of which they had possessed themselves. The whole of these fell into the hands of Abram, and among them his nephew Lot, who, being thus happily recovered, returned, with all his substance, to his former habitation. Abram having, by this conquest, signalized both his valor and fidelity, was highly caressed by those whose cause he had so gallantly espoused. The first person who came to congratulate him on the occasion was the king of Sodom, who, in thankful acknowledgment of the benefits received from his important services, offered him all the booty which he had retaken belonging to him, desiring only the restoration of those prisoners who were his subjects. But Abram's righteous soul disdained to take advantage of the unfortunate; and therefore, after reserving to his associates that part of the plunder to which their services entitled them, he restored to the king both his subjects and property, evincing, through the whole of his conduct, the most distinguished fidelity, intrepid courage, and inflexible jus tice. The next person who congratulated Abram on his success was Melchisedec,* king of Salem, who, on his return from the battle, accommodated both him and his men with a refreshment of bread and wine which he had provided on the occasion. Being a priest as well as king, he first blessed Abram for being the instrument of so public a deliver ance, and then the Almighty, for having given him such uncommon success; in return for which, the victorious patriarch presented him with the tenth part of the spoils he had taken from the enemy. As Abram had now acted in the public * Who this extraordinary person was, has been a subject of great dispute; but the most rational opinion is, that he was one of the princes of Canaan, who on account of his great piety and goodness, was called Melchisedec, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, who met Abram in the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley, brought out bread and wine, blessed Abram, and received tithes from him (Gen. xiv. 18-20). The other places in which Melchisedec is mentioned are Ps. cx. 4, where Messiah is described as a priest forever, "after the order of Melchisedec," and Heb. v., vi., vii., where these two passages of the O. T. are quoted, and the typical relation of Melchisedec to our Lord is stated at great length. There is something surprising and mysterious in the first appearance of Melchisedec, and in the subsequent reference to him. Bearing a title which Jews in after ages would recognize as designating their own sovereign, bearing gifts capacity of a warrior, and might reasonably expect that the kings whom he had routed would recruit their scattered forces, and prepare for a second attack, he was fearful of the consequences. But the Almighty, in order to fortify his mind against all disagreeable apprehensions, even from the most potent princes of the earth, appeared to him in a vision, and informed him that he had undertaken his defence, and would ever re"" "Fear not, ward his faithfulness. he, "Abram, I am thy shieid, and thy exceeding great reward.' says Hitherto the pious patriarch had listened to God's promises without the least shadow of distrust; but on this fresh assurance he ventured, for the first time, to expostulate with his great protector, not knowing how these things could possibly be accomplished, while himself continued without an heir to his body, and that, to all appearance, he must be obliged to leave his substance to Eliezer his steward. The troubles of Abram on this head were soon removed by the beneficence of the Almighty, who told him that not his servant, but a son of his own, begotten of his body, should be his heir, and that from him should descend a race as "innumerable as the stars in heaven." Abram was so encouraged by this joyful intelligence, that he ventured to beg of God that he would be pleased to give him some sensible token whereby he might be assured of so distinguished a blessing. The Almighty thought proper to comply with his request, and that they might enter into a formal covenant on the occasion, ordered him to take a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each which recall to Christians the Lord's Supper, this Canaanite crosses for a moment the path of Abram, and is unhesitatingly recognized as a person of higher spiritual rank than the friend of God. Disappearing as suddenly as he came in, he is lost to the sacred writings for a thousand years. The way in which he is mentioned in Genesis would rather lead to the immediate inference that Melchisedec was of one blood with the children of Ham, among whom he lived, chief (like the King of Sodom) of a settled Canaanitish tribe. And as Balaam was a prophet, so Melchisedec was a priest among the corrupted heathen, not self-appointed, but constituted by a special gift from God, and recognized as such by him. The "order of Melchisedec," in Ps. cx. 4, is explained by Gesenius and Rosenmüller to mean " manner likeness in official dignity = a king and priest. Bib. Dictionary. A.B.. of three years old, together with a pigeon | a deep sleep, during which it was revealed and a turtle-dove, and offer them up as a sacrifice. The pious patriarch readily obeyed the divine command, and, having killed the beasts, cut them in halves, laying each opposite to the other; but the fowls he left whole. After doing this, he walked between the dissected bodies, making his solemn vows to God of perpetual obedience to his will; and then sat himself down to prevent birds of prey from injuring the sacrifice. About the time of sunset Abram fell into to him that he was not to expect an immediate accomplishment of the divine promise; for though himself was to die in peace, and at a good old age, yet his posterity were, after that, to sojourn and be afflicted in a strange country, for the space of four hundred years; after which the Almighty would not only punish their oppressors, but would likewise safely establish them in the land he had promised. After this revelation Abram soon awoke, and while he was reflecting on what he had heard, the Almighty, in confirmation of the assurances he had given him, and as a ratification of his part of the covenant, caused the symbol of his divine presence to appear before him. It consisted of a smoking furnace and a burning lamp, which passed between the divided pieces of the victims, and totally consumed them. Sarai, the wife of Abram, desired a son no less fervently than her husband. But she had been considered barren before she left Mesopotamia; she was now seventy-five years of age; and she had waited ten years since their hearts were first gladdened by the promise of an heir. She therefore thought the case was hopeless as regarded herself; and began to reflect that, although a son had been promised to Abram, it had not been said, and did not necessarily follow, that this son should be the fruit of her own womb. Explaining these views to the patriarch, she prevailed upon him to resort to a custom of the time, of which there are still some traces in the East, under which the man takes a secondary wife, whose children become his undoubted heirs, equally with any other children he may have; and if the woman is the slave or attendant of the chief wife, or is provided by the chief wife, the children are, in a legal point of view, considered hers: and, in the same point of view, the condition of the actual mother remains unchanged, though in practice it necessarily sustains encouraging her to obedience by the assur of uns some modification from the operation of the ance that the child she then bore in her feelings arising from the connections which womb would prove a son, whom she was are formed, especially when her children are directed to name Ishmael (God attendeth), grown up. The female whom Sarai proposed to Abram as her substitute was her own handmaid, a woman of Egypt, named Hagar, who may be supposed to have been one of the female slaves whom the king of Egypt gave to the patriarch.* In due time it was known that Hagar had conceived, and the prospect of becoming the mother of Abram's long-promised heir had a mischievous effect upon her mind, leading her to treat her mistress with disrespect. Sarai, through whose preference and management all this had been brought about, was stung to the quick by this treatment, and complained of it to Abram with some sharpness, insinuating that, without some encouragement from him, Hagar durst not be so impertinent to her. The patriarch himself, respecting the rights of his wife, and displeased at Hagar's presumption (which those who know any thing of Oriental women of her class, will believe to have been very coarsely and offensively manifested), reminded Sarai that the Egyptian was still her bond-servant, and that her authority was sufficient to prevent or punish the treatment of which she complained. Being thus assured that he would not interfere, Sarai proceeded to a more unsparing exercise of the powers with which she was invested, than the raised spirits of the Egyptian bondmaid could brook; and she therefore fled, directing her course towards her own country. It is a terrible and perilous thing for a woman, alone and on foot, to pass the desert which lies between the land of Canaan and Egypt; and we know not how one might do it and live. Nor did Hagar accomplish this enterprise; for she was as yet but upon the borders of the desert, and was tarrying for refreshment and rest by a well of water, when an angel of God appeared to her, and persuaded her to return and submit herself to her mistress; * It is not unlikely that Hagar had been given to Sarai as her personal attendant while she was in Pharaoh's harem, and that she was allowed to retain her as such when she departed. †This is the best interpretation we can give to the expression, "and in the face of all his brethren shall he dwell.” The difference in the sound of these words is very trifling, but in the sense, it is considerable. The word Abram signifies high father; but Abra because the Lord had attended to her affliction. She was also assured that this son should be the parent of a numerous race; and that while in his character, as typifying that also of his descendants, he should be wild and fierce as the desert ass his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him- he should never be expelled or rooted out from the domain which God would give to him.† Thus instructed and encouraged, Hagar returned to her master's camp in the valley of Mamre; and in due season brought forth a son, to whom, in obedience to the angel's direction, Abram gave the name of Ishmael. At this time Abram was eighty-six years of age; and lest, in the excess of his joy, he should mistake this child for the heir of the promises which had been made him, about thirteen years after, the Almighty again appeared to him in a vision, and renewed his former covenant; to ratify which he was pleased to institute the rite of circumcision, by commanding that every male child, of eight days old, whether born in the house or bought with money, should be circumcised, on the penalty of being cut off from the benefits of the covenant. As a further mark of his divine respect, he changed our patriarch's name from Abram to Abraham, and his wife's from Sarai to Sarah; ‡ and to complete his happiness, again promised that he should yet have a son by her. Though this promise gave great satisfaction to Abraham, yet his mind was agitated on account of Ishmael, his first-born, for whom he had a most paternal affection. He was suspicious that, on the birth of a child by the free woman, he might be deprived of that descended from the bondwoman; and therefore, falling prostrate on the ground, he began to intercede with God in behalf of Ishmael: "Oh," says he, “that Ishmael might live before thee!" But the same time told him, that the covenant made Almighty thought proper to remove his should only be established in the son befears, by assuring him that the great bless- gotten of Sarah. ings in the covenant were not designed for Ishmael, but for a son to be born of Sarah, which should happen within the course of the year, and that his name should be called Isaac. That he might not, however, seem wholly to neglect his request for Ishmael, he promised to "make him a great nation, and the father of twelve princes; but at the This was the whole substance of the vision; and as soon as it was ended, Abraham delayed not (according to the divine command) to circumcise himself, his son Ishmael, and all the males in his family. And this ordinance the Hebrews have ever since very religiously observed.* CHAPTER V. DESTRUCTION OF SODOM. BIRTH OF ISAAC. HIS MARRIAGE. THE great wealth of the inhabitants of tiousness. The fatal consequences of this Sodom and Gomorrah had introduced lux- were, irreverence to God, inhospitality to ury, which, as usual, soon produced licen- strangers, and the indulgence of the most * CIRCUMCISION. The cutting-off the small skin of the prepuce, as the rite was enjoined upon Abraham with the male part of his family, to be the sign of the covenant of GOD with the patriarch, when he renewed to him the promise of the Messiah (Gen. xvii. 10-26). Physicians have regarded circumcision as medically beneficial; and it was practised by the Arabians, Israelites, and Saracens, the descendants of Abraham; but especially by the Israelites, to whom it was ordained as the initiatory ordinance of the Hebrew church. This, however, with all the Levitical ceremonies, was abolished by the perfect mediation of CHRIST (Acts XV. 1-24; Col. iii. 11). The Israelites are called the circumcision, and the Gentiles the uncircumcision. Rom. iv. 9. CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART. This is the thing signified by the original ceremony, the cutting-off of every evil affection by the renewal of the soul in holiness to secure devotedness of heart in the true service of GOD as promised by Moses, Phil. iii. 3; Col. ii. 11; Deut. x. 16. † SODOM is commonly mentioned in connection with Gomorrah. The geographical position of Sodom has long been a disputed question. In Gen. xiii. 10-13, the locality of this ancient city seems to be very positively indicated. As Abraham and Lot were standing together between Bethel and Ai, a division of territory having become necessary, the former proposed to the latter to make choice of the territory he would like to appropriate for his occupancy. The sacred record informs us, that Lot chose all the "Plain of Jordan," which was well watered everywhere, as "the garden of the Lord." From the position occupied by Abraham when he made his conciliatory proposal to Lot, they could take a survey of a wide extent of territory, included in which to the eastward was the "Plain of Jordan" a fertile oasis, in which Sodom and other named cities seem to have been situated. This district was on the western banks of Jordan. From the account of the destruction of these cities contained in Gen. xix., it appears that they were located in the neighborhood of the Jordan. Now as the Jordan ceases where it enters the Dead Sea, and can have no existence south of that point, it would seem that the district designated "the Plain of Jordan," in which Sodom was situated, must have been north of the Dead Sea. Such conclusion is favored by the scripture narrative. Most writers, however, entertain different views on this question. An opinion long current was that Sodom and the adjacent cities were submerged in the lake. This view is untenable, and is abandoned. A popular theory, advocated by ancient and modern writers on sacred geography, is, that these cities stood at the south end of the Dead Sea. Such was the view held by mediæval historians; and it is adopted by many modern topographers. Dr. Robinson favors this view, grounding his argument, first on the situa tion of Zoar, which was near to Sodom, and which is supposed to be identical with a place of the same name situated at the southern end of the Dead Sea. A second consideration in favor of this view is the existence of similar names found in that vicinity. A third reason is the existence of a salt mountain at the south of this sea, with its tendency to split into masses, which rudely resemble the human form. This theory is advocated by Lynch, by the missionary Dr. W. M. Thomson, and others. Some quite recent scholars and explorers, however, favor the idea that these cities, being in the Plain of Jordan, must have been on the northern end of the Dead Sea. Thus it seems that at present no satisfactory conclusion is established as to the situation of Sodom. - A. B. abominable vices. These enormities highly an assurance that he would command not offended the Almighty, who, in order to pun- only his children but his household also, ish the people, denounced his vengeance to persevere in the true fear and worship of both against them and their country. But, their divine Creator. previous to the execution of the fatal sentence, he thought proper to intimate his intentions to his faithful servant Abraham. At this time the pious patriarch resided at Mamre; and as he was sitting one day at the door of his tent, he saw at a distance three persons, whom he took for travellers. Being naturally of a hospitable disposition, when they came up to him, he arose from his seat, and, in a polite manner, asked them to partake of such refreshment as his habitation afforded. His civility being accepted, an entertainment was immediately prepared for the unknown guests, which being set before them, they, to all appearance, seemed to eat. While they were at table one of them inquired after Sarah, and being told she was in the tent, he then addressed himself to Abraham, and assured him that he had still in remembrance the case of his wife Sarah, who, before the end of the year, should certainly be delivered of a son. From this circumstance Abraham was convinced that these three visitors were messengers from heaven, and that one of them was the peculiar representative of the Almighty. This intelligence was communicated to Abraham by one of the angels (the immediate representative of God), the other two having gone before with great haste, to reach, as soon as possible, the place of their destination. So melancholy a piece of news greatly afflicted Abraham, who, from an assurance of the divine favor, ventured to intercede in behalf of those wicked people. Not doubting but the supreme and equitable Judge of the earth would listen to mercy, he begged of him not to punish the innocent with the guilty. He made five petitionary propositions, lessening the supposed number of pious inhabitants in Sodom from fifty to ten, earnestly beseeching of God that, could even so small a number be found, he would, on their account, withdraw his avenging rod, and avert the impending danger. This request being granted, the angel departed, and Abraham returned home, happy in the thought of having received such peculiar manifestations of the divine love. In the mean time, the two other guests, who went before (and were, indeed, the ministering angels whom God had appointed to execute his judgment on the Sodomites), Sarah had listened attentively to the dis- pursued their journey towards the city, course that had passed between her husband whither they arrived in the evening. Lot and his guests; but, considering the ad- happened at this time to be sitting at the vanced age both of herself and him, she re- gate of the city; as soon, therefore, as he garded not their prediction, and even laughed saw the angels, he arose, and, after proper within herself at the improbability of such salutations, invited them to his house, in This disrespectful behavior being order to refresh themselves. For some time observed by the stranger, he, in an angry the divine messengers declined the offer; tone, asked her the reason of it. Struck at length, from the strength of Lot's imporwith terror, she attempted to deny it upon tunities, they were prevailed on to accept which he dismissed her with this gentle re- the invitation. proof: that it was exceedingly wrong in her to mistrust what he had said, since "nothing was impossible with God.” an event. This finished the conversation, immediately after which the three guests prepared themselves to depart, and Abraham, understanding they were going towards Sodom, courteously offered to attend them some part of the way. As they journeyed to gether, God was pleased to manifest his peculiar regard to Abraham, in foretelling the dreadful judgment he intended to inflict on Sodom and the neighboring cities, which instance of his kindness was founded upon but It being soon rumored about the city that Lot had strangers with him, great numbers of the vile inhabitants assembled together, and, surrounding the house, commanded him, in a peremptory manner, to deliver them up. Lot thought at first to appease them by mild and soft words; and, therefore, stepping out of the house, and shutting the door after him, he begged of them not to offer any insult to his guests, who had committed themselves to his care and protection. This not having the desired effect, in order to appease their rage, and, if possible, to preserve the laws of hospitality inviolate, he offered to |