army; which most probably returned home, designing to be reinforced, and come another year sufficiently prepared to make a more complete conquest of the kingdoms of Canaan; but Ninyas or Chedorlaomer dying soon after this, the new king might have other designs upon his hands, and so this might be neglected or laid aside. When Abram returned with the captives and the spoil, the king of Sodom and the king of Salem went out to meet him with great cere mony. Melchizedec, king of Salem, was the priest of the Most High GoD; for which reason Abram gave him the tenth of the spoil. The remainder he returned to the king of Sodom, refusing to be himself a gainer by receiving any part of what this victorious enterprize had gotten him.

r

GOD ALMIGHTY continued his favour to Abram, and in divers and sundry manners, sometimes by the appearance of angels, at other times by audible yoices or remarkable dreams, declared in what manner he designed to bless his posterity, and to raise them in the world. Abram at this time had no son, but upon his desiring one, he received not only a promise of one, but was informed, that his posterity should be so numerous as to be compared to the very stars of heaven. Abram was so sincerely disposed to believe all the intimations and promises which Gop thought fit to give him, that it was counted to him for righteousness," that he obtained by it great favour and accept

ance with God; so that GoD was pleased to give him a still further discovery of what should befal him and his descendants in future times. He was ordered to offer a solemn sacrifice, and at the going down of the sun a deep sleep fell upon him, when it was revealed to him in a dream,' that he himself would die in peace in a good old age; but that his descendants would for four hundred years be strangers in a land not their own, would suffer hardships, and even bondage. But that after this, the nation which would oppress them should be severely punished, and that they would be brought out of all their difficulties in a very rich and flourishing condition; and that in the fourth generation they would return again into Canaan, and take possession of it; that they could not have it sooner, because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. GOD ALMIGHTY could foresee, that the Amorites would by that time have run into such an excess of sin, as to deserve the severe expulsion from the land of Canaan, which was afterwards appointed for them; but he would in no wise order their punishment, until they should have filled up the measure of their iniquities, so as to deserve it. After Abram awoke from this dream, a fire kindled miraculously and consumed his sacrifice; and GoD covenanted with him to give to his seed all the land of Canaan, from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.b

Ten years after Abram's return into Canaan, in the

g

с

eighty-sixth yeard of his life, A. M. 2094, he had a son by Hagar, Sarai's maid. Sarai herself had no children, and expecting never to have any, had given her maid to Abram to be his wife, to prevent his dying childless. Abram was exceedingly rejoiced at the birth of his son; and looked upon him as the heir promised him by GoD, who was to be the father of that numerous people who were to descend from him; but about thirteen years after Ishmael's birth (for so was the child named) GoD appeared unto Abram.f The person who appeared to him, called himself the ALMIGHTY GOD, and can be conceived to be no other person than our Blessed Saviour. As he afterwards thought fit to take upon him our flesh, and to dwell amongst the Jews, in the manner related in the Gospels; so he appeared to their fathers in the form of an angel, in the first ages of the world, to reveal his will to them, as far as he then thought fit to have it imparted. In the first and most early days he took the name of GOD ALMIGHTY, by which name he was known to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; but afterwards he called himself by a name more fully expressing his essence and deity, and was known to Moses by the name JEHOVAH.'

GOD ALMIGHTY at this appearance unto Abraham entered into covenant with him, promised him a

a Gen. xvi. ver. 16.

f Chap. xvii. ver. 1.

See vol. i. b. 5. p.2262.
Gen. xviii. 1. xxvii. 3. xxxv.
Exodus vi. 3.

e Ver. 3.

g Ibid.

i

John i. 14.

11. xlviii. 3. xlix. 25.

1 Exod. vi. 3, & iii. 14.

son to be born of Sarai, repeated the promise of Caanan before made to him, and gave him fresh assurances of the favours and blessings designed for him and his posterity; but withal acquainted him that the descendants of the son whom Sarai should bear, should be heirs of the blessings promised to him. That Ishmael should, indeed, be a flourishing and happy man, that twelve princes should descend from him; but that the covenant made at this time should be established with Isaac, whom Sarai should bear about a year after the time of this promise. Abram's name was now changed into Abraham, and Sarai's into Sarah, and circumcision was enjoined him and his family.

The same divine appearance (for Abraham called him the Judge of all the Earth,") accompanied by two angels, was some little time after this seen again by him in the plains of Mamre, as he sat at his tentdoor in the heat of the day. They came into Abraham's tent, and were entertained by him, and ate with him, and confirmed to him again the promise which had been made him of a son by Sarah; and after having spent some time with him, the two ans gels P went towards Sodom; but the Lord continued with Abraham, and told him how he designed to detroy in as most terrible manner that unrighteous city. Abraham was here so highly favoured as to have leave to commune with GoD, and was permitted to inter

m Gen. xvii.

• Ver. 8.

n Gen. xviii. 25.

P Ver. 12.

t

cede for the men of Sodom. As soon as the LORD had left communing with Abraham, he went his way, and Abraham returned to his place. The two angels before-mentioned came to Sodom at even, made a visit to Lot, and staid in his house all night; where a monstrous violence was offered them by the wicked inhabitants of Sodom; upon which they acquainted Lot on what account they had been sent thither; and after they had ordered him, his wife and children and all his family to leave the place, about the time of sun-rising, or a little after, the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and upon some other cities in the plain, fire and brimstone from the LORD out of heaven," and wholly destroyed all the inhabitants. Lot's wife was unhappily lost in this calamity; whether she only looked back, contrary to the express command of the angel," or whether it may be inferred from our Saviour's mentioning her," that she actually turned back, being unwilling to leave Sodom, and to go and live at Zoar; GOD was pleased to make her a monument of his vengeance for her disobedience, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Lot's sons-inlaw, who had married his daughters, refused to go with him out of Sodom; therefore they and their wives perished in the city. Two of his daughters, who lived with him and were unmarried, went to Zoar, and were preserved. Lot lived at Zoar but a little

b

9 Gen. xviii. 23, &c.

a

C

Ver. 33. "Gen. xix. 24.

C © Ver. 8.

* 2 Gen. xix. 26.