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some have contradicted it as it stands in the translation; but the translation is right, for kaasheth signifies a bow throughout the scriptures.

Aram, who was the fifth son of Shem, gave this name to the kingdom of Aram, which was afterwards called Syria By future conquests, however, it was called Assyria; when the surrounding nations became a part of this empire. The word Aram, is the Hebrew word, which is continued in our English bibles to the time of Elizabeth, where the country is called Aram, and the inhabitants Aramites.

The word Aram, literally means, I will elevate, or lift up. In the time of the Hebrews, many ages after this period, it was applied to the heave-offering, which was elevated, or lifted up. Undoubtedly, the patriarch Shem gave this name with reference to the ancient belief in the coming of the Redeemer, in remembrance of whom, burnt-offerings, and sacrifices were then lifted up before the altar erected by Noah: and which sacrificial worship descended to the Hebrews, and was understood by them agreeably to the original institution.

Although the descendants of Aram worshipped the living God,* yet in process of time, they fell into the polite worship of their brethren, the descendants of

Ham. The latter honored the memory of the progenitor of the Aramites, with a temple, which was dedicated to him. The intercourse of the Aramites with the Philistians, who were the descendants of Ham, and who worshipped one of their progenitors, viz: Aram, no doubt, introduced the worship of this deified man among them. They also built a temple to him, as we read in Joshua,

* A word properly used and applied at that day, in opposition to the dead gods, or idols.

ch. xiii. 27. the temple of Aram, by which policy they were enabled to introduce the worship of their own idols among them. Such has been the craft of bigotry and superstition in all ages.

THE SECOND ORDER OF THE PATRIARCHS

Begins with Noah. The word Noah, means rest, or to lead with gentleness and peace. This name was given to the first patriarch of this dispensation, because it was foretold, that through him, the church, which had departed from its original purity, should again be established. Gen. v. 29. “And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed." From this passage we learn, that the divine communication, from between the Cherubim, was continued to the second order of patriarchs, notwithstanding the first church had come to its consummation in the time of Lamech. He was instructed to communicate this information, which was given him according to the appointed order of that dispensation.

We find that God gave a new dispensation to Noah, comprehending seven commandments.

The first was, that they should not commit adultery. 2d. That they were not to blaspheme.

3d. That they should appoint just judges.

4th. That they were not to commit incest.

5th. That they were not to commit murder, or injure any one.

6th. That they were not to steal, rob, or plunder.

7th. That they were not to eat flesh with the blood thereof,

These were the seven precepts given to Noah, when God renewed the promise of the coming of Messiah to him; a strict observance of which, was to ensure rest or peace to the church. From which we may to a certainty conclude, that the commission of those crimes prohibited in this dispensation, constituted the wickedness of the Antediluvians.

Shem succeeded Noah in the supreme government of church and state, which appears to have received the form and order of the first patriarchal institution. He was a zealous promoter of the worship of the true God, and believed that the ancient promise of a Redeemer would, in the fulness of time, be accomplished; on which account the HOLY ONE was to come in his line.

Shem, means primarily, to put in order to place-to apply-to put in array, and in a secondary sense, a name, as having been put in order, to be distinguished. Thus we meet with the name of the Lord;' and from this word also, heaven is derived, because every thing there is placed in the most perfect order.

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The name Shem was given to this son of Noah, because he was to place and keep in order all things respecting the worship of the true God, in opposition to that of the worship of idols; which was established in the line of Ham. Thus the venerable patriarch, in the spirit of prophesy, was instructed to say what should take place among the descendants of Shem and Ham, 1500 years before it was accomplished; Gen. ix. ver. 25, 26. "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." The literal meaning of which, in the original Hebrew, is, that "Shem and his posterity

will worship the Lord God of heaven, and the Canaanites the descendants of Ham shall be his servants." Which was literally accomplished at the time when the Israelites came out of Egypt, for the Canaanites were conquered by the Hebrews, and thus became their ser→ vants, who had been servants to the Egyptians..

Arphaxad succeeded Shem in the government of the church and state; he was the third son of Shem, and was, according to that ancient constitution, a priest as well as a temporal patriarchal king. The word Arphaxad is a compound word, and means to pour forth and spread abroad the light. He appears to have been so named, because at this period, he and the church spread abroad the divine light concerning the coming of the Redeemer, which light, as well as the belief in him, was to lighten every man that cometh into the world. Among all the sons of righteous Shem, Arphaxad was chosen to be the visible head of the true church of God, in whose line the Shiloh, the deliverer, and the light of the world came; he was therefore properly called Arphaxad, or the spreader abroad of the divine light.

Salah succeeded Arphaxad. The name Salah, which means to put or send forth, as a tree its branches, was given to him by his father Arphaxad, because in his time the church, over which he was to preside, began to increase and spread forth its doctrines, in opposition to the idolatrous notions of that day.

Eber, the son of Salah, succeeded to the government of the church. Eber is a word, which relates to the Covenant of God with man, viz. to redeem him from the calamities of the fall, by the coming of Messiah. It means to pass over, and is used in this sense in scripture, alluding to the patriarchal custom of passing between the parts of a divided sacrifice. Gen. xv. 10. Jer. xxxiv. 18,

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Entering into a covenant, Deut. xxix. 12. "That thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God." Eber was applied by the Hebrews to the passover, when they came out of Egypt, and accordingly the passover was instituted in commemoration of the divine goodness, which passed over the first-born in Egypt, and which pointed out the great and last sacrifice at the passover, when the Messiah came, who was to pardon and pass over iniquity, transgression and sin. This faith in the eternal sacrifice seems to have peculiarly characterized the church in the time of Eber; sacrifices by slaying of animals were obseved, as types of the coming of the Redeemer and what is worthy of our notice, is, that the beasts and birds which were commanded to be offered, are said to be clean: "and Noah builded an altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar." Plainly meaning, that as clean beasts are used by the prophets to signify the pure affections, all believers in the ancient promise concerning the coming of Messiah, who obeyed the commands of God, should be purified in heart and life, and should finally enjoy eternal happiness, The descendants from Eber, the great-grandson of Shem, were called from him Hebrews; a name they have retained to this day. And thus at this period of the world, it shows their firm belief in the coming of Messiah, who was to pass over, and forgive all those who believed in him, and lived agreeably to his precepts.

The next in the order of primogeniture is Peleg. Peleg means to divide; it is therefore said, in his days, the earth was divided. Some have thought that this has relation to the earth; that originally it was in one compact mass, and that at this period of the world, it was divided by an earthquake, as it is at present; but a supposition of

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