of servants, and Ismael was born of a bond woman and not like Isaac who was considered and proclaimed by God to be Abraham's only son, notwithstanding Ismael being his first born of his own begetting also. Abraham although he might be considered blameless of sin as far as his generation has to do, he cannot be held guiltless of folly through fear for he twice allowed his wife to be taken from him, once by Pharoah and once by Abimelech, but God plagued Pharaoh with plagues, and frightened Abimelech in dreams, so that he protected her from pollution: they neither knew that she was both wife and sister to Abraham; yet, such was exactly the case, and if either of them had polluted her, it would not only be an injury and wrong to Abraham, but a sin against God likewise because of the covenant of promise which must be by a pure and perfect generation. By reading the 20th chapter of Genesis, this would be clearly understood; the substance is that Abimelech sent and took Abraham's wife, but God suffered him not to touch her to sin against him, and threatened him and all that was his with instant death if he did not restore her, and made them all sore afraid. As it was, God prevented the whole of them from childbearing until restitution and compensation were made and prayer offered. So did God protect the seed from pollution for although the people were fast multiplying upon the earth the seed of a perfect generation was confined to only a family. This was the occasion of Abraham having his sister to wife, as 20th chapter 12 verse. “And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother and she became my wife." This was the same by the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities round about, the only righteous family found there was the family of Lot, who was brother in law and nephew to Abraham, being Abraham's brother's son.; and the occasion of Abraham rescuing him from captivity with such slaughter, and God thereby blessed him: I must necessary direct more attention to this family, for it is very small considering the kings and nations then existing from the two sons of Noah; but it is from Shem that the Almighty directs his protection. After numerating the generation of Shem to Terah, we have another numerical generation called into notice, as 11th chapter Genesis 27th verse. "Now these are the generations of Terah, Terah begat Abraham, Nahor, and Huran, and Haran begat Lot." In bringing this generation into notice it may be called the fifth commencement of the World, for there was a : failure with two out of the three brothers, the sons of Noah, so that three others come into notice from out of the descending generation of Shem instead; Abraham, Nahor, and Haran all others God having cast aside unacknowledged, these three brothers became one united family, and kept themselves perfect in their generation, and God blessed and protected them; in following this generation I cannot find who was the wife of Haran, but I suppose it was a sister to Sarai, who was Abraham's wife and sister by the same father, but not by the same mother as Abraham explained to Abimelech, and she most likely had a sister that Haran had to wife, Haran died before his father, leaving two sons and daughter Lot, Iscah, and Milcah; and Milcah became the wife of her fathers brother Nahor, and she had eight children by him, (the number of persons saved in the Ark), and Rebecca the daughter of one of these became the wife of Abrahams (only) son Isaac. Out of this generation of three brothers Haran died; Nahor took his daughter Milcah to wife, and Abraham his own fathers daughter Sarai to wife, and Abraham's son Isaac took Rebecca the grand daughter of his father's brother Nahor to wife, thus keeping the family in one unity and bond of concord. The daughter of Lot, the son of Haran, refusing all other men living on the face of the earth, who laid with their own father for the sole purpose of raising up seed unto him; this little family was so closely related that in Abraham taking his father's daughter to wife, made her both wife and sister to him, and daughter and daughter-in-law to her husband's father being her own father also; this little family is the only generation that was perfect and righteous in their generation, so much so that Abraham was called the friend of God, and often blessed him, and his seed, and generation after him, and not only them of his descent but all nations of the earth shall be blessed in him, this was told unto Abraham by God himself when he appeared unto him as a man in company with two angels on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah but where detained and entertained by Abraham who made them a feast, and stood by under a tree while God himself and the two angels described as three men actually did eat of the feast that he made for them, this appears almost increditable, but nevertheless true. It was here that Isaac was promised, and the redemption of all nations. What would not God have done for Abraham? it was here that Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, which would have been saved had ten righteous men been found in it, there was none there but a portion of that little family, the relatives of Abraham: some of whom were destroyed through their obstinacy in not leaving when desired to do so. It is necessary to make a few observations upon and between this little family, and the horrible nations existing, before God most justly burnt them with fire and brimstone from Heaven (which proves the existence of such material in the Heaven above us.) In directing the attention of the reader to the 18th c. of Gen., where God himself in company with two angels, appeared unto Abraham in the Plains of Mamre, in the heat of the day, or the middle part of the day, on their journey to investigate the horrors before destroying.-These three men appeared unto Abraham in the character of men travelling, showing very forcibly, that had the world continued according unto the destined intentions of the Deity, that the presence of God would often have been found in the society of mankind, whom he would have considered as his sons. In this character, Him and two angels appears unto Abraham, as three wayfaring men, and actually condescended to sit down and partake of a feast (nothing with God is impossible) which Abraham had caused to be prepared. Where shall we search for a man who would do as Abraham did? to go to herd and take a calf, tender and good, and kill it, and make bread also, for the sole purpose to entertain three strange wayfaring men, who appeared before him in need of refreshment, both outwardly and inwardly, not waiting even to be informed of their requirements. What must have been his surprise, when apprised of the quality of his guests, having entertained them unawares. What did not this kindness procure? The promised salvation of all nations of the earth, as 18th v. "And all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed in Him." This does not mean those then in existence, as he was then on his way to destroy the major part of them. The presence of God is fully developed in this chapter, because no person could have promised Abraham and his wife what he did, but him: and as if loath to leave his company, he sent the two Angels forward, while he stopt to converse with Abraham of the purpose for which he came, and afterwards went his way likewise; and Abraham returned to his place, no doubt fully convicted of the certain destruction on the morrow, 19 c. 27 v. "And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord." This proves that the Lord and Abraham stood side by side while can vassing the fall of the cities, and unto this spot he repaired early in the morning, and viewed that dreadful sight; to contemplate upon that sight, dreadful is the proper word; for we must consider, that it was not the cities only, but doubtless the thousands of souls therein contained, that makes the sight dreadful to behold, even at the distance that Abraham beheld it, and he did not view it with any idle curiosity, for he manfully and boldly petitioned God, face to face, to preserve it. He must have had surety of the preservation of his nephew Lot, for he knew that his family was living there, though at the time he did not know that the sight he was looking at, was the same that had changed Lot's wife to a pillar of salt for disobedience. Perhaps some persons might consider, that the punishment inflicted, overreached the judgment of the offence; such a thought is quite in accordance with a good mind and merciful feeling: but we must also remember, that God bimself came down personally to inspect the horrible and beastly habits there committed; and what did he find? I have already stated, that the Lord sent the two angels forward on their journey, while he stopped to talk with Abraham; and while so doing, we find them arriving at the house of Lot, at the close of the same day that they left Abraham; in the middle of the day, what a wide distinction between this little but righteous family, and the whole nation then existing, 19 c. Gen. 4 v. "But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter." Here is diabolical brute-beasts without exception all the people from every quarter of those cities, age not accepted-for both old and young compassed the house round and demanded the two angels for a beastly purpose as verse v. "And they called unto Lot, and said unto him where are the men which came into thee this night? bring them out unto us that we may know them." Who can have pity for such beasts both old and young, from every quarter, there is no mistaking their intention for Lot went out to them, after closing the door to defend the angels, and offered his two daughters as virgins for sacrifice, rather than commit the evil contemplated upon strangers, who had sought the protection of his roof. What was the effect of this? A determination to do with him as they intended to do to those he was defending, and they defended him by pulling him into the house; and smote them with blindness when they intended to break the door open; and as all the people was there, both old and young, from every quarter, with an evil intent upon two men only. And in that determined spirit what could they expect; or, what did they not deserve? It was no more than judgment and justice they were all smitten with blindness, and in that state they were all burnt without a chance of escape. And where was the Lord at that time? His presence was needed when the house was surrounded with those beasts; and the angels enclosed in that house with Lot and his family. I have no doubt that the Lord arrived there in time to defend and release them; for as soon as he left Abraham, he went his way, the angels being gone on before. And the presence of the Lord can be detected, for the angels dare not disobey the Lord's order by taking upon themselves the authority to save the city of Zoar, or any other city by hearkening to the pleadings of man, especially such diabolical corruptiveness as then and there existed. THE SEED DIVIDED. Genesis xxv. 22 and 23 v. "And the children struggled together within her: and she said if it be so why am I thus? and she went to enquire of the Lord, and the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels: and the one people shall be stronger than the other people : and the elder shall serve the younger." This is enough to make any woman enquire of the Lord, especially when there was a possibility to do so, which, it must be remembered that any one of this little family could do at any time, for the Lord would at all times attend to their every wish, so that Isaac entreated of the Lord for his wife to conceive, and the Lord was entreated of by him and granted his wish, so that after conceivement, a cause arose for the wife to enquire also, moreover it maketh a cause for every man to enquire why two children, then unborn, should be struggling or fighting within her. "If it be so, why am I thus? This was a perplexing and perhaps, a conflicting question arising in her mind unanswerable only by God himself, hence the enquiry and the answer. Two nations and two manner of people shall be separated from you. No doubt Rebecca was unaware that all the sons of God, from Enoch to Noah, in former times had become united with the daughters of men, thereby corrupting their purity of estate and position; and also |