and Sarah took in inftructing Profelytes; and Maimonides de Idololatr. 1. 1. ] writes, that Abraham left a Book behind him upon that Subject. Ifhmael was the Son of an Ægyptian Mother, Gen. xvi. 1. and his Wife was an Ægyptian: his Sons were Twelve in number, and of great Power, being ftyled Princes, and their Dominions were of a large extent, Gen. xxv. 16, 18. Ifaac was to marry none of the Daughters of Canaan, but one of his own Kindred; and a Meflenger is fent into Mefopotamia, to bring Rebekah from thence, God directing and profpering him in his Journey: Which Alliance and Affinity renewed with the Chaldæans, could not fail of a good effect, for the prefervation and ad vancement of Religion in thofe Countreys. But a Famine being again in the Land, Ifaac removes to Abimelech King of the Philistines, unto Gerar, and by him the Beauty of Rebekah was admired, as Sarah's had been by Pharaoh in Egypt, and here by Abimelech: but tho he had faid fhe was his Sifter (as Abraham laid likewife of Sarah) meaning in that latitude of the word usual in thofe Countries, whereby Women were call'd the Sifters of all to whom they were nearly related; yet the Providence of God fo orde d it, that no Attempts should be made to her Dishonour, but the King of the Philistines had a great regard and reverence for I Ifaac and his Wife: the Bleffing of God was vifible in all his Undertakings; he became much mightier F 4 mightier than the Philistines, and therefore. they envied him; which occafion'd his remove to Beersheba, whither Abimelech, with his Friends and Attendance, came to enter into a ftrict League and Covenant with him, profefling that they faw certainly that the Lord (that is Jehovah, the True God) was with him, and declaring him to be the blessed of the Lord, Gen. xxvi. 11, 14, 16, 26. ~ And for the fame reason, the Philistines had formerly defired to make a Covenant with Abraham, faying, God is with thee in all that thou doft, &c. Gen. xxi. 22. Efau, at the Age of Forty Years, marry'd two Wives of the Daughters of the Hittites, Gen. xxvi. 34. which, tho it grieved Ifaac and Rebekah, who would have had him marry with their own Kindred, yet must give the Hittites further Opportunities of acquainting themselves with the Religion and Worship of the Hebrews; but he marries befides a Daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's Son, Gen. xxviii. 9. which confirmed and ftrengthned the Alliance between the true Believers. Efau was the Father of the Edomites, and of a numerous Off-fpring of Dukes or Princes, Gen. xxxvi. 9. And according to the Custom and Design of the Book of Genefis, the Generations descended from Efau had not been fo particularly fet down, unless they had retained the Knowledge and Worship of the True God. The Edomites, as well as the Moabites and Ammonites, were put put into poffeffion of their Countrey by the fame Divine Power by which the Ifraelites became poffeft of the Land of Canaan, and the Children of Ifrael were not to meddle with them, Deut. ii. 5. Jacob is fent to Padan-Aram, to take to Wife one of the Daughters of Laban, and with him he abode twenty Years, Gen.xxxi.38. and all which he took in hand profpered fo, that there was the vifible Power and Bleffing of God in it, as Laban confeffed, Gen.xxx.27. Ifaac was not to leave the Land of Canaan, but was forbid to remove into Egypt, when there was a Famine in the Land, Gen. xxvi. 2. and he was not upon any account to return into Chaldæa, or to go out of Canaan,Gen.xxiv. 6, 8. but Jacob went out of it, when there were enough of Abraham's Houfe befides to keep up a fenfe of the true Religion among the Canaanites. : Afterwards God manifefted himself to the Egyptians by a various and wonderful Providence for the Children of Ifrael dwelt in Egypt Four hundred and fifty Years, till at laft, by Signs and Wonders, and dreadful Judgments; by Judgments upon their First-born, and upon their Gods, Num. xxxiii. 4. they were brought out from thence; and the nations heard the fame of it, and all the earth was filled with the glory of the Lord, Num.xiv. 15, 21. Thus Chaldea and Egypt, the most famous and flourishing Countreys in thofe Ages of the the World, had the true Religion brought home to them by the Patriarchs, who were fent from place to place to fojourn, to be a Pattern and Example to the reft of Mankind. And Men who travell'd fo far, and conversed with fo many Nations, and were fo zealous for God's Honour, and had fuch frequent Revelations, and the immediate Direction of God himfelf in moft of the Actions of their Lives, and who were fo Great and Powerful, and fo Numerous, muft needs mightily propagate Religion where ever they came, and leave the Idolaters without excufe; and it cannot be doubted but that they had great fuccefs in all places; for even out of Ægypt, where they endured the greatest hardship, and were in fuch contempt and hatred, yet a mix'd multitude went up also with them, befides the Native Ifraelites, Exod. xii. 38. And as Chaldæa and Egypt were famous for Learning and Commerce, and proper Places, by their fituation, from whence the Notions of Religion might be propagated both towards the Eaft and the Weft, to other Parts of the World; fo I muft again obferve, that God's Mercy was particularly manifested towards the Canaanites before their Deftruction: The Example of Melchizedeck, who reigned among them, and the fojourning of Abraham, and Lot, and Ifaac, and Jacob, not to mention Ifhmael and Efau, with their numerous Families, afforded them continual Invitations, vitations, and Admonitions for their Inftruction and Amendment; especially the Judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the miraculous Deliverance of Lot, was enough to ftrike an Awe and Terrour into the most Obdurate. But when they would not make any due use of these Mercies, when they perfifted ftill in their Impieties, and proceeded in them till they had filled up the measure of their Iniquities: God made them an Example to others, after they would take no Warning themselves; yet ftill executing his judgments upon them by little and little, he gave them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a naughty generation, and that their malice was bred in them, and that their cogitation would never be changed, Wifd. xii. 10. How much the true Religion prevailed by thefe Difpenfations of Providence, among other Nations befides the Hebrews, we have an illuftrious Inftance in Job and his Friends, who were Princes in their several Dominions; they had knowledge of the Fall of the Angels, Job iv. 18. and of the Original Corruption of Man,which is expreffed with this emphasis, thathe cannot be clean,or righteous, who is born of a woman; becaufe by Eve's Tranfgreffion, Sin came into the World, Job xiv. I. XV. 14. and xxv. 4. Adam is mention'd, chap.xxxi.33the Refurrection is and it appears the defcribed, chap. xiv. 12. Revelations vouchfafed |