When the adjustment of things, not only pointed, but had begun to operate to this deftructive end; it is furely no more than what reafon leads us to expect, that God, in compaffion to mankind, as well as in vindication of his own authority, should gra ciously exert his power, and employ fuch mcans as his wifdom fhould direct, to defeat fo ruinous a project. Agreeably therefore to this expectation, the Lord is represented as coming down from heaven" to fee the city and the tower" to infpect the scheme of religion and government" which the children of men," thefe daring infidels, “ had planned and erected." And finding it so contrary to the real intereft and happiness of mankind, he immediately enters into this refolution:-" Go to, let us go down, and —“Go there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord fcattered them abroad from thence," fays the text, "upon the face of all the earth and they left off to build the city"." And by what means he effected their

. Gen. xi. 7, 8,

difperfion,

difperfion, is more particularly explained in the following verfe:" Therefore is the name of the city called Babel," (viz. confufion) "because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord fcatter them abroad on the face of all the earth*:" that is, when God, by the confufion of their language, had divided them into diftin&t tribes; the natural consequence was, that those tribes, feparating from each other, formed themselves into fo many distinct nations; and finally fettled in diftinct parts of the world.

And here, it is worth our while to obferve, in the

Second place, How apt an instance this is, as well of the wisdom, as of the power of God: where we fee it fo amazingly fitted in every respect to the circumstances of things, and the proceedings of this people: fitted to defeat and overthrow their scheme-fitted to convince them of their folly and madness in concerting it-and equally fitted to de

* Gen. ix. 9.

HESTIUS apud Euses. Pr. Ev. lib. ix. cap. 15.

liver the world from the mischiefs intended by it.

As their scheme was planned, in defiance of heaven, to keep them close and united together, in order the better to obviate the curfe that was denounced against them; what can we conceive more effectually adapted, to render them fenfible of the abfurdity of their attempt, than this strange confufion of their language?-whereby the Almighty difunited them again; and so reduced them to that divided state, which muft neceffarily expofe them to the whole weight of the malediction? And that this was effected by the hand of God they must needs perceive from the nature of the tranfaction.. For as their language (to speak at the lowest) could be confounded only, by dividing it into several dialects; and giving their organs a new, inftantaneous ply, diverfly adapted to the different inflections, tones, and modifications of those several dialects; fo the

actual

2 Various, I know, are the fentiments of the learned on this fubject. Most of them, however, admit-that the language of

thefe

actual introduction of fuch confufion mut evidently be the refult of divine power: a power which fhewed them, in this inftance as in many others, how eafy it was for him,

to make the devices of the people of none effect, and bring to nought the counsels of princesi."

And as they united together, not only for their own defence, but alfo with a view of reducing the pofterity of Shem and Japheth under the power and dominion of their fole monarchy-in confequence of which idolatry and wickedness must have increased among them; what furer method could Providence contrive, to free the world from the tyranny of Nimrod; to restore it back to

thefe builders was certainly confounded. And as the degree of confufion here specified, was fufficient to answer the end proposed; fo, that it was in reality no greater, the radical affinity, ftill fubfifting between the feveral oriental languages, feems to me to be a plain proof. Confult Is. CASAUB. in Adverfariis, De Linguarum Confufione. Many are of opinion, that new languages were now introduced. But furely there is a great deal of difference be tween forming new languages (of which the Scripture fays not a word) and confounding that which was before in use.

a Pf. xxxiii. 10.

its

its primeval divifions; and to hinder its being corrupted in any higher degree from that quarter, than this which he now employed? For by thus confounding the language of Nimrod and all his adherents, and thereby dividing them into separate, enfeebled parties; God did not only open a way for the conquered nations to affert their liberty, and migrate according to the patriarchal appointment; but he likewife cut off, ina great measure, all farther connection, intercourfe, and communication between them and this wicked people; and even between the several divifions of this very people themfelves: which must neceffarily restrain the overflowings of iniquity, by dividing the current, and reducing it into narrower bounds.

But this is not all. For the judgment we are now confidering, however fevere, was mercifully calculated as well to improve this wretched people, as to blefs and benefit the rest of the world. In confequence of the confufion, they divided, of course, into fo VOL. I. N

many