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 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 i><* :v -'*. "X* I tj >r c» V 
 
 SAMUEL AGNE^V, 
 
 OF PHILADKI. PHIA. PA. 
 
 
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 (7aS6, Division ^-cfetATC- 
 ® Shelf, Section 5<4xvX 1 < 
 
 1 
 
 Book, 
 
 
 5«::c- 
 
 ii//.^^"/.. 
 
 y 
 
A N 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 Towards explaining the 
 
 Hifiory and Revelations 
 
 O F 
 
 SCRIPTURE 
 
 In their feveral Periods. 
 PART I. 
 
 To which i$ added 
 
 A Differtation on the Fall of Ma if* 
 By Jeremiah Hunty D. D. 
 
 tleWfJLipui xa flroAOlpfiWfijf mdhAt^ l &ioi ^ethnrai role 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 i*rinted for J. N o o k, at the ff^ife Haft in CheapJjJf 
 near Mercers Chapel; and T. Cox, at the Lumk unJ»| 
 the Kcjal Exfhange : mdccxxjciy. 
 

 P R E F A «2M^^ 
 
 
 HAVING been for many years convinced^ 
 that the heft zuay lo underftand the revela- 
 tions offcripture is to attend to the hiftory, wherein 
 they are tranfmited to us, I was for that reafon 
 induced to undertake thisfubjeB, My prefent defign 
 therefore is to explain the revelations God has 
 tnade to men, in the order wherein they lie 
 tn the facred writings, and in their feveral 
 feriods, during the ftate of innocence ; at, and 
 after the fall to the flood-, and from the flood 
 to Abraham, "thefe periods the follozving dif 
 courfe includes. A ficond part will be im^ 
 ployed in conftdering the laws of Mofes, and 
 offering the reafons of that inflitution. After 
 which I Jhall attempt an explanation of the fuc-- 
 ceedmg difpenfations of divine providence towards 
 the J ewijh nation, in the fame hiftorical me- 
 thod. "^ 
 
 ^ The circumflances which attended, and gdve 
 rife to the feveral difcoveries of the divine 
 mind, will clearly Jhew the fitnefs of each of 
 thofe revelations. The nohlenefs of the defign 
 to promote religious virtue and true happinefs, 
 hy fuitable means and powerful motives, will re- 
 commend them. And the unity of view, which 
 runs through all of them, tho communicated by 
 different perfons, and in different ages, will be 
 found no inconfiderable proof of their divine oru 
 ginah Enthufiafm and fuch an unity of defign 
 are perfeSlly inconfiftent. And the charge of fu- 
 perdition is unreafonable^ Jince the intention of 
 
 each 
 
The PREFACE. 
 
 each difcovery is religious virtue, and what is 
 revealed appears, all circu?nfiances conftdered, 
 cis a prober means to compafs that end-, which 
 when it is not attained, divine refentment is ex- 
 preffed to thofe, who refpe^ only the^means. 
 
 When 1 had near finijhed this EJfay, I read 
 ^ith pleafure two pieces not long ftnce puhlijhed \ 
 namely. Revelation examined with catidbr, and 
 An Effay on the feveral difpenfations of God to 
 mankind. Confulting therefore with fome of my 
 friends, to whofe judgfnent I pay great deference, 
 whether thofe performances, which I think deferve 
 extremly well of all who delight in theftudy of the 
 facred writings, would not render the publication 
 of mine unnecejfary ; their opinion was, that this 
 was writen in a different method, was a part 
 only of my defgn, took in feveral things which 
 the others did not, and in jheir fentiment might 
 be offome ufe : for which reafons I have now 
 fuffered it to appear abroad. 
 
 If there be any thing new in the Diflertation 
 on the Fall, 1 hope the difficulty of the fubje^ 
 will procure it a fair and candid examination, I 
 had deftgned another Differtation on the Prefence, 
 but I found the hijlory of it would hanJe carried 
 me through all the revelations of fcripture ; and 
 therefore I thought it would be mo ft proper topoft^ 
 pone it* 
 
 London, 18 December, 
 
 jcr. Hflne. 
 
 AN 
 
A N 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 For explaining the 
 
 Scripture'Revelatioiis, 
 
 TRUE religion confifts in appre- 
 hending the fitnefs and relation 
 of things, and conforming our con- 
 duft thereto, from a due regard to the 
 authority of the firft caufe, by whom this 
 fitnefs and relation were wifely conftitu- 
 ted. It mull therefore evidently foUov/, 
 that the underftanding ' iliould be inured 
 to attend to the truth and order of 
 things ; by which it will gain an eafe and 
 readinefs in forming juft and clear ideas 
 of religion, and of its tendency to ren- 
 der us perfed, and make us happy, both 
 in a private and focial charadter; will 
 be qualified to diftinguifh the religion 
 
 B that 
 
An Essay for esplaining 
 
 that is true from that which is falfe, and 
 to difcern as well the beauty and force 
 of the former, as the deformity and 
 vveaknefs of the latter ; and, in a word, 
 will attain its juft right of diredlion and 
 empire'. 
 
 The conftant and habitual negled of 
 this depraves both the judgment and 
 praftice, gives the afcendent to fenfe, affe- 
 clion, and fancy; which, however fui ted 
 they are to our prefent ftate, while kept :n 
 proper order, when they are allowed to 
 ilccr and guide, will introduce innume- 
 rable miftakes and irregularities in reli- 
 gion. Hence it comes to pafs, that juft 
 and pure ideas of the Deity, and the true 
 way of fer ving him, are corrupted and loft, 
 and falfe ones take place : and the more 
 thefe prevail, the more growing is the 
 mifchief, and the wider its unhappy eon- 
 fequeiKes i^read. Who can fully de- 
 fcribe the melancholy fcene 1 The firft 
 caufe is not now apprehended as one moft 
 perfedt mind, but various Gods are intro- 
 duced, and each of them reprefented as 
 the prevailing affeftion direfts. The 
 things which men conceive capable of 
 doing mifchief, as well as thofe which 
 impart or occafion any kind or degree of 
 
 TD i]yvy.oi';Zsy.^ 
 
 good. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 
 
 good, how much foever beneath them- 
 felves, are by their fenfual and darkned 
 minds raifed into the rank of Godsj and 
 the way of worfhiping them is exadly 
 agreeable to that which gave rife to them, 
 to wit, fenfible imagery. 
 
 In this cafe the manner of ferving 
 their feveral Deities ever was, naturally 
 is, and will be, as different and various, 
 as the frame, paflions, habits, and be- 
 haviour of their refpecSive votaries. If 
 their conftitutions were ftrong and vigo- 
 rous, and an activity (which is very 
 ufual) refulted thence ; that activity gene- 
 rally difcovered itfelf in the rites of wor- 
 Ihip, which they chofe. This appeared in 
 the order of priefts at Rome inftitutcdby 
 Numa^ who were called Salii '. In the 
 month of March t;hey were wont to cele- 
 brate a religious feaft to Mrzn, and be- 
 ing habited in a fliort fcarlet caffock, 
 having round them a bfoad belt, and an 
 helmet on their head, they went on with 
 their facred charge, a target in nimble 
 
 * Vid. Plut. in Ninna. Salios item duodecim Marti 
 Gradivo legit, tunicaeque pidae infigne dedit, et iupcr tu- 
 nicam aeneuin peflori tegumcn ; coelelHaque arma, quae 
 anciiia appellantur, ferre, ac per urbcm ire canentes car- 
 mina cum tripudiis foleimique faltatu jalllt. Li-v. L. i.^ 
 
 V^ifnjat ']u¥ iVOitKluv ^isiv. hicnyf. Halicani. ArJ. 
 Rom. L.'\\. § 70. ed. Hudf. 
 
 B 2 motion 
 
An Essay for e^phhnng 
 
 motion keeping juft meafures with their 
 fcer, and by the various and agreeable 
 turns of their bodies they fliewed great 
 ftrength and a;^i!ity. 
 
 In fuch, who have a great flow of 
 brlfk and warm fpirits, and who are in 
 coniequence hable to an heated imagina- 
 tion, rehgious raptures prevail, andfome- 
 times to fuch a degree, as would be 
 apt to make thofe about them apprehend 
 they were poileiTed with Deity; tho 
 the groupe of images, which the over- 
 heated fancy has colleded and gaily dref- 
 fed, and from whence thefe raptures arlfe, 
 are confufed and indiflinft, and by no 
 means agree to the truth and reafon of 
 things. This is enthufiafm, when taken 
 in an ill fenfe, but enthufiafm in its fan- 
 guine appearance and gayeft drefs. When 
 thefe fpirits are evaporated, and the ima- 
 ges grow languid and difappear, who, 
 v/ithout danger of fliaring in the hor- 
 ror, can paint the dreadful, fable, me- 
 lancholy fcene, which frequently enfues ? 
 Now their God appears to them armed 
 with thunderbolts, incircled with terri- 
 ble majeity, poffefled of irrefiftible power, 
 and filled with relentlefs fury ; confe- 
 quently the wretches tremble, and fear 
 takes place, that boundlefs paflion, which 
 raifes a thoufand phantoms to difquiet 
 and torment. To get rid of thefe, and 
 
 appeafc 
 
the Scripture^Revelations. 
 appeafe this idol of their gloom, cruel 
 and inhuman rites have been invented 
 and pradliled, Paflions and habits have 
 Jiad their feveral refpeftive influences in 
 Shaping worfliip. The man, who is bred 
 to addrefs and ceremony, who is pleafed 
 with foothing and flattery, will not fail 
 of apprehending, that the fame or like 
 methods will be grateful to Deity ; and 
 he will confequently fall into trifling rites, 
 and mean adulations. An exceilive fond- 
 nefs for gold will lead to make prefents 
 to the Gods of their favourite fliining 
 metal. And if their condudl is under the 
 direction of any other criminal incHna- 
 tion, they will fee no abfurdity in de- 
 fcribing their Deities as influenced by the 
 fame deflres ; they will naturally take 
 this method to countenance themfelves 
 in their follies and enormities. 
 
 The difcerning few, who, attending 
 to the truth of things, fee thefe unhappy 
 errors of the generality and bulk of man- 
 kind, cannot but v^^i£h, that the firfl in- 
 teUigent mind v/ould reveal his will in 
 fuch a manner, as to recover men from 
 thefe fad and melancholy circumftances. 
 The poffibility of fuch a revelation ; the 
 fuitablenefs of it to the true idea of Cod, 
 and particularly to the notion wc mufl 
 entertain of his goodnefs ; and the expe- 
 diency of fuch a difcovery to bring men 
 B 3 ^ to 
 
An Essay for explaining 
 
 to that perfedlion and happinefs, for 
 which they were originally defign'd ; do 
 all give confiderable ground for hope. 
 But when the degeneracy, which ren«- 
 ders fuch difcoveries proper and needful, 
 is found upon refledion to arife from 
 the negled: or abufe of mens natural pow- 
 ers, fuch an hope muft be owned to be 
 at a great remove from a firm and fet- 
 tled affurance. If moreover there has 
 been, as fome imagine, a pretty general 
 expedtation of this kind, it is not un- 
 likely that it may have taken its rife from 
 fome preceding revelation ; if it can be 
 made appear, that there has been an early 
 revelation made to mankind of fome 
 other, that was to come after it in due 
 time. But whether men have had thefe 
 hopes raifed in them by reafoning, or 
 tradition ^ it is certain, their having en- 
 tertained fuch hopes of a revelation to be 
 made to them, fome timx or other, has 
 encouraged and occafioned unjuft preten- 
 tions to it, and upon different views. 
 The pretended nightly converfes of Nu- 
 ma with the Godefs Egeria might be 
 defigned to give fome weight, and ftamp 
 a greater authority on his laws, which 
 he apprehended to be for the advantage of 
 the Roman people. A worfe principle 
 feems to have influenced Mahomet ; who 
 favoured with the circuipftance of grof^ 
 
 igno' 
 
the Scripture Revelations. 
 
 ignorance that prevailed at that time, 
 and puihed on by the lull: of ambition, 
 made pretenfion to the charader of a 
 prophet ; and took a method to prove 
 his claim, which one v^ould have thought, 
 in the fentiment of all confiderate perfons, 
 mufthaveeffeduallydeftroyed it ; name- 
 ly, by facrificing the lives of multitudes 
 in war. And withal, the reward he pro^ 
 pofed to his followers in paradife, confifl^ 
 ing in the fulleft draughts of fenfual de- 
 lights, feems by no means confiftent with 
 the true perfedion and happinefs of our 
 make, as intelligent. 
 
 Since then there have been falfe pre- 
 tences to revelation, it cannot but be 
 looked upon as highly reafonable for men 
 to exprefs caution, and to be always on 
 their guard in cafes of this nature. This 
 condud: cannot fail of being plealing to 
 the firft caufe, who is the higheft rea- 
 Ibn ; and it is very needful for us, unlefs 
 we will lie open and expofed to the da- 
 ring and delufive pretenfions of every 
 wild enthufiaft. 
 
 Farther, it appears from hence realbn- 
 able, that our powers fliould be capable 
 of diftinguifliing true revelations from 
 groundlefs pretences thereto ; or elfe ii 
 will be to little purpofe, that we exprefs 
 any care in the exercife of them. They 
 may even as well drive on without any 
 B 4 con- 
 
8 ^n Essay for explaining 
 
 concern to dire6t them aright, if we are 
 not capable of forming meafures, which 
 upon examination fliall appear folid, to 
 fteer them in order to our arriving at 
 truth and hiippinefs. The bare fuppofal 
 that we want fuch a capacity, is to make 
 man, who is the nobleft being in our 
 fyftem, and reafon, which is his moft 
 diftinguifhing endowment, more vain, 
 and lefs fitcd to compafs the end for 
 which they were formed, than any being 
 around us ; which feems to be mon- 
 ftroufiy abfurd. 
 
 Let it then carefully be confider'd^ 
 whether, if there were any revelations 
 made to us from God, it would not be 
 reafonable to exped:, that the following 
 characters fliould attend them : to wit, 
 \ That they fhould fome way or other ap- 
 pear clofely connected with the truth and 
 titnefs of things, and be defigned to bring 
 lis to conform our temper and behaviour 
 thereunto; that they fliould carry in 
 tliem traces of the perfedions of that 
 being, fi om whom they are fuppofed to 
 be derived, who is always conceived to 
 have confummate wifdom, extenfive good- 
 nefs, boundlefs power, and perfect purity, 
 and confequently that there iliould be 
 nothing in fuch revelations inconiiftent 
 with thefe excellencies ; that they iliould 
 be fuited to the make of man, as a com- 
 pound 
 
the SGripture-Revelations. 
 
 pound being, to whom they are made ; 
 that they fhoiild agree to the order of 
 things, and be fuitable to the circum- 
 ftances of the perfons to whom they are 
 addreffed ; that, if there be feveral, and 
 each has a proper reference to the o- 
 ther, one uniform defign fhould run thro' 
 them all ; and that if one be rcprefented 
 as the laft, it fliould clearly appear to be 
 the completion of the other, and fited 
 in the moft perfect manner to compafs 
 its end, our perfeftion and happinefs. 
 
 Thefe are the internal charafters of a 
 true revelation : to which may be added 
 fuch inftances of power, as exceed the 
 knowa abilities of thofe who perform 
 them, when wrought to confirm a mif- 
 fion from God to communicate to others 
 the original difcoveries of his will, they 
 have received from him ; efpecially it 
 thofe inftances of power have an evident 
 fuitablenefs to the doftrines, which are 
 defign'd to be confirmed by them. 
 
 Wherever all thefe marks are found, 
 we (hall be able to vindicate our condu<fl 
 in giving a ready reception to fuch a reve- 
 lation. 
 
 Since therefore Mofes, the prophets, 
 and the difciples of Chrift, pretend in 
 their writings to tranfmit to us fuch re- 
 velations i let us fairly and without any 
 prejudice examine them by the charadcrs, 
 
 w 
 
 hich 
 
! o An Essay for esplatning 
 
 which have been now laid down, and 
 which I cannot but think every one will 
 readily acknowledge to be jufl. 
 
 It will be proper here to remark, that 
 Mofes is an hiftorian, whofe antiquity 
 and credit we have not the leaft reafon 
 to call in queftion. He is mentioned in 
 that character, as well as of a lawgiver, 
 by the molt antient hiftorians, of whom 
 we have any monuments '. A great and 
 reinarkable people were formed upon his 
 laws, and continue to this day to obfcrve 
 them, as far as their circumftances will 
 admit. 
 
 He begins his hiftory with a relation 
 of the firft origin of things, and the di- 
 vine revelations that accompanied, or foon 
 followed it. And the account which he 
 has given of thefe events, he may eafily 
 be fuppofed to have received by tradition. 
 Metlmfelah might converfe with Adam 
 and Noah^ Shem the fon of Noah with 
 AbrakayUy Ifaac with Abraham and "^o- 
 Jeph^ from whom thefe things might 
 eafily be conveyed to Mofes by Amram^ 
 who lived long enough with jofeph. 
 Bcfides, if Mofes had writen any thing 
 contrary to the truth, he might w^ithout 
 
 * Vid. Eufeb. Pi-aep. E'vang. LiB. ix. Jofeph. Ant^ 
 
 difficulty 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i i 
 
 difficulty have been refuted by others ; and 
 then it cannot be fuppofed, that he could 
 have fucceeded as the lawgiver of the Jews. 
 This being premised, I fhall confider 
 the revelations he gives us an account of 
 in the following order. 
 
 I. What revelations Mofes reprefents 
 to have been made to Adam and Eve in 
 their innocent eftate. 
 
 II. The difcoveries God is reprefented 
 to have made to them after their fall, 
 and to the patriarchs before the flood. 
 
 III. The revelations he relates God to 
 have made to the patriarchs after the 
 flood, and particularly to Abraham. 
 
 IV. The conftitution which he de- 
 clares God erefted by himfelf among 
 the Jews. 
 
 And under each of thefe it will be 
 proper, 
 
 1. To give a fummary view of the 
 hiftory of the fadts related, and of the 
 revelations that hiftory contains. 
 
 2. To inquire into the credibility of 
 them, by their agreement with the above- 
 mentioned charafters. 
 
 I. I (hall confider the revelations Mofes 
 reprefents God to have made to Adam 
 and Eve in their innocent eftate. 
 
 I. The 
 
I 2 An Essay for e%pUtntng 
 
 I. The hiftory of the fads contained 
 Genefis in this period lies thus. Mofes as an hi-^ 
 :h. I. 2. ftorian relates, that God created this frame 
 of things, in which we are placed, in fix 
 days ', and he gives a particular account 
 of the manner, in which he did create 
 them. On the fixth day ' , after the cattel 
 were formed according to their kind, 
 God is introduced as faying. Let us make 
 man in our image, after our likenefs, and 
 let them have dominion : and accordingly 
 God is reprefented as creating them male 
 and female, and as bleffing them, fay- 
 ing, Be fruitful, and multiply, and reple^ 
 nifh the earth, andfubdue it. But that we 
 might have a more diftind: apprehenfion 
 of thefe things, the hiftorian farther ac- 
 quaints us, ^2Xman was jormed out of the 
 ^ dujl of the ground, and the Lord breathed 
 into his. nojirils the breath of life , and 
 man became a living foul To fhew that 
 he was the heir and lord of all things, 
 God is faid to have brought every beaft 
 of the field, and every fowl of the air 
 
 * For the folution of the difficulties, that have been raised 
 againft the account, which Mofes gives of the creation 
 and deluge, I would refer the curious reader to Mr. 
 WhiJio7i^s Theory^ and the Difcourfes of Mr. Ray. 
 
 * KAimviJt.ctmKiv elv'nS )c^ 'i'^X.^v. Vid. Jo/. Ant. 
 Jud. Lib.i. cap. I. § iS. ed. Hudf, 
 
 to 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i j 
 
 to him, to receive names. And as there 
 Was not found among them any crea- 
 ture agreeable and anfwering unto him ', 
 the Lord God can fed a deep Jleep ' to fall 
 Upon the 77ian^ and from a pare of him 
 he formed a woman, and brought her 
 unto him. Then the man faid, this ts 
 now bone of my bo7ie^ andfeJJo of myjiejh ; 
 She Jhall be called woman^ bccauje Jhe was 
 taken out of man 3 therefore pMll a man 
 leave hh father and his mother^ and cleave 
 unto his wife^ and they Jhall be one flejh. 
 This feems to have been after the Lord 
 God had put him into a garden, which 
 was planted eaflward in Eden \ wherein 
 every tree, which was delightful to the 
 fight, and agreeable for food, was made 
 to grow and flourifh: and in the midfl 
 of the garden there was the tree of life *, 
 
 ' *Gu;6 eufe'3-rt Ctm^oi o(jloi& duj^- lxx. 
 
 "* IjcrflW/;/. LXX. 
 
 * Vid. Huei. Defitu paradiji. 
 
 *• llje tree of life : called fo, becaufe the fruit of it was 
 dM^/lfifiQ-y proper to repair the animal fpirits, and pre- 
 ferve the conftitutions of the lirll pair, while they fhould 
 continue innocent, in undecaying vigor, till God fhould 
 think fit to tranilate them. For which reafon, when they 
 had tranfgrelled, they were banifhed from Paradife, Isil 
 Chey fhould take of the tree of life, and eat, and live for 
 ever. This method of prefer\ung them from death, upon 
 (iippofition that God defigned, had they continued imiocent, 
 that they fhould be inunQrUl, appears no way inconfillcnt 
 to divine wifdom. 
 
 and 
 
An Essay for explainlfig 
 
 and the tree of knowledge of good and 
 evil \ This garden the man and his con- 
 fort were to drefs and manage j and of 
 every tree in it they had leave freely to eat, 
 except the tree of knowledge of good and 
 evil, of which they were not to eat ; if* 
 they did, they were furely to die. This 
 reftraint was laid upon them. Thus 
 things were fetled^ and God, ceafing from 
 his works, appointed to the happy pair 
 the feventh day to celebrate his wifdom 
 and goodnefs, which appeared confpicu- 
 ous therein. 
 
 * Ihe tree ofkntywledge of good ande'vil: to ^uAof tS 
 h<^iVAi yvttTov KdK^ K^ TOJ'gfK' Lxx. Et arborem, cujus 
 maBducantes frudlus fciant inter bonum ct malum. Onkelos. 
 Kcti aKKq to tw? (p^Qvmzu^y a J^nytvufKijo ri t4 «« t© 
 a/ya^QV )(^titokakov. Jo/. Ant. Jud. L.'i. c. i. §^. 
 In the opinion of thefe writers, the reafon, why this tree 
 was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil, feems 
 to be, that if they refrained from eating of its fruit in 
 compliance with the command of God, they fhould 
 know good ; but on the contrary, if they did eat of it, they 
 Ihould experience evil, as the natural confequence of it. 
 Many interpreters apprehend, that this name was given to 
 the tree after the event, when by eating of this fruit they 
 knew by unhappy experience the great difference between 
 obeying and difobeying God's command. But this appears 
 contrary to the account, which Mofes gives ; who introduces 
 God calling it the tree of knowledge of good and evil, 
 when he laid his injunftion upon Adam not to eat of it. 
 The ferpent indeed reprefents knowledge of good and 
 evil to fignify extenfive knowledge, Te Jhall be as Gods, 
 knoit:hig good and enjil^ but this was with a defign to 
 give force to his temptation, and render it fuccefsfuL 
 
 Now 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i j 
 
 ^3ow it cannot reafonably be doubt- 
 ed, that this part of the hiftory contains 
 fome revelations. Revelation ftands op- 
 pofed to the knowledge, which arifes from 
 the refled:ion we make upon ourfelves, 
 and the things which are around us. 
 Adam and Eve might by the ufe of their 
 natural powers certainly know, that they 
 were not the caufe of their own exiftence, 
 or of the exiftence of thofe delightful ob- 
 jects, wherewith they were entertained in 
 that garden 3 that therefore there muft: 
 be fome other caufe : but to fettle this 
 point in the proper clearnefs and com- 
 pafs of it required longer difcufiion, than 
 appears congruous to their circumftances. 
 It is manifeftly impoffible for them to 
 have known the manner in which the 
 things about them were created, or how 
 they themfelves had been formed; that 
 Adam had been made out of the duft of 
 the ground, the Lord God breathing into 
 him the breath of life; or that Eve was 
 framed out of him. Befides, it is twice 
 faid, that the Lord God put Adam into 
 the garden he had planted for him ; that 
 the Lord God brought to Adam all the 
 cattel to receive names from him ; that 
 he brought Eve unto him, and fome 
 way or other made him know, that flie 
 was bone of his bones, and fledi of 
 his fleai, and had been taken out o^ 
 
 him y 
 
1 6 An Essay for explammg 
 
 him : all which expreffions feem evi- 
 dently to imply, that there was a vifible 
 glorious appearance, called afterwards 
 the prefence of God, attended probably 
 with miniftring angels. It does not feem 
 eafy otherwife to conceive, how Adam, 
 a confcious being, cloathed with body, 
 could be faid to be put by the Lord 
 God into paradifev nor how Eve, after 
 her formation, could be faid to be 
 brought to Adam, nor how the cattel 
 could be faid to have been brought ^ or led 
 upy by the Lord God to Adam, when he 
 gave them their names. 
 
 It appears altogether unlikelyj if not 
 impoffible, that the firft pair Ihould 
 form a language for their mutual inter- 
 courfe c'DA converfe. They had indeed 
 organs fuited for fpeech ; but repeated 
 eflays, and long experience, muft be re- 
 quifite, to inable them intelligibly and 
 clearly to convey to one another in words 
 proper notices of the thoughts, that fprung 
 up in the mind of each of them; and 
 yet their mutual joys arifmg from a 
 confcioufnefs of their exiftence, and from 
 a view and confideration of the happy 
 * circumftances, in which they found them- 
 felves fituated, made it highly fit and 
 defirable, that they fhould be capable of 
 immediately exprefling to each other the 
 fenfe thev had of their great happinefs. 
 
 When 
 
the ScriptLire-Revelations. 17 
 
 When they were firft introduced into 
 that pleafant and fruitful garden, it is 
 not eafy to conceive, how they could, by 
 the bare ufe of their natural powers, 
 know upon what tenure they were to 
 occupy and enjoy that delightful fcene ; 
 or that they had a claim of right to the 
 whole produce, and all the fruits of Pa- 
 radife. 
 
 They cannot at firft be fuppofed to 
 have known themfelves perfedly. They 
 might indeed, and probably did, fee 
 each other cloathed with glory, and 
 might thence be induced to confider 
 themfelves, and each other, as bright and 
 beautiful beings ^ but they could not be 
 fo well acquainted with their ov/n frame, 
 as to be able certainly to conclude, that 
 all the fruit, which they faw with plea- 
 fure growing around them, v^^-as good 
 and proper for their food and ncunlh- 
 ment. There might be fome kinds of 
 fruit, which tho pleafant to their eyes, 
 and relatively good to other creatures, 
 and fuited to preferve and fuflain them \ 
 
 ' "\''enenis capreae et coturiiices, ut diximus, pingue- 
 lirunt, placidilliraa animalia. Plin. Kat. Hiji. L. x. § 02. 
 ♦Joturnicibus veneni femen gratilTimus cibus. L. x. § 35 
 f/ Par. MA.Solin.Pciyh. 
 
 Tantaque in his rebus dilbantia difTeritafque 'li, 
 
 Ut qaod alis cibas eit, aliis fliat acre vencni;m. 
 
 Praeterea nobis veratium ell acre venenuni. 
 
 At capris adipes et coturnicibuL- auget. Luutt. 'w. 640. 
 
 C 1^1 igl^ 
 
1 8 Jn YLss AY for espJakkg 
 
 might yet not be fuitable to their confti- 
 tution and make, and therefore improper 
 for them to meddle with. Thefe things 
 could hardly have been known without, 
 and feem to have been opened and cleared 
 by, revelations from God. 
 
 2. Let us now fee, whether the account 
 Mofes has given us of thcfe tranfadlions, 
 and the revelations this part of his hi- 
 ftory contains, do not appear agreeable 
 to the charadlers of a genuine revelation 
 before laid down, and confequently wor- 
 thy to be received by us. 
 
 When God had fited up this frame 
 and ftru<flure, and furniflied it with fuch 
 a pleaiing variety, it became highly pro- 
 per, that there fliould be created an order 
 of beings, capable of enjoying it in fuch 
 a manner, as that the wonderful difplays 
 of the divine v/ifdom, power, and good- 
 nefs might be remarked and celebrated. 
 It would not have been fo agreeable to 
 divine wifdom, becaufe it was manifeftly 
 unneceffary, that more than a pair of 
 fuch beings fhould be created at firft. 
 A long train of defcendants fpringing from 
 this firft pair, by the manner of their 
 being called into exiftence, came under 
 the ftrongeft obligations that can be con- 
 ceived to maintain mutual aflfeftion, and 
 
 might 
 
the Scnptufe-Revelatioris. ip 
 
 toight receive and tranfmit down to po- 
 fterity, with great advantage, the firfl dif- 
 coveries God fliould think fit to impart 
 of his mind and will. It was very rea- 
 fonable and fit, that they (liould be created 
 not only innocent, and with powers fijit- 
 ed to anfwer the end of their make^ 
 to converfe with God, and be inno- 
 cently entertained with the objedls of 
 fenfe which were around therri; but like- 
 wife that they fhould begin to exift in a 
 proper «V?, or perfection : and that when 
 they were in bodies, and entertained with 
 the agreeable objed:s of Paradife, there 
 fliould be a vifible glorious prefence of 
 the Lord God, attended with angels, be- 
 ings of an order fuperior to that, in which 
 they were placed. All this appears con- 
 gruous, and fuited to their compound na- 
 ture. 
 
 They innocently might, and certainly 
 mufl have earned defires of knowing the 
 author of their beings, and the manner 
 in which the frame of things they were 
 placed in was formed, how they rhem- 
 felves were made, what right they had to 
 the things around them, and under what 
 reftraints they were to confider rhemfelves 
 as laid. From the idea we have of God, 
 we cannot but fuppofe him inclined and 
 ready to gratify fuch defires, and to fa- 
 C 2 vour 
 
20 ^;2 E s s A I for e^plahmg 
 
 vour them with the knowledge of thefc 
 important and neceflary things. And 
 when in their fir ft formation they wanted 
 nothing but language, to make them im- 
 mediately capable of praifmg their ma- 
 ker, and enjoying the ravifhing pleafures 
 of mutual converfe -, it muft appear 
 wife and good in God to impart this 
 gift immediately, inftantly to teach them 
 language, and not leave them to form 
 it by long obfervation and experience. 
 Nothing could be more proper, than that 
 their kind creator fhould forbid what he 
 knew would be hurtful ; and when it was 
 beautiful, and apt to ftrike the fenfes with 
 pleafure, it was particularly needful, that 
 they ihould be cautioned againft gratify- 
 ins: their inclinations to tafte and eat it* 
 That circumftance naturally led the fa- 
 ther of their fpirits to teach thefe his 
 offspring, who in confequence of his 
 breathing into them the breath of life, 
 became rational as well as living, that ic 
 would concern them to lay reftraints on 
 their appetites to what was fenfible ; and 
 to apprife them, that thence their greateft 
 danger would arife. This warning feems 
 more particularly feafonable, and fuited 
 to their prefent circumftances, than an 
 rx^r^yi command or pofitive injunction of 
 love to himfelfj and mutual affedion to 
 each other. 
 
 A 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. % i 
 
 A pleaf?nr garden, in the midft where- 
 of was the tree of life, which might 
 infpire them with hopes of immortahty ; 
 a fenfible glory around them , and a viii- 
 ble glorious appearance of their creator, 
 attended with angels; appear to be a 
 ftate worthy the gift of divine wifJom 
 and goodnefs, and every \yay proper for 
 the trial, improvement, and farther advan- 
 ces of the firfl parents of mankind. 
 
 II. I am now to confider the hiftorlcal 
 relation Mofes gives us of the fall, and the 
 difcoveries he reprefents God as making 
 of himfelf foon after it, to the patriarchs 
 before the flood. And then by the marks 
 already given we fhall be able to difcern, 
 whether thefe appear credible, and £t to 
 be received. 
 
 r. The hiftorian has not acquainted us, 
 how long this firft pair continued in their 
 innocent and happy flate. It has been 
 conjedured, but I think without any ap- 
 pearance of probability, that they fell the 
 fame day, in which they were created. 
 
 The hiftory lies thus : After the beafls 
 and cattel were created, man w^as form'd, 
 and put by God into the garden -, and af- 
 ter he had given names to the creatures, 
 which were brought to him, he fell into a 
 deep fleep, and from his fide Eve, who 
 was agreeable and fiaitable to him, when 
 C 3 there 
 
1% uin Ess AY for e^phmng 
 
 there were none of that charadler among 
 the beings he had given names to, was 
 created and brought to him, and owned 
 by him to be a proper companion, and 
 Xo defer ve his affection, lince fhe was ta- 
 ken out of him. Then we find the con- 
 dition dehvered, on which their conti- 
 nuance in thefe happy circumftances de- 
 pended; and the feventh day was ap- 
 pointed for the worfhip of the great 
 creator. Now is it reafonable to appre- 
 hend, that they {hould immediately of- 
 fend ? It feems much more rational to 
 think, that the pleafures of their fituation 
 fhould for fome time entertain them ; and 
 that in confequence they {hould, with af- 
 fedlions raifed by the many favours they 
 were in the pofleflion of, celebrate the di- 
 vine bounty. It is likely, that fo foon as 
 they found themfelves capable of it, they^ 
 converfed with each other with the ten- 
 dereft emotions of mutual affedion, 
 about the profufion of goodnefs which 
 their creator had expreffed to them y 
 and it can hardly be thought, that this 
 ftiould appear the moft proper feafon to 
 make an artful addrefs, with an intention 
 to feduce them. It appears likewife 
 from the hiftory, that Eve was at- 
 tacked when feparated from Adam. And 
 can it be judged probable, that this cir- 
 cumftance (hould have happened fo very 
 fpon I For 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 23 
 
 For thefe reafons it feems highly im- 
 probable that this opinion fhould be true, 
 and yet it is not Hkely that they continued 
 long in this their innocent eftate -, fince, if 
 they had perMed ftedfaftly in their duty 
 for a confiderable time, they would have 
 acquired fuch an habit of well-doing, as 
 would not have been fo eafily loft. The 
 filence of the hiftorian may be fufficient 
 to check too curious an enquiry about 
 this y who is very exprefs and particular in 
 defcribing the occafion of the fall, and 
 what followed upon it. 
 
 Now that ferpent' (whofe hiftory it is Chap. 3. 
 neceffary to relate, in order to fet in a due 
 light the future circumftances ofthe firft 
 pair, and account for the different cha- 
 rasters of their defcendants) was more 
 fuhtle ^ than any beajl of the field, which the 
 Lord God had made ; for ^ he faid unto 
 the woman : whereas no other had the 
 C 4 privilege 
 
 ' Hanackfch : and it is remarkable that it is expre{re4 
 thus thro the whole ftory, as by the lxx o o(pii- 
 
 * This word is taken in a good, as well as a bad fenfe. 
 Prov. viii. 5. O yejtmpkyunderjfand ivi/dom. The Sei'e^2(y 
 render it (p^oviy.d1^Q-, MS. Cot. (pfovt^eoji^©-- 
 
 ' That the Hebrew particle, which we tranflate and, 
 does fometimes fignify for, will appear from the follow- 
 ing pailages, Jof. xxii. 25. For the Lord hath made Jordan 
 a border beti.veen us and you ; ye children of Reuben, and 
 (hildren of Gad, ye ha-ve no part in the Lord ; for your chil- 
 dren n^ill make our children ceafe from feari?ig the Lord : 
 
 which 
 
24 -An E ss AY for explaining 
 
 privilege of ipeech, or an ability of con- 
 verfing with man. And it is not impro- 
 bable, that he might take of the fruit and 
 cat, before he addrefs'd the following 
 fpeech to her, hoping that the woman 
 would fuppoie that privilege to have been 
 the confequence of the fruit. Is it fo ', 
 that God hath /aid, ye Jhall not eat of any 
 (or ei:ery ') t^^ee of the garden ? By this 
 inquiry the ferpent put on the appearance 
 of being ignorant of the prohibition, left 
 he fliould be fufpefted of an intention 
 to deceive. To this the woman replied : 
 We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the 
 
 which makes the fenfe clearer than our rendering, fojhall 
 your children &c. i Sam. ii. 15. Alfo before they burnt 
 the fat , the friejt's fer<vant came, and faid to the man that 
 facrifced, gkoe flejh to roaji for the prief, and he <v:ill not 
 (ib it runs in the Hebrew) hu've foden flcjh of thee^ hut 
 ra<w : which, becaufe that rendering fcarce makes fenfe 
 of the words, our verfion with good reafon tranflates, for 
 he 'will not hanje\ foden frjh Sec. Mic. vii. 8. M« £t/;c«/- 
 fi IJ.oi « ly^^ct 1x6, 'olt 'TTi'TrleoKety xj a,l'tt^fi(Toi/.ctt. Sept. Re- 
 joice not dgainfi me, O my enemy, that I ha<ve fallen, 
 {or I /hall rife again. Kct/ is ufed in this manner, John vi. 
 54. Wkofoeatethrnyflefif, and drinketh my blood, hath (or 
 Jhall ha<ve) eternal lif'e, and (or for') I nxiill raife him up 
 at the laf day. See Noldius de partic. Heb. p. 297. 
 
 * Ti' oil. Lxx. cur ? Vnlg. Bkoufchtha, verene ? Onkcl. 
 Vid. Cleric, et Patric. in loc. 
 
 ' I have given this rendering, fmce the Hebrew will 
 bear it [PfaL cxhii. 2. For in thy fight Jhall no man {oYjJ^all 
 not any man) lining be jufiffd'] becaufe in the fentiment of 
 fome criticks it bcft fuits with the anfwer, which the v/oman 
 makes : Ife may eat of the fruit of the trees of the gar- 
 den J but {^c, 
 
 garden^ 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 2 5 
 
 gar den y but of the fruit of that tree^ "which 
 is in the midji of the. garden^ God hath 
 faid^ Tejhall not eat of it^ neither p: all ye 
 touch it^ left ye dye, 'The ferpent :hen 
 took again of the fruit, and eat of it in 
 her prefence, and proceeded in his acj- 
 drefs to her, telling her with the greateft 
 afTurance, Te fhall not Jiirely dye j for 
 an inftance of the contrary you have in 
 me, who am fo far from dying upon a re- 
 peated eating of the fruit, that lam im- 
 proved in luftre, even to refemble a fe- 
 raph. And whereas when you jufl: now 
 mentioned this fruit, you only in general 
 faid, the fruit of that tree, which is in 
 the midft of the garden ; I now upon 
 eating of it know the name of the tree, 
 and the reafon why it is caird fo, it is the 
 tree of knowledge of good and evily be- 
 caufe it opens the eyes, enlarges the view, 
 and imparts wider and more extenfive 
 knowledge : and God » [Elohim] knowSy 
 
 that 
 
 » Mofes, when in the firft chapter he gives an account 
 of God's creating the world, conllantly ufes the word 
 Elohim, which he continues to the fourth verfe of the fe- 
 cond chapter; and from thence to the relation of the fer- 
 pent's tempting Eve, he always makes ufe of Jehovah 
 Elohim. But when the ferpent is introduced faying to the 
 woman. Tea, hath God faid ? the word Elohim is again 
 made ufe of, and continued thro the temptation ; and im- 
 mediately after, when God is defcribed afting as a judge, 
 Jie is ftiled Jehoa^ah Elohim. We cannot reaionably con- 
 '" ' cluJe* 
 
26 An Ess AY for e^phtntng 
 
 that in the day ye eat thereof^ then your 
 eyes pall- be opened^ and ye Jhall be as 
 Gods \ knowing good and evil. And when 
 the woman Jaw that the tree was good for 
 food (which is an undeniable proof that 
 the ferpent took of the fruit of it, and 
 eat before her : for otherwife how could 
 fhe fee that the tree was good for food ?) 
 and that it was pleafaiit to the eyes^ and a 
 tree to be defred to make one wife^ fhe took 
 of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave 
 alfo unto her husband with her, and he did 
 eat. 
 
 Thus the temptation fucceeded, and 
 the eyes of them both were opened : they 
 had indeed received knowledge by eat- 
 
 elude, that this conduft of the hillorian was without fome 
 view. It is not unlikely, that Mofes by this might intend 
 to lead the reader to apprehend the way, by which the 
 temptation unhappily fucceeded. The ambiguity of the 
 word Elchim^ which fometimes fignifies God, and fome- 
 times the angels who attended the prefence, might occa- 
 fion Eve to doubt whether Ihe underllood aright the pro- 
 hibition, which was given to Adam [Gen. ii. i6, 17.) 
 and by him to her ; efpecially fmce fhe law, that the fer- 
 pent upon eating the frujt of the tree was fo far from 
 dying, that he feem'd to her in confequence to improve in 
 knowledge ; from whence fhe might conclude with fome 
 colour, that if Ihe fliould eat of it, Ihe Ihould be as the 
 Elohitn^ knowing good and evil ; that is (fay fome) what 
 is fit to do without any advice or inllrudion, and without 
 ariy reftraint. 
 
 ' Cerabrebin. Onk. as the princes, having extenilve 
 knowledge.. Jj ^56/. Sept. Cema/acin rabrebin, ut an" 
 geli magni. Jonathan. Yid. 2 Sam. xiv. 20, 
 
 Mlg 
 
tloe Scripture-Revelations. 27 
 
 ing, but in a very unhappy way 3 for 
 they knew that they were naked ^ and hid 
 themfelves. While they were innocent 
 they were naked, and were not afhamed, 
 but could appear before God, and con- 
 verfe with the Elohim ^ but now they 
 were naked in fuch a fenfe, as to have 
 loft their veftment of glory \ the mark 
 of their dominion, and pledge of their 
 immortality. And what courfe do they 
 take ? They hide themfelves in the gar- 
 den, and few together fig lemues ' (which 
 were large and broad in the eaftern coun- 
 tries) for a fhady fcene 3 to fcreen them- 
 felves, or a covering which they girt ♦ 
 about them. How weak does fear arifing 
 from guilt render our firft parents ! When 
 in the wind of the day they heard the voice 
 of the Lord God walking in the garden^ 
 and moving towards them, and perhaps 
 with fome marks different from what 
 they had ever known before, they hid 
 themfelves from the prefence of the Lord 
 God among the trees of the garden. Then 
 the Lord God called to Adam^ faying^ Where 
 art thou ? Not that he needed his infor- 
 
 ' Nudati enimerant a vefte onychina, in qua creati funt. 
 targ. Jonath. 
 
 * Et coaptiirunt folia ficuum. Syr. ^verf, 
 3 Vid. Cleric, in he, 
 \ 'TTi^ll^coiAAJct. LXX. 
 
 jtiationj, 
 
2 8 jin Essay for explaining 
 
 mation, but as a proper introdudlion to 
 a judicial inquiry into his condudl. A 
 like inftance we have in Gen, iv. lo. 
 Adam replied : I heard thy voice ^ and I 
 was afraid^ becaufe I am naked^ i. e. find 
 myfelf divefted of glory. And the Lord 
 God /aid, Who told ' thee that thou art na- 
 ked ? Hajl thou eaten of the tree^ whereof I 
 €o?nma?ided thee that thou Jhouldejl not eat ? 
 by thefe queftions intimating that it was 
 his defign, that Adam fhould be deprived 
 of this glory upon his tranfgreffing. Adam 
 fell under convi(5i;ion, but indeavoured to 
 extenuate his guilt, by charging it on the 
 woman, whom God had given him. Then 
 God applied to her, and (he threw the 
 guilt on the ferpent. The Lord God 
 proceeded then, as judge, to pronounce 
 fentence, as it became an offended, and 
 yet a propitious governor. He begins 
 with the ferpent, becaufe he was the in- 
 ftrument by \^hich the woman had been 
 feduced. j4nd the Lord God Jdid to the 
 
 ' The word, which is rendered toldy is not amar but 
 higgidy and fignifies difco-uered. Tlie Vulgate and lxx. 
 tranilate the words thus : ^is eniin indka^oit tihi quod mJus 
 ejfes, nifihz. Tif u.v\]yy^l>!^ cnt oil yv^iVQiHt u (i^ 
 &c. And it is not improbable, that M, quis, may have been 
 put by tranfcribers for Meh, quid, thro the likenefs of the 
 iound, as, yudg. xiii. 17. Mi fchetrnka. What is thy name ? 
 Iffo, the lentence will then run: What has difccnjered that 
 thou Kvaji naked ? Haft thou eaten of the tree &c f 
 
 3 ferpent^ 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 2pr 
 
 ferpenty Becaufe thou hajl done this, curfed 
 be thou (who in the appearance of a Ter- 
 pen t haft beguiled the woman) above all 
 cattel, and above every be aft of the field. 
 And tho a little while fince in the form of 
 a fhining and eredt ferpent thou didft 
 infinuate to her, that eating of the for- 
 biden fruit had not only improved thy 
 luftre, but thy knowledge; and that if 
 ftie would eat of it, flie fhould be ad- 
 vanced and become as the Elohi?n, and 
 thereby fucceeded in thy attempt : yet I 
 will abafe thee before her, and in her 
 prefence Jhalt thou go on thy belly \ and 
 duft Jhalt thou eat all the days, that thou 
 {halt live in this figure, wherein at pre- 
 fent I detain thee. And I will put enmity 
 between thee, a wicked and malicious fe- 
 ducer, and the woman, who, by the view 
 ftie has of thy abafement, by the fad con- 
 fequences of her compliance with thy 
 fubde addrefs, and the favour which I 
 fhall exprefs in recovering her to a hope 
 of life, (hall be reduc'd to obedience and 
 fubjedtion ; a?id between thy feed, fuch as 
 fhall be thy children by refemblance, and 
 her feed, as influenced by a fmcerc regard 
 of God to the pradtice of univerfal righ- 
 
 teoufnefs. 
 
^o \An Ess AY for explaining 
 
 teoufnefs ; it Jhall bruife thy head *, defpoil 
 thee of thy fovereignty and power (for 
 in the head of the ferpent Hes hisftrength) 
 a7id thou Jhalt bruife his heely bring leffcr 
 inconveniences and mifchicf upon them. 
 This fentence denounced againft the fer- 
 pent could not but convince the firft pair 
 of the difpleafure of God, at their eating 
 of the forbiden fruit, and the greatncfs 
 of their guilt j and at the fame time aflure 
 them of their reprieve, and the delay of 
 the execution of death, with hope of a 
 feed which fhould arife, and in fome 
 way or other deftroy the policy and 
 ftrength of the ferpent, and remove the 
 unhappy confequences which followed 
 the entrance of fin into the world. The 
 Lord God then proceeds to fentence the 
 woman, who was firft in the tranfgreflion, 
 and had feduced Adam. Whereas thou 
 haft been invited to offend by what ap- 
 peared pleafant to thy fenfes, and had 
 the profped of making thee as the EU- 
 hiin, to know what is fit to do without 
 advice or reftraint, I will greatly mul- 
 tipty thy Jbrrow and thy conception^ in for^ 
 row Jhalt thou bring forth children ; a72dta 
 thy hushand jl^all thy dejire be^ and in con- 
 fequence he Jhall ride over thee '. To 
 
 ' TM^M7«. LXX. Tei^rKTCi. Cot. 
 
 * Obedientia tua. Viro tibi praecipienti obedies. Jk» 
 Ezra. Pendebis a marito. Cajfa/. 
 
 Adam 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 31 
 
 Adam, who was now the only perfon 
 remaining to be fentenced, he faid : Be- 
 caufe thou haft had fuch a regard t6 thy 
 wife, as to hearken to her voice, and eat 
 of the tree^ of which I commanded thee^ 
 faying, I'hou fJjalt not eat of it : curfed be 
 the ground for thy fake, in forrow Jhalt 
 thou eat of it all the days of thy life, 
 thorns alfo and thi files Jhall it bring forth 
 to thee, and thou Jhalt eat of the herb of 
 the field, the ordinary food of beafts, and 
 not without hard labour, inftead of the 
 delicious fruits of Paradife'. In the fweat 
 of thy face thou P^alt eat bready till time 
 return unto the ground ; for out of it thou 
 waji taken : for duft thou art, and unto 
 dujl thou fidalt return, 
 
 Adam finding that God had exprefs'd 
 favour to him in the manner of his pro- 
 cedure, and in the promife of a feed 
 from the woman, whereby undue refent- 
 ment to her, who had been the occafion 
 of his fall, and of the miferies that fol- 
 lowed upon it, might be removed, changed 
 her former name Ifcha, which he him- 
 felf had given her, into Chavah, or Eve : 
 becaufe Jhe was the mother of all living. 
 By this he expreffed a firm belief of the 
 promifed feed, which was to bruife the 
 
 ,' Vid. Maim, Mor. Neb. Par. i. cap. 2. 
 
 ferpent's 
 
yt An Essay for expUtning 
 
 ferpent*s head. And God, to {hew that this 
 his faith was pleafing to him, and to 
 difcover in confequence thereof his care 
 and protection of him, gave orders, that 
 coats of skinjhoidd be made^ wherewith he 
 cloathed them. 
 
 Thefe coats were the skins of beaftsj 
 which cannot be fuppofedto have died of 
 themfelves, or have been intended for food 
 Gen. 3. (fince they were to eat of the herb of the 
 '^° field) or flain only for this ufe. 'Tis 
 probable then that they were appointed 
 to be killed, that in the agonies of their 
 dying a fcnfible image of death might 
 be fet before Adam and Eve, which they 
 had incur'd by their oifence, and a deeper 
 impreffion of their guilt might be made, 
 and fuitable refentments of grief excited 
 in their minds on that account. And 
 it is likely that when they were killed, 
 and prepared for facrifice by divine di- 
 redlion, a ftream from the prefence of 
 Jehovah might burn them up, as a mark 
 of his favour, and an incouragement to 
 our firft parents to truft in the promife 
 God had granted them ; to which depen* 
 dance they were further led by being 
 cloathed with their {kins, prepared for 
 that purpofe by the divine order. 
 
 Thefe things were of immediate fer- 
 vice to Adam and Eve, tho they might 
 not difccrn at prefent any analogy be* 
 
 twccn 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 3 5 
 
 tween this, and the Meffias's making 
 himfelf a facrifice in the lad difpenfa- 
 tion. 
 
 And now the Lord God/aid^ Behold the 
 man is become as one of iis^ to know good 
 and evil. Moil interpreters apprehend, 
 that in this figurative manner of expref- 
 fion God reproaches their folly, in think- 
 ing to increafe their knowledge in an im- 
 proper way, and lays in to prevent the 
 like condud: for the future. The words 
 however may be rendered thus : Behold 
 the man is become as one from ' us to 
 know good and evil. And now lejl he put 
 forth his hand^ and take alfo of the tree 
 of life ^ and eat^ and live for ever (being re- 
 ftored by its fanative virtue) which, 
 fince he has offended, it is not proper 
 he fhould, let us expel him. So he drove 
 mt the man^ and placed at the eajl of the 
 
 ^ The prepofition is thus rendered in feveral places, 
 Mic. vii. 12. In that day alfo he Jhall co?ne e'ven to thee 
 ixom. Affyria. 2 Chron. xxv. 5. And he nu?nbered them £rom. 
 ajonofti^entyyearsold and abo<ve. ThtTargujn of On- 
 kelos runs. Ha Ada7n hu is'c. Ecce Adam unicus eft in feculo 
 ex fe &c. <yj SK «§ H//«V. Sept. The fenfe may pro- 
 bably be this : Behold the man is fmgular in the world, 
 from himfelf, having by his condu6l feparated himfelf 
 from us. The Chaldee v/ord jachldi is derived from a 
 term, which fometimes fignifies feparate. Vid. Buxt. Lex. 
 falm. This interpretation feems to be favoured by Jarcht, 
 who explains the words in this manner : Behold he [Adam] 
 is fmgular in the lower world, as I am in the uper, to 
 liinow good and evil. 
 
 P garden 
 
3 4 ^^^ Essay for espJaintng 
 
 garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming 
 fword : that is, an angel, whole quick 
 motions attended with brightnefs refem- 
 bled the vibrations of a fword. Here 
 Jehovah appeared at the expulfion of 
 Adam and Eve in a terrible manner, to 
 guard the entrance of the garden, and 
 fecure the paffage to the tree of life. 
 
 The hiftorian proceeds to give an ac- 
 count of fome of the eminent defen- 
 dants of Adam, and of what happened 
 to them which was moft remarkable ; and 
 every thing he fets down, appears to be 
 wifely chofen. 
 lap. 4. Eve conceived and bare Cain. The 
 reafon of the name is afligned, / have 
 goten a man from the Lord. She ap- 
 prehended probably, that he was the pro- 
 mifed feed ; and, if fo, it's a clear and evi- 
 dent proof, that the former relations are 
 not to be turned into allegories, but to 
 be interpreted as plain fadts. 
 
 There was, no doubt, fome reafon, 
 tho Mofes does not relate it, why, when 
 the brother was born, the name Hebel^ 
 which fignifies vanity, was given to him. 
 He was ^ keeper of floe ep^ and Cain a til- 
 ler of the ground. And in procefls of time y 
 at the end of days, that is, on the conclu- 
 fion of the year, or after harveft, it came 
 topafs, that Cain brought of the fruit of the 
 ground an oflmng to the Lord-, and Abel^ 
 
 he 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. ^ 5 
 
 he alfo brought^ to the prefence of the 
 Lord at the entrance of the garden of 
 Eden, of the firjllings of hisfock, a? id of 
 the fat thereof Each brought what was 
 agreeable to their different imployments, 
 intending thereby to exprefs their ac- 
 knowledgment of God, as the author of 
 every bleffing. 'Tisnot improbable, that 
 they might be inftruded herein by their 
 father. 
 
 And the Lord had refpeB to Abel, in fet- 
 ing on fire, and burning up his offering 
 by ' a ftream of glory from himfelf 
 But to Cain and his offering he had no 
 reJpeB, not fo much as to fhine upon his 
 Iheaves. This had a ftrange effedl upon 
 Cain ; for he was wroth, and his countenance 
 fell. It is not unlikely, that he was made 
 to believe by his mother, that he, being 
 the firft born, was the feed, which God 
 had promifed to bruife the ferpent's head. 
 When he faw therefore fuch a diftin- 
 guifliing mark of God's fpecial favour to 
 Abel, he grew jealous, and v/as tempt- 
 ed to kill him, that he might not be fup- 
 planted by him in his hope. T^he Lord 
 then f aid unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? 
 and why is thy countenance fallen ^ Canft 
 
 ' Kali I'TT^i'iv Q ^2©-. Sept. ili^f^rt. Sym. tviTrv^m- 
 
 D 2 thou 
 
An Essay for e^phhtng 
 
 thou imagine, that I am partial in my re- 
 gards ? If^ thou doefl well^ jloall there not be 
 excellency ', and an elevation of thy face, 
 as the effed: of a reafonable hope of ac- 
 ceptance and of reward, and forgive- 
 nefs of unavoidable frailties ? And if 
 thou doefi not well^ fin (the punifliment of 
 fin) lieth at the door % that is, is near, and 
 ready to attend the offence ; ovfn couches 
 as a lion, and is in a readinefs to enflave 
 and captivate thee. And to (or with) thee 
 jhall be the dejire of ity ajtd (or however) 
 
 * Tho it is extremely difficult to fettle the meaning of 
 this pafiage, it may not however be improper to reprefent 
 the various interpretations, Vv^hich have been given of them, 
 and leave the reader to choofe that, which he Ihall think 
 fit to give the preference to. 
 
 If thou doeji (or Jhalt) do 'vsell, Jhall there 7iot he a lifting 
 up (of thy face, as there is now a calling of it down) or 
 acceptance (Gen. xix. 2 1 . See^ I ha-ve lifted up thy face, 
 which our tranflators render, / han}e accepted thee) or a 
 carrying avjay a hlefing andre^ward (Pfal. xxiv. 5 . He Jhall 
 recei've the hlejfng from the Lord. To this {tvSe. the Vul- 
 gate inclines : Nonne, fi bene egeris, recipies \ or as 
 1'heodotion fais, acceptabile erit munus ? m.unus tuum fuf- 
 cipiam, ut fufcepi fratris tui) or forgtwenefs (fo Onk. Jon. 
 Jer. T. explain it) or excellency ; in which fenfe it is 
 ufed, Gen. xhx. 3. of Reuben Jacob's firll born. 
 
 ^ If thou doejl not -T-r//, y?>; (puniihment, Le<v.x'x. 20.) 
 lieth at the door, is near and ready at hand. In diem 
 judicii peccatum fervatum eft, in qua futurum eil, ut ulcifca- 
 tur de te, fi non converteris ; et fi convertcris, dimittetur 
 tibi. Onk. Jon. Jer. Or f?i lieth at the door ready to 
 feize and captivate thee. Statim in foribus peccatum 
 aderit. Vulg. Peccatum cubat. Syr. Quumque non bene 
 egeris, quocumque porrexeris, peccatum tuum Cubans eft. 
 Arab. Et ad fores cordis tui peccatum jacebit. Jon. 
 
 thou 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 37 
 
 thou /halt rule over it , if thou exerteft thy 
 
 powers, and improveft thy advantages. 
 
 D 3 Here 
 
 ' Our verfion reads thefe words : Jnd his deftrejhall be to 
 thee, and thou (halt rule onjer him ; which fome refer to Abel^, 
 and explain as an affurance, that Cain fhould however have 
 his right of primogeniture, and be fuperior to his brother. 
 
 But againft this interpretation it is objeded, that in 
 the preceding words there is no mention made of Abel, 
 and that the moil: antient interpreters and verfions give a 
 different fenfe, and refer the words to Jin, which is men- 
 tioned immediately before. To thee (or in and nvith thee. 
 Vid. Ar. Mont. 2.tA Ainfivorth ) fhall be the defire of it 
 {fin) and (or honve^jer) thou (halt rule over it. To this 
 purpofe is the note in the margin of ABp. Cranmerh 
 Bible : Sin doth provoke and ftir thee to kill thy brother 
 take heed and give no place to it, but refill it and be 
 lord over it. See Dr. Jeffery\ Vol. of Sermons. Sed fub 
 te erit appetitus ejus, et tu dominaberis illius. Vulg. 
 The ^yriac verfion refers it to fin, tho the fenfe of the He- 
 hrenx) is quite miftaken by the tranflator : Peccatum cu- 
 bat, tu converteris ad illud, et ipfum dominabitur tibi. 
 Quumque non bene egeris, quocumque porrexeris, peccatum 
 tuum Cubans eft, et ad te fpeftat moderatio ejus, et tu es 
 qui dominaris illius per eledlionem. Arab. Et ad fores 
 cordis tui peccatum jacebit, verum in manu tua tradidi 
 poteftatem ipfius concupifcentiae malae, et ad te appetitus 
 ejus, et tu dominaris illi, five ad juftitiam, five ad pecca- 
 tum. Jon. Jer. T. 
 
 Tho againft this interpretation it may be objedled, that 
 chataah is of the feminine gender, and the defire of // 
 and thou fhalt rule over //, is of the mafculine ; yet the bell 
 critics agree, that the Hebrew writers do not always ob- 
 ferve the gender : an undoubted inftance of which we have 
 in this very text, the word lieth, when it is faid, fin lieth 
 at the door, being mafculine. 
 
 The learned Lightfoot gives a fenfe of the term Ji>t 
 different from all other interpreters, and explains it of a 
 fin offering, and tells us that the lacrifices were brought to 
 the door of the tabernacle. But, befidea that the word 
 Ueih (which fignifies to ceuch as a lion) is never ufed in 
 
 that 
 
2 8 An Essay for e^phtntng 
 
 Here we have early difcoveries of fuch 
 religious principles, as are of the greateft 
 importance : That God makes a difference 
 between thofe who do well, and fuch as 
 adl the contrary : that facrifices and the 
 appearance of devotion will not be ac- 
 cepted, if they proceed not from fuch, 
 who are in their difpofition and beha- 
 viour fincerely pious and good : that no 
 external advantages will avail, if real 
 integrity be wanting : that punifhment 
 is certainly near to fm, and will undoubt- 
 edly follow it, unlefs prevented by real 
 and fincere repentance : and as an incou- 
 ras^ement to this, that tho fin is ready to 
 
 thac lerixc, wiuch the learned author would infinuate to his 
 reader; the meaning that arifes from his expofition: inz. 
 If thou doeft well, fhalt thou not be accepted ? and if thou 
 doeft not well, a fm oiFering lieth at the door to purge oft 
 all guilt, and fet every thing right : feems to carry in it 
 fuch a contradidlion to the defign of the place, as makes it 
 no way proper to entertain it. 
 The Lxx render the words : 'Ot/x- \(X.V> lo^co^ '^^ocnviy^tfi, 
 
 rfOipw AvJ'h, X^ (TV Ai'^tHi eiv%. if thou offereji ^-ell, but 
 di'videfi not ^ucell, reading probabl)' for clnphethath laphatthoth, 
 which is derived from a word that rather fignifies to break 
 znd di'vide. See Sim. Crit. Hiji. B. i. ch. ^. Haji thou 
 not fined ? Be calm ; his dejire Jhall be to thee, and 
 thou Jhalt rule over Inm. I iliall not offer every thing 
 that might juftly be faid againft this interpretation, only 
 remark that nafcha, from whence feeth comes, never in the 
 Old Teftament fignifies to offer ; and yet upon this the 
 rendering intirely depends : and indeed the whole verf.on 
 is contrary to, and inconfiftent with the Hebreiv text. 
 Thefe are all the fenfes which have occur'd to me of 
 this difficult place, I have taken that which feems to me 
 the bell, but leave every reader to his own choice. 
 
 inflave 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. ^p 
 
 inflave him, who does not well, and the 
 defire of it is in or with him, yet that 
 define may be fubdued. 
 
 One would imagine that fuch admo- 
 nitions fliould have taken efFedl ; but jea- 
 loufy and refentment, attended with vi- 
 cious habits, prompted Cain, when he 
 had taken his brother ' abroad, apart 
 from all company and affiftance, to af- 
 fault him at an advantage, and murder 
 him. A voice then from the prefence 
 demanded of him, where Abel his bro- 
 ther was. To which he had the hardi- 
 nefs to reply, / know not : am I my bro- 
 ther s keeper? Then faid God to him, 
 what haji thou done ? T'he voice of thy 
 brother's blood cry eth to me from thegrotmdy 
 and now art thou curjed from the earthy 
 baniflied from thy father, and from that 
 country, which thou haft ftained with thy 
 brother's blood. When thou tillejl the 
 ground^ it Jhall not henceforth yield unto 
 thee her Jlrength : a fugitive and vagabond 
 Jljalt thou be in the earth. 
 
 Upon this fentence, which probably 
 was denounced in a manner attended 
 
 In the Hebrenv the words run, And Cain faid to Abel 
 his brother, without acquainting us with what he fpoke to 
 him. This deficiency is remarked by the Mafarethae m 
 their note on the place, and is fuppUcd by the Samaritan 
 copy, the L XX. and the Vulg. let us go into the field \ and 
 in a larger manner by the Jeruf. Targ. 
 
 D 4 with 
 
40 An hssAjfor explaining 
 
 with terror, Cain, who was a little be- 
 fore indecent, fell into defpair. My Jin^^ 
 fa is he, is greater than may be forgiven^ 
 or my funijhnent is greater than I can bear. 
 Behold, thou haft driven me out this day 
 from the face of this earth, where my pa- 
 rents refide ; and from thy face fhall I be 
 hid, banifhed and deprived of all divine 
 manifeftations made to them 5 a7idit JJoall 
 come to pafs, tiMt every one that findeth 
 me Jh all flay me ', iince on the account 
 of this murder I fliall be look'd upon as 
 a common enemy. God, intending to 
 prolong the life of Cain in a miferable 
 ertate, as an example of his vengeance, 
 gave an exprefs charge to Adam and all 
 his pofterity not to offer violence to the 
 perfon of Cain, under a fevere penalty. 
 Thus the hord fet a mark upon Cain, fe- 
 cured him from being killed, as much 
 as if he had fet a mark upon his face % 
 that every body might know him. 
 Or, God gave Cain a fign \ that is, fome 
 extraordinary evidence, to fatisfy his guiU 
 ty and timorous mind of the truth of 
 what he had promised him. 
 
 dv-ni kx, ^tifleov ym^a.1 ^ttvlv^S'id 'Trdin^ ctcTfta? X^P^^ 
 yn^' Jof- Jud. Ant. L. 1, c. ii. §1. 
 » See Pyk. 
 
 Cain 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 41 
 
 Cain then went out with his wife \ 
 to whom he was married before the mur- 
 der of Abel, from the prefence of the Lordy 
 and dwelt farther eaftward of Eden, in 
 the land which was called from him the 
 land of Nod \ 
 
 The hiftorian proceeds to give a fliort 
 hiftory of his defcendants, and efpecially 
 of thofe, who were remarkable for any 
 new invention ; and then returns to relate, 
 that Adam had another fon, to whom 
 Eve gave the name of Seth : for God^ 
 faid Jhe^ hath appointed me a?tother feedy 
 inflead of Abel^ whom Cain flew. 
 
 To Seth was born Enos^ which de- 
 notes forrowful^ as fome think, ' or 
 rather the \^eak and miferable condition 
 of mankind. In his family began the 
 great diftinftion between the pofterity of 
 Cain, who were loofe and irreligious, and 
 all the reft of Adam's feed ; infomuch as 
 for a conliderable time intermarriages 
 were not allow'd. The pious then began 
 to call upon the name of the Lord^ or to 
 be called J by the name of the Lordy his 
 
 ' Kcti 7"« y^i iKtivm aulov iKCahKei <tCv 7« yMvauKi. 
 Jof. Ant.Jud. L.i. f. ii. §1. 
 
 * Terra vagationis et exilii. Buxt. 
 3 Vid. Lightfoot. 
 
 The Jews explain it differently. Ilia erat aeta^, m cujus 
 diebus inceperunt errare, et fecerunt fibi idola, et cogno 
 minabant idola fua nomine fermonis Dei. Jon. Vid. 
 Maim, in Mifn^ Tom, i. Tra^.Jdol, 
 
 fer° 
 
4Z j{n Ess AY for e^phtmng 
 
 fervants and worfhipers, and the fons or 
 children of God. 
 
 Having thus reprefented the fituation 
 of affairs in regard to religion, he goes 
 on to. give a genealogy of the pious pa- 
 triarchs down to Noah in a right line. 
 Chap. 5. As for the collateral lines, which un- 
 doubtedly wxre nurrjerous, they are o- 
 mited, becaufe not neceffary to Mofes's 
 purpofe. 
 
 Having juft before given an account of 
 Abel's death, he begins the genealogy 
 from Seth, and to keep alive a fenfe of 
 the difference between Adam in his inno- 
 cent flate, and his defendants after he 
 had tranfgreffed, he tells us, that God 
 created man in his likenefs, and that he 
 [Adam] lived an hundred and thirty years, 
 and begat a fon in his own likenefs. It 
 is farther to be obferved, that he fets 
 down how long they lived, and when 
 they died, that we might fee thro how 
 few hands traditionary knowledge was 
 derived 5 and that the names, which were 
 given, were expreffive of the prefent or 
 future circumftances of things. Thus 
 Enoch, in the character of a prophet, 
 called his fon Methufelah, fignifying that 
 when he was dead, an inundation of wa- 
 ters fhould enfue. In like manner La- 
 mech caird his fon No^hyjaying, This fame 
 
 fhall 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 45 
 
 Jhall comfort us concerning our work and 
 toil of our hands^ becaufe of the ground 
 ^duhich the Lord hath curfed\ But what is 
 more efpecially to be remark'd, is the 
 charadler and reward of Enoch. Enoch 
 walked with God : conicantly conv^. '*s'd 
 with him, and worjfhiped before him, 
 in his whole courfe of life was dired:ed 
 by him, and exprefled a fteddy regara to 
 his orders; he was eminently pious, not- 
 withftanding the wickednefs of the age 
 wherein he lived : a?id he was not^ for 
 God took him *. 
 
 This remarkable event happened, when 
 Enoch, the feventh from Adam, was but 
 three hundred and fixty five years old ; 
 and when all the patriarchs before the 
 flood, except two, might be, and probably 
 were, witnefles of it. Adam, the father 
 of all mankind, died but about fifty fe- 
 ven years before. Enoch, the fecond pa- 
 triarch, was not found among the living, 
 for God took him As the death of the firft 
 parent muft occafion melancholy thoughts 
 in his furviving children ; the tranflation 
 
 ' Hie confolabitur nobis ab opere noilro non profpero, 
 et a laboribus manuum noilrarum ex terra, cui male- 
 dixit Deus propter peccata filiorum hominis. Jonathan. T. 
 lile requiem dabit nobis ab operibus noftris, et ab aerum- 
 na manuum noftrarum de terra> cui maledixit Dominus. 
 Per/. V. 
 
 ^ Lakach, Gen. ji. 15^ 
 
 of 
 
44 -^^^ Essay for esplaining 
 
 of Enoch was proper to fupport them, 
 fince thereby affurance was given to the 
 pious of a future happy life : He walked 
 with Gody and was not^ for God took him. 
 And fince God's taking him to himfelf is 
 reprefented as a reward of his fincere and 
 conftant obedience to him in a degenerate 
 age, it cannot but be looked upon as 
 defigned for an incouragement and mo- 
 tive to piety and virtue. 
 Chap. 6. After the hiflorian has carried the ge- 
 nealogy down to Noah and his three 
 fons, he returns to give an account of 
 the rife of that general degeneracy, which 
 drew after it the deluge. He had be- 
 fore reprefented the diftindlion there was 
 between the pious race of Seth in the 
 time of Enos, and the irreligious dcfcen- 
 dants of Cain : and now he proceeds to ac- 
 quaint us, that the world growing more 
 populous, and the Cainites increafing in 
 daughters who were fair, the fons ' of 
 
 God 
 
 * This is the firfl time the hiitorian ufes the expreflions, 
 fons of God, and daughters of men. From the time of Enos 
 the pious calling themielves by the name of the Lord, fuch 
 as worfhiped, imitated, and obeyed God in hope of 
 the removal of the evils that fm introduced, and particu- 
 larly of death, were called the fons of God j and to the 
 defccndants of Cain, who were of the contrary charadler, 
 the title of fons and daughters of men was given. The 
 ilory appears extremely natural. God gave a promife of 
 3 feed, that ihculd break the ferpent's head. After Cain 
 
 ha4 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 4^ 
 
 God married with them ; and as there 
 were men of violence and oppreflion be- 
 fore, fo by thefe iniermarriages there 
 fprung up men of power and rage ^ ; and 
 as infedlion fpreads, fo fenfuahty and op- 
 preffion filFd the earth 5 and God in con- 
 fequence determined to deftroy the world 
 by an inundation, and adt as men do 
 when they repent. God however would 
 allow them an hundred and twenty years 
 fpace to reform and grow better ; after 
 the expiring of which, if his patience 
 had not its defigned effedt, he would 
 bring upon them the threatned puniih- 
 ment. 
 
 The fequel of the ftory tells us, that 
 God looked upon the earthy and^ behold^ if 
 was corrupt : for all Jlejh had corrupted 
 his way. And accordingly orders were gi- 
 ven to Noah, who was a juft man, and 
 perfedl in his generation, and walked with 
 God, to make an ark, wherein he and his 
 family, and pairs of the beafls of the 
 field, and of the clean (which were pro- 
 
 had flain Abel, and another fon was born to Eve, fhe 
 called him Seth ; for, faid fhe, God hath appointed me 
 another y^^^. When the defendants of Seth and Cain in- 
 creafed, and the former were diftinguilhed from the lat-' 
 ter, by being called by the name of the Lord, the ftile is 
 varied, and the firft are called the fans of God^ and the 
 others fans and daughters of men. 
 
 * Nephiliea Heb. hi J^i yiycLv\li> L xx. 0/ I'Trm'Trlovlift 
 It ^ictiot, J^. Ql J\f^ialo{j CieilQh Sym, 
 
 per 
 
46 An Essay for expJatntng 
 
 per for food or facrifice) feven pairs' 
 were to be preferved to replenifti the 
 earth. Their entrance into the ark, in 
 compliance with the command of the 
 
 Chap. 7. Lord, faying^ Come thou and all thy houfe 
 into the ark, &c. the defcent of the rains, 
 with the breaking up of all the fountains 
 of the great deep, are particularly de- 
 fer ibed. 
 
 When the waters affwaged, Noah is 
 reprefented to have fent forth a raven^ 
 and afterwards a dove which returned to 
 
 Chap. 8. \{ixn. Then Jlaying other feven days, he 
 again fent forth the dove-, which return- 
 ing, brought in her mouth an olive leaf 
 fluclid off. And he fiaid yet other feven 
 days, and fent forth the dove, which re-- 
 turn'd not to him any more. The dove 
 probably was fent forth, when Noah*s fa- 
 mily ingag'd in the worfhip of the great 
 governour of the world on the feven th 
 day, while in the ark; God, at the time 
 which he faw proper, 'gave orders to 
 Noah, faying. Go forth of the ark, thoUy 
 and thy wife, a?2d thy fo?ts, and thy fons 
 wives, &c. And now the hiftory brings 
 us to a new period. 
 
 %. A few remarks will be fufficient to 
 convince unprejudiced perfons, that the 
 revelations, which Moles relates in the 
 foregoing period, have attending them all 
 the characters before laid down to diftin- 
 
 guifli 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 47 
 
 guifh true from falfe, to evidence that 
 they are genuine, and may reafonably be 
 entertained by us. 
 
 If it was agreeable to man in inno- 
 cence, as a compound being, to have a 
 vifible glorious prefence of Jehovah Elo- 
 him ; it appears highly fit, that the Lord 
 God fhould judge him in the fame way. 
 If God deligned favour to him, no con- 
 dud could be more proper, than to begin 
 with the inftrument: and in fentencing 
 him to intimate a reprieve. When Eve 
 was feduced by what flattered her fenfes, 
 and a profpedl of being fet free from all 
 reflraint ; and fhe was fentenced to pain 
 and forrow, and fubjedled to the rule of 
 her huiband : was there not an apparent 
 agreeablenefs between her crime and the 
 puniihment ? What could be more pro- 
 per, than that the ground fhould be curfed 
 for Adam's fake ? and that he in toil and 
 forrow fhould eat of it all the days of his 
 life ? This not only fhewed, that the 
 Lord God could make what changes he 
 pleafed in the earth, to anfwer his pur- 
 pofesof moral government; but it might 
 alfo be proper to fubdue Adam's heigh- 
 tened appetites and paflions. 
 
 Certainly it will appear not incon- 
 gruous, that when Adam had fined, he 
 fhould lofe his ^/c/7, the mark of his di- 
 gnity, and be deprived of the privilege of 
 a the 
 
48 An Essay for e^phimng 
 
 the tree of life j and debar'd a re-entrance 
 into paradife after he was ban iflied from 
 it ; all which he had forfeited by his of- 
 fence : that the glorious prefence fhould 
 have (at leaft at proper times) a more 
 terrible appearance, than in the ftate of 
 innocence : and that a lively fenfe fhould 
 be given Adam of his guilt, and of death 
 the confequence of it, in killing the 
 beafts ; and yet that a care (hould be ex- 
 preffed to him, in furnifhing him with 
 clothes fuitable to his exiled ftate. What 
 could be more agreeable, than that thro 
 the whole procedure of Jehovah Elohim^ 
 as judge, fincc favour was defigned to be 
 expreffed, a fenfe of the offence, and yet 
 a hope to animate repentance, fhould be 
 excited and kept up ? It was highly fit, 
 that when there was the prefence^ and an 
 immediate and fenfible government ex- 
 ercifed, there fhould be a vifible diftin- 
 d:ion made between thofe who were fin- 
 cerely good, and fuch as had a contrary 
 difpofition and behaviour. Could there 
 be a more fuitable difco very, upon Cain's 
 refentment that his brother's offering was 
 accepted, when there was no favour- 
 able regard expreffed to his, than that he 
 fhould be told, this diilindion was made 
 on the account of their different moral 
 charaders ? Could any thing be better 
 timed, than before Cain commited mur- 
 der 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 49 
 
 der kindly to caution him, and let him 
 know, that his bad incHnations might be 
 maftered ? Surely it cannot but appear 
 exceeding proper, that Cain's killing his 
 brother ihould be fevercly punifhed for an 
 example to others. Nothing can be more 
 agreeable to the ideas we form of God, 
 than that religion and virtue fliould be 
 connected with his favour, and rewards 
 from him. Did not his taking to him- 
 felf Enoch, who was remarkably good, 
 appear a ftrong and powerful motive and 
 incouragement to the pradice of diftin- 
 guifh'd piety and virtue ? In this period 
 there does not appear to be wanting any 
 principle or motive, that was neceflary 
 to induce or recover to a good life. And 
 when degeneracy became fo univer- 
 fal, that there was but one family, 
 who had preferved themfelvcs unftained, 
 (if all of them did) it was kind to pre- 
 ferve that family to re-people the world, 
 as well as juft to punifh the reft. How 
 fuitable was it to the goodnefs of God to 
 warn them of this by the heads of their 
 families, and to exprefs patience, when he 
 had determined it, for the fpace of an hun- 
 dred and twenty years ? Not to mention, 
 that the deluge was brought on by flow 
 degrees, the waters gradually rifing till 
 they overtoped the mountains. 
 
 E Xhu8 
 
Chap. 8 
 
 50 jin Essay for explaining 
 
 Thus I apprehend that the revelations, 
 which Mofes gives us a relation of to 
 this time, appear to have an agreeable- 
 nefs to the characters of a true and genuine 
 revelation. 
 
 III. The order of the hiftory leads me 
 now to confider the revelations, which 
 Mofes reprefents God to have made to 
 the patriarchs after the flood, and parti- 
 cularly to Abraham. 
 
 I. When Noah and his wife, his 
 fons and their wives, and all that were 
 with them, by divine order went out of 
 the ark on the twenty feventh day of that 
 month, which anfwers to part of our 
 Odober and part of November, in the 
 1657 year, Noah reftored the antient 
 rites of divine fervice, built an altar to 
 the Lord, and took of every clean beail, 
 and of every clean fowl (fuch creatures as 
 in all probability God had formerly ap- 
 pointed for facrifice) and offered burnt- 
 offerings on the altar, with thankfgiving 
 for this their great deliverance, j4?2d the 
 Lordfmelled a Jweet favour^ or a favour 
 of reft, a7id faid to his hearty or refolved 
 \n himfelf, and declared that his refolu- 
 tion to Noah : Never any more will I 
 curfe the ground for mans Jake^ for (or 
 tho) the ijnagination of man's heart be 
 evil from his youth , neither will I again 
 fmite any more every thing livifjg^ as I have 
 
 donee 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 5 1 
 
 done. While the earth remaineth, Jeed-time 
 and harveji^ and cold and heat, and fum- 
 mer and winte7\ and day and night fhall 
 not ceafe. This was the covenant which 
 God eftablifhed with Noah, and his fons, 
 and their feed, and every beaft of the 
 earth. And to give them a fign of this his 
 promife, and remind them of it, he i^t 
 his bow in the cloud. 
 
 God ' appearing thus to Noah renewed 
 to him and his fons the bleffing, which w^as 
 made to Adam immediately after his crea- 
 tion ; Be fruitful and midtiply and reple- 
 niJJj the earth ' : and the privilege of domi- 
 nion over the inferior creatures ; The fear 
 of you, and the dread of you ^ Jljall be upon 
 every beaft of the earth, a?id upon every 
 fowl of the air, upon all that 7?wveth on the 
 ear'th, and upon all thefijloes of the fea -, into 
 your hand are they delivered. And he enlarg- 
 ed the grant of food, allowing Noah and 
 his defcendants to live upon the flefh of 
 animals, as well as upon fruits and herbs > 
 but with this limitation, that they fliould 
 kill them by as quick and eafy a death as 
 they could, and not eat the flefh raw 
 in a voracious manner, while the warm 
 
 * KitI ^t^V 9s@- TAvf ItTTaV «J VTro^Q^iV©' CL<7{' 
 
 dM^a.7c(\cLt. J of. Ant. Jud. Z-. i. r. 3. ^ 8. 
 
 * Gen. i« 28,29. and viii. 17. 
 
 E 2 blood 
 
5 2 jin Es s AY for explaining 
 
 blood was fpringing in it ^ This, as in- 
 tended to prevent any difpofition to cru- 
 elty, was a proper method to fecure and 
 guard them more efted:ually from fhed- 
 ing the blood of men. Therefore it im- 
 mediately follows. And (or for • ) furely 
 your blood of your lives will I require : at 
 the hand of every beajl will I require ity and 
 at the hand of every ma?i s brother will I 
 require the life of man, Whofo Jhedeth 
 mans bloody by man fi all his blood be Jhed : 
 for in the image of God made he man^ in 
 giving him dominion over the reft of the 
 creation. 
 
 The hiftorian, before he proceeds to give 
 an account of re-peopling the earth by 
 Shem, Cham, and Japheth, the fons of 
 Noah, relates an inftance, which difcovers 
 the degeneracy of Cham and his fon ; 
 and reprefents the fad confequences, which 
 fhould thence arife to their impious and 
 v/icked defcendants ; and that on the con- 
 
 * Verum carnem, quae lacerata eft ex beilia vivente, quo 
 tempore anima ejus in ipfa eit, aut quae lacerata eft a beftia 
 dum ma<^tatur, antequam exeat omnis anima ejus, non 
 comedetis. farg. Jonat. Membrum animalis vivi, h.e. ab 
 animali vivo abfciftum, prohibitum fuit (G^^i. ix. 4.) quia 
 id fignum eft crudelitatis. Maim. Mor. Ne'v. P. iii. c. 48. 
 
 The Hchre-Tv doftors make tliis the feventh precept given 
 to the Tons of Noah, and explain it to be a prohibition of 
 eating any member, or flefh of a beaft, taken from it 
 alive. Ainfworth. 
 
 • Vid. ixx. Fttlg. Jr. Monf. 
 
 2 trary 
 
the Scripture- Revelations. 5 5 
 
 trary the pofterity of Shem would be the 
 fupporters of the true worfhip of God, 
 and intirely fubdue the irreligious race of 
 this very Canaan. 
 
 . The flory is this : Noah having planted 
 a vineyard, and invented the way of pref- 
 fing the grape, and making wine, being 
 unacquainted with the flrength of the 
 liquor, thro old age was unawares in- 
 toxicated with it, and lay uncovered 
 in his tent in an indecent manner. Ca- 
 naan the fon of Cham coming into his 
 grandfather's apartment, faw him in that 
 poflure, and called his father. Cham 
 inftead of fhewing him the refpedl that 
 was due, left him as he was, and run 
 out to Shem and Japheth, and in an im- 
 pious and irreligious manner expofed him 
 to them. Shem and Japheth aihamed of 
 fuch behaviour, went and covered their 
 naked father in a moft decent and mo- 
 deft manner. Noah, isohen he awoke from 
 his wine^ and knew what his younger fon 
 had done unto him^ and the deportment of 
 his other children, foretold to each of 
 them the condition and fuccefs, which in 
 the courfe of providence would attend 
 their pofterity in after-ages : declaring that 
 from Cham, by his fon Canaan, would 
 defcend a wicked and idolatrous nation, 
 who ftiould be curfed and fubjeded to 
 their brethren, and particularly to the 
 E 3 defcen- 
 
54 ^^^ Essay for e^phhitng 
 
 defcendants of Shem. As to Shem, he 
 fa id, BleJJed he Jehovah the God of Shem, 
 and Canaan p: all he hh fervant : and with 
 regard to Japheth, who was the eldeft, 
 God Jhall inlarge Japheth ', and he Jhali 
 dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan 
 fball be his fervant : that is, the pofterity 
 of Japheth fhali be remarkably numerous 
 and powerful, and extend their domi- 
 nions fo far, as to poffefs fome countries 
 belonging to the families of Shem, and 
 cut off all the confiderable remains of 
 Cham's line by Canaan. "" 
 
 The time when this event happened is 
 uncertain. It appears however to have 
 been a confiderable time after Noah's 
 coming out of the ark, for the birth 
 of Canaan was after that ; and when 
 the fons of Cham are enumerated in the 
 tenth chapter, Cufh and Mizraim and 
 Phut are mentioned before him. When 
 he behaved in fuch an indecent manner to 
 his grandfather, whofe character he could 
 not be unapprifed of, as head and gover- 
 nour of his family, to whom Jehovah 
 
 ' Alliciat Deus Japtliethum : ita nonnulli. Dilatet Deus 
 Japheth, ut alii. Hoc fequuti Caldaeus, Oiikelos, Graeciy 
 Jrabes, cum HicronymOy fic reddunt j et haec interpretatio 
 priori multis de caufis videtur praeferenda. Vid. B&chart. 
 Vol. i. Z,. iii. c. I. Edit. Leujd. 
 
 • How this was verified, fee Bochart in the fame 
 place. 
 
 appeared^ 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. jj 
 
 appeared, and by whom his orders and 
 inilrudions were communicated, he muft 
 have been paft a youth. The fentence de- 
 nounced againft him {hews the greatnefs of 
 his guilt, and renders this ftill more pro- 
 bable. The effect it had upon himfelf, 
 Cham, and the reft of that family, ap- 
 pears to be contrary to what might rea- 
 sonably be expedled. Corruption and de- 
 generacy increafe, and rage, kindled by 
 pride, and attended with the luft of 
 power, pufhes them upon criminal de- 
 figns. This the fequel of the ftory will 
 clearly and fully evince. 
 
 The hiftorian having related the num- 
 ber of years, which Noah lived after the 
 flood, and reprefented his intire age to be 
 nine hundred and fifty, when he died, 
 proceeds to give us the generations of his 
 fons, which according to the Hebrew code 
 amount to feventy ', and according to the 
 Grd"^/^ feventy two. And as he tells us that 
 
 by 
 
 I From hence it is, that the Jewifh writers make the 
 number of languages, which arofe from the confufion, to be 
 feventy ; and coniirm (as they imagine) their opinion by 
 Veut. xxxii. 8. When the mo fl high divided to the natiom 
 their inheritance, nvhen he feparated the fans of Adam, he 
 fet the bounds of the people according to the number of the 
 children of Ifrael. Numerus autem linguarum fuit fecun- 
 «lum verba Rabbi aoram noftrorum feptuaginta, fecundum 
 E 4 nume- 
 
5 6 An E ss AY for explaining 
 
 by thefe the nations were divided, every 
 one after his tongue^ he was naturally led to 
 relate theoccalion and rife of thediverfity 
 of languages. When the inhabitants of 
 the whole earth took their origin from one 
 head, it is no wonder that they fhould 
 n. ,,.be of one language, and of one fpeech ; 
 but how different languages at once 
 Ihould fpring up, is not in that circum- 
 ftance fo eafy to apprehend. The ac- 
 count which Mofes gives is this : When 
 the whole earth was of one language ', 
 md of one Jpeech^ it came to pafs that 
 
 they 
 
 numerum fc populorum, qui inveniuntur in fedione 
 Noach, G^«. cap. x. nempe de Japheto 14, de Cham 
 30, de Scheme 26, qui fummatim faciunt 70. In chro- 
 rico Tjemach Dawd, par. n. fub anno 996 fic fcribit R. 
 Bechai in fedione Noach, FoL ZQ. colum. 2. Vid. Targ. 
 Cant. Cantk. Cap. i. 'v. z. Eenediftum ello nomen 
 Domini, qui dilexit nos magis quam 70 populos : fic Ahar- 
 hinal. See this opinion folidly and fully refuted by the 
 learned 5o<:/5'^r/. L.'\. f. 15. ?hakg. 
 
 ^ Of one lip, which is rendered language. Ifa. xix. 18. 
 /« that day foall five cities in the I and of Egypt fpeak the lan- 
 guage (or lip) of Canaan, he Clerc is of the opinion, that by 
 the" phrafes of one language, and of one fpeech, are meant 
 unanimit)' and concord ; in which he fays he has the con- 
 currence of Jarchi, and produces feveral places to confirm 
 the fenfe j and then acds, that God by his angels fent di£- 
 cord, the confequence ot which was a divifion, and fo by 
 degrees different languages arofe. Not to mention that in 
 the paffages which he cites, to prove that one fpeech and 
 one language Hands to fignify agreement and concord, words 
 different, from what are ufed here, are found, as phe cchad, 
 koj echad; this account of the matter appears dilagreeab|e 
 to tiie hiilory, which introduces Jehovah faying, let us go 
 
 d»<wn 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 57 
 
 they journied from the eafi. He doth 
 not fpeak of all the pofterity of Noah, 
 who after the flood fettled in the eaft, of 
 Shem and his defcendants, much lefs of 
 Noah himfelf 5 but of a great colony of 
 them, who, when the eaft, which was the 
 name that was given to that part of Af- 
 fyria, which lay on the further fide of the 
 Tigris ', was much peopled, journied 
 weftward, and finding a pleafant plain in 
 the land of Shinar dwelt there. Their 
 charadler the hiftorian gives afterwards, 
 when he reprefents them as children of 
 men ; an expreffion, which he had before 
 ufed to defcribe the degenerate race of 
 Cain, in contradiftinftion to the jom 
 of Gody or the pious defcendants of 
 
 ^ouun and confound their language, that they may not un- 
 derjiand one another s fpeech. And fo Jeh<vah fcattered 
 them abroad, making their difperfion the effeft of the con- 
 fufion of their language. And the hiftorian feems to mention 
 their immediate reparation to be after their families, and 
 after their tongues. It is however not improbable, that great 
 difcord might enfue their not underftanding one another. 
 So the Jer. Targ. Neque fciebat unus quid diceret focius 
 ejus, fed interficiebant hie alterum, &c. 
 
 ' When Armenia, where the ark is fuppofed to reft, and 
 from whence Noah's fons fpread themfelves, lay north of 
 Shinar, there is a difficuky to account for the exprelTion, 
 which the hiftorian makes u(e of, that they journied from the 
 eafl. I have given the folution of Bochart, that Affyria on 
 the further fide of the Tigris they called the eaji, and on this 
 the nvef. But others apprehend, that the mountains of 
 Ararat runing a great way eaftward, Noah and his fons 
 might fettle in countries, which were very much eaftward 
 of Affyria. 
 
 Seth, 
 
5 i5 An Essay for explaining 
 
 Seth '. It is very probable therefore, that 
 the greater number of them were de- 
 fcended from the corrupt race of Cham, 
 tho fome of the other families thro dege- 
 neracy might be joined with them. Which 
 may be the reafon, why this writer ufes 
 expreffions which are very general, ap- 
 prehending that no attentive reader would 
 mifunderftand him, when he ftil'd them 
 children of men j and when immediately 
 after that relation he returned to give us 
 a fecond account of the generations of 
 Shem, partly to fhow that they, among 
 whom true religion was fupported, were 
 not in any confiderable number ingaged in 
 the attempt, and partly to carry down 
 from Shem in a diredt line the defcent of 
 Abraham^, whofe hiftory will follow. 
 
 And they faid one to another. Go to^ 
 let us make brick y and burn them throughly: 
 and they had brick for Jlone, and fime they 
 had for mortar. And they faidy Go to^ let 
 MS build us a city^ and a tower of a great 
 heighth, whofe top may reach to heaven % 
 
 * Gen. vi. 1,2. 
 
 * Ufitata haec fuit linguis orientalibus hyperbole ad 
 altam ftrufturam fignandam. Exploratores a Mole in Cha- 
 naanitidem miffi fe vidiffe urbes magnas et munitas ad coe- 
 lum narrabant, Deut. i. i8. ix. i. Sic et Dan. iv. ii. 
 Proceritas eximia arboris contingit coelum. Apud Home- 
 rum fimiliter, Odyf. E, v. 238. 
 
 'Wid.Bocb. L.l Phal. Cap. 13. 
 
 a?id 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. jp 
 
 and let us make us a name. This ex- 
 preffion was ufed before ' of the children 
 which were born to thefons of God, after 
 they had married the daughters of men, 
 who are called men of name^ when uni- 
 verfal degeneracy and violence infued, 
 which drew on a general inundation. 
 The hiftorian proceeds to acquaint us 
 with the reafon they affigned for this 
 vain and criminal proje<ft: Lejl we be 
 Jcattered abroad upon the face of the 
 whole earth, God having promifed ne- 
 ver more to deftroy the earth by a de- 
 luge, and yet feeing that there was dan- 
 ger of a general corruption, commanded ' 
 Noah to order his defcendants to fe- 
 parate according to their families, to pre- 
 vent the contagion from fpreading. But 
 thefe orders were fo far from being com- 
 plied with, that they were oppofed. 
 The defcendants of Canaan might pro- 
 bably call to their remembrance the pre- 
 didion of Noah, that they fhould be 
 fubjedt to the pofterity of Shem, and in 
 confequence might puih with their ut- 
 moft force the building a city and for- 
 
 ' Gen. vi. 4, 5 . 
 
 yV© (L{X(L^ici^ TntfYtHHimv tS ^s»- HctA/v ofiQ- cLvjoif 
 J of. Ant.Jud.Lib/i.CA,. § I- 
 
 trefs, 
 
6o jin Essay for e^platning 
 
 trefs, as the likelieft and moft proper 
 method to prevent it '. 
 
 While they were ingaged in this at- 
 tempt, Jehovah [aid, Behold^ the people is 
 one^ and they have all one language, and 
 this they begin to do^ and now nothing will 
 be rejirained from them^ which they have 
 imagined to doy how unjuft and outragious 
 foever. Go to, let us go down^ and corfound 
 their language. And now Jehovah ap- 
 peared in vifible glory, attended with 
 angels % and marks of great and terrible 
 
 majefty, 
 
 ' Et dixerunt, venite nunc, et aedificemus nobis civitatem 
 et turrim, et faciamus nobis in medio ejus templum cultus 
 \yel imaginem adoration!", ftc Jon.'] in cacumine ejus, et 
 ponamus gladium in medio manus ejus, ne iorte contra eum 
 ordinetur acies praelii, priufquam difpergamur fuper facies 
 totius terrae. Jer. T. Et faciamus nobis imaginem adoratio- 
 nis in ejus faftigio, et ponamus gladium in manu ejus, ut con- 
 ferat contra acies praeiium, priufquam difpergamur. Jon. T. 
 
 * That the angels attended Jehonjah is clear from the 
 Lord God*s placing at the eall of the garden, upon the ex- 
 pulfion of the firfl pair, cheruhims, and a Jla?ning fword^ 
 which is afterwards called the prefence of yeho<vah. This 
 is the general opinion of the Jews, but Jonathan tells us the 
 number of the angels, which were employed in this affair. 
 Dixit Dominus feptuaginta angelis, qui llabant coram eo, 
 venite nunc, et defcendamus. Et manifeftatus eft fer- 
 mo Dcmini contra illam civitatem, et cum eo feptuaginta 
 angeli ex adverfo i'eptuaginta populorum, et uniufcujufque 
 linguae populi fui. To this the tranflation of the lxx. 
 Beut. xxxii. 8. refers : "o7g S^ii^/i^i^iv » u4'r©- l^mt 
 «$ J^tiiT'TrufiV i5/«V 'AJ^et(Xy iTMiv o§itL 'i^va'v Katjct «6f/- 
 ^^bv tiyyihuv .&£¥. The Hebrenx: runs thus: PFhen he 
 feparated the fons of men^ he fet the bounds cf the people, 
 mcording to the number of the children of IfraeL The plain 
 
 meaning 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 6i 
 
 majefty (a manner proper and becoming, 
 iince they had defpifed the inftrudions 
 which Noah receiving from him had im- 
 parted to them) and confounded their lan- 
 guage, by occafioning fuch variations in 
 the original tongue, which they then fpoke, 
 as would make them not underftand one 
 another's fpeech. Not that there were as 
 many fevcral dialefts, as there were men ; 
 but as many probably, as the diftindl co- 
 lonies were, which God defigned to form 
 in the following difperfion. At the con- 
 clufion of the feveral accounts, which Mo- 
 fes had before given of the generations of 
 Japheth, Cham, and Shem ', it is added : 
 By thefc were the ifles of the gentiles di- 
 vided in their lands, every one after his 
 tongue, after their families, in their nations : 
 Thefe are the fons of Cham, after their 
 families, after their tongues^ in their coun- 
 tries, and in their nations : Thefe arc 
 the fons of Shem, after their families. 
 
 meaning of which words Bochart gives in this manner : 
 God fo diftributed the earth among the feveral people that 
 were therein, that in his counfel he determined fuch a 
 part for the Ifraelites, as he knew would afford a commo- 
 dious habitation to a moft numerous people. How the fe- 
 venty came to tranflate the words as they did, Bochart 
 gives an ingenious conjecture, that they had a copy, which 
 left out the three firft letters q{ Ifraely and fo they read the 
 children of God, inftead of which fome tranfcribers put th* 
 angels of God, fmce they are called fons of God. Lu 
 Phaleg. f. 15. 
 
 ' Gen. Chap, x. 5, 20, 31. 
 
 after 
 
6i An Essay for explaining \ 
 
 after their tongues^ in their lands, after 
 their nations. This makes it unqueftio- 
 nably clear, that the confufion of lan- 
 guages was brought about by a miracu- 
 lous interpofure of God, and was under 
 his peculiar direftion. God gave at firfl 
 language to Adam and Eve with a kind 
 defign, that they might immediately con- 
 verfe and enjoy the pleafures of fociety. 
 From the fame goodnefs he now con- 
 founds the common language, to prevent 
 the fad and mifchievous confequences, 
 that would arife from fuccefs in an ambi- 
 tious attempt of a combination of dege- 
 nerate and wicked men. It follows 
 therefore : So the Lord fcattered them a- 
 broad from thence upon the face of all the 
 earthy and they left off to build the city^ 
 and the name of it was calV d Babel, be- 
 caufe fehovah did there confound the lan- 
 guage of all the earth. 
 
 This event happened in the days of 
 Peleg ; who was born to Ileber, the fa- 
 ther of the Hebrews, in the hundred and 
 firfl: year after the flood. The name 
 Peleg was given him on the account of 
 this divifion by Heber, who was one of 
 the pious race of Shem, in the charader 
 of a prophet. In like manner before the 
 deluge Enoch call'd his fon Methufelah ; 
 and Lamech his, Noah, The ceffation of 
 the flood, which was predifted in the 
 
 name 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 
 
 name Noah, was not accompUfhed, till 
 he was fix hundred years old. But fome 
 think that this divifion was made at Peleg's. 
 birth, tho the text only fais, in his dap 
 the earth was divided ' . And therefore o- 
 thers are of the opinion, that it happened 
 about the middle of Peleg's life ; which is 
 more probable, than that it happened at his 
 birth ' : fmce Jocktan his younger brother, 
 and his fons, made a confiderable colony in 
 the diftribution of the world at this time of 
 the divifion, and the Jews generally place 
 it in the year three hundred and forty 
 after the flood, the laftyear of Peleg. 
 
 The empire of Nimrod, ' the fon of 
 Cufli, eredled at Babel, was probably af- 
 
 ' Gen. X. 25. 
 
 ^ I would recommend to the curious the difiertation of 
 J. Buxtoif, upon this fubjed. 
 
 ' Nimrod enim non videturex illorum fuifie numero, 
 qui turrim extruxerunt, five turn puerfuit, aut nondum natus : 
 alioqui cladem communem non evafifiet, atque illi cum 
 caeteris fuifiet alio migrandum ; nee diceretur, Gcn.x. 10. 
 principium regni ejus fuifle Babylon, qua nondum cxtruda, 
 conditores vi ^^ywdlc^ diffipati funt. Puto igitur pofl illam, 
 dadem terram Sinhar aliquot annis jacuilTe defolatam, re- 
 centi memoria tantae difperfionis omnes homines abfterrente 
 ab ilia invadenda ; donee Nimrod, homo pervicax, eo fe 
 conferre aufus eft, cum Chufaeorum magna manu, ut opus 
 dudum interruptumcontinuaretet perduceret ad umbilicum. 
 Y'ld. Bochart. L. i. c \o. Phakg. The reafon why A4o- 
 fes gives us the hiftory of Nimrod, before he relates the 
 difperfion, tho probably it happened after that in order of 
 time, is, that when he had mentioned the death of Noah, 
 he thought proper to fubjoin an account of his defcendants, 
 and their divifion, according to tlieir feveral families and 
 tongues, and then proceed to give the rife pf the diverfity of 
 language?, 
 
 tcr 
 
6^ ^n Ess AY for explaining 
 
 ter this difperfion. For not only Seba, 
 and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Sabtecha, 
 and Raamah ; but the fons of Raamah, 
 Sheba and Dedan, arc mentioned before 
 Cuih is faid to beget him. He [Nimrod] 
 hearing what had befallen fome of the 
 defcendants of his grandfather Cham in 
 the land of Shinar, and growing martial 
 and powerful by fubduing wild beafts, 
 carried thither his attempt of conqueft 
 over men, and greatly fucceeded. Here- 
 by corruption and idolatry fprcad, and the 
 infedlion feifed the defcendants of Shem. 
 Terah, the father of Abram, we find char- 
 ged with it '. Whether he run into it be- 
 fore Noah died, or not, is uncertain 3 tho 
 the latter is more likely. God was pleafed 
 to continue the life of Noah three hun- 
 dred and fifty years after the flood, that 
 the religious and civil aflfairs of his great- 
 ly increafed pofterity might be better fet- 
 tled. He died two years before the birth 
 of Abram, a defcendant of Shem, who 
 was now living. 
 
 Corruption and idolatry become now 
 very general, and having infed:ed the pi- 
 ous race, God in infinite wifdom intends 
 to feparate and diftinguifh a family, in 
 which his true worfhip fhould be pre- 
 fcrved, and by which others if they would 
 
 J of, xxiv. 2. 
 
 attend 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 65 
 
 attend might be inftruded ; having ex- 
 prefsly promifed never more to deftroy 
 mankind by an univerfal delup-e. 
 
 In order to this Terah with bis family 
 removed from Ur of the Chaldees inro 
 Canaan (Haran his eldefl fon, and father 
 of Lot, Milcah, and Sarai, being dead) 
 and in their way to it came to Charran. 
 There Terah died. At which time Abram, 
 who was then feventy five years old, 
 took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's 
 fon, and all their fubftance, and left 
 Charran to go into the land of Canaan, in 
 compliance with a command he had re- 
 ceived from God in Ur, namely : Get thee 
 out of thy country^ and from thy kindred, 
 and from thy father s hoife^ into a land 
 which I pall Jhew thee. And here begins 
 a new remarkable period of the hiftory, 
 which Mofes gives us of revelations from 
 God. But before we enter upon this, it 
 will be proper, according to the method I 
 propofed, to make fome remarks on the 
 former. 
 
 2. Nothing can be more worthy of God, 
 or fuitable to his character as governour of 
 the world, than to fettle in men's minds 
 a firm belief, that he will make a diffe- 
 rence between the righteous and the 
 wicked ; without which there would be 
 wanting a fufiicient motive to prevail up- 
 on us to be extenfively and conftantly 
 F good. 
 
66 An Essay for explaining 
 
 good. And is not this ftrongly and clear- 
 ly evinced, when the reafon of deftroying 
 mankind by the deluge is reprefented 
 to be the general inundation of vice, 
 whereby all flefli had corrupted his way ; 
 and the inducement of faving Noah with 
 his family is his charader, as a juft man, 
 and perfect in his generation, walking 
 with God ? And the Lord /aid unto Noah^ 
 C 07716 thou a72d all thy houfe into the ark^ 
 for thee have I feen righteous before me in 
 'this generation. When by divine orders, 
 which it was proper he fliould wait for, 
 lince every circumftance of this great 
 event w^as under the immediate direction 
 of God, Noah and his family went out 
 of the ark, and Noah offered burnt offer- 
 ings to the Lord, which were acceptable 
 to him 3 what could give greater incou- 
 ragement to fuch religious pradice, or be 
 more fuitable to the fentiments we have 
 of the divine goodnefs, than that in con- 
 fequence God fhould blefs him and his 
 fons, and renew the grant of dominion 
 over the inferior creatures, which was gi- 
 ven to Adam, and open to him his kind 
 intention, nevermore by a general deluge 
 to deftroy mankind ? To confiderate per- 
 fons it cannot but appear agreeable to di- 
 vine wifdom to take off the dread of ano- 
 ther i^iood, when dark and thick clouds 
 (hould gather, as they often ^and probably 
 2 foon 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 67 
 
 foon would, fince they came out of the 
 ark in Ofliober or November 3 and by fuch 
 an inftance of goodnefs to ingage the fin- 
 cerely pious, and remove the reftraint, 
 which might be improper to the proba- 
 tionary ftate of all. 
 
 When Noah and his family, in all pro- 
 bability, chofe rather to live in the com- 
 paratively barren and mountainous parts of 
 the eaftern ridge of hills called Ararat^ 
 than venture foon into the richer plains ; 
 and the fruits of the earth were then 
 fcarce, and lefs pleafant and nutritive : 
 was it not highly congruous to the wif- 
 dom and goodnefs of God to inlarge the 
 grant of food, and give liberty to eat 
 flefh ; and at the fame time by prohibit- 
 ing a cruel manner of doing it, to pre- 
 vent any difpofition, which might arife 
 from thence, to attempt one another's 
 lives ? Surely it will be readily granted to 
 be right and fit, that if any fhould take 
 away unjuftly the life of another, his life 
 fhould be forfeited. And is not the rea- 
 fon which is affigned apparently ftrong : 
 T^hat every man is made in the image 
 of Gody and has confequently dominion 
 over the inferior creatures, of which do- 
 minion he is wrongfully deprived by being 
 killed? Nothing could more properly 
 follow this law, Whofo pedeth mans 
 bloody by manjkall his blood be fied ; than 
 F 2 the 
 
68 An Ess AY for explaining 
 
 the repetition of God*s bleffing to them. 
 Be you fruitful^ and multiply ; and his pro- 
 mife, never more by a food to dejiroy 
 mankind : fince the care that God hereby 
 expreffes of the increafe and prefervation 
 of men, is a ftrong and powerful motive 
 to inforce a conftant regard to it. Was 
 it not highly proper, that God ihould de- 
 clare by Noah, the father and governour 
 of men, and who was righteous before 
 him, the different conditions of his de- 
 fcendants, in confequence of their diffe- 
 rent difpoiition and behaviour, to lead 
 them to fee, that agreeably to his condudl 
 hitherto profperity, and the reverfe of it, 
 depended on their religious and moral 
 condud: ? The account the hiftorian gives 
 of the increafing degeneracy of Canaan 
 and his race, notwithftanding that de- 
 claration, is highly probable. Since it is 
 not likely, that fuch a declaration fhould 
 greatly influence one, who could commit 
 fo impious an ad; to his grandfather, in 
 whom the higheft power was placed, and 
 to whom the greateft deference was due ; 
 efpecially when he could not but be ac- 
 quainted with his charadler, and the 
 marks of favour he had received from 
 God, who had appeared to him in vifible 
 glory, and revealed his will to him. 
 When corruption began to fpread, and 
 there was danger of having it become ge- 
 neral, 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 6^ 
 
 neral, it will certainly be allowed con- 
 gruous to the charadler of God, as a 
 wife and kind governour, to take fome 
 method, fuited to the circumftances of 
 that time, to prevent its fpreading. And 
 what could be more proper, than by Noah, 
 their aged father, to order a feparation 
 according to their families; whereby 
 they would be kept diftindt from each 
 other ^ When, in oppofition to this wife 
 order, they attempted to raife themfelves 
 a name, by building a city and fortrefs, 
 it was highly becoming God to defeat 
 their defign, and in fuch a manner as might 
 leave a deep impreflion on their minds. 
 When notwithftandingthefe wife methods 
 to prevent it, degeneracy became fo uni- 
 verfal, as to infe6t the race of Shem : was 
 it not wife and good to feparate Abram 
 and his family, to keep up the worfhip of 
 the true God ; and by remarkable occur- 
 rences of divine providence to them to 
 awaken attention in thofe, among whom 
 they {hould fojourn -, and to make them 
 the depofitories of the promife, which in- 
 finite wildom would open in fuch various 
 proportions, as were fuitable and proper. 
 
 IV. I proceed now to reprefent the hi- 
 ftory, that Mofes gives from Abram's leav- 
 ing Charran to the giving of the law, which 
 I fliall divide into two periods : From 
 F 3 Abram's 
 
70 ^;2 E s SA Y for explamtng 
 
 Abram's removing from Charran to the 
 death of Jofeph in Egypt : And from 
 thence to the Mofaic conftitution. 
 
 I. Abram, when he was in Ur, received 
 orders from Jehovah to leave his country, 
 and his relations, and go into a land, 
 which he would fhew him. Upon the 
 death of Terah his father in Charran, in 
 compliance with the divine command he 
 left Charran, at the age of feventy five, to 
 go into Canaan, taking with him Sarai his 
 wife, and Lot his brother s fon^ and all their 
 Juhjiance that they had gathered^ and the 
 fouls that they had got en in Charran '. 
 
 To this long journey of three hundred 
 miles, into a country of which he had no 
 knowledge, thro the dangerous and bar- 
 ren defarts of Palniyrena, and over the 
 high mountain Libanus, or Hermon, or 
 Gilead (for in that part of the country 
 he entered) at a great remove from his 
 kindred, he was incouraged by the pro- 
 mife, which God made to him of a nu- 
 Clmp. i2.nierous poilerity, tho Sarai is reprefented 
 as barren : And I will make of thee a 
 great nation^ and I will blefs thee, and make 
 thy name greats and thoujhalt be a blejjing. 
 And I will blefs them who blefs thee, and 
 curfe him who curfeth thee: and in thee 
 Jhall all families of the earth be blejjed, 
 
 ' Et animas, quas fubjecerant legi in Haran. O^tk. Et 
 animas, quae proielytae factae fum. Jon. Jer. 
 
 Entring 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 71 
 
 Entring the country on the north, 
 Abram went down to Sichem, and fo 
 to the plain or grove of Moreh ; where a 
 rough and fierce people liv'd, who defend- 
 ed from Canaan, and had no kindnefs 
 for the pofterity of Shem. To fupport 
 Abram in this circumllance of diftrefs, 
 Jehovah appeared to him^ and/aid^ To thy 
 feed will I give this land. Upon this 
 Abram built there an altar ' unto the 
 lord. But tho the lord appeared here to 
 him, yet either thinking it not proper 
 to trufl himfelf among the Canaanites, 
 fince Jehovah had not given him fuch 
 diredtion, or (which I rather apprehend) 
 being defirous of feeing the reft of the 
 country, which he had promifed togivfto 
 his feed, he travelled about twenty miles 
 further fouth, and fettled upon a moun- 
 tain between Hai and Bethel. Here he 
 built an altar * unto Jehovah, and called ' 
 upon his name. But not thinking it pro- 
 per to fix long in this place, he went 
 further into the fouthern parts. 
 
 A famine arifing about this time in the 
 land, occafioned Abram to go down to 
 
 )i^^vajAv*iTi\i(ri T(;^ -^gw. yof- Jnt- L.i. c.-j. § i. 
 
 ' Tho this is the firft time that he came here, and God 
 is not reprefented to have appeared to him, he is however 
 laid to have built an altar. 
 
 • Et oravit in nomine Domini. OnL Jon. 
 
 F 4 Egypt 
 
71 An Essay jor explaining 
 
 Egypt and fojourn there. As he was going 
 along, confidering the lewd temper of the 
 Egyptian court, and fearing lead Sarai 
 fhould be taken from him, and himfelf 
 murdered on the account of her beauty ; 
 he perfuaded her to go under the name of 
 his filter. It fell out partly as Abram had 
 fufpeded, for the courtiers admiring Sarai's 
 beauty, recommended her to Pharaoh, 
 who took her into his houfe, and entreated 
 Abrakam well for her Jake ' : and he had 
 JJjeep^ and oxen, and he- ajfes^ and men-fer- 
 'vants, and maid- ferv ant s^ andfie-apSy and 
 camels, jeko'-jah then gave Abram a re- 
 markable inftance of his protedrion, and 
 of the accomplifhment of the promife he 
 had made to him, by infliding a terrible 
 and miraculous diftemper upon the king 
 and all his court. The king concluding 
 fo particular an afflidion to be from a di- 
 vine hand, upon inquiry ' foon found it 
 to be on Abram's account, for whom he 
 qrdered a fafe condud, to carry him and 
 all that belonged to him out of his coun- 
 try, without offering him the leaft in- 
 jury. 
 
 L. i. <-. 8. § I. 
 
 (?iCrMi ifx]cL \lw Xdy^AV' ibid. 
 
 Abram 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 75 
 
 Abram and Lot returning to Bethel, to Chap. 13. 
 the place where Abram had before built 
 an altar, called upon the name of the 
 Lord. They increafed fo much in cattle, 
 that the land was not able to bear them, 
 and a quarrel arofe among their fervants 
 about convenience and fufficiency of pa- 
 fture. Dangerous confequences would 
 infue, if their mafters fhould ingage in it ; 
 fince they were in a country, which was 
 poflefled by the Canaanites and Perizites, 
 a fierce and rugged people. To prevent 
 which Abram acquainted Lot with the 
 circumftances of the cafe, and in a moft 
 friendly manner cautioned him, not to 
 fuffer thefe differences uo create any mif- 
 underftanding between them. And fince 
 it was neceffary they {hould feparate, he 
 offered him (tho the younger, and proba- 
 bly inferior in eftate) the choice of all 
 the country around : which was a mark 
 of his great humility and condefcenfion, 
 and undoubtedly gave a luftre to his cha- 
 racter. Lot kindly accepted the propofal, 
 and chofe the fruitful plain, lying by the 
 river Jordan, on account of the rich- 
 nefs of the foil ; not confidering the man- 
 ners of the people, who were wicked ', and 
 
 liners 
 
 ' Viri autem Sodomae erant iniqui cum fuo mam 
 mona; et peflimi in corporibus fuis coram Domino. 0>rk. 
 
 Sed 
 
74 -^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 finers before the Lord exceedingly, Jeho- 
 vah to comfort Abram after this fepara- 
 tion, faid to him ' : Lift up now thine eyeSy 
 and look from the place where thou art 
 northward and fouthward^ and eajiward 
 and wefzvard ; for all the land which thou 
 feejiy to thee will I give it^ and to thy feed 
 for ever : and I will make thy feed as the 
 duft of the earth (tho his wife was ft ill 
 barren) fo that if a man can number the 
 dufl of the earthy then fhall thy feed be 
 numbred. Arife^ and walk ' thro the landy 
 in the length and in the breadth of it ; for 
 I will give it unto thee. Which Abram ac- 
 cordingly did, and upon his return fet- 
 tled in the grove 'of Mamre, where he 
 erected an altar, and worfhiped God with 
 his whole family during his abode there. 
 Hap. 14- To return to Lot : Some time after he 
 had fettled near Sodom, five kings of the 
 cities, which lay in the vale, entered into 
 a confederacy to oppofe Cherdorlaomer 
 king of Elam, and three other affo- 
 ciate princes of the eaft, who were co- 
 ming againft them in an hoftile manner. 
 
 Sed homines Sodomae mali erant in divitiis fiiis alter erga 
 alterum, et peccabant corporibus fuis, in incefto concubitu, 
 et effufione fanguini? innocentis, et colebant cultum alie- 
 num, &c. Jon. Vid. Jof. L.'i. c ii. §i. 
 
 ^ In vifion. 
 
 ' Et fac in ea poffefiionem in longitudinem et latitudinem, 
 quoniam tibi dabo eam. Joti, T. 
 
 The 
 
the Scripture-Revelations.. 7j 
 
 The occafion of that war moft probably 
 was this. The country, which was called 
 Canaan, being firft pofleffed by fome of 
 Shem's family, the dcfcendants of Cham 
 took it from them, and for a confiderable 
 time enjoy'd it, till Cherdorlaomer king of 
 Elam ' (one of thepofterity of Shem) reco- 
 vered it again, and made thefeCanaanitifh 
 princes tributary to him for twelve years. 
 In the thirteenth year they rebelled, and in 
 the fourteenth Cherdorlaomer, marching 
 with three allies, fubdued feveral peo- 
 ple, which he apprehended might hin- 
 der his retreat, and made his way direcftly 
 for the vale, where the five confederate 
 kings of the country had put themfelves 
 in a readinefs to receive them, but were 
 defeated, and underwent a confiderable 
 flaughter. Cherdorlaomer plundered the 
 cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and fo 
 marched away with the booty, and fuch 
 captives as he thought fit to take ; among 
 whom unhappily was Lot (who to e- 
 fcape the war had retired into the city) 
 when he was only a fojourner in the 
 country, and had no concern in the re- 
 volt. 
 
 The melancholy news reaching Abram, 
 he armed three hundred and eighteen 
 
 Gen. X. 22. 
 
 trained 
 
7 6 An Essay for esplainmg 
 
 trained fervants, and joining with the 
 forces of Efhcol and Aner, who, not 
 finking into idolatry in the fame degree 
 with the reft of thofe countrys, were in 
 league with Abram, purfued and over- 
 took them at one of the fpring-heads of 
 Jordan, cMtdDan '. There dividing his 
 forces into two bodies, in the middle of 
 the night he attacked their camp in two dif- 
 ferent quarters with fuccefs, purfued them 
 as far as Hobah in the valley, v/here Da- 
 mafcus is feated, and retook all the fpoil 
 and captives, and particularly his brother 
 Lot with all his effects. When the news 
 of this vidory reached the king of So- 
 dom, who had efcaped in the late battle, 
 he went to meet Abram, and met him 
 in the vale of Shavey, called the king's 
 dale, either as belonging to the king of 
 the place, ftiled here the king^ from his 
 remarkable character and fingular piety ; 
 or becaufe he [Melchifedek '] frequently 
 
 here 
 
 ^''Ovjco^ yA§ J) hifA Ti ^lopS'eti'ii W^OS'ayopilfilo.l TH^/JI. 
 Jo/eph. Jnt. Jud. L.\. c. lO. § i. 
 
 * Ille eft Sem lilius Noach rex Jerufalem. Jon. 7". 
 llle eft Sem, qui erat facerdos magnus excelfi. Jer. T. Jo- 
 fephus is of a difterent opinion : *0 J^ft <7rpu^Q- r{\i<jv.i «V 
 
 S'hcLiQ-. Jof.De bell.' Jud. p. 1292. ' Ed. Hudf. When 
 Jofephus and the Parapkrajls make Melchifedek to be king 
 of Jerufalem, it is evidently a millake ; for it is plain that 
 Salem lay in the way, as Abraham came from Damafcus to 
 
 Sodom, 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 77 
 
 here recreated himfelf \ At the fame 
 time this great man came forth to con- 
 gratulate Abram, the friend of the one true 
 God, whom he himfelf worfhiped, re- 
 maining untainted with the corruption 
 which generally prevailed, and provided 
 a princely entertainment to refrefh them 
 after the fight ; and, as a prieji^ he offered 
 to the great creator and governour of the 
 world his hearty prayers, that he would 
 confirm his bleffing to Abram. And A- 
 bram gave him tithes of the fpoils •. 
 
 The king of Sodom defired that his 
 fubjefts only might be reftored to him, 
 readily confenting that Abram fhould 
 keep all their goods, as he had a rightful 
 claim to them by the law of arms. But 
 Abram refufed the offer, faying to the 
 king of Sodom^ who was a defcendant 
 of Canaan % 1 have lift up my hand (or 
 fworn) unto Jehovah the moft high Gody 
 the pofjeffor of heaven and earthy that I will 
 not take any thing that is thine ; lefl thou 
 
 Sodom, which by no means fuits with the fituation of Jeru- 
 felem. Moreover Hierom faies, that he learnt from the 
 Jews in his time, that it was ieated on this fide of Jordan. 
 And it retained its name in our Saviour's days, as appears 
 by the ftory of John's baptizing near Salim. John iii. 23, 
 Vid, Bochart. Phaleg, p. 317, 
 
 * In valle plana, quae locus erat rcfrigerii regis. 0}ik. 
 Ad pratum planum, quod eft locus ludi regis. Jrab. njerf. 
 
 Jo/efh. Ant. Jud. L. i. c.'io. §2. 
 ^ Gen, 10. 19. 
 
 Jhouldefl 
 
78 An Ess AY for explaining 
 
 Jhouldefl fay^ I have made Abram rich : ex- 
 cepting only what has been expended in 
 maintaining the foldiery; what was given 
 in tithes to Melchifedek 5 and the portion 
 of the men which went with me, Aner, 
 Efhcol, and Mamre, of which I have 
 no right to difpofe. 
 Chap. 15. After this vidlory, and Abram's gene- 
 rous behaviour, God revealed himfelf to 
 him by vifion, and affured him, that he 
 would be hisjhield^ and exceedmg great re- 
 ward ; fince from the confidence he had 
 in his providence, he had refufed the of- 
 fer of the king of Sodom. 
 
 Tho Abram received this promife with 
 gratitude, and the firmed faith , yet mind- 
 ful of another, which had formerly been 
 made to him, that God would make of 
 him a great nation, which feemed to 
 carry in it the promife of an offspring, 
 he humbly expollulates ' : Lord God^ what 
 wilt thou give me^ feeing I go childlefsy and 
 the fleward of my houje is this Eliezar of 
 Damafcus? Behold to me thou hafi given 
 
 ' Cogitavit Abraham in corde fuo, vae nunc mihi, forfan 
 recipiam mercedem operum meorum in hoc feculo, et npn 
 crit mihi pars in feculo future ; aut forte ibunt fratres et pro- 
 pinqui interfeftorum iftorum,et illis conjungentur turmae et 
 venient cgntra me. Tunc itaque fuit verbum Domini 
 cum Abrahamo in vifione, dicendo, ne timeas, nam etfi viris 
 illis aflbcientur turmae multae et veniant contra te, fermo 
 meus tibi fcutum erit, &c. Jon. Jer, T, 
 
 no 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 7p 
 
 no feed: andlo^ one born in my houfe is mine 
 heir. In anfwer God aflured him, that 
 no fervant, but a [on of his own body 
 fiould be his heir ', and in a vifion ' (for the 
 fun was not yet fet) reprefented to him 
 the ftars of heaven, telling him, that his 
 pofterity fhould be fo numerous, as to 
 bear a comparifon with them. 
 
 Abram, from the confideration of the 
 power and faithfulnefs of God, was fully 
 perfuaded of the accomplifhment of this 
 promife. This was fo pleafing to God, 
 that he thereupon owned him for a righ- 
 teous perfon^ tho he was not free from all 
 fin, or had not compleat and perfeft 
 righteoufnefs. And this his faith no doubt 
 was the more remarkable, fince a con- 
 liderable time had pafTed from the firft 
 promife of a pofterity, without having 
 as yet any iffue, and it grew every day 
 more and more unlikely that he fhould. 
 From the improbability of his having 
 children by a wife, who flill continued bar- 
 ren (tho this confideration was over- 
 ballanced by the promife of him, whofe 
 power was unlimited) he was moved, 
 probably for the greater confirmation 
 of his faith, to requeft of God fome mi- 
 raculous and fenfible fign of fo great an 
 
 event, 
 
8o An Essay for explaining 
 
 event, and particularly to acquaint him 
 with the time '. God was pleafed to com- 
 ply with his requeft, by ordering him to 
 prepare an heifer ' of three years old, and 
 afie-goat of three years old, and a ra?n of 
 three years old, and a turtle dove, and a 
 young pidgeon. When he had procured 
 thefe, he divided them in the midjly and laid 
 each piece o?te agai?iji another, excepttJig the 
 birds, which he divided not, and faffed thro 
 them. And when the fowls ca?ne down up- 
 on the carcaffes, Abram drove them away] 
 And when the fun was going down, a deep 
 Jleep fell upon Abram, and lo an horror of 
 great darknefs fell upon him. And he f aid 
 unto Abram, Know of a fur ety, that thy feed 
 Jhall be a Jl ranger in a land, not theirs, 
 and jhall ferve tbejn, and they Jhall affiidl 
 them four hundred years, and, reckoning 
 from the birth of Ifaac, in the fourth g"^- 
 neration they fjall return with great fub^ 
 fiance, after I have judged the nation whom 
 they Jhall ferve. And thou Jhalt go to thy 
 fathers in peace, thou Jhalt be buried in a 
 good old age. The reafon of defering the 
 accomplifliment of the promife fo long 
 was not only, that the faith of his po- 
 
 ^ Ver. 13, 14, 15, 16. Vid. C/mr. 
 
 &c. ei% 'Trftv smfAt ^ov C(i)i/t.ov &C. Jo/. J»fi<^. Jud. L. i. 
 c. 10. § 3. 
 
 fterity 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 8 i 
 
 fterity might be rried in the fame manner, 
 as his own had been ; but aUo becaufe 
 the Canaanitifh people would not till then 
 be fo irreclaimably wicked, as to be ripe 
 for that exemplary deftrud:ion, which his 
 pofterity fliould exercife upon them. And 
 it came to pafs^ when the Jim '-uoent downy 
 and it was dark^ behold afmoaktngfiimacey 
 and a lamp of fire pajfedbetweeii thoje pieces. 
 In that fame day Jehovah made a covenant * 
 with Abram, faying^ JJnto thy feed do I give 
 this land, from the river of Egypt to the 
 great river ^ the river Euphrates: at the fame 
 time recounting the feveral names of the 
 people then living, whofe country his 
 pofterity was to injoy. 
 
 Sarai concluding, fince ten years had 
 pafTed from the promife made to Abram 
 of a feed, and that promife remained ftill 
 unaccompliflied, that God did not intend 
 to fulfil it by her, but by fome other 
 woman, perfuaded Abram to take Hagar 
 her maid. Abram hearkened to her voice, q^^^ ^5 
 thinking perhaps that God might accom- 
 plilh his promife this way ; becaufe he 
 
 » Jer. xxxiv. 18, 19. And 1 njoill gme the men that ban) e 
 tranfgrejjed my covenant : <whcn they cut the calf in ttuain^ 
 mnd ■pajfed hetnxieen the ■parts of them : into the hands of their 
 enemies. From this rite the phrafc, Cheroth herith (fdndere 
 yo^^«j) has taken its rife. Hence v/e read in Homer, //. ii, 
 *v. 124. "O^Kt*'7n7di^ctyL(>vlii> Vid. Bochart. Hierozou. 
 i*. i. /. 2, f.33. p. 335 t^c. 
 
 G had 
 
8 1 An Essay for ey^pJainhtg 
 
 had only told him he fhould have feedj 
 but had not as yet faid by Sarai. As foon 
 as Hagar found herfelf with child, (he 
 was fo tranlported, as to forget her ftation, 
 and defpife Sarai '. This ufage Sarai re- 
 fented, and expoftulated with Abram: 
 who replied with great tendernefs, Behold 
 thy 7?7aid is in thy hand^ do to her as it plea^ 
 Jeth thee. Upon which Sarai treated her 
 with fome feverity, and Hagar ran away* 
 But Godj out of fpecial regard to the 
 child {he was big with by Abram, ftopt 
 her by an angel, and ordered her to re- 
 turn ', and for her incouragement told 
 her, that the fon (he was now pregnant 
 with by Abram (every branch of whofe 
 pofterity was to be under the peculiar care 
 of divine providence) fhould become the 
 anceftorof a great but wild people, and 
 be called Ijhmael ^ He will be a wild 
 man^ like to a wild afs, which loves to 
 ramble in defarts, and is not eafily tamed 
 to live in fociety. His hand will be a- 
 gainjl every man^ and every man s hand 
 againfi him : That is, he fhall be very 
 
 Ant. Jud. L. I. c lO. §. 4. 
 
 warlike. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 8 j 
 
 warlike, and both infeft all his neigh- 
 bours, and beinfeiled by them. He jhall 
 dwell in the prefence of his brethren : be a 
 nation by himfelf, near to all his brethren, 
 whether defcended from Ifaac, or from 
 the reft of Abram's fons by Keturah ; 
 .who, tho annoyed by him, fliould not be 
 able to difpofTefs him. This is fo exad: a 
 defcription of the pofterity of in:imael ', 
 that wildnefs thro all generations feems to 
 be incorporated into their nature, and no 
 change of times hath made them grow 
 tame. Hagar moft humbly and thank- 
 fully fubmited to the angel's diredlion, 
 and returned to her miftrefs. When fhe 
 was delivered of a fon, Abram named him 
 
 TiTrm, o]civ i^Tri^iiTTcomv d.iVo^cl,l, Xj di MViha-ffic/^- ^trab. 
 L. xvi. p. 747. Ed. Cnf. 
 
 Saraceni tamen nee amici nObIs umquam, nex: hoftes op- 
 tandi, ultro citroque dilcurfitantcs, quicquid inveniri pote- 
 rat, momento temporis vallabant ; milvorum rapaciam li- 
 iTiiles, qui, fi praedam difpcxeriht celdus, volatu rapiunc 
 celeri '■; autj nifi impetraverint, non immorantUx'-. Om- 
 hes pari ioite funt bcllatorcs. Ncc horum quirquam 
 aliquando llivam apprehend it, vel arborem colir, aut 
 arva iubigendo quaeritat vi6lum : fed errant Temper 
 per fpatia longe iateque dirtenta, fine larc, fine fedibus 
 fixis, aut legibusi nee idem perfernnt diutius coelum, 
 aut tradus unius foli illis umqaam placet. Vita eil iilis lem- 
 per in fuga. Jmmiari: Marccll. L. xw. c. 4. Ed. Far. 
 
 EiTefc.e propriecatibus eorum bcllum, eterrufionem fan- 
 guihis, tx. amorGm caedis, et doloris illationem, et irae 
 five odii tenacitateni. Pocock. Spccim. Eliji. Arah. p. 'Sy. 
 
 G 2 Ijlmacl, 
 
84 yl?i Ess AY for exphinhig 
 
 IJlomaeL Abram was then eighty fix years 
 of age. 
 
 Thirteen years after the birth of IJh^ 
 mael^ even to the ninety ninth year of 
 Abram, and to the eighty ninth of Sarai, 
 ■^ap- ^7- Sarai continued barren. Jehovah then ap- 
 peared to Abram^ ajid faid unto him^ I am • 
 El Shaddai ', the almighty God, walk before 
 me, and be thou perfeB, And I will make 
 my covenant between me and thee, and will 
 multiply thee exeeedingly. And Abram fell 
 on his face : and God talked with him, fay- 
 ing. As for me, behold my covena7it is with 
 thee, and thou foalt be a father, not only 
 of the Ifraelites, Ifl:imaelites, and Edo- 
 miies, but of multitudes of 7iations JJmlt 
 thou be a father, as walking with me, a?id be- 
 ing upright y and fo in thee Jl^all alj. fami- 
 lies OF THE EARTH % imitating thy faith 
 a7id obedience, be blejfed. Neither Jh all thy 
 name any more be called Ahrzm, but thy 
 name jhall be Abraham : for a father of 
 maiiy iiations have I made thee. And I 
 will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I 
 will make natio7is of thee, and kings fiall 
 
 * 'O 08of fl"Jf. Lxx. Alibi palnm Shaddai 'TctujoKfai'^Q^A 
 vertunt. Vox haec vix aliunde derivare poffe videtur, 
 quam a verbo Jhadhadh vaitavit, Efai. xiii. 6. Apud Ara- 
 bas radix fhadhadh inter alia potentem et fortem ejfe figni- 
 ficat. \il. Pocock. Jodl i^. 
 
 • Rom. iv. 1 6, 17. 
 
 2 come 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 85 
 
 come out of thee. And I 'will ejlablijh my co- 
 'vena?2t between me and t he e^ and thy feed after 
 thee in their generations^ for an everi.ast IiNG 
 COVENANT, to be a God unto thee, and to 
 T H Y SE E D after thee. And I v:ill give unto 
 THEH, and THY SEED after thee, the land of 
 thy fojoimtings^ all the land of Canaan for 
 AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION, and I will be 
 THEIR God. And Godfaidimto Abraham^ 
 T'houfjalt keep my covenant therefore: which 
 the next verfe explains of the fign or to- 
 ken of the covenant. Every man-child 
 among you fiall be circumcifed^ he that is 
 eight days old fo all be circumcifed: he that 
 is born in thy houfe^ or bought with money ^ 
 mufl needs be circumcifed. Not v^hether 
 they would or not, but Abraham was to 
 endeavour to perfuade them to it \ and if 
 they confented not, to keep them no lon- 
 ger in his houfe, but to fell them to fome 
 other people. As for the children of his 
 fervants, they were to be circumcifed, 
 whether their pai-ents were willing or 
 not ; becaufe they were their mailer's 
 property. T!he uncircumcifed male^ who, 
 when he comes to the age of thirteen, 
 does not take care that this be performed 
 upon him, jhall be cut of] and not ac- 
 counted one of my people, he hath bro- 
 ken my covenant. This was a fign proper 
 to be appointed, fince it was not lil.ciy 
 ^at fuch a rite would ever have been ge- 
 G 3 nerally 
 
86 An E s SA Y for ey:pJatntng 
 
 nerally pradiied, and on the eighth day 
 after the birth, had it not been expreily 
 ordered by the divine being 5 and fit to 
 denore the family of Abraham to be an 
 holy feed ccnfecrared to God from the 
 begining ', end to diftinguifh them froq;i 
 others. This riie was to be performed 
 to every cne cf Abraham's family now, 
 and to their children in all fucceeding 
 times, at eight days old : not later, that 
 the pain and terror of it might be the 
 lefs ', and not before, becaiife till then 
 they were looked upon as impure, x^nd 
 now after a long trial of Abraham's faith 
 by the barrennels of Sarai, God was 
 pleafed in exprefs terms to afiure him, 
 that notwithilanding Sarai's great age, 
 f:e ftjoiild pwrtly have a Jon, "-ivhoje 7ia??ie 
 jhould be called Ifaac, and with whom he 
 wo7.ildejQablijl:> his coven ant for an everlast- 
 ing COVENANT, and With his seed after 
 him : that he wotdd blefi Sarai, and that p^e 
 Jhoiild be a another of stations ; and, as a 
 pledge of this, her name fldould be changed 
 from Sarai, my prince fs, to Sarah, a prin- 
 €efs of multitudes. At hearing of fuch an 
 iinexpefted favour Abraham fell proftrate 
 
 it^ T«]o TTtaiiv hyi'^-A M^x^fA, &c. j'.of, xint. Jiid^L.i. 
 ." 10, i 5. 
 
 before 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 87 
 
 before God, expreffing his joy and admi- 
 ration ', that a bleffing fljould be pro- 
 mifed him, which fo much /lirpaffed the 
 common courfe of nature vmd provi- 
 dence ' ; and with the tenderefl: iiffedion 
 of a father prays for Ifhmael : O that 
 JJhmael might live before thee I To which 
 God graciouily replied : I have heard thee^ 
 heJJjall live to become the father of a nu- 
 merous poflerity, twelve princes^ foun- 
 ders of confiderable tribes in Arabia Pe- 
 traea, pall Jpring from him \ but my cove^ 
 nant will 1 ejlablifh with Ifaac, whom Sa- 
 rah fiall bear to thee at this jet time in the 
 next vear. 
 
 As foon as God left off talking with Abra- 
 ham^ a?2d went up from him, Abraham ex- 
 ecuted the orders given to him about cir- 
 cumcifion ; and he in the ninety ninth year 
 of his Hfe, and his fon Iflimael in the thir- 
 teenth, and all the males of his family un- 
 derwent on the fame day that painful rite. 
 
 Soon after this remarkable inllance Cliap. is. 
 of Abraham's obedience, Jehovah ap- 
 peared to him in the plains of Mamre, 
 when he was firing at the tent door in 
 the heat of the day ^ . Abraham, after he 
 
 * Chad'i, laetatus eft. Onkelos. Toamah, obftupuit- 
 Jon. Jer.f 
 
 * Rom. iv. 19. 
 
 ^ Et ipfe aegrotans ex dolore circumcifjonis feJebrl in 
 porta tabernaculij in vehementia diei. 'Jon. T. 
 
 G A had 
 
88 An Essay for e^phmmg 
 
 had fallen proftratc on his face and wor- 
 fhiped ', lift up his eyes, and looked^ and 
 lo three angels in the fliape of men flood 
 before him. And when he f aw them ^ he ran 
 to meet them from the tent door^ and bowed 
 him f elf toward the ground^ and in the 
 kindefl manner invited them in, and ex- 
 preffed to them hofpitality in all the ufa- 
 ges, which were pradifed in that Age. 
 And they faid unto hi?n, Where is Sarah 
 thy wife ? To which Abraham replied : 
 In the tent. Then one of them faid, 
 I will certainly return unto thee according 
 to the time of life ^ nine months hence, and 
 Sarah thy wife pall have a fon, Sarah 
 overheard this in the tent door, which 
 was behind him, and not knowing as yet 
 y/ho they were, and withal knowing her- 
 felf to be paft all natural profpeft of con- 
 ception, and her huftand to be old, could 
 not forbear laughing to herfelf, at a thing 
 {he apprehended to be fo unlikely, and 
 even impoSble in a courfe of nature, 
 "Jehovah then faid to Abraham^ Wherefore 
 did Sarah laugh^ faying^ Shall /, who am 
 oldy of a furety bear a child ? Is any thing 
 too hard for 'Jehovah ? At the time ap- 
 pointed will I return unto thee^ and Sarah 
 fhall have a fom Sarah probably was cal- 
 led in, and when ihe found who her 
 
 * Gf», xvii. 17. 
 
 guefts 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 8^ 
 
 guefts were, through furprizc, confufion, 
 and fear, fhe denied that fhe laugh'd. She 
 was therefore only made fenfible of her 
 fault, by a fimple affirmation of her 
 laughing, without any further reproof. 
 
 Uhe men rofe up from thence^ and looked 
 toward Sodom ^ and Abraham went with 
 them^ to bring them on the way. While 
 they were bending their courfc to Sodom, 
 where two of them arrived at even ', 
 Jehovah faid^ Shall I hide from Abraham 
 that thing which I do ? feeing that Abra- 
 ham fiall become a great and mighty nation 
 by his feed according to the fefo ; and all 
 THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH Jhall be bleffed 
 in him, as walking before me, and being per^ 
 feB. For I know him, that he will com- 
 mand his children and his houfiold after 
 him, and they fhall keep the way of Jeho- 
 vah, to do jiifiice and judgment. And Je- 
 hovah faidy Becaufe the cry of Sodom and 
 Gomorrah is great, and becaufe their fn is 
 very grievous, I will go down now, and if 
 they be found irreclaimable % I will pu- 
 
 * Chap. XIX. n). I . 
 
 • Conlummabo eos, fi non egerint poenitentiam -, fi au- 
 tem egerint poenitentiam, non ulcifcar. Onk. Videbo, ^xi 
 fecundum clamorem fecerint coniummationem, turn r^i 
 crunt ; quod fi fecerint poenitentiam, annon erunt coram 
 me innocentes, quafi neiciente iUud, et non ulciicar ? Jon, 
 
 Jcr. r. 
 
 nlih 
 
po An Essay for explaining 
 
 nifh them in an exemplary manner. 
 Abraham, who yet ftood before Jebovaby 
 touched with the utmoft companion , and 
 in particular for Lot, and his family, in- 
 terceded in the humbleft manner : /F/// 
 tbou deftroy the righteous with the wicked? 
 pall not the judge of all the earthy when 
 in an extraordinary and immediate man- 
 ner he inflifts judgment, do right? To 
 which humble and devout addrelles the 
 Lord gave kind and gracious anfwers, 
 till Abraham defifted ; and then the Lord 
 went his way^ and Abraham returned to 
 his houfe at Mamre. 
 Chap. 19. xhe turning four pleafant cities of the 
 vale into one bituminous lake, as a perpe- 
 tual monument of divine vengeance, the 
 fparing Bela upon the humble petition of 
 righteous Lot, fmce it was near and a 
 little one, and therefore ftiled afterwards 
 Zoar ', the fad difafter which befel Lot*s 
 wife for her criminal curiofity, who 
 wrapt in the nitro-fulphurous matter was 
 congealed like a pillar of rock-fair, and 
 remain'd a perpetual monument of God's 
 jufl difpleafure ; the contrivance of Lot's 
 daughters, when their father out of fear 
 had removed from Zoar to dwell in a 
 cave of one of the neighbouring moun- 
 tains, to have an offspring by him, fince 
 they had in their apprchenfions loft all 
 
 their 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, pi 
 
 ihelr kindred and countrymen', to whom 
 it might be proper for them to marry, 
 and at the fame time were full of hopes 
 of being themfelves the parents of the 
 promifed feed, their father being the fon 
 of x^braham's elder brother % and called 
 out of Sodom by the miniftry of angels, 
 as Abraham was called out of Caldea ; 
 the giving to their children the names of 
 Moai and Benammiy who were the an- 
 ceftors of two nations then in being to 
 evidence their original : are fuch parti- 
 cular and remarkable ftories, and attend- 
 ed with fuch peculiar circumftances, as 
 muft give great weight and force of cre- 
 dibility ti the hiftory of Mofcs. But to 
 return to Abraham : 
 
 Some time after the deftruftion of the 
 cities of the vale, Abraham removed more Chap 20. 
 foutherly to Gerar, the capital city of 
 Paleftine, lying upon the borders of the 
 Egyptian territories. Sarah, tho advanced 
 in years, remained yet very beautiful; 
 and Abraham having the fame opinion of 
 
 ' Et dixit major nam ad minorem, pater nofter fenuit, 
 et vir nullus eft in terra ad ingrediendum ad nos juxta mo- 
 rem univerfae terrae; veni, potabimus &c. Jon. Jer.T. 
 
 *£'T0{«{/ JV 7^1 vTip tni ^fi TO yiv^ liLhiieivt' JoJ- 
 Ant. Jud. L.i. c. II. § 5. \id. Patr. 
 
 the 
 
pi jin Essay for esplaining 
 
 the lewdnefs of this, as he had before o* 
 the Egyptian court, again perfnaded her 
 not to go under the character of his wife, 
 but of his fifler, as {he had before done 
 in Egypt. The event was precifely the 
 4ame. A miraculous diftemper was in- 
 flifted, the caufe whereof the king was 
 told in a dream, with this injunction, as 
 he valued his own and his fubjeds lives : 
 Rejlore the man his wife : for he is a pro- 
 phet^ and he jhall pray for thee, and thou 
 fialtlive ; and if thou rejiore her not, knozjUy 
 thou and all that are thine jJmllfurely dye. 
 In obedience therefore the king fent 
 immediately for Abraham and Sarah, and 
 expoftulated with Abraham. To which 
 he among other things replied, that he 
 might properly enough, according to the 
 known flile of thofe times, call Sarah his 
 fifer, when (le v/as daughter to Terah his 
 father by another wife. The king ap- 
 prehending Abraham to be under the fpe- 
 cial guidance and protection of heaven, 
 not only rcllored him his wife, but made 
 him large prefents of cattel and flaves, 
 and gave him free liberty to live in any 
 part of his dominions, promifing him 
 the utmoft fecurity. In return Abraham 
 interceded with God for him, and pro- 
 cured to him and his whole court a fpeedy 
 releafe from the afflidion they laboured 
 under. 
 
 The 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. pj 
 
 The accomplifhment of the promifc of Chap. 21, 
 a fon to Abraham by Sarah was now come, 
 and fhe was delivered of one, exactly at 
 the time which the angel foretold. At 
 eight days old Abraham, in obedience to 
 the divine command, caufed the tender 
 infant to undergo the painful rite of cir- 
 cumcifion ; at the fame time giving him 
 the name Ifaac, as God had appointed. 
 This was in the hundredth year of Abra- 
 ham's life. Sarah reflefting upon the 
 name given to her child, which fignifies 
 laughter^ and recoUedling that fhe had 
 formerly laugh'd in a way of diffidence, 
 now owns with the higheft gratitude to 
 God, that fhe has reafon to rejoice for fo 
 unexpedted a blefUng. When the child 
 was weaned, Abraham invited his neigh- 
 bours to a great entertainment. It hap- 
 pened that Ifhmael (his former' fon by 
 Hagar) quarrel'd with Ifaac, and treated 
 him ill. Which conduct might perhaps 
 arife from difpleafure, that through him 
 he was difappointed of the hope given 
 him by his mother of being heir, Sarah 
 highly refented this, and dsfired Abra- 
 ham to turn both mother and fon im- 
 mediately out of the houfe, for pretend- 
 ing to let up themfelves againfl the true 
 heir of the family. Abraham, however 
 willing to do the utmofl right to his wife 
 and child, was yet exceeding loth to 
 
 proceed 
 
p4 -^^ Essay for e>:plaming 
 
 proceed with fuch feverity againft one, 
 who was his fon, tho by a fervant. God 
 then faid to Abraham, In all that Sarah 
 hath faid unto thee^ hearken unto her '^joice : 
 for in Ifaac Jhall thy feed be called. I(h- 
 mael however, as thy offspring, (hall be 
 protedled, and become the anceftor of a 
 confiderable nation. Without delay A- 
 braham then executed the command he 
 had received from God, and fent away 
 Hagar and her fon with fome prefent ne- 
 ceffary provifions only, without any fer- 
 vant to attend them j to {how that her 
 fon was to have no portion of his inheri- 
 tance, and at the fame time to exprefs his 
 own confidence in the promife of God's 
 protection, and difpofal of Iflimael and his 
 pofterity '. Hagar departed, and wan- 
 dered in the wildernefs, which was after- 
 wards called Beerfieba \ 
 
 When the provifions were fpent, and 
 the child was ready to dye for thirft, fhe 
 laid him under one of the flirubs, not be- 
 ing able to bear the additional diftrefs, 
 which the fight of his miferies would oc- 
 cafion ; and removing from him to the 
 dift:ance of a bow-fhot, abandoned herfelf 
 to excefs of grief. In the midfl: of her 
 tears, God hearing the voice of the lad. 
 
 * Gen. xvj. lo, ii> I2. 
 
 • Fer, 31. 
 
 (who 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. pj 
 
 (who cried, as well as his mother) by an 
 angel called to Hagarout of heaven, and 
 at the fame time direded her to a fpringof 
 water, with which (lie foon refrefhed the 
 child. Ifhmael under the care and pro- 
 tedion of God grew up to man's eftate, 
 and by the direction of his mother, who 
 was a native of Egypt, married an Egyp- 
 tian. He lived up and down in the der::rt 
 of Paran, bordering upon Arabia, and 
 maintained himfelf, by what he got with 
 his bow out of the fields and woods, as 
 his pofterity did after him, exadly in 
 the fame manner as God had foretold 
 they would do '. 
 
 When Abraham remarkably flouriflied 
 in the country of Gerar, Abimelech the 
 king, and Phicol the chief general of his 
 forces, refolved to invite him to enter 
 into a ftrid: league of friendlhip with 
 him and his fucceffors, by folemn oaths 
 and engagements on both fides. To this 
 Abimelech was moved from a convi- 
 dlion he had, that Abraham was pecu- 
 liarly favoured of God, and under his fpe- 
 cial protection ; tho it is not unlikely, 
 that he might be alfo fomewhat jealous 
 of his growing wealth and power. To 
 this propofal Abraham readily agreed : 
 
 * Gm, xvi. 12, 
 
 but 
 
9'^' A^i Essay for explaining 
 
 but told the king, that he expedled for 
 the future to Uve in the quiet pofleflion 
 of his rights, which had been infringed 
 by fome of his fervants, in the inftance 
 of a well of water, which tho dug at his 
 own expcnce, had been wrefted from him 
 by force. The king affured him, he 
 knew nothing of the injury, but would 
 immediately redrefs it. Upon this they 
 entered into a treaty before witnefTes by 
 mutual prefents, oaths, and probably fa- 
 crifices, or at leaft by eating and drinking 
 together \ One prefent of kvQn ew-lambs 
 Abraham particularly made to Abime- 
 lech, as a token, that the forementioned 
 well fhould for ever after be his pro- 
 perty. And the better to preferve the 
 memory of this tranfaftion, the place, 
 where this covenant was made, went for 
 the future by the name of Beer/heia % 
 the well of the oath. When all was 
 over, the king and Abraham parted with 
 all the expreffions of mutual fatisfadtion* 
 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer- 
 fheba, and called there on the name of the 
 Lordy the everlajiing Gody or the God of 
 the worldy and fojourned in the Phili- 
 ftines land many years. 
 
 \ Gen. xxvi. 30. 
 Sheha in the Hebrew fignifies both an oath and /even. 
 If it be underllood hcic in tne latter fenle, it refers to the 
 fcven ew-lambs. 
 
 When 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 97 
 
 When Ifaac was growing up to man's 
 eftate ', God expreily ordered Abraham Chap. 22. 
 for his trial, whom he deligned to be the 
 great father and example of all the faith- 
 ful in fucceeding generations, to go into 
 the land of Moriah % and offer up Ifaac, 
 his only fon by Sarah (in whom the par- 
 ticular bleffmgs promifed to him were 
 to be fulfilled, and to whom he had the 
 greateft affeftion) in one of the moun- 
 tains of that country, to which God 
 would diredt him. Abraham, having no 
 reafon to doubt that this was a com- 
 mand from God, fince it was given him 
 in the way to which he had been ac- 
 cuftomed, and in which he had received 
 the promife of this very fon, which was 
 accomplifhed at a time when there was 
 no ground in a courfe of nature to ex- 
 pert any ; and fmce the bleffmgs, which 
 were pnDmifed to him in this manner, he 
 had found now by the experience of a- 
 bove fifty years to be exadtly fulfilled: 
 
 ' Ifaac was now about twenty five years of age, accord- 
 ing to Jofephus ; or twenty eight, as Bochart thinks : the 
 word naar, which we tranflate lad, being ufed for one 
 of that age. Nay, Jofeph is called fo, when he was 
 thirty years old ; and Rehoboam when forty, 2 Chron. 
 xiii. 7. Vid. Boch. Hierozoic. P.i. L. in. c.g, />. 818. 
 Bd. Leu/den. 
 J" [E/< Itw y\w Ih u4«>^Mf. Sept. KctloKpcLvTh ^f 
 
 H rofe 
 
98 An Essay for e^phmng 
 
 rofe up early in the morning, and having 
 ordered his afs to be fadled, and the wood 
 for the burnt-offering to be prepared, 
 fet out for the place. On the third day, 
 travelhng but (lowly with an afs loaded 
 with wood, and provifions proper for the 
 journey, he lift up his eyes, and faw, by 
 the glory ' fliining upon one particular 
 mountain, the place afar of\ where he 
 was to perform the appointed fervice. 
 Abraham then faid unto his young men, 
 abide you here with the afs, and I and 
 the lad will go yonder and worfhip, and 
 come again to you : apprehending, that if 
 God {hould try his obedience fo far, as 
 to permit him to flay his fon, in whom 
 he had promifed to eftablifli his cove- 
 nant, he would reftore him to life again. 
 The poffibility of this he could not doubt 
 of, when he confldered, that he had re- 
 ceived him in an extraordinary manner ; 
 and the neceflity of it, in order to con- 
 firm the faithfulnefs of God in perform- 
 ing his promife, which refer^d to the 
 perfon of Ifaac, he could not but like- 
 wife difcern. Abraham therefore took 
 the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid 
 
 I Die tertio levavit Abraham oculos fuos, et vidit nu- 
 bem gloriae fumantem fuper monte, et agnovit eum pro- 
 cul. Jon. T, 
 
 it 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. p^ 
 
 It upon Ifaac his fon, and he took the 
 fire in his hand, and a knife, and they 
 went both of them together. As they 
 were going, Ifaac feeing every thing pre- 
 pared, but the facrifice, i^fked Abraham, 
 where the lamb was To which he re- 
 plied, my fon, God will fee for himfelf 
 a lamb for a burnt-offering: defering to 
 open to him the command he had re- 
 ceived from God, till they fhould arrive 
 at the place, where the glory appeared ; 
 and then he doubted not, but God would 
 give fuch a teftimony to his relation, as 
 would make Ifaac ' readily and without 
 refiftance fubmit. This appears in the 
 ftory to be the behaviour of Ifaac, and 
 by fuch a condud: he difcovered that he 
 was the fon of promife, and fit to be the 
 heir of the fpecial bleflings promifed to 
 Abraham, who was fet up by God de- 
 fignedly to be the great pattern of faith 
 and obedience to all the families of the 
 earth. When Abraham had built an al- 
 tar either of turf, or fuch ftone as he 
 
 » Refpondit Ifaac, et dixit Abrahamo patri fuo, pater 
 mi, liga inanus meas probe, ne hora doloris mei trepidem, 
 et inveniatur oblatio tua vitiofa. Jer. T, et Jon. Ea 
 hora exierunt angeli excelfi, et dixerunt hi ad illos ; vos 
 videtis duos juftos ; unus maftat, alter madatur ; qui 
 madlat non diifert, et qui madatur extoUit collum fuum. 
 Jtr, % 
 
 H 2 could 
 
I oo An Essay for e^pJaimng 
 
 could gather there, and had laid the wood 
 in order, and bound Ifaac his fon, and 
 laid him on the altar upon the wood, 
 and flretched forth his hand, and took 
 the knife to flay his fon ; the angel of 
 the Lord called unto him out of heaven, 
 Abraham, Abraham ; and he faid, here 
 am I : and he faid, lay not thine hand 
 upon the lad, neither do thou any thing 
 to him ; for now I know that thou feareft 
 God, feeing thou haft not withheld thy 
 fon, thy only fon from m.e ; by this in- 
 ftance of difficult fervice thou haft given 
 the fuUeft and moft fatisfadory teftimony 
 of a religious difpofition, truly fincere 
 and exemplary. Abraham then lifted up 
 his eyes and looked, either by the di- 
 redlion of the voice, or a ruftling noife 
 which the ram made, and behold a ram 
 caught in a thicket by his horns, which 
 he took, and offered up for a burnt-offer- 
 ing, in the ftead of his fon. And Abra- 
 ham, to perpetuate the memory of this 
 remarkable tranfadtion, called the name 
 of that place Jehovah-ju-eh^ the Lord will 
 fee or provide, as it is faid in a prover- 
 bial fpeech to this day\ in the mount the 
 Lord will be feen^ or make himfelf fo 
 confpicuous, as that all fhall behold the 
 care he takes of thofe who fear him. 
 As foon as Abraham had made an end of 
 facrificing the ram, the angel of the Lord 
 
 called 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i o i 
 
 called to him a fecond time and faid, By 
 7nyJ elf have I /worn ^ faith the Lord, fnce 
 thou haft done this things and hajl not 
 withheld thy fon^ thine only jon^ that in 
 bleflng I will blefs thee^ It is obfervable, 
 that God inlarged his favours to Abra- 
 ham in proportion to Abraham's obe- 
 dience, and therefore in rewarding this 
 great and laft trial of all, the offering 
 his fon, the bleffings, which hitherto had 
 been only promifed to him, were now in 
 the moft folemn manner confirmed to 
 him by the oath of God, namely, That 
 hejhould be bleft with a vajily numerous and 
 happy pojierity, that his feed jloould pofefs 
 the gate of his enemies^ and that in his 
 
 feed ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH 
 
 Jhould blefs themfelves, or count themfehes 
 blejfed. When all was over Abraham re- 
 turned to his fervants, and went and fetled 
 at Beerfheba. 
 
 After this Abraham received the agree- 
 able news of the profperity and increafe of 
 his brother Nahor's ' family. Some of the 
 chief branches whereof were Huz, the an- 
 ceftorof a people called Auftaehy Ptolemy ^ 
 who inhabited fome part of Arabia deferta^ 
 and from whom probably Job * dellend- 
 ed ; Buz, from whom carnc Elihu the 
 
 ' Chap. xi. 29.^ 
 
 ' Job i. I . 'Ev p^«f at I?* •AU(riT/«r/. Sept. See Mr. 
 WhlJton% Chron, O. T. p. \ i •' 
 
 H 3 Buzite; 
 
102 Jn Essay for e^phtntng 
 
 Buzite; Kemuel, Aram, Chefed the fa- 
 ther of the Chaldeans ; Hazo, Pildafh, 
 Jidlaph, and Bethuel, from whon) fprung 
 Rehekah, the wife of Ifaac, the relation of 
 whofe defcent is the reafon why the hi- 
 ftorian gives us this genealogy. 
 Chap. 23. Some time after Abraham removed 
 from Beerfheba to Kirjatharba, in the 
 land of Canaan, at that time called 
 Mamre^ and afterwards Hebron. Sarah, 
 who Vi/as an hundred and twenty feven 
 years old, died there; and Abraham came 
 from his own tent to hers, to perform 
 the ufual rites of private mourning, 
 when they fat upon the ground. After 
 this Abraham rofe up from before his 
 dead, and addreifed himfelf to the fons 
 of Heth, the principal perfons of that 
 nation, requefting the favour of them to 
 permit one, who, tho a flranger and fo- 
 journer, was well known among them, 
 to purchafe only fo much ground, as 
 would ferve for the burial of his dead. 
 Their reply was, that a perfon of fuch 
 honour and efteem, as Abraham was 
 amo::g theip, might command any thing 
 of that kind; and therefore they gave 
 him the free offer of any of their own 
 ftpulchrcs, ready made to his hand, to 
 keep as his own property. Abraham ri- 
 ling up again, bowed to them, and re- 
 queiled, that they would ufe their intereft 
 
 with 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. loj 
 
 with Ephron, the fon of Zohar, to let 
 him have the cave of Machpelah, at the 
 end of a field which was in his poffeflion, 
 at a reafonable rare, for a burying place 
 among them. Ephron, out of refped: 
 to them and Abraham, offered in a full 
 affembly to prefent the cave and the field 
 to Abraham. But Abraham again bow- 
 ing himfelf before the people of the 
 land, fpake ' to Ephron in their audi- 
 ence, and defired that he might know the 
 value of them. Ephron complied, fay- 
 ing, T'he land^ my lord^ is worth four 
 hujidred fiekels offiher, Abraham weighed 
 to him the filver^ which he had named \ 
 and the field of Ephron^ with the cave 
 which was therein^ and all the trees that 
 were in the fields that were in all the bor~ 
 ders round about ^ were made fure unto 
 Abraham for a poffefjion in the prefe?ice of 
 the children of Heth, After this Abra- 
 ham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of 
 Machpelah before Mamre, 
 
 Abraham advancing now in age (being Chap. 2\, 
 about an hundred and forty years old) and 
 
 ' The words, which Abraham makes ufe of, in the 
 Hebre-iv text are very obfcure : Int at fa lu ; but changing 
 lu (utinam) into li (mihi) the fenfe wiH be pLin, w'thcut 
 having recourfe to an harfii ellipfis. And this is favoured 
 by the Greek 'uerfian. *E'irei<^cii> v^oi i^^eT, Ails(Foy y.^ '. Shtce 
 you are kindly difpofedto tne, hear me. So rff^l^ \'^''^ :s ufed, 
 (Jen. xxix. 34. 'Ey tcJ yvv Jco6/f« t/>3J \fi iTcti c/.vn^ ;/»• 
 
 ' . H 4 having 
 
1 04 ^n Essay for e%pUmng 
 
 having a plentiful eftate, thought it pro- 
 per to provide a w^ife for his fon Ifaac. 
 And thinking it no way agreeable to 
 marry him into any family of the Ca- 
 naan ites, v^hom he fa w every day finking 
 more and more into degeneracy, deter- 
 mined to match him with fome of his 
 own relations, defcended from his father 
 Terah. Accordingly he bound his eldeji 
 Jervant Eleazer ', who was his fteward, 
 and ruled over all that he had, by a fo- 
 lemn oath in the name of the Lord, the 
 God of heaven and earth, with the ce- 
 remony of puting his hand under his 
 thigh ' 'y that in cafe he fhould dye before 
 
 dvl'^- Lxx. Et dixit Abrahamus iervo luo prccuratori. 
 
 ' Different reafons are offered for this ceremony. Jhen 
 Ezra thinks putting the hand under the thigh was a token 
 of fubjedion, dene by a fervant to his lord ; but it is here 
 reprel'ented a: a rite attending an oath, and Jofephus men- 
 tions it as mutually performed, uVo t«? /!/Hf k? AKXiAm 
 Tdii X^'P^^ k'TTo.yccyoi'Jii. ^nt. Jud. L. i. c. 16. §1. 
 As the iword nung by or on the thigh, P/al xlv. 3 . 
 Grotius thinks this was in effe6l to fay. If I falfifj, kill 
 me. The opinion that feems to be molt probable to me is, 
 that tlie perlon who fwore, putting his hand near the part 
 which was circumcifed, was fuppofed to fwear by that 
 covenant, of which circumcifion was the fign. Thus the 
 Jews underiland it. Before the giving of the law the an- 
 tient fathers fwore by the covenant of circumcifion. Vid. 
 Rchhi Eliezar, Pirke c. 49. Pone nunc mani.m tuam in 
 feftione circumcifionis meae. Jon. T. Pone nunc manum 
 tuam fub femore foederis mei. J^r, T. 
 
 his 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. loj 
 
 his fon's marriage, he fliould fee this his 
 defire carefully executed. And he or- 
 dered him immediately to travel to Ha- 
 ran ip. Mefopotamia, to effedl a mar- 
 riage with fome one of his kindred, 
 whom he thought would make the pro- 
 pereft wife for Ifaac. The fleward de- 
 firous to know fully the mind of his 
 mafter, asked him : If he could not per- 
 fuade the perfon he was to marry with 
 to come and dwell with Ifaac in Canaan, 
 whether he might carry him to her into 
 that country ? To which Abraham re- 
 plied : Beware thou^ that thou bring not 
 ?ny fon thither^ and be not folic itous 
 about the event : T'he Lord God of hea- 
 'ven^ who took me from my father's houfe^ 
 and from the land of my kindred^ and who 
 fpake and [ware to me faying^ unto thy feed 
 will I give this land ; he pall fend his an- 
 gel before thee^ and thou ihalt fucceed in 
 taking a wife to my fon from thence. If 
 however it fhould not at this time fall 
 out to your wifhes, you have done your 
 duty, and muft wait till providence fhall 
 further diredl you. 
 
 Eleazer having informed himfelf fully 
 of his matter's intention, engaged himfelf 
 by oath to obferve his orders. And ta- 
 king with him all neceffary provifions, he 
 fet forward for Haran, where Nahor, the 
 brother of Abraham, and his family dwelt. 
 
 As 
 
1 o6 An Essay for e^pJainhig 
 
 As he drew near the place, he made 
 his camels kneel down to reft themfelves 
 without the city, by a well of water, at 
 the time of evening, when the women go 
 out to draw water, and addreffed him- 
 felf to God in this manner : O Lord 
 God of my mafier Abraham^ I pray thee 
 fend me good Juccefs this day^ and [hew 
 kindnefs to my mafier Abraha?n, Behold 
 Ifia?id by the well of water ^ and the daugh- 
 ters of the men of the city come out to draw 
 water ; and let it come to pafsy that the 
 damfel^ to who?7i I jloall fay^ Let down thy 
 pitcher^ I pray thee^ that I may drink -, 
 a?2d fide /hall fay^ Drinky and I will give 
 thy camels drink alfo : let the fame be fie^ 
 that thou haft appointed for thy fervant 
 IJdac ', and thereby fjall I know^ that 
 thou hafi fi.'ewed kindnefs u?tto my mafter. 
 The jfteward having obferved Abraham 
 to be remarkably favoured of God, 
 and not doubting therefore but God 
 would make good his words ', not only 
 begs fuccefs, but defires a lign of it to 
 confirm his faith ; and fuch a fign, as 
 was moft proper to denote a perfon, 
 who would make a fuitable wife for 
 Ifaac, fince humility, courtefy, and a 
 readinefs to do all kind offices were in 
 
 » Verfe 7, 40. 
 
 eluded 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 07 
 
 eluded in fuch a conduct. Now it came to 
 pafs, that before he had done fpeaking Re- 
 bekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, 
 fon of Milcah the wife of Nahor Abra- 
 ham's brother, with her pitcher upon her 
 ihoulder. Such was the fimplicity and di- 
 hgence of that age ! And the damfel, who 
 was a very beautiful virgin, went down 
 to the well, and filled her pitcher. Upon 
 her return, the fteward ran to meet her, 
 and requefted of her the favour of a 
 draught of water ; which (he granted 
 him in the kindeft manner, and then 
 voluntarily drew water for his camels. 
 The furprife, which this event raifed in 
 the fteward, held him for fome time in 
 filence. At length he defired to know 
 of what family fhe was, and whether 
 there was not room in her father's houfe 
 for lodging and entertainment. When by 
 her anfwer he found that fhe wasNahor's 
 grand-daughter, and that he had reafon 
 to exped: a kind and hofpitable recep- 
 tion, he gave her a golde?i jewel for the 
 forehead' of ha f a Jhekel weighty and two 
 
 ' So the Hebrew word is rendered, Ezek. xvi, 12. and 
 in this manner Eleazer explains it, njer. ^j. And becaufe 
 this ornament hung down between the eye-brows, over the 
 nole, it is called, ifa.nuzi. the?2ofe-je'i<jel. Fadlum eft, 
 ut acciperet vir ille monile aureum, et pofuit fuper fa- 
 ciem ejus. Samarit. 'verf, 
 
 brace- 
 
1 o8 ^n Essay for explaining 
 
 bracelets for her hands of gold weighing ten 
 Jhekels, While Rebekah, overjoy'd to hear 
 of her uncle Abraham^s welfare (as may 
 be gathered from the ftory) hafted with 
 all fpeed to her mo therms apartment, to 
 acquaint her with it ; the fteward bowed 
 down his head, and worfluped the Lord, 
 faying : Blejfed be the Lord God of my 
 majier Abraham^ who hath not left 
 my mafler dejlitute of his mercy and his 
 truth ; fince when 1 was in the way, the 
 Lord has conducted me to the houfe of his 
 brethren. When Rebekah told the affair 
 to her brother Laban, and fhewed him 
 the valuable prefents made to her \ Laban 
 ran to the well, where the fteward con- 
 tinued by his camels, and invited him to 
 the beft entertainment his father's houfe 
 would afford, faying : Come in thou blef- 
 fed of the Lord, All things proper were 
 provided for him and his company, and 
 a fupper got ready. But Eleazer pre- 
 fering his matter's bufinefs to his own 
 pleafure, faid to Bethuel, I will not eaty 
 till I have told my errand. To whom 
 he replied : Speak on. After he had 
 declared that he was Abraham's fervant, 
 he gives an account of the flourifhing 
 condition of his mafter, and efpecially 
 of the extraordinary bleffing of a fon by 
 Sarah in her old age, whom he had made 
 his heir. And he being now grown up 
 
 fit 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 09 
 
 fit for marriage, Abraham was refolved 
 to match him with fome of his own re- 
 lations, and not with any of the wicked 
 Canaanites. In purfuance of this, under 
 the obhgation of a folemn oath to his 
 mafter, he had made his journey to Ha- 
 ran, and found every thing in the perfon 
 and behaviour of Rebekah at the well fo 
 exadlly agreeing with his mafter's defire, 
 and with the fubftance of his own prayers, 
 that he looked upon her as the very per- 
 fon, whom providence had marked out to 
 be a wife for Ifaac. Therefore if by con- 
 fidering thefe circumftances they were of 
 his mind, and would confent to the 
 match, and agree to let Rebekah go into 
 Canaan with him, he defired they would 
 let him know in a little time, that fo, 
 whether he fucceeded or not, he might 
 return to his mafter. Then Laban and 
 Bethuel anfwered, fmce there appeared a 
 remarkable direction of providence in it, 
 they willingly embraced the propofal, 
 and were free to part with Rebekah 
 to the fon of Abraham. The fteward 
 then worfljiped the Lordy and offered to 
 him his moft humble thanks, bowing 
 himfelf to the earth y and brought forth 
 jewels of Jilver^ and jewels of gold ^ and 
 raiment^ and gave them to Rebekah, He 
 gave alfo to her brother^ and to her mother 
 
 (to 
 
1 1 o An Essay for e^pJamlng 
 
 (to whom Bethuel ', now probably a- 
 ged and infirm, had left the manage- 
 ment of this affair) prefents of great 
 value. They then fat down to fupper, 
 and next morning the fleward defirous 
 of carrying to his aged mafter the 
 pleafing news of his fuccefs, as foon 
 as poffible, was for feting forward to- 
 ward Canaan. But the relations ^ of Re- 
 bekah requefted, that fhe might flay a 
 year % or at leaft ten months, that they 
 might not depart too far from the com- 
 mon ufage ; and after that (he fliould go. 
 He however defired that he might be ex- 
 cufed. They concluded nothing, till 
 they had confulted Rebekah ; and when 
 fhe had confented to it, they fent her 
 away attended with damfels, and her fa- 
 vourite nurfe Deborah ^ ; her parents 
 giving her their folemn bleffing, and of- 
 fering up their prayers to God for her. 
 
 Tk^m^Ll- Jof. Ant. Jud. L, i. f. 16. § 2. 
 
 ^ Refponderuntque fratres ejus et mater, maneat pu- 
 ella &c. nj. 55. Vulg. EWoj' 0/ cL,S^ih<pot clv\m xj f/)')7wf> 
 ^eivdlcA &c. Lxx. apprehending probably, that Eethuel 
 mentioned ^. 50. was not her father, but her younger 
 brother. 
 
 J Maneat nobilcum puella diebus anni unius, aut de- 
 cem menfium. Jon. T. Jrab. 'verf. Aliquo tempore, aut 
 decem menfibus. Onk. Dies aut menfcm. Sa?mr. Syr. 
 •verf. 
 
 *' Verfe 59. 
 
 % that 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 1 1 
 
 that fhe might be exceeding fruitful, and 
 her pofterity vidoiious over their ene- 
 mies ; in which all the family joined, 
 and fo commiteJ her to the care of the 
 fteward. 
 
 As they approached Beerlheba (whi- 
 ther Abraham had for fome time re- 
 turned, probably from the death of Sa- 
 rah) they met Ifaac taking his evening 
 walk and meditating ', who lifting up 
 his eyes faw the fteward and his com- 
 pany. Rebekah, informed who he was, 
 difmounted, and met him with her veil 
 over her head, as a token of modefty and 
 refpedl to him, to whom fhe was efpou- 
 fcd. Ifaac hearing from Eleazer the 
 whole affair, entertained her with the 
 tendereft afFedion, placed her in Sarah's 
 apartment, and confummated the mar- 
 riage with her ; by which the forrow he 
 had conceived at his mother's death, 
 which had now continued three years, 
 was alleviated. 
 
 Sarah being dead, and Hagar long ago chap. 25, 
 fent away, Abraham, who had given to his 
 fon Ifaac lately married his own tent, as 
 
 » Et egrefTus eft Ifaac ad orandum in agro tempore 
 vefpertino. Onk. Ifaac venicbat autem ex fchola Sem 
 magni : et exiit ad orandum fuper facies agri tempore 
 vefpertino. Jon. Ifaac autem v^niebat ex ludo literario 
 
 he 
 
1 1 2 An Essay for explaining 
 
 he had Sarah's to Rebekah, now dwell- 
 ing in a tent by himfeif, and being in 
 the hundred and fortieth year of his 
 age, took Keturah ' (who moft proba- 
 bly was the chief of his women-fervants, 
 as Eleazer was of the men) as a fecon- 
 dary wife or concubine, whofe children 
 were not to be his heirs, that being 
 the privilege of Ifaac. By her were 
 born to him Zimran % and Jock- 
 fhan \ and Medan% and Midian % and 
 J{hbak ' and Shuah \ And Jockihan had 
 
 * Ipfa eft Hagar, quae ligata fuerat illi a principio, 
 Jon. Jer. T. But A. Ezra judicioufly refutes this opinion. 
 No account can be given of Abraham*s being reprefented 
 to have more concubines than one, <v. 6. unlefs Keturah 
 be dillindl from Hagar. Nor can any reafon be given, 
 why he fhould call Hagar by the name of Keturah here, 
 when he calls her by her own name, 'v. iz. 
 
 ' From him came the names Zaaram or Zahram of 
 Ptokmyy called by Stephanus Byzantiusy Tiadrame, and ex- 
 plained by him to be the palace of the Cynaedocolpitae, a 
 people of Arabia felixy and of the Zamareni mentioned by 
 Pliny. L.v\. c. 28. who inhabited the fame country. 
 
 » From him probably came the Cajfanitae (the initial 
 letter J being dropt) who were near neighbours to the 
 Cynaedocolpitae. And the Arabian lexicographers tell us, 
 that Kafchan is the name both of a country and a town. 
 Vid, Cleric. 
 
 "* From him it Is likely the city Madian, and the Madi- 
 mitae a people of Arabia petraea receiv'd their names. 
 
 ^ From him the Modiana of Ptolemy, and Midianitis 
 near the Arabian gulph, in all probability derived their 
 original. 
 ^ Of him no footfteps are found among the Arabians. 
 ' To him $Qaca feems to owe its rife. 
 
 She- 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i ^ 5 
 
 Sheba ', and Dedan \ The fons of Dedan 
 were Aflnurim ', and Letufhim, and Le- 
 ummim. The fons of Midian, Ephah % 
 and Epher \ and Hanoch % and Abidah, 
 and Eldaah. All thefc were the children 
 of Keturah. 
 
 Abraham having lived fo long as to 
 fee thefe children, or at leafh many of 
 
 ^ From him came the Snbael^ who lived juil on the 
 entrarxe of Arabia fclix, not far from the Nabaihaei^ and 
 often made inroads upon their neighbours. Thus St)-abo : 
 
 ttvjii^- L. xvi. p. jj()- Ed. Cafaub. Thefe probably 
 were not the Sabaei who lived far foathward in Arabia 
 felix, but the Sahacans who broke in upon Job's country, 
 and carried off his cattle and fervants. Vid. Bocbart. 
 Phaleg. L. iv. c. 9. 
 
 ^ He in all probability was the founder of Dedan, a city 
 in the cOMnlxy o{ Idt'.mae a. Vid. Bochart. Ibid. L. iv. c. 6. 
 
 ' Some conjefture that he gave name to the Alnmeotae of 
 Ptolemy, who liv'd in the middle o^ Arabia fclix. Vid. Cleric. 
 
 + Or Hipha, from whom came Hippos, of which name 
 in Ptolemy there is both a mountain and a village i little 
 below Modiane. Vid. Bochart. Hicroz. P. i. L. ii. c. 3. 
 p. 82. 
 
 * Apher. Sa-marit. Apheir. lxx. Ophren. Jofeph. In the 
 opinion c{ Jofephus he gave name to Africa, 'o 'O-j^,^^^ 
 
 etv% ei'TTo T\} kK&iv^ hpo(j.cij<2r " A(PfiK'-/.v TTpca^yopivcruV' 
 fj.ct{jvf&i' M (!XK TCfi h'oya ^ ^AKi^avS'pQ' TtoKvi^-cop, Sec. 
 Ant. Jud. L. \. f. 15. This is rejected by Bochart. 
 Vid. Canaan L. i. f. 25. No one however can doubt 
 that Aphar, mentioned by Arria7ms, as the metropolis of 
 the Uomcritae, a people of the fouth 0^ Arabia felix, came 
 from this Epher. 
 
 ^ Some apprehend the traces of this name remain in 
 Cane, a confiderable trading place, where the Adrimitae 
 were feated on the fouth ol Arabia felix, near the red fea ; 
 and in the Canauna 0^ Pliny. L.vi. c. 28. 
 
 I them, 
 
1 1 4 ^71 Essay for eycpjaining 
 
 them, grown up to fuch an age, as to 
 be capable of feeking their fettlement 
 elfewhere, gave them gifts, that is fome 
 portion of money or moveable goods, and 
 fent them away from Ifaac, who was to 
 be his heir, unto the eaftern country, 
 Arabia, which lay eaftward of Canaan. 
 And it is probable the like prefents were 
 made to Ifhmael ; fince the hiftorian here 
 fais, that he gave gifts to the fo72s of his con- 
 cubines, of which Hagar was one. 
 
 Mofes to finifh the flory of Abraham 
 relates here his death, who, when he 
 was an hundred and feventy five years old 
 gave up the ghoft, and left this world, as 
 all his fathers had done before him, full 
 of years, and with ferenity and fatisfa- 
 dlon. Ifaac and Ilhmael attended the 
 rites of his funeral, and buried him in 
 the cave of Machpelah, where Sarah his 
 wife lay. 
 
 The hiftorian having upon this occafion 
 mentioned Ifhmael, proceeds to give the 
 names of twelve princes, or founders of 
 diftindl tribes, who defcended from 
 him. Nebajoth ' the firft born, Kedar % 
 
 ' He inhabited part of Arabia petraea, and gave name 
 to the Nabataeiy whole chief city wsiS Peira, which Strabo 
 defcribes, L. xvi./. 767. 
 
 " From him came the Kedarcnif who liv'd in Jrabia 
 petraca, and dwelt in tents. 
 
 Ad- 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 1 5 
 
 Adbeel ' and Mibfam, Mifhma, Dumah % 
 andMafla', Hadar^ and Tema % Jetur', 
 Naphifli \ and Kedemah ^ When he was 
 an hundred and thirty feven years old he 
 died, and his pofterity dwelt from Havi- 
 lah unto Shur, that is before Egypt to- 
 wards Affyria. And he died in the pre- 
 fence of all his brethren. Thus what 
 God had promifed to Abraham concern- 
 ing Ifhmael, xh^itfrom him JJoould defcend 
 
 * Adbal. ^am. which fignifies among the Arabians, one 
 ixjho is taught of God. Vid. Cleric. The cccafion of his having 
 that name is unknown. There are no footilieps of any place, 
 which received its denomination from him ; fo that we are 
 ignorant of the part of Arabia, which he and his defen- 
 dants inhabited. The like obfcurity attends Mibfam and 
 Mifhma. 
 
 ' Some have conjeftured from Ifa.-xxi. 1 1 . The burthen 
 of Dumah: He call d to me out of Seir, that he lived near to 
 Idumaea-y bat it is more probable, that Z)/m;« in Arabia 
 defer t a took its original from him. 
 
 * He was probably the founder of the Mufani, a people 
 who lived in Arabia defer ta. 
 
 * Cliadad, Samar, So it is in the Hehrcii\ i Chron. 
 I. 30. Hadad. Onk. T. XaJ^J^uv- lxx. This being the 
 true reading, it is likely that Hadada, a city of the de- 
 fart o^ Pahnvrena, took its name, and the kings of Damaf- 
 cus were called the fons of Hadad., from him. ^ 
 
 ^ From him came T^hemma., which Ptolc7ny places in the 
 Arabia defer ta, near to the Caldean mountains. Sec alfo> 
 Jobvi. 19. Ifa. xxi. 14. 
 
 ^ He gave name to the Ithiraeii who lived near Tracho- 
 nitis, and Vv'ere expell'd from their feat by the fons of Reu- 
 ben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of ManafTeh. i Chro}t. 
 V. 18. 
 
 ' A tribe of this name is mentioned, 1 Chron. v. 19. 
 
 ' In the opinion of Jacobus Capellus he dwelt near his 
 brother Kedar ; for fo he explains Jer. xlix. 28. Coup to 
 Kedary and fpoil the men of Kedem : which we render, the 
 men tf the eaji, 
 
 I 2 twelve 
 
1 6 An Essay for e^plahihig 
 
 Hvehe princes \ and that he fcou Id dwell 
 in the prejmce of his brethren % was ex- 
 adlly accomplifli'd. To return now to 
 the hiftory of Ifaac : 
 
 Ifaac, when he was forty years old, 
 married Rebekah; and tho they were in 
 the flower of their age, yet Rebekah for 
 twenty years continued barren. But up- 
 on the earned and importunate prayers 
 of Ifaac fhe conceiv'd \ Some time 
 before her delivery the children flrug- 
 gled together within her^ and floe faid : If 
 it be fo^ why am I thus ? Thefe ftrug- 
 lings and pangs ceafmg for fome time, fhe 
 went to enquire ^ of the Lord, to know 
 the meaning of them. And the Lord ^ 
 faid to her, l^wo nations are in thy womby 
 
 and 
 
 * ^uhetfXp^ '^^aCcoV' Strab. L. xvi. 
 
 ^ Gen. xvi. 12, 17, 20. 
 
 3 Et abiit Ifaac in montem cultus, locum in quo liga- 
 verat eum pater ejus, et ccnvertit liaac mentem Dei de 
 uxore ejus, quoniam flerilis erat &c. yon. T. 
 
 4- Maifnojiidcs is of the opinion, that fhe went to the 
 fchool of Sem, or Heber, -who were prophets. Moj-. Ne-v. 
 P. u. f . 41 . Et abiit in fcholam Sem magni ad quae- 
 rendum miferationes a facie Domini, jou. Et abiit, 
 ut peteret miferationes a facie Domini in domo, ubi con- 
 cionabatur Sem magnus. Jer. T. But this cannot be ad- 
 mited, fince Shern died ten years before. 
 
 By Mdchifcdck, faith Patricides ; by an angel, fa is Mai- 
 des. Ihe moil natural and eafy fenfe of this pallage 
 is this : Ifaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi, t;. 1 1 . which 
 name was given to it on the account of a manifellaticn God 
 
 made 
 
 s 
 
 vioni. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 1 7 
 
 and two manner of people pj all proceed from 
 thee : the one people fall be jlronger than 
 the other \ and the elder ^ in his pofterity, 
 P^all ferve the younger. When the tin:ie 
 of her delivery came, there were twins, 
 and the elder was born red, all over like 
 an hairy garment, and they called his 
 name Efau \ The younger immediately 
 following his brother, grafped his heel 
 with his hand, as if he would have pre- 
 vented his being the firft born ; from 
 whence they gave him the name of J a- 
 cob. 
 
 When the boys grew up, Efau, who 
 was active and robuft, delighted in hunt- 
 ing ; v/hile Jacob loved not violent ex- 
 ercife, but kept at home tending his 
 flocks '. Efau was Kaac's favourite, not 
 only becaufe he was his firft-born, and 
 
 made there of himfelfto Hagar, when fhe was in diftrcfs. 
 Ge7i. xvi. 1 4. In this place Abraham planted a grove, and 
 probably built an altar, and called on the name of the 
 Lord. Geji. xxi. 33. Hither flic retired to enquire by 
 prayer (fo t\iQ.Targu?ns, 3.nd R. E/kzer, Perd. 2,2.) what 
 the ftruglings meant which ihe felt, and God by an ar.gel 
 gave her an anfvv'er. 
 
 * Which lignilies ma^e. Et vocarunt nomen ejus Efau, 
 propterea quod natus erat totus perfedus cum capillis 
 capitis et barbae, et dentibus, et mojaribus. Jo^!. T. 
 Le Cleic derives it from Arabic, and explains it by cill- 
 cium. Vid. Jo/. L. i. c. iS. ^ i. 
 
 ^ Jacob autem erat vir integer operibus fuis, miniftcr 
 fcholae Eber, quaerens dodrinam a facie Domini. Jo^!. 
 T. Onk. 
 
 I 3 endowed 
 
! 1 8 j^7i Essay for expJamtng 
 
 endowed with adivity and valour ; but 
 becaufe he frequently entertained him 
 with his venifon. And the meek and 
 fedate temper of Jacob, and his being 
 mere at home with her, together with 
 the defign flie apprehended God to have 
 of his inheriting rhe promife, recom- 
 mended him to the favour of Rebe- 
 kah. Efau came one day home exceed- 
 ing faint, with a too violent and long 
 purfuit of his fports ; and Jacob hav- 
 ing prepared for himfelf potage of len- 
 tiles, of a red tindlure, which was rea- 
 dy that moment, Efau with great im- 
 patience fais to him: Feed me^ I pray^ 
 with the red, that fame red. Jacob takes 
 the advantage of his brother's vehe- 
 mence of appetite, to bargain with him 
 upon oath for his birth-right, which 
 he feems to have fpoken ilightly and 
 contemptuoully of. And whether it was 
 from his ftrong defire to have his ap- 
 petite gratified, or from a profped: of 
 obliging him afterward to refign it again 
 by force, he confented even upon oath 
 to refign the right of elderfhip, and 
 all the privileges annexed to it, to Ja- 
 cob. When Efau had eat and drank, 
 he rofe up and went his way, with- 
 out any ccncern for what he had 
 done. Tikus Efau defpfed his birth- 
 right. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 1 p 
 
 right \ The colour of the potage he had 
 eaten occafioned the. name of Edom (that 
 is red) to be given to him, and his poile- 
 rity to be called Edomites^ and their coun- 
 try Edom^ or Idumaea, 
 
 After the death of Abraham Ifaac re- 
 moved to Mamre, near Hebron, and 
 there was a famine in the land. Such Chap. 26. 
 a fcarcity of provifions happened, as in 
 the days of Abraham foon after he had 
 arrived at Canaan. This occafioned 
 Ifaac to refolve upon the fame courfe, 
 as Abraham had taken, to retire with 
 his family into Egypt. But Jehovah 
 appeared to him, and ordered him to 
 go no farther than to Gerar in Pale- 
 lline, and renewed the promifes made to 
 his father Abraham, faying : / will be 
 with thee^ and will blefs thee-, for wito thee 
 and to thy feed I will give all thefe cou?i- 
 trySy and I will perform the oathy which 
 I Jware unto Abraha?n thy father, A?id 
 I will make thy feed to multiply as the ftars 
 of heavejiy and will give imto thy feed all 
 thefe country s^ and in thy feedjlmll al l t h e 
 NATIONS OF THE EARTH be bkfjed I becaufe 
 that Abrahain obeyed my voice and kept my 
 commandments. Ifaac, relying on the diviac 
 promife and protection, went to Gerar. 
 But when the men of the place asked 
 
 ' Et contempfit Efau primogenituram, et partem fu- 
 turi feculi. Jon, 7'. 
 
 I 4 him 
 
I 20 ^n Essay for explamlng 
 
 him of his wife, through fear that they 
 would kill him for the fake of beautiful 
 Rebekah, he reprefented her to be his 
 fifter. Ifaac dweUing near the royal pa- 
 lace ', Abimelech, the fon probably of 
 him to whom Abraham went, a confide- 
 rable time after Ifaac had fettled there, 
 looking out at a window, faw him ufing 
 fuch familiarities with her, as made him 
 conclude {he muft be his wife ; and fend- 
 ing for him, reproved him for hazarding 
 her honour, and expofmg them to mif- 
 chief. The king however charged all 
 his people not to offer the leafl injury to 
 Ifaac and his wife, but fufter them to 
 live in the peaceable poffeiiion of all their 
 rights. 
 
 Upon this incouragement Ifaac fowed 
 in the land, and by a particular bleffing 
 received a vaft increafe of a72 hu7idredfor 
 one, which was beyond the natural or 
 ufual fertility of the foil. His increafing 
 w^ealth and grandure made him the envy 
 of the Philiftines. This they expreffed 
 by ftoping up the wells, which his fa- 
 ther Abraham's fervants had dug at his 
 expence. This was done in all probabi- 
 lity by the confent of the king, who 
 
 ^mw )C^ (^I'MAV ]Uu 'ACpcL^.ii» "J of. Ant. Jud. L. i. c. 18. 
 §.2. 
 
 now 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 1 1 
 
 now becoming jealous of the growing 
 power of Ifaac, defired him to retire from 
 the town '. Whereupon Ifaac withdrew 
 into the country, to a place called the 
 valley of Gerar, There he opened the 
 wells which Abraham had dug, which 
 he chofe rather than to make new ones -, 
 becaufe it was moft eafy, and lefs 
 liable to cenfure 5 and becaufe he would 
 preferve his own title to them, and his 
 father's memory : for which reafon he 
 gave them the names they had in Abra- 
 ham's days. In procefs of time Ifaac 
 found a neceflity of more water, and or- 
 dered his fervants to dig, which they did, 
 till they met with a new fpring in the 
 valley. The herdfmen of Gerar ftrove 
 with Ifaac's fervants, and laid claim to 
 the water. When another well was dug, 
 a like contention arofe, which occafioned 
 Ifaac to call one of them Efek, that is 
 Jlrife ; and the other Sitnah, which fig- 
 nifies hatred. Having no mind to conteft 
 the matter, he removed from thence to 
 a place, where at laft he obtained the 
 privilege of water without difturbance, 
 and called the name of the well Reho- 
 both I for now fais he. The Lord hath 
 
 m^\ ecurov o-TradT^ Xp^V^J'cy* dTreJaulo avTov- JoJ. Ibid. 
 
 made 
 
Ill j4n Essay for e%platning 
 
 made room for usy and we Jhall be 
 fruitful in the land. From thence he re- 
 turned to Beerfheba, and the fame night 
 'Jehovah appeared to him, and faid: 
 / am the God of Abraham thy father^ 
 fear not^ for I am with thee, and will blefs 
 thee, and 1 will multiply thy feed fr my 
 fervant Abraham's fake. Whereupon I- 
 faac fettled there, diged wells for his 
 cattle, built an altar, and called upon 
 the name of the Lord. 
 
 Abimelech was under fome apprehen- 
 fion, left Ifaac being difobliged by his 
 fending him out of his country, fhould 
 one time or other refent this treatment. 
 To prevent this he takes one of his friends, 
 and the chief officer of his army, and 
 goes diredtly to Ifaac, and with a frank 
 and open profeffion of the fenfe he had 
 of his growing power, and the fpecial 
 providence which attended him, requeft- 
 ed, that with the folcmnity of an oath he 
 would enter into covenant with him. 
 Ifaac ' complied, and (as was ufual in 
 thofe times, when a mutual league was 
 tranfadled) made them a feajt % and they 
 
 ' Uelvjav J'i T6Tux.'^;t»\, av ii^Ut J" to. rriv ^lo-eUn 
 
 «c6fT»- y°f' ^^^t- J^d.' L. i. c. 1 8. § I. 
 
 ' Covenants were entered into by eating and drinking 
 together, and accordingly herith, a coi]enant, is derived from 
 harah^ which fignifies to eat oxfeaji. Buxt. 
 
 did 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 1 5 
 
 iiiJ eat and drink. Early next morning 
 they arofe, and by fwearing to each o- 
 ther confirmed their mutual engagements ; 
 then the king, Ahuzzah, and Phicol de- 
 parted from Ifaac in peace. The fame 
 day Ifaac's fervants came and told him, 
 that they had found water, whereupon 
 he reftored to the well its antient name 
 Shebah^ which fignifies an oath. And 
 therefore fays the hiftorian, the name of 
 the city is Beerflieba to this day. But the 
 happinefs of Ifaac's family received acon- 
 fiderable abatement by the marriage of 
 his fon Efau; who at the age of forty, 
 without the advice, and againft the incli- 
 nation of his father, married into two ' 
 families of the idolatrous Canaanites % 
 which proved a grief of mind both to 
 Ifaac andRebekah. 
 
 Ifaac, who was now in the hundred Chap. 27. 
 and thirty feventh year of his age, and 
 greatly decayed in his fight % not know- 
 ing 
 
 "Itjctx-O*, ITT ctvja TMff yvdyt.m yiVO^lVTA^- J°f- ^^^t- 
 Jud. L.l c. 18. \ 4. 
 
 * Et accidit, cum Efau natus effet quadraginta annos, ut 
 acciperet in uxorem Jehudith, filiam Beeri Chittaei ; et 
 Bofmath, filiam Elon Chittaei : et fuerunt incurvantes fe 
 cultui aheno, et paratae ad rebellandum operibus fuis 
 malis in Ifaac et Rebeccam. Jon. f. Jer. T. 
 
 ' Et caligarunt oculi ejus, ne videre poffet (quando enim 
 ligavit eum pater ejus, afpexit folium gloriae, ab eo tem- 
 pore 
 
124 -^^ Essay for esplahmg 
 
 ing how foon he might leave the world, 
 and refledling upon his brother I/kmaers 
 dying at that age, thought fit to difpofe 
 of his eftate, and appoint his proper heir. 
 His fondnefs for Efau ', tho he had dif- 
 pleafed him by his marriage, difcovered 
 itfelf in his intention to fettle in him 
 the fpecial temporal bleffing, which was 
 promifed to his family, and which was 
 not to bedifpofed of by Ifaac, but accord- 
 ing to divine direction. Wherefore he 
 fent Efau a hunting to get venifon, that 
 by fuch favoury meat, as he loved, his 
 feeble fpirits might be raifed, and he 
 might be enabled to confer on him his 
 laft bleffing with greater vigour. It is 
 hardly to be fuppofed, that Rebekah had 
 not acquainted Ifaac with what Jebovab 
 had declared to her of the twin-brothers, 
 Efau and Jacob, that/& elder JJjould ferve 
 the younger. It feems more probable, that 
 his mind was greatly pofTefs'd with the 
 privileges of primogeniture. For tho he 
 himfelf, being the younger, was preferr- 
 ed to Ifhmael the elder ; yet Ifhmael was 
 the fon of a concubine, and fo the cafe 
 was not parallel. Moreover it is not 
 certain, when Rebekah acquainted him 
 
 pore coeperunt oculi ejus caligare) turn vocavitfilium fuum 
 majorem &c. Jon. T, 
 * Chap^ XXV. 28. 
 
 with 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 125 
 
 with it. It might be after flie had dif- 
 covered particular affedlion to Jacob ; 
 and then Ifaac (iince it does not appear 
 that it had ever been revealed to him) 
 might doubt, whether his wife made an 
 exadl report of it to him, or was no way 
 biafed in favour of Jacob. Or, Iince the 
 oracle runs : Two natiom are in thy 
 womb, and two manner of people (hall 
 be feparated from thy bowels, and the 
 one people fhall be ftronger than the other: 
 Ifaac might apprehend, that it refered to 
 their pofterity, and could not therefore 
 be a fufficient warrant for him to deprive 
 Efau in perfon of his birth-right. Belides 
 the peculiar affection he had to Efau might 
 ftrengthen his prejudice in favour of him, 
 as his elder fon. This might prevent 
 Rebekah's fpeaking, at leaft very often, of 
 the oracle, tho fhe was fully fatisfied that 
 it refer'd to Jacob \ which fomewhat exte- 
 nuates her fault in impofing upon Ifaac. 
 The account of which lies thus : Rebekah 
 overhearing the orders, that her husband 
 had given to Efau, to prepare him venifon, 
 that he might eat, and his foul might 
 blefs him before he died, refolved to dif- 
 appoint the defign. And therefore or- 
 dered Jacob to fetch her two kids of the 
 goats, of which (he would make favoury 
 meat, fuch as his father loved, and he 
 fhould carry it to him, that Ifaac might 
 2 eat 
 
126 jin Ess AY for e:<plaining 
 
 eat of it, and blefshim before his death- 
 Jacob reprefented to her the difficulty of 
 impofing upon his father, fince his bro- 
 ther was hairy and himfelf fmooth, and 
 the danger of being reputed by his father 
 a deceiver, if he fhouldby his feeling of 
 him be difcovered, whereby he would 
 draw down a curfe inftead of a bleffing. 
 Upon this Rebekah aflured him ', that in 
 her apprehenfion he was defigned by God 
 to be his heir, and that fhe would be an- 
 fwerable for all the confequences of thofe 
 meafures (lie put him upon. Jacob then 
 complied with her diredions. The meat 
 being prepared, Rebekah drefled up Ja- 
 cob in the goodly raime^it of Efau % that by 
 the known odour of it (being laid up from 
 the air, which preferved its fcent) Ifaac 
 might be deceived ; and wraping the 
 kids-fkins about his hands and neck to 
 make them feel hairy, like Efau's, fent 
 
 'ji'Tvff^ivQ-- "J of- Ant. Jud. LA. c. iS. § 1 6. 
 
 * 1 he lews ianfy that hereby are meant the facerdotal 
 robes, which were worn by Adam, Noah, and the other 
 patriarchs. Et accepit veftes Efau defiderabiles, quae 
 fuerunt primi parentis Adae, &c. Jon. T. This opinion 
 took its rife from a falfe apprehenfion, that the priellhood 
 was one of the privileges of the firft-born ; which is con- 
 futed by the learned Spencer, L. i. c. 6. ^ 2. De legib, 
 Heh. 
 
 ^ Caprini enim in oriente pili humanis non funt pror* 
 fus abfimiles. Bochart. Hieroz. P, i. L. ii. f. 51. p. 626* 
 Ed. Ltufd, 
 
 him 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 27 
 
 him in with the difli. The projedt took: 
 For tho Ifaac, furprifed at his coming fo 
 foon, examined him by feeling his hands 
 and neck ; yet the roughnefs of his hands, 
 and the perfume of his clothes, remov- 
 ed the fufpicion that arofe from his voices 
 When Ifaac had kiffed Jacob, and fmelled 
 the odour of his raiment, See^ fais he, 
 the fmell of my fon is as thefmellofafield, 
 which the Lord hath blejfed. And under 
 that image he proceeds in a ftrain of 
 prayer and prophecy : May God give thee 
 oj the dew of heaven^ and the fatnefs of 
 the earthy and plenty of corn and wine. 
 Let people ferve thee, and nations bow down 
 to thee ; be Lord over thy brethren, and 
 let thy mother's fons bow down to thee. 
 Curfed be every one that curfeth thee, 
 and bleJJ'ed be he who blefjeth thee* As 
 foon as Ifaac had made an end of blef- 
 fing Jacob, Efau his brother returned 
 from hunting, and having prepared fa- 
 voury meat brought it to his father, and 
 faid : Let my father arife, and eat of his 
 fon's venijbn, that thy foul may blefs me. 
 Ifaac trembled exceedingly, and faid in 
 a broken way : JVho, where is he, that 
 hath brought me ventfon, and I have ea- 
 ten of all before thou camejl, and have 
 blejfed him ? Tea and he Jhall be bleffed. 
 For I am confident, that I bleifedhim by 
 
1 2 8 An Essay for explaining 
 
 a prophetic fpirit, and with divine ap-^ 
 probation. 
 
 Efau ftruck at thefe words, cried with 
 a great and exceeding bitter cry, and faid 
 unto his father : Blefs me^ even me aljo, 
 O my father. To which Ifaac replied : 
 Thy brother came withfubtlety^ ufi"g nae- 
 thods which cannot be vindicated, and 
 hath taken away the blejjing^ which I in- 
 tended to have beftowed on thee, looking 
 upon it as thine by the right of being my 
 firft born. But fince by the oracle, the 
 elder Jhall ferve the younger 5 and by the 
 manner of my bleffing him I am con- 
 vinced, that it was the defign of God, it 
 cannot be revoked. Efau then exclaimed 
 againft his brother for fupplanting him 
 twice i but defired to know. If he had ?iot 
 referved a blej/ingfor him ? When Ifaac 
 in reply had acquainted him with the ex- 
 tent of the blefRng, which he had 
 confered on his brother : Efau lift up his 
 voice and wept, faying, Haji thou but one 
 hlefjing^ my father ? Blefs me^ even me al- 
 fo, O my father. To whom Ifaac re- 
 plied : Thy dwelling Jhall be ' without the 
 
 fatnefs 
 
 ' The Hebrenju will bear this fenfe ; and fince Ifaac 
 in his bleffing Jacob ufes thefe expreffions, God give thee of 
 the detjo ofhea<ven, and the fatiiefs of the earthy ver. 28. and 
 in ^er. ^7. after enumerating the bleffings he had beftowed 
 
 UpOH 
 
the Scripture-Revelations* i ip 
 
 Jatnefs of the earthy end the dewfrcm above. 
 By thy fwordhovjcw cv thou Jh alt live, and 
 Jhalt ferve thy ' brother ; but in fuch man- 
 ner, that at times regaining poiver, thou 
 Jhalt break his yoke from off thy neck \ Efatt 
 hating his brother on the account of the 
 bleffing, refolved upon his father^s death 
 to flay Jacob. Rebekah coming to the 
 knowledge of it, called Jacob, and 6- 
 pened to him Efau's defign ; and to pre- 
 vent it, told him of her intention to fend 
 him to Laban her brother at Haran; 
 hoping that time might aflwage the re- 
 fentment of Efau. To bring Ifaac into 
 the meafures of fending Jacob to Haran, 
 without afflidting him by the relation of 
 Efau's defign, Rebekah reprefents the mi- 
 feries which had arofe to her from th^ 
 daughters of Heth ; and that if Jacob 
 fhould be inticed into a marriage with 
 any of the Canaanitifh women, her life 
 would be extremely miferable. Ifaac re- 
 colledting probably the care Abraham 
 had taken to marry him to one of his 
 kindred, and fenfible of the troubles 
 
 upon him adds, What fl^all 1 do nonv to thee, wy fon ? 
 this interpretation will appear molt natural. To which 
 may be added, that Idumaea was a country never remark- 
 able for a rich foil, or feafonable fhowers. 
 
 ■ 2 5a/ff. viii. 14. I Chrcn. xviii. 13. i Kings xv. kz. 
 2 Kings viii. 21. 2 Kings xiv. 7. 1 Mace, v, 65. Jof. 
 Ant. Jud. L. xiii. c. ij. 
 
 * 2 Kings viii. 22. 2 iChron. xxi. 8, ^c. 
 
 JC Efau's 
 
1 3 o An Essay for explaining 
 
 Efau's marriages had occafioned, freely 
 confented to the propofal of Rebekah. 
 Chap. 28. To put that defign in execution Ifaac 
 fent for Jacob, and charged him not to 
 take a wife to himfelf of the daughters of 
 Canaan, but to arife and go to Padan- 
 aram \ to the houfe of Bethuel, and 
 marry one of the daughters of Laban 
 his mother's brother* At the fame time, 
 that the bleffing he had given him might 
 not be thought to be of lefs force, be- 
 caufe it was obtained by fubtlety, he re- 
 news and confirms it to him : God al- 
 mighty blefsthee^ and make thee fruitful^ and 
 ?nultiply thee^ that thou maiefl he a multi- 
 tude of people : And give thee the hlejjing 
 of Abraham^ to thee and thy feed with thee^ 
 that thou maiejl inherit the land wherein 
 thou art a fir anger ^ which God gave unto 
 Abraham. And then he fent him away 
 inhafte to Laban the brother of Rebekah, 
 Jacob's and Efaiis mother : Jacob being 
 named firft here, as declared now both 
 Ifaac's heir, and heir of all the promifes. 
 
 Efau underftanding the ftridt charge 
 his brother had, not to marry with any 
 Canaanite, and how grateful his compli- 
 ance therewith was to his father, dif- 
 covered how much he had difobliged him 
 
 in 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i j i 
 
 in his own former matches. In hopes 
 therefore of recovering his favour in his 
 brother's abfence, he took Mahalath the 
 daughter of Iihmael Abraham's fon, the 
 fifter of Nebaioth, to be his wife. By this 
 condudt Efau feems to have given up all 
 expedlation of the bleffing -, fince he could 
 not but know, that this family, being de- 
 fcended from a bond- woman, was not to 
 inherit the promife of Canaan made to 
 Abraham and Ifaac. 
 
 Jacob, as has been fiid, being fenc 
 away in hafte, and in a manner quite 
 alone ', and without any coniid 'rable 
 prefents to court a Wiie, or gain rhe 
 kindnefs of Laban, travels for Karan^ 
 relying upon little elfe but divine provi- 
 dence for fuccefs. And lighting upon a 
 convenient place to lodge in, v/hich was 
 fhacied with almond trees, and for that 
 reafon called Liiz^ the fun being fer, he 
 
 * This ccndufl appears ilrange confidering the length 
 and difhculties of the joanicy, and that he was lately de- 
 clared the lieir. rjofifhus tells us, it is difRcult in winter 
 to travel thro'Mcropotr.inia on the account of deep ways, 
 and in the Rtrnmer by reafon of drought; bcfides that 
 fuch traveliers v/ere expofed to robberies, which could not 
 be avoided without great care. Ant. Jud. L.i. c. i6. 
 § i. But thetrue rca:bnof i J appears to be, that Jaccb 
 was very dcfirous his departure might be concealed from 
 Efau ; and' that he rather chofe to go in iuchcircuniilances, 
 th:in by a great preparation to difcover beforehand to Efau 
 Wiien and whither his journey was defigned. 
 
 K 2 tarried 
 
1^2 ^;2 Essay for et^plamng 
 
 tarried there all night, ufing a large ftone 
 for his pillow. In this place he had the 
 favour of a divine dream, wherein he had 
 the reprefentation of a ladder placed on 
 the earth ', whofe top reached to hea- 
 ven, the angels of God afcending and de- 
 fcending on it. A?id behold Jehovah flood 
 above it^ and [aid : I am the Lord God of 
 Abraham thy father^ and the God of IJdac j 
 the land whereon thou lieji^ to thee will I 
 give it a?id to thy feed. A^id thy feed jh all 
 he as the diift of the earthy and in thee and 
 thy feed JJjall all the families of the 
 EARTH be blefed. And behold I am with 
 thee^ and will keep thee in all places whither 
 thoiigcefl^ and will bring thee again into this 
 land : for I will not leave thee^ until I have 
 done that^ which I have fpoken to thee of. 
 When Jacob awaked, he found the vi- 
 fion in his dream fo clear, and the im- 
 preffion upon his mind fo ftrong, that he 
 could not but conclude it to be truly a 
 divine manifeftation, tho not expected by 
 him. Thereupon he expreffes the reve- 
 rence he had for the place, calling it 
 the houfe of God, and the gate of heaven. 
 To preferve the memory of this hea- 
 venly vifion, and the alTurances given him 
 of divine favour, which probably were 
 
 Vid. Maim. ?raefat. Mor. Nev. ct P. iii. f, i8. 
 
 on 
 
the Scripture-Rfevelations. i j j 
 
 on the firfl night after he went from 
 home, he rofe up early in the morning, 
 and took the ftone he lay on, and fet it 
 up for a pillar ', upon the top of fome 
 other Hones which he heaped together, 
 and poured oil upon it \ and called the 
 name of the place Bethel^ that is, God's 
 houfe. To exprefs farther his gratitude 
 and devout affedion to God, Jacob laid 
 himfelf under a folemn and religious vow, 
 that upon his fafe and fuccefsful return 
 from this journey he would perform fome 
 fpecial fervicG to God, and worfliip him 
 with extraordinary devotion, confecrate 
 this place to his honour, and dedicate a 
 tenth part of all that God ihould favour 
 him with to pious ufes. 
 
 After this Jacob purfued his journey Chap. 29. 
 with chearfulnefs, and reached Charran 
 in Mefopotamia, lying eaftward of Ca- 
 naan. But being a perfect ftranger, he 
 
 ' Matfehah. Heb, Et erexit [lapidem] in titulum. Vulg. 
 Kflt/ i^MiV cLvjov rHAMf. Lxx. When tlie nations, which 
 were idolatrous, worfhiped pillars, the ufe of them was 
 ft)rbiden, Deut. xv'i. 22. 
 
 * To confecrate it as a monument of God's mercy to 
 him. From jhence the pagan cuilom came of anointing 
 ftones, and paying worlhip to them. Vid. Fo/s. He Idol. 
 L. vi. c. 39. Such Hones were in confequence called 
 h!i^ol hlTet^oU So, Udii>jA hl^oy^ ja J*n A$>'0//SfOi', 
 Kl'TTA^ov, 'Tr^^ffKVvhTii. Clem. Alex, p 713. ed. Paris-. 
 They were alfo called ^anvhta. Vid. Boc/7. Canaan, 
 I. ii. c. 2. p. 707, 
 
 K 3 fefte4 
 
T34 -^^^ Essay for e^pUtnmg 
 
 refied at a well in a neighbouring field, 
 where he found fome flocks of fheep 
 lying under a fhade for watering, with 
 their fhepherds by them. Jacob upon 
 inquiry found that they were of Haran, 
 and well acquainted with his uncle La- 
 ban (who was well, ?s they informed 
 him) and that his daughter Rchel, with 
 the fhepherds under her, was every minute 
 expedled at the well. Jacob then faid, 
 that he thought, fince the day was yet 
 high, it was proper to wate^ the flieep, 
 and drive them from the fliade into the 
 fields to feed. To which they replied, 
 that the well was common to all the 
 town at fuch a particular hour, and that 
 it was again ft the rules of the place to 
 uncover the water, till all the flocks 
 y/ere come together. While they were 
 thus entertaining one another in dif- 
 courfe, Rachel herfelf came with fervants 
 under her ; and Jacob being told who 
 llie Vv^as, went to her, and with great 
 courtefy and aSivity aihfted in wa- 
 tering her flock. This kind behaviour 
 made Rachel inquire of him, who he 
 was. Jacob foon acquainted her, that he 
 was Rebekah's fon, and nearly related, 
 and faluted her as his kinfwoman with 
 more than ordinary affeftion, for he wept 
 for joy to fee her. She immediately ran, 
 and told her father* When Laban heard 
 
 the 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 155 
 
 the reafon of his coming from home, 
 God's providence over him in his journey, 
 and his happy meeting with Rachel, he 
 received him with all tendernefs and re- 
 fpedl, and faid to him, Swely thou art 
 my bone, and my fejh. And Jacob abode 
 with him the fpace of a month, when 
 Laban faid to him, Becaufe thou art my 
 brother, is it Jit that thou ftmildejl Jerve 
 me for nought? Tell me, What Jh all thy 
 wages be? To whom Jacob replied, / 
 will Jerve thee J even years fir Rachel thy 
 younger daughter, Laban accepted the 
 propofal, and the affection Jacob had for 
 Rachel made the kwcw years fervice feem 
 to him but a few days. 
 
 All things thus agreed upon, at the 
 term fixed Jacob demands his wife ; and 
 Laban with all feeming readinefs and fin- 
 cerity confummates the marriage, by in- 
 viting the chief heads of the town to the 
 weding feaft, as witnefles to confirm and 
 eftablilh the matter, agreeably to the u- 
 fage of thofe times. But it being the 
 cuftom then to bring the bride to her 
 hufband's bed veiled, and without lights, 
 Laban takes this opportunity to impofe 
 upon Jacob, by bringing to him ' ten- 
 
 ' Raccoth. Sed Lia Ilppis erat oculis. Vulg. 'Oi /I 
 o<p^ci?^ot Ae^Ai ciff^iVii^. Lxx. Oculi autem Liae eranc 
 pulchri. OnL 
 
 K 4 der-eyc4 
 
i 3 6 An Essay for e>:plamlng 
 
 der-eyed Leah, who was lefs amiable, in- 
 ftead of his beloved Rachel. Next morn- 
 ing Jacob, finding himfelf deceived, ex- 
 poftulates with Laban. Did I not ferve 
 with thee for Rachel ? wherefore the?i haft 
 thou beguiled me .^ Laban excufed him- 
 felf, by pretending that it was not ufual 
 there to marry the younger before the 
 firft-born. Which feems to have been a 
 mere fliift, fince he ought to have ac- 
 quainted Jacob with it at the firft. To 
 Leah Laban gave Zilpah for an hand- 
 maid, and faid to Jacob ; compleat the 
 week's feftival for the prefent match, and 
 promife other feven years fervice, and 
 Rachel (hall be yours. Jacob complied, 
 and Rachel was married to him, and 
 Laban gave to her for a waiting-maid 
 Bilhah his handmaid. The affliftion 
 that Leah had, on the account of Jacob's 
 difcovering greater love to Rachel than 
 herfelf, was confiderably abated by God's 
 blefling her with children, while Rachel 
 for a long time continued barren. To 
 her firft-born the name Reuben was given, 
 that is a Jon of regard : for, faid fhe, 
 Surely the Lord hath looked upon my af- 
 jliEiion^ and I ihall now have an equal 
 fhare in the affedion of Jacob. Her fe- 
 cond fhe called Simeon^ that is, the Lord 
 hath heard or confidered me, f ler third, 
 Z/m, x\i2ii\s^cori/lant Jbciety : her fourth, 
 
 Judahy 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 137 
 
 yudah^ v^hich. fi^miits thank/giving : and 
 then fhe left bearing for fome time. 
 
 The promife made to Jacob, as well ^^^P- 3<5- 
 as to Abraham and Ifaac, that his pojie- 
 rity jhoidd he as the Jlars of heaven for 
 multitude^ and that in his feed all 
 
 THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH Jloould be 
 
 bkffed^ occafioned Rachel to look upon 
 her fifter with an envious eye, to fee her 
 enjoy fo happy a profpedt, while ftie was 
 deprived of it, and continued barren. 
 Her impatience rofe to fuch an height, as 
 to make her fay to Jacob, Give me chil- 
 dren^ or elfe I dye, Jacob, who was juftly 
 angry at this rafh fpeech, asked her, how 
 it was poffible for him to procure, what 
 providence was pleafed to deny ? Rachel 
 then, probably in imitation of Sarah, 
 perfuaded him to take her woman Bilhah 
 to be his wife, whofe children fhe might 
 look upon as her own, though not born 
 of her body. Jacob complied with her, 
 and had two fons by Bilhah. To the 
 firft fhe gave the name of Dan, that is, 
 judgme,7it ; fince God had in fome mea- 
 fure vindicated her from the reproaches 
 of her fifter, and had heard her prayers. 
 Bilhah conceived again, and bare Jacob 
 ^ fecond fon, whom Rachel called Naph- 
 thaliy that is, ftrugling : for, faid flie, 
 with great wrejilings have I confliBed with 
 py fjhr^ to have another child before 
 
 her. 
 
J 8 An Essay for esplatning 
 
 her, and have prevailed, Leah feai«^ 
 ing fhe might have no more children 
 herfelf, in imitation of her fifter, and 
 from the fame principle, gave to Jacob 
 Zilpah her maid to be his wife. The 
 firft fon he had by her, Leah named with 
 his v^onfent Gad^ which fignifies a troop ; 
 and the fecond flie called Ajher^ that is 
 bleifed, Reuben, the eldeft fon of Leah, 
 in the days of whest-harveft, which be- 
 gan at peatecoft, when the firft- fruits of 
 wheat were offered, found agrecuble 
 fruits of a tree or plant', and brought 
 them to his mother. Their beauty and 
 pleafantnefs were fo great, as to raife in 
 Rachel a ftrong deiire to have fome of 
 them. Leah in a pet told her, it was 
 too much to have her husband's affe- 
 tftion^, and her fruit too. Whereupon 
 Rachel to pacify her made her an offer 
 of Jacob's company that night, which 
 file accepted. And God hearkened to the 
 earneft prayer of Leah, and gave her 
 another fon, which fhe thought to be a 
 reward for parting with Zilpah to her 
 husband ; and in memory of this agree- 
 ment with Rachel, flie called the name 
 of this fon Ifjachar^ that is, hire. After 
 this fhe had a fixth fon, upon which Leah 
 
 ' YId. y. Ludolfi Comment. inUid: ^thiop. p. 139. 
 
 3 faid. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. \ j ^ 
 
 fa id : Now will my husband dwell with me^ 
 Jince I have born him Jix Jons-, and fhe 
 called his name Zebulim, that is, dwelling 
 together. Afterwards fhe bare a daughter, 
 whom fhe called Dijtah^ a name of the 
 fame import with Dan, God, having 
 now for a fufficient time tried the pati- 
 ence of Rachel with the afflidion of bar- 
 rennefs, was pleafed at laft to blefs her 
 with a fon of her own body, whom fhe 
 called Jofeph^ a word fignifying both to 
 add and to take away ; fince God had ta- 
 ken away her reproach, and added to 
 her a fon. 
 
 Jacob's fourteen years fervice with La- 
 ban being now fully expired, he thought 
 of returning to his own country, and 
 accordingly acquainted Laban with his 
 defign. Laban intreated him to continue, 
 fince the Lord had blejfed him for his fake y 
 and affured him that he would give to 
 him, whatever wages he fl^ould demand. 
 Jacob replied, that fince he had been in- 
 ftrumental to his profperity, it was proper 
 now that he fhould make fome provifion 
 for his own family, which at this time 
 was pretty numerous. What you fay, 
 anfwered Laban, is but highly reafon- 
 able : make therefore your demands. 
 Jacob then (by divine diredtion ') told 
 
 ' Cbap.xxxi. II, 12, 13. 
 
 him. 
 
140 jin Essay for esplahjing 
 
 him, that he infifted upon no part of his 
 prefent eftate, but would make the fol- 
 lowing bargain with him for the future. 
 Let, fais he, the J/jeep and goats, which 
 are now fpoted, be removed \ and fiich, as 
 hereafter jh all fall any way marked, come 
 to my (Idare. This was a thing fo unlikely 
 to happen, that Laban very readily em- 
 braced the motion. The better to pre- 
 vent all fufpicion, Jacob confented to 
 have all the fpoted cattle of every kind 
 immediately feparated from the reft of 
 the flocks, and put for the future under 
 the care of Laban's own fons, at the di- 
 ftance of three days journey ; ; fo that 
 Jacob had none but cattle of one uni- 
 form colour to breed by. By the fame 
 divine diredtion, upon which Jacob pro- 
 pofed the agreement, he pilled off the 
 bark from rods of green poplar, almond, 
 and chefnut, at certain diftances, till the 
 white appeared between the bark, which 
 was of a different colour. And thefe 
 rods thus prepared he laid in the chanels 
 of water, where the cattle came to 
 drink at coupling time ; and the flocks 
 conceived before the rods ', and brought 
 
 forth 
 
 * Graeci patres plerique ad miraculum referunt, quod 
 ad virgamm obtMtum varies agnos concepere Labanis 
 oves. Sed videntur Latini patres in diverfa effe fententia. 
 Vid. Bocb, Hieroz. P,\. L. ii. f. 49. 
 
 Proinde 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 4 1 
 
 forth cattle ring-ftraked, fpeckled,and fpot- 
 ed. To obferve his agreement with Laban, 
 he kept the fpoted cattle apart from the reft 
 of the flock; but he put the fpeckled 
 cattle produced by the former device fore- 
 moft in coupling time, that Laban\s 
 flock might always look upon them, and 
 thereby be the more apt to conceive the 
 like. And thofe, which brought forth fpot- 
 ed ones by this fecond artifice, he alfo put 
 by themfelves, and fuffered them not to be 
 mingled with Laban's cattle. A third 
 artifice was to lay the rods before the 
 ftrongeft cattle, but when the cattle were 
 feeble he put them not in ; fo the feeble 
 were Laban's ', and the ftronger Jacob's, 
 And thus Jacob increafed exceedingly^ and 
 had much cattle^ and maid-fervants and 
 men-fervants^ and camels and ajfes, 
 
 Jacob had not lived above fix years chap. 31. 
 in this flourifliing condition under Laban, 
 but Laban's fons gave out threatning ex- 
 preflions againft him ; and Laban himfelf 
 grew fo cold in his looks and behaviour 
 to him, that he found things were likely 
 
 ' Proinde fatendum, imaginationem pecudum tantum hr 
 ifle caufTam adjuvantem, ac plus in hoc negotio virtuti efle 
 tribuendum divinae ; quae fuo concurfu fic debilem ad- 
 auxit caufae fecundae vim, ut quod fola non poffet fecun- 
 dum naturam, id divina benedidione praeftaret fupra na- 
 turam. Vof. De Idol, f, iii. c. 22. See likewife, Boch. 
 Hieroz, P. i. L. ii. c. 46. p. 90. 
 
 I to 
 
14^ -^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 to go ill with him, if heftaid any longer 
 And to confirm him in this conclufion, Je^ 
 hovah appeared to Jacob, and faid to him : 
 Return unto the land of thy fathers^ and to 
 thy kindred^ and I will be with thee. Ja- 
 cob therefore fent and called Rachel and 
 Leah into the field : fearing, it is likely, 
 that he might be feifed by Laban and his 
 fons, if he went to the houfe ; or that he 
 might with greater privacy difcourfe 
 with them. How faithfully, fais he, I 
 have ferved your father, and how ill he 
 has rewarded me, you are not infenfible. 
 After fourteen years fervice for you, I 
 had to this day received nothing, but a 
 numerous family unprovided for, had 
 not God himfelf direded me to the pre- 
 fent agreement with Laban, which not-^ 
 withftanding all his fhifts (for he hath 
 changed my wages ten tiines ' ) he could 
 not prevent from turning to my advan-^ 
 
 tage. 
 
 ^ That is, ^jery ofteti, as fome interpret it. Others 
 think that he really changed his wages juft ten times. 
 For he ferved him fix years, after he had made the agree- 
 ment with him mentioned in the foregoing chap. •ver. 
 3 1 . And the firft year he ftood to his bargain. But fee- 
 ing him thrive exceedingly, he altered the form of the in- 
 gagement at the end of that year. And in hke manner, 
 every half year, when the evvs brought forth young ones, 
 (which they did twice a year) and he faw them Ipoted, 
 he broke his contra6l, and made a new one lefs advanta- 
 geous to Jacob ; fometimes retraining it to one fort of cat- 
 
 tlei 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 4 ^ 
 
 tage. And now both your father and 
 brothers fo envy my profperity, that they 
 will feife upon what I have, if I fecure 
 not myfelf by a private and timely re- 
 treat. Farther, that God, who appeared 
 to me at Bethel, the creator and go- 
 vernour of the world, and who by a 
 vifionary reprefentation at firft directed 
 me to take the fpoted and fpeckled cat- 
 tle for my wages, has appeared now and 
 given me an exprefs warning to be gone, 
 and promifed me his protection. Rachel 
 and Leah readily replied : Is there yet 
 any portion or inheritance for its in our fa- 
 ther s houfe ? are we not coimted of him 
 Jir angers ? for he hath fold us at the price 
 of your labour for fourteen years, and 
 no return has been made to you for the 
 toil, whereby he has raifed himfelf to his 
 profperity. As to what you have gained 
 by this late agreement, it is in our opi- 
 nion yours. Now then, whatfoever God 
 hath faid unto you, do. On a {hearing 
 day, when Laban was ingaged at a di- 
 ftance, Jacob ordered his wivvu and all 
 
 tlcj fometimes to another, and not leting him have the 
 whole benefit of his contrail. Which is not at all impro-* 
 bable, for Jacob mentions his ill dealing with iiim in the 
 very fame words, njer. 41 * and in the next <^jerfe to this lie 
 relates, how Laban would fometimes let him have only the 
 fpeckled, at another time none but the ring-ftreaked, and 
 fo we may fuppofe of the reft. Thus Pairick. 
 
 his 
 
1 44 An Essay for et<phimng 
 
 his family to meet him in the field, ana 
 marched off with all the goods he had 
 goten in Padan-aram, paffing over the 
 river Euphrates, and making the beft of 
 his way to Gilead, and fo to Canaan« 
 Rachel had Jiolen the images^ that were 
 her father s ' : whether from a fuper- 
 ftitious fear, left her father inquiring of 
 them^ fhould know which way they 
 were gone j or to convince Laban that 
 his Gods could not preferve themfelves, 
 much lefs do any fervice to him; or that 
 flie might have fome portion of his 
 goods, which fhe thought juftly belonged 
 to her (for the images were made of gold 
 or filver) is uncertain. When three days 
 after Jacob's flight, Laban was acquainted 
 with it, he took his brethren with him, 
 and purfuing Jacob feven days, over- 
 took him in mount Gilead. To prevent 
 Laban's attacking and plundering Jacob, 
 
 * Thcraphim. Deorum penatium figna. Ejufmodi autenl 
 ftatuae ab earum cultoribus oracula edere cenfebantur, fo- 
 lebantque interrogari. Inter fuperftitiones Babyloniorum 
 regis, futurorum cognofcendorum avidi, haec memoratur, 
 E^ech. xxi. 21. Scifcitatus ejl 'Teraphim. Zach. ver© 
 cap. X. 2. Theraphimj inquit, 'va7ia funt loquuti, harioli 
 <viderunt 7nendacium. Quidam viri do£li vocem deduxerunt 
 a rapha fanavit, alii a Syriaco verbo thraph, quod et per- 
 cun6>ari et indicare fonat. Alii vero exillimant 'Theraphim 
 et Seraphivty quod nomen eft angelorum, idem efTe. Vid. 
 Spenc. ffthnatiajo. Onkelos. Vid. Maim. Mor. AW. P. iii* 
 39. et Lud, ds Dim in loc. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations^ 145^ 
 
 God came to Laban the Syria?! in a dream 
 by nighty and charged him not to offer 
 the leaft violence to Jacob, or any thing 
 belonging,; to him ; but on the other hand 
 difpofl^ himfelf to an amicable agreement 
 with one, v/ho had done him fuch emi- 
 nent fervices ; and to fpeak nothing to him, 
 either good or bad, about his return to 
 Padan-aram '• Early in the morning La- 
 ban coming up with Jacobs in pretty 
 warm terms thus expoilulated with him : 
 What haji thou done^ that thou haft Jlolen 
 away unawares to me^ and carried away 
 my daughters^ as captives taken with the 
 [word ? Wherefore did ft thou fee away fe- 
 cretly^ and feal from me ? without fuf- 
 fering my daughters to take their leave 
 of me, and without giving me an oppor- 
 tunity to exprefs my fatisfadion in their 
 marriage by an entertainment of mufic, 
 and to take my laft farewel of them r 
 Surely you muft own this condud to be 
 extremely uncivil. But (continued he) 
 if you had no regard to civility, princi- 
 ples of religion might have had fome re- 
 ftraint upon you, and prevented your 
 
 quidquam afpere loquaris conlra Jacob, f^u/g. ""'Oveto J'i 
 0s©- dvToA I'TTt^Ai, '7ra.^',]',>i<7i \clCo/Ji tcu yuiA-Cpoy y^] 
 
 ToA/zaV- "J of. Jud. 4nt. L.'i. cap. 19. §10. 
 
 L ftealins: 
 
1^6 An Essay for e^phmng 
 
 Healing my gods. It is i?i the pow^r of 
 my hand to do you hurt : but the God of 
 your father^ whofe influence I have ex- 
 perienced all the time you have conti- 
 nued in my fervice, fpake to me ycfterjtight 
 faying^ '''take heed that thou [peak not to 
 Jacob either good or had. To Laban Ja- 
 cob made at firft a fliort reply : That 
 it was owing to the late unkind beha- 
 viour of himfelf and his fons, that his go- 
 ing away was fo fecret. But with re- 
 gard to the other part of the charge. 
 With whomfoever^ fais he, thou findeft thy 
 gods^ let him not live ; before our brethren 
 difcern thou, what is thine with me^ and 
 take it to thee. Laban fearched in every 
 tent till he came to Rachel's. Now Ra- 
 chel had taken the images^ and put the?n 
 into the camels furniture^ a?id fat upo?i 
 them ; and intreated her father, that he 
 would excufe her not rifing up to pay 
 him reverence, fince the cufiom of wo- 
 men was upon her, Laban excufed her, 
 and apprehending that heftiould not find 
 the images, gave over all further fearch. 
 Jacob now with a higher tone, and in a 
 warmer manner thus reproached Laban : 
 What is my trejpajs, that thou haft fo hotly 
 purfued after me ? Whereas thou haji 
 fearched all my fluff, what haft thou found 
 of all thy houftjold-ftuff? Set it here be- 
 fore 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 147 
 
 fore my brethren^ and thy brethren, that 
 they may judge betwixt us both. Thefe 
 twenty years have I been with thee, thy 
 ews and thy Ihe-goats have not caft their 
 young : fuch has been the fuccefs which 
 has attended my ferving thee, thro* the 
 bleffing of the God of Abraham and 
 Ifaac upon my care. I'he rams of the 
 jiock have I not eaten, but rather con- 
 tented myfelf with pulfe, or inch Hke 
 mean diet, to promote thy interefl. "That 
 which was torn of beajls, I brought 7iot 
 unto thee, I bare the lofs of it s of my 
 hand didjl thou require it, whether flolen by 
 day, orjlolen by night : fo fevere and in- 
 human was thy behaviour to me. In 
 the day the drought confumed me, and the 
 froji by night ; a7id my Jleep departed from 
 my eyes : this has been my manner of 
 life for twenty years, and except the God 
 of my father had been with me, furely thou 
 hadftfent me away now empty. But God bath 
 feen my afliBion, how ill thou hafl treat- 
 ed me, and hath taken care to relieve 
 me. Laban confcious of the truth of 
 Jacob's reproaches, and fenfible that God 
 had taken him under his protedion, de- 
 fired Jacob to enter into covenant with 
 him ; to which he readily agreed. Ja- 
 cob then took a ftone, and fet it up for 
 a pillar, whofe afped might be towards 
 L 2 the 
 
An Essay for explaining 
 
 the land of Canaan ; and ordered his 
 brethren to gather ftones, and make a 
 heap broad at top, fo as to lerve for a ta- 
 ble. Which was called by Laban and 
 his family in their Chaldee tongue, Jegar- 
 fahadutha ; and by Jacob in the Hebrew, 
 Gilead, that is, the heap of tejlimony : 
 and to exprefs their appeal to Godj who 
 will reward the fmcere and piinilh the 
 perfidious, Mizpah^ which fignifies a 
 watch tower. The terms of the cove- 
 nant were : That Jacob (hould treat well 
 Rachel and Leah, and make their chil- 
 dren his heirs, and not leffen by a fecond 
 marriage any part of their inheritance. 
 On the other fide Laban ingaged for him- 
 felf and his fucceffors, not to give Jacob 
 or his heirs the leaft difturbance in the 
 injoyment of their prefent or future e- 
 ftate : and Jacob promifed the fame on 
 his part. Thefe articles were mutually 
 ratified by folemn oath, and attended 
 with facrificing and feafting together. 
 A?id early in the imrnlng haban rofe up, 
 and ki[fed his fom and his daughters, and 
 blejfed them, and returned to Haran. 
 Chap. 12. Jacob purfuing his journey toward Ca- 
 naan was pofleflTed with a new fear, left 
 Eiau retaining his former refentment 
 fhould attempt to prevent his peaceful re- 
 turn to his father's houfe. To fupport 
 
 him 
 
the Scripture-Reveliacions. 149 
 
 him under this apprehenfion ' the angels 
 of God met him, ranged in the order of 
 an army in two hojis^ thereby inftrudling 
 him that they were ready for his defence. 
 In memory of which he called the name 
 of that phct Mahanaim. Before hepaf- 
 fed over Jordan, he fent mefTengers to his 
 brother in the land of Seir, which Efau, 
 it feems, had conquered in Jacob's ab- 
 fence % to congratulate him on that ac- 
 count ; and at the fame time to try, how 
 he flood affedted to himfelf. The mef- 
 fage he ordered them to deliver was as 
 follows : My lor^i Efau, xhyfervant Ja- 
 cob has fent us to acquaint you, that he 
 has fojourn'd till now, which is twenty 
 years, in the fervice of Laban, that he 
 
 ' When Jacob was taking his flight from Canaan and 
 going to Padan-aran he dreamed, and behold, a ladder fet upon 
 the earth, and the top of it reached to hea'ven : and behold, the 
 angels of God afcending and defending upon it. This was a 
 proper reprefentation at chat time, to afTure to Jacob not 
 only an extenfive providence mgenet-al, but that in par- 
 ticular God by his angels would conduct him to Padan- 
 eram, and return him to Canaan in fafety. When now 
 he was entering into the land, which had been promifed 
 to him, and was under terrible apprehenfion from his bro- 
 ther Efau, to incourage him the angels appeared in the 
 arangementofanarmy, to guard and proted him. How- 
 ever the report, which his meifengers made, of Efau s com- 
 ing to him with four hundred men fo diitreffed him, that 
 he prepared prefents for him in the moll skilful manner, 
 Roping by them to foften him. 
 
 * Gen. xxvii. 40. 
 
 L 1 has 
 
1 JO An E s SA Y for e^platnmg 
 
 has however ' oxen, and afles, flocks, and 
 men-fervants ' and women-fervants, and 
 defires that he may find favour in your 
 fight. The meffengers upon their return 
 reported, with how much refpedl Efau 
 received them, and that he was in the 
 way to meet Jacob attended v/ith four 
 hundred men, to fhowhis own greatnefs, 
 and to do honour to him. Jacob, con- 
 fcious to himfelf what juft caufe of re- 
 fentment his former condud: had given to 
 Efau, was not a httle terrified at the 
 number. The vifion of angels indeed 
 might have fortified him againft all fear 
 of Efau*s meeting him, but the firft mo- 
 tions of fuch a pafiion cannot be pre- 
 vented. To fecure himfelf againft the 
 worft that might happen, Jacob divided his 
 company into two bodies, the one to travel 
 
 ' Equi autem et cameli non ubique et apud quofvis ha- 
 bentur : unde in fpoliatione ?"lidianitarum nullorum ani- 
 jnantium mentionem fieri invenimus, nifi ovium, bourn, et 
 afmorum, qui foli omnibus hominibus neceffarii funt, prae- 
 fertim veio illis, qui in agris, et lilvis habent negotia. 
 Ita dicit Jacob : et funt mihi boves, afini, et oves. Va- 
 rum equi et cameli non apud quofvis reperiuntur, fed tan- 
 tum apud paucos quofdam iufigniores, et aliquibus tantujn 
 in Iccis. Mor. Nev. P, iii. <:. 39- 
 
 * Syros omncs c^e haud paulo rcancipiorum melius, 
 propter fervilia ingenia, quam militum genus. Li<vius 
 L. XXXV. c. 49. Hie Syri, leviflima hominum genera et 
 fervituti nata. /^, xxxvi. c. ij. 
 
 at 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 5 1 
 
 at a diftance from the other ; that if the 
 foremoffc (hould be attacked and vanquifh- 
 ed, the other might have an opportu- 
 nity to provide for their efcape. And at 
 the fame time he thus addreffed himfelf 
 in prayer to God : O God of my father 
 Abraham^ and God of my father IfaaCy 
 the Lord ivhich faid imto me^ returji unto 
 thy coujitrey^ and to thy kindred^ and I will 
 deal well with thee, I am not worthy of 
 the leaf of all the fnercies^ and of all the 
 truth which thou haf fjewed unto thy fer- 
 imnt ; for with my ft off I pafjed over this 
 Jordan^ as a folitary traveller, and ?iow I 
 am become two bands, Deliver me, I pray 
 thee, from the hand of my brother EJdu : 
 for I fear him, left he will come and f mite 
 7ne, and the mother with the children. Thou 
 haf faid, 1 will fur ely do thee good, and 
 7?iake thy feed as the [and of the fea, which 
 cannot be numbered for multitude. Having 
 commended himfelf to God, and ex- 
 preffed his reliance upon his command 
 and promife, his fear was greatly abated. 
 And that night he lodged in or near Ma- 
 hanaim, where he hoped God would com- 
 mand the angels, which he had feen, to 
 proteft him. Then of fuch cattle as were 
 in his power to prefent to his brother 
 (fince he had no jewels nor precious rai- 
 ment) he took with great confideration, 
 L 4 and 
 
1^1 j4n Essay for explaining 
 
 and in exadt proportions ', two hundred 
 fie-goats^ and twenty he-goats^ two hun- 
 dred ews and twenty rann^ thirty milch 
 camels %mth their colts, forty kijie and ten 
 hulls ^ twenty fi-^e-affes andtenfoles. A?id 
 he delivered them into the hand of his fer- 
 vants every drove hy themjelves -, aiidfaid 
 unto his fervants, fafs over before me, and 
 -put a [pace betwixt drove and drove. And 
 he commanded the foremojl, faying. When 
 Efau, my brother, ?neeteth thee, and asketh 
 thee faying, Whofe art thou ? and whither 
 gocf thou ? and whofe are thefe before thee f 
 "Then thou fait fay, T^hey be thy frvant 
 Jacob's, it isfent as a prefent unto my Lord 
 Efau : and behold alfo he is behind us^ 
 For he would not have Efau think, he 
 was afraid to fee him. In Hke manner he 
 commanded the fecond and third droves, 
 and thofe who followed them, to exprefs 
 themfelves as he had diredtd. This he 
 did, that every new drove, and new fpeech 
 might make a new impreffion upon Efau, 
 and difpofe his brother to receive him 
 with an intire friendihip. The prefents 
 
 » Jacob ofFei t Efavo capras ducentas et hircos vip-inti, et 
 oves ducentas et aiietes viginti, proportione decupla utro- 
 bique fervata ; quam Varro, De re rujlua, fuo commen-r 
 dat exemplo libri fecundi capite tertio, De maribus, inquit, 
 et fot minis idem fere dijhi?neni ut alii ad denas capra^fin- 
 gulos -parent hircos, ut ego. z Chro?i. xvii. <v. 1 1 . Vid. 
 Both. Hierozoic. P. i. /. li. r. 53. § 4.. 
 
 were 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i 5} 
 
 were fent firft over the ford Jabbok, and 
 then before break of day he made his 
 family pafs over the fame brook. But 
 tarrying himfelf behind alone for fome 
 time, be renewed his addreffes to hea- 
 ven '. When he had done, a man incoun- 
 tered him % with whom hegrapled till 
 the breaking of the day, and when he Jaw 
 that he prevailed not againfl him^ the angel 
 gave over the combat. But to let him 
 know who he was, and what he could 
 have done, had it not been contrary to 
 the deiign of the conflidt, he touched the 
 hollow of his thighy and the hollow of J a- 
 cob's thigh was out of joint K And he fa id : 
 Detain me no longer, 'tis break of day, 
 
 your 
 
 * Hof. xii. 4. Tea he [Jacob] had ponver over the afigel 
 and prevailed : he voept and tnade fuppU cation unto hijn : he 
 found him in Bethel^ and there he fpalie n.vith us. Even the 
 Lord God of hofs, the Lord is his memorial. 
 
 ' Idem dick R. Chijah, de eo, quod in hiftoria Jacobi 
 legimus, hiStatus ejl vir cumipfo, quod fcil. in vifione pro 
 phetiae fadlum fuerit, quia poilea explicatur, quod ange- 
 ius fuerit. Maitn. Mor. Nev. P. ii. c. 42. 
 
 ' Becaphjcrico. Heb. Tetigit nervum femoris ejus, et 
 Ilatim emarcuit. Viilg. Yicti n4'i^o '^ 'JrKetTui 7^ f/wpK 
 ctt/]»j ^ h'oi^KMi TV TAstT©- <r» f/«?» 'leLKuC. LXX. Et 
 tetigit in palmam femoris ejus, et commota eft palma fe- 
 moris Jacob. OnL Tetigit acetabulum femoris ejus, et 
 luxatum eft acetabulum femoris Jacob. Samarit. Te- 
 tigit coxendicem ejus, luxataque eft coxendix Jacob. 
 Ferf. Syr. Tetigit ifchium femoris. f^erf Arab. Et 
 tetigit latitudinem femoris ejus, et commota eft latitude 
 femoris Jacob. Jon. T. Et dimota eft vola femoris 
 Jacobi. Jer.T^, Acetabulum femoris. .g//.v/. Caph, nhi- 
 
 cunque 
 
154 ^^ Essay for e%platntng 
 
 your family and flocks are preparing to 
 march. To whom Jacob anfwered : / 
 'will 7iot let thee gOy except thou blefs me. 
 Know then, faid the angel, that what 
 now has pajft between us is defigned to 
 remove thy fear of Efau, and give thee 
 aiTurance, that thou fhalt prevail over 
 him. And for that reafon thou {hall not 
 only be called Jacob, but Ifrael ' ; for, as 
 a prmce, thou haji power with God and 
 with 7nen. And Jacob called the name 
 of the place Periuel, that is, the face of 
 God * s for, fais he, I have feen God face 
 to face, and my life is preferved, I doubt 
 not but I am fafe, and God will preferve 
 me from any hurt by Efau. In memory 
 of this patriarch's halting upon the an- 
 gel's touch, his defcendants afterwards 
 abflained from eating that particular part 
 of the beaft, which anfwered to that in 
 which Jacob was lamed. 
 
 cunque occurrlt, cavum quiddam fonat, Kadix caphah^ 
 cionjitm ejfe, aut cuware fignificat ; unde fit ut caphy 
 plantam pedis, aut njolam manm, quae incurvae funt, 
 ieu concavae, paflim denotet. Videtur ergo debere hie 
 quaeri pars aliqua femoris concava, qua luxata, clau- 
 dicatio Jacobi creari potuit. Nulla autem pars melius hie 
 convenitea, quam anatomici x,o]i/Atcu vocant. Hanc cavi- 
 tatem acetabulum vocabant Latini. Vid. Cleric. 
 
 ^ Quoniam fi contra Deum fortis fuilli, quanto magis 
 contra homines praevalebis ? Vulg. "Qf[i iyi^uffcti ^g]s^ 
 ©j», Kcti y.{\(^. dv^peoTrav SwAJoi l<ft\. lxx. 
 
 ' Gen. iv. 14. 
 
 Soon 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 1 5 5 
 
 Soon after Jacob had overtaken his fa- Chap. 33. 
 mily, and travelled fome way with them, 
 he lifted up his eyes, and faw at fome 
 diftance Efau and his train. Jacob then 
 put in order his family, placing his hand- 
 maids and their children in the front, 
 Leah and hers in the middle, and Rachel 
 and Jofeph laft; that thofe he moft 
 favoured might be remoteft from danger, 
 in cafe of an affault. Jacob then advanc- 
 ing at the head of them towards Efau, 
 bowed himfelf to the ground feven times ; 
 and Efau forgeting all paft refentments 
 ran to meet him, and embraced him in 
 the tendereft manner. And when upon 
 his inquiry, to whom the women and 
 children belonged, Jacob replied, 'The 
 children which God hath gracioujly given 
 thy few ant ; they in order came near, and 
 bowed themfelves. Efau then refufed 
 Jacob's prefent, fince his own circum- 
 ftances were large ; but Jacob intreated 
 him, if he had found favour in his fight, 
 to accept of it, which Efau did ; and in 
 return invited him to Seir, and offered to 
 condudl him thither in perfon. But Ja- 
 cob told him, that his children were teur 
 der, and that the flocks and herds which 
 were with young would dye, if they were 
 overdriven one day; and therefore he re- 
 quefted his brother to travel on before, 
 }iis own pace, and he would follow him, 
 2 as 
 
15^ ^n Essay for esplainmg 
 
 as fail as the children and cartel would 
 admit, till he arrived at Seir. Efau con- 
 fen ted, yet would leave fome of his at- 
 tendants to conduft him to his houfe, but 
 Jacob defired to be excufed that cere- 
 mony. Efau then returned that day on 
 his way to Seir. After this vifit to his 
 brother at Seir, and probably another to 
 his father Ifaac at Gerar, Jacob from 
 thence journied to Succoth, about forty 
 miles northward, in the land of Canaan, 
 where he built booths for his cattle, which 
 gave the name of Succoth^ that is, tents 
 or booths, to the place. Continuing there 
 but a fhort time, he came fafe to a city of 
 Shechem ', or to the city called She- 
 chem 'y where intending to refide, he 
 purchafed a part of afield, where he had 
 fpread his tent, of the children of Hamor^ 
 Shechem s father, for an hmidred pieces of 
 mo7iey \ And he ereded there an altar^ 
 and called it El-elohe-Ifrael. 
 
 During 
 
 * Schalem hhir Schechem. Heb. Et venit Jacob fanus 
 in civitatem Sychem. Onkelos. Deinde ingrefTus eft Ja- 
 cob incolumfs in civitatem Nabolos. Arab. Ver. Tan- 
 dem venit Jacob falvus, una cum omnibus quae habebat, 
 in civitatem Sychem. y^/. 7'. This may refer to the 
 Ibundnefs of his leg ; or to the fafety of his perfon, in that 
 he received no hurt by his brother Efau ; or to the fafety 
 of every thing he polTelTed, no evil accident having be- 
 fallen him of any fort fince he left Laban. 
 
 * Jacob emiffe legitur partem agri filiorum Hamor, 
 \v{,^QV A^v^v centum agnis, quod praeter Graecos fequutt" 
 
 tuf 
 
^/?7^ Scripture-Revelations. 157 
 
 During Jacob's flay in the confines ofChap. 34. 
 Shechem, Dinah, the daughter of Leah, 
 at a time when fome public feflival was 
 to be celebrated ', went out from her mo- 
 ther's tent to fee the daughters of the land^ 
 unguarded by any of her brothers. When 
 Shechem (from whom probably the city 
 had its name) the fon of Hamor the Hi- 
 vite prince of that country law her, he 
 took her by force and ravifhed her \ Af- 
 
 tur Chaldaicus, Syrus, Satnaritanus, Arabs uterque, et 
 Vulgatus interpres. Alii tamen iKctjov (/.vcoi/, id eft, cen- 
 tum minis, legunt, alpha extrito : aut pro agnis nummos 
 intelligunt agni effigie fignatos, quales cudifTe legitur Ser- 
 vius rex Romanorum. J^is vii. i6. Vid. Bochart. Hiero- 
 %oic. P.'i. L.i. c 2. et L. ii. <r. 43, Item Cleric, in loc. 
 The word kejita., as the learned Bochart has evidently 
 proved, fignifies fome kind of money ; fmce, tho the an- 
 tient verfions have rendered it a lamb, it is never iifed to 
 exprefs that idea in other places. Kofeth in Hebrew de- 
 notes truth, and kejita may fignify money which has its 
 juft finenefs or weight, for the word is applied to weights, 
 Deut. XXV. 15. Prov. xvi. 11. Thofe, who to reconcile 
 our rendering with the antient verfions an hundred lambsy 
 interpret it of money, which had ftampt upon it a lamb, in 
 all probability miftake. For tho long before this they did 
 not trade merely by the exchange of one commodity for 
 another ; yet, it is likely, that money was at this time 
 weighed, and not ftampt or coined. Abraham weighed to 
 Ephron four hundred fhekels for his field, and the word 
 Ihekel comes from Jhakal to weigh. This cuftom conti- 
 nued to David's time, \ Chron. xxi. 25. And what is faid 
 of Servius the king of the Romans has no force, fmce that 
 was many hundred years after. 
 
 ' lav J^i '2tKt[JLi'la*' iop']lii} dyovjuv, Azivcty ti Quya,%^ 
 vv ^loLKcoCa f/oj/M, 'TTctpii^^iV, «'5 ^luiJ ToKiv o^oi^ivil TOV 
 Ko'TfjLoy Tuv k'Tn;)^a>^im yvmiKcov- 7°f- -^"'- 7^^- ^- ^• 
 
 C. 21 . § I. 
 
 » ^vy^kfJLfli ^dril^H J^i* etpTetyiii- Jof, Ant. Jud. 
 Ibid, Yi opprimens virginem, Vulg, Et accepit earn per 
 violentiam. Jon. H. tcr 
 
158 An E s s A r for etfcplaintng 
 
 ter chis he could think of having no one 
 but her, for he loved her exceedingly, 
 and courted her to marry him with fuch 
 profeffions of fincere kindnefs, as might 
 gain her heart, notv^^ithftanding the in- 
 jury he had done her; and acquainting 
 his father with his affedlion for her, put 
 him upon treating with Jacob about the 
 match. When Jacob firft heard of his 
 daughter's difgrace, which he did pro- 
 bably by fome of Dinah's fervants, he 
 took no notice of it, till he could have 
 the advice and affiftance of his fons, who 
 were now tending the cattle in the field 
 which he had lately purchafed, or fome 
 hired ground remote from the city. Ha- 
 mor the father of Shechem went to Ja- 
 cob, and made propofals of marriage. 
 Jacob defired time to confider on it, till 
 the refl of his family fhould return. 
 The fons of Jacob received the news of 
 their filler's difafter with grief and re- 
 fentment. Hamor with the young prince 
 came again to renew the propofal of a 
 mariage, and acquainted them with the 
 fincerity of his fon's affedlion to Dinah ; 
 and offered to incorporate Jacob and his 
 whole family into their fociety, and in- 
 veft them with all the fame rights and 
 privileges of the country, that they them- 
 felves injoyed. Shechem, the young 
 prince, ufed his folicitations with them, 
 
 promifing 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i jo 
 
 promifing to give whatever they fhould 
 demand for a dowry and gift, to make 
 an honourable compenfation for the in- 
 jury he had done her ; entreating only 
 that they would favour him fo far, as to 
 give him the damfel to wife. The fons 
 of Jacob, to whofe confideratlon the pa- 
 triarch had refered the affair, efpecially 
 Simeon and Levi, brothers to Dinah by the 
 fame mother Leah, made anfwer : That 
 whereas the religion they profefled laid 
 every male of them under an indifpen- 
 fable obligation to be circumcifed, as the 
 badge of their being the fervants of the 
 true God, they could not in confcience or 
 honour confent to incorporate with any 
 people, who would not fubmit to the 
 fame rite. If therefore they would com- 
 ply with this condition, their requeil 
 might be yielded to ; otherwife they de- 
 fired their fifter might be returned, and 
 they would be gone. Thefe words plea- 
 fed Hamor and his fon Shechem, which 
 is not ftrange, if we confider how paf- 
 fionately Shechem loved Dinah, and the 
 great affedion Hamor had to Shechem, 
 who was more honourable than all the 
 houfe of his father^ that is, in greater 
 efteem with his father, and all the fa- 
 mily, than any other belonging to it. Be- 
 fides Hamor was but a fmall prince, and 
 his city little ; which he thought would 
 
 be 
 
1 6o A7i Essay for ei<plaimng 
 
 be greatly inriched and ftrengthened by 
 incorporating with them Jacob's family, 
 who were very wealthy. To which may 
 be added his fear of the fad confequences, 
 that might follow upon fuch an a6l of 
 violence, as his fon had commited. Up- 
 on the return of Hamor and Shechem they 
 went to the gate of their city, where all 
 public affairs were tranfadted, a7id com- 
 muned with the men of the city^ ufmg ma- 
 ny arguments to perfuade the people to 
 confent. Thefe mei2, fay they, are peace^ 
 able^ let them dwell in the land^ and trade 
 therein by a public law. The land is 
 large enough^ and part of it lies unculti- 
 vated, w^hich thefe men will improve. 
 Let us therefore incorporate with each 
 other by marriages, to which they will 
 not confent, but upon condition that e- 
 very male among us be circumcifed, as 
 they are. Shall not their cattel^ and their 
 fubjlance^ and every beafl of theirs be ours t 
 Only let us confent to them^ and they will 
 dwell with ui Thefe arguments pre* 
 vaird, ajid every male was circumcifedy all 
 who went out of the gate of his city. Now 
 upon the third day after this painful ope- 
 ration, when they were fore^ and began to 
 be feverifh, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's 
 brethren, with their fervants and at-^ 
 tendantSj took each man hisfword^ and came 
 
 upon 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 
 
 upon the city boldly, andjlew all the males \ 
 particularly Ha?nor and Shechem his/on^ 
 and refcued their filler Dinah, and car- 
 ried her off. The reft of Jacob's fons, 
 who were able to bear arms, came after 
 the flaughter, and helpt to plunder the 
 city, and took their fie ep, and their oxen^ 
 and their ajfes, and that which was in the 
 city, a?id that which was in the field, and 
 all their wealth, and all their little onesy 
 and their wives took they captive. It is rea- 
 fonable to fuppofe, that Jacob caufed the 
 wives and children to be (ti at liberty, 
 and reftored to them their former pof- 
 feffions. But the fpoil of the houfe of 
 Hamor, and Shechem perhaps, Jacob's 
 fons kept to themfelves, in compenfa- 
 lion for the wrongs, which they thought 
 Shechem had done -, none of the family 
 probably furvlving to own them. The 
 news of this cruel ad: of revenge put Ja- 
 cob into the utmoft diftrefs, in which he 
 reprefented to Simeon and Levi, how o- 
 dious they had rendered his charadler tQ 
 all the neighbouring countreys, who, as 
 
 ^OlJVm loflvii KtLl TKV '2,lKl{/.fJaiv Ai api(rtV Kc^l Iw 
 
 161 
 
 KAt Tovvtov dvj^' (pithv]aj cTs r ylwAiKcov. J of. J?it. 
 
 Jud. Z/. i. <r. 21. § I. Yx aicendcrunt contra civitatem 
 quae habitabat fecure. Jon. T^arg. 
 
 M his 
 
1 6 1 An Essay for explaining 
 
 his number was few, would unite and 
 deftroy him and his family. To whom 
 they repHed, Should he [Shechem] deal 
 with our flier ^ as with an harlot ' ? 
 
 This affliction happened feveral years 
 after Jacob had left Laban. Jofeph was 
 then but fix years old, and Dinah per- 
 haps a year older -, fo that when (he was for- 
 cibly taken away by Shechem, we may fup- 
 pofe her about fourteen. It is evident from 
 the hiftory, that when Jacob returned to 
 Canaan, the eldeft of his fons could not be 
 thirteen years old. It is probable therefore 
 that Jacob was an hundred and four, and 
 Jofeph thirteen years old, when this bloody 
 fadl was commited : fo that it fell out feven 
 years, or thereabouts, after the patriarch 
 had left Padan-aram -, a part of which 
 time was fpent in vifiting Efau and his 
 father Ifaac, and part at Succoth, and 
 four years, it is likely, near Shechem. 
 All which time, it is remarkable, he had 
 omited to pay the vow he had made at 
 
 * Non decet ut dicatur in congregatlone Ifraelitarum, 
 incircumclfi polluerunt virginem, et colentes idola inqui- 
 nsirunt fiiiam Jacob. Verum lie conveniens elt utdicatur, 
 incircumcifi interfefti funt propter virginem, et colentes 
 idola propter fiiiam Jacob : neque erit Sychem filius Ha- 
 mor iubfannans fermonibus nos ; nam ficut mulierem me- 
 retricem et Icortum, cui non ell qui requirat. feciffet foro- 
 rein nollram, fi non feciiremus hanc rem. 'Targ. Jon. et 
 
 J"- 
 
 Bethel 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 163 
 
 Bethel, when he was taking his flight to 
 Laban. Tho he had indeed erected an 
 akar at Shechem and called it El-Elohe- 
 IfraeL 
 
 This cruel adion of Jacob's fons made Chap. 35. 
 it very unfafc for him to ftay any longer 
 in thofe parts. While he was in great 
 perplexity, God faid unto him, Arife^ 
 go lip to Bethel^ and dwell there^ which 
 was about twenty miles fouthward ; and 
 make there an altar unto God, ^ivho ap- 
 peared to thee, when thou fede/l from the 
 face of Efau thy brother. Then Jacob 
 called upon his family, and hired fer- 
 vants who lived with him, to prepare 
 themfelves for the folemn worfhip of Je- 
 hovah, by puting away the ftrange Gods 
 that might be among them (fuch as the 
 Theraphim ftolen by Rachel from her fa- 
 ther, or any thing of that kind brought 
 from Mefopotamia, or plundered from 
 the Shechemiies without his knowledge) 
 and by wafhing their bodies, and chang- 
 ing their garments. And they gave unto 
 Jacob all the firange Gods, which were in 
 their hand, and the ear-rings ' that were 
 
 * Quae vero imagines inveniuntur urbium portis impo- 
 fitae, fi in manu fuerit forma virgae, vel avis, vel pilae, 
 vel gladii, vel coronae, aut annali ; arguuntur eo ad 
 cultum fadlae, eoqae illicitae Hint ad quaeftiim. Vid. 
 Maim. De Idol. c. vii. § 8. E: monilia, quae crant in auri- 
 bus habitatorum Sychem, in quibus depida erat imago 
 idolorum ipfius. Jon. Targ. 
 
 M 2 in 
 
I ^4 ^71 E ss AY for e%phhmg 
 
 in their ears ; either in the cars of the 
 idols, or which were worn by themfelves 
 as amulets, having the efligles of fome 
 God, or fymbolical notes, which they 
 fanfied would preferve them from feve- 
 ral mifchiefs. jl7id Jacob after (as fome 
 think) he had broke thefe in pieces, or 
 melted them, hid them under the oak ', 
 which was by Shecheni. Tho it took up 
 fome time to do all this, yet the people 
 of the land did not fail upon Jacob's fa- 
 mily, becaufe the terror of the Lord was 
 upon the cities roimd about them. So Ja- 
 cob and all the people who were with him 
 arrived fafe at Luz, that is Bethel^ where 
 he built an altar '', and called the place El- 
 be th- el ; becaufe God there appeared to him^ 
 when he fed from the face of his brother. 
 
 At this time -Deborah^ Rebekah's nurfe 
 died. It is probable that when Jacob 
 went to fee his father, Rebekah being 
 -dead, Deborah was defirous to live with 
 his wives, who were her country-women ; 
 and that her death is here mentioned, to 
 give an account how this oak came by 
 the name of Allon-bacuth^ that is, the 
 7nournful oak \ in after-times. And God 
 
 ^ At ille infodit ea fubter terebinthum. Vitlg. C<7ri 
 TiiV TipiCivd-oV' Lxv. iub terebiiitho. Saftiarit. 
 
 Ant. Jud. L. \. c. 21. ■§ 2. 
 ^ Vcrfe I . 
 
 appeared 
 
the Scripture'Revelacions. 1 65 
 
 appeared unto Jacob again, and /aid. Thy 
 name Jhall not be called any ??iore Jacob ', 
 from lupplanting thy brother, and get- 
 ing the advantage of him ; but Ifrael 
 J/jall be thy name ; and he called his iiame 
 Ifrael \ that is, a prince with God : and 
 added, I am God almighty, by which 
 name I bleffed Abraham % and Ifaac blef- 
 fed thee ^ ; be fruitful and rnidtiply^ a na- 
 tion and a company of nations Jhall be of 
 thee, and kings fjall come out of thy loins 5 
 and the land which I gave Abraham, and 
 Ifaac, to thee will I give it, and to thy 
 feed after thee will I give the land. And 
 God went up from him \ in the place where 
 he talked with him. And Jacob fet up a 
 pillar in the place to be a monument of 
 the goodnefs of God, who had there ap- 
 peared to him, and made him fuch kind 
 and gracious promifes ; a pillar of flone^ 
 which he confecrated to divine fervice, by 
 pouring a drink offering and oil upon it, 
 and offered up praifes to Jehovah, own- 
 ing that all the blefHngs he poiTeffed were 
 from him, and paid according to his vow 
 the tenth of all that God had given him \ 
 
 ' Chap, xxviii, 13. 
 
 Chap, xxxii. 28. 
 
 Chap. xvii. 1 . 
 * Chap, xxviii. 3. 
 
 5 Et afcenditabeo gloria Domini. Onhbs. Et a fcen- 
 Jit ab eo divina majeitas Dei. Jon. T. 
 ^ Chap, xxviii. 22. 
 
 M 3 calli7:g 
 
\66 An Essay for explaining 
 
 calling the name of that place ^ where God 
 J^ake with him^ Bethel. 
 
 Jacob after fome time ' journeying 
 from Bethel travelled tov/ards Hebron, 
 to pay his laft vifit to his father Ifaac, 
 who was removed thither from Gerar. 
 Upon the road ', a little way from E- 
 phrath, Rachel fell into labour, which was 
 attended with fuch difficulty, that tho 
 ihe was delivered of a fon, yet {he liv'd 
 not long after; and as her foul was de- 
 farting Jhe cail'd his mmt Benoni, that 
 is, the Jon of my forroU' ; which Jacob 
 changed into Benjamin^ that is, the fon of 
 hisfrength^ or of his old age. As a tefti- 
 iBcnial of his great affection for Rachel, 
 Jacob fet up a pillar over her grave ^ 
 When the ufual time of mourning was 
 
 " EgrefTus autem inde, venit verno tempore ad terrain, 
 quae ducit Ephratam, Vulg. 
 
 * Vid. Cleric, ink:. 
 
 ^ Statuae nomine in lege proliibitae cenfetur ftru^lura, 
 ad quam fe omnes congregant ; quamvis id fiat ad fervi- 
 endum Deo vero. Talis enim ell cultus idolorum. Di- 
 ^um autem eft, neque eriges tihi jiatuarn^ Deut. xvi. 22. 
 Vid. Maim. De Idol, cap.w'i. §8. 
 
 Statuae nomine in lege prohihitae fcriptoris noftri haec 
 fcntentia eft, non ftatuas quafvis, {td lupierftitiofas dun- 
 taxat, effe interdii^las ; non illas itidem, quae in rei ali- 
 cujus teftimcnium ponerentur. (^alis ilia Jacobi, Gen. 
 xx-viii. 22. xxxi. yz,. Annot.Vofs. 
 
 'A>vA od(T% s-j'jAh yhiri \y.-!iiS'oVy sn I'tti Tvy.Cef> 
 
 Horn. Wad, P, 1;, 434, 435. 
 
 over. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 167 
 
 over, Ifrael ' journeyed, and fpread his tent 
 beyond the tower of Edgar, that is, the 
 tower of the flock. There Reuben defiled 
 Bilhah, his father's concubine ; and tho 
 he thought to have concealed it from him, 
 yet it came to his knowledge, for which 
 it is probable he gave him fevere rebukes ', 
 and afterwards deprived him of his birth- 
 right *. 
 
 The number of Jacob's children being 
 now completed by the birth of Benja- 
 min, the hiflorian thought proper here to 
 enumerate them. And they being all 
 born (except Benjamin) before he had 
 the name of Ifrael, they are ftiled the 
 fons of Jacob. The fons of Leah were 
 Reubeny Jacob's firft-born, Simeon, Leviy 
 fudah, Iffachar, Zebidun : the fons of 
 Rachel, fofeph and Benjamin : the fons 
 of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, Dan and 
 Naphtali: the fons of Zilpah, Leah's 
 handmaid, Gad and Afher, After Jacob 
 had refided with his father fome time in 
 Hebron, Ifaac died in the hundred and 
 
 ' This is the firft time the hiftorian calls him Ifrael. 
 And the Jewi tell us that the reafon, why he how gives him 
 that name, is, becaufe he bore the death of his beloved 
 wife with great patience and fubmilfion to the will of God. 
 
 Lxx. Et audivit Ifrael, et difplicuit illi, et dixit, vae 
 forte ex mc exierit aliquis dcgener, &c. Tar. Jan. 
 * Chap. xlix. 3, 4. 
 
 M 4 eightieth 
 
1 68 j4n Essay for fsplaining 
 
 eightieth year of his age, and his fons 
 Elan and Jacob buried him. 
 Chap. 36. To fliow the accompUfhment of Ifaac's 
 bleffing ', the hiftorian fets down the 
 marriages of Efau, and the character of 
 his defcendants. Efau took two wives of 
 the daughters of Canaan, and a third of 
 the family of Iflimael. Thefe went 
 each under feveral names, Bapematb % 
 called alfo Adah ; and Mahalah \ cal- 
 led alfo BaJJjemath ; and Judith '^^ called 
 2\{o Aholibamah. By Adah he had Eli- 
 phaz \ who by Timna his concubine was 
 father of Amalek; and from whom 
 fprung Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, 
 
 ' Gen, xxvi. 34. 
 
 Maimonides affigns another reafon : Enarratio fami- 
 liarum et ftirpium filiorum Seir eft propter certum quoddam 
 praeceptum, Exod.x\n. hoc videlicet: Quod Deusprae- 
 ceperit deiere omnem. memoriam Amalek (Amalek 
 etenim fuit filius Eliphaz ex Timnah forore Lotanis) reli- 
 qaosvero iilics Efavi nonjufferit interimere. Nifi itaquc 
 familiae illae, et particulares ipiarum defcriptiones fuifl'ent 
 confignatae, omnes pariter fuiflent interfe6:i. Mor. Ne-v. 
 F. iii. c. 50. 
 
 * Be/chem, h. e. aroma. Forte Hada poftea di6la eft a 
 Rebecca, quod eftet fuperba et contumax, nam haec eft vocis 
 ex Arabifmo fignificatio. Vid. Gen, xxvi. 35. 
 
 ^ Forte prius nomen a thul^ dolere, dcrivatum, quafi 
 infaujium ; cum haec foceris magis placeret, in Bajhemath 
 eft mutatum, quod aro7natiim odor gratus lit. Vid. Cleric, 
 in loc. 
 
 * Laudabilh^ et ab altitudine tentorii, quod forte ejuf- 
 modi deleftaretur tentorio, OhoUhama didla eft. Id. 
 
 5 Ille eft Eliphaz, focius Jobi. Joiu Targ. 
 
 ^nd 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i 6(^ 
 
 and Kenaz. By Bapmnath, Reuel ; from 
 whom defcended Nahath, Zerah, Sham- 
 mah, and Mizzah. By Aholibamah, Je- 
 ufh, Jaalam, and Korah. As Efau's 
 iirft fettlemenr, after parting from his 
 father, was in Seir ; fo at his father's 
 death, when he came into Canaan, find- 
 ing that countrey (wherein himfelf and 
 his brother were but fojourners) too 
 ftreight to hold both their families, and 
 having much inlarged his dominions at 
 home, he agreed with Jacob about the 
 divifion of their paternal eftate, left him 
 in Hebron, and returned to his fettle- 
 tlement in Seir ; which country had that; 
 original name from one of its firft inhabi- 
 tants, or conquerors ', but now was 
 called Edo?n^ from Efau its new conque- 
 ror, who bore that name ', as his pofte- 
 rity did that of Edomites^ or Idumeans. 
 The defcendants of Efau by his three 
 wives were dukes % heads or rulers of 
 families. The fame kind of government 
 had been exercifed in thefe parts before 
 the conquefts of Efau \ and Seir was the 
 firft, from whom fprung the following 
 
 * Verfe xx. 
 
 * Chap. XXV. 30. 
 
 ' Alhiphe, h. q. capita familinrum. R. Zalom. Jarchi. 
 Videntur Idumaei hac voce uti hoc fenfu magis quam 
 Hebraei, apud quos tamen eleph^ familiam Tignilicat. 
 Jud.YU 'x/. 15, Vid= Clerk • in he. 
 
170 An Ess AY for exp/aintng 
 
 {even heads of very confiderable clans or 
 tribes : Lotan, and Shobal, and 2ibeon, 
 and Anah, and Difhon, and Ezer, and 
 Difhan. From Zibeon came that Anah, 
 who firft met and encountered the gigan- 
 tic people called Jemim or Erm??2 ', bor- 
 dering 
 
 * Jam pro corollario libet addere, atque inter fe con- 
 ferre varlas verfiones vocis Jemim ; quam licet mulos expo- 
 nat, ut dixlmui, pars interpretum multo maxima, non 
 defuere tamen, qui multo aliter redderent ; quod doceant 
 haec Hieronymi : ^//7 putant Jamim mana appellata. 
 lifdem en'im Uteris fcrihuntur maria, quibus et nunc hie fermo 
 defcriptus. Et njolunt illumy dum pafcit ajinos patris fui in 
 deferto^ aquarutn congregationes reperijje^ quae juxta idioma 
 linguae Ehreae maria nuncupantur, quod fcilicet jiagnum 
 repererity cujus rei in<ventio in eremo difficilis eft. Nonnulli 
 futant aquas calidas juxta Punicae linguae <viciniam, quae 
 Ehreae contermina eji^ hoc 'vocahulo fignari. Inde vulgatus 
 interpres, Ijie ejl Ana, qui invetiit aquas cahdas in folitudine. 
 E Chaldaeis unus Onkelos gigantes exponit, et Samaritanus 
 Emaeos. Septuaginta denique, et Graeci pofteriores A- 
 quila, Symmachus, Theodotion, *Ia[jluv hie habent, vo- 
 cem Hebraeam Graecis charadleribus utcunque efFerre 
 contenti ; ut quam aliter reddi poffe defperaverint. In his 
 maxime omnium difplicent, qui maria interpretantur. 
 Cum, quia licet iifdem literis, tamen diverJiffimis vo- 
 calibus fcribuntur jm//?z et jamtnimy id eft maria : turn 
 quia jammitn five maria Hebraeis non dicuntur quae- 
 vis aquarum congregationes ; fed vel maria propria 
 di<SVa, vel magni lacus, quales Tiberiadis et Afphaltitts. 
 Cujufmodi lacus in deferto reperifTe non tanti eft, ut ab il- 
 lorum inventione quis potuerit infigniri, cum hi nemini 
 non pateant, Et qui calidas aquas, tanquam ex Punica 
 lingua primi explicarunt, vocalibus nondum adfcriptis, pro 
 hajeminiy videntur ehemitn legifle, et fumpfiffe pro ehamim 
 voce Arabica ejufdem foni, quae aquam calidam ibnat. Su- 
 perfunt Samaritanus et Onkelos : quorum ille Emaeos, ifte 
 gigantes. Invenifte hoftes Hebraea phrafi dicitur, qui inci- 
 dit, veletiamqui irruitin illosex improvifo. Vid. Boch, 
 Hieroz. P. u L'u. c. 21. Wagenfeil thinks that emim, 
 
 or. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 7 1 
 
 dering on thofe parts, and gave them a 
 fignal defeat. But Efau's pofterity having 
 by the fv^ord extended' their territories, 
 changed that model of government from 
 heads of tribes to kingly power ; which 
 lafted a confiderable time, before there 
 reigned any king ' over the children of If- 
 raeL The fucceflion of thefe kings is 
 as follows, namely : Bela, Jobab, Hu- 
 fham, Hadad, Samlah, Saul, Baalhanan, 
 and Hadar ; who being of different and 
 diftind: families, altered the feat of the 
 government as they faw fit. Of thefe no- 
 thing remarkable is tranfmited to us, but 
 that Hadad the Jon of Bedad fmote Midian 
 in the field of Moab, The Midianites 
 probably came to invade them ; and Ha- 
 
 or, as the feventy write it, 'l^jus/V fignifies zx^Joerb ox plant. 
 See his Annot. upon ^ota. 1 have taken the interpretation 
 to which Bochart inclines, as moll agreeable to the cha- 
 radler of the heads of the families, which fprung from 
 Efau, who are ftiled dukes and kings^ and who were to live 
 by the fword. 
 
 ' Hacc verba aliis Mofis non effe videntur, aliis con- 
 tra cenfentibus. Qui Mofis efle contendunt, non una ea- 
 demque ratione haec interpretantur. Sunt, qui velint hunc 
 ^'&. fenfum : Ante Mofem, quifuit rex Ifraelisy quia putant 
 tMTCiregem in Jefchurun vocari, Deut. xxxiii. 5. Quod 
 alii rejiciunt, qui opinantur Deum ipfum, non Mofem, in 
 eo Deuteronomii loco regem dici. Itaque malunt fpiritu pro- 
 phetico haec dixiffe Molem, quippe qui norat olim in If- 
 raele futuros reges, ut liquet ex Gen. xvii.' 6. Verum 
 non defuerunt, quibus duriiTimum videretur hie vaticinari 
 Mofem J itaque hunc locum inter eos numerandum, qui 
 ab ejus manu non funt, exiftimarent, qua de re egimus in 
 J)i[f. De auiior? Pentateuchi. Cleric, in loc. 
 
 dad 
 
172 An E s s j«i T for explaining 
 
 dad marched out and met them in the 
 frontiers of their country, which joined 
 to that of Moab, where he gained a con- 
 fiderable vidory. While thefe eiedive 
 kings reigned, there were feveral eminent 
 dukes^ or heads of different families, who 
 perhaps reigned at the fame time in feve- 
 ral parts of the country ; unlefs we will 
 fuppofe (as many do) that they now re- 
 turned to their firft conftitution, and 
 kings were laid afide for fome time. 
 Thus much for the hiftory and govern- 
 ment of the Edomites, the pofterity of 
 Efau or Edom. 
 Chap. i-j. To return now to the tranfadions of 
 Jacob and his family : Jacob after Ifaac's 
 death remained in the land of Canaan, in 
 which his father had been a fojourner. 
 And during his flay there, Jofeph, being 
 feventeen years old, was feeding the jiock 
 avith his brethren, and the lad (who was 
 unexperienced, and for that reafon like- 
 wife called a child ') was with the Jons of 
 Bilhah, and with the Jons of Zilpah : be- 
 caufe Bilhah was Rachel's handmaid, and 
 might be regarded as his mother, fince 
 Rachel was now dead ; and the fons 
 of Zilpah might probably be fup- 
 pofed to have lefs rivalry wuth him, 
 
 ' Ver. 30. 
 
 a as 
 
the Scripture-Revelation^. 175 
 
 as he was Rachers fon. This was ra- 
 ther chofen, than that he fhould be 
 with the fons of Leah ; who might 
 be thought to envy him, on account 
 of his father's more peculiar regard to 
 him. He early difcovered a difpofition 
 to virtue, and remarked the irregulari- 
 ties of his brethren, and reported them 
 to his father > which, added to his be- 
 ing Rachel's fon after long barrenefs, 
 and the comfort of his old age (Benja- 
 min not being yet grown up to give any 
 proof of his future worth) fo indeared 
 him to the good old man, that he could 
 not forbear difcovering a peculiar degree 
 of affedtion for him, and diftinguiiliing 
 him by the gaiety and coftlinefs of his 
 drefs '. This drew upon him the ill-will 
 
 ' Fecitqueei tunleampolymitam. Vulg.Onk. Xit^vcl 
 ^ro/itJAol'. Lxx. tunicam verficolorem. Samarit. tu- 
 nicam iericeam. Verj\ Arab. tunicam finibriatam. 
 Syr. Verf. tunicam figuratam. Jori. Targ. Pajfim. Heb. 
 tunicam Irullorum, id ell, variis particulis diveriorum colo- 
 rum coniutam. Alii volunt pajjlm vocari, non areolas 
 variorum colorum, fed ea, quae Graeci vocant nr^(a,i et 
 igri^iari^icLy hoc eft limbos et inllitas, quibus orae vdlium 
 ornarenrur. Sunt denique, qui exiftimant manicatam et 
 talarem tunicam intelligi, quia pas Chaldaeis -vo/^w mamts 
 et plantam pedis fonat ; lie elfct tunica, cujus ora infima ad 
 pedes ufque pxolaberetur, et manicae ad manus ulque pro- 
 mi ffaeeflent. y'ld. Braun. De^epmSacerd. Hek, Lib.i. 
 c. 17. Cleric 
 
 of 
 
174 -^^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 of his brethren, who looked upon him 
 with an envious eye, and would hardly 
 treat him with the leaft civility. They 
 had long before been difgufted by cer- 
 tain dreams, which, tho they could not 
 be interpreted otherwife, than as pre- 
 fages of his future fuperior greatnefs, he 
 however in perfecft innocence and fim- 
 plicity communicated to them. The moft 
 remarkable of his dreams were the two 
 following ', one of which was thus : Be- 
 hold we were binding Jheaves in the fields 
 and lo, my fieaf arofe^ and Jiood upright y 
 and your Jheaves Jlood round about ^ and made 
 obeifance to my Jheaf, They took this to 
 fignify, that he would fome time or other 
 
 * Et ilia [influenria] cauffa eft fomniorum verorum et 
 prophetiae, quae a ie invicem differunt in multitudine, non 
 vero fpecie. Si fuerit prophet a inter njos, ego Dominus bam- 
 mareh, in njifione me 720tum facto ipji ; bachalom, in fom- 
 nio loqiwr cumipfo. Num. xii. 6. Mor. Ne<v. P.'\\. <r. 36. 
 Vid. Job xxxiii. 14, 15. Gen. xx. 3, 6, 7. 'Excrg/z^d-BV 
 fMild T dJ^iK(pav C'TTo T^i '7ra\foi vtt) ffuKKoybjj r y^TTcoy, 
 
 mwip lyisd-ei<: tU^ dJ\^(poii i^i^Oy Kiyuv, iJ^ety i'Ttt 
 Tiii TWfiA^^crjK vvKJog, to ^Iv d,v% tP^'yy.g. ray 'Ttv^uf 
 h^ifj-^v e^'tf }i^i^miTo'yrii- rd. S'l iKiivcov >7r£^}(rTpi7roy']A 
 'jrpoffKVVeiV dvjoy y^^d/itl^ 0/ J^aAo/ T»f S'i<r'7rojct(. Jof. 
 Ant. Jud. L. ii. c. z. § 2. Icy J^i Tetf dvjaiy ^^^oj/iy 
 ^^offiptfyoyeiVJncmv to ^etovy J^iv%£^v o-^^y fr^m'/uTf^ t^ 
 ^l<d<7i]7Fa> 'mhi) TMtf Tfo]*f;Jtf ^cLVfmaiulk^V' Toy ydf 
 tlhiQV iJ^o^iy tIu) cmhnvlw "^of^hctCoyju )d r'^^ hoirr^i 
 d^ifAft iTTi T ylw ){g.7ih^eiyi }^ '3'^ffiiWeiy duroy. 
 Ibid. § 3. 
 
 arrive 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. \y^ 
 
 arrive at a power over them, even to ^ 
 degree like that of princes over their fub- 
 jeds : and they hated him yet the more. 
 His fecond dream, which he told his bre- 
 thren, confirmed the former, by repeat- 
 ing the fame thing under different fi- 
 gures ; but was more comprehenfive, as 
 relating to his father, as well as his bre- 
 thren. Behold^ faid he, the Jun, and the 
 moon^ and the eleven Jlars made oheifance to 
 me. The impreflion of it upon his mind 
 was fo ftrong, that he could not be eafy, 
 till he had acquainted his father with it. 
 Jacob, to prevent any prefent conceit in 
 Jofeph, or growing refentment in his 
 brethren, gave the lad this gentle rebuke: 
 What is this dream y that thou haft dreamed ? 
 Shall /, and thy mother^ and thy brethren 
 indeed come to bow down our/elves to thee to 
 the earth ? But being no ftranger to fuch 
 kind of extraordinary impreffions, and 
 having a juft opinion of the virtuous dif- 
 pofition of his fon, he could not but re- 
 fledt on Jofeph's dreams, which pointed 
 to the fame thing under different images : 
 while the malice of his fons ripened in- 
 to a defigned revenge againft Jofeph, 
 which they executed in the following 
 manner. The increafe of Jacob's flocks 
 made it neceffary to inlarge the pafl:ure, 
 and frequent removals to find frefh. This 
 occafioned his fons to go with the flocks. 
 
 as 
 
\y(y An E s s A i for e^phmng 
 
 as far as Shechem, where Jacob had 
 made a purchafe. Jacob, knowing that 
 that they were among thofe, whom fome 
 time ago they had greatly provoked by 
 an inftance of barbarous cruelty, and hav- 
 ing had probably no intelligence of them 
 a good while, fends Jofeph to get infor- 
 mation of their welfare. Jofeph by the 
 diredlion of a man ', who met him wan-^ 
 dering in the field, found them in Do- 
 than. When his brethren faw htm afar 
 off^ even before he came near unto them^ 
 they confpired againft him to fay him^ fay- 
 ing: Behold^ this mafter of dreams ap- 
 proaches ; come noWy let us fay him^ and 
 caf him into fome pit^ and we will fay to 
 our father, fome evil beafl hath devoured 
 him, andweJJmll fee what will beco7ne of 
 his dreams. But Reuben the eldeft dif- 
 fuaded them from killing him, telling 
 them they might gain their end as well 
 by throwing him into a neighbouring 
 pit. This advice Reuben gave, intend- 
 ing privately to refcue him afterward, 
 which carried in it the appearance of 
 
 ' Et invenit eum Gabriel in fimilitudine viri. Jen. 
 T'arg. Obferva autem convenjentiam verborum illorum de 
 Hagare, Et ui'venit earn angelm Domim ad fontem aquamm^ 
 cum iis, quae de Jofepho legimus, Bt innjenit eum 'vir, et 
 ecce oherrabat m agro ; quae omnia Medrafchoth concor- 
 diter de angelo explicant. Mor. h^ev. P. ii. c, 43. 
 
 huma- 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 77 
 
 humanity ; but might alfo be defigned to 
 ingratiate himfelf with his father, whofe 
 difpleafure he had juftly incured by a for- 
 mer mifcarriage \ This counfel was 
 complied with, and no fooner did Jofeph 
 come up to them, but they llripr him 
 of his fine coat, and took him, and cajt 
 him into a pit, which was then empty 
 of water ; it being ufual in thofe countrys 
 to dig pits to hold rain-water for their 
 cattle, when they could not find a fpring, 
 or were near no river. After this they 
 fat down to eat bread, when lifting up 
 their eyes they beheld a company (for in 
 thofe eaftern countries perfons dared not 
 to travel alone thro the delarts, left they 
 ihould meet with robers, or wild beafts) 
 confifting of Medanites, Iftimaelites, and 
 Midianites % who came by the way of 
 Gilead, with their camels (the moft pro- 
 per beafts for carriage in thofe places, 
 lince they could travel a great way with- 
 out drink) bearing ftorax \ refin, and 
 N myrrh. 
 
 ^ Chaf. XXXV. 22. 
 Ut ut fit, merito camelos propheta defcribit venientes 
 ex Madian et Epha^ cum nullibi fmt frequentiores, quam 
 in Madianitide. Vid. Boch. Hieroz. P.i. L.'u f- 3. 
 
 ^ Cur Aqtiila maxime placeat,! qui jioracem reddidit, 
 plures habeo rationes. Quarum prima liaec eito, quod in 
 Syria ftorax abunde provenit. Secundo, merito cenfetur 
 teax inter laudatiflimos tcrrae fru«^us, cum ejus ufum me- 
 
 liici 
 
1 7 8 j^n Essay for exphtntng 
 
 myrrh, going to carry them down to Egypt. 
 Judah, upon this occafion, Jaid to his 
 brethren^ H^hat profit is it if nsoe fiay our 
 brother^ by leting him die in the pit, 
 and conceal his bloody tho we ihould be 
 able to keep his murder fecret, which is 
 not eafy to do ? Comey let us fell him to 
 the IJfjmaelites^ and let not our hand be up- 
 on him^ for he is our brother. This was 
 agreed to, and a bargain made for him, 
 for twenty pieces of filver ' and they 
 brought Jofeph into Egypt, Reuben, who 
 was abfent, when Jofeph was fold (pro- 
 bably contriving fome way to get him 
 out of the pit) privately returned thither ; 
 and not finding him there rent his clothes, 
 and coming to his brethren exprefled the 
 utmoft diftrefs : T'he child is not^ and /, whi^ 
 ther fi^all I go ? who am the eldeft, and 
 who fhould confequently have taken the 
 greatejft care of him ? But they foon per- 
 fuaded him, after they had related all that 
 
 dici inter aromata maxime commendent. Tertio, ut hie 
 Ifmaclitae, fic apud Plinium Arabes ex Syria revehunt fty- 
 racem, <5:c. Idem P.'ii. Z. iv. c. 12. 
 
 ' "E/itctr/ X^t^^V. Lxx. ^AViov eiKotn- J of. Ant, Jud, 
 L. ii. c. 3. but the Hebrenv^ and otiier vcrfions, make it 
 tnxienty pieces ofjther ; and fince moft interpreters explain a 
 piece of filver to be a ficle, which weighed half an ounce, 
 twenty pieces of filver mull amount to ten ounces of pure 
 filver. I'he reafon why fo Imall a price was demanded, 
 probably was, that the Midianites might the fooner come 
 to an agreement. 
 
 had 
 
the Scripture-Revelations* \ ^p 
 
 had pafled, to come into their projedt of 
 concealing the matter from their father. 
 To effefl: this, kilhng a kid of the goatSj 
 they took Jofeph's coat of many colours^ 
 and diped it in the blood, and by mef- 
 fengers fent it to their f^ither -, who, as 
 if it had been found by chance, alked 
 him, whether it was his fon's coat, or 
 not. It is, replied Jacob, my fon's coat, 
 fome wild beaft without doubt has de- 
 voured him. Then he rent his clothes, 
 and put on fackcloth, mid mourned for 
 his Jon inany days -, probably beyond the 
 ordinary time of mourning. And when 
 all his Jons and daughters rofe up to com^ 
 fort him^ he was inconfolable^ and faid, 
 / will go down into the grave ' imto my fon^ 
 mourning : Thus his father wept Jor hinit 
 The event in reference to Jofeph was, 
 that the merchants fold him in Egypt to 
 Potiphar^ an officer of Pharaoh^ and cap- 
 tain of the guard \ 
 
 ^ Vid. Cleric, in he a 
 Heb.y^rij, quam vocem (rnrdiS'Qv]^ eC euiiuchum ver- 
 tunt oi Lxx. et Vulg. nee dubium quin callratum quan- 
 doque fignificet, ut liquet ex Efai.-Lvi. 3,4. 5. Notum 
 etiam eil apud orientis rcges Irequentcs fuiffe eunuchos, 
 quos primum gynaeceis praefeccrunt, deinde etiam omnia 
 generis honoribus ornarunt. Hinc puto fadum, ut ea vox 
 tralatitio fignificatu aulicum et praefccium regium, quam- 
 quam minime exfeftum fignificaict j Potiphar certe,. qui 
 uxorem habuit, vir fuiffe videtur. Hinc Onkelos feris in- 
 terpretatur rahba, quae vox Magtiatem figniiicat, eique '' 
 plerique aiTentiuntur Intt. Cleric. ^ 
 
 N 2 Bu 
 
1 8o A71 Essay for e:^plaining 
 
 Chap. 38. But leaving Jofeph for a while in his 
 fervitude in Egypt, I fhall relate fome 
 remarkable tranfadlions of Judah, who 
 was Jacob's fourth fon, and born to him, 
 when he was eighty eight years old '. 
 Some time after Jacob's return from Me- 
 fopotamia into Canaan, Judah went down 
 from his brethren, and turned in to a cer- 
 tain AduUamite, whofe name was Hirahy 
 with whom he contracted a friendftiip, and 
 feeing there a daughter of a certain Cana- 
 anite, whofc name was Shuah % fell in 
 love with her, and married her , when he 
 was about thirteen years of age. By her 
 he had three fons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. 
 Judah difpofed of Er, the eldeft, in mar- 
 riage to one whofe name was T^amar. 
 But he was of fo profligate a life, that 
 Jehovah fuddenly cut him off by fome un- 
 ufual ftroke, before he had any children 
 by her. Judah then (according to the 
 cuftom of thofe times) married her to 
 Onan, his fecond fon. But he knowing 
 
 * See Ainfworth. 
 
 * Et proielytam reddidit cam, et ingrefTus eft ad earn. 
 Jon. Targ, 
 
 3 1 he manner in which the hiftorian tells this ftory, ren- 
 ders it probable, that Judah had not the confent of his fa- 
 ther, which is alfo confirmed by his marrying fo young ; 
 and when two of his fons periihed thro the folly of 
 youth (as he apprehended) Judah could not but be fen- 
 fible of his own i\\ condudl. 
 
 that 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i 8 1 
 
 that his firft-born by her would not be 
 looked upon as his, but his brother's j nor 
 inherit his, but his brother's eftate ; iho 
 the following children would, if the el- 
 deft lived : he refolved to have no chil- 
 dren by her, and took a method to pre- 
 vent raifing up feed to his brother '. 
 This, when a promife was made to the 
 family of Abraham, that his feed Jhould 
 be as the Jlars of heaven for multitude^ 
 fo difpleafed the Lord^ that he flew him 
 alfo % Tamar was then to be married to 
 Shelah, the third fon ^ but Judah appre- 
 hending that his two other fons perifhed 
 thro their youthful folly, and that She- 
 lah was too young to perform this con- 
 tradt, defired her to ft ay, and remain a wi- 
 dow at her father s hoife^ till he was 
 grown up to years of greater difcretion : 
 Leji^ fais he, peradve?iture he die alfo. 
 After fome years the daughter of Shuahy 
 Judah's wifiy died^ and when the ufual 
 time of mourning for her was ended, Ju- 
 dah v^ent up to Timnath, not far from 
 AduUam, with his friend Ilirah, unto his 
 ftieep-fhearers. Tamar heard of it, and 
 whether thro an impatient delire of bear^- 
 ing children in that family, to which 
 
 ' Ne liberi fratris nomine nafcerentur. Fulg. Ut non 
 fmfcitaret filios de nomine fratris. Jon. Tdxg. 
 * Itaque abbreviavit etiam dies ejus. Jon. farg. 
 
 N 3 fuch 
 
1 8 2 An Essay for e^phtntng 
 
 fuch bleflings were annexed ; or whe- 
 ther out of revenge upon Judah, for be- 
 ing worfe than his word in detaining 
 Shelah from her, after he had arrived to 
 man's eflate ; or both ; flie contrived to 
 gain her defign in the following unlawful 
 manner. She put off' her widow's gar-^ 
 pients (in which, it feems, luch perfons 
 continued, till they were married to the 
 next brother) that fhe might not be 
 known, and covered herfelf with a veil^ as 
 all the women did in the eaftern coun- 
 tries, when they went abroad, and muf- 
 fling her face with it, that fhe might not 
 be difcovered, fat in a public place ' 
 where every body might fee her, by the 
 way to Timnath, in the manner of an 
 harlot. This fhe did, in hopes that ei^- 
 
 ' Bephethach JjLenajtm. Heb. Sedit in bivio itlneris, 
 quod ducit Thamnam. Vulg, }{*/ iv.i^isi 'rfo^ reui 
 ^u'htAii ^AiveiLv- txx. Ad- portam Aenaim. Sa>nm-it, 
 Ac iedit in loco perfpicuo fecus viam Temnath. Arab, 
 'verj. Et iedit in divilione viaram, ad quam oinnes fontes 
 reipiciunt, quae eft in femita Timnath. Jon. Targ. Alii 
 vocem fienajim appellativum, alii nomen propriuni efle 
 cenlent. Et illorum quidem nonnuUi interpretantur lo- 
 cum, in quo eiTent hainim, hoc eii, gemini fontes. Onk. 
 Alii vertunt ad verbum apertionem oculorum^ et biviu'm, aut 
 compitum ; ita hariolantur dicij quod viator oculos in eo 
 aperiat oportet, ut videat qua via fit perre(5lurus. At cum 
 merae fmt hariolationes, praellat fimplicius, et ufui lin- 
 guae convenientius, de porta oppiduli alicujus, quod didura 
 }{enajiin, forte propter gemjnos fontes, qui in eo erant, 
 intelligere ; unde fimpjiciter is locus Henajimdicitur,^. 21 . 
 Jta Lxx. <7r^oi reus m\)KcLii ''kiv&y. Vid. Cleric, in loc. 
 
 thcr 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 183 
 
 ther Shelah (whom (he prefumed Judah 
 would carry ajong with him) or Judah 
 himfelf, in return from their flieep- 
 ihearing feaft, might be inticed. The 
 ilratagem fucceeded, and Judah agreed 
 with her (taking her to be an harlot, 
 fince {he had covered her face) for a kid, 
 and till he fhould fend it, confented to 
 leave her his feal-ring, his bracelets '_, and 
 his walking ftaiF, which fhe demanded. 
 Thefe (he intended to keep, that by fome 
 or other of them it might certainly be 
 known who was the father, if (he prov- 
 ed with child. She afterwards retired to 
 her father's houfe, laying off her veil, 
 which it was not ufual to wear within 
 doors, and cloathing herfelf again like a 
 widow, Judah fent the kid by his friend 
 Hirah, who upon the ftrideft inquiry 
 could not find that there was any hai lot 
 in that place, and therefore returned to 
 Judah, and told him that his pledges 
 were loft. Judah thought it better to 
 lofe them, than his reputation, by mak'ng 
 any further fearches after a perfon of her 
 charader ; only he defired his friend to 
 be a witnefs, that he had performed his 
 
 ' Uphethilka. Heb, Et fudarium tuum. Onkclos. Kst/ 
 Tsr ofiiitrMV' Lxx. Et armillam. Vulg. k<«i rpsTToJ' 
 CP«. Aquila. Vid. SchoL Vatic. Forte fuit fafcia, qua 
 einftus erat. Vid. Cleric . 
 
 N 4 agree-- 
 
jin Essay for esphintng 
 
 agreement of fending a kid, that he 
 might not lie under any fufpicion of hav- 
 ing offered violence to her. At the end 
 of three months Tamar was difcovered to 
 be v^lth child, and when Judah heard of 
 it, he was fo inraged at the difgrace (he 
 had brought upon the family, that he re- 
 folved (he fhould, after her delivery, be 
 publicly ' burnt as an adulterefs. But it 
 was a fad mortification to him, that the 
 fignet, and girdle, and ftaff, which were 
 his own pledges, proved himfeif to be the 
 father. He then confefTed, that tho his 
 daughter-in-law had been guilty of a cri* 
 minal adion ; yet he had been highly 
 blameable in breaking bis ingagements to 
 her, and not giving to her Shelah his fon. 
 Tamar v/as releafed, and* in the opinion of 
 fome remained in perpetual widowhood, 
 however he [Judah] knew her again no 
 more. She proved to have twins, and at 
 
 * Some tliink humtng was the puni.fhment for adultery 
 in thole days. Otliers think the punimment depended on 
 the will of the fupreme governour, vvhofoever he was : 
 "whom fome aUo take to have been Judah himfeif, as chief 
 in his own family y and that he was fo fevere againft her, 
 becaufe fhe had dilgraced his family. But there are thofe, 
 who think by burning is meant no more but branding her 
 in the forehead, to denote her to be an harlot. See ^eldeti 
 De jure- trat. et geyit. L. vii. c. 5. If Judah did mean 
 burning her at a Itake (as we now fpeak) it was a punifli- 
 ment not then commonly ufed, but infli<Sed ex lege 
 aliqua pfjgulari, 8tld, U?:, Hebr. L. 'in. c, 12. Thus 
 FatricL 
 
 the 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i 85 
 
 ^he birth one of the children puting forth 
 his hand firft, the midwife by tying a fcar- 
 let thread upon it, marked him for the 
 elder fon ; but however the other con- 
 trary to expectation was born firft, break- 
 ing his way, as it were, before his bro- 
 ther, on which account he was called P^^- 
 rez, i. e. a breach or eruption y and the 
 other Zarahy i. e. Jirjl rijing or appear- 
 ance. 
 
 To return to the hiftory of Jofeph, chap. 39. 
 whom we left in Egypt, a flave to Poti- 
 phar ' captain of the guard : Such re- 
 markable fuccefs attended the fervice of 
 Jofeph, that his mafter foon difcovered 
 him to be an extraordinary perfon, and 
 by degrees advanced him to the higheft: 
 place of truft in his family, taking him 
 firft to wait upon himfelf, and afterward 
 to manage all his houftiold affairs, and at 
 laft commited the ftewardftiip of his 
 whole eft^te to him, with fuch an intire 
 
 ' Schar hatahachtm. Hebr. 'O a.fX'i^<^y^i^^' . ^^^' 
 praefeftus coquorum. Samarit. Abm Ejra, Pr<yv. ix. 2. 
 Ipribit tahach pro diverfa pundlatione, in lingua Arabica 
 elTe tnaaare vel coquere. Buxt. Princeps exercitus. J^ulg. 
 Magifttr militum. Onk. Quia tabach, occUerc, fimpliciter, 
 ron culinae caufa, fignificat. Pf. xxxvii. 14. $yAcfc;t3, 
 •jr«pc4 Tf} d^'Xji'iT^Ji.oipvhdKei M to. Mf. Alex. al. ^uA. 
 •jToc^cfc' 7U S'i(ryLo(pvKcLKt- Cap. XL. 3. Princeps mili- 
 tum. §yr,^er. J^r. xxxix. 9. Dan.'u. 14. zKin^sx\y, 
 S- '^ ctpx<«rg«rf/a>7nf. i'>fx. Gen, xl. 4, 
 
 con* 
 
ii6 An Ess AY for explaining 
 
 confidence in his prudence and fidelity, 
 that he minded nothing himfelf, but only 
 to injoy what he had without any care 
 or trouble. And the Lord blejfed the E- 
 gyptians houfe for Jofeph's fake^ and the 
 hlejjing of the Lord was upon all that 
 he hady in his houfe^ and in the field. 
 This happy fituation of Jofeph was not 
 of long continuance 5 for he being young, 
 about the age of twenty one, and a 
 goodly perfon, Potiphar's wife fell in love 
 with him, and tempted him to lewdnefs 
 with her, little doubting a perfon in his 
 ftation could ever refifl fuch an offer. But 
 Jofeph, upon her firfl motion, beged her 
 not to put him upon fo great a wickednefs 
 againft fo kind a mailer, who fo entirely 
 trufted in his integrity ; and which could 
 not be commited without the higheft of- 
 fence to God. Jofeph perceiving this, 
 denial ferved only to increafe her folici- 
 tations, avoided, as much as was poffible, 
 her converfation, efpecially when fhe 
 was alone. Upon a certain day having 
 a favourable opportunity, when Jofeph 
 came into the hotij'e to do his bufinefs \ and 
 none of the men of the houfe were within^ in 
 that part of the houfe where he was, fhe 
 attacked him with violence, feifing him 
 
 * Et ingreiTus eft in domum, ut iaveftigaret fcripturas 
 rationis fuae. Qnk. Jm. T, 
 
 by 
 
the Scripture- "R evelations. 1 87 
 
 by his garment ; bur Jofeph broke loofe 
 from her, and rather than nor get free, 
 left his garment in her hand, and fled. 
 Herdifappointment, and. the fear flie had 
 of being difcovered, made her imme- 
 diately refolve to be beforehand with Jo- 
 feph, and at once to fecure herfelf and 
 be revenged upon him. Accordingly fhe 
 cried out for help, and when her fer- 
 vants came : See, faid fhe, what an He- 
 brew Potiphar has introduced, fure he 
 did it to abufe us ; for he had the impu- 
 dence violently to attempt my chaflity, 
 but upon my fhrieking he fled, leaving his 
 garment with me, which I fhall take 
 care to lay up, till his lord return. When 
 Potiphar came home, fhe told the ftory 
 with fuch art of female paflTion, and re- 
 flection upon his prudence, in repofmg fo 
 great a trufl in a wretch of fuch wicked 
 difpofitions, as inraged him againfl Jo- 
 feph fo far, that he would not fuffer 
 him to fay any thing in his own defenfe 
 (tho many things might have been offered 
 to have proved his innocence) but hurried 
 him to the king's dungeon, where he 
 continued. Jofeph perhaps found means 
 
 ' Qui, relido in manu ejus pallio, fugit. Vulg. Pro 
 behigdo in fingulari, eft in Samaritico bigdau in plurali, et 
 fic Lxx. IfAcLliA veftimenta. OnL At ipfe relinqiiens 
 Ijmicam fuam in manu ejus, exivit ad plateam. Jrah. t'er, 
 
 to 
 
1 8 8 .An Essay for e^pJatning 
 
 to acquaint his mafter with the truth, 
 or he might otherwife fufpedt it, for 
 which reafon he proceeded no further a- 
 gainft him -, however, to fave his wife's 
 credit, he let him he in prifon. The 
 favour of the Lord attended him there, 
 and his virtues could not be long con- 
 cealed ; for the under-keeper of the pri- 
 fon, convinced of his innocency, intrufted 
 him with the care and management of 
 all the prifoners ; and what he did^ the 
 Lord made to pro/per. 
 Chap. 40. It happened, during the time of Jo- 
 feph's imprifonment, that two officers of 
 the king's houfhold, the principal butler 
 or cup-bearer to the king, and the chief 
 bakery were for fome mifdemeanors ' put 
 into cuftody in the fame prifon where Jo- 
 feph was, of which Potiphar had the 
 chief command. Potiphar gave them in 
 charge to Jofeph, whofe innocence he 
 was now convinced of, and ordered him 
 to attend them, and fupply them with 
 every thing which was neceflary. Under 
 this confinement they continued about a 
 year. Each of them one night had a 
 remarkable dream, exadlly anfwering to 
 
 ' Peccaverunt princeps pincernarum regis Aegypti, et 
 princeps piftorum, et confilium inierunt, ut injicerent vene- 
 num mortale in cibum et potum ejus, ut occiderent domi- 
 num fuum, regem Aegypti. Jon, T. 
 
 what 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 189 
 
 what in a little time would refpeftively 
 befal them. Jofeph coming next morn- 
 ing to vifit them, and finding them fad % 
 afked them the reafon of it. They told 
 him, that they had each dreamed a dream 
 of fo particular a nature, feeming to car- 
 ry in them an intimation of fome confide- 
 rable change in their condition, that they 
 could not but be concerned they had no 
 opportunity of confulting any magician 
 for the interpretation of them. Jofeph 
 replied, Do not interpretations belong to 
 God " ? tell me them I pray you. Their 
 great opinion of Jofeph's wifdom in o- 
 ther refpe6ls made them ready to try, 
 what he could do in the prefent affair. 
 The cupbearer therefore began : In my 
 dream^ behold^ a "vine was before me with 
 three branches. And I faw them budy 
 blojjom, and clujier into ripe grapes fit to 
 be gathered, Jlnd I Jlood in the king's 
 prefence with the royal cup in my handy 
 into which I prejfed the grapes^ prejenting 
 Pharaoh with the wine. The interpreta- 
 
 Zehaphim. Heb. trifles. Vulg. Kai Tianv Ti7ti^,y' 
 (jLiyoi- Lxx. \iiC^<T(TQ^zvu. Aq^. (TKv^fiU'Voi. Sym. ct eccc 
 turbati erant. Samar. 
 
 ' ''H J9 oVlisj^QhoVy xj yatf T cvetp iK. A/o< i^v^ Horn. 
 Iliad. A. 'v. 63. GV«. xxxi. 24. IAavJikyi J'ietvjotffj coJi 
 
 cDfc" ^MV ii%li^i7iiom. Herod. L.i\. c. 83. edit. Gro- 
 
 tion. 
 
ipo An Essay for explaining 
 
 tion, replied Jofeph, is this : The three 
 branches are three days, and in that fpace 
 of time you fhall be reftored to your of- 
 fice, and wait upon the king, as you for- 
 merly have done. And when the event 
 {hall evidence the truth of my interpre- 
 tation, of which I am fully afiured in my 
 own mind, I afk no other reward of you, 
 but that you will mention me to Pharaoh, 
 and get me delivered from this imprifon- 
 ment. For indeed I was ftolen away out of 
 HebroHy the land of the Hebrews ; arid 
 here alfo have I dojie nothings that they 
 pould put me into the dungeon. The chief 
 baker hearing fo favourable an interpre- 
 tation of the butler's dream, related to 
 Jofeph his own. / had^ fais he, three 
 white baskets on my head. And in the up- 
 permojl basket there was of all majiner of 
 baked meats for Pharaoh^ and the birds 
 did eat them out of the basket upon my 
 head. The interpretation, anfwered Jo- 
 feph, is this: The three bafkets are three 
 days \ in which fpace of time Pharaoh (hall 
 order thy name to be reckoned ', but fhall 
 
 then 
 
 * Phrafis, qua Mofes utitur, ferre vel tollerc caputs cen° 
 fere, vel laftrare, ac numerum inire fignificat. Ex. xxx. 
 12. Num.\./^g. Hoc ergo vult : cum Pharao fervorum 
 fuorum numerum inibit, nomen tuum legetur ; unde ha- 
 bet Onkelos, recordabitur tui ; yLvr)^na{\<^i 't cip'x^4 ^«« 
 Lxx. recordabitur minilterii tui. Fulg. quibus fenliis ut- 
 
 cunqug 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. t p i 
 
 then command it to be ftruck out, and 
 thyfelf to be hanged on a tree, where the 
 birds of prey fhall eat thy flefli. Every 
 thing came to pafs as Jofeph had foretold 
 it. For on the third day after, being ei- 
 ther the day on which Pharoah was 
 born % or the day on which he came to 
 the crown, the king made a feajl unto all 
 his few ants ^ when the names of the court- 
 officers were called over, and they were 
 either continued in, or ftruck out of the 
 lift. The cupbearer, whether his crime 
 was lefs, or the proof of it not fo evi- 
 dent, or he had better friends to inter- 
 cede for him, was reftored to his place; 
 but the head baker was condemned and 
 executed, as Jofeph had interpreted to them, 
 Tet did not the chief butler remember Jo^ 
 fephy but forgat him. 
 
 cunque exprimitur, non vis vocis. Videtur autem ille cen- 
 fus aulicorum regis Aegypti pauIo ante ejus diem nata- 
 lem initus, quo tempore forte volebat carceres aperire, 
 faltem minus nocentibus ; quod apud multos populos folen- 
 nium faflorum tempore fieri folebat. Igitur dum vindlo- 
 rum caufas cognofcit Pharao, horum alteri ignovit, alte- 
 rum capite damnavit. Vid. C/?r/f. 
 
 rf i)(^^& \yivi\o- Herod. L. \. f- 133 ^u\ct^a,ffA 
 
 «F*?^ T? iyivilo CdL^thm, L.ix. c. io(). Vid. Grot. 
 in Matt. xiv. 6. 
 
 T Provi- 
 
ipi An Essay for expJalnhig 
 
 Providence' however made way for 
 his deliverance at the end of two years, 
 in the following manner. God defigning 
 to bring a famine of feven years upon 
 thofe idolatrous countrys, gave Pharaoh 
 notice of it by two extraordinary dreams. 
 The firft was this : The king one night 
 thought he jlood by the river \ when there 
 came out of it ' feven beautiful and j at 
 kine^ and they fed in a meadow *. And 
 feven other kine came up after them out of 
 the 7'iver^ ill-favoured and lean^ and flood 
 by the other upon the brink of the river. 
 
 o.TTaKKdLyhjJ /ttM;)^cti'Maa^sj'©-. Jof. Ant. Jud. L. ii. cap. v. 
 
 * Hebraeum nomen bajeor non tarn jiumen fonat, 
 quam J)capuyA rivAim, feu alveum ex flumine deduftum } 
 quales ex Nilo muitos deduci, nemo elt qui nefciat. Boc^. 
 Hieroz. P. i. /. ii- cap. 41, 
 
 Moiei&i oiyi'-ovjii T6t Tg aJ^Ka yuztcLy «^ 70 ;(^A.«o^;'ot' 
 AcAtk, hf »7ry H X-^'ci *t^TW vs-ta Koyor kmJiJhl U oj-©"* 
 
 dvrbji TH Nt/A8, 'TliKTi^At TOV 'TTdLVTO. ^^OVOV TOV WlXOfTTOV 
 Aiyv^ltQI, To KQTi etVToi "^hKiVeig Z^Atmv TTtiai^Al' 
 yrv^o(jLivet yaf co( viron ttavol y\ yfd^v\ ^ 'i^hhiujcov, <tA.\' 
 i 7n)7W/^o7c77 afcTfeTtf,/, ^dUct'rrcp « fftpijk^H, 2fetcra.p"£\^lutjeCf 
 t^iv^ivjcti Kp]i iKTHtfbg i/.iy(LKm, }{^itcoi 'neivh^iv. Herod. 
 L.'n. c. 13. Vid- Pl'm. L. v. cap. 9. et L. xviii. cap 10. 
 
 + Baachu. Heb. in locis palurtribus. Fulg. ^Ev r^^'etyei. 
 Lxx. in prato. Onk. in careftis Samarit.. Intelligitur herba, 
 quae ad fluviorum ripas creicit, qualis ell juncus, aliaeque 
 fimiles. Job viii. 11. An adoleicet juncus abfque coeno, 
 aut crefcet achu, id eft, car ex fine aqua ? Vid. Bochart. 
 Hieroz. P/i. /. ii. a^p. 41. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. i p i 
 
 The ill-favoured and lean eat up the 
 feven well-favoured and fat kine, and Pha- 
 raoh awoke. The fecond dream was as 
 follows. He thought he faw feven ears of 
 corn Jpringing fro?n one Jlalk, full and 
 good. Thefe he faw devoured by feven o- 
 ther thin ears, and blajied with the eaji- 
 wind\ which fpriing up after them. Then 
 Pharaoh awoke, but the dream continued 
 to run in his mind. Therefore in the morn- 
 ing his fpirit was troubled % and he could 
 not reft fatisfied, till he underftood the 
 meaning of thefe dreams. He therefore 
 fent for all the magicians * and wife men 
 of Egypt, and told them his dreams ; 
 but there was no one who could i?iterpret 
 
 ' Kadim. Heh. percufTae uredine. Fulg. Onk. dviyi- 
 ^-S-ofo/, Lxx. adullae vento. Samarit. percufTae vento ori- 
 entali. Jon. T. vento meridionali. FerJ. Arab. Vox kadim 
 ambi.gua eft, nam cum propria iignilicatione orientalem <ven- 
 tum fonet, pro auftrali quandoque fumitur, ut oftendit S. 
 Bochartus, Hieroz. P. ii. /. i. c. 15. Alibi etiam in fcri- 
 ptura quafiventus adurens defcribitur. £zek. xvii. 10. xix. 
 12. Vid. Cleric. 
 
 ^ ''A'xp'o^ivo'; %vv \'7r) TUi ico^ct^i,voi<;^ ;^ ^tt^ IJ^okch 
 iTKU'S-fWTct tout' rti/TW. Jo/. Ant. Jud. I. ii. cap 5. § 4. 
 *A7nj?«V7«K cT' \KeiVfOV, £T/ llZhKov Cct7l\iVi 'iJcLpATJiTO. 
 Jhid. Vattiphahem ruchoy et contritus eft ijpiritus ejus : 
 pavore perterritus. Fulg. 'Elei^dyjd-» « 4^X" ^^^' ^'^'^' 
 Conturbatus eft Ipiritus ejus. Samarii. Exagitatus eft fpi- 
 ritus Pharaonis. Syr. Ferf. 
 
 5 Chartumim deduci poteft ex chavar videre, et turn 
 claudere. Claufa enim et ignota aliis hominibus videre feu 
 fcire exiftimabantur magi aut harioli. Vid. Cleric. Boch. 
 Hieroz, P, ii. L. iv. c. 18. 
 
 O them 
 
ip4 jin Ess AY for exphmng 
 
 them unto Pharaoh. This brought Jo- 
 feph to the remembrance of the chief 
 butler. He goes therefore to the king, 
 and told him, that when he and the chief 
 baker were under his difpleafure, and put 
 in ward in the captain of the guard's 
 houfe, each dreamed a dream in one 
 night, which a young Hebrew, fervant 
 to the captain of the guard, interpreted 
 exaftly according to the event. Pharaoh 
 ordered him immediately to be fent for. 
 And Jofeph, when he was fhaved ', and 
 had changed his raiment, was intro- 
 duced into the prefence of the king, 
 Pharaoh acquainting him with the cha- 
 rafter his cup-bearer had given him, afk- 
 ed him whether he could interpret his 
 dreams, which had puzzled all his ma- 
 gicians and wife men. Jofeph, with the 
 modefty which became a religious man, 
 replied, // is not in me \ God /hall give 
 
 Pharaoh 
 
 * Vid. Htrod. Lib. ii. cap. 36, 37. 
 
 • An fine Deo fauftum refponfum editur Pharaoni ? 
 Haec interrogatione expreffimus (licet nullum ejus fit in 
 hebraicis indicium) quam res ipfa requirit. Indicat Jofe- 
 phus minim non effe, Pharaoni ab Aegyptiis fapientibus 
 fauftum nullum editum refponfum, qui fine Deo nimirum 
 reroeU'ent. Idem eft refponfum, quo Daniel Nabucho- 
 donoforo fatisfacit. Cap. ii. <v£r/. 27, 28. Arcanum^ de 
 quo rex quaerit, fapientes, ajirologiy occultorum interpreteSf 
 di'vini re'velare nequeunt regi j fed Deus eji in coelo re'velans 
 arcana^ &Cc Senfus, quern modo tradidimus, leftione Ba- 
 
 maritici 
 
the Scripture-RevektionJ. ipj 
 
 Pharaoh an anfwer of peace. And when 
 the king had related to him his two 
 dreams, Jofeph anfwered : God hath 
 Jhewed Pharaoh^ what he is about to do. 
 The two dreams denote one and the fame 
 thing. Hhtfeven fat kine and the /even 
 lean ones^ the feven plump ears of corn and 
 th^feven blafled ones^ fignify feven yean 
 of plenty to come in Egypt; and 2Lkt\:- 
 W2ird Jeven years of exceeding fear city afid 
 famine immediately to fucceed them : 
 moreover, that (unlefs a prudent provi- 
 jfion be made) the firft feven years will 
 not be fufficient to fupply ihe fcarcity of 
 the feven following ones, as is plainly lig- 
 nified by the lean kine devouring the fat 
 ones without any manner of advantage to 
 themfelves, and the thin ears the leven 
 good ears. And for that the dream was 
 doubled unto Pharaoh twice^ it is becaitfe 
 the thing is eftablifhed by God, and God will 
 fhortly bring it to pafs. When the king ' 
 
 maritici codicisy qui interrogationem negatione expreffit» 
 fulcitur ; habet enim, bilhade elohim lo jehaneh^ fine Deo 
 non refpondebitur. Ita et legerunt. lxx. "Afsu 0£b ix. 
 dTToKei^fifftJAi TO (idilAeAQV ^tt^Au'. Si negativa particula 
 lo i'uit in exemplari, quo exicriptor Samaritanus ufus eit, 
 aut iis, ex quibus verterunt lxx. varia haec erit ledlio, 
 quae cum noftro fenfu coincidet. Sin vero ita emendan- 
 dum rati funt in fuis codicibus, conjeftura du6li, de ienfu 
 loci idem ac nos fenferunt. Cleric. 
 
 kc, Jo/. Ant. Jud. L.ii. c. 5. § 7. 
 
 O 2 ajQced 
 
ip6 ^;/ E s s A Y for expJalnhig 
 
 afked him his opinion (as probably he 
 did) what method would be the moft 
 proper to improve this divine notice : 
 Jofeph replied : Let Pharaoh look out a 
 man dijcreet and wife^ and fet him over 
 the land of Egypt ^ and let that chief ru- 
 ler appoint officers under him in the feve- 
 ral provinces of the kingdom to take up 
 a fifth ' part of the produce of Egypt 
 in the feven plenteous years (which may 
 be done at an eafy rate, when vaft plen- 
 ty will make corn very cheap) and let it 
 be laid up in places provided for that 
 purpofe under the diredion of the king, 
 that there may be provifion for the peo- 
 ple of the land in the feven years of fa- 
 mine, that they may not perifh. With 
 this advice the king and all the court 
 were pleafed, and Pharaoh faid unto his 
 fervants, the great minifters of the king- 
 
 * Una voce Hebraei chhnniefch, quafi diceremus quin- 
 tet : anro'myL'TncoGa^lfo^ ut habent. Lxx. intt. Samariticus 
 legit in futuro, quod ftrudurae verborum convenientrus. 
 Non male forte quis conjecerit Pharaonem decimas dun- 
 taxnt frugum exegiire, ubi ordinaria efiet agrorum fertilitas, 
 nee quidquam timeretur ; fed hoc tempore duas decimas 
 Aegyptiis, uberrimis tempertatibus, imperaffe. Certe ve- 
 teres Athenienlium reges, ex quibus Cecrops ex Aegypto 
 in Atticam veniffe fertur, decimam ex civibus fuis ferebant, 
 qua iacrorum publicorum et belli, fi ingrueret, fumptus fuf- 
 tinerent. Vid. Cleric. See i ^am. viii. 14, 15, 17. Others 
 apprehend tiiat it is more agreeable to the chara6ler of 
 Joleph to fuppoie, that he adviied the king to buy up ano- 
 ther tenth, which was as much more as his tribute. 
 
 dom 
 
the Scripture-Revelacions. 1 97 
 
 dom and officers of the court, who ftood 
 about him : Cati we find fuch an one as 
 this isy a man in whom is the Jpirit of 
 God? To this they confented, being a- 
 mazed at the wifdom which appeared in 
 Jofeph. Then the king turning himfelf 
 to Jofeph fa id to him : For a/much as 
 God hath Jhewed thee all this ^ there is none 
 fi) difcreet and wife as thou art. Thou 
 fdalt he over 7ny houfe^ and according to 
 thy word foall all my people be ruled : only 
 in the throne will I be greater than thou. 
 Whereas thou advifedft only to appoint 
 a man to be the chief infpedlor of the 
 flores of corn ; fee, I have conftituted 
 thee chief governour under myfelf of all 
 affairs of the whole country. And to 
 confirm this power to Jofeph, Pharaoh 
 delivered him his royal ' fignet, to feal 
 letters patent in the king*s name; array- 
 ed him in veftments of ' fine linen, 
 O 3 which 
 
 J'v<Tci<^at- jofeph. J ud. Ant. L.'\\. c. 5. §7. Annulum 
 etiam Jofepho dedit, turn ut fymbolum dignitatis, turn 
 ad literas ac diplomata publica nomine fignanda. ^^oJZ 
 Ml. L. i. c. 29. Ita et Ejlh. c. viii. ^y. 2. AfTuerus 
 Mardochaeo annulum tradit, honoris caufa. Caeterum an- 
 nulus quandoque non privatam modo dignitatem, fed et 
 fummum imperium fignificabat apud orientales. Cleric. 
 
 • Stola byffina, vel veftibus byffinis. Ita Fulg. lvx. 
 Of:k' Samar, '"'E/^/ctJet hiviA (p^iao-t cttei vio'rXvlet, 
 
ipS An Essay for e^phmtng 
 
 which were peculiar to great men ; put a 
 gold chain about his neck, as a token of 
 the higheft dignity; and made him to 
 ride in the fecond chariot which he had: 
 and they cried betore him , Bow the 
 knee \ And Pharaoh faidunto Jofeph, / 
 am Pharaoh^ this is my will and pleafure, 
 who am king of Egypt, let no man pre- 
 fume to do the fmalleft thing in public 
 affairs v/ithout your order. Moreover, in 
 memory of his interpretation, the king 
 
 \vriTV\S'ir)ov\ii T»To f**'A/r*. Herod. L. ii. f. 37. Jta- 
 que aut hie frhejch linum tenuilTimum et pretiofifTimum^ 
 quo non uteretur vulgus, fignincat (Sic Braunius L, i. 
 be 'vefiihus facer d. Heh. <r. 6) aut oportet Jofephum non 
 Aegyptiaco cultu, fed pcregrjno, coram Pharaone fletiircg 
 quern rex linea veicc mutari jufierit. Ita Cleric. 
 
 * Clamante praecone. Vulg. Kct/ iKn^v^iV iiJjTr^c^iv 
 dvJH m^vE Lxx. Et praeconizare fecit coram eo. 0»i. 
 Et ciamabaturante eum. Samarit. Et laudabant coram 
 eo. Jon. r. 
 
 * Jbrec, quam vocem Aegyptiacam omittunt lxx. reti- 
 net immutatam Symmachus ; earn Onkelus componit ex ab 
 pater et rech rex. Hoc enim rech fignificare audor quoque 
 eft R' Solomon yarchi. Etiam pair is ei vocabulum con- 
 veniat, fi placet interpretatio R. Juda, qui (ut idem 
 Raji tradit) conflatum arbitratur ex ab pater, et rach tener. 
 Ut pater dicatur ratione fenilis prudentiae, tener propter 
 juvenilem ac teneram aetatem. Nee ignore, quia barach 
 interdum fignificat^^»zVi(;/s:r£', {\v^ gmufieSiere ', to Jquilam^ 
 ct 'vulgatum inierpretem, transferre genu Jie6ie : idque fa- 
 vente etiam Aben E^^ra. Sed Hieronymus, ^aejiionihus 
 Jlebraicis in Gfnejin, hanc de parente tenero expofitionem 
 difertim praefert ifti de adgeniculatione. Etiam priores 
 interpretationes fequuntur Jonathan et Bierofolymitanus : 
 fed cum de priori quidem vocabuli parte inter eos confenfus 
 ibret, de altera autem fludtuarent, utramque expofitionem 
 conjunxerunt. Explicant enim, pater regis tener annis. 
 Jiaec Vofs, Idol L, i. c. 29. 
 
 honoure4 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. \^^ 
 
 honoured him with the name o( Zaph- 
 nath Paaneah\ that is, a revealer of fe^ 
 crets ; and gave him to wife Afenath the 
 daughter of Potipherah priejl or " prince of 
 On^ afterwards called Heliopolis. 
 
 Jofeph was thirty years old, when Pha- 
 raoh made him his prime minifter, hav- 
 ing been out of his country thirteen years, 
 in which time he had learnt the language 
 of Egypt, and gained much experience. 
 Having received his commiffion, he fetout 
 from court, and took a particular view of 
 all the land of Egypt, to find out proper 
 places for building ftorehoufes, againft 
 the plenteous years came. During which 
 the earth brought forth by handfuls ' up- 
 on one ftalk, and in vaft abundance. The 
 fifth part he laid up. The food of the 
 field which was round about every city^ laid 
 he up in the fame. This was wifely or- 
 dered, as it tended to prevent any fu- 
 fpicion of a defign to engrofs, would be 
 lefs chargeable to Pharaoh for the prefent, 
 
 ' Vir, cui fecreta revelantur. Onk. Vir, occultorum 
 jnterpres. Jon. K^wTrjap iv^tlk* Jof. Sed ab omni- 
 bus iftis diverfus abit Vulgatus, qui vertit, fahuator mundi. 
 Ac Aegyptiace id fonuiffe ait quoque HieronymuSy ^aejlio- 
 nihus Hebraicis. Didlufque, inquit, fahator mundi y eo quod 
 orbem terrae ab imminente famis excidio libera rit. Sed 
 hunc difTenfum difficile fit hodie dirimere poll intermor- 
 tuam pane veteris Aegypti linguam. VoJ/. Ibid. 
 
 * Deditque ei Afeneth, filiam Potipharis, principis On, 
 in uxorem. Onk. Et dedit illi Afnath, quam peperit Dina 
 ipfi Sychem, et educaverat uxor Potiphera, principis Ta- 
 neos, in uxorem. Jon. T, 
 
 5 Vid. Plin. L. xviii. cap. lo. 
 
 O 4 and 
 
2 CO jin Essay for e%plamng 
 
 and more eafie to difpenfe to the country 
 when they wanted provifion. And Jo- 
 feph gathered corn as the /and of the Jea^ 
 very much, until he left nmjihertng, 
 
 Tojofeph by his wife Afenath were born 
 two fons, before the fevxn years of plenty 
 were expired. The firft-born Jofeph 
 called Manaffeh, which fignifies niakhig 
 to forget : for God, fa id he, hath made me 
 to forget the great afflidion and toil, which 
 I have indured in confequence of the un- 
 kindnefs of my brethren. The fecond 
 he named Ephraim : for God hath caufed 
 me to be fruitful in the land of my affli^ 
 Bion, The feven years of plenty being 
 ended, the years of famine began, ex- 
 adly according as Jofeph had faid i and 
 extended to all the countries around, 
 Canaan, Syria^ and others ; but in all the 
 land of Egypt there was bread. In two 
 years time probably the old flock in 
 Egypt was fpent, when the people made 
 earned petitions to the king for relief of 
 their neceflities. Pharaoh refered them 
 to Jofephy who opening his flore-houfes 
 fold them corn at reafonable rates. The 
 famine increafed, and v/as fo general, 
 that all the neighbouring countries came 
 into Egypt to buy corn, 
 ^P- 42- Jacob feeing, perhaps, loads of corn 
 brought from Egypt pafs by, or at leafl 
 hearing there was corn in Egyptj faid to 
 
 hi§ 
 
the Scripture-Rcvelations. 201 
 
 hisfons, Why do you look one upon another? 
 as inen who know not what courfe to take. 
 Go down to Egypt (for I have heard that 
 there is corn there) and buy for us from 
 thence, that we may live and not die. Ten 
 of them went, but Jacob retained Benja- 
 min, being young, and not ufed to travel : 
 le/i peradventure, faid he, mijchief jhould 
 hefal him, Jofeph, the governour over 
 the land, appointed at what rates corn 
 fhould be fold in every part of the coun- 
 try ; and ordered that foreign traders for 
 corn ihould be brought in to him, or at 
 leafl their names, hoping thereby to hear 
 and get fight of fome of his father's fa- 
 mily, and find out how it fared with 
 them. It fell out accordingly. And 
 as foon as the ten brethren arrived, they 
 were ordered into Jofeph's prefence, and 
 at their entrance bowed down themfelves 
 before him with their faces to the earthy 
 after the manner of their own and other 
 eaftern countries (for in Egypt they bow- 
 ed the knee ) and thereby fulfilled his 
 dream. Jofeph at firft fight knew his 
 brethren, but they had no notion ' of 
 
 ' Chap* xli. 40. 
 
 * *0 </^s yvcdfiau; T«? d^iKtpliy it^lv h^vfiHiiivM^ vneL 
 ctviH' <Pi£t TO iJLeipdx,iQV f/Xv Avjou A'TTetKh.ttyin'cti, €ii ffiilo 
 
 '4;)^onv yvco^Wi 'Tnfl r oA«f. Jo/. Jud, Ant. /. ii. r. 6. § 2. 
 
 him 5 
 
101 An Essay for explaining 
 
 him ; which is not ftrange, finct they had 
 not feen him for above twenty years, in 
 which time a youth alters far more ihan 
 grown men do, befides the poft and gaib 
 in which he appeared, and his fpeaking 
 to them by an interpreter. Jofeph ap- 
 plied to them in an harfli tone, and with a 
 ftern countenance : Whence come ye ? 
 To whom they replied i From the land 
 of Canaan to buy food, Jofeph remem-^ 
 bring his dreams concerning them, and 
 refolving to demean himfelf as the go- 
 vernour of Egypt, examined them with 
 the appearance of feverity, and told them 
 that they were fpies ', who came to find 
 out the weak ' and lefs defenfible places 
 of the country. To which they anfwer- 
 ed. Thy fervanti fpeak what is exadtly 
 true, in faying that our fole defign was 
 to buy food. We are all one mans fons^ 
 
 * Pofiunt verba fie intelHgi : Nifi vos legitime purga- 
 veritis, habebo pro exploratoribus. Confirmatur ex 'ver. \ 6, 
 Jlioquin explorateres ejVis\ i. e. nifi deprehendero vos vera di- 
 cere. EJiius. 
 
 ' Ut milites inermes nudi dicuntur ; fie loca, per quae 
 adiri facilius Aegyptus poterat, quod efient munimentis 
 aut naturae aut artis deftituta, nuditas ejus appellantur. 
 Apud Ciceronem et Caefarem, nudam urbempraejtdioy nudata 
 tajiray nudos defenjorihus muros Icgimus. Speeiofior autem 
 erat haec Jofephi fuipicio, quamquam fida, quod ex iis 
 partibus venirent fratres, quibus folis ex Afia in Aegyptum 
 aditus patet, et unde (olum irruptio hoftium timebatur. 
 Mk»'« 7aV7w «Vi (pcLVi^s^j ^iCo^ai *if ^htyvrlQV. Herod, 
 I.iii'. r. 5/ NiA. Cleric, 
 
 and 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. loj 
 
 and are no /pies. There needed nothing 
 more to be faid to remove fufpicion, if 
 this could have been depended upon. 
 No man would have fent his fons, but 
 rather his fervants, if they had come 
 upon an ill defign ; or at leaft fo many 
 of his fons; or all of them together in a 
 company : but he would rather have di- 
 fperfed them about the country. Nor 
 was it probable, that one man could 
 have a defign upon Egypt, but ' all the 
 great men of Canaan muft have join'd in 
 it ; and then men of different families, 
 not all of one only, would have been fent. 
 Jofeph, defirous of having a further ac- 
 count of their family, and that he might 
 particularly be informed of his brother 
 Benjamin % replied : Nay^ but to fee the 
 nakednefs of the land you are come. They 
 then faid^ thy fervants are twelve brethren^ 
 the fons of one man in the land of Canaan -y 
 and behold^ the yotmgefl is this day with 
 our father^ and one is noto This confirms 
 
 Joj. Ant.Jud. /. ii. c. 6. § 2. 
 
 " 'TTgf c/V T« yvuVAi Ttt K^ei rov 'TotlifA* xj tw ffvfg,- 
 
 dA\(p0V ihtDfti ydf UMi" KAK&ivOV, OlAoiuf Oii Hi dVTOV 
 
 what 
 
204 -^^^ Essay for esplahiing 
 
 what I faid, anfwered Jofeph, and gives 
 me juft ground to fufpedt that you are 
 fpies y fince you pretend to have another 
 brother, which is not likely : for why 
 fhould not your father fend all, as well 
 as fo many ? Hereby ye Jhall be tried : 
 Let one of you go, and fetch your bro- 
 ther, and the reft continue here as 
 pledges, till he returns : by this I fhall 
 know whether your account be true. If 
 it be not, depend upon it, as I value the 
 life and honour of the king ', I will treat 
 you as fpies. Jofeph then put them all to- 
 gether into wardy that they might con- 
 fult one with another, which of them 
 fliould go to fetch Benjamin : about 
 which, it feems, they could not agree, 
 every one fearing to be the meflenger of 
 fuch fad tidings to their father, who 
 might fufpedl they were all loft. At 
 three days end they were brought to Jo- 
 feph again, when he faid to them : It is 
 not my intention to treat you with cru- 
 elty, / fear Gody who will punifh all 
 injuftice. Therefore I make this new 
 proportion to you, this fhall be the proof 
 of your honefty : Inftead of fending one 
 
 ' Eft jusjurandum per falutem Tharaonisy cujus feniiis 
 eft : Ut verum eft vivere Pharaonem, fie vere hoc veftri 
 fumam experimentum : vel, Ut vere falutem Pharaoni pre- 
 cor, ita vere &c. Vid. Cler, 
 
 of 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 205" 
 
 of you to your father, you fhall all go but 
 one ; who fhall remain bound in prifon, 
 till you bring your youngeft brother, in 
 the mean time carry provifion for your 
 families. To this propofal they were 
 forced to confent, fince there was no re- 
 medy. However upon this occalion they, 
 who had the chief hand in the confpi- 
 racy againft Jofeph, began to make bit- 
 ter reflexions upon their former treat- 
 ment of him : JVe have been verily guilty 
 concerning our brother^ we would have no 
 pity, when he befought us with tears ; 
 and now nothing, that we can fay, will 
 prevail : this diftrefs is therefore come upon 
 tis^ and we may fee our former guilt 
 in the prefent punifhment. Reuben then 
 reminded them of the advice he gave 
 them, not to Jin againft the child^ to which 
 they would not hearken, and now his 
 blood was required : for he thought him 
 to be dead. Thefe things they talked in 
 the prefence of Jofeph, apprehending, 
 fince he fpoke to them by an interpreter, 
 that he did not underftand them. Jofeph 
 was fo moved by the difcourfe of his bre- 
 thren, that he could bear it no longer, 
 but was forced to retire, and give vent 
 to his paflion in private. When he had 
 compofed himfelf, he returned, and re- 
 peated to them what he had before told 
 them : adding, that if they brought Benja- 
 min 
 
20^ An Essay for ebcpJainlng 
 
 min with them, the brother, whom they 
 left bound as a pledge, (hould be releafed, 
 and they ' (hould traffick in the land. 
 And he took from them Simeon \ who, the 
 Jewifh dodlors fay, was the very perfon 
 that put Jofeph into the pit, and caufed 
 him to he bound in their prefence^ to ftrike 
 the greater terror into them. Jofeph 
 then gave command that their facks 
 fhould be filled with corn, and each 
 man's money returned into his fack; and 
 that they might carry what they bought 
 intire for the ufe of their family, he 
 ordered provifion for the way to be givea 
 them: which being executed they de- 
 parted thence. One of them happening to 
 open his fack^ to give his afs provender in 
 the inn % efpied his money^ and telling it 
 tb his brethren their hearts failed them^ 
 and they were afraid^ f'^yi^g one to ano- 
 ther y What is this that God hath done to us ? 
 
 ' Et accepit ab eis Simeon, qui confilium dederat de 
 ipfo interficiendo, et ligavit eum coram ipiis. yon. 7*. 
 Geft. xxxiv. 25. XLiJC. 5. 
 
 ' In toco, in quo pernoSiaturi erant. Sequuti fumus lxx. 
 intt. quihabent, Z K({\ihV7ctv> ubi di'verterunt i non Hiero- 
 nymum, qui habet, di^erforiunty quod hofpitium publicum 
 fignificat, qualia tunc temporis non erant. Malon quemvis 
 locum, quo pernodatur, fonat; nontantum domum diver- 
 forii, ut habet Onkelos, Vide quae diximus fupra ad cap. 
 xix. 2. Forte fub arboribus, ut folet ea in regione fieri, 
 aut in aliqua valle pernodarunt, CUrk, 
 
 When 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 207 
 
 When they came to Jacob, they related 
 to him what reception they had met 
 with, how the lord of the land had treat- 
 ed them, and upon what condition he 
 permited them to bring home their corn. 
 And when Jacob knew that every man's 
 money was in his fack, apprehending 
 that this was done to feife them upon 
 their return, he fell into bitter lamenta- 
 tion. Me have ye bereaved of 7ny children z 
 yofeph is nofy and Simeon is 7iot^ and ye 
 ivill take Benjamin away ; all theje thi?jgs 
 are upon me as heavy and opprejjive bur-- 
 dens. Reuben replied to his father. Slay 
 my twofonSy if I bring him not to thee 5 de-- 
 liver him into my handy and I 'will bring 
 him to thee again. Nothing could be 
 more weakly faid : for what good would 
 it have been to Jacob to lofe two grand- 
 children, after he had loft another fon ? 
 would it not have been an increafe of his 
 afflid:ion ? But it was fpoken out of a paf- 
 lionate defire to redeem Simeon, and to 
 gain more provifion for the family; being 
 confident that Jofeph, who profeffed to 
 fear God, would be as good as his word. 
 Jacob anfwered. My fon Jh all not go down 
 with you : for his brother is dead, and he 
 is left aloney the only child of Rachel ; if 
 mifchief befal him by the way^ in which ye 
 gOy then fhall ye bring down my gray 
 hairs with Jor row to the grave, 
 
 2 When 
 
2o8 An Essay for exipJatmng 
 
 Chap. 43. When the corn, which they brought 
 out of Egypt was confumed, and they 
 had nothing to live upon, but the poor 
 crop which their own country produced, 
 Jacob would have perfuaded his fons to 
 return into Egypt, and buy corn for a 
 fupply of their prefent neceffity without 
 Benjamin: for the famine increafed in 
 the land. Judah then, fince Reuben had 
 before fpoken to him in vain, and Levi 
 probably had not fo much intereft in him, 
 on the account of his conduct at She- 
 chem, took upon him (being next in birth, 
 and of no fmall authority among his bre- 
 thren) to endeavour to prevail with his 
 father to permit Benjamin to go with 
 them ; afluring Ifrael that it would be to 
 no purpofe for them to go without him, 
 that the lord of the land in a folemn man- 
 ner had protefted, that they fhould not fee 
 his face, but fhould be treated as fpies, if 
 they did not bring him with them. To 
 whom Ifrael replied: Wherefore dealt ye 
 fo ill with me, as to tell the lord, that you 
 had another brother ? what need was 
 there to fay any thing of one, who was 
 not with you ? Judah told him that the 
 enquiries the governour made were fuch, 
 that it was impoffible for them to avoid 
 it, if they anfwered according to truth ; 
 and fince they could not guefs at his de- 
 fign, they were no way to be blamed. 
 I Upon 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 2 op 
 
 Upon his not being able to make any re- 
 ply to this, Judah prefs'd him laying: 
 Send the lad with me, that ive live ajid Jiot 
 dye, both we, and thou, and aljb our little 
 ones, I will be furety for him : if I hnng 
 him not unto thee, let me bear the blam" for 
 ever. For, except we had lingred, j'urely 
 now we had returned this fecond time. 
 Since it mud be fo, anfwered Ifrael, take 
 of the moft ' defirable fruits of the land, 
 and carry to the governour a prefent of 
 refin \ honey \ ftorax \ myrrh \ pifta- 
 
 * Tollite de optimls terrae. Onk. de rebus laudabilibus 
 terrae. Samarit. de delicils terrae hujus. Syr. 'verf, 
 Mizzimrath haarets, de cantatione terrae, vel dc laude 
 terrae, id eft, Ea ferte, quae in Judaea maxime funt decaiv 
 tata. Ad quern locum haec habet R. Jofue Sochnita, no- 
 mine K. Le-viy in B^refuh Rabha, SeSl. 91. Hae funt res 
 terrae Canaan, quae in orbe funt maxime decantatae, &c. 
 Bochart. Hieroz. P. ii. L. v. cap. 9. 
 
 * Vid. Cknp. xxxvii. 'ver. 25. 
 
 ^ At in Judaea mel amarum, aut ulla ex parte viticfuni 
 gigni, ne per fomnium quidem auditum eit. Quin Gar. 
 xLiii. 1^. II. mel eft ex iis, quae in terra Canaan lau- 
 dantur, et decantantur. Et blafphcmus illc F.al/ah Af- 
 fyriam ex eo commendat, quod, inftar terrae Canaan, 
 okae et melll^ Terax. 2 Reg. xviii. nj. 32. Sic apud 
 Jo/ephufn. L. v. De bdlo, cap. iv. agri Hicrichur.'tini lau- 
 dum haec una, quod eft ^i^t^ror^'o^p©- i) X^^^^ apibus 
 akndis apta regie. Proisde mel e Judaea in alias terras 
 delerebatur: ad Tyrioriim nundinas, Exec/j. x.wii. 17. 
 Vid. Bcchr.rt. Hicrc^. P. ii. L. iv. c. 10, 
 
 * See Cb. x:fxvii. ry. 25. 
 
 s Botnim. Heb. et [moiicum] terebinth I. Vt^fg. K*i 
 Ti^'iCiv^QV' Lxx. Onk. Samarit. Piftacia et amygdala. 
 Syr. '■Jcrf. Sic Bcchartusj plierox, P, ii. L. iv. c. 1 2. Vid. 
 Clerk, in he, 
 
 P choe-nuts 
 
2 I o An Essay for explaining 
 
 choe-nuts and almonds. 7'ake double mo- 
 ney in yom^ hand^ iince corn may now 
 probably be grown dearer • and the money 
 that ivas h?^oi/ght again in the mouth of 
 yourfacks^ car?y it again in your hand -^ 
 peradve?iiure it was an oi:erJight^ and you 
 will hereby take off all imputation of a 
 cheat, ^ake alfo your brother^ and arife^ 
 go again unto the man. And may God 
 almighty grant you favour with him, 
 that he ??iay fend away your other bro- 
 ther, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved^ 
 I am berea'-ccd : I will fubmit, and bear 
 it as patiently as I can. At their arri- 
 val in Egypt they were introduced in- 
 to the prefence of Jofeph. i^nd when 
 he favv Benjamin with them, he ordered 
 his fteward to provide an extraordinary 
 diner, and invite them to his own table. 
 This put them to no little pain, fearing 
 leall: they fliould be kill'd, or feifed, and 
 made flaves ; becau/e of the money, which 
 was returned in their Jacks the firjl ti?ne. 
 However, before they faw the governour 
 again, they had an opportunity of re- 
 prefenting the cafe to the fleward^ and 
 as a tedimony of their having no ill de- 
 fign, they offered him the fum returned 
 in the facks, before they pretended to 
 buy more corn. The fteward bad them 
 be pc rledly eafy as to that point, telling 
 them, that the money was their own, 
 
 that 
 
the Scnpture-Revelations. 2 1 1' 
 
 that he had received it from them, but 
 by the governour's order had returned 
 it into their facks, and that it was to 
 their God, and the God of their father, 
 that they were to render thanks for that 
 treafure. This anfwer fcattered their 
 fears, efpecially when they faw him pro- 
 duce Simeon unbound, and fet at Uberty. 
 The fteward then introducing them into 
 Jofeph*s houfe, ordered water to be 
 brought in, as the cuftom was, to wafh 
 their feet, a^nd provender to be given to 
 their afles. They geting ready the pre- 
 fent for the governour, upon his return 
 from court brought it to him, and bow- 
 ed themfelves to the earth ; thereby far- 
 ther fulfiHng his dream. Jofeph, when 
 he had learnt that his aged father was 
 yet alive, diredted his eyes to Benjamin 
 his mother's fon, and faid : God be gra- 
 cious unto thee^ my fon. Which excited 
 fuch tender emotions in him, as oblig'd 
 him to retire, to give vent to his paffion- 
 In a little time compofing himfelf he re- 
 turned, and ordered diner to be brought 
 up. There were three tables, at one 
 of which the governour himfelf fat alone 
 in ftate, another was appointed for the 
 eleven brothers by themfelves, and the 
 third for the Egyptian courtiers apart. 
 For the Egyptians might not eat bread ivtth 
 the Hebrews^ that being an abomination to 
 P 2 them. 
 
212 An Essay for e^platmng 
 
 them '. When the brothers came to fit 
 down, they were greatly furprifed to find, 
 that they were ordered to take their 
 places exadlly according to their fenio- 
 rity *. The governour, agreeably to the 
 antient cufl:om for great men to honour 
 fijch as were in their favour, by fending 
 difhes to them from their own tables, 
 ordered the waiters to carry from his 
 table ' a mefs to every one of them, on- 
 
 * Non enim poterant Aegyptii comedere cum Hebraeis 
 panem ; quoniam pecus, quod Aegyptii colant, Hebraei 
 comedunt. Onk. Non reclum putant Aegyptii ut come- 
 dant cum Judaeis panem, quoniam bediam, Guam Aegyp- 
 tii venerantur, Judaci comedunt. Jon. T. Qua in parte 
 non folum Judaici, ltd ct Graecanici mores, cum Aegyp- 
 tiaciserant £tauV<x7o/- Athacn. Deipn. L. \n. Kot/7aV/3»V 
 
 mLymv (xdht^a. y.ctKfa. r t^iiyj: \i\* dt>ri^ ^AtyiTTj'^ i!]i 
 
 yiv(7iTcLi- Herod. L. ii. c. 41 . Bochart. Vid. Spsnc. De rit. 
 Heb. L.'\. c. ^. p. 125. 'Ep^^Uvikoici S'i voi/.lm<n (^iu- 
 y\i<Tt yjA^a.1' to <Pi av^yray siT^v, ^.HeT' aKKuv (JUjS'ety.z 
 yt.nS'tL^uv elv^^uTruv vouciioici. Herod. L.'n.c. 91. 
 
 " At per circuitum iederunt coram eo, major juxta con- 
 fuetudinem majoritatis fuae, minor vero juxta morem mi- 
 noritatis luae ; et tenebat calicem argenteum in manu fua> 
 et fonitam cdebat tanquam divinans : filios Leae ordinabat a 
 latere unc, et filios Zilpac a latere alio, et f.lios Bilhae a 
 latere alio, Pknjr.min autcm filium Rachelis ordinavit ad 
 latus iuum : ct admirati funt viri illi inter Me. Jon. T. 
 
 J Atque hinc Homerus, judice Athenaco, L. xi. ^du]d.i 
 Wgot vocat, convivia aequalia, ab aecjualitate partium, 
 quae convivis dividebantur. De Diomede autem ait, 
 
 'EcTpM T^, Kiket<7lV Ti )J^i TAhO/? S'irOAOJi- //• 0. I 63, 
 
 Vid. Cleric, et Jckan. Dsught. Anal. Sac. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 1 j 
 
 ly Benjamin had a mefs five times larger 
 than any of theirs. This Joleph did 
 probably to try, whether the others 
 would look upon Benjamin with the 
 fame envious eye, as they had formerly 
 done upon himfelf. After they had 
 dined, plenty of wine was brought in, 
 and they drank^ and^ were merry with him. 
 
 And Jofeph commanded the fleward of Chap. 44. 
 hishoufe to fill their facks with food, as 
 much as they could carry, and put every 
 man's money in his fack's mouth. And 
 for a further trial ', whether the ten bro- 
 thers would difcover any envy to Ben« 
 jamin, becaufe of the extraordinary kind- 
 nefs which had been exprefied to him ; 
 or whether they would ftand by him in 
 a difficulty, and fliew concern for him 
 and their father ; he ordered his filver 
 cup to be put into Benjamin's facie. His 
 orders were executed, and by break of day 
 they were fent away toward Canaan, great- 
 ly pleafed at their good fuccefs. They had 
 not got far out of the city, when by the or- 
 der of Jofeph the fteward purfued them, 
 and foon overtaking them, withfeverity re~ 
 
 ?^ACiiV, ToJifOV TOTS Cofi^^'Ji TiJ BgJ'/«fcf/<V K^Q'^Tu iVei-ya' 
 
 Jud. L. ii, c. 6. § 7. 
 
 P 2 p reached 
 
2 1 4 -^^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 proached them for their ingratitude in 
 taking away his mafter's cup, who had 
 treated them with fo much refpedl j and 
 for their folly in ftealing that very cup, 
 which his mafter ufed in his divinations ' ; 
 and imagining that fo wife and great a 
 
 man 
 
 * Quanquam vox nichefch in lege de fuperfatiofis 
 augurationibus fumitur, credam tamen olim fuiiTe rc- 
 cem mediani, et lumi hie et infra 'v.ix,. pro immiffis di- 
 vinitus praefagiis, ad quae Jofephus fe facrificio prae- 
 parabat. In lacrif.ciis aatem ufas phialae, ut ait fcho- 
 Hafles ad illud Pads Jrifophanicae. 
 
 Grot. 0\tivi(T^a Ituivii^^Tcn iveLutr^' lxx. in quo, fc. fcypho, 
 augurari ioiec. i^'ulg. JDivinationis, quae ope paterae he- 
 ret, nulpiam mcminere icriptorej. lacri ; nee quidquam hue 
 faciunt, quae viri dodiflimi de vini in r3crifici;S Hebrae- 
 orum cffuiione, quae ffTovJ'eiCf}, ieu phiala, aut patera 
 iiebat : cum hinc eaptata auguria nufquam legamus. Sed 
 apud vett. Graecos ^x flrepitu vini in honorem numinis 
 etfufi omen capiebatur- Euftaihius in Odyjf. p. 1470. 
 ed. Rom. *Afxi?^e{ }(^ ti^ta ra, Hi r iiC7na^cc]*)V kcFTnv^Vi 
 7I1JJ Kreiav him>i^o^ivQt dMiuJ. Interdum vinum liba- 
 tum in ignem ttiundebant, unde, quo major emicaret 
 flamma, eo melius erat omen. Virg. Georg. L. iv. 1;. 384. 
 Conitat quidem ex 2 Sa/n. xxiii. 16. effuiam quandoque 
 Deo aqaam, fed omina inde ab Hebraeis petita nufquam 
 docet Icriptura. Itaque Aegyptiis, quibus multa ad reli- 
 gionem pertinentia debebant Graeci, eundem ae hifce mo- 
 rem, iibando numinis favorem veluti explorare, credibi- 
 lius ell iuille, atque eo refpicerc Jofephum. Aliae inter- 
 pretationes, aut llrudurae vocum, aut earum receptae fi- 
 gnificationi adverfantur. Strudurae rationem non habent, 
 qui exponunt ; confuluit angures de eo : quafi vellet Jofephi 
 ^rvus, Jofephum, amilTa patera, conluluiiTe divinos, ut 
 fcirct a quibus cflet ablata. Significationi vim inferunt, 
 qui experiri aut probare vertunt, ut fit fenfus : Jofephum iis 
 
 appofuiflc 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 2 i 5 
 
 man as he, who foretold the famine, 
 ihould not be able to find out fuch a 
 cheat. This charge they difclaim'd with 
 the greateft vehemence, and argued that 
 it was not likely, when they had brought 
 again the money which was found in 
 their facks, they fliould fteal out of his 
 lord's houfe filver or gold. However, 
 fay they, let a fearch be made, and with 
 whomjhever of thy fervants if be founds 
 both let him dye^ and we aljb will be my 
 lords bondmen. The fleward agreeing to 
 their propofal, with this alteration only, 
 that he would have nothing to fay to any, 
 but the perfon with whom the cup fliould 
 be found, began the fearch in order, 
 leaving Benjamin till the laft. And the 
 cup was found in Benjamin's fack. This 
 difcovery threw them into the utmoft 
 grief, and they rent their clothes*. When 
 
 appofuiffe fcyphum ilium argenteum co animo, ut ecs pro- 
 
 barct, an probi efient, an vero tares. V'etus fcholiaftes a 
 
 Nobilio laudatus teilatur Samariticum habere, rre^pctJ^^ 
 
 ^ti^diC^it £P dv]^, quod confentit cum noftra ^ucrf. Sa- 
 
 tnnrit. quae habet : terfatkne t:ntatin ea. Sed nichefch 
 
 fignificatione tentandi nufquam occurrit ; nam locus, q\ii 
 
 hanc in rem affertur, Gen. xxv. 27. aliter intelligendus, 
 
 atque ex ufitata vocis lignificatione, ut oflendimus. Cleric. 
 
 Vid. Bought. Anal Sac. 
 
 ' 'F./f oiuuyAi >Lt ■3-?Mv«f iu^vi Irpet'TnKmv, k^ nif 
 « - V) fc/r f . ' \ • ft V j' V - 
 
 Tov fXc^Ji^A 7nd T»!5 B£{';ot.///i' azo7»fta.(. Ant. Jud. L. Li, 
 c 6. S- 7- 
 
 ' Chap, xxxvii. 29, 34. 
 
 P A th« 
 
1 1 6 An Essay for e:<phiniiig 
 
 the fteward demanded Benjamin, as his 
 prifoner ; Jiidah (who is mentioned by 
 name, the he was not the eldeft fon, bc- 
 caufe he had ingag'd to fecure the fafe 
 return of Benjamin) a?2d his brethren re- 
 turned to ^ojeph's houfe, for he was yet 
 there^ and fell before him on the ground^ 
 again fulfil ing the dream of Jofeph. The 
 governour then flernly faid to them ', what 
 deed is this that you have done ? could 
 you imagine, when I foretold this grie- 
 vous famine, which now rages, that I 
 was not prophet enough to difcover fuch 
 a theft as this, which you have com- 
 mited ? Judah in the mofl moving man- 
 ner replied : What fliall we fay unto my 
 lord? whatfliall v/efpeak? or how {hall 
 we clear ourfelves ? which way can we 
 take to evidence our innocencv ? If we 
 plead ignorance, the cup is found among 
 us. We cannot but own, that our prefent 
 diftrefs is a juft ' retribution of providence 
 
 for 
 
 fX^dTireiV ^i kvipyirbju '^ ^kvov eroA^^McTar* ; Ant. JucL 
 IhU. §8. 
 
 * Pcccaiu?}! fcworum tuorum d prehendit Deus. Hoc clt^ 
 cum plurimorum peccatorum rei tileir.us, divinitus fatftum 
 eft, ut hue eorum, quae impune tulerainus, poenas daturi 
 deicenderemus. Q^ia cum ignora:ur icelus cjuodpiain» 
 aut fceleris audor, lac impune abit ; ideo invenire iniqui- 
 tatem, ^uod contrarium eft, pcrindc eil, ac ejus poenas 
 
 exigere. 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 
 
 for our many fins, and particularly one aft 
 of cruelty and injuftice to our own flefli 
 and blood. Nothing however remains 
 now, but to become, my lord, your fer- 
 vants, both we, and he aljb, with whom the 
 cup ii found, Jofeph then anfwered : God 
 forbid, that 1 Ihould make the innocent 
 fuffer with the guilty, Benjamin is the 
 criminal, leave him, and the reft of you 
 may return in peace to your father. The 
 equity, which appeared in thefe words, 
 incouraged Judah to approach nearer to 
 the governour, and to addrefs him in the 
 following manner : O my lord, let thy 
 fervant, I intreat thee, have a favourable 
 audience, and be pleafed to hear me with 
 patience a few words. I am fenfible of 
 the greatnefs of your characfter, who are 
 even as Pharaoh. When my lord afked 
 us, his fervants, whether we had a fa- 
 ther, or a brother ; we anfwered, that we 
 had a father advanced in years, and a 
 brother, who was extremely dear to him, 
 as being young, and a child of his old 
 age, and becaufe his brother was dead, 
 and he alone was left of his mother. 
 My lord then faid unto his fervants, 
 
 exigere. %'ia Hof. -yCn. 9. Veruntt inquit EphraiM^ ditatut 
 funty iniieni miki opeSy neque iifvenient mihi iniquitatem : hoc 
 ell, neque quifquam paratarum malis artibus divitiarum 
 pot-nas a me exiget. Cleric^ 
 
 bring 
 
 Z17 
 
2 1 8 ^n Ess A J for esp/ainmg 
 
 Bring him down to me, that I may fee 
 him. And tho in reply we reprefented 
 the affedtion of our father toward him 
 to be fo great, that his leaving him 
 would endanger his life 5 you was pleas'd 
 to inlift upon it, or we {hould not fee 
 your face any more. When your fer- 
 vant, our father, prefs'd us to return to 
 Egypt to buy food, and we related to him 
 your command, and that there was no 
 profped: of fuccefs, unlefs we carried with 
 us our brother ; the old man replied in 
 great diftrefs : You know, that his mother 
 bore me but two fons, one of whom was 
 torn in pieces ; and if ye take this alfo 
 from me, and mifchief befal him, ye 
 will bring down my gray hairs with for- 
 row to the grave. This probably, my 
 lord, will be the fad confequence of my 
 returning without the youth. I would 
 therefore humbly intreat you, fince your 
 fervant has promifed the fafe return of the 
 lad, upon the forfeiture of my father's 
 favour for ever, to let me abide ' here in 
 his ftead, a bondman to my lord, and let 
 the lad go up with his brethren. For 
 how ihall I, who have been furety for 
 
 Jo/, yud. Ant, Ibid. 
 
 him, 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 2 1 9 
 
 him, return to my father without him ? 
 This favour I earneftly beg, my lord, 
 left I be put to the diftrefs of feeing the 
 evil, that {hall come upon my aged fa- 
 ther. 
 
 Jofeph not being able to contain him-ciiap. 45. 
 felf any longer, and thinking it impro- 
 per, that any of the Egyptians fhould be 
 witneffes of the paffion he was likely to 
 cxprefs, or hear of the ill ufage of his 
 brethren in felling him for a flave, or- 
 dered them immediately to withdraw, 
 and leave him alone with the Hebrew 
 guefts ; when he fuddenly wept fo loud, 
 that they overheard him, and reported 
 what a paffion the governour was in to 
 the whole court. As foon as he could 
 recover himfelf, he told them that he 
 was Jofeph, and in a tranfport of joy faid : 
 Doth my father yet live ? At this his bre- 
 thren were incapable of making a reply 
 thro aftonifhment and fear ; and being 
 confcious of their guilty behaviour to- 
 ward him, whom they faw poflefs^d of 
 full power to punifh them, were ex- 
 tremely troubled at his prefence \ Jo- 
 feph 
 
 ' Ejus, quem crudeliter vendiderant, aut vendi fati* 
 conftanter non impedierant fratres, vultum ferre non po- 
 terant. Animadvertcrant forte quidem Jofephi fratres in 
 ejus vuku fiiniUtudinem aliquam cum vultu fratris, qucm 
 
 vendi* 
 
a 20 An Essay for explaining 
 
 feph in the mildeft manner bids them 
 come near to him ; and when they ap- 
 proached him, Tho, faid he, you fold 
 me into Egypt, yet fince I find you fen- 
 fible of your former ill ufage of me, do 
 not be grieved \ nor angry with yourjehes, 
 anymore^ that ye fold me hither % but ra- 
 ther refledl w^on divine providence y which 
 has overruled it for our prefervation. 
 Tor thefe two years hath the famine been 
 in the land^ and there are jive remaining^ 
 wherein there pall neither he earing nor 
 harveft. It appears then, that God fent 
 me before you to preferve your pojierity in 
 the earth, and tofave your lives by a great 
 and wonderful deliverance. It was not 
 you that fent me hither, but God ; who 
 hath made me a father to Pharaoh, lord 
 of all his houfe, and a ruler throughout 
 all the land of Egypt. Jofeph repeats it 
 three times, that God * fent him thither, 
 
 that 
 
 vendiderant. Sed quia nunquam e forte fervili ad tantam 
 dignitatem pervenirc poffe credidifTent, hominemque 
 Aegyptiace loquentem audiverant, nihil fufpicabantur ; 
 quanquam ftatim ac Hebraice loqui, et fe aperire coepit 
 jofephus, fratrem agnoverunt. Cleric. 
 
 TO CsCaAgf f/fef A* ^titpovlif W fcTi Toti IK ©gtf yiyiyv\^<iVtitit 
 S.'mTi. Ant. Jud. L. ii. f. 6. § ult. 
 
 * Ut fratrum animos a fceleris fui recordatione aver- 
 teret, eoniin culpa milTa, prae oculis eis ponit, quam feli- 
 
 citer 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 221 
 
 that by fixing the thoughts of his bre- 
 thren upon providence, they might be 
 lefs opprefs'd with the weight of their 
 own guilt 5 and be fully affu red, that he 
 himfelf thought lefs on their unkindnefs, 
 than on God's goodnefs ; and in confe- 
 quence that they might be confident ' 
 
 citcr Deus mala eorum confilia in utilitatem et ipforum et 
 fratris convertifTet, quafi eos hifce verbis compellaret : 
 Tantum abeft, ut doleam nunc me olim a vobis vendi- 
 tum, ut in Aegyptum abducerer ; ut contra hac de re mihi 
 gratuler, quia Deus opera mea ad vos fervandos utitur. 
 Hoc ergo fibi vult, non line Dei providentia fadum, ut 
 in Aegyptum potius, quam in aliam regionem, abducendus 
 venderetur ; quia in regione fertiliffima, dum copiofa eflet 
 annona, coacervari eo numero potuit, ut in multos famis 
 annos fufficeret, non Aegypto duntaxat, fed etiam vicinis 
 regionibus. Quando dojorem commiiri peccati minuere 
 volumus, quid boni inde fluxerit memoramus, aut etiam 
 non defuiiTe numini rationes, quibus, quod impedire 
 potuerit, permiferit, oftendimus ; non ut Deum peccati 
 incufemus, abfit ! fed ut animos nimium dejeftos eriga- 
 mus. Veteres ethnici idem facere folebant. Sic Priamus, 
 ut Helenae dolorem bellum propter fe accenfum videmis 
 levet, ita loquitur : 
 
 ''Ou?/ ^0/ tLl\U \osh ^io\ VO f/.Oi ei]tQt ^OIV, 
 
 Iliad, r. n;. 164, 165. Wd. Cleric, 
 « Repetit hoc iterum, iterumque, ut fratres, fceleratam 
 conjunftilTimi capitis venditionem animo verfantes, a tarn 
 trifti cogitatione revocet, utque omnis vindiftae cupiditate 
 exutum ipfum intelligant. Certe, nifi multa hanc in rem 
 dixiflet, non poterant non timere tacitas ejus cogitationes, 
 et fceleris mcmoria non terreri. Tarn crudeliter {anftif- 
 fima confanguinitatis jura violarant, ut ne pluribus quidem 
 poftea annis, cum fate fundlus effet Jac6bus, fatis fibi pla- 
 catum Jofephum cenferent, ut docemur ultimo hujus libr» 
 capite, v. i6, 17, 1 8. CUric, 
 
 he 
 
Ill j4n Ess AY for e^laining 
 
 he would not remember what they had 
 done to him, but rather what God had 
 furprifingly accompHfhed for them all. 
 Lofe no time, continued Jofeph, but 
 haften to my father, and tell him that 
 his fon Jofeph is alive, and lord of all 
 Egypt, and invites him with all his fa- 
 mily to come down without delay to 
 dwell near him, in the land of Gofhen : 
 for yet there are jive years of famine. 
 Gofhen was that part of lower Egypt, 
 which lay next to Arabia and Paleftine, 
 abounding with fair paftures, and wa- 
 tered by many ftreams from the river 
 Nile. It lay eaftward of the royal city 
 in Tanis, where Jofeph refided, toward 
 the red fea. The truth, proceeded Jo- 
 feph, of the meffage I fend by you to my 
 father depends not upon report or hear- 
 fay, which might deceive you ; but you 
 fee me yourfelves, and hear me ' fpeak- 
 ing to you : go then, and tell my father 
 all that you have feen, and with fpeed 
 bring him down hither. He then fell up^ 
 on his brother Benjamin* s neck and wept^ 
 and Benjamin wept upon his. Moreover he 
 kiffed all his brethren^ and wept upon them^ 
 
 * Et ecce oculi veftri vident, et oculi fratrjs mei Ben- 
 jamin, quod veftra lingua ego loquor vobifcum. Onk. 
 Quod OS meum lingua domus fan^iuus loquitur vobifcunio 
 Jon. 
 
 and 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 215 
 
 and after that his brethren talked with 
 him, converfed freely and familiarly with 
 him, acknowledging, it is likely, their 
 crime, and acquainting him with what 
 had pafled in the family fince. The 
 news, that Jofeph*s brethren were tome, 
 foon reach'd the court, which greatly 
 pleased Pharaoh and his attendants. And 
 the king faid unto Jofeph, probably after 
 Jofeph had expreffed to him his defire : 
 Let thy brethren, when they have load- 
 ed their beafts, return to Canaan, and 
 bring hither their father with all his ef- 
 fefts ; and for that purpofe let them take 
 wagons out of the land of Egypt for 
 their little ones, and for their wives : Let 
 them not regard ' their Jiuff] Jince the good 
 of all the land of Egypt is theirs. Ac- 
 cordingly Jofeph gave them wagons, and 
 provifion for their journey ; To each of 
 
 ' Ne prae fludio omnium rerum veftrarum convafan- 
 darum diu cundlemini, nihil eft, cur ftudiofius utenfilia 
 omnia veftra fervetis j fatis vobis erit in Aegypto, unde 
 alia, fi necefTe fit, comparare poflitis. Ea ergo potius 
 amittite, ut quam primum veniatis. Hebraei oculum par- 
 cere dicunt iis, quae fervantur ; non parcere iis, quae per- 
 duntur. Vidit Deut.vn. 16. f^, xix. 18, 21. ^^ non 
 fit incommodus hie fenfus, inepte tamen non conjecerit, 
 quifquis chelim, inftrumenta ea potiffimum, quibus in agri- 
 cultura utebantur, interpretatus fuerit j cum enim plero- 
 rumque omnium aliorum fuus etiam in Aegypto ufus 
 effet, ligonibus, raftris gravioribus, et aratro, nuHus erat. 
 Vid. C/mV. j 
 
 them 
 
124 -^^ Essay for esplaining 
 
 them he gave ' two robes; but to Benja- 
 min five changes of raiment, befides 
 three hundred fhekels of filver. 7*0 his 
 father hefent after this manner : ten ajfes 
 laden with the good things of Egypt, and 
 tenjhe affes laden with corn and breads and 
 meat for his father by the way. At his 
 taking leave Jofeph laid on them a par- 
 ticular charge, that they fhould not fall 
 out by the way. When they came to 
 Jacob, and told him that Jofeph was yet 
 alive, and governour over all the land 
 of Egypt ; the good man not believing 
 them, at the mention of Jofeph^s name * 
 fainted away. When he came to him- 
 felf, and, befides the relation which his 
 fons gave him, faw the wagons, which 
 
 ^ Singulis quoque proferri juflit binas ftolas. Vulg. 
 Kcfc/ *jrci<jiv iJ^MKi J^/Ajtt< roAflt^. lxx. Neque aliter po- 
 tell intelligi : nam veltes, uc mutari queant, geminas ial- 
 tem efle oportet. Juci. xiv. 12, 19. Ut inter divitias 
 veterum erant vefies multos in annos repofitae, et variis 
 etiam llaturis aptae ; ita et inter dona iaepe recenfentur. 
 Jacobusy Ep.*^ cap, V. -verf. 2. Di'vitiae -vejirae putrs- 
 fa£iae funt, et <vejiimenta ^vejlra a tineis comefia funt. 
 Vid. Cleric. 
 
 ' Faijaphag libbo. Heb. Et debilitatum eft cor ejus. 
 Quo audito, Jacob, quafi de gravi fomno evigilans, tamen 
 non credebat eis. Vulg. K g.\ k^i^t) tu J)cLV<n<f, '\akw C, i 
 yaif iTn^iVffiv etvloli. LXX. Et erant verba iiaec vacil- 
 lantia in corde iuo, quoniam non credebat eis. O^x. 
 Ipfe vcro neglexit in corde fuo, quia non credidit eis. 
 Syr. <verf. Et divifum eft cor ejus, eo quod non crederet 
 illis. Jon. r. 
 
 Jofeph 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. ixj 
 
 Jofeph had fent to convey him to Egypt^ 
 his fpirit revived'. And Ifrael /aid : It 
 is enough^ J^/^ph my Jon is yet alive^ t 
 will go and fee him before I dye. 
 
 All things being prepared for his journey, Chap. 46, 
 Ifrael fet out from Hebron toward Egypt, 
 and arriving at Beerfheba (where Abra- 
 ham • had planted a grove and worfhip'd 
 God, and Ifaac * had receiv'd the favour 
 of a divine manifeftation) offered facri- 
 fices unto the God of his father Ifaac. 
 And in the vifions of the 7iight God [pake 
 unto Ifrael^ frying, Jacobs Jacob: call- 
 ing him Jacobs rather than Ifaely to 
 remind him what he was originally, and 
 that by his favour he w^as named Ifrael y 
 and redoubling his name to awaken his 
 attention *. When Jacob anfwered, Here 
 am I: God fa id, / am God, the God of 
 thy father ** : fear not to go down into 
 
 ■ Et 'vixit fpiritus Jacobi, Id ell, vigori fuo rellitutus 
 «ft, cum vidit currus a Jolepho miiTos, et certo fcivit il- 
 ium vivere, et florere in Aegypto, Bochart. Hieroz.. P. L 
 L. ii. c. 16. 
 
 • Chap. xxi. 33. ■ Chap.xxvi. 2^. 
 
 * Keti (paCkumv'Q- /ujf Sta, tIjj kvS'etifxonav tIm \v 
 *Aiyu7rTq>, Tfov rmtJbv \^(ptho')(ai^Y\Qav\cov rw otKnaei 
 
 TM if etVT^\ iniT «V tUv XctVaVottetV ol iHyoyoi fXZTih' 
 
 ^QV a j^A^uaiv a,VTluj\ »< o @20f Iw vrt^nu^u^'^, 
 
 Af^M T8 //» <^'>1* ©=« ^»A«7l<yf yiP0}Ji.Vi1i lilf ki<, Al» 
 
 ycvi^cu^ itdL]oL!t)t^i]a.i,f^(ficov bfietvrcS T«?oVT3t' Koyt^^QV, 
 Ktth:i<ret(y &c. Jef. J^i. J id. L. ii. c. 7* ^ 2. 
 
 Q_ Egypt. 
 
ii6 JnEssAY for explaining 
 
 Egypt' He could nor but have fome un- 
 eafy thoughts about the iffue of this jour- 
 ney, left his children (hould he corrupted 
 by the fuperftitious cuftoms of Eevpt, or 
 their prefent fupport fhould at laft ter- 
 minate in their flavery to a foreign peo- 
 ple. The Lord therefore adds: For I 
 will make of thee a great nation^ I will 
 go down with thee into Egypt ; and I will 
 alfo fiirely bring thee up again^ and Jofepb 
 Jhail put his hand upon thine eyes \ Plea- 
 fed with this frefh affurance from God, 
 he goes forward for Egypt with his whole 
 family and all his effeds. 
 
 Here I ihall give a fliort account of 
 "Jacob and his family, as it ftood at, or 
 ibon after, their fettlement in Egypt, 
 By Leah were born to him Reuben his firft 
 born, whofe fons were Hanoch, and 
 
 ' Cum alia multa in ufu fuere apud veteres pietatis 
 officia, tam eiga morientes, quam mortuos folenniter ob- 
 fervata ; turn lilud inprimis, quo morientium oculos e co- 
 gnatione aliqui proxime attingentes pro more claudebant. 
 Meminit hujuice confuetudinis Phtlo in /. Jofeph. addit- 
 que praeterea mentionem ibidem Ti\i\j]a.iuv a.irTAO'yLciTUV, 
 quje tunc in poftremis folebant adiiiberi. Utrumque in 
 uiii fimiliter habuere antiqui gentiles. Quod ad prius ; 
 
 SvvApy.o<rov S'i Chtapet^ov (xh rf <F» %tr<fi, 
 
 Uiili?. Phoenifs.^ Aa. 6. 
 
 Di, precor, hocjubeant, ut, euntibus ordine fatis, 
 
 Ille meos oculos comprimat, ille tuos. Ov. Ep. i . 
 Vid. Dought, Anal. Sac. Duo ergo hie pollicetur Jacobo 
 Deus, fuperftitem ei futurum filiorum carilfimum, eumque 
 niorienti adibre, et iuprema curaturum. Cleric, 
 
 Phallu, 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 227 
 
 Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi : Simeon^ 
 from whom defcended Jemuel \ and Ja- 
 min, and Ohad, and Jachin % and Zo- 
 har, and Shaul the fon of a Canaanitifh 
 woman ^ : Le'-oi^ whofe fons were Ger- 
 fhon, Kohaih, and Merari : Judah, from 
 whom fprang Er, and Onan ''^ and She- 
 lah, and Pharez, and Zerah ; but Er 
 and Onan died in the land of Canaan ; 
 and the fons of Pharez were Hezron, and 
 Hamul : Ifachar^ whofe fons were Tola, 
 and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron : 
 ZebuluHy from whom came Sered, and 
 Elon, and Jahleel. Thefe^ with his 
 daughter Dtnah, including Jacob him- 
 felfj make in all thirty three. By Z/7- 
 pah Jacob had Gad^ whofe fons were 
 Ziphion, and Haggai, Shuni, and Ez- 
 
 * He is called Nemuel, Numb. xxvi. 12. i C^rJ.;. iv. 
 
 * He is called Jarib, i Chron. iv. 24. 
 
 ' Hoc obfervari videtur, quod reliqui uxores du::erint, 
 forte e profapia Abrahami, aut Loti, aut ex Edomi fa- 
 milia 1 fi tamen Judam excipias, de quo vide cap. Yxxviii. 
 quamquam hoc de eo hoc quidem in loco non dicitur> 
 quia jam narratum erat. Cleric. 
 
 * Who, becaufe they died in the land of Canaan, are 
 not to be numbered among them, who went down into 
 Egypt J but inllead of them the two fons of Pharez are 
 fet down (tlio perhaps not now born) to fupply the place 
 of Er and Onan. Fur when Jacob went down into Egypt, 
 Pharez was fo young, that one can fcarce think he had two 
 at that time : but they were born foon after, before Ja- 
 cob died. Patrick. 
 
 Qja bon. 
 
128 jdn Us s AY for e^pJamng 
 
 bon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli : All:cr^ 
 from whom fprang Jimnah, and 111 a, 
 and Ifhui, and Beriah, and Serah their 
 fifter ; and the fons of Beriah were He- 
 ber, and Malchiel. l^hefe are the fon^ af 
 Zilpahy whom Laban gave to Leah his 
 daughter^ even fxteen fouls. By Rachel 
 were born to Jacob Jofeph^ from whom 
 came Manaffeh and Ephraim ', who 
 were born to him in Egypt : Benjamin % 
 whofe fons were Belah, and Becher, and 
 Aflibel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi, and 
 Rofh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. 
 T^hefe are the fons of Rachel^ which were 
 born to Jacob : all the fouls were fourteen. 
 By Bilhah Jacob had Dan^ from whom 
 
 » Addunt hie lxx. *¥yivoilo cTi ijci Mavetcc^, Ki 
 yituv dvni « 'mhKAiLy\ h :?.i/£^ ^tf^i^' MA^i? <^« 
 iyivtft\n r Tetha.cfJ^» *T/o/ ttl 'E^g^i^, cth^^v Mctmco^, 
 ^\i1cLXetct(JL )^ Tfltficu* qo/ cTe 2«TrtAct*/>t *E«A»/:>t. Quae 
 tranilata funt ex i Paral. vii. 'v. 6. et forte olim ad mar- 
 ginem ab aliquo fuerant adfcripta, deinde textui illata.. 
 Certe non exltant in codice Samaritico ; fed his quinque 
 numeratis, fiunt feptuaginta quinque capita, ex Jacobo 
 oriunda, quae feptuaginta tantum funt in Samaritarum et 
 noftris codicibus. lxx. intt. fecutus eft Lucas, Ad. vii. 
 1 4- Cleric. 
 
 * He being now but about twenty four years old, we 
 cannot well think he had all thefe fons when he went 
 down into Egypt ; but fome of them were born after- 
 ward, before Jacob died. Yet they are all mentioned 
 here, becaufe they were moft of them now born, and all 
 became the heads of families in their tribe. It is however 
 poflible he might begin fo early to beget children, as to 
 have all thefe before they went into Egypt. Patrick. 
 
 fprang 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 22^ 
 
 fprang Hufliim : Naphthali, whofe fons 
 were Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and 
 Shillem. All the fouls by Btlhah werefeven, 
 Thefe fons, andgrandfons of Jacob, who 
 came with him into Egypt, befides Ja- 
 cob's fons wives, were threefcore and fix. 
 To which if we add Jacob himfelf, with 
 Jofeph and his two fons the whole will 
 amount to feventy perfons. 
 
 When they drew near the country, 
 Judah was fent to give Jofeph notice of 
 their coming, and to receive diredions 
 from him, in what part of GojQhen his fa- 
 ther fhould exped him. When Jofeph 
 had fent back diredions, he ordered his 
 chariot to be got ready, and went up to 
 meet Ifrael his father at Gofhen ', and 
 prefented himfelf unto him with fuch 
 reverence, as a fon owes to his father; 
 when Ifrael embraced him moft tenderly, 
 and wept on his neck a good while. 
 
 ffH, Lxx. Kai ;(^^' 'H^uuv ttdA/k oiVToi ffvv'iCetHv* 
 Jof. Ant. Jud. L.ii. c. J. § 5. C^ae paraphralis ft vera 
 eft, oportet fallhm efie defcriptionem eorum locorum, 
 qiiam habemus apud Strabonem ; cum enini Mofes ferti- 
 lem et pecudibus alendis aptam fuifle tradat, ftcrilem ct 
 arenofam earn rcgionem delcribit geographus. L. xvi. 
 f. 759, ubi loquitur de receffu iinus Arabici, qui verfus 
 Heroum urbem porrigitur, in hunc, ait, \k TiY^hvcriH ri 
 
 JJA»I' di CTrt^CdffHi iTii KA(xyi^U¥' Vid. C/eric. 
 
 0^3 After 
 
120 An Essay for esplahihig 
 
 After thefe carefies were over, Ifrael told 
 him, that the fight of him was the ut- 
 moft happinefs he could have defired in 
 this life ', and therefore, whenever God 
 fliould call him out of the world, he 
 {hould chearfuliy leave it, fince he had 
 injoyed the pleafiare of feeing his face, 
 and of finding that he was yet alive. 
 Jofeph after feme time faid to his father 
 and brethren, It will be proper for me 
 to repair to court, and give the king no- 
 tice of your arrival, and inform him that 
 you are fliepherds, and trade in cattle, 
 and that you have brought your flocks 
 and herds, and all that you have. At the 
 fame time he took fome of his brethren 
 with him, to whom he gave ftridl 
 charge, that when the king (hould call 
 for them, and afk of them what way of 
 life they followed, they fhould own that 
 they and their anceftors before them were 
 {hepherds, and traders in cattle ; that^ fais 
 he, ye may live in the land of Gofhen : a 
 place rich in pafture, and next adjoining 
 to Canaan, unto which, when the time 
 came, they might the more eafily return. 
 By this means Jofeph knew they would 
 be kept together, remote from the vices 
 of the court, and not expofed to the 
 contempt of the fuperftitious Egyptians s 
 who defpifed foreigners, and eipecially 
 
 3 i^^h 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 1 3 1 
 
 fuch, as were employed in breeding and 
 tending of fhecp \ 
 
 Jofeph then acquainted the king with ^^^P- 47- 
 the arrival of his father, his family, and 
 all his effedts at Gofhen. Pharaoh having 
 
 * For en)eryjhepherd is an ahomination unto the Egyptians » 
 «!'. 34. This cannot be underilood in the utmoft extent, 
 without limitation or reftriftion. For when Jofeph's bre- 
 thren reprefented to Pharaoh that they were fhepherds, and 
 -deilred that they might dwell in the land of Gofhen ; the 
 king not only granted their requell, but told Jofeph, that 
 he would have the moll ^Jcilful of them be conftituted ru- 
 lers over his cattle. And in chap. xLvii. njer. 17. the 
 Egyptians brought their cattle unto Jofeph, and Jofeph 
 gave them bread in exchange for horles, and for the 
 f!c"„ks, and for the cattle of tiie herds. In what way the 
 words are to be limited, interpreters differ. Le Clerc 
 thinks, that fmce fuperilition in Egypt varied, it is proba- 
 ble the eating of flieep might be elleemed unlawful 
 at Tanis in jofeph's time. Jonathan and Onkelos fay^ 
 when they explain thefe words, Becaufe the Egyptians 
 might not eat bread ^joith the Hebrenvs, chap. XLiii. 32. 
 that the cattle which the Egyptians worfhip, the Hebrews 
 eat. Jofeph Scaliger thinks, that fhepherds were hated by 
 the Egyptians, becaaie they had railed a rebellion, and e- 
 refted a kingdom Q'sX-L^paJhral. This is received by ma- 
 ny great men on the authority of Manetho, who fais that 
 thefe were Phoenician fliepherds : the time however, which 
 is afligned for this paftoral kingdom, agrees not with the 
 fciipture hiltory. Th? molt fimple interpretation is, that 
 the Egyptians detefted foreign fhepherds, as being addidled 
 to robery. Paftores porro ut furax hominum genus de- 
 fcribit, Job xxiv. 2. Greges, ait, quos rapiunty pa/cunt. 
 tJjeocritus item m BucoliajiiSy ubi de Lacone paflore Coma- 
 tas caprarius : 
 
 ^idydl r hdLKCOVCLy 70 [IIV VetKOi ^X*^*^ iKKi4:iV\ 
 Quae potuit eife caula, cur Aegyptiis paiiores tarn fuerint 
 odiofi, jGen. xLvi. a;. 34. Boch. Hieroz. P. i. L, ii. 
 
 CL4 a 
 
2 2 1 Jn "Ess AY for esplatntng 
 
 a defire to fee them, Jofeph introdu- 
 ced five of his brethren into his prefence; 
 who being afked what their occupation 
 was, rephed : That they and their fa- 
 thers were {hepherds, and that they came 
 to fojourn in the land of Egypt, fincc 
 the famine raged in Canaan, and in- 
 treated that they might dwell in Gofhen, 
 The king told Jofeph, that any part of 
 his dominions was at the fervice of his 
 family, and in particular Gofhen, fince 
 that was the place wherein they chofe 
 to fettle; and withal defired, as his kin- 
 dred had been always brought up to that 
 bufinefs, and without doubt were skilful 
 in it, that he would employ any of them, 
 who were of fufficient ability ', to overfee 
 his flocks, and improve his fhepherds in the 
 management of them. At theking*s re^ 
 queft Jofeph prefented his father to him, 
 
 * In 'ver/e 2. Jofeph is faid to have taken fame of his 
 brethren, namely five, and to have prefented them unto 
 Pharaoh. In the Hebrew the words are : Et de extremi- 
 tate fratrum fuorum cepit quinque. In the Vuig. Extre- 
 mos quoque fratrum fuorum quinque viros conilituit coram 
 rege. And in the paraphrafe of Onkelos : Extremos quo- 
 que fratrum fuorum tulit quinque viros. Partem etiam 
 fratrum fuorum affumpfit lecum, quinque viros. Sama- 
 rit. Jon. It is probable that Jofeph might take five of 
 his youngefl brethren, and prelent them to Pharaoh, and 
 this occaiioned the king to fay : Jnd if thou knonjuejl any 
 men of aSii'vity or Jirength amongjl them^ then make them 
 rulers ever my caiteL 
 
 who 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 2 j j 
 
 who bleffed Pharaoh, that is, gave him 
 thanks for his favour, and prayed for his 
 health and fafety. The king admiring 
 the age and gravity of Jacob, afked him 
 hov^ old he was. To which he anfwered, 
 that the days of his pilgrimage were few ', 
 in comparifon with the age of his fathers, 
 to which he had not attained ; and evil^ 
 fmce they had been attended with many 
 afflidtions. Jacob having paid his vijit, 
 repeated his prayer for, and thanks to 
 the king, and retired from the royal pre- 
 fence, Jofeph fully impowered by the 
 command of Pharaoh, gave his father 
 and brethren a pofTeffion in themoft fruit- 
 ful part of Gofhen, in the land of Ra- 
 mafes ', where he fupplied the whole fa- 
 mily with whatever they wanted- 
 
 It was now the ^' third year of the fa- 
 mine, when all the corn, which men 
 
 * Peregrinationes vitam fuam vocat, quod Ifaaco patre 
 nomade et fcenita natus ipfe fimilem vitam egiflet, cum 
 in Chananaea, turn in Mefopptamia- C^amvis in Cha- 
 nanaea natus effet, attamen nullius urbis civis fuit, uti 
 nee pater; fed, volentibus urbium incolis, in earum agro 
 vagabatur, aut in deferta loca pecus fuum agebat. Vid. 
 Cleric. 
 
 ' Sir Joh Marjham conjeduies that it Ihould be 'Ra- 
 mejisy the name of the king of Egypt at that time. When 
 therefore Jofeph is faid to have placed his brethren in the 
 land of Ramejisy the meaning is, that he put them into 
 the poffeflion of the land which belonged to Pharaoh, 
 See his Chron. 
 
 J Chap.xioWc 6. 
 
 had 
 
2 34 -^^^ Essay for ey:plaining 
 
 had ftored up for their fcveral families, 
 was wholly fpent, and ftill the famine 
 fo raged, that the inhabitants of Egypt 
 and Canaan fainted for want of bread : 
 no corn could be obtained, but out of the 
 king's granaries, and for ready money. 
 Thus Jofeph by the begining of the 
 fixth year had gathered up all the mo- 
 ney, or filver, that was found in the lands 
 of Egypt and Canaan, and brought it 
 into the king's exchequer. When no- 
 thing was now left but lands, flocks, and 
 goods, the two laft came into the king's 
 hands too in exchange for corn, and 
 would but juft do till the year was ended. 
 The next year after the faleof the cattle, 
 which was the laft of the famine, they 
 came to Joleph and faid : Our filver is 
 fpent, our herds of cattle are fold, and 
 720thing is left but our bodies and landsy 
 Why Jhouldwe dye^ both we and our lands' ? 
 Buy us and our land for breads and give 
 us Jeed^ that we may fow in expectation 
 of a crop the next year; fince this is the 
 laft of the famine, according to your 
 
 ' Eft Aegyptiorum ad Jofephum quiritatio. Gen. xivii, 
 1 9. Cur moreremur coram te, tarn nos, quam terra nojtra ? 
 Nempe mori terra dicitur, cum incuUa jacet et delolata, 
 quia in prcventu fuo vivit aliquo modo. Hinc Martialis 
 t' xiii. Epig. 12. Suburbanus ne moriatur ager. Boch. 
 Hieroz.. P. i. L.'i. c, i. 
 
 pre* 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 255 
 
 prediftion, Jnd Jofeph bought all the 
 land of Egypt for Pbaraohy and the whole 
 country became the king's demefne. 
 That they might in time forget the do- 
 minion ' they formerly had in the lands, 
 which they had fold, and to prevent any 
 combination afterwards to regain them, 
 he ' tranfplanted every owrer into a part of 
 the country remote from his former inhe- 
 ritance, bringing others into their places. 
 Only the land of the priejls * bought he not^ 
 for they were maintained by Pharaoh, 
 a certain portion being afligned them by 
 
 r UpiaV' J of. Ant. y-ud. L. li. c. 7. §7. 
 
 * Ab extremis Aegypti finihus ad extremos fines migrare 
 jufflt. Hoc, ut refte Salomo Jarchius obfervat, faftum, 
 lit inde appareret agros Aegyptiorum proprios non fuifle. 
 Non diflimulabimus tamen alteram efle in Samaritico cod. 
 ledlionem hujus loci ; nam pro fecit eum migrare in urbesy 
 legunt Samaritae, hehebid otho lahabadimy hoc eft, redegit 
 earn ad fer^itutefn. Sic legerunt etiam lxx. interpr. 
 YidSliS'aKuTtLlo etvrefi «? TraVcToi^. Eos fequutus eft Fulg, 
 qui habet: Suhjecit earn Pharaoniy et cuntios populos ejus. 
 Atque in hac ledione nihil fubintelligendum, cum in no- 
 ftra lupplenda fit vox acherim, alias, aut fimilis ; alioquin 
 tranftre in urbes, fignificaret ex agris migrare in urbes, 
 quod careret hie fenfu, cum agrorum fuorum curam Aegy- 
 ptii abhinc noi) neglexerint. Cleric. 
 
 ^ Tifiet H (r0t hy 7ti<h a^ef^gil ^i1(JLiVet {/.ivoioj A]yv'7F' 
 
 ATihizi Herod. L. ii. f. 168. ubi de militibus loquitur. 
 '£/57 S'i %]ot Tidvmy 75 rtTSAtif* Diod. Sic. L. i.p.66. Vid, 
 Dough t. Anal. Sac. 
 
 him. 
 
t^6 An Ess AY for explaining 
 
 him'. Jofeph then /aid to the people: I 
 have bought you this day and your land for 
 Pharaoh: here is Jeed for yoUj andyejhall 
 fow the land. But nothing more ihall be 
 demanded of you % than that whereas be- 
 fore you had allowed a tenth for the fup- 
 port of the government, you fhall now 
 allow another tenth to Pharaoh, of whom 
 you hold your lands, and the remainder 
 (hall be your own. As foon as the peo- 
 ple had notice of this, they exprefled 
 their gratitude in the ftrongeft terms, and 
 requefted that it might be enafted into a 
 law, which was accordingly executed, 
 excepting only the land of the priefts. 
 
 ' CertuW' facerdotibus demenfum. Chok. Heb. decretum, 
 hoc eft, conftituta certa menfura, aut Jiatuta cibaria, ut 
 habet Fulg. dKexCcKT^oVi Aquil. ^vvm^tv, Sytn. verterat, 
 quae idem lonant. Hoc fadum tempore famis. Vid. 
 Cleric, 
 
 ' hu^^aoivlQ' J^ 9^ jj^tKa, H^ 7« TPsjafJi^ rtw y\m 
 
 Iv AVTOii TO 'TTKnd-Q-, Tm 71 ybjj dvToi^, m iKeiVUV 
 
 iif etTztv 'i^{i^(\9, HI' KTv^fJut |e/)oi* Yty^yXv^i ((ithi^yeiv 
 'jia^ma.XtH, rm 7riyi.'7/\luj r K^^rraiu tm Cater hei Ti?'^v]a.i 
 
 \yiHVi ;^ (*<;'%?/ r vrif wy Ca.7ih!ii»v, Jof, Ant. Jud, L. ii. 
 
 To 
 
the Scriptiiie-Revelations. i^y 
 
 To retiirr: viow to Jacob and his fa- 
 mily : While they lived in Goflien, and 
 rented knds of the king (as his other fub- 
 jeds div-!) they grew and increafed ex- 
 ceedingly. Jacob their father lived with 
 them feventeen years, and died in the 
 hundred and forty feventh year of his 
 age. Finding himfelf near his end, he 
 fentfor Joleph, and, when he came, faid 
 to him : If thou hall any affecftion for 
 me, puty I pray thee^ thy hand under my 
 thigh (the ulual ceremony of an oath in 
 that family) and deal kindly and truly 
 with me: bury me not^ I pray thee^ in 
 Egypt, but with my fathers in their bury- 
 ing place. This he did from a firm be- 
 lief, that the country, where they lay, 
 was his in reverlion, and that God in 
 due time would put his children into pof- 
 feflionofit. Jofeph complied, and fware 
 to him : Ja-ob earneftiy inlifling upon 
 his oath probably, that Pharaoh might 
 be willing to ler h'-vt carry his body thi- 
 ther, when he found that he lay under 
 fo facred an obligation to do it. Where- 
 upon Jacob blefling God, and thanking 
 his fon ', lays himfelf down with per- 
 fect fatisfadtion. 
 
 Not long after this Jacob growing 
 weaker, and concluding that he could not 
 
 Vid. Chic. 
 
 live 
 
2 J 8 An Essay for et<pJatmng 
 
 live long, fent to Jofeph, to acquaint hinl 
 with it. Jofeph immediately came with 
 ManafTeh and Ephraim his two fons. 
 When Jacob by a meffenger was informed 
 that Jofeph was coming, he ftrengthened 
 himfelf, and fat upon the bed, leaning, 
 it is likelyj upon his ftaff, for the fupporc 
 of his feeble body. Upon Jofeph's arri-^ 
 val, Jacob acquainted him with the ap- 
 pearances God had favoured him with 
 at Luz in the land of Canaan^ when he 
 promifed to make him fruitful, and give 
 that land to his feed after him. And 
 nowy added he, thy two fons Ephraim 
 and Manajfehy which were born unto thee 
 in the land of Egypt, before I came unto 
 thee in Egypt, are mine ' : as Reuben and 
 Simeon % who are my eldeft fons, theyfhall 
 be mine. But thy ifjue, which thou Jhalt 
 hereafter have, Jhall be thine, and Jhall be 
 called after the name of their brethren in 
 their inheritance. And in confering this 
 privilege on thy two fons I pay but a juft 
 
 * Hoc eft, cenfebuntur non quafi ncpotes mei, uniufque 
 ex filiis haeredes, fed quafi eos ipfe genuiflem j quorum 
 uterque unciam fuam, in haereditate regionis mihi pro- 
 mifiae, accipiet. Alioqui fi inftar Jofephi liberorum ha- 
 biti fuiflent, unciam tantum unam ex avitae haereditatis 
 affe fortiti eiFent. Cleric. n^oorfcTttfs 7c7j icTjo/f -mimv, 
 
 XtwAVctiAv* Jo/ Jud. Ant. L. ii. f. 8. § I. 
 ^ Chap. xlix. 3,5. I Chron. v. 1, 2. 
 
 refpedl 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 239 
 
 refpedt to thy mother Rachel, whom I 
 loft in childbed, and was forced to bury 
 in my travels. If thou fliouldeft think 
 proper to remove her bones to the cave 
 of Machpelah, / buried her in the way of 
 Ephrathy but a little way to come unto 
 Ephrathy the fame is Bethlehem, Jacob 
 had all this while fixed his eyes upon Jo- 
 feph, but having finifli^d this part of his 
 difcourfe, taking them off, he difcovered 
 two perfons near him ; but his eyes were 
 fo dim and decayed with age, that he 
 knew not who they were. Upon in- 
 quiry finding that they were Jofeph's 
 fons, he faid, Bring themy I pray thee ^ 
 unto mey and I will blefs them. When Jo- 
 feph had brought them near to his father, 
 and made them kneel ' down before him, 
 he kifled themj and embracing them 
 with the utmoft tendernefs, faid to Jo- 
 feph : I had not thought to fee thy face ; 
 and loy God hath jhewed me alfo thy feed, 
 Jofeph fearing they might prefs too much 
 upon his aged and feeble father, took 
 xhtxnfrom between his kneeSy where they 
 kneeled, as Jacob fat upon his bed ; at 
 the fame time bowing himfelf with his 
 face to the earth. He then placed £- 
 phraim in his right hand towards IfraeFs 
 
 • Fir. 12, 
 
 left 
 
240 An Essay for expJamtng 
 
 left hand ; and Manajjeh in his left hand 
 towards Ifrael's right hand^ and brought 
 them near unto him, Ifrael knowing by 
 the fpirit of prophefy ', that Ephraim's 
 pofterity would prove a more eminent 
 tribe, than that of Manefleh, defignedly 
 croffing his arms laid his right hand upon 
 Ephraim'shead, tho he was the younger, 
 and then pronounced the following pro- 
 phetic benedidlion : God^ before whom 
 7?iy fathers Abraha?n and Ifaac walked^ 
 the God who has fed me^ ever f nee I havi 
 had a being unto this day, the angel ' who 
 redeemed me Jrom all evil, blefs the lads^ 
 and let my name be named on them^ and the 
 name of my fathers Abraham and Ifaac t 
 and let them grow into a multitude * in 
 the 7nidft of the earth. When Jofcph faw 
 that his father laid his right hand upon 
 the head of Ephraim, it difpleafed him, 
 and he attempted to remove it from 
 Ephraim's head unto Manafleh's, faying: 
 Not fo, my father^ this is the firji-born^ put 
 
 AVTuv l<4r(S)- KetjoiKeiv rUu XavAVAiAV' J of. Ant. Jud. 
 
 Ibid. 
 
 * See Ainfworth. 
 
 3 Inftar pifcium. Ut pifces maris multipUcentur. Onk, 
 Et ut pifces maris in immenfum multiplicantur, ita filii 
 Jplephi in medio terrae multitudine invalefc^nt. Jon. Vid. 
 Boch. Hieroz. P. i. L. i. c 6» 
 
 thy 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 241 
 
 thy right hand upon his head. His father 
 refufed, and faid : / know it^ my fon^ I 
 know it^ he alfo jhall become a people -^ but 
 his younger brother Jhall be greater than he \ 
 and his feed p^ all become a multitude of na- 
 tions. He then concluded his benediction 
 in this manner : When my pofterity (hall 
 exprefs their defire of happinefs to others, 
 it fhall be by this form of fpeech : God 
 make you like Ephr aim and Mana (Teh. Af- 
 ter this Ifrael turning himfelf to Jofeph, 
 faid : Behold^ I die, but with full alfu- 
 ranee, that God will be with you, and 
 bring you into the land of your fathers. 
 Moreover I have given to thee one portion 
 above thy brethren, namely that which I 
 firft purchafed of Hamor ' for an hundred 
 pieces of lilver; and, when the Amorites 
 afterward feifed on it, I recovered again 
 by force of arms. 
 
 As foon as Jacob had ended this dif- Chap. 49; 
 courfe with Jofeph, perceiving his death 
 very near, he fends to the reft of his 
 fons, ordering them to come all in a 
 body to him, that he might tell them 
 the future condition of themfelves and 
 their pofterity ; to^ which he command- 
 ed their utmoft attention and regard. 
 
 ' Num.'i. 33. Z)^'/^/. xxxiii, 
 * Chap. XXX iii. 19. 
 
 R He 
 
2^1 An Essay for esplahiing 
 
 He begins with Reuben, the eldeft of the 
 twelve. Reuben^ thou art my fir ft born, 
 my might and the firft fruits ' of my 
 flrength. The excellency of dignity % 
 
 1 Cum vox refchith principium et primitias ex aequo 
 fignificet ; priminas interpretari maluimus, quod aptius 
 fit ad fignihcandum primcgenitum, metaphora ex fnigibus 
 petita. Ita etiam primogeniti vocantur, Dcut.xxi. 17. 
 P/.Lxxvni. 51. cv. 36. Unde fruftra eosefie, qui vertunt 
 principium doloris met, fatis apparet. Caeterum Lxx. intt, 
 fenfum potius, quam verba refpexere, quando verterunt, 
 dpyh r TiKvcdV /!/«. Vid Cleric, 
 
 ^ Videtur Jacobus hie refpicere r 'TT^oJ OTvueiav iura., 
 qulbus excidit Ruben. Ea quamvis illis temporibas aliqua 
 efient, ut obfcurius, Gen. iv. 7. nianifeftius indicavit hifto- 
 ricus divinus, Gen. xky. 31. ubi, quo pafto ea Jacobus ab 
 .Efavo emerit, narrat : attamen qua in re praecipue fita 
 eiVent, non ita liquet. Jiieroiiymtis quidem, in l^rad, Hebr. 
 Onkeio aliifque Judaeis confentientibus, tria effe vult, 
 quibus fratribus anteferretur primogenitus j haereditatem, 
 iacevdotium, et regnum. At unde collegerint primo- 
 genitos patriarcharum aevo femper fuilTe facerdotes 
 et reges, nefcio. Certe familiis terrarum aliquo traftu 
 feparatis, Taa fibi facra faciebat, fuifque praeerat, nili 
 fuperior in locis, in quibus degebat, efTet poteilas, qui- 
 vis paterfamilias. Videtur potius dignitas intelligi ali- 
 qua, et duplo major in haereditate pars, quae primogenita 
 tribuatur ; et quae in haereditate Jacobi, in duodecim un- 
 cias divifa, fextans fuit. Eo certe fextante Ruben exci- 
 dit, Jofephufque ejus loco donatus eft, ut vidimus ad cap, 
 XLviii. "v.iz. Praeterea dignitate caeteras omnes tribus, 
 ne Rubenis quidem polleris exceptis, Judae tribus prae- 
 ceffit. Haec egregie confirmantur i Paral, v. i, 2. 
 quae verba, quia interpretationis loco eiTe poffunt, hie re- 
 citabimus : Is primogenitus quidem fuerat [nempe Rubenj 
 fedy polluto patris fui leSIo, data funt primogeniti jura Jiliis 
 yofephi Jilii Ifraelisy non tamcn adeo ut in recenfendis gene- 
 ratio nihus primoge'niti loco ponerentur ; quia Juda eo ufque fra- 
 tribus fui s fuperior fuit ^ ut ex eo dux effet, et primogeniti 
 jura [quatenus 'TT^ojiftiua compleduntur] prae ipfo Jo- 
 fepho obtineret. Idem. 
 
 and 
 
 r 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 145 
 
 and excellency of power ', haften away, 
 as water pour'd out, that thou fhalt not 
 excel % fince thou wenteji up to thy father s 
 bed ', at the time thou defiledft it, they 
 vanifhed. Smeo?t and Levi are brethren, 
 a like in difpofition, and combined in the 
 fame wicked defigns, inftruments of 
 cruelty are their treaties \ My foul, 
 R 2 came 
 
 ' Phachaz. 'Heb. Duo hie potiflimum obfervanda funt, 
 quorum primum vocabulorum ftruduram, alterum fignifi- 
 cationem verbi fpeftat. Primo to jethcry praeftantia^ 
 conjungatur neceffe ell cum verbis phachaz et hhalah j 
 quorum hoc quartum comma claudit, illud incipit. Alio- 
 quin hiulca ac fme fenfu, quod liquebit infpedlis interpre- 
 tibus, oratio eft. Nee obftare poteft veriuum hodierna 
 diftinflio, quam a manu Mofis non effe fatis inter eruditos 
 conftat. Samaritanus codex quidem habet, in iecunda per- 
 fona, phachaztha, quod fuit etiam in lxx. et Hie)^n, cod. 
 qui vertunt i^CC^ideti, et efiifus es, Sed quoniam in fine 
 commatis rurlus occurrit hhalah^ quae quo referatur non 
 habebit, codd. noftrorumpraeferenda videtur leftio. Se- 
 cundo, cum verbum phachaz dubiae fit fignificationis, et 
 veteribus etiam interpretibus non fatis notae, ut ex eorum 
 inconftantia in eo vertendo fatis apparet ; videndum an 
 conjieiendo, quid fibi velit, affequi polTimus. Cum derivata 
 ejus con jungantur cum vocibus 'i;«?///<2/'^/;« et mendacium fo- 
 nantibus, conjecere lexicographi k'vitatem et inconftantiam 
 eo fignificari. Vide Jud. ix. 4. Jer. xxiii. 32. Sed 
 petulantiae ac lafciviae notio aeque bene convenit. At 
 hie, ubi cum aqua conjungitur, nulla aptior, feu ea me- 
 taphorica, feu propria fignificatio, ei tribui pofTe videtur, 
 ca quam Hieronymo debemusj efftifa efl Jicut aqua. Ollen- 
 dit Rubeni Jacobus praecellentiam ejas> inftar aquae, 
 quae eftufa eft, et in vapores refoluta, et evanuit, nullam 
 amplius effe, etc. Cleric. 
 
 ' 'Numb. i. 21, 27. 
 
 * Mecherothehem. Heb. quae vox baud parum torfit in- 
 terprctes, quod fit femel in (acris Hebraeorum codd. Alii 
 
 vertunt 
 
a 44 -^^^ Essay for e^platntng 
 
 came not into their fecret, unto their 
 afiembiy mine honour was not united : 
 for in their anger killed they a man, and 
 in their felf-will they digcd down a 
 wall . Curfed be their anger, for it was 
 fierce -, and their wrath, for it was cruel \ 
 
 I 
 
 vertunt in hahitati07iihus eorum, quafi fit praepofitio prae- 
 termilia et vex 7nechera idem ionat ac mechoura, quam vo- 
 lunt, apud Ezech. habitationem fignificare. Alii eandem 
 effe ac ^.ct')(jtt p ctv contendunt, ut Jacobus dicat filios liofce 
 fuos g'adiib iuccmdtos vim injultam Siciiemitis intulifle. 
 Hinc multum abire non videtur Fu/g. qui habet, ^jqfa 
 iniquitatis lellantia, lenlum pa^pando, ut potuit, potius 
 quam certam vocis fignificationem fequutus. Alii con- 
 venticnes interpretantur, quia radix machar vendere fi- 
 gnitcat : al i machinationcs aut fraudes, quia eadem radix 
 apud Arabas machinari ac fallcre fonat. Liid. de Dieu, 
 vir orientalium linguarum peritus, mavult vocis fignifica- 
 tionem ex .AetJiiopica lingua petere, in qua confilium fi- 
 gnifcat. Kunc iequitur iiV;//. Cajicl, qui praeterea hanc 
 interpretaticnem i.xx potilfimum auftoritate fulcire nititur, 
 hi enim £{.v'/pgJ^/^, confilmm, tranftulerunt. Nos tamen, 
 poll tot erudit'^s viros, quibus in re obfcura conjeduris in- 
 dulgere licuit, Uiaidaicae linguae ufum, utpote Hebraicae 
 prcpricris, fequi maluimus, favente praeterea hilloria, 
 quam reipiciebat Jacobus. In ea autem lingua, mechar ell 
 deipnfare ; et lororis Dinae deiponfatione fafta, Sichemum 
 cijcumvenerunt Simeon et Levi, ut narravit Moles, Gen. 
 xxxiv. Cleric. 
 
 ' Subnervarunt taurum, \v'i.v<io^Q'WMciiV rav^ov- lxx. 
 hoc cIl iucciderunt poplites, aut fuftragmes taurcrum. Ita 
 fubnervati ecui a Joiua, c^p. xi. 9. jullu Dei. Attamen 
 Vul^atus, <^v}us, liter que Arabs, "Jonathan et Onkelos, de 
 muro inttlligunt. Vid. Bochart. liieroz. P. i. Z. ii. 
 c. w. 
 
 * P'yariptur cnim liic duo, fratrum in vi Sichemitis infe- 
 renda ccncordium liberos non habiturcs agros vicinos, ne 
 ma'o parentum exemplo corruptae duae tribus communi 
 conlilio quidquam fimile olim aggrederentur ; deinde ne 
 ipfos quidem contribules continuum terrarum tra*?-.;,' ,. in- 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 245 
 
 I will divide them in Jacob, and fcat- 
 ter them in Ifrael '. Jiidah, thou art 
 fitly fo called, for thy brethren fliall 
 praife thee : thy hand (hall be on the 
 neck of thine enemies % thy father's 
 children fliall bow ^ down before thee. 
 Judah is a lion*s whelp % from the prey, 
 my fon, thou art gone up in triumph. 
 He kneeled ^ down, he couched, as an 
 old lion, taking his reft without fear of 
 difturbance j and as a lionefs \ Who 
 
 culturos. Utrumque autem evenit. Simeonis fedes in 
 mediis tribus Judae agris fuere, J of. xiv. i. Leviticavero 
 tribus urbes ex unaquaque tribu fibi attributas habuit. 
 Vid. Clerk. 
 
 ^ Gen. xxix. 35. 
 
 * Pfal. xviii. 40. i Sam. xviii. 6, 7. 
 
 2 Honore tribules tuos profequentur, qualis primogenitis 
 tribui folet. Id. 
 
 ^ Hie quoque gradatio eft. Confertur enim primum Juda 
 catulo leonis, deinde adulto Iconi, denique leaenae quae 
 terribiiius utroque furit ; qua figura res fortiter geftae a 
 tribu Judae, ejufque incrementa, donee regnum Iiraelis ei 
 proprium delatum fit, defcribuntur. Primam aciem in 
 exercitu duodecim tribuum habuit, Num.x. 14. Jud.\x. 
 18. Prima veteres colonos ex agris fibi a Joua diviiis mi- 
 grare coegit, Jud. i. 2. Primus judex, liberator a Deo 
 Ifraelitis mifTus, ex hac eadem tribu fuit, Jud. iii. 1 1 . 
 Prima denique familia, cui perpetuum in IlVaelitas regnum 
 conceflum eft, ad hanc tribum pertinuit, z Sam. v'ii. 13. 
 Cleric. 
 
 5 Hoc quoque fiduciae argumentum eft, quod ad dor- 
 miendum non fecedit in loca remota et abdita, fed fomnos 
 capit ubivis ; quafi fciat neminem eiie, qui ubivis fic dor- 
 mientem excitare audeat. Bochart. Hicroz. P. i. L. iii. c. 2. 
 
 ^ Labiy leo annofus non eft, ut volunt ; led Icaena, 
 quae leonem aequat, aut etiam fuperat, robore et feritate. 
 Hinc Herodotus L, iii. c. 108. 'H hidLtVAy \ov /^f- 
 ^UTVLTOV )U ^PA(nj]ciTOV» Boch. Hier. P, i. L. 3. <:. i 
 
 R 3 fliall 
 
24^ -^^^ Essay for eycpJaintng 
 
 fliall raife him up ? The fcepter ' Jhall not 
 depart from Judah^ nor a lawgiver from 
 between his feet ^ until Shiloh \ come^ and 
 
 unto 
 
 ' Non recedet virga ex Jehudah, et legiflator de inter 
 pedes ejus, ufqueqao veniat Schilo, et ei obedientia, ex- 
 peftatio, conventus populorum. Jieh. text, njerf. Non 
 aufeietur fceptrum de Juda, et dux de femore ejus, donee 
 veniat, qui mittendus eft, et ipfe erit expeftatio gentium. 
 Vulg. *Oi/;c C)6X«4« ^fX«f sj 'Itf«A!6, }^ Yiy^fjcivoi ix. rcoif 
 fJLi)^eov ctU7«, icoi iiv saQm T«*' ATrnteiuiVet dvja' Kctl dvjh 
 vr^s-JhKiA i'd-vcoV' Lxx. Non auferetur habens principatum 
 a dome Judae, neque fcriba a filiis filiorum ejus, ufqne in 
 fcculum ; donee veniat Meffias, cujus eft regnum, et ei obe- 
 dient populi. Onk. Non auferetur feeptrum de Juda, et 
 dux de vexillis ejus, donee veniat pacificus, et ad ipfum 
 congregabuntur populi. Sam. ver/. Non deficiet feeptrum 
 de Juda, et expofitor de inter pedes ejus, donee veniat is eu- 
 jus illud eft, et ipfum expeftabunt gentes. Syr. 'verf. Non 
 ceflabunt reges et praefides ex domo Judae, et feribae do- 
 centes legem ex femine ejus, ufque ad tempus, quo veniet 
 rex Meffias minor filiorum ejus, et propter eum eollique- 
 fcent populi. Jon. T. Non defieient reges de domo Juda, 
 neque periti dodores legis de filiis filiorum ejus, ufque ad 
 tempus, quo veniet rex Meffias, cujus eft regnum, et ei fub- 
 jicientur omnia regna terrae. Jeruf. T. To reprefent the 
 various interpretations, which are given of this predidion, 
 would require a long difeourfe ; I fhall therefore refer the 
 curious to Pugio Jidei^ Le Clerc, Huetius, Kidder y and Sher- 
 lack. 
 
 * Utexy^'-, id eft, cantico, Phoenices /"m;/, et Graeci 
 fecere Sirenes ; ita ex Silo vel Jil ab illis Jilaiiy ab his Sile- 
 nm didus, Et quia de Silo dieitur, illius erit doSirina po- 
 pulorum, vel congregatio docendi caufa^ Silenum aiunt 
 faiffe valde dodum, et Bacehi (\(jY[yr\\\jJi k^ ^JhltTKHLMv 
 7 HAhxWtdV krtnJ^viJ.ctlav. Additur five de Chrifto, 
 five de Juda, ut quidam volunt : ligam ad witem afellum 
 Juum, et adgenerofammtempullumajinae. Inde Silenus eft 
 afmo plerumque vedus, et Baccho dec vitium comes indi- 
 x'ulffis adhaerens. Tale eft, quod calcandis uvis idee Sile- 
 
 nun\ 
 
the Scripture'Reveladons. 247 
 
 unto him P^ all the gathering of the people 
 be. Binding his fole unto the vine, and 
 his affes colt unto the choice vine, he 
 waflied his garments in wine, and his 
 clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes 
 fhall be red v^ith wine, and his teeth 
 white with milk. Zehulun ' fhall dwell 
 at the haven of the fea, near the lake of 
 Tiberias, or fea of Galilee, whofe border 
 fhall go up from thence to the mediter- 
 ranean, where there fhall be a haven for 
 fliips, even to the country of Zidon or 
 
 num addicunt, quia fequitur : Lanjat in njino 'vejlimentum 
 Juiim, et in fanguine wvarum operimentum fuum^ inftar cal- 
 cantium in torculari, ut explicatur in Efai. v. Sed nihil 
 tarn impium, quam quod Silenum femper ebrium effe fin- 
 gunt, et 
 
 Inflatum hefterno venas, ut femper, laccho : 
 quia ftatim additur, rubent illi oculi ex njino : ac fi eodem 
 id fenfu dicatur, quo a Salomone, Pro<v, xxiii, 29, 30. 
 Cui rubor oculorum ? iis, qui I'ino immorantur. Sileno deni- 
 que pro cibo, 
 
 x*/ /Soo? ytLhtL : 
 quia prophetia finitur hac claufula : Et denies ex laSle aU 
 be/cent. Nihil poterat diabolus foedius comminifci, etc. 
 Boch. Can. L.'i. c. 18. 
 
 * It is remarkable, that Jacob mentions Zebulun before 
 Iffachar, who was his elder brother, ch. xxx. 11. for no 
 other reafon. that I can difcern, but becaufe Zebulun's lot 
 was to come up before Iffachar*s, in the divifion of the 
 land : his being the third, and Iffachar's the fourth, Jof. 
 xix. 10,17. By this they were taught, that their habi- 
 tation in the land of Canaan was the gift of God, and did 
 not come by chance ; their forefathers having fo long be- 
 fore predicted the very portion they fhould inherit. Pa- 
 trick, 
 
 R A Phoe* 
 
248 An Essay for e^phmtng 
 
 Phoenicia. Ijfachar^ like a ftrong afs \ 
 {hiaii bt, patient of rural toils, couching 
 down between two burdens'. And fee- 
 ing reft ' to be good, and his country + 
 pleafant, will bow his fhoulder to bear, 
 and become a fervant to tribute \ fub- 
 
 miting 
 
 ■ Videtur autem fignificare Jacobus Iflafcharis pofteros 
 fore inftar jumentorum, et quidem afinorum, laboriofos. 
 Quando enim quiipiam animal i confertur, ei videtur 
 tribui, quod in eo animali infigne eil. Vide quae nota- 
 vimus ad r^/). xvi. 12. de Ifmaele, qui onagro confertur. 
 Philo de lacrificiis Abelis et Cainis : r;roVd (Jib ovoii 
 rhYf]iKov yci2 To^uov- Quia autem labore et induilria 
 opes comparantur, Onkclos, potentem divitiis, haec verba 
 Tet^ctip^d^ei- Cleric. 
 
 * ilepagula vertimus, quia inter gemina repagula (quod 
 vocis hujus forma duali optime exprimitur) in Itabulis 
 jumenta labore feffa quiefcunt, Jud. v. 16. Favet et vo- 
 cis notatio, nam fchnphath eft ordine difpnfuity nee greges 
 ordine in riabulis continentur, nifi repagulorum ope. Alii 
 cum Vulgato et Onkelo vertunt terjninos, intelliguntque ter- 
 minos, icu fines tribuum finitimarum ; quod voluiffe vi- 
 dentur lxx, qui habent ;cA«f«?, hoc eft, agros forte di- 
 vifos. Alii, cum hike Jud. v. 16. i'lyQ^xKLi duas farci- 
 jias reddunt. Z)^.7/. xxxiii 18. Id. 
 
 3 Mnucha non modo requiem, fed locum, in quo quis 
 requieicit, frequenter fignificat. Num. x. 35. et Deut. 
 Till- 9- Id. 
 
 4 Fertiliffimam autem et amoeniffimam fuifte earn Cha- 
 -nanafae partem, quam infiderunt Iffafcharis poftcri, intel- 
 ligeiTiuf, ii memmerimus eorum, quae de Galilaea inferiori, 
 quae hujus tribus agros compleftebatur, fcripfit "Jofephus, 
 cum alibi, tum De hello Juddico, L. iii. c. 4. Ti'ieov li, 
 inquit, '7rA<7cc Kctt ivCojo^ Kelt J^ivS'^itfiv 'Ttav^oioh actjci' 
 
 ^Ki^ct VI?? (piho'TTCVOV. 
 
 ^ 'l</ou'/tL§ TO KdLh^V iTn^vfJ-MiV (pi"0 chamor, ajtnus, 
 potuerunt icgere chamadj concupznjit ; fed to KAhh nihil 
 
 habet 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 24^ 
 
 mitting to 1 envy taxes to be excufed from 
 the fervices of war, rather than lofe 
 his repofe. Dan^ tho a fon of a con- 
 cub nc^, {hall judge ' or rule his people, 
 alluding to his name, as one of the tribes 
 of liVael. Dan managing rather by 
 fubtlety, than open war, Ihall be as a 
 ferpent ' by the way, an adder in the 
 path, that biteth the horfe's heels, fo that 
 his rider fhall fall backward. I have 
 waited for thy falvation \ O Lord. Gad^ 
 
 habet affine voci gareni) Ava.'r(ivo(/.ivi^ dm fA^ov 7uv 
 xAjif«j/, iteii \S^av TYiv etvA'TCAVtriv on KdL\r\y jt^ twi' yriv on 
 'Zfiav, vrjr'i^\uz rbv o^iov dv]^ e's to 'ttov^u [lisbot, ad ba- 
 julandum) ;^ lyivn^n dvn§ yico^ydi. lxx. 
 
 ' Videtur fignificare Jacobus Danitas aeque tribui fuae 
 jura difturos, ac aliarum tribuum magiftratus fuis quofque 
 tribulibus. Quo fenfu ham tribum ipfam Danitarum fi- 
 gnificat. Sed Onkelos omnes Ifraelitas intellexit, et fic 
 mdL^dL^^aXjH '• J)e domo Dan eligetur et exfurget 'viry in cu- 
 jus diebus liberahitur populus ejus^ et in cujus annis rec^ui- 
 efcent tribus Ifraelis^ etc. Defignat' Sam/one m, quern no- 
 mine appellant Jon. et Jer. Is certe Danita fuit, et per 
 viginti annos Ifraelem judicavit. Jud. c. xiii. Cleric. 
 
 * Vid. Boch. Hieroz. P. ii. L.'in. cap. 12. Kefci 
 yiVV\%7a) j^AV Oiptf i<p 0<^^3 iyKA%^i,VOi W/ Tfl'Ctf, 
 
 5 Non liberationem Gedeonis ego expedo, neque libera- 
 tionem Samfonis ego perfpicio, quia liberatio eorum tem- 
 poralis liberatio fuit ; fed ego falutem tuam expedo, et 
 perfpicio, Domine, quia liberatio tua liberatio feculorum, 
 Jon. T. Non redemptionem Gedeonis, filii Joas expe- 
 ftat anima mea, quae eft temporalis ; neque redemptionem 
 Samfonis, quae eft falus areata; fed redemptionem, quam 
 dixifti verbo tuo venturam efie populo tuo, filiis Ifrael, 
 Jbanc redemptionem tuam expeftat anima mea. Jeru/. T. 
 
 a 
 
2 5 o An Essay for ebcpJaining 
 
 a troop * fliall overcome him ; but he 
 ihall overcome ' at the laft. Out of 
 yi/her's countrey {hall arife moft excel- 
 lent proviiions of all forts *, and part of 
 it fhall yield the choiceft fruits % fit 
 to be ferved up to the table of kings, 
 Naphtali is a hind let loofe ^ loving li- 
 berty, he freely fpeaks his mind, and is 
 mafter of addrefs. J^feph is a fruitful 
 bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, 
 whofe branches run over the wall. The 
 archers * have forely grieved him, and 
 fliot at him, and hated him. But his 
 bow remained firm, the ftrength ^ of 
 
 * Jud. X, 7, 8, 17. Jer. XLix. i. dtnos'i. 13. 
 
 * Jud. xi. 33. I Chron. v. 18, 22. 
 ' Deut, xxxiii. 24. 
 
 4 Jof. xix. 26. 
 
 ' Ng^J'&ifcAeifx reAc;)^©- tlvtiykvav l-zr/J^/cTyj gy t« ygyya- 
 ^etT/ )tct?^\o(. Lxx. Nephthali cervus emilTus, et dans 
 eloquia pulchritudinis. Fu/g. Neptali, in terra optima 
 cadet fors ejus, et pofTefTio ejus erit faciens frudus ; lau- 
 dabunt et benedicent fuper eos. Onk. Naphtali nuntius 
 velox, fimilis cervo currenti fuper rupes montium, an- 
 nuntians laetum nuntium j annuntiavit enim haftenus 
 Jofephum vivere, et ipfe expeditus fuit, ut abiret in Ae- 
 gyptum, et afferret inllrumentum agri fpeluncae duplicis, 
 in quo nulla erat ipfi Efau portio : et quando aperuit os 
 fuum' iirfynagoga Ifrael ad laudandum, probatior erat 
 reliquis liriguis. Jon. Jer. T. Vid. Bochart. Hieroz. 
 P. i, L.'ut. c. 18. 
 
 ** Intelliguntur filii Jacobi, qui fratrem male habue- 
 runt, et quorum fcelera in Jofephum, quafi tela haben- 
 tur in eum conjefta. Cleric. 
 
 <J Zroah proprie hrachium, fed metaphorice ^vlres figni- 
 ficare plurimis ex locis liquet, quae prae caeteris lexico- 
 graphis coUegit Val Schindkrus, Id. 
 
 his 
 
the Seripture-Revelations. 251 
 
 his hands was confirmed by the power 
 of the mighty God of Jacob, from thence 
 he is the fhepherd, the ftone of Ifrael, 
 their help in the time of famine : even 
 by the God of thy father, who fhall help 
 thee, and by the almighty, who (hall 
 blefs thee with bleffings of heaven ' a- 
 bove, bleffings of the deep ' that lieth 
 under, bleffings of the breafts % and of 
 the womb. The bleffmgs of thy father 
 Jacob are greater than the bleffmgs of my 
 progenitors, Abraham and Ifaac, unto the 
 utmofl bounds of the everlafting hills, 
 Bafhan and mount Ephraim ; or, unto 
 all that is moft defirable "» in thofe an- 
 tient hills, abounding with moft excellent 
 fruit ; they fhall be on the head of Jofeph, 
 on the crown of the head of him, who 
 was diftinguifh'd from his brethren in 
 eminence and dignity. Benjamins tribe 
 
 ^ BenediBiones coeli dicuntur tempeftivi imbres, rorefque 
 copiofi, quibus foecundatur tellus, ut uberes fegetes emit- 
 tat. lis fit, ut terra fit benediSia, hoc eft, fertilis. Id, 
 
 ' Ut inter hafce benedidliones et fuperiores fit oppofitio» 
 ^eceffe eft abyjjum hie dici terram, aut potius fubterraneos 
 latices, quibus plantae alantur, Deut. viii. 7, Cleric. 
 Yid. Vof. Idol. Z.ii. f.77. 
 
 3 Ordo naturae effet uteri et uherum, nam prius ufeero 
 concipiuntur infantes, quam uberibus alantur. Similem 
 inverfionem bbfervavimus ad 'verf. 23. Optat Jacobus 
 Jofephi pofteris numerofam fobolem, quae ex felici partu 
 matrum, et commoda puerorum nutritione oritur. Id. 
 
 i Vid. Cleric, 
 
 z of 
 
252 An Essay for e^pJammg 
 
 of a martial genius fhall ravin ' as a 
 wolf, and fuch fuccefs fhall attend them 
 in their wars, that they fhall have the 
 prey divided in the evening to eat till 
 morning. As foon as Jacob had finifhed 
 this famous predidion relating to the 
 pofterity of his twelve fons, the patri- 
 archs, and heads of the twelve tribes of 
 Ifrael, he gave it in ftridl charge to them 
 all, as he had before done in particular 
 to Jofeph, to fee him buried in Canaan, 
 in the fepulcher of his anceftors ; giving 
 an exad: defcription of the place, that 
 they might not miftake it, when* they 
 Ihouldgo to bury him; and the particulars 
 of its former purchafe and pojfleflion to 
 clear their title to it, if the inhabitants 
 of Canaan, from whom he had been ab- 
 fent fome years, fhould difpute the lay- 
 ing his body there. And having now 
 no more to fay, he gathered up his feet 
 into the bed, and yielded up the ghoft, 
 and was gathered unto his people. 
 Chap. 50. When Jofeph faw his father was dead, 
 he fell upon his face to clofe his ^ eyes, 
 and kifs him ; which he did with the 
 tendereft exprelTions of filial affedlion. 
 After this he gave orders to his fer- 
 
 vid. Boch. Hieroz. P. i. L. iii. c. iQ, 
 u. Chap. XL VI. 4. 
 
 vants 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. icv 
 
 vants, the phyficians ', to embalm his fa- 
 ther \ Forty days were taken up in em- 
 balming the body with myrrh, caffia, 
 and other fpices, after which it lay in 
 nitre thirty days, and then they wraped 
 it in fine linen and gums; all which time 
 
 TCtVTilU 'Oi/]o/ 6TS2tV ^(pt XOjU/cd-Jl ViKfOit cf^&lKVlJoLfft 
 
 IJ-ilj.i^.YiiJLiva. ¥,cii 7m fjiiv (T'^^S'ciiQJciryiv dJjiav (pettri ^vat 
 
 TK iiK oaiOV ilSOli.liU.Ctl TO l^l^OfJiCf. i'STl TOiiSTO) '7r§i]'y{Jl.etlt ovofxci- 
 
 *2i;vvQoifoi/']eti rsrap^ clvTiCi)v kslta Hv tivo. Ctihovrdi <T(pt CKiv- 
 a^nvcLt Tov vzKfoV hi y.h S^r, Ik^cJ^cov ^.;eS-a> ofAoAoyrxroLV- 
 TZi, d--sra\hcl<T(roi^£tt' hi cPi vTTQ^&i^oy.ivoi iv oiKnyLctai uS'i 
 rd (T-srco^cttoTAJa, 7(L^iyjiV'6<Ti- TlfcoTdL ^Av <T¥,oht(p (nS^i\^co 
 
 t^ld 71^ V [J.V^CCTi]'iWV i^dyysff! 7 of lyKltpct^OV, TA fUlU dv^\^ 
 
 ^7 CO i^dyo'fjsi, TdL Ji (f)d^lJLoiKot ly^iovji?', 'Mijd J^e A/- 
 6&» 'A/9.'0T/;cw o^ti ^cL^cL^i(Tetv\i<; vr&^d tvv ha^^d^w^ l^ 
 
 ^y eiKoV 7m MlKim '7tA<TAV- iKKct^ij^A/j'si <Pi dvjiilf, xj 
 J^l}]Qi)(TAvJii OtVa ^OlVlKYlic^^ ccvjl^ J'nM^(Tl •d-V(jl.lil(ua.7i T£- 
 
 vp/^yiyo/0-/' iTTiiTct rhv i^HcTuV a-uupVY]^ aJx-Hfctru nrpi^' 
 fJLlV^i-, iy KdLtrm^ «5 Tcov aX>^soV ^VfJLm^dLTeoVt <2srKw A/Cot- 
 vcol^ 'TThiidAvU^^ cvppd'nl^ai om(rco. Tavra. cTe <ziroh]7ctv\ii^ 
 
 Vet? J^i Tiij'ie^V iK i^iTl T«t?/%5t'«»'. ^ETTidv cTe ^ttpi\Q&)ffl 
 
 eii iC S'o(JL{]Kov]a„ ^is(ravji? rou ^'*x.poc, Kctjtrihi(r(r«(T/ mS.v 
 5tt/7» TO (TM\xcL (TivS'ovci i^uo-aif^i Tiha^ucri K!iTctTiJiJt.\i^i- 
 
 VOtCt V'TTOyj^lOvlii TO) nJjfXfJ.t, TW cT^ dvll KQh)\m TO. 'TTOhhA 
 
 ^^k&vjm *A/^uVt/o/. ^Ev^ivjiv S'i 'TTdL^CtS'Z^dlJLiVoi IJLIV* 
 01 vr^Q(Tmovlii fsrotivv]a.t ^uhivov tvttov dvQpeo'TffoetJ^icL, Trot' 
 titrd^ivot S'i i(7ipyvvi7t r'ov viKfov. Kcti KA^AK>^m(Tci/ji( 
 
 ^TU ^mctvpi{^\i7l iV OI)c(l[XATl ^ilKdi&>, Wdvli'. OpQcV 
 tUpof Tol'XOV. "OVTCt f/if T»? Tcfc ^okvjihi^Alct ffKlvd^Vfft 
 
 ViKp^i. Herod. L, ii. c. 86. Vid. Dioii. iSic. L. i. 
 p' ^J. ed, Paris. 
 
 ic 
 
2KA An Essay for explaining 
 
 it being the Egyptian cuftom to mourn ' 
 for the deceafed, the Egyptians, who 
 belonged to Jofeph, obferved it out of 
 refpeft to him. When the days of 
 mourning were paft, Jofeph by the of- 
 ficers of the court addrefles to the king, 
 for leave to bury his father with his an- 
 ceftors in the land of Canaan, purfuant 
 to a folemn ingagement by oath, his fa- 
 ther had laid him under, to fee it done ; 
 afluring Pharaoh that after the funeral 
 was over, he would return. To this re- 
 queft the king, in confideration of his 
 oath, freely confented. And befides all 
 the houfe of Jofeph, and his brethren, 
 and his father's houfe, excepting fuch 
 as were neceflary to look after their lit- 
 tle ones, and their flocks -, a confiderable 
 number of Pharaoh's principal officers 
 both in court and kingdom, by his or- 
 der, went up to do honour to the fune- 
 ral, attended with chariots and horfemen, 
 as a guard to Jofeph. At their entrance 
 
 Triv Ki(pct?^m '7rwh(f i) x^ li 'TT^offairov- KAipeiTcL h Toiffi 
 hmlotfjt Ki^'isAi Toy viK^oy, elvl<ti dvA Th 'TTohtv ^so(pa- 
 lAivAi, TV'7rlcVJa,tk'7ri(6)(TixiVett,)y9Amfa.iTi^lAa,^^i' (Tv9 
 
 Tvvflovlctt, k<7ri(^eo(Ty.iVoi iy «to/. 'E<7rioiv /i tavta Tor 
 tiffa^if «T« hi rhv raft^ivffi? ;cop./{«^/, Herod, ibid. 
 
 into 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. ^ j ^ 
 
 into that part of the country, where the 
 iepulcher was, the company ftopt at a 
 place convenient for their ftay, where 
 for the fpace of f^wtn days, the time of 
 publick mourning ' among the Jews, 
 they exprefs'd their greateft lamentation ; 
 which occafioned the inhabitants of the 
 land to call the name of the place Abel-- 
 mizraim^ that is, the Egyptian mourning. 
 Thence the proceffion continued to the 
 cave of the field of Machpelah, where 
 Jacob's fons intered their father, ac- 
 cording to his order. Joleph, after he 
 had buried his father, returned into 
 Egypt, with all who went up with him 
 to the funeral. 
 
 The ten brethren upon their return cal- 
 ling to their remembrance their former ill 
 ufage of Jofeph, fell under an apprehen- 
 fion, that Jofeph all this time might have 
 only fmothered his refentments, outof re- 
 fped: to his father j but that now he was 
 gone, they muft expedt to fuffer for old 
 injuries. They fent therefore under the 
 impreflion of fear a meffenger to Jofeph, 
 feigning that their father before he 
 died had commanded them, who were 
 his brethren, and the fervants of the God 
 of his father, to entreat his pardon fc^ 
 
 1 ^am. xxxi. 13. Ecckif^ xxii. 13. Judithmsi, 29. 
 
 the 
 
2^6 An Essay for et<pJamlng 
 
 the trefpafs they had done him. This 
 meffage raifed fuch tender emotions 
 in the mind of Jofeph, that he wept. 
 When his brethren heard the concern 
 that Jofeph had expreifed at fuch a fuf- 
 picion, thev ventured to come all in per- 
 fon, and throw themfelves at his feet, 
 faying, We be thy fervants : whereby they 
 farther fulfiled his dream. Jofeph then 
 faid to them, Fear not': (hall I punifti 
 you for that, which God hath turned fo 
 much to all our advantage ? It is true 
 indeed, you thought to deftroy me 3 but 
 God deiigned by that very evil contri- 
 vance of yours to bring about the greateft 
 good to you and me. Now therefore 
 
 fear ye noty I will nourifl^ you^ and your 
 little ones ; and he comforted them^ and 
 
 fpake kindly to them. 
 
 And now to conclude this part of the 
 hiftory : Jofeph continued his poft in 
 Egypt to the hundred and tenth year of 
 
 ' Sumne is, qui Deo aequalem me jputem, ut volun- 
 tati ejus adveriari aggrediar ? Videtur is fenfus g^qlxx, 
 qui habent, t» ya.^ 0gS ei(ju lyco : hoc eft, libenter in 
 Dei poteftate* lum, ejuique voluntati meam confentaneam 
 effe oportere exiftimo. Sed clarius Aquila : on y.h dvji 
 (?>gK kyeJi interrogatione per negationem exprefla : cujus 
 rei exeifipla vide zd cap. xli. 16. Symmachus {imiliter : 
 fXH yds dvTj 0gK eiiM \ya>. Vulgatus paraphrafi eundem 
 ienlum expreiiit, A«w Dei pojfumus refijiere 'voliintati ? 
 Vide hie Scholiaji, Graec. Vatic. Haec Cleric 
 
 I * his 
 
the Scripture Revelations. tj/ 
 
 his life, all which time Jacob's family dwelt 
 there, under his protection, in a pro- 
 fperous condition : and he had the plea-» 
 fure of feeing his father's prophetic 
 bleffing upon his own two fens in part 
 fulfiled ; for he faw great grandchildren 
 from Ephraim, and grandchildren by 
 one branch of Manaffeh. Jofeph fome 
 time before his death thought proper to 
 remind his brethren of the antient and 
 repeated promife of God, to beftow the 
 land of Canaan upon them ; and af- 
 furing them that providence would in due 
 time undoubtedly accomplifli it, charg- 
 ed them upon their oaths, when helhould 
 dye, to preferve his body in Egypt, till 
 their general departure into Canaan, and 
 then to carry the remains of it along 
 with them thither. So Jofeph died, 
 being an bundled and ten years old; 
 and they embalmed him, and he was 
 put into a coffin in Egypt, and kept till 
 their departure from thence -, which hap^ 
 pened about an hundred and forty four 
 years after. Thus with the death of 
 Jofeph endeth the book of Genejis^ con^ 
 taining the hiftory of two thoufand three 
 hundred fixty ninr; years of the world. 
 
 2. Having brought down this period 
 
 of the hiftory as far as I proposed, I fhall, 
 
 according to the method I have hitherto 
 
 obferv'd, make fuch remarks, as may 
 
 S \>^ 
 
258 An Essay for esplahitng 
 
 be proper to difcover the wifdom and 
 goodnefs of this part of revelation. 
 
 Since degeneracy had prevail'd fo far, 
 as to infed the race of Shem, it is at firft 
 view evident, that it v^as wife, and kind, 
 to feparate a family to keep up the wor- 
 fliip of the true God y and by particular 
 favours exprefs'd to it on that account, 
 to excite the attention of thofe, among 
 whom they fliould fojourn ; and in the 
 head of that family to exhibit an emi- 
 nent and diftinguifhed example both of 
 faith and obedience, and of rewards 
 that fhould attend the practice of them. 
 To enter into a long difcourfe upon 
 the happy tendency and ufefulnefs of 
 fuch an example would be perfectly 
 peedlefs. I fhall therefore immediately 
 proceed to reprefent Abraham, as a re- 
 markable pattern of faith and obe- 
 dience, and of divine favours which in 
 Gonfequence attended him ; and then con- 
 fider the particular circumllances which 
 accompanied that example. 
 
 By faith is meant in fcripture fuch a 
 firm belief of religious principles, fuch 
 truft and confidence in the power and 
 faithfulnefs of God to perform his pro- 
 mifes, and reward his fincere fervants, 
 arifing from proper and fufficient evi- 
 dence 5 as influences a man, in oppofition 
 
 to 
 
the Scripture- Re velationSt ijp 
 
 to all the temptations of a corrupt world, 
 to obey God with uprightnefs and con- 
 ftancy. Of fuch a faith Abraham was 
 an eminent and remarkable example. 
 When Jehovah, the God of glory, ap- 
 peared to him in Ur of the Chaldees, 
 and ordered him to leave his country, 
 and his kindred, and incouraged him by 
 a promife of peculiar bleflings ; he readily 
 complied, tho he was entirely unac- 
 quainted with the place, to which he was 
 to bend his courfe, thro a rational and 
 well grounded faith. That this inflance 
 of his faith was fuch, may eafily be made 
 to appear. For, befides the evidence 
 which arofe to Abram from the cir- 
 cumftances of the appearance itfelf, and 
 the reafonablenefs and propriety of the 
 defign of his removal from Ur -, when he 
 communicated the affair to Terah his fa- 
 ther, Terah probably reprefented to him, 
 that fuch appearances had been before 
 made to Noah, and (tho in a different man- 
 ner, as with terrible majefty) atthecon- 
 fufion of the firft language. Thefe rela- 
 tions of his father, Abram could not but 
 entertain as true 5 fince Terah living two 
 hundred and five years was contemporary 
 with Noah one hundred and twenty eight 
 years of that time, and with Shem the 
 entire period of his life, and with Peleg, 
 in whofe days happened the divijion, one 
 S 2 hun- 
 
1 6o u^n Essay for explaining 
 
 hundred and eighteen, and therefore muft 
 be very capable of knowing the truth of 
 thofe fad:s ; and his removal vi^ith Abram 
 from Ur to Charran evidently proved, 
 that he fincerely believed them himfelf. 
 Tho Abram was detained at Charran by 
 the Infirmity of his aged father, whom 
 duty obliged him to attend there ; yet 
 foon after his death he removed from 
 thence to Canaan, and paffed thro the 
 land to Sychem, from a firm belief of the 
 command he had received from God at 
 Ur, and a full perfuafion of the accom- 
 plifliment of the promife God then had 
 made to him. From the fame principle 
 Abram built an altar to Jehovah at Sy- 
 chem, and on the mountain which lay 
 eaftward of Bethel, and called upon his 
 name. When the Lord appeared to A- 
 bram to comfort him, after Lot had fe- 
 parated from him, and gave him a pro- 
 mife of the land of Canaan, Abram ex- 
 preflTed his faith by walking thro it, as 
 Jehovah had commanded him. His de- 
 pendance upon God alone for his pro- 
 sperity appeared in . the refufal of the 
 offer, which the king of Sodom, a de- 
 fendant of Canaan, had made to him, 
 when he returned vidlorious over the 
 four eaftern princes. And tho at firfl 
 view Abram's expoftulating with God, 
 when he had affured him that he would 
 
 be 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 261 
 
 be his fhield, and exceeding great re- 
 ward, Lord J what wilt thou give ute^ fee- 
 ing I go childlefs ? feems to carry in it 
 an air of unbelief, yet the contrary is 
 evident ; fince when God promifed him 
 then, ih'ii a [on of his own body jhould be . 
 bis heir, Abram believed, notwithftand- 
 ing he was at that time eighty four years 
 old, and (which rendered it extremely 
 improbable) Sarai, who had all along been 
 barren, was feventy four. And this his 
 faith was fo pleafing to God, that he 
 counted it to hi^nfor right eoufhefs. When 
 the Lord at the fame time declared to 
 him, that he had brought him out of Ur 
 of the Chaldees to give him that land^ 
 in which he fojourned, to inherit, Abram 
 expreffed his concern to have a farther 
 confirmation of his faith, by requefting 
 a fign, which God gracioufly complied 
 with y when, as a ceremony of his entring 
 into covenant with him, a fmoaking fur- 
 nace and a burning lamp paiTed between 
 the pieces of the heifer, and thefhe-goat, 
 and the ram, which were divided and laid 
 one againft another. In the ninety ninth 
 year of Abram and eighty ninth of Sarai 
 Jehovah appeared to Abram, and by the 
 name of £/ Shaddai, the almighty God, 
 aflured him, that he fhould have a fon 
 by Sarai. And tho thro the fatigue, which 
 attended his long and frequent journeys, 
 S 3 and 
 
26i An E s s A X for e>cplammg 
 
 and the cares which arofe from his fo- 
 journing in a ftrange land, he was not in 
 circumftances to expedt fuch a bleffing ; 
 and the perpetual barrenefs of Sarai, and 
 her advanced age, rendred the accomplifh- 
 ment of the promife impoflible in a courfe 
 of nature : yet hejlaggered not thro unhe- 
 lief'y but ivas flrong in faith, givirig glory to 
 Gody by a full perfuafion of his power 
 and faithfulnefs. After Abraham had en- 
 tered into a league with Abimelech, he 
 planted a grove in Beerfheba, and cal- 
 led there upon the name of Jehovahy 
 as the God of the world, expreffing 
 thereby his firm belief, that he was the 
 fource of all power, and the diredior and 
 governour of all beings. Abraham hav- 
 ing no reafon to doubt, that the command 
 he had received to oifer up his fon Ifaac 
 came from God, who had in an extra- 
 ordinary manner given him to him, by 
 faith went to the land of Moriah with 
 a fixed intention to facrifice him , not 
 doubting, if God fhould permit the exe- 
 cution of his own order, but he would 
 reftore to life him, to whom the fpecial 
 promife refered, fince in this inftance 
 God could not in any other way evidence 
 his faithfulnefs. When Abraham upon 
 the jufteft reafon refolved to marry his 
 fon Ifaac to one of his own family, and 
 pot to any of the Canaanites^ and for 
 
 thac 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 265 
 
 that purpofe fent his ftcward Eleazer to 
 Bethuel, who defcended from Nahor 
 Abraham's brother; after Eleazer had 
 taken an oath in the name of Jehovah^ 
 the God of heaven and earth, to be faith- 
 ful, Abraham expreffed his affured ex- 
 pedation of fuccefs : The lord God of 
 heaven, who took me from my father s 
 houfe, and the land of my kindred^ and 
 who fpake unto me, and who /ware unto 
 me, fafiJig, Unto thy feed will 1 give this 
 land ', he flmll fend his ayigel before thee, 
 and profper thy way. Thus a firm belief 
 of God as immutable ' in his nature and 
 promifes -, as the objedl of worship % and 
 creator and governour of the world ; as 
 the fupreme Lord * and fource of all 
 power *; as the almighty^ and all fuffi- 
 cient God \ the moft high pofleflbr ^ and 
 Lord of heaven and earth ; influenced 
 Abraham in his whole condudl, where- 
 by he became a remarkable example of 
 faith. 
 
 » 'Jcho'vahy J ah Ehjeh. 
 
 " Eloahy Elohe, Elohim, which are probably derived 
 from an Arabic root, which fignifies to ^Morjhip. 
 ' Adonai. 
 ♦ El. 
 » Eljhaddai. 
 
 6 Eljon^ u4'S"*^- 
 
 7 Koneh fchamaim waarets. Vid. 'J oh. Buxt. De nomi' 
 nib us Dei. 
 
 S 4 Abra- 
 
i($4 -^^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 Abraham was in like manner an 
 eminent and diftinguifhed pattern of 
 fincere and conftant, tho not altoge- 
 ther perfe(fl and faultlefs obedience ; 
 without which he could not with pro- 
 priety be faid to have believed, or his 
 faith would not have been true and ge- 
 nuine. When God commanded him to 
 quit Ur, and go into a land which he 
 would iliew him ; the uneafinefs of leav- 
 ing his country and relations, and the 
 length and hazard of the journey did not 
 difcourage him, but he readily complied. 
 Wherever he fojourned in Canaan for 
 any time, he built an altar, and wGrJhiped 
 with his family^ calling upon the name 
 of Jehovah, and travelled thro all the 
 land (tho he knew the inhabitants were 
 idolatrous, and unfriendly to the defcen- 
 dants of Shem) in compliance with a 
 divine order. When a difference arofe be- 
 tween AbranVs fervants and the fervants 
 of Lot, Abram expreffed great prudence 
 in preventing a quarrel between them- 
 felves, and fhewed remarkable conde- 
 fcenlion to his nephew (lince it was pro- 
 per they fiiouid feparate) in offering to 
 him the choice of all the country around. 
 He {hewed likewife a due concern and pro- 
 per affedlion for this his relation, when he 
 heard that he was taken captive : for arm- 
 ing his own trained fervants, and joining 
 
 the 
 
the Scripture-Revelations; 265 
 
 the forces of his allies, he refcued him, 
 and retook all his poffeffions. Whatever 
 there was peculiar in Abram's giving 
 tithes to Melchifedek, yet fince he did 
 it, as Melchifedek was a worfhiper of the 
 moft high God, poffeffor of heaven and 
 earth, he difcovered in this his conducft 
 a due and becoming reverence of the 
 true God. When Abram refufed the 
 offer, that the king of Sodom, a defcen- 
 dant of Canaan, made him of the goods, 
 which were taken from the eaflern prin- 
 ces, he gave an example of depending 
 folely upon God for being inriched; 
 which, tho in different circumftances it 
 may not be binding to others, yet ap- 
 peared in the cafe of Abram to be ex- 
 tremely beautiful; fince he had an cx- 
 prefs promife from God, that he fhould 
 inherit the land of Canaan, and that he 
 would make of him a great nation^ and 
 would blefs hiim, and make his name great. 
 Abram's kind condud: to Sarai, when (he 
 complained, and probably with reafon, 
 of the behaviour of Hagar, was remark- 
 able ; fince the one was barren, and there 
 was a profpedt of having a child by the 
 other : Behold^ thy maid is in thine hand^ 
 do to her as itpleajeth thee. When a parti- 
 cular promife was made to Abram of a 
 fon by Sarai, who fhould be called IJaaCy 
 and be his heir, Abraham expreffed his 
 natural affeftion to Ifhmael : O that 
 
 Ifhmael 
 
i66 An Essay for expJaming 
 
 IJlomael might live before thee 1 for that de- 
 fire did not arife from any disbelief of the 
 promife, wherewith God at that time had 
 favoured him. When God commanded 
 Abram, that he and all the males of 
 his family ihould be circumcifed, and 
 for the future every male, that was born 
 in his houfe, fhould be circumcifed on 
 the eighth day after his birth ; neither the 
 pain of the rite (which to him, who was 
 then ninety nine years old, muft be confi- 
 derable)nor the difgrace that might attend 
 the performance of it, nor the hazard 
 or trouble of it in refped: to his fervants, 
 difcouraged him ; but to fhew the rea- 
 dinefs of his obedience, on the fame day 
 he had received the order, he put it in 
 execution. Jehovah after this treated 
 Abraham as a friend, when defigning to 
 deftroy Sodom and Gomorrah he faid. 
 Shall! hide from Abraham that thing which 
 I do ? and then gave him an illuftrious 
 charadler, as a reafon of opening his in- 
 tention to him : For I know him^ that he 
 will command his children^ and his houf 
 hold after him^ and they pall keep the way 
 of Jehovah to dojujiice and judgment ; that 
 the Lord may bring upon Abraham that, 
 which he hath fpoken of him» After Je- 
 hovah had communicated to Abraham 
 his defign to deftroy Sodom, Abraham 
 was touched with compaffion, and in the 
 
 humbleft 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 267 
 
 humbleft manner interceded with him, 
 that he would fpare the city for the fake 
 of the righteous, which might be in it. 
 When Abraham had received a com- 
 mand to hearken to Sarah's voice, in de- 
 firing that Hagar and Ijfhmael might be 
 difmiffed, Abraham without delay exe- 
 cuted that order, notwithftanding the 
 great afFedion he had to Iflimael as his 
 firft-born, in fuch a manner, as at once 
 to let Hagar and Ifhmael fee, that Ifaac 
 only was to be his heir; and to cxprefs 
 his own confidence in the former pro- 
 mife of God*s proteding Ifhmael, and 
 favouring him with an honourable and 
 numerous poflerity. 
 
 After God had thus trained up Abra- 
 ham for a long time in his fervice, by 
 obliging him to perform inflances of du- 
 ty, which were attended with great dif- 
 ficulties ; he was pleafed to try his obe- 
 dience with a command to offer up Ifaac, 
 his only fon by Sarah, to whom he had 
 the greatefl affedlion, and in whom God 
 had eflablifhed his covenant ; a trial 
 which required the clearefl and mofl 
 unbiased mind to judge of, and the 
 firmefl and fteddiefl faith to attempt. 
 It appears by the event, that God did not 
 intend that he fhould actually offer him 
 up ; but when this was not known to 
 Abraham (whatever conjedure that way 
 
 might 
 
2 68 An Essay for esplaming 
 
 might arife in his mind in reafoning up- 
 on it) the injundion muft be feen by him 
 in fuch a light, as to warrant every ftep 
 he took towards the accomplifhment of 
 it. If Abraham had had a fon while 
 he was in Ur of the Chaldees, and the 
 God of glory at his firft appearance had 
 given him a command to offer him up, 
 he might reafonably have doubted, whe- 
 ther he had evidence fufficient to war- 
 rant his compliance with fuch an injun- 
 ction. From whence it feems to follow, 
 that fuch a command would not have 
 been proper for the God of glory to have 
 given at that time. The cafe before us 
 was without doubt widely different. A- 
 braham had received the favour of fe- 
 veral fuch appearances, and the promifes, 
 which were in that way made to him, he 
 had found by the experience of at leafl 
 fifty years to have been fulfiled ; and fince 
 God appeared now, when he ordered 
 him to offer up Ifaac, in the fame man- 
 ner as he had done, when he pro- 
 mifed him (which promife tho made at 
 a time that in a courfe of nature he had 
 no reafon to expert fuch a blefling, yet 
 at the fixed period was accompliihed) 
 Abraham could not doubt, but that the 
 command was from God. But, tho I 
 doubt not but the luflrc or glory, which 
 attended the appearance of Jehovah Elo- 
 
 him 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 16^ 
 
 bimyW2iS {o peculiar and diftinguiftiing, as 
 to leave no room for Abraham to fear 
 delufion ; yet if there fhould have arifen 
 the lead fufpicion of it in his mind, 
 it is reafonable to fuppofe, that he would 
 have offered up his fervent prayers to 
 God, w^ho had promifed to be his God, 
 and v^ho had frequently interpofed for 
 his protedlion, that he would prevent 
 his being deluded. And fince it was not 
 likely, that Jehovah would fuffer his 
 friend to be impofed on by an evil fpirit, 
 in the appearance of an angel of light, 
 and not interpofe in his favour; Abra- 
 ham could not but have feen it fit to re- 
 jed: fuch a groundlefs fear. 
 
 But fome may fay : There was no ne- 
 ceffity of an Interpol! tion in this cafe. 
 Abraham might have known, that it could 
 not be a command from God, fince it 
 was contrary to a general antecedent law 
 of his : Whojb fjedeth mans bloody by man 
 Jhall his blood be Jhed : for in the image of 
 God made he man. What is meant by 
 the image of God is explained Gen. i. 26. 
 And God faid : Let us make ?nan in our 
 image y ajid after our likenefsy and let them 
 have dominion over the fijh etc. This 
 prohibition then is founded upon the un^ 
 fitnefs of depriving any one unjuftly of 
 the equal right he had with others, to 
 ufe the inferior creatures to his own plea- 
 
 fure 
 
2/0 An Essay for espJamhg 
 
 fure and happinefs. If this difficulty fprung 
 up in the mind of Abraham, as probably 
 it did s he could eafily difcern, that this 
 was a grant of power to magiftrates to 
 put an end to the life of any one, who 
 had taken away another's life without a 
 forfeiture of it. Before this God had 
 kept the punifhment of murder in his 
 own hand. And when the foundation 
 of this law was laid in man's being made 
 in the image of God, that is, in domi- 
 nion over the lower creatures, which was 
 a grant of divine favour ; he might fee, 
 that neither the law nor the reafon of it 
 were fuch, as invariably obliged God, 
 who only baniflied Cain, but fuifered 
 no body to kill him ; and who, in giving 
 man dominion over the inferior creatures, 
 did not part with his fuperior right to 
 difpofe of all the beings he had created . 
 But it may be farther objedled : That 
 Abraham was under a natural obligation, 
 fince he had been the inftrument of in- 
 troducing Ifaac into life, to guard and 
 protedl him ; and this natural obligation 
 was prior to the command of offering 
 him up : that Ifaac had done nothing 
 to forfeit the injoyments of life, of which, 
 had his father facrificed him, he would 
 have been intirely deprived : and that 
 Ifaac was not the property of Abraham, 
 notwithftanding he was his father ; and 
 
 therefore 
 
the Scripture-Revelations* 271 
 
 therefore Ifaac might have rightfully re- 
 filled him. Herein, I think, lies the 
 greatefl ftrength of the objedions, which 
 have been made againft this inftance of 
 Abraham's obedience. To all w^hich I 
 Ihall endeavour to make as fatisfadory 
 a reply, as I can. When it is faid, that a 
 father is under a natural obligation to 
 guard and protect the life of his fon, I 
 v^ould inquire : What we are to underftand 
 by natural obligation? If by thisexpref- 
 fion be meant the affedlion, which a pa- 
 rent is obferved to have to his offspring ; 
 this indeed difcovers the wife goodnefs of 
 the creator 5 but does not fo much as ne- 
 ceffarily infer moral agency, lince we 
 find it in beings which are mere agents. 
 A moral capacity therefore, that is, a 
 power to difcern what is right, and fit, 
 and reafonable, is requifite to any ob- 
 ligation at all. A father then, who is a 
 moral agent, muft fee himfelf obliged to 
 guard and protedt his fon 5 and the ra- 
 ther, becaufe he was the inflrument of 
 bringing him into life. But is there no 
 cafe, wherein fuch an obligation may be 
 fuperfeded ? May there not be in fome 
 fuppofed circumftances good and fufficient 
 reafons for the contrary condud? Self- 
 prefervation may with equal reafon be 
 reprefented to be a natural obligation : 
 But may there not be fuch circumftances 
 
 put. 
 
272 An Essay for e*>cpJatntng 
 
 put, as to make it reafonable for a man 
 to recede from this prior obligation, and 
 part with his life ? The truth is, that 
 the general rule for the conducfl of a 
 reafonable being is always to adt reafo- 
 nably ; but the inftances of reafonable 
 behaviour muft be determined by a care- 
 ful and honeft regard to the circum- 
 ftances which attend every cafe. It will 
 be granted, that if Ifaac had forfeited his 
 title to life, he would have had no claim 
 to protedlion. And why ? Becaufe fuch 
 proteftion would have been injurious to 
 the common happinefs. Good or evil 
 to others then, it feems, has a confide- 
 rable weight in determining the nature 
 of an adlion. Let us therefore fuppofe, 
 that Abraham was not only convinced, 
 that the command was from Jehovah ; 
 but alfo, that upon the coolefl: and moft 
 deliberate refleftion on the circumftances 
 of the cafe, he difcern'd, that the good 
 which would arife from his compliance 
 would be greater, than the pain of his 
 own doing it, or the evil which Ifaac 
 confenting to it would fuftain. The con- 
 fequence then would be, that Abraham 
 would fee the injundion not to be unfit, 
 unreafonable, and inconfiftent, as a trial 
 of his obedience. This muft have been 
 the cafe, whether we are capable of putt- 
 ing it in this manner in a full and con- 
 vincing 
 
the Scripture-RevelationsJ i/j 
 
 Vincing light or not, thro the ftiortnefs 
 of the hiftory which is tranfmited to us ; 
 lince without fuch a fuppofition the con- 
 du<5l of Abraham in attempting it can- 
 not be vindicated, and with it his be- 
 haviour will appear reafonable. Let us 
 therefore try whether the hiftory, as 
 fhort as it is, will not lead us to a 
 train of arguings that (all circumftances 
 confidered) might reafonably fatisfy A- 
 braham's mind and juftify his procedure. 
 When Jehovah appeared to Abram as 
 El Shaddai^ and commanded him to walk 
 before him and be perfeB^ he made a co- 
 venant with him, ftiled an everlasting 
 COVENANT, upon thefe terms, as the father 
 of a multitude of nations; and accords 
 ingly changed his name from Abram to 
 Abraham^ in whom, as the father of the 
 
 faithful, ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE 
 
 EARTH jhould be blejfed, promiling all 
 the land of Canaan for an everlasting 
 POSSESSION, and to be their God, At the 
 fame time God promifed him Ifaac, and 
 that in him this everlasting covenant 
 ihould be eilablifhed. Ifimael indeed 
 was to he blej/cdy and made fruitful \ but 
 my covenant^ fais he, will I ejlablijh with 
 Jfaac, And when Abraham was com- 
 manded to hearken to Sarah, and to turn 
 out Hagar andlfnmael, it is added: For 
 in Ifaac Jhall thy feed be called. Thefc 
 T things 
 
274 ^^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 things being obferved, we may appre- 
 hend Abraham to reafon thus : The ap- 
 pearance, which gives this command to 
 offer up Ifaac, is the fame which pro- 
 miled him, and in the fame eminent and 
 diftinguifhed glory, I have had the ho- 
 nour fo frequently to converfe with Je- 
 hovah, that I can*t, I think, be mifta- 
 ken. But flrange command ! Ifaac, my 
 only fon by Sarah, in whom Jehovah 
 eftablijhed his covenant y to be offered up ! 
 Surely then he muft be raifed again ; 
 the faithfulnefs of God requires it, in his 
 perfon the everlasting covenant is 
 fettled. Well then a few moments pain 
 . to Ifaac will be repaid by his return to 
 life, and the advantage of having a full 
 confirmation of promifed bleffmgs. But 
 Ifaac is not my property, he may refift. 
 True And what if he fhould not con- 
 fent ? That is not my province, I will 
 leave this to the time, when Jehovah by 
 a fecond appearance fhall mark out the 
 place of the offering ; then will I tell 
 him the matter, and wait the event. But 
 why muft this be done by my hand? the 
 hand of a father? why muft the painful 
 ac^l be performed by me ? why muft the 
 tender affe(5tion of a parent be thus 
 tried ? what can make this appear fit 
 and reafonable to be commanded ? I am 
 fet up to be a pattern of duty and re- 
 ward, 
 
the Scripture-Revelations; 275 
 
 ward, in me all the families of the 
 EARTH are to be blejfed. If Ifaac be 
 raifed again (as certainly he mufl) will 
 not that be of cxtenfive and univerfal 
 ufefulnefs, in confirming the promife 
 of a happy and perpetual life to the 
 faithful ? To me the reward is promifed, 
 and thro me to all the families of 
 THE EARTH, as "w diking before God and 
 being perfedi. Since then I am defigned 
 to be a general example of that condudt, 
 to which the promife of an everlast- 
 ing POSSESSION is made, it cannot be un- 
 fit to try my obedience in inftances of 
 duty, which have great difficulty attend- 
 ing them ; and particularly in this, with 
 which, tho with the reludtance of a fa- 
 ther, I am refolved to comply '. The 
 greatnefs of this inftance of Abraham's 
 obedience is in the general well repre- 
 iented by Mofes Maimonides. His words 
 are thefc ' : '' The ftory of Abraham 
 T 2 " con- 
 
 * I have taken no notice of the cuftom of human fa- 
 crifices, the preventing of which fome imagine to be the 
 reafon of God*s trying Abraham this way. It does not 
 appear that the ufage was fo antient. They, who are de- 
 firous to know what different autliors fay upon this fubjed, 
 may confult Sir John Mar/ham y LeClerc, Patrick^ and 
 Philo, Lib. De Ahrahamo. 
 
 * Hiftoria Abrahami de ligatione Ifaaci comprchendic 
 duo magna fundamenta legis. Unam eft, nobis indicare, 
 ciuoufque fe extcndit amor ct timer Dei, Fraecepit enim 
 
 illic 
 
%y6 Jn 'L^s AY for e^iphmng 
 
 «' concerning binding Ifaac includes twa 
 
 « great foundations of the law. One is, 
 
 " to fhew us how far the love and fear 
 
 « of God extends itfclf. For there he 
 
 " commanded that, with which the lofs 
 
 *' of money, or of life itfelf, is not to 
 
 " be compared ; but which far furpafles 
 
 ** all things that can be imagined ; nay 
 
 illic tale quid, cum quo nee pecuniae, neque vitae profufio 
 comparari poteft j fed quod omnia longe excedit et fuperat, 
 quae excogitari poffent ; quinimo ad quod naturam incli- 
 nare, et fledli pofle, cogitari nequit ; hoc videlicet : Ut fit 
 \'ir quidam, qui fummo prolis fufcipiendae tenetur defi- 
 derio, praedives, in fumma authoritate conftitutus, et ni- 
 hil magis in votis habens, quam ut gens aliqua ex fuo feminc 
 fit fuperfles, cui poll omnem amiiTam fpem in extrema 
 fenedtute filius nafcatur, et qui, pofthabito omni afFeftu 
 ac amore (qui fane non nifi fummus effe potcft) propter 
 timorem et amorem Dei, ad praeceptum ejus de filio illo 
 fuo diledlo Habiliendum, relinquat omnem, quam in ipfo 
 collocaverat, fpem et expedationem, ac ad madandum 
 cum poll trium dierum iter confentiat. Hoc certe maxi- 
 mum ell. Nam fi eo momento, cum mandatum accepit, 
 facere id volaiflet, fuifiet adio turbulenta, praeceps, et 
 inconfiderata ; verum qu£>d id facit poll aliquot dierum ab 
 accepto mandato fpatium, inde colligitur, fuiffe adionem 
 confideratam, mature deliberatam, et tellimonium ac pro- 
 bationem obedientiae, amoris, et timoris Dei, neque hie 
 ad quicquam aliud, vel ad ullam aliam paffionem refpi- 
 ciendum effe. Nam Abraham non fellinavit occidere fi- 
 lium fuum ex pavore, aut terrore aliquo ipfi a Deo injedo, 
 ne forte ipfe occideretur, vel ad paupertatem ab ipfo redi- 
 geretur ; fed ut notum fieret hominibus, quidnam con- 
 veniat facere propter amorem et timorem Dei, non pro- 
 pter fpem alicujus praemii, vel metum poenae, ficut mul- 
 tis in locis expofuimus. Alterum ell, docere, quod in rei 
 veritate crediderint prophetae ea, quae ipfis per prophe- 
 tiam A Deo oblata fuerunt. M?r. Nsv. P* iii. cap. 24. 
 
 « to 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 277 
 
 ** to which nature is reluftant, namely : 
 " That a man extremely defirous of an 
 " offspring, very rich, and in great au- 
 *' thority, who had a Ion, after he had 
 " abandoned all hope of an heir, in his 
 " old age, (hould fo overcome his natu- 
 *^ ral affeftion to him (which could not 
 *' but be exceeding great) as to forego all 
 *' the expeftations he had from him, 
 " and confent after a journey of three 
 *' days to flay this ion with his own 
 «' hand. This furely is a thing extraor- 
 " dinarily great. For, if he had done 
 «' it that moment, when he was com- 
 " manded, it might have been thought 
 <^ a precipitate, fudden, and inconfiderate 
 " acft ; but to do it fo many days after 
 " he had received the command, upon 
 *^ mature deliberation, was the higheft 
 " proof of his obedience, and that this 
 " ad proceeded from nothing but the 
 *' fear and love of God. For Abraham 
 " did not haften to flay his fon from any 
 " fear, lefl; otherwife God fliould have 
 ** flain him, or have reduced him to po- 
 " verty j but took time toconfider of it, 
 ^* that all men might know what every 
 " one ought to do thro the love and fear 
 ^' of God, etcr 
 
 Tho I have not hitherto confidered 
 
 Abram's behaviour, when not long after 
 
 his coming into Canaan, a famine occa- 
 
 T 3 fioned 
 
17 8 -^^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 fioned his removal to Egypt, and the 
 fear of being killed on the account of 
 Sarai's beauty made him perfuade her 
 to fay that {he was his fifter ; which con- 
 duct he likewife relumed afterwards, when 
 he went to the court of Paleftine : yet 
 becaufe many have in an aggravating 
 manner blamed this management of A- 
 bram, I fhall now reprefent the ftory in 
 that light, and attended with thofe cir- 
 cumftances, which appear to me proper 
 to form a right judgment concerning it. 
 Abram, it feems, when he was called to 
 remove ftom his father's houfe, deiired 
 Sarai to fay of him, that hp was her bro- 
 ther to prevent his being flain for her 
 fake, if it (hould be known he was her 
 hufband. It appears then to have been 
 a prudential condudl to fecure his life, and 
 the rcqueft was only to conceal part of 
 the truth, not to tell what was falfe. 
 When Abram went to the court of Egypt, 
 by reafon of a famine which was in 
 the land of Canaan, and afterward to 
 that of Gerar ; he renew'd this requeft to 
 Sarai, to pafs for his fifter (as indeed 
 Ihe was) and not to fay fhe was his 
 wife. This fprung from a fear, left he 
 fhould be privately murdered on the ac- 
 count of Sarai's beauty ; which he might 
 be apprehenfive of from the vicious man- 
 ners, that might probably be expefted to 
 
 prevail 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 279 
 
 prevail in idolatrous courts. And tho A- 
 bram could not be infenfible, that the pro- 
 mife which God had made to him, that 
 the land of Canaan fhould be given to 
 his feed, v/as inconfiflent v^ith his being 
 then kiird ^ yet he did not know, but 
 perfuading Sarai to fay fhe was his fifler 
 might be the moft proper, as well as an 
 allowable method (for God had not gi- 
 ven him any fpecial direction) of pre- 
 ferving himfelf. By this condudl the 
 courtiers would be taken off from any 
 fecret attempts upon his life. And not 
 to mention the length of time, which 
 in eaftern courts was taken up to prepare 
 a royal bride (if the cuftom that was ob- 
 ferved in the time of Either prevailed 
 then ') many excufes, befides difference 
 of religion, which would without doubt 
 gain a delay for fome time, might be 
 offered by Sarai, to put off and defer com- 
 plying with folicitations of marriage, till 
 there fhould be an opportunity of leaving 
 Egypt, which Abram's dependance upon 
 God might infpire him with a firm ex- 
 pectation of gaining. And Abram could 
 not readily enter into an apprehenfion, 
 that violence would be offered to his 
 
 EJlh. chap. ii. 
 
 filter, 
 
tZo An Essay for explaining 
 
 fifter. Pharaoh ' had hofpitably ad-^ 
 mited him and his retinue to fojourn in 
 bis country, and the laws of hofpitality 
 were then, as well as afterwards, re- 
 garded as moft facred ' ? He was king 
 
 Ant, Jud. L. viii. c. 6. ed. Hudf. Apud Arabas pharahh 
 ctiamnum hodie idem eft, ac fianmum tenuity vel cepit* 
 Vid. Cleric, 
 
 * The hiftory of Abram fliews the early praftice of ho- 
 fpitality. How facred the laws of hofpitality were then - 
 cfteemed, is evident from Lot's behaviour, Gen. xix. 7, etc. 
 In following Ages the fame fentiments prevailed . Quern 
 hominem, C Verres, tanta tarn infigni injuria affecifti ? 
 quern hominem ? Dei immortales ! non dicam amicum 
 tuum, quod apud homines cariflimum eft ; non hofpitem, 
 quod fandiilimurn eft, etc. Vid. Cic. in Verrem Orat, 
 fept. cap. XLV. ed. Grae<v. Is igitur non modo a te peri- 
 culo liberatus, fed etiam honore ampliffimo ornatus, argui- 
 tur domi te fuae interficere voluiiTe ; quod tu, nifi eum fu- 
 rioffTimum judicas, fufpicari profefto non potes. Ut enipi 
 omittam, cujus tanti Iceleris faerit, in confpeftu deorum. 
 penatium necare hofpitem, etc. Id. Orat. prorege Dejot. 
 c. 5. Quemcunque mortaUum arcere tefto nefas habetur i 
 pro fortuna quifque, apparatis epulis, excipit. Cum de- 
 feccrit, qui modo hofpes fuerat, monftrator hofpitii et co- 
 mes, proximam domum non invitati adeunt : nee intereft, 
 pari humanitate accipiuntur. Vid. Tacit. De moribus Ger- 
 man. HofpitQS violare fas non putant. Qui quaque de 
 caufa ad eos venerunt, ab injuria prohibent, fandofque 
 habent ; iis omnium domus patent, vidufque communi- 
 catur. Caef. De hell. GalL L. vi. r. 21. ed. Cler, 
 Conveniebat autem facile ex moribus populi Romani pri- 
 rnumjuxta parentes locum pupillos tenere debere, fidei 
 tutelaeque noftrae creditos ; fecum eos proximum locum 
 cHentes habere, qui kio. itidem in fidem et patrocinium 
 noftrum dediderunt ; tum in tertio loco efte hofpites } 
 poftea effe cognates afRnefque. ji. Gellius L. w. r. 13. 
 Infuper Jovi Xenio facrificabant, interque facrificandum 
 Jiac verborum formula ufi : eij A/* B'%vioy diAafeiv* it 
 
 pnly 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 2 8 1 
 
 only of lower Egypt, which was cele- 
 brated for plenty of corn and pafture 
 (for in all probability Egypt at that time 
 was governed by feveral ' petty princes) 
 and Abram knew himfelf pofleflcd of 
 great ftrength and riches. But if vio- 
 lence fliould be offered, he was fure by 
 the promife of God, to blefs them that 
 hlejfed him^ and curje them that curfed 
 himy that there would be an extraordi- 
 nary interpofure ; which accordingly 
 happened both times, and made Abra- 
 ham remarkable, and diftinguiflied at two 
 courts. If however any fhould yet ap- 
 prehend, that this condud: of Abram was 
 in fome degree blameable; it is to be 
 remembered, that tho his example of 
 obedience was peculiarly eminent, yet 
 it was not defigned to be intirely com- 
 plete and altogether faultlefs. 
 
 Moreover, in Abraham we find ex- 
 emplified proper incouragements, pro- 
 mifes, and motives to a fteddy and un- 
 fhaken truft in the true and living God, 
 and a fincere and conftant obedience to 
 his commands, whatever difficulty may 
 attend the pradice of any of them. To 
 incourage Abram to leave his native place 
 and relatives, to which it is natural to 
 
 ' Vid. Marjh, Can. Chron. 
 
 have 
 
2 8 2 An Essay for e%phmng 
 
 have a ftrong afFedion, and go into a coun- 
 trey, of which he had no knowledge, at a 
 great diftance, God gave him a promife, 
 the full compafs whereof was gradually by 
 divine wifdom and goodnefs to be opened 
 to him. / "Will make of thee a great na-^ 
 tion : and, / will blefs thee and make thy 
 name greats and thou Jh alt be a blejjing : and 
 / will blefs them who blefs thee^ and curfe 
 htm who curfeth thee^ and in thee Jhall 
 
 ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH be 
 
 bleffed. When Abram, after the death of 
 his father, left Charran in compliance 
 with the divine command^ and entering 
 Canaan went to Sychem, and fo to the 
 plain or grove of Moreh, a rough and 
 fierce people living there, who defcended 
 from Canaan, and were not friendly to 
 the poflerity of Shem ; to fupport Abram 
 God appeared, and opened the general 
 promife he had given him in Ur in one 
 particular : To thy feed will I give this 
 land. The remarkable interpofure of Je- 
 hovah in favour of Abram, while he was 
 at the courts of Egypt and Gerar, by in- 
 flicting on them a terrible and miracu- 
 lous diltemper, and the manner in which 
 it was removed, at leaft from Gerar, by 
 his praying for them in the character of 
 a prophet, could not but confirm to 
 him that part of the divine promife : 
 And thou Jhalt be a blejjing^ and I will 
 
 blefi 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 28 j 
 
 blefs them 'who blefs thee, and curfe him 
 who curfeth thee. Upon the feparatioa 
 of Lot from Abram, Jehovah, to com- 
 fort Abram, fhewed him in a vifion the 
 land northward and Southward, eaftward 
 and weftward, and added, "To thee will 
 I ffive it, and to thy feed for ever ; and 
 ordered him to walk thro ir, as* it were 
 to take poffeffion of it. Tho the fuccefs, 
 which Abram with his alHes had gained 
 over the fo\ir eaftern princes, could not 
 but confirm liisJkith in the promife, that 
 God would blefs him ; yet a refledtion upon •• 
 their power, and the probability of their 
 returning with frefti forces, and the im- 
 preffion which that would make upon 
 his allies, who were neighbouring petty 
 princes of Canaan, might occafion in 
 fome degree a damp upon his fpirits. 
 God then revealed himfelf to him, and 
 gave him affurance, that he would be 
 his fhield, and exceeditig great reward. 
 When Abram at the fame time thus 
 humbly expoilulated with God (refer- 
 ing probably to that part of the promife, 
 I will make of thee a great natioji) what 
 avail riches to me, and fecurity in the 
 pofTefTing of them, fince / go childlefsy 
 a?2d Eleazer of Damafcus, 7ny Jlewardy 
 and born in my hoife^ is mine heir ? God 
 alTured him, that a fon of his own body 
 fmdd be his heir 5 and in a vifion of the 
 
 (tarq 
 
284 -^^^ Essay for e!<platnmg 
 
 ilars reprefented the numeroufnefs of his 
 defcendants ; and by covenant ingaged to 
 give to his natural feed the land, from the 
 river of Egypt to the great river the river 
 Euphrates : but added withal, that they 
 fhould be ftrangers in a land not theirs, 
 and be afflided four hundred years, after 
 which they fhould return in the fourth 
 generation with great fubftance -, but that 
 jibram himfelf jjdould go to his fathers in 
 peace ^ and be buried in a good old age. In the 
 ninety ninth year of Abram Jehovah ap- 
 peared to him, and as El Shaddai com- 
 manded him to walk before him and be 
 ferfeB \ in which charader he fhould be 
 xh^ father of many nations^ and all the 
 FAMILIES OF THE ^BC^TYi jhould be blejjed 
 in him. Another covenant was fettled, cal- 
 led AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, in which 
 
 God engaged to be the God of Abraham^ 
 and of this his feed after him in their gene- 
 rations, and to give them all the land of 
 Canaan for an everlasting possession. 
 And now the fiirfl promife of God to A- 
 bram in Ur was fully opened in that 
 branch of it, which was mofl important 
 and extenfive, namely ; In thee pall all 
 THE families OF THE EARTH be blejfed. 
 It is obfervable, that every illuflration of 
 this promife was defigned either as a re- 
 ward of fome remarkable inftances of 
 Abraham's obedience, or an incourage- 
 
 ment 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 285 
 
 ment for his future adherence to the fer- 
 viceof the true God, when he was un- 
 der the apprehenfion of confiderable dan- 
 ger or great difficulty. After Abraham 
 had complied with the painful rite of 
 circumcifion in obedience to a divine 
 command, Jehovah appeared to him in 
 the plains of Mamre, and renewed the 
 promife of a fon by Sarah, and treated 
 him as a friend, in opening to him his 
 defign of deftroying Sodom and Gomor- 
 rah. To reward the laft and greateft 
 inftance of Abraham's faith and obe- 
 dience, namely the offering up his foa 
 Ifaac, Jehovah in the folemneft manner 
 by an oath confirmed to him all the blef- 
 fings, which before had only been pro- 
 mifed. 
 
 Thus I have reprefentd the moft confi- 
 derable expreflTions of favour, that God 
 granted to Abraham, to incourage him 
 to flieddy faith and conftant obedience ; 
 to which may be added the prefents, and 
 fafe condudt of the king of Egypt ^ the 
 favours his nephew Lot received for his 
 fake ; the promife that was made by an 
 angel to Hagar, that her fon by Abram, 
 who fhould be called Ifimaely fhould 
 become the anceftor of a great people, 
 and that twelve princes fhould fpring 
 from him; the liberty which the king 
 of Gerar gave to Abraham, befides the 
 
 prefents 
 
i86 JnEssAY for esplainhtg 
 
 prefents he had made him, to live with 
 the utmoft fecurity in any part of his 
 dominions, and his defire of entring into 
 a league of friendfliip with him, fmce 
 he was peculiarly favoured and protected 
 by God ; the alliances of feveral petty 
 princes of Canaan ; the fuccefs which 
 attended Eleazer his fteward, when he 
 attempted, agreeably to his orders, a 
 match between one of his own kindred, 
 and his fon Ifaac j and finally the refped: 
 which was paid him by the fons of Herb, 
 particularly by Ephron, when he pur- 
 chafed a burying-place. 
 
 A few remarks, which I apprehend 
 proper, fhall conclude this head. A rea- 
 fonable difpofition and behaviour in every 
 circumftance, which arifes, is the de- 
 (ign of divine encouragements. Thus 
 the favours and promifes, which God 
 granted to Abraham, were by him in- 
 tended as means and motives for that 
 purpofe. As man therefore is a fenfi- 
 ble moral agent, happinefs, which de- 
 pends on the will of God, cannot be an 
 improper motive to produce in him a rea- 
 fonable temper and condudl. Nor is it 
 a province unworthy of him, who is the 
 wife and kind governour of the world, to 
 proportion the incouragements of reli- 
 gious virtue to the imperfeftion and tem- 
 ptations of the prefent Hate, And when 
 
 mankind 
 
the Scripture-Revelations, 287 
 
 mankind had run into idolatry from the 
 hope of obtaining good, or efcaping e- 
 vil, by the influence of their falfe Gods, 
 and the one true God defigned in fetting 
 up Abraham as an example to cure that 
 evil, and prevent its fpreading -, nothing 
 could be more proper, than that Abraham 
 fhould have remarkable protection and 
 diftinguifhed favours. 
 
 The confiderarion of the clrcum- 
 ftances, which attended the exhibiting 
 this example, will make the wifdom 
 and goodnefs of God therein appear more 
 confpicuous. Tho the impreffion, which 
 the appearance of Jehovah in terrible 
 majefty had made at the difperlion, ap- 
 pears to have been worn out, by Terah's 
 linking into fome degrees of idolatry ; 
 yet, fince Terah was cotemporary with 
 Peleg, in whofe days the diviiion hap- 
 pened, one hundred and eighteen years, 
 the diftance was not fo great, but we 
 may reafonably apprehend, that the time 
 of raifing up Abram to be an example 
 v/as proper to have given a check to ido- 
 latry, and if it had been carefully con- 
 fidered to have cured it. Befides, when 
 Terah was all his life coeval with Shem, 
 one of Noah's fons, from whom he him- 
 felf defcended, the earlieft revelations 
 might without difficulty be recovered, 
 and certainly known. This pattern 
 
 moreover 
 
iS8 jin Ess AY for explaining 
 
 moreover was not as a light, that fud- 
 denly arofe, and as foon difappeared, but 
 continued an hundred years ; for Abram 
 was feventy five years old, when he 
 came into Canaan, and died in his hun- 
 dred and feventy fifth Year. He was ex- 
 hibited as an example to the defcendants 
 of Cham, among whom degeneracy took 
 its rife, and by whom it was unhappily 
 fpread. Egypt was peopled by Mizraim, 
 a fon of Cham, Cafluhim defcended from 
 Mizraim, from Cafluhim came Philiftim, 
 and the feveral nations, which were called 
 Canaanites^ took their rife from Canaan^ 
 another fon of Cham. Abram*s fo- 
 journing from one place to another, and 
 his being remarkably favoured by Jeho- 
 vah, wherever he went, and particularly 
 at the courts of Egypt and Gerar, ren- 
 dered his example more general, and 
 made it with greater care be obferved : 
 To which Melchifedek's bleffing him 
 (who was king of Salem, and eminent for 
 his worfliiping the true God, and the pra- 
 <aice of righteoufnefs) in the prefence of 
 the king of Sodom did not a little con- 
 tribute. His family in confequence was 
 made up of perfons, who were of feveral 
 nations. Eleazer his fteward was of Da- 
 mafcus, and Hagar Sarah^s handmaid was 
 an Egyptian ; and 'tis not improbable 
 that many, who believed in the one true 
 
 God, 
 
the Scripture- Revelations* 289 
 
 God, might choofe to live under his patri- 
 archate. In a word, the influence of his 
 example muft have been wide and exten- 
 five, when befides Canaan, which was pro- 
 mifed to Ifaac his heir, "Jduinea and Ara- 
 bia petraea, deferta, and felix were in- 
 habited by fuch, who defcended from 
 him by Hagar and Keturah. And God 
 himfelf gives teftimony to Abraham's care 
 in inftrudting his children to keep the way 
 of the Loj'd^ aiid to do jj4Jitce afid judgment. 
 What eflfed: his inftrudions had, appears 
 in Job, and his friends who are intro- 
 duced as converfing with him. 
 
 From this hiftory of Abraham we may 
 coUedl the wife and kind conftitution of 
 religion, which God early fettled in him, 
 of faith and obedience, attended with 
 promifes, which were confirmed by cove- 
 nant and oath ; the promife of the land 
 of Canaan to his natural feed, worfhip- 
 ing the true and Hving God; and to his 
 fpiritual feed njoalking before God and 
 hemg upright (of what nation or fami- 
 lies foever) that of being their God, and 
 
 of the EVERLASTING POSSESSION. This 
 
 conftitution, which I call Abrahamic, is 
 plain and fimple, kind and gracious, wife 
 and fuited to the imperfed; ftate of man- 
 kind, andof the greateft compafs and ex- 
 tenfivenefs 5 and therefore fitly defigned 
 to continue and laft. From whence it 
 U muft 
 
2po An Essay for cxpJatnmg 
 
 muft appear to all judicious perfons un^ 
 neceflary to vindicate every adion of the 
 defcendants of Abraham. And I might 
 for that reafon here finiili thefe remarks. 
 But fince light may be throv\'n upon fome 
 of the following accounts, by reprefenting 
 them cloathed with their proper circum- 
 ftances, and ufeful refledions may be 
 made upon the divine condudtj I {liall 
 proceed briefly to make fome farther 
 obfervations upon the remaining part of 
 the hiftory of Genefis. 
 
 It appears by what is tranfmited to 
 us of Ifaac, that he walked in the fteps 
 of his father Abraham ^ and received like 
 inftances of favour from Jehovah, For 
 when his faith and patience had been 
 tried by the barrenefs of Rebekah for 
 twenty years, the Lord was at laft in- 
 treated ofhim^ and Rebekah conceived. A 
 famine arifing in the land occafioned 
 Ifaac to form a deiign of going into E- 
 gypt ; but Jehovah appeared to hiniy and 
 faid. Go not down to Egypt ^ fojourn in this 
 land^ andl will be with thee and blefs thee: 
 for unto thee a?2d unto thy feed I will give 
 all thefe countreys^ and I will perform the 
 oath which I fware unto Abraham thy fa" 
 ther ; and I will make thy feed to mul- 
 tiply as the ftars of heaven^ and will give 
 unto thy feed all thefe countries 5 and in 
 thy feed Jball Ai.h the nations of the 
 
 EARTH 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 291 
 
 EARTH be blejjed. And to keep alive in 
 Ifaac's mind, that the conflitution was 
 fettled in Abraham, it follows : becaiife 
 that Abraham obeyed my voice^ and kept 
 my charge, my commandments, my Jlatutes^ 
 and my laws. 
 
 And whereas fomc may wonder, that, 
 when Ifaac had an exprefs order not to 
 go down to Egypt, but to fojourn in Ge- 
 rar, and a promife that God would be 
 with him and blefs him ; he (hould take 
 the fame condu6l that Abraham had 
 done before, and fay, that Rebekah was 
 his fifter: It is to be remarked, that the 
 promife was exprefled in general terms j 
 / "ivill be with thee, and blefs thee, unat- 
 tended with any particular directions: 
 and tho he was received by the grant of 
 the king, probably as a gueft ; yet the 
 men of the place, fais the text, asked him 
 of his wife in fuch a manner, as raifed 
 fear in him, lefl they foould kill him for 
 Rebekah' s fake. And to the laft part 
 of the promife, \vh.\c\\ Jehovah then fa- 
 voured Ifaac with, namely, / will make 
 thy feed to 7nultiply as the flars of heaven^ 
 and will give unto thy feed all thefe coun- 
 tries, a?2d in thy feed fiall all the 
 
 NATIONS OF THE EARTH be bkffcdy it is 
 
 added : hecaufe that Abraham obeyed my 
 
 voice, and kept my charge, 7?iy command- 
 
 ?7je?itSy my Jiatutes, and my laws. Hereby 
 
 U 2 Ifaac 
 
202 An Essay for e^plamng 
 
 Ifaac might be led to apprehend, efpe- 
 cially when he was under the impref- 
 fion of fear, that Abraham was no way 
 blameable in that part of his condudl ; 
 and the rather, fince it occafioned fuch 
 an interpoihre of the true God, as made 
 him to be more regarded by two idola- 
 trous courts. 
 
 The extraordinary increafe of Ifaac's 
 poffeffions, while he dwelt in Gerar, 
 raifed the envy of the Philiftines, and 
 occafioned their unkind ufage of him. 
 And when he removed to Beerfheba, 
 Jehoimh appeared to him the fame nighty 
 and faid^ I am the God of Abraham thy 
 father : fear 7iot^ for I am with thee^ and 
 will blefs thee, and tnultiply thy feed for my 
 fervant Abraham' s fake. And Ifaac build- 
 ing there an altar called upon the name 
 ttf Jehovah, The affedion however 
 which Ifaac had to Efau, as the elder 
 fon, and his intention to fettle on him 
 the fpecial temporal bleffing, which was 
 intail'd on his family, implied weaknefs 
 and imperfed:ion. Efau had loft his 
 claim to it as the firft born, having for- 
 feited it by marrying into the families 
 of the idolatrous Canaanites. And it is 
 probable that he himfelf might have 
 pradlifed idolatry, and in confequence 
 have been the occafion of grief as well 
 to Ifaac as Rebekah. But this muft be 
 
 regarded 
 
 A 
 
ihe Scripture-Revelations. 295 
 
 regarded as frailty, and not fuch op- 
 pofition to the oracle, as would draw 
 after it a forfeiture of the bleffings, 
 which were promifed to thofe, who 
 walked before God and were upright. 
 Rebekah might keep to herfelf the ora- 
 cle, till the twins were born, and her 
 particular affedion for Jacob difcovered it- 
 felf to Ifaac, which might occafion fome 
 fufpicion in him, that fhe might by 
 her fondnefs to Jacob be byafed in repre- 
 fenting the prediction ; and the rather, 
 becaufe he had no difcovery of it made 
 to himfelf to dired his condudt in that 
 affair, which he might apprehend not 
 unreafonable, fmce he had received the 
 favour of feveral appearances of Jehovah, 
 It is however certain, that when Ifaac 
 had given the bleffing to Jacob, fenfible 
 that it was the deiign of God, how ill 
 foever the method was by which it was 
 obtained, he would not by the tears and 
 intreaties of his fon Efau be prevailed 
 with to revoke it. To the advantage 
 then, which they among whom Abraham 
 fojourned had by his example for an 
 hundred years, muft be added the benefit 
 of Ifaac's pattern for an hundred and five 
 years more, who imitated the faith and 
 obedience of his father ; for fo long 
 he lived after Abraham's death. The 
 way which Jacob took by the advice qf 
 U 3 his 
 
2p4 jdn 'Ess AY for explaining 
 
 his mother Rebekah to gain ths bleffing 
 was unqueftionably criminal, and can by 
 no means be vindicated. The danger of 
 being dilcovered by his father, and of 
 drawing: in confequence a ciirfe inftead 
 of a bleffing, indeed awakened his fear. 
 But Rebekah replied : Uf072 me be thy 
 curfe. And probably fhe ufed other ar- 
 guments to prevail with him, as Efau's 
 felling him his birthright, and forfeiting 
 the blefling by marrying with the people 
 of Canaan ; the peripicuity of the oracle 
 in his own favour, 'The elder Jhall ferve 
 the younger ; and the refolution of Ifaac 
 to give the bleffing to Efau, which was 
 fo foon to be executed, as would admit 
 of no delay. To all which fhe might 
 add the authority of a mother. Rebekah 
 fucceeded, and Jacob complied with her 
 diredlions. It is not unlikely indeed, that 
 Jacob in his hurry at that time might not 
 attend to all the inftances of faliliood, in 
 •v/hich the part he was to ad by the 
 advice of his mother would unavoidablv 
 involve him ; but he could not but 
 know, for he was then feventy i^Mtw 
 years of age, that his fiying to his father 
 he was Efau his firft-born, that he had 
 done v/hat he commanded him, and that 
 the Lord had brought venifon to him, 
 muft draw upon him the guilt of many 
 Wnuuthsj exprelTed with a defign to de- 
 ceive 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 
 
 ceive his aged father. To fay that Ja- 
 cob and his mother were pollefled with 
 the opinion, that they might impofe 
 upon Ifaac for the good of his family, 
 will not much mend the matter, Be- 
 fides, tho Ifaac confirmed the blefTing to 
 Jacob, yet he expreily declared that Ja- 
 cob had obtained it by fubtlety and de- 
 ceit. Accordingly we find great diftrefs 
 immediately attending him, for his bro- 
 ther formed a defign to kill him. To 
 prevent which Rebekah, with the confent 
 of Ifaac, fent him to Padan-aram. His 
 fear of Efau made him go almofl unat- 
 tended, and in a manner unbecoming the 
 heir of the family, notv/ithflanding his 
 defign was to take a wife thence. While 
 Jacob was thus taking his flight from 
 Canaan, like an exile, he could not but 
 refledl upon his criminal condud: with 
 the deepefl concern ; tho his father's 
 confirming to him the blefling in- 
 fpired him vvith hope, and ingaged his 
 dependance on divine providence. In 
 this variety of thoughts Jacob laid him- 
 felf down to fleep, and was favoured 
 with a reprefentation extremely proper 
 to his circumilance, and a vifion of Je^ 
 hovah, tho in a dream, who faid : / am 
 the Lord God of Abraham thy father^ and 
 the God of IJ'aac^ the land ^whereon thou 
 lieji^ to thee "will I give if^ and to thy feed-y 
 U ± a?i4 
 
io6 An Ess AY for e>splahiing 
 
 \end behold I am with thee^ afid will keep 
 'thee in all places whither thou goefl^ and 
 will bring thee again into this land. This 
 appearance of Jehovah in glory, giving 
 Jacob an affurance of the bleliing, as the 
 God of Abraham, and of Ifaac, pretty 
 .nearly in the fame words which his fa- 
 ther ufedj when he confirmed it to him, 
 was attended with fuch evidence, as 
 would leave no room for Jacob to doubt, 
 and was on feveral accounts very feafon- 
 able. It was an incouragement to him, 
 who was going to one branch of Abra- 
 ham's family, which had fallen into fome 
 degrees of idolatry, to worfhip and ferve 
 there Jehovah alone, the God of his fa- 
 thers, and the creator and governour of 
 the world. Hereby his mind, which was 
 juft before oppreffed with gloomy re- 
 "fledions, was coniiderably cheared, as is 
 evident from his conduct after he rofe 
 up ; for he ereded a pillar of the ftonc 
 he had lain upon, poured oil on the 
 top of it, called the name of the place 
 Bethel, and vowed a tenth of all that 
 God (liould give him upon his return. 
 And fuch a diflipation of his melancholy, 
 and aflurance of the divine favour, were 
 highly reqiiiiite to influence him to a fui- 
 table behaviour under circumftances of 
 diftrefs, which afterwards would arife. 
 When Jacob had convinced Laban upon 
 
 hi? 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. ip/ 
 
 his arrival at Padan-aram, that he was 
 his fifter's fon, he found himfelf in fuch 
 circumftances, as that there was no o- 
 ther way for him to gain Rachel, than 
 by entring into Laban's fervice for i^wtn 
 years. This could not but be difcerned by 
 Jacob to be the effed: of his fudden flight 
 from his brother Efau ; and fince that 
 was the confequence of his obtaining the 
 blefling in a criminal manner, he could 
 not but have thereby a lively fenfe of it 
 preferved in his mind. When Jacob 
 firft began his feven years fervice with 
 Laban, he was about feventy eight years 
 of age. And when upon the expiration 
 of them he demanded Rachel, and La- 
 ban impofed Leah upon him in ftead of 
 her, fuch impofition could not but bring 
 into his mind the fad remembrance of his 
 own guilt in deceiving his father. Ja- 
 cob ferved Laban feven other years for 
 Rachel, whom he look'd upon as his 
 wife, tho out of tendernefs to Leah he 
 would not put her away. Jacob's faith 
 and patience were afterwards tried by 
 the barrenefs of Rachel for near feven 
 years ; after which fhe had a fon, whom 
 fhe named Jofeph^ in firm confidence that 
 {he fhould have another. When the 
 fourteen years fervice was ended, Jacob 
 thought of returning to his own coun- 
 try^ and opened his mind to Laban. 
 
 But 
 
ip 8 An Essay for explaining 
 
 But Laban intreated him to tarry, fince 
 he had found by experience, that the 
 Lord had bleffed him for his fake. Ja- 
 cob confented upon terms which Laban 
 readily agreed to, tho he changed them 
 afterward ten times. In every alteration 
 fuccefs attended Jacob, and the interpo- 
 fure of God for his profperity thereby 
 appeared more confpicuous. Laban there- 
 fore and his fons grew envious, and Ja- 
 cob was forced to go away fecretly at the 
 end of fix more years. Thus he ferved 
 Laban, who was extrem.ely covetous, four- 
 teen years of the prime of his life for 
 his two daughters, by whom and their 
 handmaids he had a numerous family un- 
 provided for. And tho Laban himfelf 
 was convinced, that his profperity was 
 owing to Jacob, he was cruel and in- 
 human, exacfting of him w^hat was torn 
 of beafts, or ftolen by day or by night ; 
 and in the remaining fix years of his fer- 
 vice varied the agreement ten times. The 
 continuance of Jacob however with La- 
 ban twenty years, in whofe family fome 
 degrees of idolatry prevailed, was highly 
 proper to carry on and promote the de- 
 fign of God to prevent or cure idolatry, 
 by raifing up Abraham and his family, 
 and diftinguifhing them as worfhipers 
 of himfelf alone by his peculiar favours. 
 Laban had but little before Jacob came ; 
 
 and 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 299 
 
 and it is probable that the family had; 
 lefs fuccefs, after they had prad:ifed in-' 
 dolatry, in the degree they did. When 
 Jacob came, Laban remarkably increafed, 
 and the Lord blejfed him J or his fake. This 
 evidently proved, that Jacob had pre- 
 ferved himfelf from the undue mixtures 
 in the worfhip of God, which had crept 
 imo Laban*s family; and might, if it 
 had been attended to, have recovered La- 
 ban to the like Vv^orihip. While the 
 wife and kind defign of God to prevent 
 or cure idolatry was carrying on in the 
 example of Jacob at Padan-aram, the 
 fame was promoted at Canaan by the 
 eminent pattern of his father Ifaac. 
 Moreover the extraordinary interpoli- 
 tion of God by a dream to Laban, to 
 prevent his doing any mifchief to Ja- 
 cob; and the appearance of an hoft of 
 angels to Jacob, to aiTure him that he 
 fhould be protedled from the refentment 
 of his brother ; farther confirmed by the 
 fuccefs, which was indulged to him in 
 wreftling with the angel ( fmce thefe 
 were favours granted to Jacob, as he was 
 a fincere worihiper of the true God) did 
 not a little contribute to this defign. 
 When Jacob had vifited his father, he 
 left him, and fojourned in other parts 
 of Canaan, by which their examples be- 
 came more extenfively ufeful. 
 
 Jofeph 
 
00 An Essay for explamng 
 
 Jofeph gave early difcoveries of piety, 
 and was favoured with divine dreams, 
 which at once excited both the regard 
 and affedlion of his father, and the ha- 
 tred and envy of his brethren who fold 
 him into Egypt at feventeen years of age. 
 When Potiphar, whofe fervant he was, 
 faw that the Lord was with him, and 
 made all that he did profper in his hand, 
 he appointed him overfeer in his houfe, 
 and over all that he had ; and from that 
 time the bleffing of the Lord v^as upon 
 all that he had in the houfe, and in the 
 field, for Jofeph's fake, who worfliiped 
 alone the true God. When from a falfe 
 accufation of his miftrefs Jofeph was put 
 into prifon, the keeper of the prifon 
 feeing that the Lord was with him com- 
 mited all the prifoners, who were in 
 cuftcdy, to his care. For fome crime 
 the butler and baker of the king of Egypt 
 were put in ward, where Jofeph was, 
 and each of them dreamed a dream, 
 which appeared to have a reference to 
 themfelves. This made them extremely 
 melancholy, lince under their prefent 
 confinement they could not have an inter- 
 preter ; when Jofeph reminding them 
 that interpretations belonged to God^ told 
 them their dreams ; and defired the cup- 
 bearer to remember him, when he was 
 reftored to the favour of his prince. He 
 
 how- 
 
the Scripture-Revelations.. :oi 
 
 however forgot him two years, till Pha- 
 raoh dreamed a dream, which none of 
 the magicians and wife men of Egypt 
 could interpret; and then he acquainted 
 Pharaoh with the skill of Jofeph, who 
 fent for him, and related to him his 
 dream. Upon this Jofeph, who was a 
 wor{hiper of the true God alone, care- 
 fully afcribed the ability of interpretation 
 to him only : II is not in me : God fl:) all 
 give Pharaoh an anfwer of peace. And 
 he added, after he had interpreted the 
 dream: God hath JJjewed Pharaoh^ what 
 he is about to do. Then Jofeph, who 
 was a branch of Abraham's family, emi- 
 nent for early piety, and a remarkable 
 inftance of peculiar favour exprefled 
 to him as worfhiping the true God 
 only, was advanced to be Lord over all 
 Egypt under king Pharaoh, and look'd 
 upon as afaviour there, and the deliverer 
 of all the countries around. The fitnefs 
 of this method to recover the Egyptians 
 from fuperftition and idolatry, which at 
 that time greatly prevailed among them, 
 cannot but be difcerned with eafe by 
 every attentive and coniiderate perfon. 
 To which we may add, the defcent of 
 Jacob into Egypt, where he lived at Go- 
 ihen feventeen years with his family, fe- 
 parate from the Egyptians, and attended 
 with peculiar profperiry, as a reward for 
 
 wor- 
 
2 01 An Essay for e^pJaimng 
 
 worfhiping of the true God. When he af- 
 terwards died, and was buried in Mach- 
 pelah J the place where he was intered, 
 the pomp of the proceflion, and the re- 
 markable grief which was expreffed, 
 were circumftances proper to excite in- 
 quiry and regard. It is farther to be ob- 
 ferved, that Jacob lived after Ifaac his 
 father twenty feven years. 
 
 I have omited to take notice, that fre- 
 quently the younger brother was prefered 
 to the elder, and the delire of Jacob and 
 Jofeph to be buried with their lathers, to 
 exprefs their firm belief of the promifes ; 
 becaufe I would reprefent the defign of 
 God in raifingup the family of Abraham 
 to prevent or redrefs idolatry in one intire 
 and uninterrupted view. And I fliall 
 now put an end to thefe remarks by ob- 
 ferving only, that Abraham died without 
 any poffeffion in the land of Canaan, tha 
 it was promifed to him and his feed ; 
 as did alfo Ifaac, while probably Iflimael 
 became the head of a great nation. And 
 iho Jacob made a purchafe, yet it was 
 only of a parcel of a field amounting to 
 no more than an hundred fhekels, and no 
 way proportioned to the promife of the 
 land of Canaan; while Efau had large 
 poflTeflions in Seir, and from him de- 
 scended dukes. Hereby the patriarchs 
 could not but be led to believe, that 
 
 there 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. ^02 
 
 there would be a refurredlion to a perpe- 
 tual happy life -, fince otherwife that pro- 
 mife made to each of them would be 
 unaccomplifhed, namely: / will ejla- 
 bliJJj ?ny covenant between ?ne and thee^ and 
 thy feed after thee in their generatio7is^ 
 
 FOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, tO be 
 
 a God unto thee^ and to thy feed after thee. 
 And / will give unto thee^ a?id thy feed 
 after thee^ the land wherein thou art a 
 Jiranger, all the land of Canaan for an 
 EVERLASTING POSSESSION ; and I wHl be 
 their God, 
 
304 
 
 DISSERTATION 
 
 OntheFJLLofMAN. 
 
 TO fet the hiftory, which Mofes 
 gives us, of the fall of the firft pair 
 by means of the ferpent in fuch a light, 
 as to have all apparent inconfiftences 
 removed, cannot but be looked upon as 
 an attempt proper for thofe, who under- 
 take to vindicate the revelations of fcri- 
 pture. 
 
 Whether the ftory is to be underftood 
 allegorically, or literally: and if literally, 
 whether the dialogue is to be taken as 
 real; or whether Eve's reafoning upon 
 the fad: of a ferpent's eating of the pro- 
 hibited fruit, and not dying, be not re- 
 prefented in a way of dialogue after the 
 eaftern manner: whether an evil and 
 apoftate fpirit was concerned in it, and 
 if fo, whether he made ufe of a real fer- 
 pent, as the inftrument ; or whether he 
 put on the appearance only of a ferpent : 
 and whether it can be made to appear, 
 
 that 
 
the Scripture- Revelations. 305 
 
 that it is not inconfiftent with the ideas 
 we have of the kind and wife governour 
 of the world, tofuffer fuch a tempter to 
 addrefs his innocent and unexperienced 
 creatures: thefe are difficulties, which 
 muft be carefully attended to by any, 
 who (hall make the attempt. 
 
 Many of the antient and modern writers 
 have underftood this part of the hiftory al- 
 legorically. Maimonides'm fome paJTages 
 of his Moreb Nevochim ' feems to be of 
 this opinion, tho in others he appears to 
 differ. Philo * allegorifes it largely 1 
 and fais in particular, that the ferpentis 
 a fymbol of pleafure: which by no 
 means can agree to the manner, in which 
 Mofes introduces the relation of the fall 
 by faying, that the ferpent was the moft 
 fubtle of the beajis of the field. The 
 great objedion which lies againft the 
 allegorical fenfe is, that it quite alters 
 the character of the writer, who appears 
 to be a judicious, and exadt hiftorian ; 
 whereas he may be juflly efleemed a 
 moft inaccurate one, if in the middle of 
 an hiftory he has inferted allegories, efpc- 
 cially when he gives no intimation of it 
 to his reader. 
 
 ■ T*. ii. cap. 39, 30. * De opificio mundi, p. 24. 
 
 ed. Paris. 
 
 Others 
 
5 o6 An Essay fot explaining 
 
 Others therefore with more colour of 
 reafon tell us, that it is to be underftood 
 literally ; but then they are at a lofs to 
 account for the dialogue between the 
 ferpent and Eve, and only fay, that it 
 was the eaftern cuftom to reprefent fadls 
 in this manner '. Of this opinion is 
 I/'aac jd/mrbanely who denies that the 
 ferpent cou*d have any difcourfe with 
 Eve; and maintains, that by the dialogue 
 
 I Sunt tamen qui, quoniam in hac hilloria multa men- 
 tio fit fermouum, ubi nulli habiti efie videntur, conjjciant 
 ferpentis nullcs fuiile fermones, fed eum ab Heva confpe- 
 £lum comedentem fru6lum interdiftum, ejufque exemplo 
 «.ddu6lam, ut ipfa etiam ederet, fuiffe ; cum praeterea ar- 
 boris vetitae fmftus fpecie Tua ad concupifcendum eum, et 
 forte et,i3im nomine fcientiae, fpeftantem proliceret. C'erte 
 poena ferpenti infiifta, infra verf 14. puherem comedes om- 
 nibuT diehiis ^ntae tuae^ indicare videtur ferpentem come- 
 dendo fmdum arboris Hevam fefellilfe j et quia ex alta 
 arbore fruftus comedens earn perdiderat^ ad terrae fuccos 
 lambendos damnatum fuiffe. lidem etiam cacodaemona 
 quempiam huic negotio fefe immifcuifie non negaverinc, 
 unde ferpe7itis nomine poftmodum ab Hebraeis indigitatus 
 fuerit, ex hoc fcripturae loco ita inteileclo. . Ut autem fer- 
 jnonis ferpentis, qui nullus fuit, meminit fcriptor divinus, 
 pro narrandi, qui in eo fupra obfervatus eft ad cap. i. 
 more ; ita quoque, quia loquentem indudlurus erat ferpen? 
 tem, cujus exemplo decepti fmt primi parentes, ei pro- 
 pterea calliditatem tribuerit, quae tamen bruto, non magis 
 quam fermo, ineffe potuit : atque ideo et fermone et verfutia 
 ufus inducitur, ut volant ii, quorum fententiam referimus ; 
 quod haud minus primis parentibus, quam fi dolofo fermone 
 cos corrupiffet, nocuerit. Itaque et calliditas ferpentis, et 
 ejus cum Heva colloquium, non quafi circumftantiae, <jtiae 
 urgeri queant, fed quafi orientalia, ut ita dicam, narratio 
 nis ornamenta ab iiidem habentur. Atque haec fuit, ex 
 parte faitem, Jfaaci Jbarhandis fententja, etc, Cleric. 
 
 the 
 
the Scripturc-Revelacions. J07 
 
 the writer defigned to exprefs the reafon- 
 ings of the woman drawn from the 
 adion of the ferpent, and his eating of 
 the fruit of the tree ; which may be 
 thus apprehended : This ferpent, which 
 was eredl and fliining, took in the pre- 
 fence of Eve of the fruit, which was for- 
 biden. She amazed to find that nei-r 
 ther death, nor any other diforder infued, 
 but on the contrary rather greater luftre, 
 concluded, that the tree was good for 
 food, and that (he might fafely eat of it ; 
 and when {he faw it was beautiful and 
 pleafant to the eyes, (he took of ths fruit 
 thereof, and did eat. Le C/erc appre- 
 hends that the fenfe of thefe words, Te 
 Jhall be as Gods^ cannot be drawn from 
 the adtion of the ferpent, and that there- 
 fore this opinion is not perfectly con- 
 iiftent. To which may be replied, that 
 if the ferpent upon eating of the for- 
 biden fruit was fo far from dying, that 
 he increafed in luftre, and might probably 
 give inftances of greater fagacity ; Eve 
 Blight from thence infer, fince this creature 
 15 much below me, and yet by eating 
 this fruit is advanced; if I fhould eat of 
 it, I fliould become as the Elohim, who 
 attend the prefence of the Lord God. 
 And that the ferpent after eating of the 
 fruit feemed to be improved, is evident 
 from thofe words : When the woman faw^ 
 X 2 that 
 
jin Essay for esplahitng 
 
 that the tree was to be defired to make o?ie 
 ivife, Tho this interpretation, efpecially 
 if the devil be allowed to dired: and in- 
 fluence the ferpent, carries in itconfidera- 
 ble probability; yet- upon a nearer view- 
 great difficulties will be found to attend 
 It. The cuftom of the eaftern writers 
 to reprefent an hillory of fads by dia- 
 logue is not clearly and fully proved: 
 the inftances which are produced frorq 
 the firll of Genefis, A?id God faid. Let 
 there be light. Let the earth bring forth 
 grafs CSc. are not fufficient to fupport it. 
 L it Jo, that God hath /aid, ye Jhalhtot 
 eat of any tree of the garden ? which in the 
 opinion of the bed critics in the Hebrew 
 tongue is the true rendering of the word 
 col, when a particle of negation precedes 
 it, and beft fuits the reply the woman 
 makes s by no means countenances thi« 
 way of interpretation, but greatly fa- 
 vours the opinion of a real dialogue. Not 
 to iniift on the fentiment of bifhop P^- 
 trick, who tells us, " that this manner 
 *' of expreffion. Tea, hath God faid t 
 " does not look like the begining of a 
 ** difcourfe, hut the conclufion -, as the 
 " Jews themfelves have obferved '." 
 
 Let us fuppofe then a real dialogue. 
 This Jofephiis the Jewi(h hiftorian 
 
 '■ ■ ■ ■ w I I a^i— ■*— ■ i j p III I 
 
 I h loc, 
 
 doesj 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 509 
 
 rfoes ', and explains it in a manner pe- 
 culiar to himielf; that all animals at 
 that time had the faculty of language, 
 and that the ferpent living familiiirly 
 with Adam and the woman attempted 
 to feduce the latter, becaufe he envied 
 her happinefs, and was aware that great 
 diftrefs would befal heir and Adam, if 
 he fhould fucCeed. In this interpreta- 
 tion, which is too fanciful to deferve a 
 particular inquiry into, he leaves out 
 the influence of the devil, contrary to 
 the general fentiments of the moft learn- 
 ed Jews , with which the writers of the 
 New Teftament agree ^ 
 
 Admiting then not only the dialogue 
 to be real, but that the devil, the head 
 of the apolkcyi was concerned, we may 
 
 I Antiq. J lid. /. i. ^. i. § 4. 
 
 * Sammacl [the devil] was united with the ferpent. RaS- 
 hi Uenach. on Gtyi. iii. All the work.; that he [tiie (erpentj 
 'did, and all the words he (poke, he Ipoke not, neither did, 
 but b>' reafon df the devil. ?lrhe R. Eiiezar, ch. i 3. See 
 Ainfajwth. At nee hoc praetereundwrn, quod mcdrafch 
 iidducunt fapientes noftri lei-pentem equitatum fuiffe, et 
 iefforem ejus fuiffe ilium, qui decepit Evam, huncque feflb- 
 rem luiiie Sammaekm : quod nomen ablblute uiurpant de 
 Satana. Maim. Mor. Ne-v. P. ii. c. 30. 
 
 * John viii. 44. Te are of jou)- father the denjil. He ivas 
 a mur^ef'er from the begining. Heb. ii. 14. "Vj^t though 
 death he might dejlroy hifn, njuho had the po^ver of death [in- 
 ^rroducing it by fin] that'is the de-vii. Rev. xii. 9. Aid the 
 great dragon 'was caji out^ the old ferpent [refering to the 
 luiftory of the fall) called the devil and Satan, 
 
 X 3 appr€- 
 
3 I o An Ess AY for e^plamng 
 
 apprehend either that he made ufe of a 
 true lerpent, or put on fuch an appear- 
 ance only. If the latter be received, the 
 meaning of the fentence may be given 
 (as .it is in the Effay ' ) in the following 
 paraph rafe : And the Lord God faid to 
 the ferpent^ Becaufe thou haft done thisy 
 curj'ed be thou (who in the appearance 
 of a ferpent haft beguiled the woman) 
 above all cattel^ and above every beaji of 
 thejieUL And tho a little while fince in 
 the form of a fliining and eredl ferpent 
 thou didft infinuate to her, that eating 
 of the forbiden fruit had not only im- 
 proved thy luftre, but thy knowledge^ 
 and that if fhe would eat of it, fhe 
 &ould be advanced, and become as the 
 Blohimy and thereby didft fuccced in thy 
 attempt: yet 4 will abafe thee before 
 her, and in her ppefence Jhalt thou go on 
 thy belly y and duft Jhalt thou eat all the 
 days^ that thou fhalt live in this figure, 
 v/herein at prefent I detain thee. If th^ 
 former be admited, and the devil made 
 ufe of a real ferpent, which was erecft and 
 fhining, as an inftrument -, then that part 
 of the fentence, and dujl fialt thou eat 
 all the days of thy Ufe^ may be interpreted, 
 food mingled with duft fhalt thou eat 
 
 all 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 5 1 1, 
 
 all the davs thou {halt live, to whom 
 the apoftate fpirit is now confined by 
 Jehovah Elohinu If the degrading of that 
 ferpent from ere6t to groveling fhould be 
 thought by any to be incongruous, fince the 
 ferpent could not be criminal ; let fuch re- 
 me'mber, that the continuance of the fer- 
 pent in any degree of pleafure was the 
 gift of God, and that the abafement of 
 it fubferved the views of moral govern- 
 ment. 
 
 The chief objedion, which lies a- 
 gainft this way of interpreting the 
 hiftory of the fall, as indeed againft 
 any other, which fhall take in the agency 
 of the devil, is, that fuch interpretations 
 do not appear fo confident with the ideas 
 we have of a kind, wife, and powerful 
 governor ; efpecially if the apoftate fpi- 
 rit, who was permited to addrefs his tem- 
 ptation to unexperienced tho innocent crea- 
 tures, fell from a higher ftate of know- 
 ledge and happinefs, and in a different 
 part of the creation of God. 
 
 I would reply to this in general, that 
 it is the province of God as moral go- 
 vernor of the world, who has the di- 
 redion and controul of every creature, ta 
 prevent any fuch addrefs to be made to an 
 innocent moral agent, as could not eafily 
 be difccrned and overcome. Such views 
 tihcrefore of the temptation- of the wo- 
 X 4 nxan. 
 
3 I X An Essay for €t<platning 
 
 man, as are formed rather to account for 
 Its lliccefs, than to make it confident 
 with the hiftory Mofes gives of it, and 
 the charadter of God as a moral gover- 
 nor, muft be rejcSed. When the devil 
 in the appearance of a {hining and er.edt 
 ferpent told the woman, that if fhe eat of 
 that fruit, {he (hould not die ; {he could 
 not but know^, that thofe words carried 
 in them a flat contradidlion to an exprefs 
 re{lraint, that not long before the Lord 
 God had laid upon her and Adam not to 
 cat. And if {he apprehended, that the im- 
 provements, which the ferpent feemed to 
 have upon eating the fruit, were the na- 
 tural confequences thereof; {he might by 
 reflection be eafily led to think, that 
 tho that fruit {hould be good for food 
 to other creatures, yet fince it was clear- 
 ly and exprefly prohibited to her upon 
 the threatning of death, it would prove 
 deadly and fatal to her. 
 
 But to give a more particular anfwer 
 to this difficulty I would remark, that 
 the Prefence of Jehovah Elohim was at-' 
 tended with Angels, who were under his 
 direftion. This is undeniably clear from 
 the Lord God's placing at the eaft of 
 the garden, upon the expulfion of the 
 fir{l pair, Cherubim and a flaming fword, 
 which turned every way to guard the 
 jpaflage to the tree of life. Some of thefe 
 
 atten- 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. j \ 5 
 
 attendants on the Prefence, k is probable, 
 diiliked their poft, and afFedted a more 
 independent ftate, whofe head attempted 
 to deceive the woman with the profpedt 
 of her gaining fuch knowledge by eat- 
 ing the prohibited fruitj asftiould render 
 inftru(flion and reftraint to her unnecef- 
 fary. This might be the firft overt-adt 
 of the apoftacy of Sammael^ or the devil. 
 There are but two places, wherein the fall 
 of the Angels and what followed upon it 
 are defcribed ; and we fhall find upon a 
 careful examination, they will not a little 
 favour this opinion. The firft is in Jude : 
 And the angels^ who kept not their Jirjiji ate ': 
 meaning either the innocence in which 
 they were created, in which fenfe Chriji 
 fais of their head ', that he abode not in 
 the truth 'y and Peter concerning them 
 all, that they fined ^: or the fhare of go- 
 vernment, which was afligned to them 
 in fubjedion to the Prefence, with which 
 they were not contented, but affed:ed 
 an higher and lefs dependent condition. 
 The manner in which Sammael tempted 
 Eve by reprefenting, that if fhe would 
 
 ' Jude Ver. 6. 'Af^wf- Angelos vero, qui non fer- 
 vaverunt fuum principatum. Vulg, Et angeli, qui non 
 fervarunt principatum fuum, Arab, 'verf, Ej angelo% 
 qui non fervarunt primas fuas. Syr. 'verf, 
 
 * John viii. 44. ^ 2 £/• ii. 4- 
 
 «a£ 
 
3 1 4 -^^ Essay for explaining 
 
 eat of the forbiden fruit, fhe fhould 
 rife higher, and be as the Elohim, ren- 
 ders this probable. The Greek word, 
 which we tranflate their Jirji jiate^ is 
 frequently ufed x.o f^gmiy pri?KipaUty. So, 
 Far above all principality, and power^ 
 and mighty and dominion^ etc '. For by him 
 were all things created^ that are in heaven^ 
 and that are in earthy vifible and invifi- 
 bky whether they be thrones^ or dominions^ 
 tr principalities, or powers^ etc '. Fut 
 them in mind to be fubjedf to principali- 
 ties, and powers^. According to this in- 
 terpretation the apoflle Jude not only 
 reprefents the fall of the angels, but the 
 oceafion of their apoftacy, namely their 
 diflike of the degree of power they had 
 'in fubjeftion to the Prefence. This is 
 greatly favoured by the following words : 
 but left their own habitation. A word 
 nearly allied to that, which is here ufed 
 by Judey is made ufe of by S. Paul: 
 In whom you alfo are builded together fof 
 an habitation '^ of God through the Spi-^ 
 rit \' refering to the temple, wherein 
 was the Shecinah or the Prefence. So 
 in the prophet Jeremy : Therefore pro^ 
 
 • Eph. i. 21, • Col i. i6. ' Tt$\ iii. i. 
 
 phsfii 
 
the Scripturc^Revelations, 
 
 phefie thou againfi them all theje words, 
 and fay unto them : The Lord fhall roar 
 on highy and utter his voice from his holy 
 habitation, he Jhall mightily roar upon 
 his habitation &c \ If the apoftic Juda 
 had any regard to this ufe of the word, 
 when he fpeaks of the angels who kept 
 not their port, but left their own habi^ 
 tation ; his meaning muft be, that they 
 left the Piefence, which was their pro- 
 per habitation, as they were atten- 
 dants upon it. This is farther confirm- 
 ed by the words which follow: he 
 hath reierijed in everlajiing chains under 
 darknefSy unto the judgment of the great 
 day. If we fuppofe thefe angels before 
 they fell to be with the Prefence in 
 Paradife, which was attended with inex- 
 preffible brightnefs and glory ; no phrafc 
 could be more proper, than that which 
 Jude here ufes, that after they had de- 
 ferted their poft, he [the Lord] referved 
 them in everlafting chains under dark^ 
 nefs. In the other place, which men- 
 tions the fall of the angels, the fame 
 thing is expreffed, but in ilronger terms: 
 If God fpared not the a?igelsy who fined-, 
 but cafi them down to hell, and delivered 
 
 * 7#r. XXV. 30. See Jotria> r6. ^wi i. 2. 
 
5 ! ^ jin f^ss AY for ekplatnlng 
 
 them into chains of darknefs [or, as thd 
 words might be rendered, lut confin- 
 ing them to dark air ' in chains of dark- 
 nefs^ hath delivered them] to be referred 
 unto judgment *. I think it will be allow- 
 ed me, that thefe expreffions have an 
 eafy fenfe, when confidercd as oppofed 
 to the glory. And when Jude fais, that 
 they, were referved to the judgment of the 
 great day^ and Peter untojudgmejit^ it is e- 
 vident tnat they refer to the day, when this 
 fyftem fhall be deftroyed. Our Saviour, 
 when he is reprefenting the fentence; 
 which {hall be denounced agaihft wick- 
 ed meii in the Hay of judgment, ex- 
 preffes himfelf in this manner: Depart 
 from me^ ye curfedy into cverlafiing fire^ 
 prepared for the devil and his angels. If 
 the commonly received opinion were 
 true, where is the propriety and fitnefs 
 of fuch a condudl? But upbn a fuppo*^ 
 lition that they related to our fyftem, 
 and were a part of it^ fuch a proce- 
 dure will appear with great clearnefs a- 
 
 *rei vi(pn TO'TTov »T<y A':^«£77i'* «^\Ao/ «/V Tov crKojttvb]ctjo? 
 T»7roify '^a^ei to \'tC\i\a,^oi-x^(it )d) tfyptiXveS-fltrr^ iv dvlu 
 WAvjct. Etym. mag. Td^d^oi, o vVo T'h yriv icetju)dlai 
 jofTOi. Hefych. ToifJetfOfy oi r{\clfAi£\a.t >^ ■Aetj^4'^){](ti, ctri^ 
 av xct8'"6^»)poj/ {mpoivla ya,^ etvjQi> Kiyai) «?f9«? ir/j/ w- 
 To/ ffKoleiV^iy ^ » Kd^.TTiltLi' ccwf ^iV Tot vToyAioi xj ctV*i= 
 Mofy xj cT/a Tv^o 4*^X5^^' Phfi'voriti. Vid. etiam SuiJ* 
 I zPet. ii. 4> 
 
 * '^ srceabR 
 
 *-4 
 
the Scripture-Revelations. 5 \ >^ 
 
 greeable and congruous. Admit then, 
 that the angels, who fell, were attendants 
 upon the Prefence in the garden, and had 
 a fhare of power, but in fubordination 
 to the Prefence; fuppofe that they were 
 in the fcale of beings, which belonged 
 to our frame, and agents capable of ufing 
 aright or mifimploying their powers, 
 and probably in a ftate of trial : there 
 is no inconfiftency in God's permiting 
 them to tempt thofe, who were a little 
 below them in the order of beings, which 
 related to the fame fyftem. 
 
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BS1235.H94 
 
 An essay towards explaining the history 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Library 
 
 1 1012 00042 2347 
 
 
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