A. C. poch. FOUR hundred twenty fix years af-A.M. ter the deluge, when men walked every Thecall. one in his own way, and grew forgeting of ful of him that made them, that great Abra- God, to stop the progress of so great an evil, in the midst of corruption be ham. Third the world. 1921. age of gun to fet apart a chofen people for 2083. himself. Abraham was made choice of to be the ftock and father of all believers. God called him into the land of Canaan, where he intended to establish his worship, and the children of that patriarch, whom he had refolved to multiply as the ftars of heaven, and as the fand of the fea. To the promise he made him of giving that land to his offspring, he added fomewhat far more glorious, and this was that great bleffing which was to be extended to all the nations of the world in Jefus Chrift proceeding from his race. It was that Jefus Chrift whom Abraham honours in the perfon of the high-prieft Heb. vii. Melchifedec who reprefents him; it is 1, 2, 3 to him he pays the tithe of the spoil he had won from the vanquished kings; and it is by him he is bleffed. Though poffeffed of immenfe riches, and of a power which equaled that of kings, Abraham preferved the primitive man'ners; he led always a plain and pastoral life, which, however, wanted not and fol. its A. C. its magnificence; and this that patri-A.M. arch fhewed particularly by exercifing 1856. hofpitality to all men. Heaven fur-2148. nifhed him with guests; angels imparted to him the counfels of God; he believed, and in every thing approved himself full of faith and piety. In his time Inachus, the most ancient of all the kings acknowledged by the Greeks, founded the kingdom of Argos. After Abraham we find Ifaac his fon, and Jacob his grand-fon, imitators of his faith and fimplicity in the fame paftoral life. God repeats to them alfo the fame promifes he had made to their father, and conducts them, as he had done him, 1759. in all things. Ifaac bleffeth Jacob, to 2245. the prejudice of Efau his elder brother, and though deceived in appearance, he in effect executes the counfels of God. Jacob, whom God protected, in every thing excelled Efau. An angel, with whom he had a mysterious wrestling, gave him the name of Ifrael, whence his children are called Ifraelites. To him were born the twelve patriarchs, fathers of the twelve tribes of the Hebrew people; among others Levi, from whom were to proceed the minifters in facred things; Judah, from whom was to fpring, together with the royal race, the Chrift, king of kings, and lord of A. C. of lords; and Jofeph, whom JacobA.M. a little before his death he makes that pof A. C. pofterity, he points out particularly toA. M. Judah the times of the Meffiah, who was to fpring from his race. The house of that patriarch in a little time becomes a great nation; this prodigious multiplication excites the jealoufy of the Egyptians; the Hebrews are unjustly hated, and unmercifully perfecuted: 1571. God raises up Mofes their deliverer, 2433whom he faves from the waters of the Nile, and makes him fall into the hands of Pharaoh's daughter: fhe brings him up as her own fon, and caufes him to be inftructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. In thofe days the people of Egypt fettled in divers parts of Greece. The colony 2448. which Cecrops brought from Egypt built twelve cities, or rather twelve towns, whereof he compofed the kingdom of Athens, and there he eftablished the gods together with the laws Marm. of his country. A little after hapfeu Epened Deucalion's deluge in Theffaly, ra Att, confounded by the Greeks with the univerfal flood. Hellen, the fon of Deucalion reigned in Phthia, a country of Theffaly, and gave his Name to Greece. His people, before called Greeks, took ever after the name of Hellenes, though theLatins have preferved their ancient name. About the fame $556. Arund. A. C. time Cadmus, the fon of Agenor, carri-A. M. ed a colony of Phoenicians into Greece, and founded the city of Thebes in Boeotia. The gods of Syria and Phonicia came into Greece with him. In the mean time Mofes was growing 1531. up. When forty years old, he defpifed2473. the riches of the court of Egypt; and, touched with the afflictions of his brethren the Ifraelites, he endangered himself for their relief. But fo far were they from taking the benefit of his zeal and courage, that they expofed him to the rage of Pharaoh, who refolved his ruin. Mofes fled out of Egypt into Arabia, to the land of Midian, where his virtue, ever ready to fuccour the oppreffed, found him a fecure retreat. This great man lofing hopes of delivering his people, or waiting a better opportunity, had fpent forty years in feeding the flocks of 1491. Jethro his father-in-law, when he faw2513. the burning bufh in the defert, and heard the voice of the God of his fathers, who fent him back into Egypt to bring his brethren out of bondage. Then appear the humility, the courage, and the miracles of that divine lawgiver; the hardness of Pharaoh's heart, and the terrible plagues God fends upon him; the paffover, and next day the |