"the latter fet would remove, or render in"effectual, all the limitations and controlls, "which liberty hath prescribed to thofe that govern, and disjoint the whole frame of our "conftitution. Entire diffolution of manners, "confufion, anarchy, or perhaps abfolute mo"narchy, would follow; for it is poffible, nay probable, that in fuch a state as this, "and amidst fuch a rout of lawless favages, men "would choose this government, abfurd as it "is, rather than have no government at all.” It is to be lamented that fuch a genius fhould be fo employed: but the mifapplication of those excellent talents, with which God had intrusted him, was his reigning fault through every stage, through every scene of life. That which Lord (6) Digby faid of the great Lord Stafford, may with more truth and justice be affirmed of him, that the malignity of his practices was hugely aggravated by thofe rare abilities of his, whereof God had given him the ufe, but the devil the application. (6) Rushworth. Vol. 4. p. 225. II. The II. The prophecies concerning ISHMAE L. A BRAHAM was the patriarch of greatest renown next after the times of Noah. He was favored with feveral revelations; and from him two very extraordinary nations defcended, the Ishmaelites and Ifraelites, concerning each of whom there are fome remarkable prophecies. Ishmael, tho' the fon of the bond-woman, and not properly the child of promife, was yet diftinguished by fome exprefs predictions for the comfort and satisfaction of both his parents. In the 16th chapter of Genefis, when Hagar fled from the face of her miftrefs who had dealt hardly with her, the angel of the Lord found her in the wilderness, and said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and fubmit thyfelf under her hands. And the angel of the Lord faid unto her, I will multiply thy feed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord faid unto her, Behold thou art with child, and shalt bear a fon, and shalt call his name Ishmael (that is God fhall hear) D3 becaufe because the Lord hath beard thy affliction. And be will be a wild man; bis hand will be against every man, and every man's band against him; and be fhall dwell in the prefence of all his brethren. (ver. 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12.) In the following chapter, when Ifaac was promised to Abraham, God ftill referved a bleffing for Ishmael, Behold I have bleffed him, and will make bim fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly : twelve princes fhall be beget, and I will make him a great nation. (ver. 20.) Afterwards when Hagar and Ishmael were fent forth into the wilderness, God faid unto Abraham, (Gen, XXI. 13.) And alfo of the fon of the bond-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy feed. The fame is repeated to Hagar, (ver. 18.) I will make him a great nation. And if we are curious to trace the courfe of events, we shall fee how exactly thefe particulars have been fulfilled from the earlieft down to the prefent times. I will multiply thy feed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude: and again, Bebold I have blefed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. These paffages evince that the prophecy doth not fo properly relate to Ishmael, as to his pofterity, which is here foretold to be very numerous. Ishmael married married an Egyptian woman, as his mother was likewise an Egyptian: (Gen. XXI. 21.) and in a few years his family was increased fo,that in the 37th chapter of Genefis we read of Ishmaelites trading into Egypt. Afterwards his feed was multiplied exceedingly in the Hagarenes, who probably were denominated from his mother Hagar; and in the Nabathæans, who had their name from his fon Nebaioth ; and in the Itureans, who were so called from his fon Jetur or Itur; and in the Arabs, especially the Scenites, and the Saracens, who overran a great part of the world: and his defcendents, the Arabs, are a very numerous people at this day. Twelve princes fhall be beget. This circumftance is very particular, but it was punctually fulfilled; and Mofes hath given us the names of these twelve princes. (Gen. XXV. 16.) Thefe are the fons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their caftles; twelve princes according to their nations: by which we are to understand, not that they were so many distinct fovran princes, but only heads of clans or tribes. Strabo frequently mentions the Arabian phylarchs as he denominates them, or rulers of tribes: and Melo, quoted by Eufebius from Alexander Polyhiftor, a heathen histoD 4 rian, rian, relates (1) that "Abraham of his Egyp"tian wife begat 12 fons (he fhould have faid one fon who begat 12 fons) who departing: " into Arabia divided the region between them, " and were the first kings of the inhabitants ; "whence even to our days the Arabians have "twelve kings of the fame names as the first." And ever fince the people have been governed by phylarchs, and have lived in tribes; and ftill continue to do fo, as (2) Thevenot and other modern travelers teftify. And I will make him a great nation. This is repeated twice or thrice; and it was accomplished, as foon as in the regular course of nature it could be accomplished. His feed in procefs of time grew up into a great nation, and fuch they continued for feveral ages, and fuch they remain to this day. They might indeed emphatically be filed a great nation, when the Saracens had made thofe rapid and extenfive conquefts, and erected one of the largest empires that ever were in the world. And be will be a wild man. In the original it. (1) Ix μεν της Αιγυπίας yermoar viec iß, s dns Agaβιαν απαλλαγέντας διέλεσθαι την χώραν και πρώτος βασίλευσαι των εγχωρίων, όθεν έως και ήμας βασιλεις Αράβων ONDIXα είναι is ὁμώνυμος εκείνοις. Ex Ægyptia liberos duodecim genuifle, qui in Arabiam profecti eam inter fe diviferint locique hominibus principes imperarint: ex quo factum fit, ut reges Arabum duodecim |