And the radical difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians is thus shown at the twentysecond and twenty-third verses of the preceding (fourth) chapter. "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my first-born and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold I will slay thy son, even thy first

born."

The words my son, and thy son, from the mouth of God, prove the original difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians, and very much favour the drift of this inquiry concerning different seeds upon the earth. In Ezekiel it is said, Egypt shall be the basest of the kingdoms; and is it not at this day, in respect to morals, religion, and the general subjection of the country, of the basest description? Thus Ham's descendants (including those other sons which are said to have spread into Africa) appear invariably to have acted either in a state of actual defiance, or at least of non-allegiance, to the God of Adam, from the foundation of Babel to the present Mahometan and Pagan state of the great peninsula of Africa, which chiefly

contains them; and has, from its boundaries of the sea, kept them in the main from incorporating, or mixing upon terms of equality, with their brethren, the descendants of Shem and Japhet, for the space of four thousand years from the date of Noah's prophecy.

The enmity of the Africans, and their disposition to murder an unprotected Jew or Christian, is well known; but they are favourable to Mahometans.

ISAAC AND ISHMAEL.

We now come to some remarks upon those patriarchs, whose character and circumstances are more particularly dwelt upon, than we can suppose the concise method of Scripture narration would do, unless they were each the fountain head of an important lineage; the progressive state of which was meant to be kept in view, till time, and the explanations of the New Testament, should prove how fraught they originally were with intimations of some of the great events which have happened in the world.

Genesis, chap. xxi. 9. "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.

10. "Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bond-woman and her son: for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11. "And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his son.

12. "And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight, because of the lad, and because of thy bond-woman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called,

13. "And also of the son of the bond-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed."

Moses has shown that Noah was perfect in his generations, and from Noah's approved son, Shem, Abraham's descent is carefully given; his promised son, Isaac, therefore, by a free-woman, must, according to all that has been shown, from both the Old Testament and the New, be considered as one of the sons of God: but Ishmael his brother, although he received a blessing from God, is clearly marked as of an inferior nature to Isaac, even in the Old Testament,-First, by his descent on his `mother's side; secondly, by his own marriage with an Egyptian, which still keeps his posterity in the line of Ham; and, thirdly, by the declaration of Sarah, that he should not inherit with her son; which declaration must be looked upon as pro

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phetical in respect to his posterity, because it is immediately approved of by the Lord; and the subject resumed with confirmation in the New Testament more than a thousand years afterwards.

Galatians, chap. iv. 22. "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman.

23. But he who was of the bond-woman, was born after the flesh: but he of the free-woman was by promise.

28. "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now."

At the twenty-third verse, all that has been conjectured concerning a radical difference of origin seems confirmed, and Ishmael is declared to be born after the flesh, while the Jews, the sons of God, are recognized as the children of the promise.

Verse 30. "Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her son: for the