not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them." Had Moses been inspired to use terms as exact and specific as these, the credentials of the whole prophecy would have been impaired, by a very natural suspicion that it was merely a pretended prediction, accommodated to the occurrence of well known historical facts.

It is singular, that an apparent similar vagueness of expression is used in Exodus, with respect to the sojourning of the Israelites in Egypt.

"Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self-same day, it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord, went out from the land of Egypt." (Ex. xii. 40, 41.)

A careless reader would probably understand from this, that Moses has recorded the captivity in Egypt to have lasted 430 years. But he states nothing of the kind. That, which he has recorded, is this, namely, that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt; and that their "sojourning sojourning" (the period when they had no fixed country as a nation) was four hundred and thirty years.

The fact was exactly so.

Abraham and his seed

possessed no country in their own right as a nation, until they became established in the promised land. The following account is quoted in the notes to Mant's Bible from Bishop Patrick.

From the time when Abram arrived in Canaan

from Haran, to the birth of Isaac
From the birth of Isaac, to that of Jacob.
From Jacob's birth, until he went into Egypt
Period of the Israelites' servitude in Egypt

Years.

25

Years 430

Some may imagine, that occasional difficulties or obscurities in the Bible are an impediment to its credentials as a revelation from God. On us they produce an impression quite the reverse. We feel persuaded that, had it pleased Almighty God, to vouchsafe his revelation to us, as to every minute particular, in accordance with our ideas of exactness and precision, the records of holy writ would have wanted a very material ingredient in those elements, which are essential to produce a conviction of their divine origin in every really inquiring mind. In these occasional difficulties, or partial obscurities, we perceive a mode of communication, which no mere man would designedly use.

To a human writer, every ambiguity would appear to incur the risk of impeaching the credibility of the accounts which he was recording, or the doctrines which he desired to establish. He would, therefore, cautiously avoid every expression, which appeared calculated to raise a doubt; unless his special object was to mystify, puzzle, and perplex; and to gain converts, rather

y superstition than persuasion. This was the design of the oracles of the heathen world; and the same design is apparent in the writings of many of the religious impostors of more recent times. But the most bigotted opponents of the Bible have never attempted to imputę a scheme of that kind to the collection of records, which are comprised in that wonderful volume.

We

There is a certain degree of analogy between those disturbing actions, which pervade the physical laws of the universe, and those few and occasional difficulties and ambiguities, which may at first sight, seem, to disturb the precision of Holy Writ. are inclined to think, that this analogy enables us to trace in both the mode of action adopted by the same divine Creator. Man, as a mechanist, would avoid, as far as he possibly could, every disturbance of the powers at his command, and of the principles, by which his results are calculated. As a writer, with a view to conviction, he would equally avoid all the objections, to which ambiguity or difficulty would tend to expose him. But God" seeth not as man seeth;" yet "he is not the author of confusion," (1 Cor. xiv. 33.) but, "He discovereth deep things out of darkness." (Job xii. 22.)

B.C. 1898.

SECTION VI.

Prophecy concerning Ishmael.

GEN. xvii." As for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Be20. hold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly." "Twelve Princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."

SECTION VI.

Fulfilment.

GEN. XXV. "These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham.

12.

The first-born of _Ishmael, Nebajoth; and
Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam; and

2

5

6

7

8

Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; Hadar,

9

10

11

12

and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah."

"These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their towns and by their castles; twelve Princes according to their nations."