ment in the valley of Achor was to direction or encouragement his word them an hopeful pledge of their com- and providence afford us in our af plete possession of the promised fairs temporal or spiritual, and are land, Josh. vii. 26. Isa. lxv. 10. grateful for all his benefits both for Hos. ii. 15. time and eternity, Prov. iii. 6. ACHSAH, adorned, the daughter To ACQUAINT, to get a familiar of Caleb the son of Jephunneh. To knowledge and intimacy, Psalm excite some brave warrior to wrest cxxxix. 3. To acquaint one's self Kirjath-sepher from the Canaanitish with God, is to get spiritual knowgiants, Caleb proffered Achsah as ledge of, and intimacy with him, his reward. On these terms, Othniel, Job xxii. 21. ACQUAINTANCE, her cousin, quickly obtained her. In persons to whom one is familiarly her way home to her husband's resi-known, Job xix. 13. dence, she alighted from her ass, To ACQUIT, to clear from the threw herself at her father's feet, and charge of guilt, Nah. i. 3. begged, that as he had portioned her ACRE. The English acre is 4840 with a south, a dry land, he would square yards, the Scotch 6150 twogive her some moist field, abounding fifths, the Roman 3200, and the with springs of water: he gave her Egyptian aroura 3698 seven-ninths; one or two fields, thoroughly moist, but the Hebrew Tzemea appears to Josh. xv. 16—19, Judg. i. 12—15. mean what one plough tilled at one

ACHSHAPH, poison, a city about time. The acres of vineyard yieldthe foot of mount Tabor. Joshua ing one bath, and the seed of a homer conquered the king of it, and gave or ephah, imports excessive barrenit to the tribe of ASHER. In Jerome's ness; that the best ground should time, about 400 years after Christ, it scarcely produce the tenth part of seems to have been a small village, the seed, Isa. v. 10. called Chasalus, Josh. xii. 20. and ACT, ACTION, a deed, particularly a more noted one, Isa. lix. 6. ACHZIB, liar, a city pertaining Deut. xi. 3. ACTIVITY, an alert to the tribe of Asher. It is thought briskness, attended with wisdom and to have been the same with Ecdippa, prudence in doing business, Gen. now Zib, which stands on the shore xlvii. 6.

xix. 25.

of the Mediterranean sea, about half The ACTS of the Apostles, are an way between Tyre and Ptolemais, inspired history of their actions and Josh. xix. 29. There was another sufferings, at or after the ascension city of this name in the tribe of Ju- of their adored Master. It chiefly dah, Josh. xv. 44. The houses, forts, relates those of PETER, JOHN, PAUL, or families, of Achzib, were a lie to and BARNABAS. It gives us a parthe kings of Israel; i. e. disappointed ticular account of Christ's ascension: them, or proved unfaithful in their of the choice of Matthias in the allegiance, during the Assyrian inva- place of Judas; of the effusion of sion, Mic. i. 14. the Holy Ghost at the feast of PenTo ACKNOWLEDGE, (1.) To tecost; of the miraculous preaching own or confess, Gen. xxxviii. 26. of the gospel by the apostles, and (2.) To observe, take notice of, Isa. the success of it, and their persecu xxxiii. 13. (3.) To esteem and re- tions on that account, chap. i. to v. spect, Isa. Ixi. 9. 1 Cor. xvi. 18. of the choice of the deacons, the per(4.) To approve of, 2 Cor. i. 13. secution and murder of Stephen, one Philem. 6. (5.) To worship, profess, of them, chap. vi. and vii. of a more and own as a God, Dan. xi. 39. We general persecution, and a disper acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, sion of the Christian preachers into when in every matter we request Samaria and places adjacent: of the and wait for his direction and as- baptism and baseness of Simon the sistance; when we observe what sorcerer; and of the conversion and

baptism of the Ethiopfan eunuch, it signifies Earth, and the Lord God chap. viii. of Peter's raising Dorcas formed man of the dust of the ground. to life, preaching to and baptizing This name is, however, generally the Gentiles of Cornelius's family, confined to the first man, our comand vindication of his conduct therein, mon parent. When the Almighty chap. ix. 32-43. and x. and xi. Creator had fitted up this vast fabric; 1-18. of the spreading of the gos- when he had formed, arranged, and pel among the Gentiles by the dis-fructified, the innumerable and varipersed preachers; and the contri- ous vegetable and animal tribes; he bution for the saints at Jerusalem, in completed his work, the master-piece the time of a dearth, chap. xi. 19 of creation, by creating man in his 39. of Herod's murder of James; own image, and in his own likeness. imprisonment of Peter, and fearful God made man upright; and, without death, chap. xii. of the council doubt, Adam came from his Maker's held at Jerusalem, which condemn- hands not only perfect as to his body, ed the imposition of Jewish ceremo- but likewise in his mind; the spotless nies, and advised, to avoid offence of image of his Creator in knowledge, the weak, to forbear eating of meats righteousness, and true holiness: adoffered to idols, or of things stran- mirably fitted for the rule and domigled, or blood, chap. xv. The rest nion of his vast empire, then in all its of the book relates to the conversion, parts very good, one universal scene of labours, and sufferings, of Paul, chap. harmony and bliss: the Supreme Ruix. 1-31. and xiii. and xiv. and xvi. ler put all things under his feet. The to the end. It contains the history scriptures in their usual simple, yet of the planting and regulation of the striking manner, record one remarkaChristian church for about 30 years.ble instance of the exercise of Adam's Nor have we any other for 250 years sovereignty. His numerous vassals after, that deserves our implicit belief. of the brute creation were brought This large gap betwixt inspired his- to their lord, "to see what he would tory, and that of human authority," call them; and whatever Adam which deserves credit, Providence" called evey living creature, that no doubt ordered, that our faith and" was the name thereof." But yet practice relative to the concerns of he is alone: created for this world, the church should stand, not in the and its enjoyments in a manner in wisdom of men, but in the authority which the most sagacious of his subof God. ject tribes could not participate with

It is supposed Luke the evangelist him: "For Adam," in the wide and was the penman of this history; splendid creation," there was not that he wrote it as a continuation of" found an help meet for him." Pahis history of Christ. The Marcion-radise was completed: for" the Lord ite and Manichean heretics of the God caused a deep sleep to fall upearly ages of Christianity utterly re-" on Adam, and he took one of his jected it. The Ebionites translated" ribs, and closed up the flesh in the it into Hebrew, grossly corrupting" stead thereof. And the rib which it. Other heretics attempted to ob-" the Lord God had taken from man trude on the church a variety of" made he a woman, and brought forged imitations of it: as Abdias's" her unto Adam," Gen. ii. 21, 22. AcTs of the Apostles, the Acts of He is represented as receiving her Peter, Paul, John, Andrew, Thomas, in a manner expressive at once of Philip, Matthias, &c. his affection, and of the sense he en

ADAM, earthy, reddish man. tertained of the intimacy of their God created man upon the earth, union. Marriage was now instituted male and female; and he blessed by God himself; and as there was no them, and called their name Adam. inclemency in the air; no shame,It is a name truly descriptive of man;] because guilt, the parent of shame

was unknown, they went both nak- the garden, and fled to hide them ed. Before we proceed to take no- selves amidst the thick bushes or tice of that awful revolution which trees. God called for Adam, and seems to have speedily followed this inquired why he fled, how he be completion of bliss, it may be neces- came ashamed of his nakedness, and sary to inquire a little more particu- why he had eaten of the forbidden larly into the original constitution of fruit? Adam laid the whole blame the first man, as the image of God; on Eve, whom, he said, God had ́and the nature of his situation in pa- given him; and Eve blamed the serradise; because these points misun-pent as her deceiver. After passing derstood, have on the one hand, open-a sentence of ruin upon Satan and ed a door for the ridicule of the infi- his agents, by means of the Seed of del, and on the other hand, to those the woman, and of affliction on the who retain a regard for revelation, serpent, the instrument of his deceit ; have cast a veil on the important sub- of sorrow, pain in child-birth, and ject of the entrance of sin. subjection to her husband, on the woMan was created perfectly holy, and man and her female offspring; God therefore was able to stand; yet as a threatened Adam and his whole posfree agent, he was liable to fall. He terity with a curse on their fields; was complete in his own order; but with scanty crops; with sorrow and capable of receiving sinful impres- toil; and finally, with death and a sions. His Almighty Creator placed return to dust. him in the garden of Eden, with full| The threatening on Satan implied liberty to eat of the fruit of every a promise of mercy and redemption tree in it, except one which was to mankind by the blood of Christ. designed to be the test of his obe- God, therefore, now probably indience. Thus situated was our structed Adam and his wife in the first parent, when Satan, just ex- manner and signification of typical pelled from the heavenly abodes, sacrifices. To mark their degrading conceiving the strongest envy at of themselves by their great offence, the happiness of mankind, resolved and denote their recovery by the to effect their ruin. Sticking at no- great atonement, God clothed them thing base, he entered into a serpent, with the skins of sacrificed animals. the most simple, or subtile, of the To testify his displeasure at sin, and animal tribe. Thence, finding the prevent their vain attempts to prowoman all alone, he conferred with cure happiness and immortality by her; tempted her to suspect the eating of the tree of life, God expelmeaning and certainty of the divine led them from Eden, to cultivate the prohibition, and to eat of the forbid-fields eastward. The symbols of the den fruit. Solicited by her, Adam divine presence hovered on the east followed his wife's example, receiv- of the garden; some angels, and ed part of the fruit from her hand, perhaps some fiery meteor there and did eat thereof. He, no doubt, placed, rendering it impossible for hoped for happiness, at least impu- mankind to re-enter. Just before his nity, in so doing; but it is quite ab-expulsion, Adam had called his wife surd to imagine he wittingly exposed Eve, because she was to be the comhimself to endless woe, from affec-mon mother of men. Now she contion to her. Guilt immediately seized ceived and bure CAIN, and soon after on their conscience, and irregular ABEL. These Adam taught to sacripassions awaked in their soul; they fice to the Lord; but both in the issue were ashamed of their nakedness, proved to their parents a source of and applied fig-leaves for a cover-trouble and grief.-Soon after the ing. In the cool, or afternoon of death of Abel, Adam, in the 130th the day, they heard the Voice, the year of his age, had Seth born to WORD, or Son of God, walking in him: he had besides a great many VOL. K E

other children. After he had lived one man, by whose righteousness the 930 years, he died. free gift came upon all men to justifi

Agreeably to our plan, we shall men-cation of life! He is the corn of wheat tion, as concisely as possible, a few that shall shake with fruit like Lebaof the more striking lineaments in non.-The one communicated his dethe history of "the first Adam, of the pravity to all his posterity; the other earth, earthy," in which we may is a quickening spirit, and shall raise trace the features of "the second them up at the last day. By the first Adam, the Lord from heaven." In Adam's sin, death reigned over those every part of the history we have who had not sinned after the similibeen faintly sketching, much impor- tude of Adam's transgression; by the dant instruction is to be found. When righteousness of the second Adam, we compare type and antitype, pre- grace doth much more abound. diction and event, promise and ac- Adam was the glory of the first creacomplishment, the scripture acquires tion; Christ is the excelling glory of a solidity which bids defiance to all the second. In Adam, human nature created force. The persons exhibit-shone in its brightest colours, but he ed, the events recorded, the scenes destroyed them-how is their lustre described, the institutions ordained restored in the Son of Man, crowned in one age, which were the shadows with glory and honour at the right of good things to come, are not only hand of God! Adam and Christ bear instructive and interesting in them- a striking resemblance in respect of selves, but acquire a weight and im- dominion and sovereignty. "Thou portance which they possessed not madest him to have dominion over before, when viewed in their relation the works of thy hands,"-was truly to Him to whom all the prophets give said of the first Adam-of the se witness; and whose person, charac- cond, we are assured, that even in ter, and work, are the fulfilling of all the days of his flesh, while tabernathat was written of old time. How cling among men, he exercised unforcible is the apostle Paul's expres-limited authority over the whole nasion concerning the first Adam, tural world, and that in a manner "who is the figure of him that was to which Adam could never pretend to come!" Rom. v. 14. Nay, Christ-things visible and invisible- the is called the second Adam, because of prince of the power of the air fled the similitude the first bare to him. at his command; the boisterous eleAdam was the Son of God, Luke iii. ments heard and obeyed his word; 38. he was the immediate offspring, disease, death, and the grave, ful-the direct workmanship of the filled his pleasure. But when we Creator Christ was the Son of God, see Jesus, who was for a little time the only-begotten of the Father. lower than the angels; we see him Adam was created in the image of far above all principality, and power, God, in righteousness and in true and might, and dominion, after his holiness but Christ is the express resurrection; having all power in image of his person, as well as the heaven and earth in his hand; he brightness of the Father's glory. The reigns and rules amidst his enemies. first Adam was made a living soul, At the morning of the resurrection, the second, a quickening spirit. All when he shall appear in his own glothe generations of the human race have sprung from Adam; and in all that befell him, he stood their representative. By his one transgression, many were made sinners; because of him death passed upon all men, because all have sinned in him. How eminently did he thus prefigure that

ry, and in his Father's glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he shall appear the glorious antitype of Adam. Was the first creation over which Adam reigned very good?— How good will the new heavens and earth appear, wherein dwelleth righteousness! Adam's whole history in

paradise affords us an impressing em- the whitish. Their defects are veins, blem of the state of the resurrection. flaws, specks of red or black sand; What was written aforetime of the and a bluish or yellowish cast. first ruler in paradise and his seduction, was written for our profit, when we read it with an eye to the heavenly paradise of God, where, to the Lamb in the midst of the throne, it will be eternally said, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive glory, and honour, and might, and dominion," &c.

The finest diamonds now in the world are, that of the late king of France, Louis XVI. weighing 136 caracts; that of the duke of Tuscany, weighing 136 caracts, and worth 195,374 pounds sterling; that of the Great Mogul, weighing 279) caracts, and worth 779,244 pounds; that of a certain merchant, weighing 242 There is also one in the

ADAM, ADAMAH, ADAMI, a city caracts. pertaining to the tribe of Naphtali. French crown that weighs 106 caIt was situated near the south end of racts.-The adamant was the third the sea of Tiberias: just by it the jewel in the second row of the high waters of Jordan stood as an heap priest's breastplate, Exod. xxviii. till the Hebrews passed over, Josh. 18. Ezekiel's forehead was made iii. 16. and xix. 33, 36. Perhaps like an adamant; he was endued Adami was a different city from with undaunted boldness in declaring Adamah. God's 's message to the Jews, Ezek. ADAMAH, or ADMAH, the most iii. 9. The hearts of wicked men are easterly of the four cities destroyed as an adamant; neither the threatby fire and brimstone from heaven. enings nor judgments of God break Some think the Moabites built a city them, nor his mercies, invitations, of that name near to the place where and promises, melt them, Zech. vii. the other had stood, Gen. xiv. 2. 18. The sin of Judah was written Deut. xxix. 23. To be made as Ad- with a pen of iron, and point of a diamah ; and set as Zeboim, is to be made mond; their corrupt inclinations were a distinguished monument of the fear-deeply rooted and fixed in their ful vengeance of God, Hos. xi. 8. heart; and all their crimes were inADAMANT, the same precious delibly marked by God, Jer. xvii. 1. stone which we call a diamond. It ADAMITES, a sort of heretics of the is the hardest and the most valuable second century. The author of this of gems. It is of a fine pellucid sub-sect, it is said, was one Prodicus, a stance. Being rubbed with a soft disciple of Carpocrates; they assumsubstance; it shines in the dark. Ited the title of Adamites, pretending gives fire with steel, but does not to the innocence of Adam, whose ferment with acid menstruums. No nakedness they imitated in their fire, except the concentrated heat of churches, which they called paradise. the solar rays, will make the least They lived, or made a show of liv impression on it: and even those ing, in solitude and continency, conaffect but its weakest parts. Some demning the state of matrimony; diamonds are found in Brazil, but and when any of them were guilty those of the East-Indies, in the king- of any particular crimes, such an one doms of Golconda, Visapour, Bengal, they called Adam, and that he had and the Isle of Borneo, are the best. eaten of the forbidden fruit; and We know of no more than four mines when they expelled him from their of diamond in India. That of Gani assembly, they drove him, as their or Coulour, about seven days' journey phrase was, out of paradise. This east of Golconda, seems the most no-heresy was renewed in these last ted; about 60,000 persons work in ages by one Picard, a native of it. The goodness of diamonds con- Flanders, who retired into Bohemia, sists in their colour, lustre, and where he introduced this sect. There weight. The most perfect colour is were some in Poland and England