CHAPTER X. THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH -THE SONS OF JAPHETH; AND OF HAM SONS OF SHEM. Ir seems to us a most unprofitable lesson to read a long catalogue of names, the very sounds of most of which are harsh to our ears, and the connection and the importance of which we do not at first see. But we must recollect that every portion of the Bible was not written that each man might be personally profited by the perusal of each section of it. Portions of the Scripture which are not personally instructive to us, are yet generally important and most useful. For instance, this catalogue now, which seems to us of no personal, practical value, at least not spiritually instructive, — is of immense importance, as the means of our showing the unity of the family of mankind, the origin of their dispersion, - still more minutely recorded in the chapter that follows, and the fact that all the earth was peopled, and its nations distributed, according to the sovereign purpose of Him who worketh all things according to the good pleasure of his own will. The names of these nations, of course, have been, by the lapse of years and the change of languages, very much modified; but, still, the traces of the ancient divisions are discernible in the very sounds of modern names. Last Sabbath evening I showed you that Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, were the three forefathers of the families of the earth, and that those distinctions which God made, and those special predictions which Noah uttered, have been strictly and exactly fulfilled to the very letter, downward to the present time. There is a tradition, I do not know of what value it is, and most traditions have a basis of truth, though themselves very distorted, that Noah geographically divided the whole globe, and scattered the whole families of the earth according to the geographical sections that he, inspired by divine wisdom, was pleased to chalk out. Some have said, How can it be that America has been peopled? But no one who casts a glance on that vast empire can fail to see that the inhabitants are essentially European; and you can see that Tartary, the opposite coast, or part of Asia, and the opposite part of America, are so near, that nothing can be so easy, or probable, as a transit from one to the other. And what is most remarkable, the geological strata contiguous to the coast of Asia, and the geological strata of the American coast opposite to it, are so identical, that the two seem to have been originally connected. And, whether connected or not, we know that as soon as navigation had made any progress, storm, tempest, or wind, might easily carry the seeds of a population across the sea from Asia to America. We find traces of ancient Asiatic languages amongst some of the natives of the back-woods. And so much has been decided, — and by none more strikingly than Dr. Wiseman, so much has been proved of the identity subsisting between the populations of Asia and the original populations of America, that there can be no doubt that the one is descended from the other, and that America has been filled by the same great law by which all the rest of the sections of the earth have been populated — by the descendants of Noah. - A very acute and able writer (Bush), in some remarks on this subject, gives a list, according to the best geographical information, of the scattering of the distant tribes. He gives first the descendants of Japheth, then the descendants of Ham, or Canaan, and then the descendants of Shem. (See Bush on Genesis, p. 168.) He gives the whole of the descendants, as they have been geographically traced, each from one of the three great forefathers of the human race. And it is most remarkable, as I showed last Sunday evening, how strictly and exactly the predicted characteristics of the races have continued. You have the descendants of Shem in the Asiatics; you have in Japheth the father of the great European nations, or Saxon nations; you have again in Ham, or Canaan, the father of the African race. It is predicted that Japheth should dwell in the tents of Shem. Just ask who are the lords and masters of India ; ask under whose sceptre all Asia, literally in some parts, substantially in all parts, at this moment bows. It is under British rule - it is under Saxon rule; it is the descendant of Japheth literally dwelling in the tents of Shem, as every sovereignty in India can at this moment tell you. Again; you ask, in the next place, How is it fulfilled that God should enlarge Japheth,-the language of ceaseless progress, prosperity and power? Now just listen to what newspapers, statesmen, all persons who speak on the subject, are constantly remarking. They say, the Saxon race seems to be the alone indomitable race, destined yet to overspread the earth, and subjugate all to its power, and leaven all, as we believe, with its religious principles. How is it that you find no race stands before them? The great empire of America is chiefly Saxon; for it is our descendants who are mainly there, - either ours or the Germans; and you will find that our own population are everywhere holding a position in the world almost unparalleled; and it should only be our prayer, in the language of the poet, that, "Wheresoe'er Great Britain's power is felt, Mankind may feel her mercies too." Therefore, while I refer much to our enlightened religion, it is also true that God's prediction respecting Japheth is at this moment being fulfilled, and that wherever the Saxon race is, — I take them as the flower and the cream of the descendants of Japheth,- there their empire is enlarged, their prosperity progressive, and the pledge of victory seems to precede their van wherever they locate themselves. Again; if you take the descendants of Ham, or Canaan, what is their state? What has been done to put an end to slavery? This country has devoted millions for the purpose, out of the noblest of feelings; but what has been the result? I have been told that, notwithstanding all our efforts, as magnanimous as they are worthy of us, the poor African is yet the slave-literally the "bondsman of bondsmen - of Japheth and of Shem. We have slavery still existing, and no power, I believe, will root it out till the end, - the judgment lies where God has laid it,· till this dispensation shall be finished. We must sit and watch with deep and growing interest God's open predictions fulfilling around us, and recognize his hand in them. I do not say that any prediction on God's part justifies an act of ours against which there is a positive precept. The reverse is true. There has been a great deal of the most miserable nonsense talked upon this distinction; and to my amazement so distinguished a writer as D'Israeli, who has lately written the Life of Lord George Bentinck, the late eminent statesman, has actually said in that book and I am surprised that nobody has exposed his errors that the Jews did a meritorious act when they crucified the Lord of glory, and that they were justified in doing it because God had predicted it. Now, the answer to that is not a metaphysical one, but simply to refer Mr. D'Israeli to the Acts of the Apostles, where Peter said, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," stating God's prophecy, -"ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain," thus adding man's guilt. According to D'Israeli, we must suppose, that, because God has given a decree or a prophecy, it is our duty to try to fulfil it. It is not so; it is ours only to execute duties. On the same ground some persons persecute the Jews. The popes in the middle ages used to extract their teeth, and still more gladly to extract their money; and persons said that they were doing right, because God had predicted it. But God will fulfil his prophecies; it is ours to love our brother as ourselves, and to show loving-kindness unto all men. And so, with regard to the descendants of Ham, men have kept them in slavery, and they have said, "It is predicted to be so." It is our duty to execute the precept, love one another; God will attend to his own sovereignty and his own government. Let us always keep this distinction before us - that we have nothing to do with trying to fulfil the prophecies; nor, if we do fulfil them, do we escape guilt, if guilt be in the act of the person who does fulfil them. Our business is to believe truths, and to obey precepts, and in all things to fear God, and do his commandments. We do not overvalue, we undervalue, this blessed book. What certain divines call bibliolatry is simply deference to God's holy word; and their contemptuous abuse of it is simply evinced by the phrases they employ. : |