beget Ludim, the verb beget is joined to Mizraim in the CHAP. III. singular: whereas, had Mizraim been a dual or plural, SECT. 1. the rules of syntax would require that the verb should be so likewise.

And it is observable, that though the Seventy Interpreters rendered the other Hebrew words, of a plural termination, as words of the plural number; yet they looked on Mizraim as a singular, and accordingly join to it a verb of the singular number. And thus much for the first plantations after the Flood in general. I proceed now to speak distinctly of the plantations of the three distinct branches of Noah's posterity, by his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet; which accordingly are distinguished into three distinct Sections.

SECT. II,

1.

Of the

three sons

the elder,

the young

Of the first Plantations of the Descendants of Japhet, eldest Son of Noah; and also of some of the Colonies thereof in after-ages, particularly of the Ancient Britains. THOUGH it be said, Gen. v. 32. Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japhet; and the same order is elsewhere used in reckoning up the three sons of Noah; yet it is plain of Noah, Japhet was from Gen. ix. 22. 24. that Ham was the younger son of Noah. As to the Hebrew text, Gen. x. 21. the words and Ham are differently understood by interpreters and commen-er. tators; some rendering the text after this sense, that Shem was the elder brother of Japhet; others rendering it in this sense, that Shem was the brother of Japhet the elder. This last interpretation is followed in the Septuagint and our English version; and seems to be put out of dispute by an argument drawn from Gen. v. 32. and xi. 10. compared together. In the former text it is said, Noah was five hundred years old, and begat Shem, Ham, and Japhet: whereby must be reasonably understood, that he began

PART 1. then to beget children, and in that year of his age begat his eldest son. But in the latter text it is said, that Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the Flood. Now, had Shem been his eldest son of all, he must have been a hundred and two years old, the second year after the Flood: for Noah begat his eldest son in his five hundredth year, as we learn Gen. v. 32. and from thence to the Flood were an hundred years: for we are told Gen. vii. 11. that in the six hundredth year of Noah's life the Flood began. So that two years after the Flood, Shem must have been an hundred and two years old at least, (even by two years after the Flood, understanding two years after the beginning of the Flood,) had he been Noah's eldest son, or begotten in the five hundredth year of Noah. Since then the Scripture tells us, Gen. xi. 10. that Shem was but an hundred years, two years after the Flood; it evidently follows, that Japhet must be the son which Noah begat in his five hundredth year, and consequently must be elder than Shem. For as to Ham, the Scripture is express, as hath been observed, that he was the younger Son, Gen. ix. 24.

2.

The me

thod here

Now Moses begins his account of the descendants of Noah, with the sons of Japhet. Why he does so, is unobserved, in certain; since it seems certain, that he had not regard speaking of herein to seniority of birth: for then in all likelihood he plantations would have had the same regard in respect to his reckonof Noah. ing up the more early descendants of Shem and Ham:

the first

of the sons

whereas he observes not the order of birth therein, but gives us the line of Ham before that of Shem. In speaking to the first plantations of the three branches of Noah's posterity, I shall indeed take the three branches according to the order of birth afore-mentioned; yet not for that reason, but because this order falls in very well with a geographical order. I shall therefore first treat of the plantations of the branch of Japhet; and I shall dwell the longer on these, because by Japhet's posterity were chiefly planted or peopled the several countries of Europe; which are best known to us at present of any in the

whole world, and is of nearest concern to us for to be CHAP. III. known as to its first planters or most ancient inhabitants. SECT. II. I shall in the second place proceed to the first plantations of the branch of Shem; and in the last place, to those of Ham.

3.

What is

meant by

the Gentiles, which

were di

vided or

Japhet.

In order then to find out in what tract of the earth the descendants of Japhet at first settled themselves, we must, according to the first rule above laid down, have regard, in the Isles of the first place, to what the Scripture says concerning the tile same; and that is this: that by the descendants of Japhet were the isles of the Gentiles divided, Gen. x. 5. The great planted by difficulty then is, to know what is here meant by the isles the sons of of the Gentiles. And it is certain from several passages of Scripture, that by the word, which we translate isles, the Hebrews understood, not only such countries as we call isles, that is, such as are, on all sides, surrounded by sea; but also such countries as were so divided by sea from them, or the Egyptians, (among whom they lived a long time, and so called things by the same names,) as that they could not be well come unto, or at least used not to be gone unto, but by sea. In brief, they called islands all beyond-sea countries, and all people islanders, which came to them and to the Egyptians by sea. Now, such are the countries of the Lesser Asia, and the countries of Europe; and that these are denoted in Scripture by the name of the isles of the Gentiles, may be shewn from many places of the Bible: we shall quote but the most pregnant.

4.

Proofs from

The Prophet Isaiah, ch. xi. ver. 5. 10, 11. speaking of the calling of the Gentiles and restoration of the Jews, Scripture (or, as Mr. Mede says, of the calling of the Gentiles by for the an allusion to the restoring of the Jews,) hath these foregoing exposition words; The Lord shall recover the remnant of his people of the Isles from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Ha-Gentiles. math, and from the islands of the sea. Here it is evident, that by the isles of the sea (which is the same with the isles of the Gentiles) must be understood countries distinct from the other countries there expressly named, viz.

of the

PART 1. Assyria, Egypt, &c. And therefore they may be in reason esteemed the countries of Lesser Asia and Europe, or at least these principally. Besides, the Prophet here speaking of the calling of the Gentiles, would not likely omit those places where St. Paul, who was peculiarly styled the Apostle of the Gentiles, chiefly laboured; and which were from the beginning, and are at this day the principal seat of Christian churches. So that at this day there is no part of the world called by' the name of Christendom, but that which is in our sense divided from Judea by sea, even the isles of the Gentiles. And this was heretofore intimated by the Prophets, in that they never speak of the calling of the Gentiles, but they harped upon the isles of the Gentiles. The same Prophet Isaiah, (ch. xl. ver. 15.) to shew God's omnipotency, speaks after this manner; Behold, the nations are as a drop of the bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, he takes up the isles as a very little thing. Where, if by isles we mean those which we call isles, the comparison of disparity will not hang together; because those which we call isles are indeed very little things. It remains therefore that by isles are here meant those large countries, which were beyond the sea in regard of Egypt and Palestine. In Ezek. xxvii. 3. Tyre is called a merchant of people for many islands, because unto Tyre came many people from beyond the sea for merchandise. To mention but one place more, in 1 Maccab, xiv. 5. among the commendations of Simon, one of the worthy Maccabees, it is said, that he took Joppa for an haven, and for an entrance to the isles of the sea: where it is manifest, that by the isles of the sea the Jews meant those nations which came to them by sea.

5.

Asia, and

What has been said may suffice to shew, that by the The Lesser isles of the Gentiles are to be understood, countries diEurope, vided by sea (in the afore-mentioned sense) from Palestine planted by and Egypt, and perhaps especially from Egypt, because, Japhet's

as Mr. Mede observes, when Moses wrote this account, he was not in Palestine, and therefore probably used only