and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. Now concerning Abraham, we have here an account, 1. Of his country, which was Ur of the Chaldees,an idolatrous place; a place where the generality even of the children of Heber, God's professing people, had wofully backslidden; and having cast off the true God, soon came to own false gods; especially the sun, from which it is supposed this Ur took its name. 2. Of his relations; his father, his brethren, and his wife. His father was Terah, who I doubt was an idolater as well as his neighbours; for Joshua tells the Israelites that Terah, the father of Abraham, served other gods. Jos. xxiv. 2. 'Tis no easy matter to swim against the stream,-to be good when all are bad round about us,-to keep oneself untainted from the reigning sin. Haran died before his father. Death is not tied to the laws of method, nor doth he observe the rule that Joseph did in placing his brethren, taking the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. No: the shadow of death is without any order. Job x. 22. In the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. Poor Haran died before the converting call came, and before the happy removal of the family out of that idolatrous place; a bad sign that he died in an unchanged state. 'Tis wisdom to make all haste possible out of a sinful state; the state, the land of our nativity; lest death find us there, and send us to a more dismal place, to the unquenchable fire of hell; which will be the everlasting portion of all those that live and die in an unconverted state. 3. Of his departure from Ur of the Chaldees, with his father Terah, and his cousin Lot, to go to the land of Canaan, according to the call of God. This chapter only brings them to Haran or Charran, a town about midway between Ur and Canaan, where they dwelt till the death of Terah, who 'tis likely was disabled by the weakness and infirmities of age from going further, and so fell short of Canaan. Thus all they do that begin well, but do not hold on; that · promise much, but perform little; that start fair in a Christian course, but soon loiter and stand still; that lay their hand to the plough, and then look back, and come to nothing; that get to Charran, and yet fall short of Canaan; that are not far from the kingdom of God, and yet never come thither; the reward being promised to those only that endure to the end. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev. ii. 10. INDEX. Abel, signification of his name, 98; employment of, Abraham, the country of, 305; relations of, ibid.; Acceptance with God, the way of obtaining, 104, Afflictions, are mixed with mercy, 159, 211, 218; Angels, the creation of, 5; delight in doing the 121. Anger, the evil nature of, 109, 112; often ends in Antediluvians, the wickedness of, 162, 179, 214; Arabians, the, were descendants of Cush, 280. Ark, the, directions given for making, 182; dimen- Astrological predictions, are not justified by chap. Atonement of Christ, was necessary, 53, 112. Babel, was the first monarchy, 284. Babel-builders, the, 293; contentions among, 295; Beasts, were created by the power of God, 23; Bellarmin, Cardinal, argument of, on the unity of Boyle, the Hon. Robt., observation of, on the Mosaic Cain, signification of his name, 97; employment Canaanites, the, were flourishing nations, 266; Cave, Dr., argument of, as to eucharistical sacrifices, |