doctrine, in which one and all must engage, was disclosed, viz. That a city fhould there be builded, in a ftyle the most magnificent. and fuperb-worthy of being the capital of the world-and ftrengthened by a fortress which fhould be very high-and that a name, or law,* fhould alfo be made, and attached to it, of such energy and effect as should influence the whole world, and bind together in one body, of a political and human frame, the whole race of men.

This was the most perfect policy, the profoundeft invention of man-it difcovered the deepest inspection into the motives and springs of the human mind; and it could not fail of engaging the whole natural heart. It favoured every natural bent of the foul, pleasure, opulence, grandeur-the luft of the fleth, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life-it cherifhed every fpark of the love of the world, and of the things that are in the world-all was here embraced that the heart could with --whereas the divine inftitution was defigned, and was every way calculated, to reftrain the natural paffions-to govern and control all these defires of the fleth-and to mortify the things of time and fenfe to men, and men to them. No wonder then, that this refolution was fo generally and fo heartily adopted; and that, no fooner was it moved, than all hands were up; and go to, go to, was the order of the day.

But, though hand join in hand, the work

Ovoz, in the Greek.

ers of iniquity fhall be confounded. The Lord came down to fee the city and the tower; which the fons of men builded. And the Lord faid, Behold a people one, and one language of all: and this they begin to do: and now nothing fhall be refrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down; and there confound the language, that they may not underfland one another's speech. So the Lord fcattered them abroad, from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city and the fortress. Therefore the name of it is called Babel: because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth and from thence did the Lord fcatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

How delufive is the wildom of men !→→ Their firft and moft promifing attempt, to band together on political ground, divided the world; and from that to the present time, every new attempt of this nature, has given birth to another Peleg. And fhould it be attempted on these fhores, with a prevailing confent, to form a compact and national character, by means of cities, towers, armies, and names; or by any means whatever, other than thofe great covenant princi ples, exprefsly ordained of God; another fuch name-another Peleg-will fill be added to the catalogue-for from thence; Ame rica will be divided.

That the builders of Babel were climbing. up to heaven, through fear of another de Juge; for which eafon the Lord frowned upon them; and many fuch like tales have

been invented to conceal the folemn truth, that the divine ordinances exhibiting the doctrine of Christ, the infinite wifdom and pow er of God, are the only bond of union among men, that is pleafing to him; and that every thing that is done to unite and bind men together upon any other ground, will sooner or later meet with his difpleasure, and will be overthrown, together with its projectors.

Reftrained thus, men defifted from this crowning object of their defires--but they repented not--the object was ftill dear to them and difperfing abroad, each family or tribe carried away with them deep impreffions of it upon their minds; and fetting down in diftinct focieties, the fame policy as to its nature and defign, more or lefs perfect as circumftances favoured, was every where adopted.

Section 2. The Settlement of the Nations.

From the people who had been engaged in this fatal work, in the land of Shinar, hence called Babylon, went Afhur, and builded Ninevah, &c. and laid the foundation of proud Affyria, wonderfully great.Another tribe from hence, formed a Philiflia, which was greatly praifed. Hence alfo, the families of the Canaanites, which exceedingly multiplied-and a Lydia, and Phoenice, fam ed for their beauty. Sheba alfo, and even reRowned Rahab, were all the daughters of Dd d

Babel. For ought that appears, the family of Eber, was the only one which remained upon the divine inftitution. It should feem, that he alone was diffentient from the new political order, as afterwards the believing people were of him, named Hebrews.

How much Eber was affected by this event, appears by the name given to his fon, Peleg; which feems not intended fo much to denote the many divifions which these politicians, city builders, fplit into, as the one grand divifion between all these, and those who keep the ordinances of faith; which, in their meaning and inftruction, were then, as they now are, the great foundations of the city, whose builder and maker is God.

Respecting this policy of Babylon, which has been ever the pattern of the wisdom of this world, and the rule of eftimation of all political excellence, it is of importance to observe, that religion was never excluded from the device; on the contrary, it is acknowledged by all fober judges, to be a conftituent of this theory of government, and is deemed effential to the adminiftration and good order. Atheists, and even deifts, are dunces of politicians; and of all religions, that which approaches the nearest to the divinely instituted forms, is acknowledged to be the beft: Provided, however, the doctrine or inftruction of thofe forms be always per verted; and that, by their interpreters, they be made to speak fome language other than their own truth; which is, that no city but the city of God, builded upon the ordinances

of the everlasting covenant, which faithfully exhibit the will of God in Chrift, hath foundations; and that, befides this, all are raised in oppofition to heaven; and, at an appointed hour, under the full vials of divine wrath, they fhall fink with their builders.

Attempts to alter the divine institutions as to their forms, have been made only when they have been heard to speak a language, which no man hearty in the Babylonian or Chaldean counfel, could ever bear. Indeed they are so exprefs, fo fignificant, that without fome corruption of the emblem itself, it is not eafy to prevent their being, in fome measure, understood.

Section 3. The Overthrow of Sodom. One of the branches of the family of the Hethites, fettled in the plain of Jordan.This country was well watered, and abounded with bread, and greatly indulged its inhabitants in eafe and diffipation. It was, perhaps, the leaft affected by the ravages of the flood, of any fpot upon the face of the earth-it feemed, indeed, to retain fome primitive features of the garden of the Lord, and a refemblance of the glory of the first world. Hence, in a natural view, it was under the leaft check and control from the operation of the archangel government and difcipline; an important article of which, confifts in the curfe that is laid upon the ground, and the