vine allotment; yet wilfully transgressed: on which account they brought themselves and their posterity under the severest curse; and justified every thing, which they afterwards suffered for their rebellion : though at the time of their punishment, their guilt was accumulated with additional wickedness and apostacy. 7 This What I have mentioned above, St. Paul likewise alludes to : * Εποιησε τε εξ ένος αίματος παν εθνος ανθρωπων κατοικείν επι παν το πρωσωπον της γης, όρισας προτεταγ μενες καιρες, και τας ὁροθεσίας της κατοικίας αυτών. in our version is translated too indefinitely and should not be, "God hath made, and hath deter"mined," but, "God made," or, "did make of 66 one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all "the face of the earth, and determined the times "before appointed, and the bounds of their habi"tation." It refers to a particular time, and ordinance; the same that is spoken of by Moses. And it affords us this additional information; that not only the place of residence for each family, but the time likewise of the migration was by God's appointment. This was the sense of many of the fathers upon this subject, and particularly of Eusebius. 8 Μερισμος γης. Τῳ βροβ ετει τα κοσμό, ένα 7 Acts 17. v. 26. Euseb. Chronic. Aoyos Пpwr. pag. 10. Syncellus pag. 90. as quoted above, mentions this infringement and usurpation of the κοσιοςῳ τριακοσιος, ετει τε Νώε, κατα ΘΕΙΟΝ δηλονοτι ΧΡΗΣΜΟΝ, εμέρισε Νωε τοις τρισιν ύιοις αυτέ την γην. He afterwards proceeds to mention the infringement of this divine ordinance, and the consequences of το Χαμ ύιος Χανααν επέβη τοις όροις τε it: νεωτερίσας Σημ, και κατῳκήσεν εκεί, παραβας την εντολην Νωε, κ. το λο whose posterity he afterwards tells us was destroyed by Moses and Joshua : ὡς δια Μωσέως και Ιησε το Ναυη εξωλοθρευσεν ὁ Θεος. 9 This may serve to explain a passage in Scripture, which has been the cause of much perplexity. It is mentioned that Ham the son of Noah had been guilty of a great breach of duty, and want of reverence to his father: that when Noah awoke, and was sensible of what his younger son had done, 10" He said, cursed be Canaan; a servant of ser"vants shall he be unto his brethren. And he 66 said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and "Canaan shall be his servant." It has seemed to many persons extraordinary, that, as Ham was the person guilty, he should be passed over without any animadversion: and that the curse should devalve to Canaan, who does not seem to have been Canaanites, and the attack made upon them for that outrage by the family of Shem: Τῳ βωλη ετει τε κόσμε, το δε Φαλεκ ξζ ετει, Καϊναν απεθανεν και οι υιοι τε Σημ επολέμησαν προς τις ιες Χαμ περι των ορίων της Παλαισίνης. 9 Gen. 9. v. 22. 19 Ibid. 9. v. 25, 26. VOL. VI. at all an accomplice. But it must be observed, that these words are not so much to be esteemed a curse vented out of resentment against Ham and Canaan, for what had been done, as a prophetic denunciation of disobedience in time to come, and of the evils in consequence of it: and even then not uttered for their sakės, but upon account of others of another family, who were to come after, and tó be instructed by it. It is very common with the sacred historian in the early accounts, which he gives us, to specify, what immediately relates to the grand purpose in hand; and to omit every thing else, which is not connected with it. Many things alluded to were well known at the time he wrote: it was therefore sufficient to extract, what was essential; and to give a sample for the whole. This may be observed in the "history of Lamech, of a conquest made by Jacob, in the "fragment upon the conquest of Heshbon; and in other places. In the passage, I am speaking of, there is reason to think, that a great deal preceded what is here mentioned by Moses; and that we have only a part of the original prophecy. From the tenor of what remains, we may perhaps form some judgment of what is omitted. It is probable, that at this season 12 11 Gen. 4. v. 23. the patriarch disclosed, what was to happen in after times, especially to the son, who had aggrieved him. There is, I think, an apparent chasm and failure; which may with great probability be filled up, from what seems to be implied in this curse upon Canaan. It is very reasonable to suppose, that Noah told Ham of the future apostacy of his children: that the same want of reverence, which Ham had witnessed, would be visible in his posterity: That the second in descent from him should be the first 14 rebel upon earth; and at the same time the first tyrant, who should usurp authority over his brethren: That of the race of Cush should be a daring confederacy, who at the general dispersion should withstand the divine dispensation, and arrogate to themselves territories in direct opposition to the will of God: That a chosen people were to arise; and that there was for them a particular land ordained but that Canaan and his sons, another branch of his family, should disregard this ordinance, and seize upon the land, which was destined for God's own portion. Then comes in the part to "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of the purpose; servants shall he be unto his brethren :" and "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and. Canaan "shall be his servant." Of this nature I take to have been the original prophecy: and good reason 14 The name Nimbrod signifies a rebel. may be given, why one part is omitted, and the other retained. The former part is omitted by the divine writer, as unnecessary to be related; being either mentioned or implied in the common course of the history. On the other hand, the propriety of inserting, what is specified, is apparent. It was a prophecy, that related most intimately to the Israelites; who, when this history was promulged, were upon their journey to Canaan, the land adjudged to them for an inheritance, but occupied by others. It was to inform them first, that the Canaanites had no right to the land, which they possessed that they had been guilty of an undue usurpation and were under the curse of God for their determined and obstinate disobedience: therefore for that reason they could not prosper against the Israelites. That the Israelites were going to their hereditary demesnes; to a land originally designed for them by the great disposer of thrones and kingdoms: that the blessing, entailed upon the sons of Shem, particularly belonged to the children of Jacob; in whom the prophecy was to be completed, and to whom the Canaanite was to be subservient. The time, the place, every circumstance shews with what propriety this part of the prophecy is retained: and at the same time it is evident, that something had preceded, which is omitted by Moses, as unnecessary to be related. From the foregoing we may see good reason for the severities shewn towards the Canaanites: whom |