happiness of wedded life, married Keturah, and by her Abraham had fix fons. He took the greatest care to portion out these children, fo that they could not interfere with the inheritance of his fon Ifaac, and interrupt the quiet and peace of him and his family. He placed them in Arabia, Eastward of Beer-fheba and the land of Canaan, and Abraham had now alfo ten grand-children. If you contraft Abraham with his fon, the Father was distinguished by Firmness of mind, and Ifaac by tenderness of heart, fitting him for more domeftic Scenes. Abraham extorts from us Admiration, Ifaac infinuates himself into our love: Splendid virtues require fuperior abilities; but the milder graces of Ifaac, as they need only a welldisposed heart, so they may be displayed at the family hearth. Setting afide ambition, the life of Ifaac is a life of dignity and honour. ABRAHAM, the good old man, content and calm under a review of the paft; a confcience finding nothing to reproach him; his truft in God unabated; Abraham's laft hour was peace, and Ifaac ftood fondly weeping over him. Thus Thus this Venerable Illuftrious Patriarch, Heir of a world, and the Friend of God, at the age of one hundred and feventy-five was gathered to his Fathers, and to her, with whom, when living, he had been fo happily united. A man of exemplary piety, and highly exalted virtues. His fons, Ifaac and Ifhmael, with the moft refpectful folemnity, paid him the laft dutiful and filial honours, and buried him in the cave of Mac-pelah, on the fide of Sarah his beloved wife. Uncommon were his trials, great and extraordinary were his bleffings. A life of diftinguished Firmnefs, many excellent virtues, with the profoundest reverence for his God. Against Hope, he believed in Hope, ftrong in Faith, fully fatisfied what God had promised, He was also able to perform. Unbounded Unbounded was his confidence and reliance on Him, and it was rewarded with present blefsings; fignal promises; the most winning condefcenfion and the highest national Honours to his Pofterity. ESSAY ESSAY III. A Short Introductory Compendium to the JEWISH HISTORY. ADAM, introduced into a beautiful garden, rich and luxuriant, is directed to drefs and preferve its cultivation and neatness. He was to eat of its fruits, and drink of its pure springs, with one fingle prohibition, obvious ly expreffive of his obedience and gratitude. GOD reveals to Adam what relates to the creation, and to his own formation in particular. Adam Adam delivers it down to SETH, and Seth to ENOCH, Enoch to METHUSALAH his fon, and fo to NOAH; and as Shem lived in Chaldea, he communicated it to ABRAHAM the Father and the Founder of the Jewish Nation. The Longevity of man, in thefe early ages, contributed to render tradition the criterion of truth. Although 2432 years had elapfed before the birth of Mofes, our infpired hiftorian, the channels of information were as yet incorrupted. The Hiftory was very probably conveyed down from Adam to Mofes by only seven persons *. METHUSALAH, the grand-father of Noah, was 340 years old when Adam died, and he afterwards lived till the year of the Flood, when NOAH had attained to his fix huudredth year, and died only two years before the birth of Abraham. SHEM, being his neighbour, was very likely to communicate what he knew to ABRAHAM. ISAAC inftructed his grand-fon JOSEPH in the Hiftory of his predeceffors; and AMRAM, the father of Mofes, was Contemporary with Jofeph. * Methusalah, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Ifaac, Jofeph, and Amram. Thefe |