The confusion of tongues at Babel.

hold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

1 And the whole earth was of 6 And the LORD said, Beone language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to an other, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

LECTURE 22.

The advantage of unity.

Pride, and unbelief, and disobedience to the known will of God, appear to have been the sins of those who attempted to build Babel. For we learn from the book of Deuteronomy that it was God who "divided to the nations their inheritance, and separated the sons of Adam;" and that He did this with a view to the fulfilment of his purposes relating to "the children of Israel." Deut. 32.8. But already had men begun again to forget the Lord, and to oppose his will; as if they could tell better than their Maker what was good, or had more concern for themselves than He for his creatures. Already did they prefer getting a name unto themselves, to glorifying God. And in these their wilful plans they were greatly aided by being all "of one language, and of one speech." For they thought to keep themselves together and to get them a name by building a city, and a very lofty tower; a kind of work which it would be most difficult to carry on, especially in the infancy of arts, without every one understanding the language of the rest. And therefore God, by way of restraining their proud imaginations, confounded their language, so that they could not understand each other's speech. And by this means "the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth and they left off to build the city." So true is that which

is written in the Psalms, "Except the Lord build the house: their labour is but lost that build it." Ps. 127. 1. And so applicable is that also which was spoken by Mary the mother of our Lord, "He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts."

Luke 1. 51.

Nothing short of a miracle like this, could account for the variety of languages now existing in the world. For though the researches of the learned have traced many tongues to one, they have also proved beyond question that there are some so radically different, that they could not have been derived by corruption from each other. And this miracle is one which proves the power of God to be as readily exercised over the minds, as over the bodies of mankind. For here was memory at once made incapable of remembering, and understanding made unable to understand. Nor was this miracle without its further uses in after times. For the diversity of tongues must have oftentimes proved a barrier to the dissemination of evil amongst the wicked. And it must also have greatly helped to preserve amongst the children of Israel the knowledge of the true God, when all the rest of mankind had become idolaters. And yet once more, when God designed again to gather into one, those whom He before purposely had scattered, when He would gather into one spiritual community all that dwelt upon the face of the whole earth, the miracle of Babel served to pave the way for the miracle of the Pentecost at Jerusalem; and the strangers from every nation were heard to utter in the moment of conviction, "We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." Acts 2. 11.

That latter miracle has ceased. And we still suffer under the consequences of the former ore. And the chief of what we suffer from it is this, that we are thereby hindered in the propagation of the Gospel. Let us remember that they of Babel were of one mind as well as of one speech. And though we cannot recover unity of speech, it is our own fault if we have not unity of mind. And of this we may be assured, that nothing would so greatly help us in making our brethren abroad Christians, as for them to hear that Christians live more like brethren at home. For this we learn from what was spoken by our Saviour, that in order for the world to believe that He has sent us, it is first needful that we all should be one. See John 17. 21.

May the God of patience and consolation grant us to be likeminded one towards another, after the example of Christ Jesus! May all we who are sprung from one stock, "with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 9. 6.

LECTURE 23.

That we ought to be content with our usual term of life.

The generations of Shem's family have been already once recorded. They are here again set forth more particularly. One

thing which we may do well to note in this second genealogy, is this, that it is mentioned how long each person lived. And during the period from Shem to Abraham, it appears that the length of human life was gradually reduced to nearly its present span. Many perhaps would wish that it were otherwise. Many who are devoted to the pleasures of sense, would be glad to enjoy them for ten times as long as is now probable. And many who are intending to live a life of holiness, may be apt to think, that if they had more time allowed them, they could make more progress, they could become more fit for heaven. But how vain are all such wishes! how idle such plans of ours, to alter for the better what God has ordered for the best! Hundreds of years were found too short by such as loved the world, in former times, for repenting and turning unto God. Threescore years and ten have been seen in later days to be more than ample, for such as love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, to become conformable to the image of their Saviour. No; it is not greater length of time we need, but larger measure of faith. We live long enough, if we are worldly minded, to be weary of all the joys this world can afford. We live long enough, if we are heavenly minded, to become sure of all the happiness which is enjoyed in heaven. Let us but use the life we have, for the ends designed by God, in our creation, and redemption; and we shall then find neither the years which He assigns us too many for our present profit, nor the end by which He limits us too soon for our greater gain. Here we shall be content to wait the summons of our Lord. And when it comes we shall be glad to say with his beloved disciple, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22. 20.

But there is another chief object to be noted in this repeated account of the generations of Shem, namely, that they are here detailed more particularly in that line, which contains Abraham the father of the faithful, and which leads to Jesus, the end of the Old Testament, the Mediator of the New Covenant. "These are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot." Now we learn from the book of Joshua, that even this branch of Shem's family, then dwelling in Ur of the Chaldees, "served other Gods." Josh. 24. 2. And it is thence evident, that the removal of Terah and Abraham, and Lot, was directed under the providence of God for this special object, to cut them off from the temptations of idolatry. God put it into their hearts to fly from evil communication. God guided them towards the land in which He had designed from the first that his name should be known. Terah indeed, died in Haran, about half way as it is supposed, between Ur and Canaan. Many set out towards the promised land, who go only half way. They who serve God only by halves, must not expect to reach unto his heavenly kingdom. Let us be prepared to go all lengths in the way that God points out. We may then trust that we shall receive the full amount of the good things God has promised.

Abraham departeth from Haran, cometh to Canaan.

1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that

they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

LECTURE 24.

The call of God, and his promises to us; our duties.

If we would apply the call of Abraham to ourselves, we may consider the Lord to say to us, Get thee out from the cares and pleasures of the world; yea, and even from thy own friends and family, if they are likely to lead thee into forgetfulness of God. Get thee out into a life of holiness, devotion, and peace, such as none but God can shew thee. Or would we take to ourselves God's gracious promises, here assured to the father of the faithful? Let us observe first it was said, "I will make of thee a great nation." And who shall be able to count the number of conversions unto God which may arise from the faith of one true Christian? Next it is said, "I will bless thee and make thy name great." And has not God said to every one of us,

"And

"Them that honour me I will honour?" 1 Sam. 2. 30. thou shalt be a blessing." Oh the blessedness of them that follow where God leads! How happy are they that dwell within their influence! "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." Oh how surely is reward promised to them who but so much as give one cup of cold water to a dis