in great diftrefs, is relieved by God; Abimelech makes a Covenant with Abraham, chap.

20, 21..

Abraham is commanded to offer up his Son Ifaac; He readily obeys: God accepts of this Obedience, and preferves Ifaac: Abraham is again bleffed: Of the Pofterity of Nahor, chap.

22.

After this we have an account of the Age and Death of Sarah: Of the Purchase of a Burying place for her: Of Abraham's fending his Servant to procure a Wife for Ifaac: Of the Servant's exemplary diligence and fuccefs; and of the Marriage of Ifaac and Rebekah, ch. 23,24.

Of Abraham's Sons by Keturah: Of his Age and Death: Of the Pofterity of Ishmael, and of his Death, &c. Of the Birth of Jacob and Efau; and how Efau fold his Birth-right: Of the Journey of Ifaac to Gerar, &c. Of a Covenant between Abimelech and Ifaac, and of the Marriage of Efau, chap. 25, 26.

Mofes proceeds to relate after what manner Jacob obtained the Bleffing which Isaac bestowed on him, and which he defigned for Efau ; As alfo the Journey of Jacob to Padan-Aram, and several Paffages relating thereunto, chap. 27,28.

Jacob is entertained by Laban, and contracts with him for his Service: He Marries Leak, and afterwards Rachel, the Daughters of Laban: The Children of Jacob: Laban, upon Jacob's defire to depart from him, makes a new

contract

contract with him; upon which Jacob ufeth policy, and grows rich upon it, chap. 29, 30.

Jacob leaves Laban privately; Laban purfues him, and enters into a Covenant with him at Galeed: Jacob goes on, and fends a Meffage to Efau, whom he much feared; He prays to God on this occafion, and sends a Prefent to Efau ; He wrestles with an Angel, and is called Ifrael: Jacob meets Efau, and is kindly received by him: Jacob comes to Suc coth, thence toward Shechem, in the Land of Canaan; he purchaseth fome Land there, and builds an Altar: Dinah is ravished, and the Shechemites destroyed, chap. 31, 32, 33, 34.

Jacob goes to Bethel, where he builds an Altar; His Name is changed into that of Ifrael; God bleffeth him: Rachel dies, and we have an account alfo of the Death of Isaac, chap. 35.

Mofes relates an account of Efau, of his Wives and Children; and alfo of the Horites, chap. 36.

We have next a very particular Relation of Jofeph, one of the younger Sons of Jacob: Of his Dreams, and the hatred that his Brethren bore towards him: Of their confpiring his Death, and of his being carried into Egypt, chap. 37.

Of the Children of Judah, another of facob's Sons: Of the Birth of Pharez and Zarah by Tamar, chap. 38.

The

The Hiftory of Jofeph is continued: He is advanced in the Houfe of Potiphar, and refifteth the temptation of his Mistress; he is however accused falfely, and caft into Prison, where God profpers him. He interprets the Dreams of two of the King of Egypt's Servants, who were in Prison with him, to whom it hapned Ias Jofeph fore-told. The Dreams of Pharaoh King of Egypt are interpreted by Jofeph, who predicted a great Plenty, and great Famine: Upon this Jofeph is greatly advanced in Egypt: Of the Children of Jofeph, and the beginning of the Famine. Ten Sons of Jacob are fent upon the occafion of the Famine to buy Corn in Egypt; when Jofeph faw them, he accused them for Spies: They are furnished with Corn, and their Money returned into their Sacks: They are required to bring with them Benjamin their younger Brother, and their Brother Simeon is detained as a Pledge. Jofeph's Brethren return with Benjamin, and are entertained by him. They are fent away with Corn, but brought back again to Egypt, and accused of Theft. The pathetical Supplication of Judah upon this occafion. Jofeph makes himself known to his Brethren, minds them of God's Providence; fends for his Father and being plentifully provided for, they report to their Father that Jofeph was alive, and greatly advanced in Egypt, chap. 39, 40, 41,

42, 43, 44, 45.

Facob

Jacob comes to Beersheba, and is encoura ged to go into Egypt, and takes his Journey to it. The Number of his Family that went with him. Jofeph meets his Father, and inftructs his Brethren what they fhould fay to Pharaoh, chap. 46.

Jofeph prefents his Father and five of his Brethren to Pharaoh; His Father and Brethren are placed in a good part of the Land; The great encrease of the Famine in Egypt, and what followed thereupon; Jacob's Age; He takes an Oath of Jofeph to bury him with his Fathers. Jacob bleffeth Ephraim and Manaffeh, the two Sons of Jofeph, preferring the younger; He fore-tells the Return of his Posterity into Canaan; He bleffeth his Children, and predicts very particularly what fhou'd befall the feveral Tribes in After-times; and, among many other things, he Prophecies of the Mefiah. Jacob dies. The Mourning for Jacob, and his Burial. Jofeph dieth, chap. 47, 48,

49, 50.

If what hath been faid be reflected upon, here is enough to be found in this excellent Book to recommend it to the Reader. And it must needs be acceptable to all forts of Readers that have a difpofition to Knowledge or trué Piety.

I. Here's the best account of prime Antiquity Of the Original of the World, and the

Order

Order in which the feveral Parts of it were framed. Here's the cleareft account of the Destruction of the living Creatures by the Floud, and of the Peopling the New World by the Sons of Noah. Here we may find the most ancient Account of the feveral People, who were the Heads of Families and Nations: There's nothing extant in the World that can vye with this Book in this respect. Here we have also the most ancient Account of the true Worship of God, and the first Formation of a Church, and of the first Original of the Jewish Nation, who were God's peculiar People, and in Covenant with him.

II. Here we have alfo the best Account of our felves, and are led to that knowledge of our felves wherein we are highly concerned. We may learn hence whence our Bodies were framed, and whence our immortal Souls came. The happy condition in which Man was at firft made, and the great Mifery into which Man plunged himfelf and his Pofterity by his Difobedience, and the Remedy which God provided for our reftitution and recovery, by the Promise of the Meffiah, under the Character of the Seed of the Woman, who should break the Serpent's head. The knowledge of these things is of vast moment to our Souls, and tends to commend to us the neceffity of a Saviour and Redeemer, and leads us to him.

III. We