CHA P. II. Of No A H, ABRAHAM, and their SECT. I. Of NOAH and his Sons. 1QWH HO was Noah? A. The righteous Man who was faved when the World was drowned by a Flood, Gen vii. 23. 2 Q. How did God drown the World? A. When Mankind had provoked him by their Sins, which were exceeding great, Gen. vi. 5, 6, 7. he broke up the Fountains of the great Deep under Ground, and caused it to rain forty Days and forty Nights, -Gen. vii. 4, II. 3 Q. How was Noah faved? A. In an Ark, or great Ship or Veffel, which God taught him to build, Gen. vi. 9, 14, &c. Note, Noah had Warning of this Judgment of God one hundred and twenty Years before it came to pass, Gen. vi 3. And as he was a Preacher of Righteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 5. fo we juftly fuppofe he gave continual Warning to a finful World, while the Ark was building, 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20. Heb. xi. 7. 4 Q. Who was faved with him? A. All his Family, and fome living Creatures of every Kind, viz. two of every unclean Beast and Bird which were neither fit for Food or Sacrifice, and seven of every clean Creature which were fit for one or both Ufes, Gen. vii. 2, 3, 13, 14. 5Q How long did Noah tarry in the Ark? A. At nine Months end he fent forth a Dove, which brought in an Olive-Branch, to fhew him that that the Waters were abated: and at the end of twelve Months and ten Days he came forth, and the Creatures which were with him, Gen. vii. II. and viii. 513. 7. 6 Q. What Commands did God give Noah? A.. The offering of Sacrifices was continued, Gen. viii. 20, 21. Flefh was given to Man for Food, as Herbs were before, Gen. ix. 2, 3. Blood was for. bidden to be eaten, the Blood of Man was exprefly forbid to be shed, and Murther was to be punifhed with Death, Gen. ix. 4, 5, 6. Note, The Religion of Noah was the fame with that of Adam after his Fall, in Chap. I. 2. 30. with thefe few Additions here mentioned. And this was the NoACHICAL DISPENSATION of the Covenant of Grace, whereby all Men from Noah to Abraham were to seek Salvation, and whereby all befides the Family of Abrabam were to be faved, even all the Heathen World, till they hear of Chrift. 72 What Promife did God make to Noah? A. That the World should never be drowned again, and it pleafed God to appoint the Rainbow to be a Token of it, Gen. ix. 13-15. 8 Q Was there no Rainbow before the Flood? A. It is probable, that there was no Rain before the Flood, for the Earth was watered daily by a thick Mift, Gen. ii. 5, 6. and then there could be naturally no Rainbow, for it is made by the Sun-beams fhining upon falling Rain. 9Q. Who were Noah's three Sons? A. Shem, Ham, and Japhet; and they were the Fathers of all Mankind after the Flood, Gen. ix. 18, 19. and x. 32. 10 Q. Who were the Offspring or Pofterity of Shem? A: The Perfians who came from Elam their Father, the Syrians from Aram, the Hebrews from Eber, as is fuppofed, and particu larly larly the Jews, with other Inhabitants of Asia, Gen. x. 21., 11 Q. Who were the Pofterity of Ham? A. The Canaanites, the Philiftines, and others in Afia, and the Egyptians, with other Inhabitants of Africa, Gen. x. 6, &c. 12 Q. Who were the Pofterity of Japhet? A. Gomer fuppofed to be the Father of the Germans, Javan of the Greeks, Mefbech of the Mufcovites, and other Families that dwelt in Europe, Gen. x. 2. 13 Q. Wherein did Ham the Father of the Canaanites do amifs? A. He faw his Father Noah naked, and made fport with him, and he was curfed under the Name of his Son Canaan, Gex. ix. 21, 25. Note, It is probable that Canaan joined with his Father Ham in the Mockery of his Grandfather Noah, and therefore he was curfed: And befides, this gaye early notice to the Ifraelites, that the Canaanites, whofe Land God gave them to poffefs, were a People under an ancient Curfe. 14 Q. What did Shem and Japhet do on this Occafion? A. They covered their Father with a Garment, and concealed his Shame, and were bleffed, Gen. ix. 23, 26, 27. 15 Q. Did Mankind freely divide themselves after the Flood into feveral Nations? A. No; but being all of one Language, they agreed rather to build a chief City with a Tower, that all Men might be joined in one Nation or Kingdom, Gen. xi. 4. 16 Q. How did God featter them abroad into different Nations? A. By making them speak different Languages, and then they ceafed to build their Tower, which was called Babel or Confufion, Gen. xi. 7-9. 17 Q Did God preferve the true Religion in any of their Families? A. It is fupposed to have been chiefly preserved in the Family of Shem, for God is called the Lord God of Shem, Gen. ix. 26. Note, Though the Knowledge of the true God and Religion were chiefly preferved in the Family of Shem, yet it is evident that fome Branches of Ham's Family, and probably of Japhet's too, preferved it for fome hundreds of Years; for Melchifedeck, a King of the Canaanites in Abraham's time, was a Prieft of the most high God, and Abimelech, a King of the Philistines, feared God, and had a Senfe of Religion, and both these are derived from Ham. SECT. II. Of ABRAHAM and IoT, ISHMAEL and IS A A C. ́ 18 Q. WH HO was the most famous Man of Shem's Pofterity in thefe early Ages? A. Abraham the Son of Terah, of the Pofterity of Eber, Gen. xi. 27. 19 Q. What was the first remarkable thing recorded of Abraham? A. He left his own native Country to go wherefoever God called him, Gen. xii. I, 4. 20 Q. Whence did Abraham come, and whither did he go? A. He came firft from Chaldea, then from Haran, and he went to dwell among Strangers in the Land of Canaan, Gen. xi. 31. and xii. 5. Heb. xi. 8, 9. 21 Q Who came with Abraham into Canaan? A. Lot his Brother Son; and they brought with them all their Subftance and their Houfhold, Gen. xii. 5. 15 22 Q. Did they continue to dwell together? A. Their Cattle and Servants grew fo numerous, that they parted for fear of quarrelling, and Abraham gave Lot his choice to go to the Eaft or the West, Gen. xiii. 19. 23 Q. Where did Lot fojourn? A. He chose the Eaft, and pitched his Tent toward Sodom, because it was a well-watered and fruitful Country, v. 10 -12. 24 Q. What Calamity befel Lot here? A. He was carried away captive together with other Inhabitants of Sodom, when the King of Sodom was routed in Battle by his Enemies, Gen. xiv. 25. Q. What did Abraham do on this Occafion? A. He armed his own Servants, three hundred and eighteen Men, who purfued the Conquerors and routed them, and brought back Lot and the other Captives with their Goods, Gen. xiv. 14-16. 26 Q. When Abraham returned from the Slaughter of the Kings, what Honour was done him? A. Melchifedeck the King of Salem, and the Prieft of the most high God, met him, and pronounced a Bleffing upon him, Gen. xiv. 18-20. -20. 27 Q. What Civility did the King of Sodom fhew Abraham? A. He offered him all the Goods that Abraham had recovered from the former Conquerors, but Abraham refufed to accept them, v. 21, &c. 28 Q What became of Sodom afterward? A. It was burnt by Fire and Brimftone from Heaven, together with Gomorrah, and other Cities, becaufe of the abominable Wickedness of their Inhabitants, Gen. xix. 24. 29 Q Was there nobody to plead with God to Spare them? A. Yes: Abraham pleaded with God to fpare Sodom, and God would have done |
