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Now that he should be able to dwell in their presence, though "against every man, and every man against him," is extraordinary. But so it was, and is. Ishmael, at the age of 137, "died in the presence of all his brethren" (Gen. xxv. 18); his posterity dwell in the presence of all their brethren, the descendants of Abraham; remaining, notwithstanding the enmity between them and all mankind, in their progenitor's land; and this, not because it was barren and unfruitful; for in many parts it is quite the contrary, and in fact, Arabia Felix (or the Happy), is especially named so, for its excellent climate and fertility. although it had not been so, a pestilent race of robbers might be worth rooting out of even a barren land; yet this has never been accomplished; and after frequent and powerful efforts to destroy them, they still continue to dwell in the presence of their enemies.

But

Moses informs us, that they were grown up into "twelve princes according to their nations" (Gen. xxv. 16), dwelling "from Havilah to Shur," on the borders of the Egyptians and the Assyrians. But by these powerful neighbours they could never be subjugated; not even by the conqueror Sesostris, the great king of Egypt.

The next great conquerors of the East were Cyrus and the Persians; but neither he nor any of his successors, ever reduced the Arabs to subjection; they

might subdue portions occasionally, but the great body remained free; and, as Herodotus saith, "The Arabs were never reduced by the Persians to the condition of subjects1."

Alexander the Great overthrew the Persian empire, and conquered Asia; but the Arabs refused to acknowledge him, or to send ambassadors, as the other nations did. Meditating revenge for this slight, he died before his very formidable expedition against them was ready; and none of his successors could subdue them.

The Romans then subdued the East, but never could reduce the Arabs into a Roman province. Even Pompey, though triumphing over three parts of the world, could not conquer Arabia. The Emperor Trajan did, indeed, reduce some parts; but he could not do so with respect to the whole people. The historian Dion, a man of rank and character, says, "His soldiers (when besieging the city of the Hagarenes) were repelled by lightnings, thunderings, hail, whirlwinds, and other prodigies, as often as they renewed their assaults;" and retreated at last in disgrace'. So it was with the great Severus, though he twice besieged the same city with a numerous army, and a train of military engines; "God (says the same heathen historian) preserved the city, by the backwardness of the

1 See Herodotus, Book III. Section 88.

2 See Dion's History, Book LXVIII.

Emperor at one time, and of his forces at another';" and he retreated vexed and disappointed.

Neither Egyptians, then, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, nor Romans, could subjugate them; but they continued their free predatory life with impunity, "in the presence of them all.”

This brings us to the time of their famous prophet MAHOMMED, who laid the foundation of a mighty empire. They now became, and for several centuries continued to be known by the name of, Saracens2; and their conquests were amazingly rapid; they overran more countries in a few years than the Romans did in centuries; and continued, for nearly three hundred years, masters of the most considerable parts of the earth. This their empire was then reduced to its former limits, but still they retained their independWhoever conquered Asia, could not conquer them. And though the Turks have been lords of the adjacent territories for centuries, they are, to this day, obliged to pay the Arabs an annual tribute, for the safe passage of their pilgrims. And on the testimony of all modern historians, they are still the same predatory independent people as formerly.

ence.

Is not the hand of God in this? Other nations

1 See Dion's History, Book LXXV.

2 Probably a corruption of the Hagarenes of Scripture, and of the Arraceni of Pliny.

change in the course of ages; men and manners alter with time. Compare the ancient Romans, Gauls, and Britons, with modern English, French, and Italians, and ponder the vast difference. But in all revolutions, the character of the Arabs remains unaltered1, resembling that of their progenitor Ishmael. Like him, they are circumcised at the thirteenth year; they have mercenary wives and concubines; they dwell chiefly in tents, and migrate from place to place. He was an archer in the wilderness; so are they: he was a father of twelve princes or heads of tribes; they live still in clans: he was a wild man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him; so precisely is it with them. And, above all, with the enmity of the whole world against them, -as he dwelt in the presence of his brethren,-so, in spite of the greatest conquerors, and the most powerful efforts against them, they remain, in the face of their enemies, a free and independent people: standing monuments, to all ages, of the veracity of prophecy; and proving, demonstratively, that the "Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and that His (truth as well as His) mercy endureth for ever."

1 The Arabs are the only people, besides the Jews, who have subsisted as a distinct people from the beginning. Both being descended from their ancestor Abraham, they, in many particulars of customs and manners, resemble each other, and verify the predictions of Scripture concerning them.

DISSERTATION III.

ISAAC.-Prophecies concerning JACOB and ESAU.

ISAAC was Abraham's son by the free woman, and was properly the Child of Promise; and the prophecies respecting him and his family were far more numerous than those respecting Ishmael, who was the son of the bond-woman.

It was promised to Abraham, before any son was born to him, "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. xii. 3.) After the birth of Ishmael and Isaac, this promise was limited to the latter. "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Gen. xxi. 12); and was repeated to Isaac himself,-"In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." (Gen. xxvi. 4.) The SAVIOUR of the world, then, was to descend from Isaac, and not from Ishmael; a convincing argument against Mahommedanism.

The land of Canaan, also, was promised to Abraham

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