when he left Haran, Sarai, who was the daughter of his youngest brother, must have been a young woman.

At the latter part of the chapter from whence this section is taken, it is related, that Abram, being fearful that some of the Egyptians would be enamoured with his wife's beauty, and kill him in order to obtain her, desired Sarai to say she was his sister. Sarai obeyed him; in consequence of this, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, took her to his house, intending to make her his wife, and the LORD sent plagues upon him and his family; but as soon as Abimelech knew that Sarai was Abram's wife, he returned her to her husband, and dismissed them from Egypt.

By what means the LORD directed Abram to Canaan is not related; but we may conjecture, with great probability, that the patriarch was guided by some visible token of the Divine presence, as his descendants were afterwards

We find that Abram, after the LORD had called him, followed the religion of Noah; built altars to the LORD, acknowledged Him to be GoD, and offered sacrifices to Him alone. The calling of Abram may be considered as a kindness to the posterity of Shem, to whom the LORD had promised, by Noah, to be a GoD, in a peculiar manner *.

Christians are taught, by the example of Abram, to direct their hopes to the same heavenly country as he did; but without the aid of Divine revelation they Happily for us, the same Abram, is ready to be our

cannot find the way to it.

LORD, who was a guide to guide also. The LORD must not indeed be expected to appear to us as he did to Abram, nor is there occa sion for Him to do so, because those purposes of Divine providence, for which the LORD so particularly

directed this good patriarch, have been completed; and the way to the heavenly country is exactly described in His written-word; let us therefore study it with the utmost attention, and pay a ready obedience to those Divine commands which it contains, not suffering our worldly interest to attach us too strongly to the concerns of this transitory life.

SECTION XV.

THE HISTORY OF ABRAM CONTINUED, GOD'S PROMISES AGAIN RENEWED.

From Genesis, Chap. xiii.

AND Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south." And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

And he went on his journies from the south, even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Hai, unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle, and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen: for we be brethren.

Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take to the left hand,

then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent towards Sodom.

But the men of Sodom were wicked, and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

And the LORD said unto Abram after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered:

Arise, walk through the land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it: for I will give it unto thee.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

The inhabitants of Canaan were not immediately driven away to make room for Abram; but from this time he had a right to consider the land as the inheri tance of his posterity: however, he was contented with such a portion of it, as was sufficient for the mainte nance of himself and his dependants; but it was, with

out

out doubt, very comfortable to him to receive from the SUPREME GOVERNOR of the world, a grant of country sufficient for the sustenance of the numerous posterity which was promised to him.

From this part of Abram's history, we should learn to pay regard to religion, wherever we go: to be kind. and obliging to relations, and to place a firm trust and confidence in the promises of GOD. The friendly and courteous behaviour of Abram to Lot, is highly worthy of imitation, as it was calculated to promote peace and harmony, which are too often destroyed by the disputes. of relations, and disagreements among their servants.

SECTION XVI.

A BRAM'S COVENANT WITH ABIMELECH.

From Genesis, Chap. xx.

And Abram journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abram said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

for

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, the woman which thou hast taken: for she is a man's wife. And Abimelech said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother? In the integrity of my heart, and innocency of my hands, have I done this.

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me.

Now, therefore, restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet,

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prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live, and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

Then Abimelech called Abram and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and in what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me, and on my kingdom, a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

And Abimelech said unto Abram, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? And Abram said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of GOD is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

And yet indeed she is my sister: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother and she became my wife.

And it came to pass, when GoD caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and women servants, and gave them unto Abram, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold he is to thee a covering of the eyes unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

So Abram prayed unto the LORD for Abimelech and his wife, and his servants; and the LORD heard him. And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech, and

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