is nearly the same in Hebrew, Greek, Teutonic, Gælic, Welsh, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English."

The judicious author of the foregoing observations, has selected a number of words which run through a variety of the languages mentioned; and several of them have the better claim to being reputed of very high antiquity, if not antediluvian; because it is so extremely difficult to trace any modern intercourse between the nations that use them.

"Not only," says he, "the construction and formation of the English and Persian languages are remarkably similar, but there are many words wholly or nearly alike. Thus sukar, is sugar; shireen, a syren: bad, bad; burden, to bear; lib, lip; jamin, jessamine; best, best; nam, a name; ain, or ein, the eye," &c. &c.

Kett says: "I could show the coincidence, in many points, between Greek and Sanscrit; be tween the dialect of the Hebrides, and the remote language of China; but the limited nature of my plan, makes it necessary to refer such of my Readers as are desirous of pursuing this curious investigation, to the learned works of Sammes, Pezron, Junius, Skinner, and Parkhurst; to Rowland's Mona, and Williams's Primitive Christianity.

"The identity, or near resemblance of names which denote the same ideas; and those ideas, some of the most striking and important to mankind in every age of society, seems to point to the same source, It seems highly probable therefore, that one original fountain of speech, and one only, has produced not only those various streams of diction, such as the Celtic, that have been long dried up; but supplied those likewise, such as the languages of modern Europe, that still continue to flow. Hence the history recorded by Moses, of the primeval race of men speaking one language, and afterwards being dispersed in consequence of the confusion of tongues, receives strong confirmation. These are facts which furnish the best reasons for the uniformity we have noticed; and they could not on any other principle be accounted for in a manner so satisfactory, or so consistent with the tenour of Ancient History."

The posterity of Shem are twice recited by Moses. In the first place he only mentions the names of such of his descendants as were concerned in the first dispersion; in the other, he delivers the genealogy, in the line of Ar, phaxad, down to Abram. The Scripture has recorded no one action of any of the sons of Shem, except that of Ashur going out of the land of

Shinar, and building Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and Calah, the same is a great city; but this is very material information, as it fixes the true time of the foundation of the Assyrian Empire.

Terah the son of Nahor was the father of Abram, the founder of the Hebrew, or Jewish nation. Scripture informs us that Terah, after the seventieth year of his age, had three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran; but of these sons, Haran died before his father in his native country, in Ur, of the Chaldees; leaving a son, Lot, and two daughters, Milcah and Iscah. Nahor married Milcah; and Abram married Sarai his half-sister. It may be proper to observe, in entering upon the history of the great patriarch, that one life, that of Noah, almost connected Adam with Abram. For Noah was born only 126 years after the death of Adam; and lived to within two years of Abram's birth. In one sense therefore, the father and founder of the Jewish nation, was very little more than the third from the first man; so readily and uninterruptedly might the knowledge of important truths be communicated, through so long a tract of time.

But we have henceforward to be conversant with lives reduced nearer to our own standard. While longevity was necessary to carry on the designs of Providence, men lived to the age of many centuries. When written and permanent revelation, was to be substituted for oral tradition from father to son, the life of mankind was to be shortened.

The history of Abram's life does not commence till the 75th year of his age; but though he was so advanced before he is introduced to our notice, the obscurity that lies upon his earlier years, is amply compensated by the rich and instructive materials furnished, from the divine stores, for the history of the latter part of his life. The design of the Bible being not so much to convey to us natural and political knowledge, as the knowledge of the only true God, and of Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent; we find that the history of the father of the faithful, occupies a larger space in the sacred volume, than that of the whole human race from the creation down to his day. Hitherto we have had rather a sketch of character, than exact delineation of the human heart; hints respecting remote important events, rather than an exact and connected narrative of facts. But the inspired penman has gone

into a detail of Abram's life, from his being called of God to leave Ur of the Chaldees, to the day of his death, including the space of 100 years.

There is something singularly affecting in the idea of an old man giving up the scenes of his youthful days, endeared to his mind by the recollection of past joys; foregoing his kindred and his friends; becoming an exile and a wanderer, at a period, when nature seeks repose, and the heart cleaves to those objects to which it hath been long accustomed. But he who makes the Most High his habitation, hath support under all privations. Accordingly Abram, when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Abram is held forth in scripture, as the pattern of a cheerful, prompt, and active faith in God; as we proceed, we shall mark the appearances, and the effects of that faith, in the successive trials to which he was exposed. The very first act of obedience to divine command, proves the existence and the prevalence of this powerful principle.

Ur of the Chaldees was become land of idolatry; his nearest relations had lost the