course; and the farther still they flow, the more they are incorporated and lost in other waters. How have the modern Italians degenerated from the courage and virtues of the old Romans? How are the French and English polished and refined from the barbarism of the ancient Gauls and Britons? Men and manners change with times: but in all changes and revolutions the Arabs have still continued the same with little or no alteration. And yet it cannot be said of them, as of some barbarous nations, that they have had no commerce or intercourse with the rest of mankind; for by their conquests they overran a great part of the earth, and for some centuries were masters of most of the learning that was then in the world: but however they remained and still remain the same fierce, savage, intractable people, like their great ancestor in every thing, and different from most of the world besides. Ishmael was circumcised; and so are his posterity to this day: and as Ishmael was circumcised when he was thirteen years old, so were the Arabs at the same age, according to Josephus. He was born of Hagar, who was a concubine; and they still indulge themselves in the use of mercenary wives and concubines. He lived in tents in the wilderness, shifting from place to place; and so do his descendants, particularly those therefore called Scenites formerly, and those called Bedoweens at this day. He was an archer in the wilderness; and so are they. He was to be the father of twelve princes or heads of tribes; and they live in clans or tribes at this day. He was a wild man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him: and they live in the same state of war, their hand against every man, and every man's hand against them. This, I say, is somewhat wonderful, that the same people should retain the same dispositions for so many ages; but it is still more wonderful, that with these dispositions, and this enmity to the whole world, they should still subsist in spite of the world an independent and free people. It cannot be pretended, that no probable attempts were ever made to conquer them; for the greatest conquerors in the world have almost all in their turns attempted it, and some of them have been very near effecting it. It cannot be pretended that the dryness or inaccessibleness of their country hath been their preservation; for their country hath been often penetrated, though never entirely subdued. know that Diodorus Siculus accounts for their preservation from the dryness of their country, that they have wells digged in proper places known only to themselves, and their enemies 7 Antiq. 1. 1, c. 12, § 2, Edit. Hudson. Twv σкnvwv] cognominati.' Plin. l. 6, c. 28, §32. Pocockii Specimen. Hist. Arab. p. 87. "Diodorus Siculus, 1. 2, c. 48, et l. 19, c. Scenita-vagi—a tabernaculis [ano 94. and invaders through ignorance of these places perish for want of water: but this account is far from being an adequate and just representation of the case; large armies have found the means of subsistence in their country; none of their powerful invaders ever desisted on this account; and therefore that they have not been conquered, we must impute to some other cause. When in all human probability they were upon the brink of ruin, then (as we have before seen at large) they were signally and providentially delivered. Alexander was preparing an expedition against them, when an inflammatory fever cut him off in the flower of his age. Pompey was in the career of his conquests, when urgent affairs called him elsewhere. Ælius Gallus had penetrated far into the country, when a fatal disease destroyed great numbers of his men, and obliged him to return. Trajan besieged their capital city, but was defeated by thunder and lightning, whirlwinds and other prodigies, and that as often as he renewed his assaults. Severus besieged the same city twice, and was twice repelled from before it; and the historian Dion, a man of rank and character, though an heathen, plainly ascribes the defeat of these two emperors to the interposition of a divine power. We who know the prophecies, may be more assured of the reality of a divine interposition: and indeed otherwise how could a single nation stand out against the enmity of the whole world for any length of time, and much more for near four thousand years together? The great empires round them have all in their turns fallen to ruin, while they have continued the same from the beginning, and are likely to continue the same to the end and this in the natural course of human affairs was so highly improbable, if not altogether impossible, that as nothing but a divine prescience could have foreseen it, so nothing but a divine power could have accomplished it. These are the only people, besides the Jews, who have subsisted as a distinct people from the beginning; and in some respects they very much resemble each other. The Arabs as well as the Jews are descended from Abraham, and both boast of their descent from that father of the faithful. The Arabs as well as the Jews are circumcised, and both profess to have derived that ceremony from Abraham. The Arabs as well as the Jews had originally twelve patriarchs or heads of tribes, who were their princes or governors. The Arabs as well as the Jews marry among themselves and in their own tribes. The Arabs as well as the Jews are singular in several of their customs, and are standing monuments to all ages, of the exactness of the divine predictions, and of the veracity of Scripture history. We may with more confidence believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ishmael, when we see them verified in their posterity at this day. This is having as it were ocular demonstration for our faith. This is proving by plain matter of fact, that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men," and that his truth, as well as his "mercy, endureth for ever." As III. THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING JACOB AND ESAU. S it pleased God to disclose unto Abraham the state and condition of his posterity by Ishmael, who was the son of the bond-woman, it might be with reason expected, that something should be predicted concerning his posterity also by Isaac, who was the son of the free-woman. He was properly the child of promise, and the prophecies relating to him and his family are much more numerous than those relating to Ishmael: but we will select and enlarge upon such only, as have reference to these latter ages. It was promised to Abraham before Ishmael or any son was born to him, (Gen. xii. 3,) "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." But after the birth of Ishmael and Isaac, the promise was limited to Isaac, (Gen. xxi. 12,) "for in Isaac shall thy seed be called." And accordingly to Isaac was the promise repeated, (Gen. xxvi. 4,) "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." The Saviour of the world therefore was not to come of the family of Ishmael, but of the family of Isaac: which is an argument for the truth of the Christian religion in preference to the Mohammedan, drawn from an old prophecy and promise made two thousand years before Christ, and much more before Mohammed was born. The land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and his seed four hundred years before they took possession of it, (Gen. xv.) It was promised again to Isaac, (Gen. xxvi. 3:) "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father." Now it is very well known, that it was not till after the death of Moses, who wrote these things, that the Israelites got possession of the land under the command of Joshua. They remained in possession of it several ages in pursuance of these prophecies: and afterwards, when for their sins and iniquities they were to be removed from it, their removal also was foretold, both the carrying away of the ten tribes, and the captivity of the two remaining tribes for seventy years, and likewise their final captivity and dispersion into all nations, till in the fulness of time they shall be restored again to the land of their inheritance. It was foretold to Abraham that his posterity should be multiplied exceedingly above that of others, (Gen. xii. 2:) “I will make of thee a great nation;" and, (xxii. 17,) "in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore." The same promise was continued to Isaac, (Gen. xxvi. 4,) "I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven." And not to mention the vast increase of their other posterity, how soon did their descendants by Jacob grow up into a mighty nation? and how numerous were they formerly in the land of Canaan? how numerous were they in other parts of the world, according to the accounts of Philo and Josephus? and after the innumerable massacres and persecutions which they have undergone, how numerous are they still in their present dispersion among all nations? It is computed that there are as many Jews now, or more than ever there were, since they have been a nation. A learned 'foreigner, who hath written a history of the Jews as a supplement and continuation of the history of Josephus, says that it is impossible to fix the number of persons this nation is at present composed of. But yet we have reason to believe, there are still near three millions of people, who profess this religion, and as their phrase is, are witnesses of the unity of God in all the nations of the world.' And who could foretel such a wonderful increase and propagation of a branch only of one man's family, but the same divine power that could effect it? But Isaac had two sons, whose families did not grow up and incorporate into one people, but were separated into two different nations and therefore, as it had been necessary before to specify whether Ishmael or Isaac was to be heir of the promises, so there was a necessity for the same distinction now between Esau and Jacob. Accordingly, when their mother had conceived, "the children struggled together within her," (Gen. xxv. 22;) and it was revealed unto her by the Lord, (ver. 23,) “Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger." The same divine Spirit influenced and directed their father to give his final benediction to the same purpose: for thus he blessed Jacob, (Gen. xxvii. 28, 29,) "God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee; cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee;" and thus he blessed Esau, ver. 39, 40,) "Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass See Basnage's History of the Jews. Book 7, c. 33, § 15. when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck." But for greater clearness and certainty a more express revelation was afterwards made to Jacob; and the land of Canaan, a numerous progeny, and the blessing of all nations, were promised to him in particular, (Gen. xxviii. 13, 14:) "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed." We have here a farther and more ample proof of what was asserted before, that these ancient prophecies were meant not so much of single persons, as of whole people and nations descended from them. For what is here predicted concerning Esau and Jacob was not verified in themselves, but in their posterity. Jacob was so far from bearing rule over Esau, that he was forced to fly his country for fear of Esau, (Gen. xxvii.) He continued abroad several years: and when he returned to his native country, he sent a supplicatory message to his brother Esau, (Gen. xxxii. 5,) "that he might find grace in his sight." When he heard of Esau's coming to meet him with four hundred men, he "was greatly afraid and distressed," (ver. 7,) and cried unto the Lord, (ver. 11,) "Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau." He sent a magnificent present before him to appease his brother, calling Esau his "lord," and himself Esau's "servant," (ver. 18.) When he met him, he "bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came near to his brother," (Gen. xxx. 3.) And after he had found a gracious reception, he acknowledged (ver. 10,) "I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me." Jacob then had no temporal superiority over Esau; and therefore we must look for the completion of the prophecy among their posterity. The prophecy itself refers us thither, and mentions plainly two nations and two manner of people, and comprehends these several particulars; that the families of Esau and Jacob should grow up into two different people and nations; that the family of the elder should be subject to that of the younger; that in situation and other temporal advantages they should be much alike; that the elder branch should delight more in war and violence, but yet should be subdued by the younger; that however there should be a time when the elder should have dominion, and shake off the yoke of the younger; but in all spiritual gifts and graces the younger should be greatly superior, and be the happy instrument of conveying the blessing to all nations. I. The families of Esau and Jacob should grow up into two |