very

;

hard to Abraham, upon account of his Son But the Gods faid to Abraham, Be not forrowful upon account of your Son, or upon account of your Woman-fervant obey Sarah in this which the defires of you; for your Pofterity fhall be denominated from Ifaac; but I will make the Son of this Woman-fervant a great Nation, be'cause he is your Seed. Then Abraham arofe in the Morning, and took Bread, and a Bottle of Water, and gave it to Hagar, who put it, and her Son, upon her Shoulders: So he fent her away, and the travelled, and wandered in the Defart Baarfhebah. But the Water in the Bottle being fpent, fhe let the Boy drop under one of the Shrubs, and went, and fat over-against him, at the Distance of the Shot of a Bow; for fhe faid, Left 1 fee the Death of the Boy: While fhe fat over-again ft him, the eried and wept. The Gods then regarded the Cries of the Boy; and the Meffenger, who is the Gods, called to Hagar from the *Founders and said to her, What has befallen you, Hagar? Fear not: The Gods have heard the Cries of the Boy, from the Place where he is Arife, take him up, be bold concerning him; I will make him a great Nation. When the Gods had thus made her chearful, the faw a Well, to which she

*One of the ancient Names of the Perfons of the Deity, which also may be rendered Difpofers in Order.

went, and filled the Bottle with Water, and gave Drink to the Boy. The Gods were with the Boy: So he grew up, and lived in the Defart, and became expert in the Ufe of the Bow. He dwelt in the Defart Padan; and his Mother took a Wife for him out of Egypt.

SECT. II. D

Much about this Time Abimelech and Phicol, Captain of his Army, fpoke to Abraham thus; The Gods are with you in every thing you do. Swear to me by the Gods, that you fhall not betray me, or my Son, or Son's Son; but that you will deal as kindly with me, and with the Inhabitants of this Land, in which you live as a Stranger, as I have done by you. Then Abraham faid, I fwear. He alfo reproached Abimelech, because of the Fountain which his Servants had violently feized. Then Abimelech answered, I know not who has done this; you never informed me of it, nor have I ever heard of it 'till this Day. So Abraham gave Abimelech Sheep and Oxen, and they two made a Covenant together: He alfo fet feven Ewe-Lambs apart from the Flock. Then Abimelech faid to Abraham, Wherefore have you fet a-part thefe feven Ewe-Lambs? Who answered, You fhall have thefe feven Ewe-Lambs I 2 from

from me, as a Memorial that I digged this Well. This Place was called * Baarfkebab; because there they both fwore. They also there made a Covenant; after which Abimelech and Phicol, Captain of his Army, arofe and returned into the Land of Palestine. So Abraham afterwards planted a Grove in Baar-fhebab, and there worfhipped Jehovah, the ancient God, and lived as a Stranger in Paleftine for a long Time.

*The Well of Swearing,

A

CHA P. XXII.

SECT. III. 5

FTER these things the Gods put. Abraham to a Trial, and faid to him, Abraham: To which he answered, Here I am.

So he faid to him, Take now your only beloved Son Ifaac, and going go into the Land of Moriah, and there offer him, as a whole Burnt-offering, upon one of the Mountains which I mention to you. So Abraham arofe in the Morning, faddled his Afs, and took two of his young Men with him, and Ifaac his Son: He alfo did cleave Wood for a whole Burnt-offering, and arofe, and went to the Place which the

Gods

Gods had mentioned to him. In the third Day Abraham lift up his Eyes, and faw the Place a-far. Then he faid to his young Men, Remain ye here with the Afs, while I and this Youth walk yonder, and bow our felves, and return to you. So he took the Wood for the whole Burnt-offering, and put it upon Ifaac, his Son: He alfo took Fire in his Hand, and a Knife. Thus these two walked off together. Then Ifaac fpoke to Abraham his Father, and faid, My Father: To which he answered, Here I am, my Son. So he faid, Behold the Fire and the Wood, but where is the Sheep for a whole Burnt-offering? Abraham answered, The Gods, my Son, will provide for himself a Sheep for a whole Burnt-offering: Still these two went on together. They now come to the Place which the Gods had mentioned to him: So Abraham built there an Altar, put the Wood in order upon it, and fettered his Son Ifaac, and laid him upon the Wood on the Altar. Then Abraham ftretched out his Hand, and took a Knife to kill his Son; at which Time Jehovah, the Meffenger from the Founders, called to him and faid, Abraham, Abraham, (who answered, Here I am) Do not stretch forth your Hand against the Youth; do nothing to him; for now it appears, that I have known that you fear the Gods, and would not detain your only Son from me.

Then

*

Then Abraham lifted up his Eyes, and faw behind him a Ram caught in a Thicket by his Horns: So he took the Ram and offered it, as a Burnt-offering, instead of his Son. Now Abraham called the Name of this Place + Jehovah-jireh, according to the Proverb yet remaining, Jehovah will provide even in a Mountain. The Meffenger Jehovah called to Abraham the fecond Time from the Founders, and faid, In my felf I have promifed, (or, In my own Mind refolved) faith Jehovah, that you should do this, and not withhold from mę your only Son; because I will, bleffing, bless you, and multiplying, multiply your Pofterity, as the Stars, which are the Names, and as the Sand upon the Shore of the Sea. Your Pofterity fhall conquer their Enemies; and in your Seed, all the Nations of the Earth fhall bless themselves, because you regard my Voice. Then Abraham returned to his young Men; fo they arofe, and went to gether to Baar-fhebah; for Abraham then dwelt there.

SECT. IV. S

After thefe Things Abraham was informed, that Milcah had brought forth Sons to Nahor his Brother, viz. Huz his Firft

*A Hebraifm for he looked all around him.

Jehovah will provide.

Or Inftructions.

born,