continue together, and establish an universal government. In the prosecution of this ambitious design, they projected and commenced the building of a city and a tower in the plain of Shinar, a beautiful valley, through which the river Tigris rushes from the Armenian mountains to the sea. There was, it appears, no stone near at hand, but a kind of earth very suitable for bricks, and a bituminous substance, like tar or pitch, which is said still to ooze from certain springs in that plain; this they used for cement of those materials, and on or near the spot were afterwards built the celebrated walls of Babylon.The ingenuity given to man, by which he discovers the properties of the various natural bodies with which he is surrounded, and the readiness with which he renders them subservient to his wants and conveniences, ought to awaken adoring and grateful acknowledgments of the distinguishing goodness of his Maker, by which he is taught more than the beasts of the field, and made wiser than the fowls of heaven; and surely those powers should be dedicated to His service, not perverted to acts of rebellion against His authority.

"Let us build," said these daring projectors, tower whose top may reach to heaven!" What will not man attempt, when he casts off the fear of God, and madly rises in rebellion against his Maker : but what was the object or design of this enterprise? Not to open for themselves a way into the mansions of eternal felicity: so strange and absurd

an idea could scarcely have entered their minds, depraved as they were, much less have ripened into a plan of regular operation. Nor was it merely to raise a monument of architectural ambition, which should signalize and perpetuate their names, for scarcely would so signal a miracle have been wrought, to defeat a mere momentary freak of human vanity : nor was it to secure themselves against the ravages of another flood; for had they, in unbelief of the promise of God, anticipated such a calamity, and been disposed to provide against it, they would have chosen for their building the highest mountain-top, rather than the plain. Nor does it appear to have been designed as an idol's temple; it was their own name that they wished to perpetuate: besides, if either of these had been their object, defeat would naturally have followed projects so chimerical, pursued by means so irrational: there would have been no need for the special interference of the Deity. Nor does it appear that the confounding of languages would have been particularly adapted to defeat such designs. The only object to which their measures appear to be adapted, and which the interposition of Jehovah would most effectually frustrate, is that of founding an universal monarchy, by which all the families of the earth in all future ages might be held in subjection. Such a purpose indicated daring ambition, "let us make a name;"-required union, for which purpose they proposed to "build a city," and concentrate their strength and their counsels :-it

required also the means of defence; for this purpose "a tower" was desirable, of such a height as to bid defiance to any who should attempt to annoy them with arrows or other missive weapons. Thus all their measures were wisely laid; and had not Jehovah interposed to frustrate their scheme, it would have succeeded. It is very probable that Nimrod was the leader of this famous enterprise, and that the whole was a scheme of his, by which to make himself master of the world. We have great reason for thankfulness that such ambitious projects have never been permitted to be realized in their full extent; universal government, considering the depraved nature and selfish passions of man, could scarcely fail of being exceedingly despotic and oppressive, and would also tend greatly to obstruct the influence of true religion.

But how vain and impotent are the designs of man, when he takes up arms against his Maker; beneath whose touch the puny reptile of a day is crushed; before whose frown, he shrinks into his original nothingness. The power of that God who first bestowed upon man the gift of speech, was exerted in confounding it. By a miraculous interposition, the minds of this rebellious company were strangely confused as to the meaning of the terins in which they had before conversed, and were led to form other words and expressions. Thus were new languages produced, probably as numerous as the principal families in the company; who could under

stand each other, but could not converse with their former associates. Thus the very plan which they had formed to prevent their dispersion, made way for it, and in consequence the several tribes removed to the regions allotted to them. The dividing of languages was therefore in effect the dividing of nations, and so a bar to the whole world being ruled by one government. Thus a perpetual miracle was wrought, to be an antidote to a perpetual disease. On the sudden dispersion of the settlers, their unfinished project was abandoned; and in the name given to the place, (Babel, which signifies confusion) as well as in the remains of their unfinished building, stood memorials of their impotent folly and perpetual disgrace; while the great name they were so anxious to make for themselves, entirely perished from the earth, not one of the names of the Babel-builders being handed down to posterity.

Noah was yet living at the time of the confusion of tongues; we may conclude of him and other pious persons, chiefly the descendants of Shem in the line of Eber, that they were not engaged in this presumptuous project, and that they were permitted to retain the universal language. If this, as is highly probable, was the Hebrew, it perhaps derived its name from Eber, to whose descendants it was peculiar, and thus we account for the epithet Hebrew and Hebrews being given to Abraham and his posterity. Noah lived to the age of nine hundred and fifty years; and died three hundred and fifty years after the flood.

F 2

§ 5. The Descendants of Shem.-Gen. xi. 10–32.

After the separation of men by the confusion of tongues, the sacred narrative is confined to the history of those in whose families the knowledge and worship of God was retained, and notices other nations and families only as their history comes in contact with that of the favoured race through whom the promised Messiah was to come.

The

genealogy from Shem to Terah, the father of Abraham, is principally interesting and important as proving the fulfilment of the promises relating to the Messiah; to this use it is applied in the New Testament.

It is remarkable, observes Mr. Scott, that the original revelation made to Adam, might be transmitted to Abraham at the distance of 2000 years, through only two intermediate persons: Adam lived till Methuselah was 243 years old-Methuselah, till Shem was 100-and Shem almost as long as Abraham. This lougevity of mankind in the earliest ages, was a wise provision of the Governor of the world, not only for its more rapid population, but for the better authenticated transmission of his revelations while they were conveyed by tradition: the fewer hands through which these communications of the divine will passed, the greater security for their genuineness, beside affording to several generations at once, and that for a long series of