of dreams, he was introduced to the notice of Pharaoh, who, on a cer tain occasion, wanted his services in this capacity.

His success in interpreting the king's dreams, and his subsequent conduct, procured for him the highest distinction; and he became the administrator of the government. During the famine, which he predicted, and which reached the land of Canaan, all his brethren, except Benjamin, came to him to buy corn.

Joseph knew them, although they did not know him; and by an innocent contrivance, having brought them into Egypt the second time, with their brother Benjamin, he declared to them that he was Joseph whom they had persecuted and sold.

Their surprise, mortification, and terror, were at first overwhelming; but their distressing apprehensions were at length alleviated by his assurances of pardon and kindness; and inviting his father and family into Egypt, he allotted them a portion of the territory. Here they grew and multiplied exceedingly.

3. Joseph continued to rule over Egypt, after the death of Jacob. His own decease, which occurred 1635 years B. C. left the Israelites without a protector. In less than 40 years from this event, they found a cruel tyrant and oppressor in another king, who knew not Joseph.

This king, whose name was Pharaoh,* seeing the Hebrews to be too numerous and mighty, resolved to enfeeble them; and, therefore, condemned them to slavery, and ordered his people to cast every new-born son among them into the river.

The object in view was defeated: for the people increased in an unexampled manner. God was with them, and, in the wonderful preservation of Moses, and his education in the court of Pharaoh, was preparing for them a deliverer from their cruel bondage.

For the particulars of this persecution of God's people, we refer to the beginning of the book of Exodus.

CANAANITES.

"SECTION 4. The CANAANITES were an ancient people. The country which they inhabited was called the land of Canaan, the name of Ham's youngest son, who settled it immediately after the dispersion at Babel. He divided it among his eleven sons. The general denomination of Canaanites included seven nations, which are frequently mentioned in scripture.

§ The Canaanites seem to have laboured, in a particular manner, under the evil influence of the curse denounced against their proge A name common to the kings of Egypt.

1.

nitor; being doomed, in the end, to subjection, expulsion, or extirpation, and being subdivided into so many little kingdoms.

The beginning of their history is extremely dark. They are supposed, however, upon the increase of their families, to have possessed themselves of the Arabian side of Egypt, and there to have erected a kingdom coeval with that of Misraim. But they seem at length to have been expelled from that region.

5. The first authentic account of this people applies to the inhabitants of the vale of Siddim, who, 1912 years B. C., were invaded by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and obliged to pay an annual tribute. When they afterwards revolted, they were punished with great severity.

Fifteen years after this, a most terrific judgment was inflicted on the inhabitants of Siddim, in consequence of their gross wickedness. Four cities in this delightful vale, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, were at once destroyed by fire from heaven. The whole tract of country in their vicinity became a sea, called the Dead Sea.

The 18th and 19th chapters of Genesis contain an account of this catastrophe, and of its causes; to these we refer the reader.

At the present time, from the accounts of travellers, it appears that the sea and adjacent region are marked by several peculiarities worthy of notice.

The w. Palestine,

"The

In a journal of one of our American missionaries in of recent date, we find the following account, looks remarkably clear and pure; but, on taking it into my mouth, I found it nauseous and bitter, I think beyond any thing I ever tasted.

"It has been said, that these waters are so heavy, that the most impetuous winds can scarcely ruffle their surface. Nothing could be more entirely without foundation. The waves ran so high, that I found difficulty in filling some bottles with water. My clothes were wet by the waves, and, as they dried, I found them covered with salt."

Quantities of bitumen are gathered in the vicinity, which, in appearance, resembles pitch, but may be distinguished from it by its sulphureous smell and taste. Pebbles are also found here which burn when held in a blaze, producing a very disagreeable scent, but they lose nothing of their size.

6. During this period, nothing more of much importance is recorded concerning the Canaanites. The compact of the Hittites with Abraham, respecting the cave of Machpelah, the selling of a piece of ground to Jacob, by Hamor, king of Shechem, and the massacre of his subjects by some of the sons of Jacob, on account of an insult which the patriarch's family had received, are the only events transmitted to us.

GREECE.

7. The GREEKS are an ancient people, whose origin is clouded with fable. All that we know, during the present or preceding period, of the descendants of Japhet, who peopled Europe, is comprised in the history of this nation.

We date the commencement of the Greeks, as a community, from the founding of Argos by Inachus, who arrived in Greece, from Phoenicia, 1856 years B. C. Sicyon is by some thought to have been founded before; but we incline to the. opinion that Egialtes, a son of Inachus, was the founder of Sicyon.

As much has been written concerning the fabulous times in the history of Greece, we will here present a very brief account of that portion of its history. These fables, however, are supposed to be founded on facts, and the greater part of the deities worshipped by the Greeks, were princes by whom their progenitors had been governed.

Uranus, afterwards worshipped as the heavens, appears to have been one of the earliest of their princes. He married his sister Tithea, and migrated from Asia into Greece, where he founded a kingdom. He had many children, called Titans, who rebelled against their father and dethroned him.

Saturn, or Chronos, succeeded his father Uranus, whom, with the help of his brethren, he dethroned; and dreading lest he should be treated in the same manner by his own children, he ordered them to be shut up, or put to death, immediately after their birth; but Jupiter was concealed by his mother, and sent to Crete, where he was educated.

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Jupiter began to reign in Thessaly, after having dethroned Saturn, The Titans, jealous of him, declared war against him, but were vanquished, and expelled Greece. He soon divided his dominions with his two brothers, Pluto and Neptune.

The countries which he reserved to himself, he governed with great wisdom; he had his palace, and held his court, on Mount Olympus, whence the poets gave this name to heaven, when Jupiter was worshipped as a god.

8. The ancient inhabitants of Greece were extremely rude and savage, scarcely one degree superior to brutes. They lived on herbs and roots, and lay either in the open fields, or, at best, sheltered themselves in dens, clefts, and hollow trees.

An improvement of their condition occasionally took place; but Greece, for some ages, was in a continual state of fluctuation. They were unacquainted with letters till the time of Cadmus. who is hereafter to be mentioned.