so that Adam's knowledge of God, and all early revelations, could be transmitted down to the days of Abraham by means of three persons. For it can be shewn that

To shew this more fully let us exhibit the following table, from the Creation down to the days of Abraham. Here you have before you the number of years that each patriarch lived with the other, the date of his birth and death, and the age of each :

Does the thought never cross your mind, man of God, that perhaps these genealogies, so carefully laid up in this ark of Scripture, may be like the rod of Aaron? They may bud— they may put forth luxuriant leaves-yea, they may reward

our patient inquiry, by presenting us with fragrant blossoms and nourishing fruit. O that the Holy Spirit may teach us how to inquire and learn. Let us again hopefully approach.

Ver. 27.-" Abram, the same is Abraham."

What a volume might be written on this text! it is so rich in associations. We at once call to mind the events of that patriarch's intercourse with the God of Glory, on to that day when, in his ninety-and-ninth year-the year when the child of promise was foretold to him-he got his name changed from Abram, "lofty father," to Abraham, "father of D, a plentiful number," a multitude of nations (Havernick's Introduction, p. 156); even as Sarai that same day was called Sarah, most fruitful woman," and not merely "princely." But there are other associations also. "The same is (N) Abraham!" Is it not as if the Holy Spirit reminded us, this is God's friend Abraham? This is he who is known and shall be known as one in whom God was willing to exhibit to the full the restored fellowship between heaven and earth. This is Abraham, whom Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xx. 7) spoke of to God as "thy friend;" and of whom God speaks to Isaiah (xli. 8) as "my friend;" a name sealed again by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament by the mouth of James (ii. 23). Ay, and we may look forward to the days in the kingdom when one shall point him out to another in the words before us, "Yonder saint, he is Abraham!"

Ver. 28.-"The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael."

The younger was preferred to the older, in Divine sovereignty; and the order of the names may remind us of this truth. But besides, might not another volume be written on these two names? Parents, see in these two the different career which two born of the same father may pursue. Parents, be led to ask solemnly, Shall my children possess the heritage of Isaac, or of Ishmael? the blessing of the promised Seed, or the domains of Seir and its earthly fulness? And say again, parents, to your solemnised souls, Shall I trust to their baptism or happy circumstances of birth? Was not " Ishmael" born with the name already given" God has heard," and yet it was not he but "Isaac" that was "child of laughter," loud and real gladness, making glad his parent's heart and the heart of multitudes. Nor can we, who have the Epistle to the Galatians in our hands, read these words without feeling, as if the allegory in Galatians iv. 24 were here presented in epitome-the two sons, the two covenants, the children of the bond-woman and of the free, the children of the law, or of Sinai and Agar, and the children of the promise, Jerusalem that is above.

ISHMAEL'S SEED.

Ver. 29, 30, 31.—“These are their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael."

It is remarkable that Ishmael has twelve sons, reminding us of the twelve founders of Israel. But Ishmael's twelve sons roam the desert, exhibiting Divine sovereignty in their lot. For who made these twelve to differ from Jacob's twelve?

Let us see what their names indicate; for, like Reuben, Simeon, &c., these names all speak something of their father's thoughts at their birth. Here is his first-born, and the name he gets is Nebaioth, " prominence," a fit name for one who was at the head of his brethren. Kedar comes next, signifying "dark." Was it his complexion that led to the name, or was there some sad event occurring that clothed the family in sackcloth? Adbeel, "a miracle of God" (Gesenius), or finger of God" (Furst), is a name that tells of some deliverance or other remarkable providence; while Mibsam, "sweet odour," may indicate the feelings of the happy parents at his birth. Mishma is "obedience," Dumah is "silence," Massa is "burden," and Hadar is "honour" (the other reading, Hadad, is "sharpness"). These may convey lessons which, perhaps, their father, advancing in years, was anxious to fix on his children's minds, viz., that obedience is a duty, and silence as connected therewith, in opposition to murmuring, while the man who is content to bear a burden may find honour as the result. Then came Tema, "untilled region," Jetur, "a spy," Naphish, "refreshing," and Kedemah, "the front" or "East;" a series of names that may be meant to chronicle family history; the thought of emigrating to an "untilled region," then the searcher or "spy's spy's" report, the oasis or "refreshing" spot he may have found, and the locality designated as " East."

More than this we cannot narrate of Ishmael's sons. But they are not forgotten before God. Nebaioth and Kedar are included in the full blessing of Israel in the latter day; "all the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar" (Isa. lx. 7). Dumah, in Isa. xxi. 11, has some connexion with Seir, and may be Edom or Idumea; but the mention of Arabia in the following verse leads us to consider it as the name of Ishmael's son. These incidental references seem ever and again occurring, on purpose to remind us of God's interest in all the nations. It is as if a voice said,

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'Behold, all souls are mine! I have not forgotten my wayward family."

As in the former parts of this chapter, we might here point out the geographical position of many of those founders of tribes, but we shall only hint at this subject. The Nabateni are well known; El Kedeyre, Abdilla, Dumah, Tema, Kadema, are to this day names of places in Arabia near the Persian Gulf; so that one-half of these patriarchs' names may be found embalmed in their original localities. That the Lord has recorded nothing but most accurate history is attested by these fragments of names, even as the remains of Nineveh attest the accuracy of transmitted records.

KETURAH'S SEED.

Ver. 32, 33.-"Now (And) the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan ; Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah."

We have here one of the first instances of a curious feature in the nomenclature of not a few families in these ancient days. They had a fondness for alliteration—“ Medan and Midian,” and "Ephah and Epher," are the instances before us, and we shall yet light up "Ziph and Ziphah," "Shuppim and Huppim," "Ishu and Ishui," "Peresh and Sheresh," "Uzzi and Uzziel," "Hanan and Anan," "Hadad the son of Bedad," not to mention elsewhere "Zur and Hur," "Sallai and Kallai," " Milalai and Gilalai,”" Bigtha and Abagtha," 66 Arisai and Aridai.”*

It is worth noticing, merely as indicating a tendency of the human mind to help the memory or please the ear by similar sounds.

Keturah's own name signifies "incense." The signification of the names of her sons and grandsons may be thus given. Zimran speaks of "Song;" his brother Jokshan is the "art of fowling ;" the song is heard in the East wherever there is a tent, and the fowler's snare is known in all lands. Medan is "judgment," and Midian is "strife," the one needful wherever the other exists. Ishbak speaks of "leaving behind;" perhaps some one was setting forth to a distant region when he was born. Judgment, strife, farewells, all common in these ancient days, even as now! and not less Shuah, "brought low." Sheba and Dedan may be a reproduction, in similar circumstances, of the patriarchal

* See Prophetic Journal, vol. viii. p. 185, where it is noticed that “Uz and Buz" are not instances of this alliteration, these being properly "Utz" and "Buz." In the oriental stories, " the Arabian Nights," we have " Sinbad and Hinbad."

seems

name at ver. 9; while Ephah tells of "weariness" (was it his mother's sorrow or his father's care, or the sad heart of both?)— and Epher, of " dust," to which we are fast returning. Henoch, the "dedicated one," like the Sheba and Dedan of ver. 32, a reference to the world's earlier patriarch-the renowned son of Jared. It is Midian who gives these names; was he specially a man of a serious and devout spirit? He spoke of "weariness and dust ;" and now of Enoch who walked with God so long and so intimately; and then he calls another son Abida, "my father knoweth," and his last, Eldaah, "God knoweth," or "God is knowledge."

It is of the house of "incense-breathing," Keturah, that Bildad "the Shuhite" comes, the friend of Job (ii. 12), in whom we see that Abraham's God was not forgotten by her seed. It was this descendant of Keturah that asked, "How can man be justified with God?" (xxv. 4) and who strictly maintained the majesty and unsullied glory of the Lord.

It is of Midian and his son Ephah that Isaiah (lx. 7) sings, when predicting the day on which the forces of the Gentiles shall be brought to Israel. Does he fix on the names because of their signification, as if to say, "He that has been at strife,” and "he that has been weary"? And does he add Sheba, "the captive one," on the same account, taking either the Sheba of our verse, or including also the same in ver. 9? Peace shall then prevail, the weary shall rest, the captive shall return to his home.

ESAU'S SEED.

Ver. 34.-" And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau, and Israel."

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Another history in the compass of a verse-Esau's career, and the career of his brother, whose name was Prince with God," Israel. Esau had another name; it was Edom; but both his names told of nothing but features in his natural life-the one "hairy," describing his body's appearance at birth, the other "red," perpetuating the memory of his profanity in selling his prospect of covenant-blessings for a mess of red pottage. How different the name "Israel". —a name that tells of man prevailing with God, the impotent overcoming the Omnipotent by prayer—a name that tells of a nation that once prevailed with God, and overcame all the powers of earth- -a name that still breathes its fragrance through the Church of Christ, and shall ere long be borne once more by the descendants of the true sons of Isaac, when they raise the banner for the truth.