required also the means of defence; for this purpose "a tower" was desirable, of such a height as to bid defiance to any who should attempt to annoy them with arrows or other missive weapons. Thus all their measures were wisely laid; and had not Jehovah interposed to frustrate their scheme, it would have succeeded. It is very probable that Nimrod was the leader of this famous enterprise, and that the whole was a scheme of his, by which to make himself master of the world. We have great reason for thankfulness that such ambitious projects have never been permitted to be realized in their full extent; universal government, considering the depraved nature and selfish passions of man, could scarcely fail of being exceedingly despotic and oppressive, and would also tend greatly to obstruct the influence of true religion.

But how vain and impotent are the designs of man, when he takes up arms against his Maker; beneath whose touch the puny reptile of a day is crushed; before whose frown, he shrinks into his original nothingness. The power of that God who first bestowed upon man the gift of speech, was exerted in confounding it. By a miraculous interposition, the minds of this rebellious company were strangely confused as to the meaning of the terms in which they had before conversed, and were led to form other words and expressions. Thus were new languages produced, probably as numerous as the principal families in the company; who could under

stand each other, but could not converse with their former associates. Thus the very plan which they had formed to prevent their dispersion, made way for it, and in consequence the several tribes removed to the regions allotted to them. The dividing of languages was therefore in effect the dividing of nations, and so a bar to the whole world being ruled by one government. Thus a perpetual miracle was wrought, to be an antidote to a perpetual disease. On the sudden dispersion of the settlers, their unfinished project was abandoned; and in the name given to the place, (Babel, which signifies confusion) as well as in the remains of their unfinished building, stood memorials of their impotent folly and perpetual disgrace; while the great name they were so anxious to make for themselves, entirely perished from the earth, not one of the names of the Babel-builders being handed down to posterity.

Noah was yet living at the time of the confusion of tongues; we may conclude of him and other pious persons, chiefly the descendants of Shem in the line of Eber, that they were not engaged in this presumptuous project, and that they were permitted to retain the universal language. If this, as is highly pro

bable, was the Hebrew, it perhaps derived its name from Eber, to whose descendants it was peculiar, and thus we account for the epithet Hebrew and Hebrews being given to Abraham and his posterity. Noah lived to the age of nine hundred and fifty years; and died three hundred and fifty years after the flood.

F 2

talents, and must be strictly accounted for: let them ever be suitably regulated, and faithfully improved. Nimrod was afterwards the founder of a royal city, called Babel or Babylon. To this he added Erech, and Accad, and Calneh: nor was this all; either he drove Ashur the son of Shem from the land of Shinai, (who, taking up his residence in Assyria, built Nineveh and other places,) or else. (according to Ainsworth) he (Nimrod) went forth out of that land to Ashur or Assyria, and builded Nineveh.

Gen.

§ 4. The Confusion of Tongues and the Building of Babel.-Also the Åge and Death of Noah. xi. 1-9. ix. 28, 29.

B. C. 2160.

The purpose of God had been declared to Noah, that his descendants should replenish the earth. This implied that they should be divided into distinct nations, under separate governments, and inhabiting different countries, until the whole earth was repeopled. Some regular division of the earth probably took place, under the direction of Noah and his sons, about the time of the birth of Peleg, alluded to Gen. x. 25. but they were unwilling to separate and occupy the region assigned Having, with very few exceptions, cast off the fear of God, they formed a project which tended to counteract his purposes. In rebellious defiance, they resolved to