated by faith ; (5) Was approved of by God. Consider, then — I. Natural religion. Look at — 1. The principle upon which it is founded — practical goodness. This principle is intrinsically excellent, is one upon which all men should act ; is one to which no one can object. 2. The standard by which it is to be tested — the moral law of creation, love to God and man. In order to " do well," the act itself must be perfect ; the motive must be good ; and the rule must be good ; 3. Its reward to its faithfiil adherents — " shalt thou not be accepted?" Such a religion will command the approval of God ; and will secure immortality for all its votaries. Now measure your conduct by this religion ; and are you perfect/ Think of sin in its nature, its effects, and its ulti- mate consequences, and see if you have not sinned. And can natural religion justify you ? No ; something else must be found, and something else is to be found. Look then at — II. Revealed religion. Notice — 1. That revealed religion assumes that men are guilty. She also recognizes their liability to punishment ; 2. That it has provided a sin-offering, — a substitution of person, of sufferings: (1) The acceptance of this is accompanied with Divine evidence ; (2) It is efficient for all purposes for which it is presented : (3) Having accepted it, the sinner is treated as though he himself had suffered. 3. That the sin-offering re- poseth at the door. This implies that Xt.'s atonement is accessible to the sinner ; that it rests with man to avail himself of it ; that men often neglect it ; that God exercises great patience towards the sinner ; that the sinner cannot go to hell without first tram- pling on the cross ; and that he will be for ever deprived of every excuse for his destruction." Brofherhj lore.—K little boy, seeing two nestling birds pecking at each other, inquired of his elder brother what they were doing. "They are quarrelling," was the answer. "No," replied the child, " that cannot be : they arc brothers." 9 — 12, (9) where . . brother ?" this to awaken a sense of guilt. Shows Divine knowledge of human actions. I . . not, a the first murder a Is. i. 18; iii. 10, 11. 6Eo. ii. 11. c Pr. xxvi. 24, 25. dlJo.iii. 12— 15; Ja. i. 15. "0 envy, the cor- rosive of aU ill minds, and ihe root of all des- perate actions ; Tlie same cause that moved Satan to destroy the first man, the same moves the second man to destroy the third. If there be an evil heart there will he an evil eye ; and if both these, there will be an evil hand. There never was an envy that was not bloody; if not in act, jet in affec- tion." — Bp. Hall. Tobeangryabout trifles is mean and childish ; to rage and be fu- rious is brutish ; to maintain per- petual wrath is akin to the prac- tice and temper of devils ; to pre- vent or suppress rising resent- ment is wise and glorious; to for- give is heavenly and Divme. V. 7. Dr. Fe/ton, 247; Bp. SHlling- fleet, iv. 36; Dr. Kitlo, Jour., 4 .H. WJiishaw, A.M., i. CA;Dr.Gen.Essnu, 31 ; Bp. Woids- worth. Christian Boyhood, ii. 100. e D. Evans. the fratricide a Nu. xxxii. 23; 28 oEyssis. [Cap. Iv. 13-lai B.C. 4004. Ps. X. 13, 14; Pr. xzxviii. 13; Jo. viii. 44. b Ps. Ixxii. 14; He. xu. 24; Be. vi. 10. •'Heart murderis the secret vrish- ing or designing the death of any man ; yea, the Scripture saith, 'Whosoever hateth his bro- ther is a mur- derer' (1 Jo. iii. 15). We have in- stances of this kind of murder in Ahab (I K. xxii. !'); Jezebel (1 K. xix. 2) ; the Jews(Mar.xi. IS): David (1 Sa. xxv. 21,22); Jon. (eh. iv. 1, 4)." — C. Bud. V.9. II. Melvill, ii. 354. c B. Dale, if. A. d Johnson. Cain's punishment a Job XV. 20—24; Ps. li. 11; Pr. xiv. 32 ; xxviii. 1. b Ge. ix. 6; Nu. XXXV. 21. Thales MUesius, one of the wise men of Greece, being aslced what was the most difficult in life, answered, " For a tyrant to live to old age." The application may be extended to the cruel, blood- thirsty, and mur- derers. Murder is the act of wilfully and feloniously killing a person upon malice a- forethought. — C. £uci. e Dr. Light/oot. d Whilecross. Cain's posterity falsehood, one sin lead.s to another, am . . keeper P repudiating fraternal regard. Am I to be accountable for one who should take care of himself ? (10) what . . done P dost thou know the extent of thy crime ? voice . . ground/ the murdered Abel not so voiceless as Cain might deem, concealment is vain. (11) cursed. . . earth, fr. the ground thus moistened by thy bro.'s blood a cm-se arises to thee. (12) tillest . . strength, lit. it shall not add to yield. Cain doomed to harder toils, vagabond, wanderer, "a wretched outcast, abhorred and rejected of his kind." T/ie two brot7ic)\ect happy, it is dreadful to be deprived of it ; 80 tliat in either case the result is the same, for we must exist in anxiety and ap- pro h en si on." — La Rrtiuerc. a see Kalisch. It may bo trans. : " For a man I have slain for my wound, and a youth for my hurt." — Murphy, b Carpenter. birth of Seth and iEnos a Oe. V. 3. h I K. xviii. 24; Ps.cxvi. 17: Joel, ii. 32; Ac. ii. 21 ; Eo. X. 13; 1 Co. i. 2; Ac. ix. 14; xxii. 16. c Ltght/ool, who supposes that Noah is called in 2 Pe. ii. .5, the eighth person in ref. to these times, viz. the eighth in suc- cession fr. Enos, in whose days the world beg. to be profane. d C. Simeon, if. A. c Mrs. Jameson. the death of Adam. a Ps. li. .' ; Jo. iii. C: Job. xiv. 4. '•Grace does not nin in the blood, but corruption does. A sinner begets a sinner, but a saint does not beget a saint." •^ U. Henry. seriously wounded." He had killed a man in self-defence : we should call this " ju.stifiablo homicide." (24) Cain, etc., a clear distinction betw. murder and man.slauo'hter. 'T/ir f/roitiid {if jMinrrhx arrjumcnt . — ITie act of Lamech, in taking- to himself two wives, had probably excited the jcalou.sy of some young man, says Geddes, who under the impulse of this passion had attacked and wounded Lamech, and whom Lamech in his own defence had slain. To allay the fears of his wives, therefore, he argues, and justly, that if Cain, who hiid wilfully and maliciously killed his brother, was nevertheless protected from the blood-avenger by the special providence of God, he might confidently e.xpect the .same i)rotection. since the person whom he had slain had sought and endangered his life ; and that a still heavier punishment than that which was threatened to the avenger of Abel's death, would fall upon the man who should attempt to molest him.* 25, 26. (2.")) Seth'» {s^ct, nppo'mtctl). who took the place, whence his name, of his slain brother. (2^) Enos'' Heb. Enmh (.forron-fiil, miserable), began . . Lord," prob. it means that there now began a more marked distinc. betw. the godly and ungodly. Some ' think now the Lord began to be called upon in a profane sense. ImfitiitUm of public worship. — Consider in what manner we should^I. Confess God. We should — I. Separate ourselves from the ungodly : 2. Make an open profession of our attachment to Christ. IL Worship Him. Publicly : because public ordinances 1. Preserve the knowledge of God in the world ; 2. Are the means of perfecting His work in His people's hearts. Address — (1) Those who have others under their control; (2) Those who are acting for themselves.** Sloth in. worship. — A certain monk in one of the dependent cells at Subiaco was always inattentive to his religiou-s duties, and, at the hour devoted to mental prayer, was seen to leave the choir, and wander forth. Benedict, coming to reprove him. saw that he was led forth by a demon in the shape of a little black boy, who pulled him by the robe (a personification of the demon of sloth). This demon, however, was visible to no other eyes but those of the saint, who, follo^ang the monk, touched him on the shoulder with his staff, and exorcised the demon, who, froCa that hour, troubled the sinner no more.' CHAPTER THE FIFTH. 1 — 5. d) generations, history and posterity — family tree, in . . him. (2) male . . created, .</ ihr dart). (22) walked . . God,'' passed his lift! in intimate coninmnion with God. Walked -svith as a friend. (21) and . . him, wa.^* tran.slates) establish, make sure, covenant, testament, promise, thou . . thee, 8 souls, 4 married pairs, (l'.») two, lit. B.C. '-' 1 Js. flus iu Egypt for mamniy cases. It \n eaid that th« gates of St. Peter's at Ro„ made of cypress, Buffered no decay in 1,100 years. 6 The Great Eastern is 6S0 ft. long. S3 ft. broad; 58 ft. deep ; light draught. 12,0U(i tons. The ark was as high as Solomon's tem- ple, five times as lung, and twice as wide. c These ■woulA. carry 20, 000 men, besides canDon, and stores, &c., for six mos. "A life of the most absolute devotedness to God is the only righteous way of living; no man lives a righteous life that doth not live a devoted life." — Howe. dR.A. Griffin. "The wicked world could not fl lut him out of his faith ; but that "moved with fear" (He. xi. 7), he preacheth, and buildeth, and finisheth; every stroke upon the ark being a real sermon (as Na- zianzen hath it) to forewarn them to flee from the wrath to come ; which yet they did not, — no, not the very ship- wrights that made the ark, — but were all buried together, in one universal grave of waters.'' — Trapp. Noah's obedience 36 GENESIS. [Cap. vii. t— 6. B.C. 2448. Of Mford SOPS a diacropanoy in the two aces,, and at'oppts an an explanation Delitzscli's sup- pleniont tlioory; t e.,"The"riginal doeumctit spolte 1 of only two of ca. I kind taken in by i N., the supple- nienta Bpenillesj this morn clearly i fr. sources wh. | gave more par- ticulars." b Anon V. 18. C. Marriott, M.A., i. 51: Dr. £. Burton, Univ. Ser., 3S5. V. 22. Jon. Eii-\ wardu, Wks., ii. ■ 61 : C. Simeon. Wks.. i. 75: S. F. • Surtees, Noah's [ Obedience. c Spencer. God invites Noah into the ark a 1 Pe. iiL 20; Pr. xiv. 2G ; P^. xci. 7, 8 ; Zep. ii. 3 ; Is. iii. 10, 11; Ps. xxxiii. 18, 10. " Whata wonder of mercy is this that I here seel 'ine poor family called out of a world, and, ai it »'tre,ciglitgrains of corn fanner! fr. a whole barn- full of chaff."— Jip. Hall. •'Just one week was allowed for N. to embark, wid for the world to repent ; and what a week was this." — Bush. b if. Badger. V. 1. J. Biirdfr. VlU. S.. iv.25: I). Lamonf. iii. .341 ('. Simeon, i. 78 : A. Roberts, U.A., by two?., i.r. by pairs. The number of tn'o-i or pnir.fot ea. kind ia {^ivcn jjresently vii. 2." to . . alive, nourish, preserve fr. flood. (20) come, their instincts overruled, and guided, by their creator. (21) food, herbs, fruits. (22) according, i)er8evering for 120 yrs. till the work was done. jViKili'.f ohi'difiicr. — I. The rule of Noah's obedience — " all that God commanded.'" Mankind needs a rule, that should — 1. Come forth from God : 2. Be practicable in its reriuiremente ; 3. Be plain and circumstantial; 4. Be beneficial. II. Its nature. 1. Pious in principle ; 2. Prompt and decided in action ; 3. Laborious in exercise ; 4. Universal in extent ; 5. Persevering in its course : f). Succes.sful in its objects.* Mcrcij in judgment. — It is observable, that the Roman magis trates, when they gave sentence upon any one to be scourged, had a bundle of rods, tied hard with many knots, laid before them. The reason was this, — that whilst the beadle was untying the knots, which he was to do by order, and not in any other hasty or sudden way, the magistrate might see the deportment and carriage of the delinquent, — whether he was sorry for his fault, and showed any hope of amendment, — that then he might recall his sentence, or mitigate his punishment : otherwise, he was cor- rected so much the more severely. Thus God in the punishment of sinners, — how patient is he ! how loth to strike ! how slow to anger ! "^ CHAPTER THE SEVENTH. 1 — 6, (1) come . . ark," He was there who gave the invita- tion : this, a call to prepare to enter, for, etc. di\'ine testy, to moral character. (2) clean . . sevens, some of wh. would be needed for sacrifice, (o) fowls . . sevens, or. as LXX. says, seven of the clean and two of the unclean. (4) yet . . days, to yet, etc., i.e. the seventh day aft this. (.5) Noah. . . him, as bef . in building the ark ; so now in these final preparations. (6) Noah . . old, lit. a son of (iOO yrs. : i.e. going on his COOth. yr. was . . earth, i.e. began to be. Fathers inrited info the ark. — I. There is provision in the ark for thee and for all thy house. II. There is no safety for you or for your children out of it. III. You should enter, and .seek to bring all your children in with you. not only because your salvation depends upon it, but because it may be indispensable to theirs. 1. Your children, that are outside, will not believe that there is a storm coming. "Who can convince them of their error but you ? 2. They need an Almighty arm around them to protect them. A\liat prayers can obtain this so well as yours ? .3. Thej' need also the influence of example, as well as of instruction and prayer. Whose example can influence them like that of their father.*" A voice from A.t./ria. — '• The cuneiform inscription which I have recently found and translatetl gives a long and full account of the deluge. It contains the version or tradition of this event which existed in the early Chaldean period at tlie city of Erech (one of the cities of Nimrod). now represented by the ruins of Warka. In fhis newly-discovered inscription the account of the deluge is put as a narrative into the mouth of Xisuthrus or Jsoah. He relates the wickedness of the world, the command to build the dap. vii. 7—16.] GENESIS. 37 ark, its building-, tlie filling of it, the deluge, the resting of the ark on a mountain, the sending out of tlie birds, and other matters. The narrative has a closer resemblance to the account transmitted by the Greeks from Berosus, the Chaldean historian, than to the Biblical history, but it does not differ materially from either ; the principal differences are as to the duration of the deluge, the name of the mountain on which the ark rested, the sending out of the birds, etc. The cuneiform account is much longer and fuller than that of Berosus, and has several details omitted both by the Bible and the Chaldean historian. This inscription opens up many questions of which we knew nothing previously, and it is connected with a number of other details of Chaldean histoiy which will be both interesting and important. This is the fu-st time any inscription has been found with an account of an event mentioned in Genesis."" 7 — 10. (7) because . . flood, lit. fr. the face of : i.e. for fear of. (8) of clean, ('fe.,<^ in the proportions ordered. (9) two . . female, ea. two being a pair in rel. to sex. (10) after . . days, lit. at the seventh of the days. The judgment of God on the Jir.tt world. — Look at it as — I. A sign of light for the understanding of the course of the world. II. An everlasting sign of warning. III. A sign of salvation full of the blessing of salvation.'' Effects of j udgvwnts.—lii the province of Quito, after the tre- mendous earthquake of 1797, a number of marriages were con- tracted between persons who had neglected for many years to sanction their union by the sacerdotal benediction. Childi'en found parents by whom they had never till then been acknow- ledged; restitutions were promised by persons who had never been accused of fraud; and families who had long been at enmity were drawn together by the tie of common calamity. But if this feeling seemed to calm the passions of some, and open the heart to pity, it had a conti'ary efEect on others, rendering them more rigorous and inhmnan." 11-16. (11) in . . month, 17th of April or May.« all . . deep,*- lit. fountains of the great deep : not necessarily of the sea. windows, sluices, flood-gates. LXX. cataracts, heaven, the clouds. (12) rain . . nights, continued falling in an un- ceasing torrent through all that time. (13) In . . day, precisely. (14) bird . . sort, lit. of every wing. • (15) they . . Noah, God collected, selected, guided them. (IC) Lord . . in. Ht.'^ closed round ab. him. LXX. " shut the ark on the outside of him." Chat, ''protected over him." Enclosed him, excluded others. The Lord shut him in. — Noah was shut in — I. Away from all the world. II. With His God. " Corne thou into the ark," said God ; by which He clearly showed that He Himself meant to dwell there. III. So that no evil could reach. Floods did but lift him heavenward, and winds did but waft him on the ^\'ay. Outside the ark all was ruin ; inside all was rest and peace. IV. That he could not even desire to come out. The same door that shuts him in shuts all others out.-* Wonderful care. — ^WTien we think of the labour required to rear the few that are in our households, — the weariness, the anxiety, the burden of life, — how wonderful seems God's work 1 for he carries heaven and earth, and all realms, in his bosom. B.C. 2349. 2r,; Dr. J. Kitto, Bibl. ID., 1. H5; lip. Ntwton, Wks. i. !(;.'■). V. 4. /. Morton, i. 121. "For if he had been led by seuse, he would have fled as far as Jonah did, ere ever he had gone about it." — Trapp. c Mr. G. Smith, of t/ie Brit. Mvseum. Noah accepts the invita- tion a Is. xi. 6, 7. 6 Lange. " The wages that sin bargains with the sinner are life, pleasure and profit; but the wages it pays him with are death, torment, and destruction : he that would understand the falsehood and deceit of sin, must compare its promises and payments to- gether.— ^ouW. c Humboldt, the flood begins a Kahsch. b Ma. xxiv. 3"-» 3'J; 1 Th. V. 8. c Ps. xh'i. 1— .3; Ma. XXV. 10 ; Lu. xiii. 24, 25; Jo. x. 27, 28; 1 Pe. i. V. "The margin has the ' flood-gates of heaven were opened.' In the East, when the rain falls in tor rents, the people say, 'the heavens are broken.' " — Bobei-ts. " There is more bitterness follow- ing upon sin's ending, than ever there was sweet- nessflo wing from sin's acting. You that see nothing 38 OElfSStS. tcap. vll. 17-24. B,c. a3iy. but veil ill its comniissioii, will (iiiffor uolluug Imt icoe iu its ooiidusion. You that sin fur your lirodls, will never lirollt by your tiins." — Oyer. 'ni'^J>nient of mnrder. — According to the Divine law, murder is to be punished with death (De. xix. 11, 12; 1 K. ii. 28, 29). It is remarkable that God often gives up murderers to the teiTors of a guilty conscience (Ge. iv. 13, 15, 2.3, 24). Such are followed with many instances of Divine vengeance (2 S. xii. y, 10) ; their lives are often shortened (Ps. Iv. 23) ; and judgment of their sins is oftentimes transmitted to posterity (Ge, xlix, 7 ; 2 S. xxi. 1).? Murder the chief of crimes. — Murder but intentional, not wi'ought To hoiTid act, before the eternal throne Stands forth the first of crimes. Who dare assume, UnwaiTanted, Heaven's high jH-erogative O'er life and death, with double force shall find, Timi'd on themselves the mischiefs they design'd,'» 8 — 11. (S) Noah . . him, the sons to share in the father's blessing, and duty. (9) covenant, Heb. heritlu, usually a "mutual compact," here a "solemn jiromise." (10) and . . you, etc.," the prom, made to N. covers all that was given to him. from . . earth, " not only those preserved in the ark, but all other animals are to be interested in this promise." * (11) and . . flood, in the region peopled by yourselves and descendants. neither, and in addition flood , . earth, "= in any part of it whatever. llie triumjihal arch of summer (on v. 8 — 16). — The text shows us, concerning the rainbow, that it— I. Is a token, or pledge of God's fidelity to His word. II. Is an emblem of the covenant of redemption. III. Is an apt emblem of union and harmony in the midst of diversity. IV. Well represents man's jiresent state of probation and discipline. V. Is a sti-iking emblem of human hopes. VI. Affords us a glimpse of the magnificence of the heavenly world, and the glory of God.'' The Raiyihoir. — When thou dost shine, darkness looks white and fair ; Forms turn to music, clouds to smiles and air, B.C. 2348. d Bib. Trea. v.\. J. H. Pott, i. •24G; R. Warner, 0I(\ Ch. Prin., i. 219. law concern- ing- human life a Vs. ix. 12. 6 Ex. xxi. 12, 28. c " At the hands of the man who shall spill his bro.'s blood will I r( quire the soul (or life) of man." — Ch. Ver. The Go 1 wastho nearest relation of a murdered person, whoso I duty it was to I avenge his kins- j man's death witl) his own baud — See Cities oj Re- fuge; De. xix.; also ilichaelis. Com. on Law of Moses, ii. 105. d " with wit- nesses by the sentence of the judges shall his blood.'' — Ck. Ver. e Ge. i. 27. / Speaker's Com- mentary, g C. Buck, h Hhitt/ieaJ. there shall be no more flood a Ps. cxlv. 9. b Speaker's Com. wh.adds, "From wh. we can hard- ly fail to infer that tho destr. of the lower ani- mals was con- fined to a certain district, and not general through- out the earth." 2 Pe. iii. G, 7; Is. liv. 7—10. "That are of light, Born of the shower, and oolour'd by tho sun; 44 OEiVEStS. [Cap. ix. 12—23. B.C. 2348. Which spans the henvona when April skies are bright." ./. ('. J^rinee. d Dr. inichcock. e II. Vawj/ian. the rainbow a Nu. xiv. 4. " Lot us nitite (I.e. appoint) a captain, etc. ; '" Beo also 1 K. ii. 35. It is a sugg. fact '■ that the rainbow 1 is never seen ex- j cept in a cloud j fr. wh. the rain \ is at the same I time falling. So | thatif tlie shower j reminds us of the flaod; the bow in that same shower I cloud shall mind us of covenrtyit. b Dr. C. Vaughan. the c Milton. V. 12, n. Dr. 0. Totcnsend, 238; F. JSlwin, i. 104. V. 1.3. Dr. F. Lee, Diss., ii. 1 : J. P. J/eiclelt, 105. the sons of Noah See McCausland, Adam and the Adamite ; and the work s of Prite/iard, Smith, Pickering, Knox, Laurence, etc., also Dirks' Scien- tific Theorie.i on the Origin of Man. Dr. Duns' liihi. Nat. Sc, vol. i. Lfietl on Antiquity of Man. in Quar. iiev.. Oct.. 186.3. yVood's Letter on Theo. of Defer., and Ant. of Man. I'oole, Genesis of Forth and Man. a A. Ilelpn. Noah's drunkenness Rain gently spen(l.>< his honey -drops and pours Balm on the cleft earth, milk on pra.s.s and flowers. Bright pledge of peace and sun.shine, the sure tie Of thy LoriV.s hand, the object of His eye, Wien I l)ehold thee, though my light be dim, Distant and low, I can in thine .see Him. AVho looks upon thee from His glorious throne, And minds the covenant betwixt all and One.* 12 — 17. (12) token, .sign to you and the whole world : every- where visible and intelligible, for . . generations, a sign as lasting as nature, whose laws produce it : must therefore endure to the end of time. (i:5) set, Heb. nathatti, give, often trans, with sense of "appoint" or " con.stitute."<» bow . . cloud, the rainbow, token . . earth, the reminder of a promise to God and man. (11) bring . . earth, a rain-cloud to water the earth, that . . cloud, heretofore the terrible '• window of heaven." (IT)) remember, this, in condescension to us. He would never forget His word though there were no token. (l(i) I . .it, let us think of that when we look upon, and admire the rainbow. (17) God . . Noah, etc., this r. the summing up of the whole. The Gospel of the Flood. — Regard the record before us — I. As a fact in history. It has a twofold aspect. It wa.s — 1. A judg- ment. A\Tien sin reaches a certain point, it demands God's inter- position; 2. A mercy. II. In its uses. Think of it as — 1. A tj'p« — a type of bapti-sm ; 2. A prophecy. It is the prediction of a last flood of fire ; 3. A warning. As were the days of Xoah, so shall the days of the coming of the Son of Man be.* lite Ralnhotv. Then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout, Grateful to heaven, over his head beholds A de%\'y cloud, and in the cloud a bow Conspicuous, with three listed colours gay, Betokening peace with God, and covenant new.c 18, 19. (18) sons, see on r. 32. Ham, heat, perh. so named in all. to the hot regions wh. his descs. were to inhab. Canaan, Heb. Kenaan, fr. rt. Kdna, to humble, depress : perh. prophetic of his posterity. (19) them . . overspread, the whole race deriv. fr. these three. Man nfeeted hy climate. — To understand any ])eople thoroughly, we mu.st know something of the country in which they live, or at least of that part inhabited l\v the dominant race. The insects partake the colour of the trees they dwell upon, and man is not less affected by the ])lace of his habitation on the earth. Stem, arid, lofty, dignified, and isolated from the men of other nations, the Siianiard was probably the most remarkable European man in the sixteenth century. He had a clearness of conviction, and a resoluteness of purpose, which resembled the shaqi atmosphere in which he had lived, that left no undecided outlines ; and as, in the landscape, all variety was amply compensated for, by the vast extent of one solemn colour, so, in the Spaniard's character, there were one or two deep tints of love, of loyalty, and of religion, which might render it fervid, bigoted, and ferocious, but never left it small, feeble, or unmeaning." SO — 23. (20) Noah . . husbandman, under N. the earth begins again, and man returns to primitive occupations, he , . Cap. ix. 24—29.] GENESIS. 45 vineyard, prob. the art of vine-cultivation kno\\Ti bef. the flood." (21) drank . . drunken/ N. has been excus^ed on the ground that he was ignorant of the strength of the ^N-ine : but prob. the abounding prosi^erity. and guarantee of safety, induced a culpable laxity."^ he . . tent, so habits of intemjierance strip ofif one's clothes and property : and uncover, disclose theu- mental and moral state. (22) Ham . . father, ctcA ijrob. told them mockingly. (2o) garment, prob. the one thro^\^l off by N. and . . backward, ctc..'^ theix conduct indicating profound grief, and respect for a father, even in that deplorably fallen state. Koah's dninltcnnefis, and his son's sin. — From the text(c. 20,23). we learn — I. That in even the best of lives some fault may be found. 1. Perfection can never be obtained by man in this life; 2. Although the subjects of God's especial mercy, yet we are not precluded from the possibility of sin. This drunkenness was one of Noah's iirst acts after his preservation from the flood. II. That a sinful act on om* part will generally lead to some equally sinful. or even worse, act by another. Noah's drunkenness leads to sensuality on the part of his son. Consider this act of Ham's — 1. In itself. It was an index of a corrupt mind; 2. In its rela- tion to others. Noah's shame is Ham's gratification. 3. In its fruits. Ham and his posterity are henceforth accursed. III. That virtue will at all times meet with its proper reward. Shem and Japheth were rewarded by — 1. The testimony of their 0A\-n hearts ; 2. The blessing of their outraged father ; 3. The practical appro- bation of God. God was the rewarder of the brothers ; He it was who should enlarge their posterity, and bind them in mutual affection.'' Defiradaiion of dvnnkenness. — There is no sin which doth more deface God's image than di'unkenness : it disguiseth a person, and doth even unman him. Drunkenness makes him have the throat of a fish, the belly of a swine, and the head of an ass. Drunkenness is the shame of nature, the extinguisher of reason, the shipwTeck of chastity, and the murder of conscience. Drunken- ness is hurtful to the body. The cup kills more than the cannon : it causes dropsies, catarrhs, apoplexies ; it fills the eye with fire, and the legs with water, and turns the body into a hospital.^ An avfjiiment for drlnltinr/. — Harootune, a converted Armenian on the Harpoot mission-field, is a strong temperance man. He lives among those who love " native wine." To one who drank a glass of wine, and by way of excuse asked, " Didn't God make grapes?" he indignantly exclaimed, "God made dogs: go eat some dog-carcass ! He made poisons too : go eat them, and kill yourself ! " 24 — 29. (24) knew, being informed of it. what . . son, lit., his little son. (2.5) said . . Canaan," who was prob. the first to see the state of N., and told his fa. Ham.* servant . . brethren, " The curse, as a matter of world-hist.. has more or less foil, all the Hamite races.''« (2ti) Blessed, t'tc.,'^ the pro- ! phecy assumes the form of thanksgiving. Abraham and the j Jews desc. fr. Shem. (27) God . . Japhet, whose name sig. I enlargement, shall .. Shem,' God.' or Japhet? prob. the latter : | and it may mean that the joosterity of Japhet would learn f r. I those of Shem the knowledge of the true God. (28, 29) Noah . . ' died, Noah was bom upwards a£ 80 jxg. he^- Enos (9th son of,' B.C. 2348. a If not " may it be said thatnian- \ kind has beea i worse without I wine than with j it.' — Alfnrd. I b Pr. XX. ] ; xxiii. 31, .32 ; Ee. vii. I 20; 1 Co. X. 12. if '-Leaving all I this in uncer- ; tainty, let us learn fr. N.'.s in- temperance how foul and detest- ab 1 e a vice drunlienness is." Calvin. d Pr. XXX. 17; 1 Cor. xiii. 16. "The son would never have de- rided his father in his shame, had he not first ban- ished fr. his mind that reverence and deference wh. by God's command should be in children towards their parents."-ii/Mer. " He who was himself a father, should have been more respectful to him who was his father.'' — M. Henry. e Ex. XX. 12; Ga. vi. 1 ; 1 Pe. iv. 8. /F. Ward, g T. Waison. V. 20, 21. Phi/o Judxus Wks.. i. 45.3; E. Smith, 159. V. 22—25. C. Ben- son, Huls. Lect., 247. the curse on Canaan death of Noah a De. xxvii. 16; Ju. i. 2S. b Origen men- tions as a trad, among the Jews, that Canaan first saw the shame of his g.- father and told it to his father. dC) 0E.\EHIS. [Cap. X. 1—12. B.C. 2318. Henco C. in- heriteil the curso. This solvos tho (Uf. that is found in II. sinning and 0. being cursed. This view is now adoptoil hy many {see Speaker's Comnuntarij). cMford. Si^oiilso KaJiscli and Kfil. d " Instead of making pro- minent the lili'.ssednoss of Slicm, he maljes prominent the source of that blessedness." — Knobel. e\n. Ix. 3.5; Mai. i. 11; Ep. ii. 19. / D. S. IJollis. B.C. 1998. the sons of Japheth Nt>to the simi- larity of name, Japlieth and .)a- potus, whom the Gks. and Roms. regarded as the irst of human race. Gomer i.s traced in the Kinimirians o f HoniPr. and in the Welsh Cymri. Madai is traced inthe.l/crfw, call- eerfcetion'). magog {refi'ion of (r'o/j) madai {miihUe land). Javan {? clan). Tubal (a jloiv- infi forth ). Meshech (a draivni'i out. poxxe.'<.'iio/i). Tiras (desire). (S) Sons of Cromrr Ashkenaz, (?) Riphath {.'' a cni.\her). Togarmaii (.' treak'in;/ hones. .' Aniien'om trilx^. (4) sons of Jacan. Elishah (/ perh. adopted fr. Ells or ILllas) Tarshish. {? a hreak'nuj. suhjection). Kittim (?) Dodanim (.'' Iroders). (5) isles . . Gentiles, prob. those parts of Europe and A. Minor, to wh. the inhabs. of the E. had access only by sea. Tahleof deseendants of Japheth, and their count rie.t. — I. GOMER, fr. whom the Cinnnerians on X. coast of T51ackS. From these — 1. .l.s7rw, Libyans; 4. KrqjJi- tucJiim, on Jjake of Sirbo; 5. Pat7iriisim,'Psithvos; G. Casluhim: the Colchians, fr. whom — (1) JRJtili.^fim, Philistines; (2) Caj)h- fori?//, Cretans. III. PAwf, the Mauritanians. IV. Canaan: fr. Sidon to S. end of Dead Sea : fr. whom — 1. Sidonians, Phoenicia ; 2. Ilittifes, S. of Jerusalem; 3. Jebusites: in and round Jerus: 4. Amorites, E. and W. of Dead S. ; 5. Girgasites; 6. Hivites, valleys of Lebanon; 7. Arldtes ; foot of Lebanon; 8. Sinites, country of Lebanon ; 9. Arvadites, Isle of Aradus ; 10. Zemarites ; town of Sinyra ; 11. //«;«af/uYf*-, to\\Ti of Epiphania. B.C. 19'J6. and cleave unto the institutes of Nimrod."— Jerui. Targ. Wurlja; a vast mound called el- Assajfah (tlieplaw nf pebbles) or Irka or Irak is hero. It was prob. a city consecrated to the moon, a kind of necro- polis. Gt. num- bers of tombs and coffins found here. The arrow- headed ace. of the flood recently discov. and trans, by Mr. Smith, of the Brit. J.lus., was a copy, so it states, of an original inscrip- tion at this place. a Qe. xi. U; Mi. V. 6. 6 The Arabs still call the principal mound of ruins Nimroud. c Knobel. d M. Henry. 13 — 20. (13) liudim (fr. strife'). Ananaim. (^rsjwnding tvaters). Lehabitn {Jiames). Naphtuhim {border j)<-'Cl}le). (14) Philistim {strangers). Caphtorim. {ehaplets). (15) Si- don (/.y /»/•)• Heth. (y«zr). (IG) Jebusite (?*7(/r.s7(rr)- Amo- rite {mountaineer). Girg-ashites {dwellers in loanig soil). (17) Hivites {rillagers). Arkite {fugitive). Sinite {dn-ellers in the niarsh). (18) Arvadite {n-anderer). Zemarite {hill tnan). Hamathite {fortress dn-eller). afterwards . . abroad, they first dwelt in the neighbourhood of Zidon. (19) border, in- habited region. Sidon, their fii'st possession. Gerar {a lodging flace), see on xx., 1, 2. Gaza {the strong). Sodom {?burning or vineyard). Gomorrha {submersion). Ahmah {red earth). Zeboim (roes). Lasha {Jissure). (20). these . . nations, i.e. those included in rr. G — 20. Circum.'y-tances attendant on man. — Insstead of saying that man is the creatui-e of circumstance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of circumstance. It is character that builds an existence out of circumstance. Our sti-ength is measured by our plastic power. From the same materials one man builds palaces, another hovels ; one warehouses, another villas : bricks and mortar are mortar and bricks, until the archi- tect can make them something else. Thus it is that, in the same family, in the same cii'cmnstances, one man rears a stately edifice, while his brother, vacillating and incomjietent, lives for ever amid ruins ; the block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, becomes a stepping-stone in the path- way of the strong." " When a man stands in no awe of the disgrace which attends bad actions, and has no concern for his character, there is no way of transgression in which that man may not walk. With a countenance clothed in shanie- lessness and au- dacity, he easily and naturally proceeds from one bad action to the most profli- gate attempts." — Frocopius. a Caiiyle. " Man is a jewel robbed of its pre- cious stone, with only the costly setting left, and even of that we must es claim, How is the gold become dim, and themostflnegoiii changed ! " — Re'\ Henry Gill. 48 GEXL'SJS. [Cap, xl. 21-32 the sons of Shem ••A death shall sum- mon him; foras- much as he has attained the de- lightful end of B.C. 1998. I 21—23. (21) Shem . . Eber, Shems great honour that he was the ancestor of the Abrahamic race, brother . . elder, ambiguous: but prob. it is "Shem. the elder Ijvo. of Japheth." wi«ie 7iian\{22) The chUdrrn ecimens in jxairs of the various races which could subsist in our climate. They should - 1 construct their own dwellings according to the architectural ful ia the con- 1 ideas of their several countries ; their furniture, dress, ornaments, one^who^^-nows 1 amusements, food, and mode of life, should be their own. The that \\ie Creator forms of industry prevalent in their nation or tribe they .should be mude him to be ! required to practise ; and their ideas, opinions, habits, and super- Cap. xi. 1—4.] GHXESIS. 49 Btitions should be permitted to perpetuate themselves until extin- guished by the spontaneous efforts of civilisation. The Esqui- maux, the Red Indian, the Kaffir, the Hottentot, the Negro, the Australian, the New Zealander, the Dyak, the Malay, the -wild Goond, the Cingalese, the Beloucheff, the Afghan, the Brahmin, and various other castes or tribes of India, might thus be brought together ^\-ithin the same enclosure. In many ways such an assemblage would serve to thi'ow light on the nature and primi- tive ideas of our species ; and not the least instructive part of the plan would be the study of the way in which civilisation affected the several sections of mankind.'' CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH. 1 — 4. (1) one . . speech., lit. of one lip and one (kind of) words. Prob. the Hcb. tongue. (2) they . . east," eastward, lit. on the sides of the east. Shinar {land of two rirers), Bahy- lonia.^ (3) brick, the country rich in brick-making material, but no stone, and . . thoroughly, lit. bum them with a biu-ning.« slime, bitumen, asphalte.'' (4) go to, lit. give. Idiomatic expression, city," under the influence of ambition, and dissatisfied Avith simple patriarchal life, they ■washed to found a gi'eat monarchy, of wh. this city was to be the capital, tower . . heaven, i.e. an exceedingly high tower./ name,? let us become famous, and found a political power, lest . . earth, wh. was the divine intention. The tower of Bahcl. — Here we observe — (1) Self-reliance; (2) A desire for self-preservation ; (3) Ambition — a city, a tower, and a name. Several practical thoughts are suggested by these words. I. Carefully examine the quality and meaning of every new i)lan of life. Beware of — 1. Appearances ; 2. Miscalculations ; 3. Oversights. II. Beware of the sophism that heaven helps them that help themselves. III. Regulate ambition by the divine will. IV. If we make great plans, let us make them in God's name, and carry them out in God's strength. See the folly of planning without God. 1 . He has all forces at command ; 2. He has set a Imiit to every man's life ; 3. He has pronounced Himself against those who dishonour His name. V. Leani what is meant by all the unfinished towers that we see around us. VI. Notice that co-operation \vith God Avill alone secure the entire realisation of our plans. Application — (l)'\Ve all have plans; (2) Examine them ; (3) Remember the only foundation, on which alone men can build with safety.? 'The to7V('v of Bahrl. — It is not necessary to suppose that any real idea of "scaling heaven" was present to the minds of those who raised either the tower of Babel, or any other of the Baby- lonian temple towers. The expression used in Genesis (xi. 4) is a mere hypeilaole for great height (comp. Deut. i. 28. Dan. iv. 11, etc.), and should not be taken literally. Military defence was probably the primary object of such edifices in early times ; but with the wish for this may have been combined further secondary motives, which remained when such defence was otherwise pro- vided for. Diodorus states that the great tower of the temple of Belus was used by the Chaldeans as an observatory (ii. 9), and B.C. 1998. the image of his own eternity, and who feels, that in the desire for im- mortality he has sure proof of his capacity for it." — Southey. '■ A good man enlarges theterm of his own exist- ence." — Martial. dJ. A. St. John. the tower of Babel a If Armenia was their first home, they must first have journeyed S.E., and then have turned from the E. to Shinar. 6 Described by Herodotus as a great plain. c Usual method sun-tlrying; both kinds found in the ruins here. d Anc. writers (Pliny, etc.) dcscr. a lake nr. Babj'- lon, with bitumen wh. floated on the surface Layard notes that the cement is so tena- cious that it is almost impos- sible to detach an entire brick f r. the mass ; see ' A /ford and A'a- liscfi. e Da. iv. 30; Ps. xlLx. 11—13. /De. ix. 1. g Dr. Parker. V. 1—9. Dr. )V. B. Collyer, Scrip, Facts, 144. r. 4. E. M. Goul- burn, 273. h " There, doubt- less, is some- thing of rebellion against Ofid's pur- poses implied ia 60 G/:xi:s}.Shinar. there was a belief which is thus expressed by those who had studied its records : — ''At this time — not long after the flood — tlie ancient race of men were so puffed up with their strength and tallness of stature, that they began to despise and contemn the gods, and laboured to erect that very lofty tower which is now called Babylon, intending thereby to scale heaven. But when the building approached the sky, behold, the gods called in the aid of the winds, and by their help overtirmed the tower and cast it to the ground ! Ilie name of the ruin is still called Babel ; because until this time all men had used the same speech, but now there was set upon them a confusion of mac^ and diverse tongues." It may have been also a recollection of the event, though one much dimmed and faded, which gave rise to the Greek myth of the war between the gods and the giaois^ and the attempt of tlie latter to scale heaven by piling cni' mountain upon another./ 10 — 13. (10) these . . Shem, rfr.. family ti-ee, etc. carried down to Abram : and including duration of life" (■•«/77iif;-, where there are yet ruing. Chaldea was the S. part of Babylonia. Man iinder ."spiritual Ian'. — Man is under law; but he is also under more than any mere natm-al law. The laws which regu- late phenomena apply to his conduct, but they do not exhaust his being. He has a spirit and life of his OA\m which transcend nature-conditions, and are not contained by them. Above the system of these conditions there is a higher system of being, and man, in his inncnnost life, belongs to this higher system. It is bis peculiar glory that he does so — that amid ceaseless movements B.C. 2247. significant, and wcro prob. given to their beurors late in lifo, or oven historically aft. their death." — Speaker's C. c Burke. the line of Eber a Ge. X. 21, 24, 25 ; Nu. xxiv. 24; 1 Ch. i. 18, lU 25. b Lu. iii. 35. c LXX. and Lu. iii. .•J5. d Alford. e Seidell. a Lu. iii. 35. Ho is said to havo been the founder of hero-worship. Suidas aud others ascribe to him the deiti- cation of dead benefactors of mankind. See Smit/i's Bib. Diet, b There was ano. I^., i.e., Abram's bro.,the g.-son of this N. c Lu. iii. 34. (/Jos. xxiv. 2, 15. e cf. V. 32, with xii. 4. A. was born when Terah was 1 30 years old; «f.,3.")(i years aft. the flood, or A.M. 2008. /■ Waririvk. Terah and Haran a Sfanley. Jewish Ch., i. 7; also anc. trad. bRawHnso/i. The name of Unikh, a king (2230 B.C.), has been found on the bricks. Tlin temple w.as dedicate(l to the moon-god Hurki; hence perh. its name. A'a'/>o/(, 292; LnflHx: Cha'deUy 12(1-134. )62 OE.VESIS. [Cap. xi. 29 -aa B.O. 2247. "To make a man virtuous, three things arp ncces- scry : — 1 . Natural IMiits and dis- position. 2. Pre- cppts and in- struction. 3. TTsc and practice, which is al)le netter to correct the first, and im- prove tlie latter." — Loci-e. c Dr. ThoUuck. Abram leaves Ur aGe.xx.12; mar. with nr. relatives was usual in Terah's fam., xxiv. 3, 4; xxviii. 1, 2. b xvii. 17. c Ge. xxii. 20, 23. d Ge. XX. 12. e Eicald. /Ge. XV. 7; Ne. Ix. 7 ; Ac. vii. 2. g Ac. vii. 3 ; He. xi. 8. h Ac. vii. 2, 4, said to be the Carrlice of the Greeks where Crassus fell, de- feated by the Parthians (I'lut. Vic Cras.J i Al/ofll. k Dr. J. Sums. I See ^^oiei and Queriei. Feb. and Mar. ] 862, pp. 9."), 102; and corup. Mis.? Corbeaux, in Joum. of Sacr. Lit., Jan.. 1852, pp. 386, 387. De Ur Oialdce- orum, Grit. Sac. Thes., i. 173 .V. Alexander, Hist. Eccles i. 287 ; Dr. f.Zee,DisB.ii.7)i. m Bishop Wordi- tfort/t. of matter, before which he is apparently so weak, he is conscious of an existence higher than all matter, and which would survive its wildest crash. He knoii's himxclf. and that is what nature does not do. There is no play of conscious life in ita mighty mutations. But man is characteri.stically a self-conscious, thinking soul, higher than all nature, and which no subtle development of mere natural conditions can ever explain. This is the eternal basis of Christian Theism, and of all religion that is not mere consecration of earthly energies and passions. This is the only spring of a genuine morality that can survey man as under some higher law of voluntary obedience, and not a mere law of harmony and growth.' 29 — 32. (2'J) Sarai {my priticrss), half-sister to A.," i.e., dau. of Terah by ano. wife : and 10 yrs. younger than A.* Milcah (^«rt';(),g. -mother of Rebekah."^ Iscah. [.'' core ring), ace. to Jewish trad. ano. name for Sarai. This unlikely.'' Soxne' conjecture she was Lot's wife. (130) Sarai, etc., now stated to prepare for fol- lowing hist. (31) and . . Chaldees, A. received the call in Ur,/ and seems to have persuaded his father, etc., to accom. him. tO . . Canaan, this the Divine intention : jjrob. A. knew not the destination at tliis time.f Haran {parrlu-d, dry), or Charran.'* (32) Terah . . Haran, prob. ab. (JO yrs. aft. A. set out thence for Canaan.' Stuppinrj gjiort. — Observe — I. Terah was favoured ■with a reve- lation of the Divine will. 1 . Without it he could not have known God's purpose ; 2. He evidently understood it ; 3. He was influ- enced by it ; 4. He began to obey God ; .5. He proceeded some distance in the right direction. II. The object of the Divine revelation to Terah was not accomplished, '\\'hy stay and die in Haran. Perhaps because of — 1 . Indecision ; 2. Unbelief ; S.Love of ease ; 4. Love of the world : ~>. The suasion of others.* Haran. — The conclusion that Haran is identical with Carrhoeis liable to very great doubt, so far at least as concerns the Haran in which the members of the Abrahamic family were settled. It has been proposed, therefore, to identify the JNIesopotamia of the early Scripture \\Titers, Arant-naharaim. Aram of the two rivers with Aram of Damascus, where certainly there were two noted streams, Abana and Pharpar. and to look for the city of Haran in that neighboiu-hood. It is clear that there must have been some connection between Abraham and Damascus ; for Eliezer. '"bom in his house," is denominated '• of Damascus" (Ge. xv. 2. 3). Still further, Jacob, ti-avelling of necessity, on account of his cattle, slowly, reached Mt. Gilead in ten days after leaving Padan-aram. The distance is between three and four hundred miles if the usual' theory be adojited ; it is, therefore, physically impossible that the joui-ney could have been accomplished in the time speci- fied. Moreover, it is not easy to understand how a jjillar on Mt. Gilead could be a boundary-mark between Jacob and Laban, if the latter lived far away beyond the Euphrates. There is. there- fore, a high probability that the Haran in question is a place of the name near Damascus, visited in 18(il by Dr. Belsa.' Milton, generally so accurate in his geography, has fallen into the error of placing Haran on the W. bank of the Euphrates (see Par. L., xii. 130, 131). This may be coupled with that other topographical mi-stake in the Par. R. (iv. 250 — 253), where he puts Lyceum within the walls of Athens.''"* Cap. xii. 1—7.] 53 CHAPTER THE TWELFTH. 1 — 4. (l)now.. Abram,inUr..?«;onxi.31. get .. kindred," this call to A. alone, did not jDrevent the others fr. going with him. unto . . thee, A. knew not the land when he set out : but walked as Providence led. (2) I . . thee,' abundant increase or multiplication of favouis. thou . . blessing, through the Jews we have a Bible, a Saviour, the Gospel, rf^. (3) thee .. blessed," the ref. is to Xt. (4) departed : i.e. fr. Haran. the force of the old call still operating on him. Abram . . Haran,'' an old man with his childless wife setting fr. home, and walking by faith. The joui'nry of Abram, a type of the joitrney throiir/h life of a good man. — The good man, like Abram — I. Reverently listens to the Divine voice. II. Reposes implicit faith in the sovereignty and fatherhood of God. III. Maintains his faith by continual worship. IV. Often finds his blessings associated with trials. V. Sometimes feels that his faith is tried more severely by the less than by the greater affairs of life.' Prompt ohedience. — A story is told of a great captain, who, after a battle, was talking over the events of the day with his officers. He asked them who had done the best that day. Some spoke of one man who had fought very bravely, and some of another. " No," he said : " you are all mistaken. The best man in the field to-day was a soldier who was just lifting up his arm to strike an enemy, but, when he heard the trumpet sound a retreat, checked himself, and dropped his arm without striking the blow. That perfect and ready obedience to the will of his general is the noblest thing that has been done to-day."/ 5 — 7. (.5) souls . . Haran, they must have been here many yrs. Perh. Eliezer was one of these souls {see on xi. 32). Childi-en bom: servants hired. (6) and . . through, travelling S. Sichem, the place aft. so called, prob. the Sychar of aft. times, now Nablon's (fr. the Gk. NtaTroXic, i.e., new city), unto . . Moreh, lit., to the oak (or terebinth) of Moreh. M. was perh. the name of a person, the owner of the land. Canaanite . . land, this fact exalts an idea of A."s faith. (7) unto . . land," notwithstanding thy childless state, and the present inliabs. and . . Lord, evidence of faith and gratitude : thus he formally took possession. Ahriim's journey into Canaan. — I propose to set before you — I. The perfections of God for your admiration. 1. His sovereignty ; 2. His power ; 3. His faithfulness. II. The virtues of Abram for your imitation. 1. His simple faith; 2. His prompt decision; 3. His self-denying zeal ; 4. His prudent care ; 5. His persevering diligence.* The first haltiny-place in the Holy Land. — Abi'am had now to leave Mesopotamia, and to cross the " Great river," the Euphrates. This separated him entirely from his old home, and hence the Canaanites gave to him tlie name of the " Hebrew " — -the man who had crossed the river — the emigrant from Mesopotamia. He now passed through the great Syrian desert; and, though his route is not mentioned in the sacred narrative, we may credit the tradition that he tarried at Damascus, since Eliezer, " the steward B.C. 1921. Abram and Lot leave Haran a Lu. xiv. 26, 3.?. 6Ge.xxii.lG— 18; Mi. vii. 20; Ga. iii. 14. c Ac. iii. 25, 26; Gra. iii. 8. at He. xi. 8—10. e Dr. Parker, "The life of some menisverymuch lilio a clay in No- vember, foggy, chilly, and damp until the after- noon, when it clears off, be- comes bright and pleasant, and the sun sets without a cloud, throwing his golden light over the broad expanse of the heavens; an evi- dence that he is shining on though beyond the ken of mor- tals this side of the globe." — John Bale. f O.vendon. Abram enters Canaan " A. reigned in Damascus, being come with an army fr. the country beyond Babylon called the land of the Chaldeans. But not long aft. leaving this country with his people, he mi- grated into the Land of Canaan, wh. is now called Judasa." Nicho- laus of Damascus (Ilist. Dk. iv.J, quoted by Jose- p/ius, who adds, " that the name of A. was, even m his days, famous iu the country of the Damascenes, and a village was pointed out there 54 [Cap. xii. 8—13. B.C. 1921. of his house," wa.s a native of that place. Quitting Damascus, wh wB8~ciillcil. ^'"''^'" crossed the Jordan, and, entering- the Holy Land, passed A.'s hdbiuition." ] into the valley of Shechem or Sichem. His resting-place was a Go. xxviii. i:i; i marked, like other memorable localities, by an oak or a grove of *^Wi "s- xxvi ^3- 1 '^^^'^ ("the oak or oaksof Moreh " rather than " the jihiin of Morefi," 'as in our version), near the "ijlace of Sichem.' between mts. Ebal and Gerizim. Here God appeared to him ayain. and gave him the xccoikI j)r(imi.si\ of the jiossession of the land by his seed; and here Abram built the fii-.st of those altars to Jehovah, which the patriarchs erected wherever they pitched their tents. Thus Sichem became his first halting-place in the Holy Land." XV. 8. h Simeon, M.A. c SmiOi's Jliit. 0. T. Abram leaves Canaan for Egypt a Go. xxviii. 19. b See. on Ac. xxvii. i5— 8. c llenser. "Our life is, no- thing but as it were, a wob woven with in- temiinglinfi.s of wnnt.s and fa- vour.t, cro.=ses, nrul blessings, Rtanrliiig.s anfl falling.s, combat and victory: therefore there should be a per- p c t u a 1 inter course of praying and prai.sing in our hearts, — Sibhe.'). Abram's counsel to Sarai a Qe. xxvi. 7; xx. 11; Pr. xxix. 2.5; Ecc. vii. 20; Je. xvii. 7. I Speaker's C'ovit. " We see in the conduct of Ahr. an instance of one under the influence of deep religious feeling and true faith in God, but yet with a conscience ini- perfecfly en- lightened as to many moral dutie«,and when leaning to his own understand- ing suffered to fail into great 8 — 10. (S) removed, lit., he plucked up (his tent pegs). Beth-el, i.r., house of God, called at this time Luz;' now Bcitan: ab. 18 ms. S. of Sechem. Hai, the niins called Mcdinct Gal are ab. 5 ms. E. of Beitan. (t») Abram . . south, going through the length of the land. (10) famine, anotlier trial of faith. Egypt, the great granary of anc. times.'' sojourn not to live, there. Thb Icadhif/s of Abram. — Consider Abram in his pilgrimage, and glance at — I. The goal to reach which he strove. II. The promises which secured its attaimnent. III. The dangers under which he stood. IV. The divine service which he rendered." An Inrtdrnf of famiitc. — An Algerian paper, the Eehod'Oran, has the following : '• No historical famine has presented to the saddened eye of humanity so hoiTible a spectacle as that which is at this moment to be observed among the Arabs. Two days ago, a native Avoman in the neighbourhood of IMisserghin killed her daughter, twelve years of age, and gave the flesh to her other children, and partook of it herself. The legal authorities, hearing of the circumstance, at once proceeded to the spot, and, on entering the hut occupied by these cannibals, learned that the heart, the liver, and the interior poilions of the corpse, were eaten, because they would not keep. The mother was occupied in salting the flesh, cut up into pieces, exactly as is done with pork." 11 — 13. (11) Egypt, despotic government, licentious people, said . . Sarai, as .«hc lived to 127 yi-s., and was now fiO, she wa.s in middle life. (12) say . . wife, etc.."- '"Tlie Arab life of A. naturally made liim waiy of danger." * (l.S) sister, she was indeed his step-sister, but this was an untruth since it wa.s intended to convey the impression that she was nothing more than a .sister, soul . . thee, i.r.. my life shall be spared when it is seen that I am only thy brother. Abram in iiV/z/yy^.— Since Abram was continually dependent upon the grace of Gotl, he must feel his weakness, which betrays him into manifold acts of insincerity and sin. For — I. He acted from fear, when he should still have looked to God. IT. He gave out that Sarai was his sister when she was his wife. III. He had great guilt in the sin of Pharaoh. IV. He thought to secure his own .safet}-, while he placed Sarai and her chastity in the greatest peril.« Double-minded noxx. — See the professor labouring, but in vain, The world and cross together to sustain ; The globe is in his right hand dexterous found, His left the cross, drag.s sluggish on the ground ; Cap. xii. 14-20.] f/£'.Vir,s7>Sf. In vain for liim appears the naiTow way, The world has led him from the path astray : In vain for him shines forth the heavenlyilight, The world has risen and obscured his sight ; Two minds he has, both he may call his own. Sometimes they lead him up. and sometimes down ; Like doubtful birds, that hop from spray to spray, His will is never at one certain stay ; Too late he leams with deep regi-et and pain, He loses both who more than one would gain.*^ 14 — 16. (1-i) beheld . . fair, A.'s suspicions were correct. (15) princes, lords of the court. Pharaoh, wh. sig. King:" not a jiroiJ. name biit a title as Ccpsar among the Roms., or Czar among mod. Russ. commended, vile panderers and sycoi)hants, who, though officers of state, ministered to the worst passions of the Mng. woman . . house, with the intention of making S. one of his wives. (16) entreated . . sake, etc., to compensate him for the loss of his sister. Abram's sin. — Consider — I. The temptation is no ordinary one. Pharaoh was powerful ; Abram Avas weak. II. He sins through unbelief. The falsehood which he jDut into Sarai's mouth was a grievous sin in itself ; and it was sinful, also, as indicating want of trust in God. III. His scheme avails him but little. His policy overreaches itself. IV. God interferes at last to deliver him. He averts the evil, and even turns it to account for God.'' 'Talmudic star;/ ahotit Ahraham. — The Talmudists say that Abraham, in travelling to EgyjDt, brought with him a chest. At the custom-house the officers exacted the duties. Abraham would have readily paid them, but desired they would not open the chest. They first insisted on the duties for clothes, which Abraham consented to pay ; but then they thought by his ready acquiescence that it might be gold. Abraham consents to pay for gold. They now susjiect it might be silk. Abraham was willing to pay for silk, or more costly pearls— in short, he con- sented to pay as if the chest contained the most valuable of things. It was then they resolved to open and examine the chest ; and, behold as soon as the chest was opened, that great lustre of human beauty broke out which made such a noise in the land of Egyi^t — it was Sarah herself ! The jealous Abraham, to conceal her beauty, had locked her up in this chest. 17 — 20. (17) plagues, lit., strokes, blows, because . . wife, God preserves whom men distress. (18) Pharaoh, the sudden- ness and unusiial natm-e of the plagues led P. to connect them with S. what . . wife, P. discov. the relations by inquiries prompted by the plagues." (19) I . . wife, hence we learn that he had not. therefore . . wife, she has never in any sense been mine. (20) and . . him,'' that A. might not be molested in any way. and . . had, including P's. presents. Abram in Egi/pt. — From the record before us (v. 11 — 20) we may leam — I. The danger of deceit and equivocation. Partial truth is worse than all deceit. " I would thou wert cold or hot." II. The proneness to sin in even the best of men. Abraham's faith, though great, did not stand every test. III. The desirability of perfect ti'ust in God. This course is the best as being — 1. Least fraught with danger to ourselves; 2. Most calculated to B.C. 1921. error and sin."— Speaker's Com. It P. BuMicnm, Friend with God, i. 308; A'. Ale.r- ander; Eist. Ec- cles., i. 3GS; Dr. KiUo, Bibl. 111. i. 188. c Ciamer. d W. Holmes. Sarai j introduced ! to Pharaoh I j a Josephus. 1 " Happiness is ; not the end of life; character is. This world is not a platform where you will hear [ Thalberg - piano i playing. It is a I piano nianufac- j tory, where are 1 dust and shav- \ Lugs and boards, j and saws and i flies and rasps ' and sand-papers. The perfect in- strument and the , music will be I he r ea f ter." — I Beecher. h Dr. R. S. Cand- Ush. Live so that wl- el death comes you may embraceliko friends, not en- counter like ene- mies. — P. Quarle. Pharaoh sends Abram. away Aoc. to Josephus (Ant. i. 8) P.'s priests told thi king the reason of the plagues. a Patrick: iPs.cv. 13, 14. " The candour of the historian is shown by his ex- hibiting in such strong relief, the dissimulation of Abram, as con- 56 osyESis. [Cap. rlil. 1-4. B.C. 11121. ■ ■ uj ;* " • procure for us the respect of others ; 8. The only course that is at all ])leasmg- to God Himself; and therefore — 1. The only way by which eternal happiness can be obtained.* IM/rccs of punishment. — The legend of St. Macarius of Alexandria runs thus : '• One day, as Macarius wandered among those ancient Egj^rtian tombs wherein he had made himself a dwelling-place, he found the skull of a mummy, and, turning it over yv\i\\ his crutch, he inquired to whom it belonged; and it replied, 'To a pagan.' And Macarius, looking into the empty eyes, said, ' Where, then, is thy soul ? ' And the head replied, ' In hell.' Macarius asked, • How deep ? ' And the head replied, ' The depth is greater than the distance from heaven to earth.' Then Macarius asked, ' Are there any deeper than thou art ? ' The skull replied, ' Yes : the Jews are deeper still.' And Macarius asked, for wiiieh they j • Are there any deeper than the Jews ? ' To which the head Sr the reproof I'eplied, 'Yes, in sooth! for the Christians whom Jesus Christ of the wicked."— hath redeemed, and who show in their actions that they despise Trapp. his doctrine, are deeper still.' " tmstoil with the HtraiKhlforward in 1 K r i t y of P h a r a o h." — Sfteaker's Com- mentary. c II. Jenk'jns, " God had re- proved Pharaoh, and nowPharaoh reproves Abram: It is a sad thing that saints should do that B.C. 1918. Abram returns to Canaan a Ge. xxiv. 35; P.S. cxii. 1—3 ; Do. viii. 18; Pr. iii. 9—10; x 22. 6 Speaker's Comfy . c Ps. xxvi. 17. cxlv. 18; 3; cxvL 2, " I know of no pleasure so rich, none so pure, none so hnllow- inj? in their in- fluences, and constant in their supply, as those which result from the true and spiritual worship ofGod. Pleasant as the cool water brooks are to a thirsty hart, so pleasant will it be to us to ap- proach unto the livin? God." — H. Watson. V. 2. //. Blunt On Abraham, SO. d Dr. Parker. CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH. 1 — 4. (1) south, i.e. of Canaan. (2) rich," "He has now to experience some of the dangers and evils of prosjierity."* (3) journeys, encampments. Bethel, etc., see on xii. 8. (4) altar, the altar and the tent go together, there . . Lord,' returning thanks for deliverance and prosperity. [ Calling on the name of the Lord. — It is better that we have no I detail respecting this act. We know what is meant. The heart j can fill up the vacancy. I. Abram went back to an old scene — [ back ■■ where his tent had been." back " unto the place of the i altar. II. "VMiat happened locally also happened morally. In I Egypt we saw him equivocate.— now behold, he prayeth. His spiritual sense was not destroyed. Leam— (1) Prayer should testify to the depth of our humiliation, and the reality of oiu- contrition ; (2) Much depends upon praying promptly ; procrasti- nation is death.'' The wealth of Abraham. — As Abraham was very rich in silver and gold, as well as cattle, he was able to procure the luxiiries of life as well as the modem Arab princes. Tliis might partly be done by an exchange of articles as well as by purchase, for both of which piuix)ses he had many opportimities. Dr. Russell t«lls us that the people of Aleppo are supplied with the greater part of their butter, their cheese, and their cattle for slaughter by the Arabs, Rushwans. or Turcomans, Avho travel about the country with their flocks and their hercls. as the patriarchs did of old. i The patriarchs doubtless supplied the ancient cities of Canaan in like manner with these things. Hamor expressly speaks of their trading with his people (Ge. xxxiv. 21). At the same time that the Arabs receive money for their commodities their expenses are very small, so that their princes are rich in silver and gold as well as cattle, and amass large quantities of these precious metfils, insomuch that La Roque remarks that in the time of Pliny the riches both of the Parthi.ans and Romans were, in a manner, melted do^^•n among the Arabs, they turning everything into money without parting ^vith any of it again. Cap. xili. 5—13.1 OE.VESIS. 57 5 — 7. (5) Lot, etc., partook of A.'s prosperity : advantage of association with people of God. (6) land, impoverished by recent famine, bear, nourish, sustain, so . . together, they needed wider pasturage. (7) strife . . cattle, over zeal of servants in their master's interests. Perizzite, prob. nomads ; villagers, dwelled. . . land," making fodder more dif . to obtain, and union more needful. Contentions among Christian, brethren. — We remark — I. That it is no uncommon thing for strifes and contentions to arise among the people of God. Here there are two objects worthy of notice — 1. The impartiality of the inspired writers in recording the failings as well as the excellencies of believers; 2. That whatever be the contentions of Christians, they themselves are to be blamed, and not the religion with which they ai'e identified. II. That the prevention or suppression of such contentions is an object which every right-minded Christian is deeply anxious to seciu-e. III. That one of the strongest reasons which should induce believers to avoid such contentions, and to cultivate opposite feelings, is to be found in the endearing relationship subsisting between them. 1. Let different Chi-istian communities 2. Let all members of the same chiu'ch remember this. Applica tion :— (1) Cultivate more and more the precious grace of Chris tian love ; (2) Be above noticing eveiy tiifle ; (3) Beware of small beginnings: (4) Tliink of the effect which a contentious spirit will have upon the ungodly.'' Avoiding quarrels. — Gotthold said to one who had left another rather than avenge an insult. '"Tell me. my friend, were you climbing a hill, and were a great stone or block to be rolled down towards you, would yoii consider it disgraceful to step aside, and allow it to rush past' If not, what disgrace can there be in avoiding and giving way to a man instigated by drink or anger, until he has had time for reflection, and his agitated mind finds rest in repentance ' He who breaks his will and yields is ascend- ing ; he who gives the reins to his passions is falling."' 8 — 13. (8) Abram, to whom the whole land belonged, and who might have exercised despotic sway, let . . herdsmen, love of peace, for . . brethren," the best of all reasons for peace. (9) is . . thee ? etc.. he magnanimously waives his right to make the first selection. (10) Lot . . Jordan,* they were prob. on the mt. (xii. 8) E. of Bethel, watered, important to pastoral people, even . . Lord, so called on ace. of its surpassing beauty and fruitfulness. like . . Egypt, whose fruitfulness they had seen. Zoar [smaUncss) also Bela.<^ (11) Lot . . east, satisfied with his choice : his future trouble growing out of his covetous- ness. they . . other, yet not divided in heart on A.'s side. (12) Abram . . Canaan, in the heart of the land. Lot . . Sodom, <* approaching the evil place, step by step. (13) wicked . . ex- ceedingly,' and yet L. did not withdraw fr. their neighbour- hood. Separation rather than strife. — Introduction : — The disputants — (1) Were related to each other; (2) Were professors of the same religious faith ; (3) Both differed in the relative amount of their power. Consider Abram's conduct on this occasion as — I. Just. II. Statesmanlike. III. Magnanimous./ From this height, thus offering a natural base for the patri- archal altar, and a fitting shade for the patiiarchal tent, Abraham B.C. 1918. the strife among: the herdsmen a Ne. V. 9; Ph. ii. 14, 1.5. "The writer would intimate that, notwith- standing the check which the vicinity of these heathen tribes ought to have given to the spirit of dissen- sion, it still broke forth. So in all ages, enemies of the church are ever on the watch to discover, publish, and triumph over the feuds and jea- lousies that may arise between its members." — Busk. 6 Anon. "Getting money is not alia man's business ; to cul- tivate kindness is a great part of the business of life." — Jolinson. c C. Scriver. Abram's generosity a Ma. v. 9; Ro. xii. 10—18; 1 Jo. iii. 18. b Ps. cvii. 3-3, 34; 1 Jo. ii. 15. c Ge. xiv. 2, 8; prob. at N. end of Dead Sea, and on E. side, and nr. Sodom. d Ps. xxvi 5; 1 Co. XV. 33. e Ez. xvi. 49; 2 Pe. ii. 7, 8. " Peace is love reposing. It is love on the green pastures, it is love beside the still waters. It is that great calm whi ch comes over the conscience 58 OEXESrS. [Cap. xlv. 1—4. B.C. miR. when it sees tho atoncmmit suffl- ciont, and the Saviour willitif;. It is unduudeil azure in a lalrt!is\on fidl of Ktoiics), perh. the fi. end of Dead S. (4) rebelled, this wax Avas to stamp out the rebellion. The level of ihe Bead Sea. — As to the exact level of the Dead Sea, that is now satisfactorily ascertained by Captain Wilson's purvey. On the 12th of March, 186.5. the depression was found to be 1.2',t2 feet below the level of the Mediterranean; but at some iieriods of the year it rises two feet six inches higher. He also learned from inquiry amongst the Bedouins, that during the early summer the level is lower by at least six feet. Eveiybody has heard how buoj'ant and how nauseous are the waters. AVe tested the buoyancy, but were careful not to test the naviseous- ness, satisfied with the testimony of our companions on that point. We could not float so easily as some of them ; but "we all found ourselves very uncomfortable after dressing, as though we had been rubbed with soap or oil ; and we were glad to Avash away the effect by plunges in the Jordan a few hours afterwards. « 5 — 9. (;") Repbaims" {? g'lant.s). Asbterotb-Karnaim'' {A.slderoth of ihe two honi-t, Itorned Axtorte). Zuzims {ret«Z//r city. (/«(«) blMsIs*'^ • • dale," a valley X. of Jems. (18) Melchizedec *> {King of Abram right eonsnes!?), \_X. T. v. 38]. S&lem.' { peace), whether title or a 2 S. xviil. 18. ! place not known, priest, Heb. Cohen, the first use of the word. B.C. 1917. ■which was the cause of his former quarrels, la made a prey to morciloas heathens ; that place, which his eye covetously chose, betrays his life and Roods. How many Christians, wliilst they have looked at gain, have lost thcm- ae\vea."-Bp. UaH. c Harmer. the rescue of Lot a Ge. xviii. 19. b Ju. xviii. 29. "Not one solitary habitation is there [at Laish]. The fountain still pours forth its river of de- licious water; but herds of black buffaloes wash and wallow in its crystal pools. You cannot even examine the site with satisfaction, so dense is the jungle of briers, thorns, and thistles which have overspread it." — Thomson. c A.M. fleathcote. " The natural principle of war is to do the most harm to our enemy ^vilh the least harm to ourselves, and this, of coui-se, is to be effected by stratagem." — Washington Jr- vintj. d Ilarmet: Cap. xiv. 21-i^4.] GENltfilS. 61 (19) blessed, in his function as priest.'' Abram . . God, his character and prof^perity proved him blessed of God. (20) which . . hand," he iiiously gives the praise to the God of battles. gave . . all, f i.r., of all the spoil he had recovered : as a tribute of piety to God. Milchiz/'drc llp.ixing Ahram. — I. The respect which Melchizedec paid to Abram. 1 . Melchizedec was a person of a most singular and mysterious character ; 2. As God's servant, he came forth on a remarkable occasion to honour Abram. Melchizedec blessed Abram for the zeal he had manifested, and God for the success He had given. II. The return which Abram made him. If we consider it we shall find here— 1. An acknowledged duty ; 2. A hidden mystery.? Mc'lchizi'dcc. — The typology connected with Melchizedec does not require that he himself should be regarded as any super- human person, but merely exalts the human circumstances under which he appears into symbols of superhuman things. Every- thing combines to show that Melchizedec was a Canaanitish king ^\ho had retained the worship of the true God. and combined in his own person the offices of priest and king. It is to be observed that there is not used regarding him, nor does he use, the title of Jehovah, but that of the High God, a title found also in the question addressed (Mic. vi. 6) by the Moabitish king Balak to his prophet Balaam ; but that Abram, in answering the King of Sodom, probably in his presence, affirms the identity of his cove- nant-God Jehovah with the High God, possessor of heaven and earth, of whom Melchizedec had spoken.'' 21 — 24. (21) give . . thyself, influence of A.'s liberality : men of more value than material wealth. (22) lift . . liOrd," i.e., I swear : anc. fonn of oath-taking : " form of solemn attesta- tion in all nations." the . . earth, all I have belongs to Him. (23) take . . shoe-latchet \_N. T. i. 243], conscientiousness in trifles : fidelity in small matters : little sins, lest . . say, boast- ful character of worldlings. I . . rich, and not see that all is fi-. God. (24) save . . eaten, of the victuals rescued (r. 11). let . . portion, A. will not enforce his rule on others: liberty of conscience. Abram's refusal of the king of Sodom's offer. — I. The refusal itself. 1. Generous in its nature; 2. Qualified by an oath of solemn import. II. The reasons for this refusal — " lest thou shouldest say," etc. This would be a reflection upon — 1. God. As if He could not alone have enriched Abram ; 2. Abram him- self. He did not undertake this expedition for reward in filthy lucre ; 3. Abram's posterity. They would have been constantly taiinted by their enemies with the question, " "VVTio made ye rich?" III. The lessons it contains for us — 1. Beware of covetousness in any shape ; 2. Be careful that you give no occa- sion for words to be spoken against you.* Eastern oatli-talnng. — '■ The next morning, before sunrise, they were ready to depart for their camp, two or three days' journey distant. We made known to Hassan our uncertainty and appre- hension of what would be their behaviour to us, when the chief lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Allah we should suffer no injury while in his power ; an oath which is seldom violated by them." The thread and the latchet. — This may refer to the red thread worn round the neck or the arm, and which B.C. 1917. b He. vii. 1—3. " But M., he is Shem, the son of Noah, K.of Jeru- salem."— TVir^wm of Jonathan. So al.so the Jerus. Targum. c Ps. Ixxvi. 2. d 1 Ch. xxiii. 18; Nu. vi. 2-3, 27. e Ps. cxliv. 1. / He. vii. 2—4: Ge. xxviii. 22. g C. Simeon, M. A. " Lo, here an in- stance of the communion of saints ; Melchl- dec doth all good offices to Abram (a believer, though a stran- ger), not of courtesy only and humanity, but of charity and piety." — Trapp. h A /ford. Abram refuses any share of the spoil Ee. a Da. xii. 7 ; X. 5, 6. " The king of Sodom appears moved by the liberality of Abram to a lilao generous return. But there is no league between Abram and Sodom, nor will he give his riches to the idolaters about him. This is at least a dif- ferent spirit from that in which he acquired his riclies in Egypt " (Xii. 16}.— A/fo}'d b II. J. Smith. "'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth; But the plain single vow, that is vow'd true."— Shakspeai-e. G2 GEiYESlS. tCap. XV, 1-7. c Roheils. ,.. •.> — 22 Douyhty. Ann lecta Sacra. ^4— 27. I binds on the amulet ; or the string with which females tie up tlicir liair. The latchet I suiipose to mean the thonf/ of tlie sandal, I wliich goes over the toj) of the foot, and bc;twixt the f^reat and '. little toes. It is proverbial to .sjiy, slioukl a man be accii.sed of taking away some valuable article, which belongs to another, " I have not taken away even a i)iece of the thong of your worn-out sandals."" n.r. 191.3. God appears to Abram in a vision oXu.xxiv. 4 — IG. h Is. xli. 10 ; Ma, X. 28. <• Ps. xxvii. 1 ; Pr' XXX. 5; Ps. xci.4; V. 2; cxix. 114; Ixxxiv., 9, II. d The LXX reads, " Thy re- ward shall bo exceeding great." e Ac. vli. 5; Ps. cxxvii. 3. "If Abram came into Pales- tine by the way of Damascus, it is n t unlikely tliat he should have taken his principal re- tainer trom that ])\a.ce.''— Speaker's Commentary, fj. King. " Reward a good Fcrvautwell; and rather get quit of a bad one than disquiet thyself with hi m." — Fuller. '•Servants are good for nothing unless they have an opinion of the person's under- standing who has the direction of them." — Ad- dison, g Or. J. Hamilton. Hig promise to Abram renewed a He. xi. 12 De. X 22. iiL 6 Ga. 6 Eo. i V. .3—22; Ja. 11.23. C Ituth. CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH. 1 — 4. (1) vision, tJii,^ a waking vision." fear not,'' timely encouragement : might not the defeated kings rally .' sliield,<= protection, thy . . reward, ///. ''they reward exceeding abun- dantly."'^ Good works, wh. are of faith, have their reward, (2) childless, notwithstanding thy promise, steward , . Damascus, lit. the heir of my house, etc., Eliezer= (tod hit help. (;!) behold, etc. my property and the covenant will descend not to a .«<«, but to a (hpendaut. (4) word . . came, etc..' Divine condescension : doubts removed : promise re-affirmed : a son and no other, the heir. (fod the .shield and reward of His j)cople. — Consider — I. The doctrine of the text. Observe in what sense God is — 1. The defence of His people. He shields them from danger by His Providence, and from sin by His grace ; 2. Their portion. He gives them Himself. II. The inference' deducible from it, •'Fear not." Fear not — 1. The enemies which surround you; 2, The dangers that threaten you : ?>. The toils that you may be required to undergo ; 4. The sacrifices that it may be necessary for you to make. Let fear be replaced by a confidence coming from God..'' Eliezer of Damascus. — With Eliezer of Damascus we have always associated in our o\Ani minds ^Melancthon's good servant, .Joh'a of Sweden. During the thirty-four years that he had the charge of the Reformer's house, notwithstanding boundless hospi- tality and the many inevitable expenses incident to a public position, no debt was incuiTed. and wonders were \VTOUght vrith. the limited income. He was the fiist instructor of iVIelancthon's children, "and all the goods of his master were in his hand," When he died the students of the university attended liisfimeral, and on his tomb his master inscribed this epitaph : — " Here at a distance from his native land Came honest John, at Philip's first command : Companion of his exile, doubly dear, "S^Tio in a servant found a friend sincere : And more than friend — a man of faith and prayer; Assiduous soother of his ma.ster's care : Here to the worms his lifeless body's given. But his immortal soul .sees God in heaven.''? 5 — 7. (•">) broug:ht . . abroad, out of the grove into open glade, look, waking vision. *•. 1. so . . be," countless and wide-spread as the stars. ((J) believed, faith rests on the pro- mise, it, i.e. his faith, righteousness,* "an acceptable, excellent, praiseworthy act."* (7) I , . Chaldees,<^ the same who then called thee, is now with thee to fulfil his i^romise. Cap. XV. 8—17.] OEXESIS. 63 to . . it, the purpose for wh. the call was fii-st given is not for- gotten. Abram JHst'ifiid hy faith. — I. The faith he exercised. 1. The promise, now given him, was very extensive ; 2. The faith he exercised, had resi^ect to the promise in all its parts. II. The benefit he obtained: '"it was counted to him for righteousness." The meaning of this is, that his faith, as laying hold of Christ and of His righteousness, was the instrument whereby he was justified.^ Mcrchand'iite of godlinrss. — A merchant in a single morning will make a hundred pounds, while poor men work hard for a shilling. The voice of Nature is, "How shall we come to be rich?'' Prize the trade of godliness. Works of morality are like the labouring man; but godliness is a full merchant's ti'ade, that brings in hundreds and thousands at a clap. Such a trade would God have us set our hearts upon. As Cleopati'a said to Marcus Autonius, it was not for him to fish for gudgeons, but for towns, forts, and castles; so it is not for the godly to be trading for transitory trash, but for eternal life, glory, and immortality./ 8 — 12. (8) whereby, . . know," he asked a sign to confii-m his faith : he may have thought of his posterity. (9) take me, i.p. take and offer to me. three . . old, prime of life. (10) divided . . midst,* cut ea. animal in half, longitudinally. laid . . another, opposite ea. other leaving a jjassage betw. birds . . not, as aft. prescribed by law."^ (11) fowls . . car- cases, birds of prey. Abram . . away, covenant not yet rati- fied. (12) deep sleep,'' Heb. tardamah., Gk. iKaraaiQ ; ?.^'. super- natural trance or extacy. horror . . darkness, lit, a horror, a great darkness, overwhelming awe, wh. deepens with increasing darkness and silence. Patriarchal irorxhip. — Observe — I. The nature of primitive worship. 1 . Of divine appointment ; 2. Sacrificial. II. 'What it taught — 1 . Tlie Divine claims on man ; 2. Man's guilt and peril. 3. The inteiposition of God's mercy and gi-ace ; 4. The Scriptural way of coming to God ; 5. The coming of the gi'eat Sacrifice. III. How it was observed. It was — 1. Personal; 2. By faith; 3. Open ; 4. Sincere.« Ahrahaiiiio covenant. — This very solemn form of ratifying a covenant is again particularly mentioned in Je. xxxiv. 18. It consisted in cutting the throat of the victim, and pouring out its blood. The carcass was then divided, lengthwise, as nearly as possible into two equal pails, which being placed opiiosite to each other at a shoi-t distance, the covenanting parties approached at the opposite ends of the passage thus formed, and meeting in the middle took the customary oath. The practice was by no means peculiar to the Hebrews. Traces of it may be found in the Greek and Roman -wTiters, and in the accounts of travellers./ 13 — 17. (13) stranger . . theirs, chief ref. is to Egypt. four . . years, in round numbers ; or more precisely 430 yrs." (14) nation, Egypt, judge,* punish, with . . substance, great riches. (I.)) go . . fathers," a hint of immortality. peace, "^ by a peaceful death, in . . age, lit., in a good hoary age. (16) fourth . . again, thus Caleb was 4th fr. Judah : and Moses fr. Levi ; so prob. of many others, for . . full, God fore- saw that they would add sin to sin. It was for their sins they B.C. 1913. (^Ne.ix. 7, 8; Ge. xii. 1; xi. 31. e C. Simeon, Jf.A. V. a, G. Ur. li. Gen, Essay, 13.5; //. Blunt, Alira., ll'i; R. P. Jiud- dicorn, i. 414; Or. Kitlo, Bibl. 111. i. 228. " ^Vhen I gazed into these stars, have they not looked down on me as if with pity from their serene epaces, lilie eyes glisten- ing witli heaven- ly tears over the little lot of man!" — Carlyle. f .Spencer. the promise ratified by a , covenant a Ju. vi. 17 ; Lu. i. IS. " Dove, Ht. the diver; fr. its rapid rising and falling in the air. A.S., din-a, diifian, the d. kept in cages is the ciiNared pigeon, called the turtle or ring- dove." — Topics, i. 38. 6Je. xxxiv. IS, 20. cLe. i. 17. d Ge. ii. 21. " There are se- veral species of this bird enume- rated by Mrs. Tristam as com- mon in Palestine, such as Turtur auritiis, the tur- tle-dove, Turtur ^■Etjypliacus, the palm-dove, or Egyptian turtle, Co/ iiniba I ! via, the rock-dove, etc." — Ti-eas. Bib. Knowledge, e Dr. J. Bums. fBush. the smoking' furnace and burning- lamp a Ex. xii. 40; Ps. cv. 23, 25; Aius- iforM reckons the thnefr. Ishmaers mockingof Isaac: — Abraham eu- 64 oEyesis. [Cap. XV. 18—21. B.0. 1913. ters Canaan and receivps the pro- mise, B.C. IS'il; Isaac mocked by lahmael. B.C., 1891: larapl de- parts fromEgvpt, B.C.. 1491. The difference be- tween the first and last of these dates, is just 4.30 yrs. Of this period 21 S yrs. were passed in sojourning in Canaan, and 215 in Egypt. 6 De. vi. 22; Ex. rii.36; Ps.cv. 37, 38 c is. Ivii. 1, 2; Job V. 26. dPs. xxxvii. 37. e Ex. xix. 18 ; He. xii. 29. fR. A. Griffin. g Spurgeon. the terms of the covenant a Is. xxvii. 12; 1 K.iv. 21. 6 Land and Bk., 164. "What a chimera is man! what a confused chaos! what a subject of contradiction I a professed judge of all things, and yeta feeble worm of the earth ! the great depository and guardian of j truth, and yet a mere huddle of ; uncertainty ! the ' glory and the scandal of the universe! " — , Pascal. i " If a man is not : rising upward to be an angel, de- j pend upon it he ; is sinking down- { ward to be a j devil. He cannot; stop at the beast. The most savage of men are not beasts: they are ; worse, — a great deal worse." — j Colendgt. were cut off. (17) behold . . furnace,' an oven of smoke, and . . lamp, flame or tongue of fin>. that . . pieces, token of a present God ratif^'ing the covenant. The rocatioji of tin" aged .taint. — Aged saints — I. Render peculiar assi.stance to the church. By — 1. Their prayers ; 2. Their counsels ; 3. Their influence. II. Furnish signal examples of the power of Divine grace. Divine grace is seen— 1. To be sufficient for saints in every period, and under all circumstances. In pro- sperity and adversity. Amid conflict and peace. Amid tempta- tions and trials. ^Vhen friendless, and when many friends are possessed ; 2. To lose none of its vitality with the decay of mind and body. III. Attest much of the character of God. A long life of faith and labour shows that God is — 1. An abiding source of help and joy; 2. Longsuffering ; .3. Wise. Conclusion — (1) Let us be willing to live as long as God wills; (2) Let the aged consider their high vocation.^ Godline.^s no hurdeii to true .saints. — The Princess Elizabeth carried the crown for her sister in the procession at Mary's corona- tion, and complained to Xoailles of its great weight." " Be patient," was the adroit answer, '-it ^\■ill seem lighter when on your own head." The outward forms of godliness are as burden- some to an unregenerate man as was the cro\\Ti to the princess ; but let him be bom again and so made a posses.sor of the good things of Divine grace, and they mil sit easily enough upon his head, as his glory and delight.? 18—21. (18) made . . saying, lit., cut the covenant, from . , Egypt, prob. the Wadij-cl-Ari-ii-h, wh. is called the stream of E." : or it might be the Xile. (19) Kenites, {.imitlis or d)vcller.e!,. !„o peace." -^ under review Bush. eCarlyle. There are more Hag^ar and the augrel « " First mention of 'augel of Je- hovah.' In so- \'eral places it appears that tliis emissary of Je- hovali is none other than an appearance, car- rying tlie power of the Divine p r e s e n c e." — A'/orJ. b See ftlso Kitto's Pict. Bible. c 1 Pe. ii. 18. (I The word pere, wild ass, is prob. fr. para,— to run swiftly. « Rosenmuler, Otlitzsch, ef. Job i. ;<; iVu. xxi. 11; Jos. XV. 8; Zech. xiv. 4. f Martin Shau. V. fi — 12. Bp. Netetnn, Prophe- cies, i. 21. r. 10—12. /?. Polwhele, i. 145. »'. 11. Dean I)e- lany. Rev. £.ram.. ii. 113. " 12. Dr. Wor- Ihinntoii, Boiil' L c, i. 419. Seer- lahai-roi n Ps. cxxxii. Pr. V. 21. b Sfk. Comm. 7—12. (7) angel," Heb. Malcnch = one sent : a messenger, fountain, sec ver. 14. Shur, pcrh. Al-jifar, X.E. part of Wild, of Paran.'' (S) Hagar, called her by name. maid, reminded lier of her station, duty, etc. whence . . thou ? fr. a pious house, and . . go ? to a heathen land, (it) Return,"^ dr.. duty oft. calls us to suffer in the way of obedience. ( Kij I will, etc. Who is this who says " I will" .' (II) Ishmael ^Uod hcnrrth). because . . affliction. God knows, compensates, sanctifies our trials. (12) wild man, lit. "wild ass among men:"'' ref. to wild, free, roving life, hand . . him, exactly descr. Arabs, who are descen. fr. Ishmael. dwell . . brethren, or, " to the E. of all his brothi-en."« Is/imarl's disrciulants.- -Look at— I. Their character as here foretold. It is said that— 1 . They should be wild men from their birth. The figure here used is that of the onagra, a wild, untam- able animal, thus indicating their roving disposition ; 2. Their hands should be against mankind. Enmity on their part against man ; ^. Every man's hand should be against them. Enmity on man's part against them. II. The remarkable fulfilment of this prediction. At this day the Bedouin Arabs are at war, so to speak, with mankind, and lead a wild, roving kind of life, in which robbery is a chief ]ioint./ The pcistrr'ttii of Ishmaii. — The descendants of Ishmael continue to this day to live in hostility to the greater part of mankind. On the margin of the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf commerce has exerted some influence, but the Eastern Arabs, or Nabatheans, ai-e almost entirely freebooters, living by plunder. Although spread over a country thirteen hundretl miles long and twelve hundred miles broaxl, they are comparatively secure, while those who are sometimes h.ardy enough to follow them either die with thirst or are compelled to return, overcome with fatigue and sick- ness. Their water is obtainwl from wells, sunk amid the rocks and plains which they inhabit, and known only to themselves. Notwithstanding the opposition they have met with from the ancient As.syrians, the Medes. the Persians, and the M.acedonians, they have, from first to last, maintained their independence. No conqueror has sul)dued them ; and they still, as a memento of Scripture prophecy, dwell in the presence of all their brethren. 13 — 16. (l.*^) Lord . . her, who app. in angelic foi-m. Thou, (■fc..<^ " Thou art a Goie>if of the covenant between God and Abram. — I. Tlie precondition of the establishment of the covenant (xv. and xvi.). II. The contents of the covenant of promise. The name Abraham in — 1. The natural ; 2. The typical sense. III. The covenant in the wider and narrower sense. IV. The covenant 6ign.« C/ianfj/e of name. — In Eastern counti'ies a change of name is an advertisement of some new circumstance in the history, rank, or religion of the individual who bears it. The change is made variously ; by the old name being entirely drojiped for the new, or by conjoining the old with the new, or sometimes only a few letters are inserted, so that the altered t'onn may express the dif- ference in the owner's state or jirospects. It is surprising how soon a new name is knouTi, and its import spread through the country. In dealing with Abraham and Sarah, God was pleased to adapt His procedure to the ideas and customs of the country and age. Instead of Abram, " a liigh father," he was to be called Abraham, " a lather of a multitude of nations,"/' \fJamiiaon, Abram's name changred a Ex. vi. 3; Jo. i. 18; Ge. V. 22; vl. 9; Job i. 1. 6 1 K. ii. 4 ; 2 K. XX. 3. c Ep. iii. 20 ; Ma. V. 48. d Ge. xii. 2; xiii. 16 ; xxii. 17. e Lange. v.\. Dr. Whitbv, 120; /. Saiirin, i. 243; /. Aber- nethy, i. 248; J- Heet'e, i. IIG; Dr. Drvxil'ilc, i. S-OS; J.'Milner.\n.-2^x Dr. Dwiyhl, i. 103. f. 1, 2. /. Fair- c tt. 72 ; R. P. Buddicom, ii. 22. GS [Cap. xvii. 6—14. B.C. 1899. Canaan promised to nim a Matt. L fi— 11; Beo also Bush in &Ho. li. 10; Lu. i. .^4, 55; Ge. xxvi. 24; xxviii. 13; Ro. ix. 7— 9; De. xiv. 2; xxvi. 18. e li. Sibbes, D.D. " Where there is any good disposi- tion, confidence begets faithful- ness ; but dis- trust, if it do not produce treachery, never fails to destroy every inclination to evince fidelity. Most people dis- dain to clear themselves from tho accusations of mere suspi- c i o n." — J a n e Porter. V. 7. R. Sihbes, 2scrs. J. Davison, Warb. Lect., G8. d Spurgeon. circumcision instituted a Vs. ciii. 17. 18. b Ro. iv. 11; ii. 28, 29 : 1 Co. vii. 19; Ph. iii. 3; Col. li. 2 ; Ga. v. 6. c he. xii. 3; Lu. ii. 21; Ph. iii. 5. That " circumci- sion drives away the Sabbath," was a Jewish maxim; and acted i;pon in time of Christ. — Jo. vii. 22, 23. d Speaker's Com., rf. Ex. iv. 24, 26. e Osiander. " Children have more need of models than of CTliica." -Jeuberl. V. 9. 10. N. Alex- ander, Hist. Errl., i 40.'i; C.Simeon, i. 13.3. t».10. W.Reading, i. 1. 6-8. (fi). kings. . thee, this lit. fulfilled." (7).for. . cove- nant, lit. covenant of eternity, (.s). land . . stranger, land of thy sojourn in.i,'s. I . . God,'' the object of their worship, and the source of their pro.sperity. Thefailhfiil rovcnantrr. — I. The party covenanting— God. "I will be thy God." II. The parties covenanted with — Abraham and his seed. III. The substance of this covenant — "' I will be a God to thee and to thy seed."' IV. Its qualities. 1. Sure; 2. Everlasting- ; ii. Peculiar ; 4. Most free ; 5. A covenant con- sisting- mostly of spiritual things. V. The condition of the whole. This though not expressed, is implied. " I will be thy God ;" therefore thou shalt take Me for thy God.'^ Trusting the promise.^. — When a pious old slave on a Virginia plantation was asked why he was always so sunny-hearted and cheerful under his hard lot, he replied, '• Ah, ma-ssa I I always lays flat down on de pro/ni.s-r.'i. and den I pray straight up to my heabenly Father." Humble, happy soul ! he was not the first man who has eased an aching head by laying it upon Gods pillows, or tho first man who has ri.sen up the stronger from a repose on the unchangeable word of God's love. Spiritually that man was a Creesus ; for all his soul's wealth was in the currency of heaven. If you take a Bank of England note to the counter of the bank, in an instant that bit of paper turns to gold. If we take a promise of God to the mercy-seat, it turns to what is better than gold, — to our own good and the glory of our Father.*^ 9—14. (9) keep," faithfully observe thy duty in relation there- unto. (10) this, i.r. the . Cap. xvii. 15—22.] GJiXEHJS. G9 tion, " Are you dead yet ?" The suffocating monk saw no relenting- in the stem countenance of his superior. Resistance was useless. A few moments more, and the earth would cover him. Then the iron will was broken : the funeral was stayed, and the submissive monk replied, " I am dead." The monk is the tyj)e of many, some of whom yield in the last extremity, and others go into eternity still raging against the Supreme. 15 — 17. (15) Sarai, my x>v\nccss. Sarah, ^;r(;ic'f,9.?. "Her limited pre-eminence is to be unspeakably enlarged." (16) she . . nations, lit. shall be to nations ; i.e. shall become nations. (17) fell . . face, in adoration, laughed," transjaorted with joy. Stirai and Sarah. — Her name always one that indicated dignity. Consider — I. Her old name, '• my princess," limited. Sarai to live for her hixsbaud only. II. Her new name, '" i^rincess," in wider sense. He, the father of the faithful ; she, the mother. Now stands in a historical relation to the church. Joy, ffladiu'ss, and inirfh. — The happy condition of the soul is designated by all these terms ; but the joy and yladncs.^ lie more internal ; the mirth is the more immediate result of external cir- cumstances. What creates joy and gladness is of a pennanent nature ; that which creates mirth is temporary ; joy is the most vivid sensation in the soul ; ffladnes.i is the same in quality, but inferior in degree : joy is awakened in the mind by the most important events in life ; yladncsif springs up in the mind on ordinary occasions : the return of the ^jrodigal son awakened joy in the heart of the father ; a man feels gladness at being relieved from some distress or trouble : public events of a gratifying nature produce universal joy ; the relief from either sickness or want brings gladness to an oppressed heart ; he who is absorbed in his private distresses is ill prepared to partake of the mirth which he is surrounded with at the festive board.'' 18—22. (18) O . . Thee, perh. he feared the heir would alto- gether exclude Ishmael fr. the blessing of God. (19) Isaac, Heb. yitzhck. he shall laugh. I . . covenant," already made, and several times re-affirmed. (20) heard, prob. all. to meaning of Ishmael.'' twelve . . beget, lit. fulfilled.'' (21) hut . . Isaac, ref . to the Messiah, this . . year, at this very time next year.'* (22) left . . him, for this occasion. God . . up, to heaven.^ The father s prayer. — I. The person who prayed. Ishmael's father. 1 . A\Tio is so suitable as the parent to pray ? He above all others knows the child's propensities, weakness, hindrances, and capabilities. Make each a topic : 2. "Who is so responsible ? You are responsible for the use of the means. If you neglect them, how dreadful your future ! 3. \ATio is so interested ' 4. Who is so likely to pray with fervour ? They cannot be so dear to others as to you. By your love for them, by their love for you, pray ye for them. II. The petition. 1. He does not pray for temporal good for him, except as it flows out of his spiritual blessing ; 2. Nor for great spiritual honours and gifts ; 3. His prayer had a twofold object. (1) God's glory; (2) Ishmael's safety. III. Was the prayer answered / In all probability, yes. Address — (1) Praying parents; (2) Inconsistent parents; (3) "Unconvertixl parents./ Philip Henry's ])roniise. — The following remark of Rev. Philip B.C. 1898. Experience is the most eloquent of preachers, but she never has a largo congrega- tion. Sarai's name chang-ed i6: Ps. a Jo. viii. iv. 7. "True joy is a sober and serene motion ; and they are miserably out that lake laughing for re- joicing ; the seat of it is within, and there is no cheerfulness like the resolution of a brave mind, that has fortune under its feet." — Seneca. "What is joy? A sunbeam be- t w e e n two clouds." — Mde. Deluzy. " True joy is only hope put out of fear." — Ld. BrO'ke. h G. Cabb. promise of a son, to be called Isaac a Ko. ix. 8; Ga. iv. l.'.S. 6Ge. xvi. 11. f Ge. XXV. 12— IG. rfGe. xxi. 2. e. "The angel of God went up.'' — Arab. "The glory of the Lord went up.' — Cha'. i.e. " The visible majesty of Je- hovah, the She- kinah, the sym- bol of the Divine p r e s e nee.'' — Bush. "The most af- fecting thought to me, on the death of my parents, was, that I had lost their jirayers." — !>r. Spring. fR.A. Griffin. 70 [Cap. xviii. 1—6, B.O. 1898. "Truly thoro is nothing in the world HO blessed or so sweet as iho heritjigo of chil- li r en." — Mrs. U'i/i/iaiil. g ( ''leevcr. Abraham's hou.sehold circumcised a I's. cxix. tio. bJos. Ant: i. 13. c Ivo. 17. 20, 21. " Fr. tliis eir- cuiustance the Arivliians, and other descend- auts of Ishmael, and indeed all the followers of Mohammed, de- fer circumcision till the age of thirteen, and when V occurs it is made a festival occa.sicn of great r o j o i c i n g." — Bush. V. 24. /. Donne, Wks., V. 325. Abraham visited by three ang-els rt fi. r. JJ ; xi.>L. 1. b He. xiii. 2. f 1 Pe. iv. 9. (/xix. 2; xxiv. .Ti; Ju. xix. 21; 1 TL V. 10. Feat washing, Topics, ii. 8. e ./■. //. Jones. "Often has my mind reverted to the scene of the Kood old patri- arch silting in the door of his tent in the heat of the day. When the sun is at the meridian, the wind often be- comes softer, and the heat more oppres.sive ; and then may ho seen the people seated in the doors of their huts, to in- hale the breezes, and to let them Henry, after he had been engaged in ardent pi'ayer for two of his children, that were dangeroiislj' ill. i.s so expressive of the n'tm- j)/ii-if 1/ ^iid tfmIirx.ioi Christian faith and love, as to recommend itself to the hearts of those who walk with God : — '• If the Lord will be pleased to grant me this my request concerning my children. I will not say as the beggars at our door used to do. ■ I'll never a.-ik anything of Him again ;" but. on the contrary. He shall hear oftcner from me than ever ; and I will love God the better, and love jirayer the better as long as I live."* 23—27. (2:!) Abraham, rtr., without the least delay.'* (24) Abraham . . nine, did not plead age as an excuse for avoiding a ?ir)rand ju7i/>/i// duty. (2.")) Ishmael . . old, hence Arah.^ and J/r»7/rtw//nY/rt'«.v defer the rite to that age.* (2fj) selfsame . .son, as prompt to exact as to yield obedience. (27 ) all the men, etc.," the command was obeyed without any limitation. The mfvtij of ohrd'wncc . — A pointsman in Prussia was at the junction of two lines of railway, his lever in hand for a ti'ain that was signalled. The engine was within a few seconds of reaching the embankment, when the man, on turning his head, perceived his little boy playing on the rails of the line the train was to jiass over. '• Lie down ! " he shouted to the child ; but. as to himself, he remained at his post. The train passed safely on its way. Tlie father rushed forward, expecting to take up a corpse ; but what was his joy on finding that the boy had at once obeyed his order ! He had lain down, and the whole train passed over him without injm-y. The next day tlie king sent for th.e man, and attached to his breast the medal for civil courage. CHAPTER THE EIGHTEENTH. 1 — 5. (1) Mamre, .-^/^r on xiii. IS. and xiv. 13. pliihi.-iifion of woman. — I. In ancient times : " behind the door." Position of woman subordinate : waited at table : stood behind her lord and master. This is still the case in heatheii and eastern lands. II. In modern times : Christianity recognises her rightful station, brings her from " behind the door,"' and places her by her husband's side as his friend, help-meet, and counsellor. I am made to laiigli. — A woman advanced in years, under the same clreiim.tfances, would make a similar observation : " I am made to laiigli.'' But this figure of speech is also used on any ivonilcrfiil occasion. Has a man gained anything he did not expect, he will ask. '' "WTiat is this ? I am made to hnujliy ^ Has a person lost anything which the moment before he had in his hand, he says, " I am made to laugh."' Has he obtained health, or honour, or wealth, or a wife, or a rli'ihl. it is said, " He is made to laugh."' " Ah. his mouth is now full of Jaiigltfer : his mouth cannot contain all that laughter" (Ps. cxxvi. 2). — Bolierfs. 13—15. (13) laugh. His knowledge must have shown A. who He was. (14) Is .. Lord," Ut. "Is anything too wonderful for the Lord ?"' (1.")) denied, prevaricated, under cover of not having laughed aloud, afraid, recognising One who knew her altogether, nay . . laugh, a mild rebuke for such a sin. fkirah reproved for her iinhelhf. — I. The reproof given to Sarah. In it we notice— 1. A just expostulation : 2. A convincing interrogatory ; ?>. A reiterated assurance. II. The instruction to "be gathered from it. It teaches us— 1. What need we have to B.C. 189.S. blow on their almoHt caked bodies. "-/i"/^i''-C.?. V. 1. //. Wnuiil, 161 ; ir. Heading, Hi. H:i2. f Ile'zoni. he enter- tains them Bread, d if. kinds, and mode of pre- paration.- Topiff, ii. •.'■.'-•-'(;. Butter. Robm- so7i's lies., ii. 180. "Let not the emphasis of hos- pitality bo in bed and board; but let truth and love and honour and courtesy flow in all thy deeds." — Emerson. a Jowett. they renew the promise of a son a Go. xvii. l7; Eo. iv. 18—2-1; He. xi. 11, 12. 10. •'The father laughed, when a son was pro- mised to him, from wonder and joy; the mother laughed when the three men rene^\-eeneatli the leaden, lowering cloud, and mark the lightning'.s leap, as it shot and flashed, dazzling athwart the gloom, and think that you could grasp the bolt, and change its path .' Still more foolish and vain his thought, wlio fancies that he can arrest or tuni aside the purpose of God. saying. " What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him .' Let us l)reak His bands asunder, and cast away His cords from us."' Break His bands asunder ! How He that .sitteth in the heavens .shall laugh 1 <^ 32, 33. (:52) oh let, ftc." he trembles for himself as he proceeds, ten, to so few are the fifty reduced. I wiU not, rtr., so trn righteou.s people would have saved the city! (83) Lord . . way, A. would feel that he could not urge his intercession further, and . . place, his home beneath the oaks at Mamre. AhraJuuit plctuUtuj for Smlom. — From this interesting record W3 learn — I. That God holds inque.st upon the moral condition of a city. II. That God is accessible to liuman appeal. III. That the few can serve the many. Abraham, one man. can save Sodom : ten righteous men can save a city. IV. That human prayer falLs below Divine resources. If Abraham had said " for mij sake," who knows what great answer God might not have given .' * Where /.« Gnd not? — During the American war a British officer, walking out at sunrising. observed at some distance an old man, whom he supposed to be taking aim at some game. When come up to him. the officer took him by the arm. and .said. "" "Wliat are you about.'" The old man made no reply, but waved his hand expressive of his desire for him to stand at a distance. This not satisfying the inquirer, he repeated the question, when the native again waved his hand. At length, somewhat astonished, the officer said, '■ You old fool, what are you about J" To which he answered. '"I am worshipping the Great Spirit." The question was then asked. "■ Where is he to be found.'" To which the old man replied. ''Soldier I where /.« he not?"' and with such energy of expression as made the officer confess he should never forget it to his dying day. CHAPTER THE NINETEENTH. 1 — 3. Cl) gate, gates of anc. cities of E. were used a? public promenades, markets, courts of justice, etc. (2) and he said, efe.." no inns in those days. Strangers dependent on private hospitality, street,* Jit. "the broad open place." Not an unusual thing to spend the night in open air. Wai'm climate. (3) feast, lit. banquet, i.e. more than an ordinary meal. The angel' it vi.^it to Lot. — I. The danger attendant upon a good man in whatever condition. II. Religious contemplation a.s a ] security to the soul. III. Tlie method of the Divine interposition. IV. The sejjaration which is to take place when the Divine inter- position is rejected." Eastern j/o.ijntaliti/, — We dismounted at the Oda, a lodgings Cap. xix. 4—11.] GENESIS. 75 house for travellers, in the village of Cooselare, or Cuselare. It was certainly not a palace, for we shared it with our horses, and there were holes, called windows, without glass or shutters ; but the hospitality of our hosts more than compensated for every- thing else. We had trakana soup, pilau, cheese, and petmes. and sui-prised were we to see our table-cloth, or table-skin, soon after laid, the pancake bread placed all around, and the smoking viands in the midst. It was the more surprising, since we were unexpected guests ; and, as the village seemed WTetchedly poor, we ventured to ask an exj^lanation, and we learned that our fare was the contribution of many families — the trakana soup was supplied by one, the pilau by a second, the petmes by a third, the bread by a fourth ; but all were emulous to feed the famished strangers, with as little loss of time as i^ossible ; and these were Turks I '2 4 — 8. (4) before . . down, they had not long been there. men . . quarter, their sin was open, shameless, general. (")) and. they called, etc.," their sin so vile as known only by the name of the city abandoned to it.'' (0) shut . . him, both that his guests might be safe, and not hear of the insults proposed. (7) and said, etc., gentle expostulation. (8) behold, <-' etc.. proposing oiae sin to avoid another. Mixed character of good men. therefore . . roof, for hospitable treatment. Sin a dclt/.^itiii. — Transport yourself to such scenes as Hogarth painted. Here is a man in a damp, dark cell, seated on a heap of straw, and chained like a wild beast to the wall. He smiles, sings, laughs ; the straw is a throne : his bare cell, a palace ; these rough keepers, obsequious courtiers ; and he himself, a monarch, the happiest of mortals, an object of envy to cro^^^led kings. Strange delusion ! Yet is that man not more beside himself who, with a soul fomied for the purest enjoyments, delights in the lowest pleasures ; who, content with this poor world, rejects the heaven in his offer; who, surest sig'n of insanity, hates in a heavenly Father and a Saviour those who love him ; who, in love with sin, hugs his chains ; lying under the wrath of God, is merry, sings, and dances on the thin crust that, ever and anon breaking beneath the feet of others, is all that separates him from an abyss of fire .' 9 — 11. ('.)) stand back, lit. "come near, farther off." this . . sojourn, wh. was indeed Lot's great mistake, judge," this prob. not the only in.stance. (10) men, who knew all, and heard the commotion, pulled . . door, rescued the old man. Kind- ness repaid. (11) and . . blindness,'' Heb. ha.s.s'ariccrim. dnzzled blindnesses."^ TJte .'icriptiiral sif/>i.e for thy life. — I. Tou must escape for your life, — the life, not of the body, but of the soul. 1 . The everlasting welfare of your soul is in danger ; 2. To effect your deliverance, you must escape yourselves ; 3. You must be in earnest ; 4. You must sacrifice everything that stands in your way. II. Look not behind. I. He who has once left this sinful world ought to give up all thoughts of return ; 2. Look not behind you, for the sake of your former companions ; 3. Look not back to relieve yourself of the sense of guilt which Aveighs upon you ; 4. Look not behind, lest you should never advance beyond your present position. III. Stay not in all the plain. Delay not — 1. In hope of a better oj^portunity ; 2. In reliance upon yoiu: good inten- tions; 3. Because you have begun to attend to religion; 4. Though you have been brought to feel deejjly about religion ; 5. For a more thorough conviction of sin ; 0. Through dis- couragement and despondency; 7. Because you ho2)e you are a Christian./ Fleeing from .v?i. — We often say, " Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent.'" Perhaps very few of you know how a man feels when, for the fii'st time, he finds himself, as I remember finding myself, within a few inches of a serpent — when he sees the cobra di capella rearing its head ready to strike, and knows that one stroke of those fangs is death, certain death. That moment he experiences a varied passion, impossible to describe. Fear, hatred, loathing, the desire to escape, the desire to kill, all rush into one moment, making his entire being thrill. Now, take two men : one is in the face of that serpent ; the other is in the presence of the old serpent called Satan, the devil : one is in danger of the sting ; the other is in danger of committing sin. Which of the two has most reason to flee? O thou that art tempted to sin this day against God, flee from sin as from the face of a serpent : a far deadlier serpent is that old serpent the devil than the other.3 18 — 22. (18) Lot said, etc.,<^ he anticipated danger in Moab ; as once he had hoped for safety in Sodom. (19) cannot . . die, wearied by events of the night, he fears he will not live to reach the mt. (20) little one, few people, few sins, unworthy of being the subject of Divine justice. (21) see . . also, lit. I have lifted up thy face.* (22) cannot . . thither,'^ the wicked not to be jmnished till the righteous are safe. Zoar (little), formerlj' Bela.'' Site not Irnown. Lot delivei'ed out of Soriflm. — The advice to escape, which tihe 'iDfifels gave to Lot, may be considered as — I. Given to him. It B.C. 1898. thee, spare those who obey thee." — lien Azai. Lot is pressed to leave Sodom a Nu. xvi. 24, 26, Ee. xviiL 4. b 2 Uo. vi. 2. c He. i. 14. (1 Ps. xxxiv. 22; La. iii. 22, Ko. ix. 16, 16. e Ma. xsiv. 16 — 18; Ke. xviii. 14, 15; Lu. ix. 62; Ph. iii. 13, 14. " No ceremony that to great ones belongs, — not tha king's crown, nor tlie deputed sword, the mar- slial's truncheon, nor the judge's robe, become them with one half so good t grace as mercy does." — Shake- speare. f J.Day, D.ti. " Kill sin before it killi you ; and though it kill yi ui- bodies, it shall not be able to kill your souls; and though it bring you to the grave, as it did your Head, it shall not be able to keep you there." — Baxiir. g ir. Arthur, D.D. Lot -wishes to find a refuge in Zoar a Ma. xvi. 22, b " It was the custom in the E. to make sup- plication with the face to the ground ; wit*" 78 OEXESIS. fCap.xlx. 23-26. B.C. 1S!)S. tho prayer was granted, tho face was sniil to bo raiseil." — Spk.'s Commetitaru. «• 1 S. xxvii. 1; Pr. iii. 5. a ; He. iv. 15; Ps. cxlv. 19. ; dGe. xiv. 2. tC. Simeon, .V..\.\ the fate of j Lot's -wife I <7 Ps. xi. tl ; Iiiilo I 7: •-' Po. ii. (i; Jo. I XX. 1«; xlix. ]«; i Lu. xvii. 28—30; ' Ho. xi. 8; Am. iv. 11; Is. i 9. 6Lu. xvii. 31, 32; He. X. 38, 39. " There was a trad. wh. identi- fied a pillar of salt nr. tho Dead Sex with Lot's wife." — /os. Ant., i. 11. Lyneh found to the E. of Usdum, a pil- lar of salt, 40-ft. high. It was prob. that to wh. Jos. refers. cD. Thomas, D.D. "The essence of justice is mercy. Making a child suffer for wrong- doing is merciful to the child. There is no mercy in letting the child have its own will, plunging head- long to destruc- tion with the bit in its mouth. There is no mercy to society or to the criminal if the wrong is not repressed and the right vindicated. We injure the cul- prit who comes np to take his l)rop'r doom at fhi l)ar of justice if wedonotniake him feel th'\t ho has done a wrong thing. We may deliver hU body from the prison, but not at the ex- pecsc of justice, was — 1. Most salutary : 2. Most benevolent. II. Aijplicablc to ourselves. 1. Our condition is very similar to Lot's; 2. Tlie same advice, therefore, is jiropcr for us, as for him. AVe should have — (1) Personal exertion; (2) Persevering diligence. Ad- dress : — (1) Those wlio arc at ease in Sodom : (2) Those who are lingering and deferring their flight ; (3; Those who are daily running in the way prescribed.' lliibi/.'i iif si/i. — The Arabs have a fable of a miller, who was one diiy awakened by having the nose of a camel thrust into the window of a room where he was sleeping. " It is very cold out here." said the camel. " I onlj' want to get my nose in." The miller granted his request. After a while, the camel asked that he might get his neck in : then hiij fore feet : and so. little by little, crowded in his whole body. The miller found his com- panion troublesome : for the room was not large enough for both. "Wlien he comjilaincd to the camel, he received for answer, '• If you do not like it. you may leave : as for myself, I .shall .stay where I am."' 23—26. (2:)) sun . . earth, the day broke brightly : the last day for Sodom. (24) rained . . fire," i.r. burning brimstone, marks of volcanic eruption, and sulphur still found in the neigh- bourhood. (2'>) overthrew, etc., many scientific explanations of this. The nature of the region is a present and lasting com- ment on the text. (2(i) but . . back,'' in defiance or forget- fulness of the command v. 17. and . . salt, judgment was mingled with mercy. TJic l('.'<-ioii!7i. d Rvbivls. the cities destroyed but Liot saved a Ee. xviii. 9. 6 De. xxix. 23; Is. xiii. 19; Je. xlix. 18; Jude 7; 2 Pe. ii. 6. c Ge. viii. 1 ; Ps. cxlv. 20; 2 Pe. ii. G— 10. " The martyrs to vice far exceed the martyrs tj virtue, both iu endurance and iu number. So blinded are we by our passions, that we suffer more to be damned than to be saved." — CoU lon. (1 Timbs. the sin of Lot's daughters a J a. i. S. 6 Pr. xxiii. 31 — 33; 1 Co. X. 12. " Drunljennessis the way to all bestial afTec- tions and acts; wine knows no difference either of persons or sms."—£p. Halt. "All exci 85 is ill, but drunken- ness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dis- mounts ihe mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is quar- relsome, lasci- vious, impudent, dangerous, and mad. He that is drunk is not a man, because he is, for so long, void of reason that distin- guishes a man irom a beast." — W. Penn, 80 OENESIS. [Cap. XX. 1—6, B.C. 1898. Moab and Amxuon a De. ii. 0; Nu. XXV. 1 — 3; xxi. •29. ft De. ii. 19. c Dr. Bush. " The character of the roputcd ancestors of some men has made it possible for their ilo- Bcendauts to be vicious in the ex- treme, without l)eing degene- rate ; and there are some heredi- tary strokes of character by which a family may be as clearly distinguished as by the blackest feature.s of the human face." — Junius. U A. Burgess. B.C. Hr. 1893. Abimelech takes Sarah and is ■wai'ned a (ie. X. 19. 6 Ge. x.wi. 2G. e Williams' Holy City, i. 465. d Kurtz remarks that she had her youth renewed since the visit of the angels, when a son was pro- mised. e Ps. cv. 14 ; Ez. xxxiii. 14, 16. / 2 K. XX. 3; 2 Co. i. 12. g Laivje. "The confusion and undesigned inaccuracy so often to be ob- served in con- versation, especi- ally in that of Tme<}ucatcd per- 36 — 38. (30) thus, vie, did he never perceive their condition, iind inquire the cauxo / (157) Moab' (.swyZ of the fatlur), son ot incest and father of a wicked race, (iis) Ben-ammi*' {mn of mi/ own kindrrd), what mu.st Lot have thought of these names given by his daus. to their children .' Lc^xon-i from the life of Lot. — I. 'ITic duty and advantage of hospitality (Lot and the angels). II. The enormous depravity of wh. human nature is capable (Soflom). III. The care and favour with wh. Gouttle.s. — Chardin has given us, at large, an amusing account of these bottles, which, therefore, I would here set down. After observing that the bottle given to Hagar was a leather one, he goes on thus : " Tlie Arabs, and all those that lead a wandering kind of life, keep their water, milk, and other kind of liquors in these bottles. The}' keep in them more fresh than otherwise they would do. These leather bottles are made of goat skins. A\Tien the animal is killed, they cut off its feet and its head, and they draw it in this manner out of the skin, without opening its belly. They afterward sew iip the places where the legs were cut off. and the tail, and when it is filled, they tie it about the neck. These nations, and the country people of Persia, never go a journey without a small leather bottle of water hang- ing by their side like a scrip. The great leather bottles are made of the .skin of a he-goat, and the small ones, that serve instead of a bottle of water on the roail. are made of a kids skin. Mons. Dandilly, for want of observing this, in his beautiful translation of Josephus, has put goat skin in the chapter of Hagar and Ishmael. instead of a kids skin bottle, which, for the reasons assigned above, must have been meant." 15, 16. (1">) water . . bottle, a serious lo.ss in that hot countrj'. cast . . shrubs, exhausted by the journey and thirst she laid him there, leaving him fainting and prostrate. (16) bowshot, i.e. as far a.s an archer could shoot an arrow, let . . child, she believed him to be dying, and could not endure the sight, lift . . wept, feeling her misery and helplessness. Cap. xxi. 17—21.] at\V£Sls. 85 Ilaqar in the desert. — lu order to see the lesson of the text (vv. 15 and 19) in its full force, let us consider — I. The position of Abraham's servants. Hagar is called, " a bond woman ; "' but she was no slave. The sercicc of those days was not the slacery of modern times. Hagar was in reality lady's maid to Sarah. II. "What brought Hagar into the wilderness .' The cause of it was the combined sin and folly of Sarah, Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael. Sarah's presumption in giving Hagar to her husband ; Abraham's weakness in yielding ; Hagar's contempt of her mistress ; Ishmael's mockery. III. Her condition when in the desert. IV. The relief which, though unseen, was at hand. The well was close by when the bottle was empty. Inferences^(l) Sin has driven us into a desert ; (2) Hagar is an emblem of our natural condition as fugitives ; (3) The resource of the well teaches us that resource in our need is provided — not in answer to our prayers, but in anticipation of our necessities ; (-1) There never was an affliction but there was a well of water near ; (5) How many have left the household of faith and gone into the wilderness." A bowshot. — This is a common figure of speech in their ancient wi-itings, " The distance of an arrow. So far as the arrow flies." The common way of measming a short distance is to say, '• It is a call off," i.e. so far as a man's voice can reach. " How far is he off?" '• Oh, not more than three eaUs" i.e. were three men stationed within the reach of each other's voices, the voice of the one farthest off would reach to that distance.* 17 — 21. (17) God . . lad, his mother could not hear or help : his voice faint and weak, the . . God, i.e. the Angel-Jehovah. for . . his, ref. to eondltion as well nii place. (18) hold . . hand, support, comfort him. for . . nation, he shall not die. (19) well . . water, Divine commands are accompanied with aids to obedience, gave . . drink, quenched the fever, and refreshed him. (20) God . . lad, prosi^ered him. grew, to a vigorous manhood, archer, not only as a means of living, but ace. to prediction." (21) Paran, prob. that now called El-Tih, i.e. "the wanderings." and . . Egypt, custom then in the E. for mothers to choose wives for their sons.' llaejar and IshinaeJ. — Let us trace out the various heads of our text. I. They thirsted. This reminds us of our condition with- out Christ. ' Come ye to the waters." This teaches us — l.That religion is satisfying to the soul, as water is to the thirsty body ; 2. How naturally the need}'' soul should turn to Christ. II. They thirsted — but where 1 Near a well of water. So when the poor sinner thirsts, Jesus is ever near and ready. III. Hagar's ej'es were opened ; she saw the well. Before, she saw neither the right thing nor looked in the right direction. IV. Seeing the well, they drank and lived. Hearing of Christ is not enough, we must partake of Him also."^ A mother's jtrayers. — A sailor boy was tossed on the deep in a fearful storm. For a time all hope that they could be saved was taken away, but at last they were brought safely to land. Afterwards, recounting the fearful scenes through which they had passed, the sailor boy said that even in the time of their greatest peril he did not despair, for he knew that his mother was at home praying for him. B.C. cir. 1898. already receiveil. Bless God that such merciful provision is iriade in the Gospel for the relief and comfort of ne- cessitous crea- tures; and, above all, be thankful that you have been engaged to seek and to prize it, while so many are, as it were, dying for thirst in the midst of these overflow- ing streams." — Doddridge. a B. Grant, B.A. " There is in the heart of woman such a deep well of love that no age can freeze it." — Buhcer Lyt- lon. b Roberts. Ishmael revives and, grows to manhood a Ge. xvi. 12. b Ge. ssiv. 4, 55 ; E.Y. x.xi. 10. " As great an archer as he was, liowever, Ishmael did not think he took his aim well in the business of his marriage if he proceeded without his mo- ther's advice and conse n t." — M. Henry. " Wlien a father dies, the mother begins to look out for a wife for her son, though he may be very young ; and her arrange- ments will gene- rally be acceded to."— Roberts, c Siegfried. 86 OEXES/S. [Cap. xxl. 22-34. n.c. cir. IHUS. Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech » Jos. ii. 12. b Go. xxvi. 28; 1 S. xxiv. 21 ; Zee. viii. 23. Three-fourths of the ilifficulties uuil miseries of men come from tlie fact that most want weal til wittiout earning it, fame without deserving it, po- pularity without temperance, re- spect w i t h o u t virtue, anil hap- piness without holiness. c Bush. Abraham, reproves Abimelech because of the well '■ The reproof of a good man re- sembles fuller's earth ; it not only removes the spots fronj our character, but it rubs off when it is dry." — iViltiii- son. Beer-sheba a "12 hrs. S. of Hebron are tlie ruins of an anc. town called /lir- es-Sebti, with two wells of water." — Jiobinson. Ii. Ii. i. 2Ul. b Vs. \c. 2; De. xixiu. 27 ; 1 Ti. L17. I Ge. c Al/ord. xxii. 6. " Public charac- ters cannot always be ac- countable for the misdeeils of those who act tinder them; 22—24. (22) Phichol (f/ir mmif/i of all), prob. a title, like Abimelech, grand vizier. God . . doest, heuce A. would be valuable as an ally, invincible as a foe. (23) that . . me, lit. " if thou sbalt lie unto me." usual form of oath in E. accord- ' ing, rtc." even a heathen sees that kindnes-s should bo returned. j (24; and, rfr.,'' one of the earliest treaties on record. Both sides were equally bound. Ahrahaiii'.H Dirine Friend. — God's friendshij) for Abraham wan ' — I. Constant : '"in all that thou doest.'" II. Practical : material I prosperity was one result. III. Conspicuous : even heathens saw and acknowlediifed it. IV. Influential : made Abraham what he was in himself, and won for him the respect of others. I Mr. Bruce, the traveller, came to a place, called Shekh Ammer, ( from the Arab Shekh of which place he got a i)ledge that he I should not be molested in his journey across the desert to Cossier. I A number of people afterwards assembled at the house. " The : great peo])le among them," says the traveller. •■ came, and after joining hands, repeated a kind of prayer, by which they declared I themselves and their children accursed if ever they lifted up their hands against me in the tril, a tield in the desert : or iu case that I or mine should fly to them for refuge, if they did not protect us at the risk of their lives, their families, and their for- tunes, or, as they emphatically expressed it, to the death of the I last male child among them.' *■ I 25 — 28. (2.")) reproved, argued, expostulated, well, a most valuable jiroperty in such a land, among a i:)astoral people. (20) and . . said, etc., he evidently admitted the justice of the reproof. (27) and, etc.. Abraham, as a '-prophet" of God. pro- vided the victims for this religious rite. (28) and, etc.. prob. to ratify preceding covenant. J'Jmtterii comjjncf.^. — Mr. Bruce (T?-arelx, vol. i. p. 109), relating the manner in which a compact was made between his party and some shepherds in Abyssinia, says, •■ 3Iedicines and advice being given on my part, faith and protection pledged on theirs, two bushels of wheat and seven sheep were carried down to the boat.'' 29 — 34. (20) what . . mean, etc.. the hcatlim was not familiar with JLhri w customs. (30) and, etc.. their acceptance by Abimelech an acknowledgment of Abraham's ownership of the well. (31) Beer-sheba" ('•n-cll of the oath.'' '• n-cll of the .t/'irn"). (32) they . . Philistines, i.e. Abimelech and Phichol. (33) grove, or a t^imarii^k tree, and . . God,'' not only publi el y made a covenant, but jiriiatcli/ sought help to keep it. (34) and . . days, in which Isaac grew old enough to carry the wood for the offering.'^ The n-ell of the oath. — A sacred spot, and marked — I. By the goodness of God, who supplied water in that thirst}' land. II. By a compact of friendship between Abraham and Abimelech. III. By the offering of devotion : "jilanted a grove :' "called on the name of the LokI." Learn — (1) All good is from God; (2) Friendship is a sacred thing : (3) Promises made in pubUc, and grace sought privately to keep them. Jk-er.iheha. — The name Beersheba (n-ell of the oath) was origi- nally given by Abraham to the well which he and his servants had made. Isaac and his servants applied the name to their Cap. xxii. 1—3. 87 well also (Gen. xxvi. 25. 32, 33). The city, which in course of time sprang up around these wells, naturally received the same title, which was ai'terwads extended to the "wilderness" lying farther south ; as in Gen. xxi. 14, where the historian applies it by anticipation. I'eersheba marked the southern limits of the land of Israel, as Dan did the northern ; and both cities became the site of idolatries which were denounced by the prophet Amos (v. 5, viii. 11 j with his accustomed vigour and fidelity. Perhaps the grove, which the patriarch had planted under the influence of motives of the purest kind, was maxie subservient to these corruptions.'' CHAPTER THE TIFENTY-SECOND. 1 — 3. (1) things, events previously recorded, esp. former trials, tempt," try. For A."s good, not His own information. and . . am, "what is thy pleasure'" {Arab.). (2) take, etc.,'' ^\-ords that remind A. of the value of the sacrifice demanded. Moriah.'' (virion), prob. the mt. on wh. the temple was built.'' (3) early,' prompt, as usual : though now the duty was most painful, saddled, equipped, and . . wood, provided ag. dearth of proper fuel in what might be a desert, mountainous region, or other hindi'ances to obtaining it. rose up, set him- self to the work. ^1 n-alk tn Minint Moriali. — I. At the bottom of the hill there is a finger-post showing the road, and labelled with the name Moriah. II. At the top of the hill we find a pile of ashes. What was burned here, and why was it burned .' III. Lj'ing among the ashes we find the sacrificial knife. On one side of the knife is engraved the word '• Sui-render ; " on the other, •' Substi- tution." lY. On the ground we find an eye-glass cased with ram's horn. Through it we see the heathen sacrificing and per- forming horrid rites on all the hills around. But look, not on the hills, but through the ages, and you will see a crucified Redeemer, who dies to save these heathen/ iMoriah. — The meaning of the name seems clearly to be Mori- jah. " the vision," or " the manifested of Jehovah." . . In 2 Chron. iii. 1 Solomon is said to have built his temple on Mount Moriah : and the Jewish tradition (Josephus. Antiq. i. 13. 2, vii. 13, 4) has identified this Mount Moriah of the temple with the moun- tain in the land of Moriah on which Abraham was to offer his son, whence probably here Onkelos and the Arab, render '• the land of worship." No sufficient reason has been alleged against this identification, except that in ver. 4 it is said that Abraham '• lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off," whereas Mount Zion is said not to be conspicuous from a great distance. Thence Bleck, De ^Yette, Tuck. Stanley, and Grove have refeiTed to Moreh (Gen. xii. 6), and attempted to identify the site of the sacrifice with " the natural altar on the summit of Mount Gerizim," which the Samaritans assert to be the scene of the sacrifice. Really, however, the words in ver. 4 mean nothing more than this, that Abraham saw the spot to which he had been directed at some little distance oft' — not farther than the character cf the place really a(imits. The evident meaning of the words , they had need take care, how- ever, what sort of servants tliey employ, as while matters are un- e.xplained, that which is wrong is commonly placed to their Skcoonnt." -Fuller, d Groser. B.C. 1872. Abraham is comniaDded to offer up Isaac a Ja. i. 12 ; 1 Pe. i. 7 ; De. xiu. 3 ; 1 Co. X. 13. b Jo. iii. 16. c 2 Ch. iii. 1. d Jos. Ant. i. 13, 2, vii. 14, 4. e Ps. cxix, Ma. X. 37; xiv. 26. / J. Edmond, D.D. "That which he umst do, he will do ; he that had learned not to regard the Ufe of his son, had learned not to regard the sor- row of his wife." —lip. Hall. "In all tempta- tions and trials, believe tliat God the Father doth govern your temptations; tliat the Holy Spirit doth, and shall assist jou ; that Jesus Christ was tempted to over- come in you ; that the saints on earth pray for you — this will uphold and stay thee up though in the depth of troubles," — ■ Greenham. 88 [Cap. xxii. 4-12. B.C. 1872. g E. 11. Brotcne, D.D. behold the fire, but where is the lamb ? (t .Some think this \va.s a kind of involuntari' propliecy. 6 He. xi. 17—19. * Jo. xix. 17. rf Jos. make.s Is. 25 yrs. of ape ; others 33, wli. was the age of Christ at the crucifixion. e H. T. Miller. " If Abraham's heart could have known how to relent, that ques- tion of his dear, innocent, and pious son had melted it into compassion. 1 know not whe- ther that wonl, " my father," did not strike Ahra- ham as deep as the knife of Abraham could strike his son."-- Dp. Hall. Abraham prevented from offering Isaac a Jfa. xxvii. 2 ; Is. liii. 7 ; Ph. ii. 8 ; Jo. X. 17, 18. 6 He. xi. 17—19 ; Ja. ii. 21—21. cl S. XV. 22 ; Mi. vi. 7,8; Ep.ii. 10. d Ro. viii. 32. e linsh. " The origiual ' I have '■ the mount of the vision of the Lord" (see ver. 14), the fact that the mount of the templo bore the same name (2 Chron. iii. 1), th(! distance, two day.s' journey from Beersheba, which would just suffice to brinp the com])any to Jeru.salem, whereas Gerizim could not have been reached from Beersheba on the third day, are arguments too strong to be set aside by the single difficulty mentioned above, which, in fact, is no difficulty at all.* 4 — 8. (1) third day, the time helps to fix the day (Gerizim, for wh. some plead, could not have been reached in so short a time), saw . . off, jirob. not very far, i.e. in the distance, or before him. (.5) abide . . ass, wh. he would have said if the mt. had been rrry far off. come . . you," he seems to have had faith that both would return.* (C.) wood . . son,'' Isaac must have been strong to carry enough to consume the sacrifice.** fire, brand, or torch : another jjroof that the place was not very distant, knife, A. forgets nothing, llie sacrifice is already ofifered in intention and will, they . . together, as it would seem, their last journey. (7) where . . lamb ? ( 1 ) Isaac is igno- rant of his father's purpose. (2.) lie is familiar with the customary sacrifice. (8) God . . provide, A. has unlimited faith in God. Heb. ylrrh lo hnaseli, will sec for Himself the lamb. Helps and hindrnncc-i of the Christian life. — We observe that in the path of faith — I. Human help is i)rofitable. Essential service was no doubt rendered by these young men. What higher service can the human know than to wait on the Divine ? 1. Let the demands of faith be boldly urged : 2. Let the service be cheerfully rendered. II. Human help is limited. III. Human help must receive a timely dismissal. Here is — I. Discernment : these young men would have stopped Abrahams work ; 2. Deci- sion : " Abide ye here." IV. The grandest triumjihs have been achieved alone.* Cnrrijirifi fre. — Caravans carry with them the iron grating for the fire ; and sometimes, owing to the difficulty experienced in obtaining a light, the charcoal fire which had been used the previous night was carried suspended by a chain, and kept bui-ning. This may have been the case with Abraham, who had been more than a night on the way to Moriah : he laid the wood on Isaac his son. and took the fire in his hand, most likely that which he had kindled in the chill of the evening before, Gen. xxii. 9 — 12. (9) altar, of earth, or loose stones, bound . . son," who did not resist, laid . . wood, and he finds that the victim is i)rovided. (\()) and, etc.,'' what shall prevent the consumma- tion of the act .' (11 ) angel . . Lord,"^ the Angel- Jehovah, the covenant God. (12) for, etc..'' "The idea is simply that He knew, by a new proof, by having actually made trial of him."" The .mcriJicG of Isaac. — Here we see exhibited — I. The sacrifice of eternal love. Look at — 1. The antiquity of the love between the Father and the Son : 2. Its intensity. II. The method of human salvation. 1. The consummation of the sacrifice was delayed. Even as Abraham for three days contemplated Lsaac's death, so for ages did the Father contemplate Calvary. 2. The mortal wound was inflicted by the Father. The accursed knife was Jewish envy, and Eoman indifference and scorn. 3. The Son was unresisting./ Cap. xxil. 13-19.] GENESIS. 89 Timeli/ succour. — God is wise to conceal the succours lie intends in the several chau. Their prudence. II. The ends for which it was maide. Abraham bought the field to — 1. Bury his wife ; 2. Express his confidence in the Divine promise : 3. Perpetuate among his posterity the expectation of the promised land."" Immorality in trade. — It ought to be so that a little child could take in its hand a sum of money, and go to any store for a commodity, and hand that money over the counter, and. telling what it wants, receive an article as much better than its own uninstructed judgment could choo.«e as the knowledge of the merchant is superior to its knowledge ; but I am afraid it would not be safe to go shopping in that way. I am afraid that if you were no judge of material, and bought accordingly, you would have poor garments. I am afraid that if you had no judgment of prices, you would pay inordinately for many things. These merchants, these men that sell goods — how many pretences they weave ! What poor articles, with what a good face, do they palm off on their customers ! How they suppress the truth J Cap. xxlv. 1—6.] GEN£S1S. 93 How they indulge in over-praising or under-valuing, as the case may be ! How much there is of systematic commercial deceit and wrong-doing throughout it I" CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH. 1 — 6. (1) old," 137 yrs. at death of Sarah ; and 140 at mar. of Isaac, who was then 40. (2) servant,'' prob. Eliezer of Damascus, hand . . thigh, form of adjui-ation mentioned only in one other place i"^ prob. token of entire subjection. (3) take . . Canaanites,'' a licentious, heathen, doomed race. (4) go . . country,* Mesopotamia, v. 10. (5) will . . land, a natural supposition, commendable caution. (6) beware . . again, a wise father will seek to preserve his son fr. ensnaring inhuences. Isaac's marriage (on the whole chapter). — I. The selection of the bride. Abraham's command (v. 3) was given because — 1. The Canaanites differed from Isaac in their taste ; 2. A bad influence might be exerted on Isaac's mind ; 3. The Canaanites were to be destroyed. II. The means emploj^ed to ensure success. 1. Human instrumentality ; 2. Trust in God : 3. Self-remunera- tion. III. The spirit in which the marriage was consummated. It was — 1. Modest; 2. Confident; 3. Loving. Conclusion — (1) Let the youth of our country study this history ; (2) May parents follow the example of Abraham..' Marriage in the East. — Among the Jews the father of a family selects wives for his sons, and husbands for his daughters. If a son had a preference for any person as his wife, he asked the father to obtain her from her father. But the father could not give the daughter in marriage without the consent of the brothers (Jahn). These are the very rules observed by the Nestorians at the present day. No young man thinks of making a marriage contract for himself. In case the father is dead, the eldest brother takes the father's place. Where the intended bride lives at a distance, the matter is sometimes in- trusted to some faithful servant or agent, as was done by I Abraham in relation to his son Isaac. This event was remark- ' ably illustrated by the history of a marriage that took place a short time since among the Nestorians in the mountains. Indeed there was such a remarkable coincidence of names and circum- stances, that it seemed like acting over again that most interest- ing part of sacred history. The Nestorian patriarch, Abraham, who was in the place of a father to his younger brother, Isaac, being desirous of procuring a wife for his foster son, sent his most trusty steward to a distant part of the country to obtain one from among his own people. The servant took with him jewels and raiment for the future wife of Isaac, and presents for her near relatives. He was no less prosperous than the servant of his master's namesake, the ancient patriarch, Abraham. But though I became acquainted with all parties in the case, I must leave the reader's imagination to fill up some of its incidents. Only let him substitute mules for camels, which are not used in this mountainous country, and I may refer to the close of the 24th chapter of Genesis for the sequel. The damsel was brought to the house of this modern patriarch, and "Isaac took her, and she became his wife, and he loved her."*" B.C. I860. we must all be taxed." — Burke, c H. W. Beechei: B.C. 1857. Abraham, sends his servant to fixid a wife for Isaac a Ge. xxi. 5. b Ge. XV. 2. c Ge. xlvii. 29. rfGe. xxvii. 46; 1 Co. vii. 37 ; 2 Co. iv. 14. e De. vi. 13. / Jenkin Jones. " The homeliest services that we do iu an honest calling, though it be but tu plough, or dig, if done in obedience, and conscious of God's command- ment, is crowned with an ample reward ; whereas I the best works for their kind, if without respect of God's injunc- tion and glory, ' are loaded with curses." — Bishop Hall. " It is not only paying wages, and giving com- mands, that con- stitutes a master of a family ; but prudence, equal behaviour, with a readiness to protect and cherish them, is what entitles a man to that cha- racter in tlieir very hearts and sentiments." —HleHe. g Grant's Nes- torians. di GENESIS. [Oap. xxlv. 7—14. D.C. 1857. he assures him that his way shall be prepared a Kjl. xxii. 20 ; I's. xxxiv. 7. I h J. A. Woniihead. " God has set the type of mar- riage before us throughout all creation. Each creature peeks its perfection through being blent with ano- ther. The very heaven ami earth picture it to us, for does not the sky embrace the green earlh as its bride ? Pre- cious, excellent, glorious, is that word of the Holy (ihost,' the heart of the husband doth safely trust in her.' "-Luther, c Ilarmer. i the servant | departs to j the City I of Nahor a " And he took ' part of all his , master's goods j in his liand." — ! A.VA'., also V'ulg. ■ " .\s though A. I had sent a pre- sent with the servant to con- ciliate the bride's family." — .^pkr.'s Com. b Ge. xxvii. 43 ; cf. xL 31 ; Ac. vu. 2. c See Homer, Od., vii. 20. In the form of a girl, Minerva meets Ulysses when ab. to enter the city of the Phoe- nicians in the evening. See also Hobinion, B. Ji., u. 368. d Ne. i. 11 ; Ps. xxvii. 5 ; l*r. iii. 6, 6 ; Ph. iv. 6. e Ju. vi. 17 ; 1 S. vi. 7 ; xiv. 8 ; xx. 7. 7 — 9. (7) he . . thee," A. belioves that his servant's way will be opened : and all hindrances will be removed, thou . . thence, whom God will select. (H) if . . thee, cfe., this said to calm the servant's fears. A. has no doubt of the issue, only . . again, on no ace. is the .servant to jiromise his kindred to return and bring- Isaac thither. (U) master, Heb. ndatiav, lord. Jirin;/ itot mij xo/t, thitJtrr fi//) straw, chaff, provender, fodder, I barley, beans, etc. i Aiiidnr.sii rovarded. — The reward was — I. Unexpected : Rebekah was not kind for the sake of gain. II. Suitable : adapted to her sex, station, and the customs of her people. III. Valuable : a great return for a small act. Learn — (1) The best rewai-d of kindness is a heart strengthened in love of kindness ; (2) *' A cup of cold water" shall not lose its reward ; (3) God will ulti- I mately reward the good, whom men may treat wath ingratitude. I Oriental ornomcntx. — The weight of the ornaments that the I servant of Abraham put ujion Rebekah appt-ars to us rather extra- ordinary. Sir J. Chardin as.«ures us as heavy, and even heavier, were worn by the women of the East when he was there. The ear-ring, or jewel for the face, weighed half a shekel, and the bracelets for her hands ten shekels (Gen. xxiv. 22), which, as he justly observes, is about five ounces. Upon which he tells us, '• the women wear rings and bracelets of as great a weight as this, through all Asia, and even much heavier. They are rather manacles than bracelets. There are some as large as the finger. The women wear several of them, one above the other, in such a manner as sometimes to have the arm covered with them from I the wrist to the elbow. Poor people wear as many of glass or I horn. They hardly ever take them off : they are their riches." 26—28. (20) worshipped, thanking God for this happy I termination of his journey. (27) I . . way," one must be in the I way of duty, obedience, providence, if he would have God to lead him. (2S) ran, fuU of wonder at what she had heard ; and joy, bee. of the presents she had received, her . . house, women's ; apartments or tents distinct fr. those of the men. things, and showing the presents. It is well for maidens when they can tell their mothers of the gifts made to them. A modest dam., a sym- pathising mother. Mothers and danqliterx. — This relation should be marked by — I. Confidence on the side of the daughter. II. Sj-mpathy on the side of the mother. Learn— (1) HappT the mother whose daughter withholds no secrets from her : (2) Happy the daughter whose mother is always ready to hear and aidvise. Exhortation to dutij. — Previous to the battle of Lutzen, in which eighty thousand Austrians were defeated by an army of thirty-six thousand Prussians, commanded by Frederick the Great, this monarch ordered all his officers to attend him, and Cap. xxiv. 29—38.] GEiV£SIS. 97 hus addressed them : — -'• To-mon-ow I intend giving the enemy battle ; and. as it will decide who are to })e the future masters of Silesia, I expect every one of you will in the strictest manner do his duty. If any one of you is a coward, let him step forward before he makes others as cowardly as himself, — let him step forward, I say. and he shall immediately receive his discharge without ceremony or reproach. I see there is none among you who does not possess true heroism, and will not display it in defence of his king, of his country, and of himself. I shall be in the front and in the rear ; shall fly from wing to wing ; no com- pany will escape my notice : and whoever I then, find doing his duty, upon him will I heap honour and favoui'." 29—33. (29) Laban« (white), prob. a youth at this time. (.30) saw. . hands, etc.. the sister had no concealments fr. her bro. (31) come . . without? Laban influenced by customs of hospitality, and perh. also by his sister's presents.* for . . camels, Laban had ordered the servants to do this. (32) man . . house, i.e. A.'s servant, he . . camels, i.e. Laban. water . . feet, .^ee on xviii. 4. (33) eat . . errand, <^ he had come a long joui-ney, yet thinks more of his master's interests than his o'wn gratifica- tion. Buti/ before self-f/vatifieation (v. 33). — "W'e find here — I. Self kept in abeyance : this at a time — 1. When Eliezer had arrived at the end of a long, anxious, wearying, and perilous journey ; 2. "When the hospitality of his entertainers had spread a repast before him. II. Duty paramount. He owed a duty — 1. To his master, whose business he was upon ; 2. To his entertainers, that they should not be kept in unnecessary suspense. Biitij and self-denial. — There is a beautiful legend illustrating the blessedness of performing our duty at whatever cost to our own inclination. A beautiful vision of our Saviour had appeared to a monk, and in silent bliss he was gazing upon it. The hour arrived at which it was his duty to feed the poor of the convent. He lingered not in his cell to enjoy the vision, but left it to perfoiTn his humble duty. "When he returned, he found the blessed vision still waiting for him, and uttering these words, '■ Hadst thou stayed, I must have fled." 34—38. (34) and, etc., the master's name would at once mtro. him. (35) greatly," variously, abundantly, great, rich and powerful, flocks, etc., elements of wealth that would be well understood by these pastoral people. (30) Sarah, they would recall her name, son . . old, a hint that Isaac was now young, him . . hath, this young man, the sole heir. (37, 38) swear, .see on v. 3. ! Abraham's servatit (v. 34). — I. Eliezer s character. His posi- i tion humble, a servant ; not the less honourable. Angels are i servants ; Jesus was a servant. This man a pattern servant. 1 . ] Attached. Not given to change ; rolling stones, etc. Pecuniary i gain of change often more than counterbalanced by moral loss, j Might have got another master, with less religious gain ; 2. \ Trustjcorthi/. Hence his present mission. Seemed to feel that | he must be tr*e to the trust reposed. " I am," etc. ; 3. I'imis. : His piety probably the source of other elements of character. | A man of prayer (v. 12, etc.). He felt accountable to God as | well as to Abraham. .A way from home, the thought of his I '^'OL. I. D ' B.C. 18.57. parentage, sho I doth not so re- member what slie was by birth, ! that she forgets I what she is by match."— /"i/ffer. ;.)'. 26. T. notion, \ Wk$., iv. 463. !"Take the I daughter of a 1 gi)0(i mother." — Fuller. I Laban and i Eliezer I a Ge. sxvii. 43 — I 45 ; xxiX. 1—30 ; \elc. h Pr. xix. G. c Job xxiii. 12; Jo. iv. 34; Ep. vi. 5—8; Ma. vi. 3:J. j " There is no j mean work, save j that which is ' sordidly selfish; I there is no irre- j ligious work save I that which is I morally wrong ; I while in every sphere of life '■ the post of honour is the post of duty." — ' Chiipin. " Whoso escapes ' a duty avoids a gain." — Theo. Parker. Eliezer's address a Pr. X. 22 ; sxii. " I have been formerly so silly as to hope that every servant I had might be made a friend ; I am now con- vinced that the nature of servi- tude generally bears a contrary tendency. Peo- pl-i's characters are to be chiefly collected from their education and place in life; birth itself does 98 OEXESTS. [Cap. xxiv. 39-461, B.C. 1S57. bnt little. "-SA«i- slone. " It i.s proper for everyone to con- sider, iu the case of all men, that he who has not been a servant cannot become a praiseworthy master ; and it is meet that wo should plume ourselves rather on acting the part of a servant properly than that of the mas- ter, first, towards the laws (for in this way we are servants of the gods), and next towards our elders." — Plato. "The great high- road of human welfare lies along the old highway of steadfast well- doing; and they who are the mo.st persistent, and work in the truest spirit, will invariably be most successful ; success treads on the heel of every right effort."— -S. Smiles. a Lange. "In everything the ends well defined are the secret of durable succes8."-Cou4tn. "The hand that hath made you fair, hath made you good ; the goodness that is cheap in beauty, makes beauty brief in good- ness; but grice being the soul of your complexion should keep the body of it ever fair." — Shake- tpcare. "A virtuous master, etc. II. IJlicztr'n rmuivd — 1. The sati-sfaction of bis own mind. Tliis an important part of the reward of i)iety. Con- science at peace ; 2. The joy of witnessing the prosperity of a master he loved, and contributing to it ; 3. The trii.st. etc., of his master. The confidence of others in us very comforting ; 4. His honourable mention in hi.story : a servant's history in a book for all men. of which God is the author. ( 1 ) AVell for tho.se who serve to have good masters ; (2) Well for us if we serve Abra- ham's God. .1 faitlifnl nrr rant. —The Rev. S. W. Hanna says : " On the K>th of June. i770, the town of Port-au-Prince was utterly overthrown by a dreadful earthquake. From one of the falling houses the inmates had fled, except a negro woman, the nurse of her ma.'^ter's infant child. She would not desert her charge, though the walls were even then giving way. Rushing to its bed-side, she stretched forth her arms to enfold it. The building rocked to its founda- tion — the roof fell in. Did it crush the hapless pair? The heavy fragments fell indeed upon the woman, but the infant escaped imhanned ; for its noble protectress extended her bended form across the body, and at the sacrifice of her own life pre- served her charge from destruction." 39—41, .t«' on w. 5 — 8. EUezer's sprecli (w. 34 — 49). — Eliezer's speech, the first in the Bible, considered as — I. The speech of a servant. II. The speech of a master. III. A speech which turns the heart to the master." Examples: nf .•(iiccr.'ixfitl men. — The world-renowned Rothschilds ascribe their success to the following rules : " Be an off-hand man : make a bargain at once. Never have anything to do with an unlucky man or plan. Be cautious and bold. " John Jacob Astor. when requested to furnish incidents of his life, replied, " My actions must make my life." Stephen Girard's fundamental maxim was, •• Take care of the cents : the dollars vciW. take care of themselves." Amos La^Tcnce said, when asked for advice. " Young man. base all yoiu- actions upon a jirinciple of right ; preserve your integrity of character : and in doing this, never reckon the cost.'' A. T. Stewart, the merchant- prince of New York, saj's. " No abilities, however splendid, can command success without intense labour and jiersevering application." Nicholas Longworth, the Cincinnati millionaire, says. " I have always had these two things before me : Do what you undertake thoroughly. Be faithful in all accepted trusts." 42—46, sec on w. 12—14. Ell (■:<■)•'.■< piety (w. 42 — 44). — Eliezer, the earthly messenger of Abraham, in the convoy of the heavenly messengers. A pious diplomat, accompanied by the Angel of the Lord. The diplomats of this world are often accompanied by demons. The love and truth of God is a foundation for love and truth among men." \ Women tlrinrinf/ irnter. — It is still the proper business of the I females to supply the family with water. From this drudgery, ; however, the married women are exempted, unless when single 'women are wanting. The proper time for drawing water in 'those burning climates is in the morning, or when the sun is going down : then they go forth to perfonn that humble olfice, I adorned with tJieir trinkets, some of which are often of great 'value. Agreeably to this custom, Rebekah went instead of her Gap. xxiv. 47—54, 99 mother to fetch, water from the well, and the servant of Abraham expected to meet an uumaiTied female there who might prove a suitable match for his master's son. In the East Indies the women also draw water at the public wells, as Rebekah did on that occasion, for ti'avellers, their servants and their cattle ; and women of no mean rank literally illustrate the conduct of an unfortunate princess in the Jewish History by performing the services of a menial. The young women of Guzerat daily di"aw Avater from the wells, and can-y the jars upon the head ; but those of high rank carry them ujion the shoulder. In the same Avay Rebekah carried her pitcher; and probably for the same reason — -because she was the daughter of an Eastern prince. 47—49. (47 — 48"), see on vv. 22 — 26. my . . daughter, Rebekah was A.'s brother's grand-dau. (413) if . . master, if you will respond to his wish, that . . turn, i.e. go elsewhere to f ullil my mission. Ea.stcrnjrn-dvij. — Nothing is more common than for heathen females to have a ring in the nose ; and this has led some to sui^iiose that the jewel here alluded to was put into that meml^er, and not on the face. " I put a jewel on thy forehead " (Ezek. XV. 11). The margin has, for forehead, "nose." It does not appear to be generally knoA\Ti that there is an ornament which is worn by females in the East on the forehead. It is made of thin gold, and is studded with precious stones, and called Patfain. which signifies dignity. Thus, to tie on the Pattam is to " in- vest with high dignity." Patta- Latere " is the name of the first lawful wife of the king." In the Sathiu'-Agaraathe, this orna- ment is called '" the ornament of the forehead." Tyerman and Bennet say of a bride they saw in China : " Her head-dress sparkled with jewels, and was most elegantly beaded with rows of pearls encircling it like a coronet ; from which a brilliant angular ornament hung over her forehead, and between her eje- brows."'' 50—54. (50) Laban, a bro. acting as joint guardian of his sister. Bethuel, who may have been aged and infirm." The . . Lord, this they knew fr. the details to wh. they had listened. "we . . good, the Lord has already decided. (51) behold, efe., ace. to custom the matter was settled by the guardians of R. (52) worshipped,'' thanking God for the successful issue of his mission. (53) jewels, etc., bridal gifts to confirm the conti'act. (54) they . . drink, pleasiu-e aft. business, send , . master, this servant was no loiterer. Calm.ne..")) brother, source of authority, mother, moved by affection, let . . ten, R. was a good dau., of whom they were not anxious to be rid. (5<>) hinder, etc., he perh. is think- ing of his master's anxiety for his return, {'u) inquire, rtc, as to the time slie preferred for dei)arting. (5S) I will go, it shall not be t,■^ld Isaac that she was an unwilling bride. (.")'.») nurse, as a female attendant and friend ; one who V)y her relation was dear. Her name was Deborah." (60) blessed, i.e. invoked a blessing, seed . . gate, .sw; on Gen. xxii. 17. D'lUgrnce in, bii.sinc'i.i (v. 50). — We have here — I. An earnest servant's request : " Hinder me not." Hindrances in the way of duty are often — 1. Intentional: iiroceeding from many motives, as envy, etc. ; 2. Unintentional, as here, ])roceeding from the thoughtlessness of friendship, from the seductive influences of social customs, etc. II. A good man's ])lea : '• seeing," etc. He regarded the Divine blessing — 1. As a summons to perseverance ; 2. As a sufficient answer to hindrances ; 3. As a conclusive argu- ment for proper diligence. Ili'hi'hnli tnul her tiurxc. — How often have scenes like this led my mind to the patriarchal age ! The daughter is about for the iif.'it time to leave the paternal roof: the servants are all in con- fusion ; each refers to things long gone by, each ^\^she3 to do something to atti'act the attention of his young mistress. One says, " Ah ! do not forget him who nursed you when an infant ; " another, '• How often did I bring you the beautiful lotus from the distant tank ! Did I not always conceal your faults .' '' The I mother comes to take leave. She weeps, and tenderly embraces her. saying, " My daughter, I shall see you zjO more . — Forget not I your mother." The brother enfolds his sister m his arms, and I promises soon to come and see her. Tht father is absorbed in ] thought, and is only aroused by the sobs of the party. He then affectionately embraces his daughter, and tells her not to fear. [ The female domestics must each .imrll of the jwor girl, and the j men touch her feet. A.s Ilcbekah had her niirKc to accompany iher, so at thii^ day the Ai/a (the nursr) who has from infancy j brought up the bride, goes with her to the new .scene. She is I her adviser, her assistant, and friend ; and to her will she tell all i her hopes and all her fears.'' I 61—64. (r>l ) damsels, perh. part of her do^^Ty. (02) Lahai- iroi, .Nvr on Gen. xvi. 14. (iV.\) meditate," reflect or pray. I eventide, the still hour, behold . . coming, their forms I catching the last rays of the setting sun. (04) she . . camel, in j token of respect to her future husband. I I.inar'.t medifntion (on v. (')3). — Very admirable was — I. His j occupation. Meditation extracts the real nutriment from the I mental food gathered elsewhere. II. The choice of place. In the field we have a study hung round with texts for though!-, III. The season. Tlie season of sunset, as it draws a vsil over the day, befits that repose of the soul when earthfegm cares yield to the joys of heavenly communion.* Gap, xxiv. 66-67.] nEiXES/3. 101 Meditation of Isaac. — The Hebrew word does not relate to religious meditation exclusively ; still less exclusively to direct prayer. The leading idea seems to be an anxious, a reverential, a painful, a depressed state of mind. " Out of the abundance of my com]jlaint," or my meditation — for the word is the same here, only in the form of a substantive — " Out of the abundance of my meditation and grief have I spoken" (1 Sam. i. Ki) are the words of Hannah to Eli. Isaac went out into the fields, not directly to pray, but to give ease to a wounded spirit in solitude. WTiat was the occasion of this ? One of the last things recorded to have happened before the servant went to Haran, whence he was now returning, is the death and biu'ial of Sarah ; no doubt a tender mother to the child of her old age and her only child. "WTiat more likely than that her loss was the subject of Isaac's mournful meditation on this occasion? But this conjecture is reduced almost to certainty by a few words incidentally dropped at the close of the chapter; for having lifted up his eyes and beheld the camels coming, it is added, " And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent : . . and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death" (v. 07). The agreement of this latter inci- dent with Mdiat had gone before is not set forth in our version, and a scene of veiy touching and picturesque beauty is impaired, If not destroyed." 65 — 67. (05) what man, etc., half suspecting perh., since they were nearing their destination, took . . herself, an early custom for the bride to veil herself in the presence of her be- trothed. (GO) servant . . done, explaining who the veiled maiden was. (G7) Isaac . . tent, ti-eating her with delicate attention, loved,'' yet he had small acquaintance with her. after . . death, implying that his mother had been a great comforter before. Giving in our aceoinit (v. GG). — Of this we are reminded by the account given by Eliezer to Isaac. I. It was universal : " all things." We shall have to tell the Master all we have done on the journey of life. II. It was candid. He had nothing to con- ceal. Happy we, if at the last we can meet the Master with joy, and tell Him all things we have done while in the performance of His will. Civcvm.) gave . . Isaac, made him his heir." (fi) concu- bines, Hagar and Keturah. gifts . . lived, showing tliat all their expectations should then cease, unto . . country, Arabia.* FdMiIi/fciids. — Gotthold. hearing that several relatives were soon to meet for the purpose of dividing a considerable inheritance, took occasion to say to them. "Take heed that you do not divide hearts as well as projierty. The eye of a man often looks askance when others attempt to share with him that of which he would fain appropriate the whole. A philosopher not imjiroperly calls self-love a dis.solvent. becau.se it often disunites the hearts of the nearest relatives, and converts their love into hatred. In Paris, not many years ago. t\\'o gentlemen at the division of a property of which they had lieen left joint-heirs, proceeded from A\orAs to blows ; when one of them killed the other with a jiestle, and afterwards cut his own throat. In this way Satan came in for a share. I, myself, was once present ct the implementing of a will, when the minds of the relations became exa.s])eratv;d to such a pitch that they broke to pieces the mo.st costly vessels, and tore into shreds beautiful tajiestries and hangings ; neither wish- ing to give anything to the other. Nor did they ever aftt^rwards in their lives meet or exchange words. 0, ciu'scd wealth ! of which the devil makes an apple of discord. 0, unhallowed in- heritance ! which breaks the bond of Chri.stian love, and forfeits the inheritance in heaven."" Cap. XXV. 7—18.] GENESIS. 103 B.C. cir. 1853. 7 — 11. (7) days . . years, life to be reckoned rather by days than years, {s) died . . age, a.s he had been promised 80 years before." was . . people,'' in the ^vorld of .spirits, the better country, ('.t) sons . . Machpelah, they were now old men.'' which . . Mamre, .svr on Ge. xxiii. 17. (10) there . . wife,'' the great patriarch by the side of his princess. (11) after . . Isaac : in how many cases the blessing- seems to cease with the | '' He. xii. 23. father's removal ! Lahai-roi, scr on Ge. xxiv. 62. A good old agr (on v. 8). — Consider — I. The present of an old man— his condition to-day. He has — 1. Deprivations. He is conscious of many discomforts, and of being deprived of much enjoyment ; 2. Trials. He is pained at feeling himself in the way of others ; 3. Imperfections : 4. Inabilities. There are things which he cannot do. II. The retrospect — his past — the things behind. These must vary with the person. Tlie retro- spect of the aged Christian is very different, necessarily, from that of the aged worldly man, or the aged sinner. But still there are some things common to all. III. The prospect — the future, the things before. Consider, what need there is of a definite, a sure, a well-known and a long-known prospect, to overbear the discomforts of the present, and to counterbalance the reminiscences of the past.* Trhnnph hi dcaili. — John Wesley's death-scene was one of the most peaceful and triumphant in the annals of the Church. Prayer, praise, and thankfulness were e'S'er on his lips. Many golden sentences worthy to be had in everlasting remem- brance were uttered during his last hours. He sees only the shadow of his friends around his bed : " WTio are these ? " " We are come to rejoice with you : you are going to receive jyoui* crown." " It is the Lord's doing," he calmly replies, " and mar- vellous in our eyes. I will write ! " he exclaims, and the materials are i^laced within his reach : but the '■ right hand has forgot her cunning ; " and " the pen of the once ready -wi-iter " refuses to move. •' Let me wi-ite for you, sir," says an attendant. " What would you say .' " " Nothing but that God is ?vith v^v." " Xow we have done all. Let us all go." And now, with all his remaining strength, he cries out, " The best of all is, God is with us ! "' And again, lifting his fleshless ann in token of victory, and raising i what gooa aeeils his failing voice to a pitch of holy trimnph, he repeats the heart- ^^ ^f^ ^P-^ .^f^ reviving words, "The best of all is, God is with us!" A iew\ jcoian. minutes before ten o'clock on the morning of the 2nd of March. T791, he slowly and feebly whispered, "'Farewell, farewell! ind literally, "without a lingering groan," he calmly "fell on .ileep, having served his generation by the will of God."/ 12—18. (12) generations, posterity, family record, etc. (13) led as a pottage, or cooked as the Spaniards cook haricot beans. stewed with oil. and flavoured with red ])epper. It is by no means an unsavoury il\Hh."--Trixlram, ' Nat.IIisl.ofliMe.'. b Jenkin Jones. c Palgrave'i Ara- bia, i. 30. nesa. birthright, this quiet stay-at-home was an ambitious man I {'.Vl) I . . die, jtrob. rcf. to liis kind of life \vh. expo.sed him to death : or, to his present circumstances. (H3) sold . . Jacob," whatever the faults of Jacob, it is clear that Esau luul no very exalted views of this biz'thrifrht. (34) lentiles, Heb. AddsJiim. still called adda.t in Syria, despised, './'. set too light a i>rice on it. The hirthrirjht .. 1804. Isaac visits Abimelech a Ge. XV. 18—21; Ps.CT. 8— 12. Famine, great desire for food. Fr. from Lat. fames, hunger, akin to Uk. plia^ein. Sans. thaksh, to eat. V. 5. Dr. F. Ran- dolph, Advent, 2, S.S., 31. 6 W. J. Collins. "Stars arose, but such stars not like the spangles of the tngllsh poet's conception, ' thoso paiines of bright gold," though that iilea is beautiful ; but CHAPTER THE TJEENTY-SIXTH. 1—5 (1) land, Canaan, first . . Abraham, .sw on Ge. xii. 10. Abimelech, prob. not the A. of cap. xx. A. was an official title like C;esar. or Pharaoh ; besides DO years had elapsed. (2) go . . Egypt, whither he intended to have goue. dwell . . of, God's jiurpose wiser than man's. (3) countries," ///. lands. perform, lit. will cause to stand up. (4) multiply, etc.. see on Ge. xxii. 17. IS. (.>) because, /^fc, the fidfibnentof the promises secured by the obedience of faith. The famine in Canaan. — Observe — I. That there are seasons of disti'ess for God's people equally as for the imgodly. Isaac is not exempt from the famine. Afflictions — 1. Test our confidence in the Lord ; 2. Exercise and strengthen our faith. II. That in seasons of distress God never forsakes those who tru.st in Him. God gives a command to Isaac to stay in Canaan, and go not down into Egyi>t. Although help may be obtained in Egypt, still he must not go thither. III. That perfect trust in God will j bring a perfect reward. Obey me. says God. and thou shalt be j blest. Here notice — 1 . The promi.se God makes : 2. The condi- j tion on which it rests — "'sojourn in this land;" 3. The reason I for it— ■• because that Abraham." etc. The father's righteousness I aids to obtain prosperity for the son.* Xif/lrcfcd duty. — Dr. Judson sent once for an erring convert. I •' Look here.'" he said, taking a ruler, aud tracing a ciooked line upon the floor, '• Jwrc is where you have been walking. You have I made a crooked track, have kept near it, and not taken to new Cap, xxvi. 6—16.] GEiVE.V.^ 107 roads ; and you have, to a certain extent, gro-wTi in grace : and now Jicrc you stand. You know where this path leads. You know what is before you, — some struggles, some soitows, and, finally, eternal life and a crown of glory. But to the loft branches off another very j^lcasant road ; and along the air floats, rather temjitingly, a pretty bubble. You do not mean to leave the path you have walked in fifteen years ; you only want to step aside and catch the bubble, and think you will come back again : but you ?tcnr ■will.''' 6 — 11. ((')) Gerar, scr on Ge. xx. 1. (7) sister, he prevari- cates like his father, kill, etc.," this, at any rate, illus. the general lawlessness of the age. (8) saw . . wife, the liar has constantly to be on his guard against detection. (9) lest, etc., better have died, than lied. (10) what . . us? tempting to sin. guiltiness, shameful crime. (11) charged, cfe.,^ Isaac sufl'ers by comparison with the noble-minded Abimelech. Isaac's deceit. — Here we have — I. A sin committed. Cowardly fear led to it. and fear kept it up. There are three faults in Isaac's character exposed by it — 1. Cowardliness ; 2. Selfishness : 3. Want of reliance on God. II. A sin detected. Every sin will be some day found out. III. A sin reproved. Abimelech, although reproving Isaac, does so with great forbearance, and follows up his reproof with an act of great kindness. Learn — (1) Avoid deceit — " be sure your sin will find you out." (2) Reprove sin with kindness ; be merciful to those who err."" The j>i/)iisknie/it of Hans: — "Wlieu Aristotle, who was a Grecian philosopher, and the tutor of Alexander the Great, was once asked what a man could gain by uttering falsehoods, he replied, " Not to be credited -when he shall tell the truth.'' On the contrary, it is related that when Petrarch, an Italian poet, a man of strict integrity, was summoned as a witness, and offered in the usual manner to take an oath before a court of justice, the judge closed the book, saying, " As to you, Petrarch, your WOED is sufficient." From the story of Petrarch we may learn how great respect is paid to those whose character for ti"uth is establi.^hed : and from the reply of Aristotle the folly as well as wickedness of lying. In the country of Siam, a kingdom of Asia, he who tells a lie is punished, according to law, by having his mouth sewed up. This may appear dreadful ; but no severity is too great against one who commits so great a sin. We read likewise that God Almighty struck Ananias and Sa^jphira dead for not speaking the truth. 12 — 16. (12) received," lit. found, i.e. more than he looked for. (13) went forward,* advanced to greater prosperity. (14) great store, "^ Heb. tin/ddu/t rahhah, i.e. much service. 0'^) wells, without wh. pastoral avocations could not be pursued. | which . . father,'* and wh. were therefore parts of I. 's property, i the . . them, the envious injure others without benefit to them- selves. (16) Abimelech, a just man, yet fearing the results of this outrage, for . . we,« especially since he possessed Divine protection, of which his prosperity was a plain sign. Stoj>j)iiif/ wells. — To stop the wells is justly reckoned an act of hostility. The Canaanites, envying the prosjierity of Abraham and Isaac, and fearing their power, endeavoured to drive them out of the country by stopping " up all the wells which their servants had digged, and filling them with earth." The same B.C. cir. 1804. one could see that they were round oib.s that flushed streanjH of (Ijiimoiid hght froui out their brightness." — J. I'iiiii, M.li.A.S. Isaac at Gerar a Pr. xxix. Ecc. vii. 20. 25; b 1 Ch. xvi. 21, 22; Ps. cv. 14,15. " Deceit is the false road to happiness ; and all the jojs we travel through to vice, like fairy banquets, vanish when we touch them."— .4. //?•//. " Half the vices in the world ri.so out of cowardice, and one who is afraid of lying is usually afraid of nothing el.-e." — /. A. Froude. " No lie you can speak or act, but it will come, after longer or shorter circula- tion, like a bill drawn on na- ture's re a lit J', and be presented 1 there for pay- I ment, — with the answer: no effects."— C'oVj^fe. c J. 11. Smith. Isaac's prosperity a Ge. xxvi. 3; 1 Ti. iv. 8. h Pr. X. 22. c Ecc. iv. 4. d Ge. xxi. 30. e Ex. i. 9. "Here again we see how vanity attaelies to every earthly good: prosperity be- gets envy, and 108 GL.\i:.-H!>. [Cap. xxvi. 17-22. B.C. dr. 1804. I from envy pro- ceeds injury." — Fuller. " To bring the best humanj qualities to any- tliiuglikoperfec- tii)ti, to till them with the sweet juices of courtesy [ and charity, pros-' perity, or, at all events, a mcde- j rate amount of it j is required, — just as sunshine is ' needed for the ripening of peaches and apricots." — A. Smith. f Par ton. •wells at Esek, Sitnah and Reho- both a Ma. V. 39. b " Hero is an anc. well, now ' filled up, I'-' ft. in ! diam., built witli ■ hewn stone." — ' Jiobiiison. Phys. Geog., 24.3; and B. K., 289. c Dr. Talma^e. " If men wound you with injuries, treat them with patience ; hasty words rankle the wound, soft lan- guage dresses it, forgiveness cures it, and olilivion takes away the BCAr. It is more noble by silence to avoid an in- jury than by argument to overcome it." — J. Beaumont. " It is often the lot of even the most quiet and peaceable, that, though they avoid striving, they cannot avoid being striven with. In this sense Jere- miah was a man of contention (Jer. XV. 1(1), and Christ Himself though the mode of takin<; vengeance on enemies, mentioned in this pa.s.sage, has been practised in more recent times. The Turkish emperors give annually to every Arab tribe near the road by which the Mohammedan pilgrims travel to Mecca, a certain simi of money, and a certain number of vestments, to keep them from destroying the wells which lie on that route, and to escort the pilgrims across their countiy. Dllerbclot records an incident exactly in point, which seems to be quite common among the Arabs. Gianabi. a famous rebel in the tenth century, gathered a niunber of people together, seized on Bassorah and Caufa : and afterward insulted the reigning caliph, by presenting himself boldly before Bagdad, his cai)ital : after which he retired by little and little, filling up all the pite \\'ith sand, which had been dug on the road to Mecca, for the benefit of the pilgrims. Near the fountains and wells the robber and assassin commonly took his station ; and in time of war the enemy placed their ambush, because the flocks and herds, in which the wealth of the country chiefly con- sisted, were t\vice every day collected to those places, and might be seized with less danger when the shepherds were busily engaged in drawing water..'' 17—22. (17) departed, « for the sake of peace. He might have stayed and defended his rights, valley, in one of the wadys running towards the S. (18) which . . father, A. not only sojourned in the country, but improved it. for . . Abraham, to prevent other ti-ibes fr. settling there, names . . them, and thus reasserted his claim. (I'J) digged, rtc. I. had so increa~«ed that what served his father was not enough for him. (20) ours, prob. on the ground that the valley was theirs. Esek (ro/ifcn- tii»i). (21) Sitnah (.yiitrfiilnr.s.s-). (22) for . . not, prob. out of their territory. Rehoboth {enlargement), prob. the irady cr- Itiihainch.'' 8 hrs. S. of Beer-sheba. Old )r('ll.i diifj oiif (on v. 18). — Let us try to dig open some of the old wells w^hich we pos.sess. Bring shovel and pickaxe, and dig out the well of — I. The atonement. It is nearly filled up with the debri.«). 'S'hS.c^oV (tlit month of all) see on Ge. xxi. 22. (27) wherefore, etc., I might well be perplexed by this visit aft. all the recent contention. (28) we saw, etc., the prosperity of I. filled them with superstitioos fear. (29) Mat . . hurt, I. must have been a great man for a kiitj to crave this, as we, etc., this was not true. They pretend to be oblivious of what I. had suffered from their people, thou . , IiOrd.« and, therefore, can well afford to be magnanimous. (30) and, etc., this may well remind us of the great feast of good things spread for kings and peoples, and even enemies, by Him whom I. typified. The favoured one (on v. 29). — I. The Blesser — the Being who blessed Isaac. It was the Lord. 1. The Ruler of all ; 2. The Omnipotent ; 3. The Infinite in wisdom ; 4. The God of unspeak- able goodness and mercy ; .5. The Immutable. II. The blessed — Isaac. In his character we notice — 1. Youthful piety; 2. Filial obedience ; 3. A meditative and prayerful turn of mind. III. The blessings. 1. Peace ; 2. Worldly prosperity ; 3. God's special presence and protection ; 4. A happy death.* Treatment if in.)iult.s: — Sir Walter Raleigh, a man of known courage and honour, being very injuriously treated by a hot- headed, rash youth, who proceeded to challenge him, and, on his refusal, spat in his face, and that, too, in public, the knight, taking out his handkerchief with great calmness, made him only this reply : " Young man, if I could as easily wipe your blood from my conscience as I can this injury from my face, I would this moment take away your life." Tlie youth, with a strong sense of his improper behaviour, fell on his knees, and begged forgiveness. 31—33. (31) rose . . sware, the feast being an amicable intro. to a covenant of peace and friendship. (32) came . . day, the blessing of God crowned the compact. (33) Shebah, i.e. he repeated and confirmed the name. Forgivene.'is of injuries. — When the late Rev. Dr. Bedell, of Philadelphia, was a child, one of his companions, whom he had pffended by some trifle, ran into a blacksmith's shop, and seizing 109 B.C. cir. 1804. Prince of Peac«." — Henry. d Major Rooke. Beer-sheba a Is. xli, 10; JJe. 2iii. 5, 6) Ps. xxW.:. '•.. „ _ 6 Ge. xu- 7 ; Ps. cxvi. 17. 1 "There is no maC whohasnotsomi* interesting a-sso' ciationswitli par- ticular scones, or airs or books, anc? who (.loes not fe- ^j their besuty g^. sublimity e^_ ibauced tr, 1,;^^ ^ by sucb. conuec- I tic:is" — -Sw- A. Alison. I r Laiige. d SjJencer. covenant between Abimelech and Isaac a Ze& viii. 23; Ps. CXV..1-3. "If you desire' to b-e magnani^ mows, undertake- notkfeg rashly,, and fear nothing: thou undertak- est ; fear Dothing- but infamy; dare anything but in- jury; the measure of magnanimity is neither to be rash nor timo- rous." — Quarles, b B. Bailey. "Great minds ereet their never- falling trophies on the firm base of mercy ; but to triumph over a suppliant, by proud fortune captivated, ar- gues a bastard conquest."— J/a«- singer. "Upon the north- ern side of the Wady-es-Seba are the two deep and ancient wells which gave oc- casion to this name." — Robin- son's I'liys. Gtog. 110 GE.VE.: V. G; Jo. xlviii. 10; 1 Th. V. 22. " Although the devil be the father of lies, he seems, like oth«r great inventors, to have lost much of his re- putation by the continual im- provenrints that have been made upon him." — Swift. " Craftiness is a quality in the mind, and a vice in the character." — Sania'-Dubay. c Lawje. d Thomson. she prepares him for the i interview j with Isaac ' Martial {Uh. xii. Epig. 40) , alludes to kid- \ skins as used by the Romans for false hair to con- : ceal baldness. The wool of the j Oriental goat is much longer and : finer than of those of this > country." — | Speaker's Com. \ " For all those ' with whom we ) live are like ac- ' tors on a stage; ; they assume whatever dress and appearance may suit their : present purpose. , and I hey speak j and act in strict keeping with this character. In this way we find it difficult 'o get at their real sentiments, or to bring into c'ear day the truth, whii'h thfy have kid in a cloud of 11 — 13. (11) Jacob said, rfr., you may disguise the food, but not thy son. (12) seem, he .^jcems to have feared detection more than the sin. curse" . . blessing,* the presence of the curse would be a greater evil than tlie absence of the blessing. (13) upon . . curse, fr. .so promptly assuming the responsibility, it is clear she felt justified in the course she pursued. Blix.'iiuii and ciirxr (on v. 12). — The image of the hereditary curse in the light of the hereditary blessing which Isaac mini- sters : I. How the curse obscures the blessing. II. How the blessing overcomes the curse. "^ — Jucob'.s prrsna-s'ioa (onw. 11 — 13). — I. The mother's faith, and her wrong view of it. II. The fait^ of the son, and his erroneous view." Parental diificK: — Behold the fatal work of my dark hand. That by rude force the pa.ssions would command. That ruthless sought to root them from the breast : They may be ruled, but will not be oppressed. Taught hence, ye parents, who from nature stray, And the great ties of social life betray ; Ne'er with your children act a tyrant's part : 'Tis yours to guide, not violate, the heart. Ye vainly wise, who o'er mankind preside, Behold my righteous woes, and drop your pride ; Keep virtue's simple path before your eyes, Xor think from evil good can ever rise.'' 14 — 17. (14) and, etc.. it is strange that he should agree to his mother's incurring so grave a responsibility. (15) goodly, desirable, i.r. suitable, put . . son, disguising the man as well as the food. (IG) put . . neck, in imitation of E., the hairy man. (17) and, etc., the time all these preparations required suggestive of the usual distance afield gone by E. upon his hunting expeditions; or they may have commenced bef. he departed. Injliiencc of truth. — Abd-el-Kader obtained permission from his mother to go to Bagdad and devote himself to the service of God. •• At parting she wept ; then, taking out eighty dinars, she told me that, as I had a brother, half of that was all my inheritance. She made me promise, when she gave it to me. that I irould never tell a lie, and afterwards bade me farewell, exclaiming, ' Go, my son : I consign thee to God. We shall not meet again till the day of judgment.' I went on well till I came near to Hamadom, when our kafilah was plundered by sixty hor.semen. One fellow asked me what I had got. ' Forty dinars,' said I. ' are sewed under my garments.' He laughed, thinking, no doubt, I was joking with him. "What have you got.'' said another. I gave him the same answer. "\Mien they were dividing the spoil. I was called by the chief : ' AMiat property have you got, my little fellow ? ' said he. ' I have told two of your people already,' I replied. ' I have forty dinars sewed up carefully in my clothes.' He ordered them to be ripped ojien. and found my money. ' And how came you.' said he with surprise, ' to declare .so openly what has been so carefully hidden .' ' — • Because." I replied. ' I will not be false to my mother, to whom I have promised that I will not tell a lie.' — ' Child,' said the robber, ' hast thou such a sense of thy duty to thy mother at thy years, and I am insensible, at my ^age, of the duty I owe to my God? Give me thy hand, innocent Cap. xxvii. 18-23.] GENESIS. 113 boy, that I may swear repentance upon it.' He did so. His followers were all alike struck with the scene. ' You have been our leader in our guilt,' said they to their chief : ' be the same in the path of virtue ! ' And they instantly, at his order, made restitution of the spoil, and vowed reijentance on my hand." 18 — 20. (IS) who . . son? he seems not to have recognised the voice. (19) I . . firstborn, etc.," it is pitiable to note the efforts of critics to explain and excuse here. Who can make less than a lie of this ? (20) how . . quickly ? with increasing population wild game went farther off : the distance and moun- tainous region would make a formal hunting expedition a long affair, because, etc.fi blasphemy added to falsehood : this, the worst feature in the whole infamous transaction. Jacob deceiving Im father (on vv. 18 — 26). — Jacob sinned — I. In speaking contrary to the truth, and twice passing himself for Esau. II. In really practising fraud by means of strange raiment and false pretences. III. In his abuse of the name of God. IV. In taking advantage of his father's weakness."^ Honest Frank. — A young man — we will call him honest Frank — who loved truth, was a clerk in the office of a rich merchant. One day a letter came recalling an order for goods which had been received the day before. The merchant handed it to honest Frank, and, with a persuasive smile, said : " Frank, reply to this note. Say that the goods were shipped before the receipt of the letter countermanding the order." Frank looked into his employer's face with a sad but finn glance, and rei^lied, " I cannot, sir." " AVhy not, sir ? " asked the merchant angrily. " Because the goods are now in the yard, and it would be a lie, sir." '■ I hope you will always be so i^articular," replied the merchant, turning lapon his heel and going away. Honest Frank did a bold as well as a right thing. What do you suppose happened to him ? Did he lose his place ? No ; quite different. The merchant was too shrewd to turn away one who would not write a lying letter. He knew the untold value of such a youth, and at once made Mm his confidential clerk. 21 — 23. (21) and Isaac, etc., the ^-oice and the time made the old man suspicious. Perh. he had a habit, founded in reason and observation, of suspecting Jacob — the supplanter. (22) felt, was there no pity for the blind old man when he passed his trembling fingers over his son's person? voice . . hands, aroused by one sense, his suspicions are lulled by another. (23) so . . him, mentally prob., anticipative of words aft. spoken. Voice and dre.ts. — Three thoughts are suggested by these verses — I. That dress is no test of the man. Under a labourer's smock a prince may be found. The finest robes may conceal a villain. II. That in the most perfect of deceptions there is often a flaw. Jacob's voice and dress are opposed. By the voice his true identity is revealed. III. That admirers of outward show will often be duped. Had Isaac thought more of the voice, and less of the dress, Jacob's scheme would have been frustrated." Eminent blind men. — Homer, Ossian, Milton, Blacklock, were poets. Sanderson, celebrated mathematician and Lucasian Pro- fessor at Cambridge (blind before one year old). Euler, a mathe- matician. Huber, author of a work on the " Habits of Bees." M. Phefel, of Colmar, also a poet ; his works fill six octavo B.C. cir. ITGO. darkness.' I'olybius. Jacob invites his father to eat a Ep. iv. 25 ; Col. iii. 9 ; Pr. vi. 16, 17 ; xii. 22 ; xiii. 5 ; Ps. ci. 7 ; cxix. 29 ; Pr. XXX. 8; Is. l.Viii. 8, 11. h Job xiii. 7 ; E.'i. XX. 7. r. 18, 19. /. M. ^yunyard, B.D., 297. " On the whole, we think, we must be con- tent to leave this humiliating con- duct as a blot on the character of Jacob, without apology and without excuse, only observing, that, disgraceful as it was, God could forgive it, and did forgive it, for the sake of a better righ* teousness than his own." — Bush. Jacob declares himself to be £sau a II. Iiiglis. " It is remarked by Bochart (Hierozoic. 1. ii., c. 51) that in the Eastern conn- tries the goal's hair lias often a soft, delicate feel, very much like that upon the human per- son ; so that Isaac might be without much difficulty, de- ceived, especially i considering that) 114 oExesrs. [Cap. xxvll. 24-29, n.c. dr. 1760. at lii.s ailvnnccil age, his sense of touch might be nearly as much impaireil as that of vision."-Bush. "To a nice ear the quality of a voice is sin- gularly afifectin?. Its depth seems to be allieil to feeling ; at least, the contralto notes alone give an adequate sense of pathos. They are born near the he.irt." — I'uckernuiii. " Some frauds succeed from the apparent can- dour, the open confidence, and the full blaze of in g e n u o u s- ness til at is thrown arcjund the m. The slightest mystery would e.xcite sus- picion, and ruiu all. Sucli strata- gems may be compared to the stars ; they are discoverable by darkness, and hidden only by light." — C'ollon. r. 24. K. Wiirni>r, Old Ch. of Kng. Principles, i. 247. Isaac blesses Jacob (I Ho. vi. 7 ; De. xx-idii. 13, 28 ; Vi. 1.x V. 9—11. b 1 K. iv. 21 ; Is. ix. 7 ; Ge. xxiii. 25 ; xii. 3 ; 2 S. viii. 14. c Rainbach. " Pliny observes that land, after a long ilroutrht, moistened by the volumes. Miss Frances Brown, a poetess of considerable excel- lence. Holman travelled round the world. William Metcalf, builder of roads and bridL,''os. John JMetcalf, of ilanchester, guide to those travelling'- throug-h intricate roads by night, when covered wth snow ; afterwards a projector and surveyor of roads in difficult mountainous parts : most of the roads about the Peak, and near Buxton, were altered by his direction. Laura Bridgman could neither hear, see, nor speak, yet she learned herself a sinner and Christ a Saviour. Milbum was chaplain for some time to the American Congress ; is a writer, lecturer, and traveller, Prescott was a famous historian. Goodrich, an excellent writer for the young. Bev. J. Crcsse was vicar of Bradford. John Gough, of Kendal, was a famous mathematician, and an accurate botanist and zoologist. Dr. Moyes, of Kirkaldy, was an itinerant lecturer on chemistry and optics, though blind. Lord Cranbourne, blind from his childhood, published a few years ago a history of France for children. Giovanni Gambassio became an excellent statuary. The late king of Hanover was blind ; and Zisca the Bohemian general, performed great acts of valour after the loss of his sight. 24 — 26. (24) art . . Esau P he cannot shake off the suspicion that he is Ijeing deceived, and . . am, one lie begets many. (2.")) brought . . drank, his suspicions must have spoiled his relish for the feast. (20) near . . kiss, this may have been a token of affection ; or it may have been with the intention of trying the test of smell. (Isaac's antitype was betrayed, but not dec ri red, by a kiss.) The blind poet'. f lament. — Seasons return, but not to me returns Day, or the sweet approach of ev'n or mom. Or sight of vernal bloom, or summer's rose, Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine ; But cloud instead, and ever-during dark Surrounds me, from the cheerful ways of men Cut off. and for the book of knowledge fair Presented 'W'ith a universal blank Of nature's works, to me expunged and rased, And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out. So much the rather thou, celestial light. Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers Irradiate : there 2)lant eyes, all mist from thence Purge and disperse." 27—29. (27) smell . . field, the fresh odour of the hills and plains. (2S) give thee, r/f.." favourable seasons : together with^ choice and abundant productions of the earth — wealth. (29) let people, etc.,'' foreign and hostile nations were to be sulDJect to him — pon-er. Jaeiib'.loiuites. II. The dominion over his brethren. III. The priesthood which walks with blessings, and finally passes over to Christ, the source of all blessing.' Ktixtei-n perfumri'ii. — The natives of the East are universally fond of having their garments strongly perfumed ; so much so Cap. xxvii. 30—36.] GENESIS. 115 that Europeans can scarcely bear the smell. They use camiihor, civet, sandal wood, or sandal oil, and a great variety of strong-ly- Bcented waters. It is not common to salute, as in England : they simply snu'll each other ; and it is said that some people know their own chikh-en by the smell. It is common for a mother or father to say, " Ah, child, thy smell is like the ticn-Piuja-Poo'' The crown of the head is the principal place for smelling. Of an amiable man it is said, " How sweet is the smell of that man I the smell of his goodness is universal." That delightful traveller, Captain Mangles. R.N., informed me that while on a short visit at the house of Mr. Barker, our consul at Aleppo, he heard Mrs. Barker, who was a Greek lady, say something to her child, accompanied by signs of great endearment. Mr. Barker said to Captain Mangles, " You do not understand her ; she says, ' Come hither, my darling, and let me smell thee.' " "^ 30 — 33. (30) Esau . . hunting", he ?ra.>; quick with his hunt- ing aft. all. (31) bless, if he had sold his birthright he would at least seciue the blessing. (32) and . . said, prob. in wonder and perplexity. I . . Esau, this time there is E.'s voice. (33) and . . exceedingly, " His emotions were actually overwhelm- ing." ° who ? he now mistrusts his sense of hearing, yea . . blessed,* however deceived, he could not revoke the blessing." Ksaux late arrival (on vv. 30 — 36). — Esau comes too late, because he wished to obtain the Divine blessing of promise — I. By hunting (by running and stirring). II. After he had sold it. III. Without comprehending its significance. IV. Without its being intended for him by the Divine decree, and without his possessing any fitness for it."^ Blindnt'SH a r/rrat affliction. — It would be a di'eadful thing to me to lose my sight ; to see no more the faces of those I love, nor the sweet blue of heaven, nor the myriad stars that gem the sky, nor the dissolving clouds that pass over it, nor the battling ships upon the sea, nor the mountains with their changing lines of light and shade, nor the loveliness of flowers, nor the burnished mail of insects. But I should do as other blind men have done before me ; I should take God's rod and staff for my guiae and comfort, and wait patiently for death to bring better lignt t-, nobler eyes. Oh, ye who are living in the darkness of sin : tvr, . before it is too late to the light of holiness, else death will briuf to you, not recreation but retribution. Earthly bliudness cu.a be borne, for it is but for a day ; but who could bear to be bliud through eternity !'*■ 34 — 36. (3-t) cried . . cry, with deep and poignani; grief, bless . . father, I have lost my birthright, still let me nave the blessing. (35) hath . . blessing', the blessing that ^. specially designed for thee. (3(5) is . . Jacob, etc., lit. Is it that he is called Jacob, and he supplauteth or outwitteth me these two times .' hast . . me ? " or was the blessing, designed for me, and stolen by another, so great that there is nothing left .' -Esau, a ti/pe of the ivorld (on v. 3G). — In making this a subject for examination, we must endeavoiir to understand — I. Some- thing of the course or career which ended in this deed of reck- lessness. In order to comprehend Esau's infatuation, we need to know the meaning of the two words, " birthright "' and " blessing." The first was typical or nominal the other substantial and real. B.C. cir. ITCO. rain, exhales a delightful odour, with which no- thing can le compared ; and ailds, that 'it is a sign of a fruit, ful soil when ic emits an agree- able smell after having been ploughed.' " — Bush. d Roberts. Esau's return and Isaac's discovery a Bush, b Ho. xi. 29. c " The words of the Patriarch, spoken in the fulness of Divine inspiration, are Irrevocable, however ob- tained."— ^if/orrf. d Lanije. " Grief or mis- fortune seems to be indispensable to the develop- ment of intelli- gence, energy and virtue. The proofs to which the people are submitted, as I'.'ith individuals, necessary ii to draw lien- from their letiiargy, to dis- close their cha- racter." "Fearoti. eU. W.Beeclun: £sau craves a blessing- a lie. xii. 17; q. v. " See on ch. xxv. 26. The words seem to mean, Is there not a con- nection between the meaning ol his name Jacob, and the fact that he thus supjilants or outwits me ?" Speaker's Com, IIG OENESIS. [Cap. xxvil. 37-40. B.C.ci>. 1760. " Tliat (frief is the most durable wliich flows iii- vvaril, and buries its streams witli its fouutniu, in the liepths of the lieart." — Jane Porter. b A. Boyd, Af.A. c Spurgeon. Isaac blesses Esau (I Jos. ]Yiirs, iv., 4. 1. b 1 S. xiT. 47 ; 2 5. viii. 14 ; IK. si. 14 ; 2 K. xiv. 7. 22 ; 2 Ch. xxv. il ; xxvi. 2. c 2 K. viii. 20, 22 ; xvi. 6 ; 2 Ch. xxviii. 7. d Lunge. " Giving comfort under affliction, requires t li .a t penetration into tlie Imman mind, joined to that experience which knows liow to sootlie, liow to reason, and how to ridicule ; tak- ing the utmost ciiro never to apply those arts i in properly." — Fielding. e Boyd. Esau purposes to slay Jacob, who is told of it by Kebekah n 1 Jo. iii. 15 ; (Jb. 10. b Ps. l.xiv. 5. c Vr. xix. 21. d (ie. xxviii. 8 ; xxiv. 3. " .\U the ends of human felicity are secured witliout revenge, for without it we are permitted to restore our II. The end to which this recklessness led. 1. Esau awakes to the consciousness of hLs foolishness ; 2. He finds the past irrevocable.' The vale of tears. — The vale of tears is very low, and descends far beneath the ordinary level ; some parts of it, indeed, are tunnelled through rocks of anguish. A frequent cause of its darkness is that, on either side of the valley, there are high mountains called the mountains of sin. These rise so high that they obscure the light of the sun. Behind these Andes of guilt, God hides His face, and we are troubled. Then how densely dark the pathway becomes ! Indeed, this is the very worst thing that can be mentioned of this valley ; for, if it were not so dark, pilgrims would not so much dread passing through it.' 37 — 40. (37) and . . son? what can I give to compensate thy loss .' (38) and Esau, etc.. he found no place (in hia father's heart) of repentance (turning towards himself), though he sought it carefully with tears. Esau . . wept, Esau bitterly repented. (3'J) behold, rtc, so far he is blessed equally with Jacob. (40) sword . . live," the Edomites long maintained their independence, living by the sword, and . . brother,* this the relation of the posterity of the two brothers, and . . pass, etc., this was literally fulfilled." Emu's lamentation (on v. 38). — Consider Esau's lamentation as opposed to his father's firmness. I. It is a passion instead of a godly sorrow. II. It is connected with illusion that holy things may be treated arbitrarily. III. It refers to the external detriment but not to the internal loss.'' Comfort in sorrow. — I say there is comfort, real and deep, in thinking that the path of sorrow we tread has been beaten smooth and wide by the feet of the best that ever trod this world ; that our blessed Saviour was a Man of Sorrows, and that the best of His Church have been suffered to journey by no other path than that their Master went. It is not alone that the mourner travels through this vale of tears ; apostles and prophets are of the company ; saints and martyrs go with him ; and the sorrow- ful face of the Great Redeemer, though sorrowful now no more, remains for ever with the old look of brotherly sympathy to His servants' eyes and heai'ts. Nothing hath come to us, nothing will come to us, but has been shared by better men. Search out the human being suffering the sharpest sorrow, and we can match it in the best of the Church of God.« 41 — 46 , From this time there dates a change in the character of the two bros. The noble Esau bee. revengeful, etc. ; while the supplantcr bee. prayerful, et€. (41) hated," with a cold-blooded hate, the . . hand, he will spare his father the grief that his purjwsed crime will occasion, then . . him,' in purj^ose even now a murderer. (42) words . . Rebekah, some one had heard him speaking to himself, she . . son, a mother's love is the son's shield. (43) flee . . Haran, her fraud deprived her of her son. whom she prob. never saw again. (44) tarry . . days, it proved to be twenty years. (4.'">) then, etc..' she would watch for the softening of E.'s heart, why . . day ? ref. to prob. fate of E. if he slew Jacob. (Kl) and . . Isaac, once more hiding the truth from him. I . . Heth,'' she professes to fear that J. may mar. one of them, if, etc., she does not propose Jacoh'9 departure : knowing the bare suggestion will suffice, Cap. xxviii. 1— 5.J OEIfESIS. 117 Esau's hatred of Jacob (on v. 41).— Consider it in— I. Its moral aspect, II. Its typical significance. Want of self-knowledge a cause of this enmity.^ — Exau inclined to fratricide (on v. 41).— I. Incited by envy, animosity, and revenge. II. Checked by piety towards the father. III. Prevented by his frankness and outspoken character, as well as by Rebekah"s sagacity.' The cure of rereiKje. — A young man who had great cause of complaint against another told an old hermit that he was resolved to be avenged. The good old man did all that he could to dissuade him ; but seeing that it was impossible, and the young man persisted in seeking vengeance, he said to him, " At least, my young friend, let us pray together before you execute your design." Then he began to pray in this way : •• It is no longer necessary, God ! that Thou shouldst defend this young man, and declare Thyself his protector, since he has taken upon himself the right of seeking his own revenge." The young man feU on his knees before the old hermit, and prayed for pardon for his wicked thought, and declared that he would no longer seek revenge of those who had injured him. B.C. cir. 1760. selves ; and therefore it is against natural reason to do aa evil that no way co-operates tlio proper and per- fective end of human nature. And he is a miserable per- son, whose good is the evil of his neighbour, and he that revenges, in many cases, does worse than he that did the injury ; in all cases as bad." — /. Taylor. e Lanrje. CHAPTER THE TWENTY-EIGHTH. 1 — 5. (1) Isaac, alarmed by R.'s suggestion." thou . . Canaan, in this, imitating Abraham.* (2) Padan- aram, .tee on Ge. xxv. 20. (3) thou . . people, lit." a congregation of peoples, prob. ref. to the twelve tribes. (4) give . . Abra- ham,'^ i.e. confirm to thee the bless, he prom, to A. land. . stranger, lit. land of thy sojournings. (5) Laban, etc., see on Ge. xxiv. 29. JacoVs departure from Canaan. — The necessity for separation among the household of Isaac becomes the source of new bless- ings. I. The feeble Isaac becomes a hero. II. The plain and quiet Jacob becomes a courageous pilgrim and soldier. III. The strong-minded Rebekah becomes a person that sacrifices her most dearly loved.* Unequal marriages. — Alas ! how frequently does the dear partner, who should be the counsellor and favourer of everything good and virtuous, prove a tempter and a seducer 1 How many have given up their principles to please their wives ? This thought surely should engage the attention of our younger readers. Your future character and conduct, perhaps your eternal state, may depend on your choice of the companion to whom you are to be united for life. Beware, lest a regard to worldly pros- pects, your ill-directed fancy, or the solicitations of your lust, draw you into such connections as may, in the issue, be fatal to your souls. Suppose not, that you can withstand every entice- ment to evil, while you see how many have been overcome. Nor imagine that you shall convert her to the cause of truth, who is yet an enemy to it, but rather fear, lest your own mind should be more and more corrujjted. For how can you expect the blessing of God if you act in contradiction to His will and command? Is it less dangerous for you, than it was for the Jews of old, to be thus joined with unbelievers? Or is your religion of less value than theirs, that you are not so much concerned to maintain it V B.C. cir. 1760. Isaac sends Jacob to Laban a Ge. xxviL 46. 6 Ge. xxiv. 3. c Ps. cxxvii. 3. d Ge. xii. 2 ; xviL 8 ; He. xi. 13. e Lange. V. 3. R. Gell, Es- say, 171. V. 5. //. Blunt, Jacob, 25. " Deceive not thyself by over- expecting happi- ness in the mar- riage - state. Loolv not therein for contentment greater than Go(J will give, or a creature in this worlil can re- ceive, namely, to be free from all i n c o nveniences. 1 Marriage is not, like the hill of Olympus, wholly clear without clouds." — Fuller, / T. Robinson, lis GEXES/.S. [Cap. xxvlii. 0— la B.C. cjr. 1760. Esau I marries i dau. of Ishmael (I l".]). vi. 1, 2. h tic. xxvii. 1. c " He knows | that liis wives t 6 — 9. (C>) saw, understood, considered. (7) obeyed," yet he may have been now Til years old.' (K) pleased, /it. were evil in the eyes of. (i») went, prob. thinkiiijr to jjlease liis father." took . . had, «r on Gc. xxvi. 'M, 'A~). Mahalath. (a xtrinr/rd in.stnnurnt, a lijrr), also called Baxluniathf perh. M. was a description, and U. the name, i.e. a dau. of music named Ba.shematli. CouHtiil.i for viarriafir. — JIanj' a marriage has commenced, like were ilispleasiiig ' the morning, red, and perished like a mushroom. Wherefore ' to liis father ; i Because the married pair neglected to be as agreeable to each vours '° iir"' hts Other after their union as they were before it. Seek always to clumsy way to i please each other, my children, but in doing so keep heaven in repair^ tlie mi.s- 1 mind. Lavish not your love to-day, remembering that marriage d'oe xxxy'i'T' ^^^ ^ morrow and again a morrow. Bethink ye, raj daughters, "Let grace anil I what the word ]K)Hxt)v\fc expresses. The married woman is her goodness be the \ husband's (lomc.ttic trunt. On her he ought to be able to place principal Ida'l- Yds reliance in house and family ; to her he should confide the ivQ'ec^tions. For key of his heart and the lock of his storeroom. His honour and love which hath his home ai'C under her protection, his welfai'e in her hands, enils will have Ponder this ! And you. my sons, be true men of honour, and that which'^'^ls &ood fathers of your families. Act in such wise that your wives founded on true respect and love you. And what more shall I say to you, my virtue will al- '. childi-en .' Peruse diligently the "Word of God ; that will guide you out of stonn and dead calm, and bring you safe into port. And as for the rest — do your best 1' 10 — 12. (10) went . . Haran,'^ a long joiimey, at a great age, to fulfil a parent's wLsh. (11) and . . place, in the course of his journey ; the dist. proves it was not the close of the Jirst j day's march, pillows, head-rest. (12) ladder, or way of ascent. A type of Christ.' behold . . it,"" the way. a communi- I cation, a living way. (Through Christ Divine blessings descend to us. and our prayers ascend to God.) JacoVs vi.'iioH (vv. 10 — 22). — Notice — I. The suiTOundings of the vision. 1. The ambitious schemings of Jacob and his mother der signified the i to supplant Esau ; 2. The struggle in Jacob's soul of faith against Son of Mau, Iliin ambition. II. Tlie revelation which it contains. It reveals — 1. afresh ^^ promised ^^ ^^ ^he God of providence ; 2. The intimate union of the seen as to bo of the and unseen. III. Its effect on the mind of him to whom it was seed of Jacob (V. given. A sense of — 1. The universal presence of God ; 2. Awe \\\ 'm ^lone we possessing the sinner's soul at the revelation of this presence ; 3. go to God (Jo. Penitence at the revelation of God's goodness."* — Consecrated xiv. 6) ; who is ! nifjlit life (vv. 10 — 1.")). — Consider this vision, as to — I. 'I'he occa- the way to liea- gJQQ jjj ^j,g most helpless situation, the most solemn and glorious now "gone There dream. II. The form. A Divine revelation in the dream-vision — to prepare a 1 . Miracles of sight, symbols of salvation ; 2. Miracles of the place for us."— gar. promise of .salvation. III. Its contents. The images of the SjH->iier-s Com vision— 1. The ladder; 2. Angels ascending and descending; 3. iuinge"" Jehovah standing above the ladder and speaking.' — Jafo//« "Dreams in ' dream (vv. 10 — 17). — When reading the narrative in the light of their develop- the New Testament, the following thoughts are suggested — I. b'^^^atb ^'^^ J That the moral distance between heaven and earth is great. The tears, ' and i'^ca of height is implied in the word ladder. 1. Heaven is tortures, and the distant from the thoughts of the ungodly ; 2. The conceptions of touch of joy ; m^n prove its distance ; 3. The conduct of the wicked confirms it. w^ght upoii' our II- That there is a spiritual communication between heaven and wakingthoughts, earth. This Btate— I. Confcre dignitj' upon our globe ; 2. Im-' ways continue. e FreJerika linrner. Jacob's dream a llo. xii. 12. 6 Jo. i. 51. j c He. L 14. " Our Lord Him- self teaches (Jo. i. ! 51> that the lad- Cap. xxviii. 13—15.] GENESIS. 119 paxts honour to man : 3. Is of Divine origin ; 4. Is not dependent on the outward circumstances of man. III. That through this communication alone can man have a true knowledge of God. Because — 1. In it the human and Divine are united ; 2. Through it a covenant relationship is formed between us and God ; 8. By- it God's protection is secured to us ; 4. It provides for the con- summation of our highest conceptions of felicity. IV. That true communion with God produces reverential fear in the heart. The nearer we approach to God, the greater is the filial fear felt./ Various rii'wx of drcnins.—The Egyptians and Babylonians attached gi-eat importance to di-eams ; and to interpret them was the work of a distinct and learned profession. The Persians, also, attached great importance to dreams ; and it is reported Cyrus was cast forth at his bh-th, because a dream of his mother was interpreted to promise him universal emjoire. In the Chou- King of the Chinese, it is in dreams that the Sovereign of heaven makes his will known to the sovereign of earth. In Homer, dreams came from Jove. The Greeks and Romans believed that, in the solitude of caves and groves and temples, the gods appeared in dreams, and deigned to answer in dreams their votaries. Among the Hindoos dreams give a colouring to the whole business of life. All dreams are of importance among the North American Indians. The Moslems hold good dreams from God, and bad from the devil.fi' 13 — 15. (13) behold . . it,« as accepting this way of access to Him. I . . Isaac/ the same God who is revealed to us by Christ, '•the new and living way." (H) seed . . dust, ctc.,'^ as Isaac desired, the blessing prom, to A. is confirmed to Jacob. (1.5) I . . goest,'^ the Divine presence fulfils the Divine Word. Bethel; or, the true vision of life (vv. 12 — 18). — In the true vision of life there is a recognition of — I. Our connection with other worlds. AVhilst there is nothing in nature, philosophy, or experience, contradictive of the doctrine that the intelligences of other worlds have a connection with man, there is much that is confirmative. There is— 1. Analogy ; 2. General impression ; 3. Unaccountable impulse. II. Gods relation to all. Here the great God is presented as — 1. The Sovereign of all. He stood ahoce the ladder. Let that ladder stand as the representative of secondary causes, and then we have suggested the great truth that God is above all instrumentalities and moral agents ; 2. The Friend of man. The blessings here promised to the patriarch were, in reality, blessings for humanity. III. A Divine iirovi- dence over individuals. " I am with thee " — not merely with the universe and with humanity in general, but with tliee; not with thee occasionally, but "in all places." IV. The solemnity of our earthly position. " How dreadful is this place." The discovery of God's presence introduced— 1 . A new ; 2. A memorable epoch in Jacob's history.* Scripture rieivs of drcam.t. — The view of dreams set forth in Scripture, and which pervades the sacred books, is, that God does sometimes make known His will to man, and disclose His pur- poses in dreams : "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man per- ceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deejj sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed ; then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that He may withdraw man from his piirpose, and hide pride from man " B.C. cii: 17G0. tlioy take a weight from ofiE our waking toils, tliey do divide our bc'iiig ; they become a portion of ourselves as of our time, and look hke lieralds of eternity." — Byron. f Jen kin J ones. " Dreams are the briglit creatures of poem and legend, who sport on the earth in the night season, and melt away with the first beam of the sun, which lights grim care and stern reality on their daily pil- grimage through the world." — Dickens, g Dr. Kitto. God's promise to Jacob a Perh. what J. saw in his dream was the She- kiuah. Onkelos says, " The glory of tlie Lord." 6 Ge. xlviii. 3 ; xxxii. 12. " Nu. xxiii. 10 •, Ma. viii. 11 ; Ac. ii. 25 ; Ga. iii. 8. (I .Ju. vi. 16 ; Is. xliii. 2, 3 ; Je. i. 19; Ps. cxxi. 5 — 8 ; Jos. i. 5 ; 1 K. viii. 57 ; He. xiii. 5. e Dr. Thomas. " 'Wlioever we may leave, or whatever we may lose, still we part not from our best friend, nor are we de- prived of our most valuable portion. We can- not be lonely, if God be with us. We cannot want, if He provide for us. We cannot err, if He guide us. AVe cannot perish, if He pre- serve us. And aU this He wiU 120 OENESta. [Cap. zzvill. 16-22, B.C. dr. 1760. do for those tlint put tlii'ir trust in liiiii."— /