"chronologists; these fears were intirely dispersed: they diffused themselves over the "vallies and the fields; and occupied the plains " of Chaldea, or of Babylon*." Had they designed this tower as a bulwark against a second deluge, they would have chosen an elevated country, rather than a plain. Two rea sons are assigned, in their consultation, for this project:

1. That they might make themselves a name: that they might leave a memorial behind them. The desire of living in the remembrance of posterity, and of securing an immortal renown, has burnt with inextinguishable ardour, in the human bosom, in every age. Absalom set up for himself a pillar; because he had "no son" to "keep his name in remembrance." The principle which laid the foundation of the tower of Babel, raised the lofty pyramids of Egypt; has reared many a proud city; and, more than once, has turned the world into a field of "blood."

"lest

2. That they might not be dispersed: "we be scattered abroad upon the face of the "whole earth." Their project to live together, opposed the manifest design of Deity, that the

* See note 1, at the end of this Lecture.

whole earth should be speedily peopled. Some have translated the words-" Let us make us "a sign, lest we be scattered;" and conclude that they intended this tower to serve as a beacon, or mark, by the direction of which, they might avoid straying with their flocks, (for the first men were shepherds) and regain the city, which they had chosen for their residence, after the temporary wanderings required by their occupations. The result of their consultations, whatever were their motives, was the commencement of that stupendous work— the tower of Babel.

Respecting the tower itself, Moses informs us, that " they used brick instead of stone, "and slime instead of mortar." This slime, was a pitchy substance, called bitumen, which abounded in the neighbourhood of Babylon; and, forming a strong cement, was admirably adapted to their purpose. It is universally admitted, that the tower had it's ascent on the outside a broad road gradually winding round it: of course, the tower itself grew proportionably narrow as it increased in height, and assumed a spiral form. If you imagine a path, winding round the representations which are made of the pyramids of Egypt, you will form a complete idea, of the general description, transmitted to us, of the tower of Babel.

"And the LORD came down to see "the city and the tower, which the children of

V. 5-9.

men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, 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 ima

gined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD "scattered them abroad from thence upon the face

of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; "because the LORD did there confound the lan

guage of all the earth: and from thence did the "LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all "the earth." There is a merciful condescension to be perceived in all parts of the sacred writings, in stooping to our conceptions, by the use of familiar terms, and of language continually on our own lips. Had the inspired penmen been commissioned, at all times, to represent things as they really are, we should have derived no benefit from their communi- cations: we should have had words, but not ideas we should have been incessantly floating on the surface of uncertainty, bewildered, and lost, in the loftiness of the subject. But God speaks to us,' as though he were "bone of our "bone, and flesh of our flesh :" he enters into

all our passions: he uses our language: he brings down heavenly subjects to the standard of our comprehension. In travelling through the land of scripture discovery, we are at home: we are surrounded by objects, and encompassed with imagery, perfectly familiar to us; and "a way"faring man, though a fool, cannot err therein." The consequence is, that this volume is found to speak to the heart: it "" approves itself to every man's conscience:" it possesses an irresistible influence over his life, while it descends to the level of his understanding. Because we have no conception of pure spirit-spirit distinct from matter-or of it's powers--or of it's agency-or of it's operations-the Deity is represented as acting like a man. We read of his penetrating eye; his powerful hand; his majestic voice; his trackless footsteps; his melting bowels; his compassionate heart. He is angry: he relents: he loves: he entreats. He ascends and descends; he rides upon the clouds; he walks through the earth. He is a father-and he has a father's heart. He manifests paternal anxiety-paternal affection-paternal superintendence-paternal displeasure-paternal forgiveness. Every one feels the force of the image; every one sees in himself, the ungrateful, perverse child; every one understands his relation to God, and acknowledges the obliga

tions under which he is laid to him. The ima gery renders every thing luminous: while the representation of facts as they are a Being without passions, and without any resemblance to any one object with which we are acquainted-would overwhelm the mind with perplexity, and overshadow the subject with impenetrable darkness. Of the class described, is the passage before us; in it are many bold figures of speech; for the Eternal fills all space with his presence, and can neither ascend nor descend; and when such language is used, it is in accommodation to our conceptions, and to our modes of speaking.

The work was displeasing to God; and the source of his displeasure was, that it opposed his express command, "replenish the earth:" which could not be done while they continued in one place. In order to scatter them abroad, he compelled them to relinquish their project by confounding their language: from which circumstance, the city and tower took the name of Babel, which signifies confusion.

THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGE, became the means of the DESTRUCTION OF BABEL: and from it's importance and consequences, is an event worthy the place which it occupies, in the Mo saic history. As to the manner in which it was effected, as in every subject so remote and un