doctrine, in which one and all muft engage, was difclofed, viz. That a city fhould there be builded, in a ftyle the most magnificent and fuperb-worthy of being the capital of the world-and ftrengthened by a fortress . which should be very high-and that a name, or law, * fhould alfo be made, and attached to it, of fuch energy and effect as fhould influence the whole world, and bind together in one body, of a political and human frame, the whole race of men.

This was the most perfect policy, the profoundest invention of man-it difcovered the deepest inspection into the motives and springs of the human mind; and it could not fail of engaging the whole natural heart. It favoured every natural bent of the foul, pleasure, opulence, grandeur-the luft of the flefh, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life-it cherished every fpark of the love of the world, and of the things that are in the world-all was here embraced that the heart could with -whereas the divine inftitution was defigned, and was every way calculated, to restrain the natural paffions-to govern and control all these defires of the flesh-and to mortify the things of time and sense to men, and men to them. No wonder then, that this refolution was fo generally and fo heartily adopted; and that, no fooner was it moved, than all hands were up; and go to, go to, was the order of the day.

But, though hand join in hand, the work

Ompa, in the Greek.

ers of iniquity fhall be confounded. The Lord came down to fee the city and the tower, which the fons of men builded. And the Lord faid, Behold a people one, and one language of all: and this they begin to do: and now nothing fhall be refrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound the language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord fcattered them abroad, from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city and the fortrefs. Therefore the name of it is called Babel: because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord fcat, ter them abroad upon the face of all the earth,

How delufive' is the wifdom of men!Their first and most promiling attempt, to band together on political ground, divided the world; and from that to the prefent time, every new attempt of this nature, has given birth to another Peleg. And fhould it be attempted on these fhores, with a prevailing confent, to form a compact and national character, by means of cities, towers, armies, and names; or by any means what ever, other than thofe great covenant princi, ples, exprefsly ordained of God; another fuch name-another Peleg will ftill be ad ded to the catalogue-for from thence, Ame. rica will be divided.

That the builders of Babel were climbing up to heaven, through fear of another de luge; for which reafon the Lord frowned upon them; and many fuch like tales have

been invented to conceal the folemn truth, that the divine ordinances exhibiting the doctrine of Chrift, the infinite wifdom and power of God, are the only bond of union among men, that is pleafing to him; and that every thing that is done to unite and bind men together upon any other ground, will fooner or later meet with his difpleasure, and will be overthrown, together with its projectors.

Restrained thus, men defifted from this crowning object of their defires-but they repented not the object was ftill dear to them and difperfing abroad, each family or tribe carried away with them deep impreffions of it upon their minds; and fetting down in diftinct focieties, the fame policy as to its nature and defign, more or less perfect as circumstances-favoured, was every where adopted.

Section 2. The Settlement of the Nations.

From the people who had been engaged in this fatal work, in the land of Shinar, hence called Babylon, went Afhur, and builded Ninevah, &c. and laid the foundation of proud Affyria, wonderfully great.— Another tribe from hence, formed a Philiftia, which was greatly praised. Hence alfo, the families of the Canaanites, which exceedingly multiplied-and a Lydia, and Phonice, famed for their beauty. Sheba alfo, and even renowned Rahab, were all the daughters of Dd d

Babel. For ought that appears, the family of Eber was the only one which remained up. on the divine inflitution. It should feem, that he alone was diffentient from the new political order, as afterwards the believing people were of him, named Hebrews.

How much Eber was affected by this event, appears by the name given to his fon, Peleg; which feems not intended fo much to denote the many divifions which these politici ans, city builders, fplit into, as the one grand divifion between all these, and those who keep the ordinances of faith; which, in their meaning and inftruction, were then, as they now are, the great foundations of the city, whofe builder and maker is God,

Refpecting this policy of Babylon, which has been ever the pattern of the wildom of this world, and the rule of eftimation of all political excellence, it is of importance to observe, that religion was never excluded from the device; on the contrary, it is acknowledged by all fober judges, to be a conflituent of this theory of government, and is deemed effential to the adminiftration and good order. Atheists, and even deifts, are dunces of politicians; and of all religions, that which approaches the neareft to the di vinely inftituted forms, is acknowledged to be the beft: Provided, however, the doctrine or instruction of those forms be always per verted; and that, by their interpreters, they be made to fpeak fome language other than their own truth; which is, that no city but the city of God, builded upon the ordinances

of the everlasting covenant, which faithfully exhibit the will of God in Chrift, hath foundations; and that, befides this, all are raised in oppofition to heaven; and, at an appointed hour, under the full vials of divine wrath, they fhall fink with their builders.

Attempts to alter the divine inftitutions as to their forms, have been made only when they have been heard to speak a language, which no man hearty in the Babylonian or Chaldean counsel, could ever bear. Indeed they are fo exprefs, fo fignificant, that without fome corruption of the emblem itself, it is not easy to prevent their being, in fome measure, understood.

Section 3. The Overthrow of Sodom. One of the branches of the family of the Hethites, fettled in the plain of Jordan. This country was well watered, and abounded with bread, and greatly indulged its inhabitants in eafe and diffipation. It was, perhaps, the least affected by the ravages of the flood, of any spot upon the face of the earth—it seemed, indeed, to retain fome primitive features of the garden of the Lord, and a resemblance of the glory of the first world. Hence, in a natural view, it was under the least check and control from the operation of the archangel government and difcipline; an important a ticle of which, confils in the curfe that is laid upon the ground, and the