from what Isaiah hinted afterwards (1), that the Affyrian boafted his Deputy-Princes to be equal to Royal Governours, Are not my Princes altogether Kings? The great Care of Kings in thefe Ages was to build Cities; and thus we find almost every new King erecting a new Seat of his Empire; Ninus fixed at Nineveh, Semiramis at Babylon, and Ninyas at Elam and from hence it happened in After-ages, that Ctefias, when he came to write the Affyrian Antiquities, found the Names of their ancient Kings amongst the Royal Records of Perfia, which he would hardly have done, if fome of their early Monarchs had not had their Refidence in this Country. Ninyas therefore was the Chedorlaomer of Mofes, and thefe Kings of Canaan had been fubject to him for twelve Years: In the thirteenth Year they endeavoured to recover their Liberty; but within a Year after their attempting it, (which is a Space of Time that must neceffarily be fuppofed, before Chedorlaomer could hear at Elam of their Revolt, and fummon his Deputies with an Army to attend him) in the fourteenth Year, the King of Elam with his Deputy-Princes, the Governour of Shinaar, and of Ellafar, and of the other Nations fubject to him, brought an Army, and overran the Kingdoms in and round about the Land of Canaan. He fubdued the Rephaims, who inhabited the Land afterwards called the Kingdom of Bashan, fituated between Gilead and (1) Ifaiah x. 8. E3 Hermon, Hermon, the Uzzims between Arnon and Damafcus, the Emmims who inhabited what was afterwards called the Land of Ammon, the Horites from Mount Seir to El-paran, and then he fubdued the Amalekites and the Amorites, and laft of all came to Battle with the King of Sodom, and the King of Gomorrah, and the King of Admah, and the King of Zeboiim, and the King of Bela or Zoar in the Valley of Siddim, and obtained a complete and entire Conqueft over them. Lot, who at this time dwelt in Sodom, suffered in this Action; for he and all his Family and Subftance was taken by the Enemy, and in great Danger of being carried away into Captivity, had not Abram very fortunately refcued him. The Force that Abram could raise was but fmall: Three hundred and eighteen trained Servarts were his whole Retinue, and with these he pursued the Enemy unto Dan. We do not read that Abram attacked the whole Affyrian Army; without doubt that would have been an Attempt too great for the little Company which he commanded; but coming up with them in the Night (m), he artfully divided his Attendants into two Companies, with one of which most probably he attacked those that were appointed to guard the Captives and Spoil, and with the other made the Appearance of a Force ready to attempt the whole Body of the Enemy. The Affyrians furprized at finding a new Enemy, and pretty much haraffed with obtaining their (m) Gen xiv. 15, numerous numerous Victories, and fatigued in their late Battle, not knowing the Strength that now attacked them, retired and fled before them: Abram pursued (n) them unto Hobah on the left Hand of Damafcus, and being by that time. Master of the Prifoners and Spoil, he did not think fit to prefs on any further, or to follow the Enemy until the Day-Light might discover the Weakness of his Forces, and fo he returned back, having refcued his Brother Lot, and his Goods, and the Women (o) and the People, that were taken Captive. We hear no more of the Affyrian Army; moft probably they returned Home, with Defigns to be fo reinforced as to come another Year fufficiently prepared to make a more complete Conqueft of the Kingdoms of Canaan; but Ninyas or Chedorlaomer dying foon after this, the new King might have other Designs upon his Hands, and fo this might be laid afide and neglected. When Abram returned with the Captives and the Spoil, the King of Sodom and the King of Selem (p) went out to meet him with great Ceremony Melchizedec King of Salem was the Prieft of the most high God (q), and for that Reafon Abram gave him the Tenth of the Spoil: The Remainder he returned to the King of Sodom, refufing to be himself a Gainer by receiving any Part of what this victorious Enterprize had gotten him. God Almighty continued his Favour to Abram, and in diverfe and fundry Manners, (n) Gen. xiv. 15. (0) Ver. 16. (p) Ver. 17. (q) Ver. 18. E 4 fome fometimes by the Appearance of Angels, at other times by audible Voices, or by remarkable Dreams, declared to him in what Manner he defigned to blefs his Pofterity, and to raise them in the World. Abram at this time had no Son, but upon his defiring one, he received not only a Promife of a Son, but was informed, that his Pofterity should be so numerous as to be compared to the very Stars of Heaven (r). Abram was fo fincerely difpofed to believe all the Intimations and Promises which God thought fit to give him, that it was counted to bim for Righteousness (s), that he obtained by it great Favour and Acceptance with God; fo that God was pleafed to give him a ftill further Discovery of what should befal him and his Defcendants: He was ordered to offer a solemn Sacrifice (t), and at the going down of the Sun, a deep Sleep fell upon him, and it was revealed to him in a Dream (u), that He himself should die in Peace in a good old Age; but that his Defcendants fhould for four hundred Years be but Strangers in a Land not their own, and should fuffer Hardships, even Bondage; but that after this the Nation that had oppreffed them should be feverely punished, and that they should be brought out of all their Difficulties in a very rich and flourishing Condition, and that in the fourth Generation they should return again into Canaan, and take Poffeffion of it; that they could not have it sooner, because the Iniquity of the Amo (r) Gen. xv. 5. (s) Ver. 6. (1) Ver. 9. (u) Ver. 12. God Almighty rites was not yet full (w). could forefee, that the Amorites would by that time have ran into such an excefs of Sin, as to deserve the fevere Expulfion from the Land of Canaan, which was afterwards appointed for them; but He would in no wife order their Punishment, until they fhould have filled up the measure of their Iniquities fo as to deferve it. After Abram awoke from this Dream, a Fire kindled miraculously (x) and confumed his Sacrifice, and God covenanted with him to give to his Seed all the Land of Canaan from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates (y). Ten Years after Abram's Return into Canaan (x) in the 86th Year (a) of his Life, A. M. 2094, he had a Son by Hagar the Egyptian, Sarai's Maid. Sarai her felf had no Children, and expecting never to have any, had given her Maid to Abram to be his Wife, (b) to prevent his dying Childless. Abram was exceedingly rejoiced at the Birth of his Son, and looked upon him as the Heir promised him by God, who was to be the Father of the numerous People that were to defcend from him; but about thirteen Years after Ishmael's Birth (for fo was the Child named) God appeared unto Abram (c). The Perfon who appeared to him, called himself the Almighty God (d), and can be conceived to be no other (w) Gen. xv. 16. (x) Ver. 17. See Vol. I. p. 298. 18. (c) Gen. xvii. yer. I. (y) Ver. (b) Ver. 3. Perfon |