A. Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and they were the fathers of all mankind after the flood, Gen. ix. 18, 19, and x. 32.

10 Q. Who were the offspring or posterity of Shem? A. The Persians who came from Elam their father; the Syrians from Aram; the Hebrews from Eber, as is supposed: and particularly the Jews, with other inhabitants of Asia, Gen. x. 21.

11 Q. Who were the posterity of Ham?

A. The Canaanites, the Philistines, and others in Asia, and the Egyptians, with other inhabitants of Africa, Gen. x. 6, &c.

12 Q. Who were the posterity of Japheth?

A. Gomer, supposed to be the father of the Germans, Javan of the Greeks, Meshech of the Muscovites, and other families that dwelt in Europe, Gen. x. 2.

13 Q. Wherein did Ham, the father of the Canaanites, do amiss?

A. He saw his father Noah naked, and made sport with him, and he was cursed under the name of his son Canaan, Gen. ix. 21. 25.

Note, It is probable that Canaan joined with his father Ham in the mockery of his grandfather Noah, and therefore he was cursed; and besides, this gave early notice to the Israelites, that the Canaanites, whose land God gave them to possess, were a people under an ancient curse.

14 Q. What did Shem and Japheth do on this occasion?

A. They covered their father with a garment, and concealed his shame, and were blessed, Gen. ix. 23. 26, 27.

15 Q. Did mankind freely divide themselves after the flood into several nations?

A. No; but being all of one language, they agreed rather to build a chief city with a tower, that all men might be joined in one nation or kingdom, Gen. xi, 4.

16 Q. How did God scatter them abroad into different nations?

A. By making them speak different languages, and then they ceased to build the tower, which was called Babel, or Confusion, Gen. xi. 7-9.

17 Q. Did God preserve the true religion in any of their families?

A. It is supposed to have been chiefly preserved in the family of Shem, for God is called the Lord God of Shem, Gen. ix. 26.

Note, Though the knowledge of the true God and religion were chiefly preserved in the family of Shem, yet it is evident that some branches of Ham's family, and probably of Japheth's too, preserved it for some hundreds of years; for Melchisedek, a king of the Canaanites in Abraham's time, was a priest of the most high God; and Abimelech, a king of the Philistines, feared God, and had a sense of religion; and both these are derived from Ham.

SECTION II.

Of Abraham and Lot, Ishmael and Isaac.

18 Q. WHO was the most famous man, of Shem's posterity, in these early ages?

A. Abraham, the son of Terah, of the posterity of Eber, Gen. xi. 27.

19 Q. What was the first remarkable thing recorded of Abraham?

A. He left his own native country to go wheresoever God called him, Gen. xii. 1. 4.

20 Q. Whence did Abraham come, and whither did he go?

A. He came first from Chaldea, then from Haran; and he went to dwell among strangers in the land of Canaan, Gen. xi. 31. and xii. 5. Heb. xi. 8, 9.

21 Q. Who came with Abraham into Canaan?

A. Lot, his brother's son; and they brought with them all their substance and their household, Gen. xiii. 5.

22 Q. Did they continue to dwell together?

A. Their cattle and servants grew so numerous, that they parted for fear of quarrelling, and Abraham gave Lot his choice to go to the east or the west, Gen. xiii. 1-9.

23 Q. Where did Lot sojourn?

A. He chose the east, and pitched his tent tẻwards Sodom, because it was a well-watered and fruitful country, ver. 10—12.

24 Q. What calamity befel Lot here?

A. He was carried away captive together with other inhabitants of Sodom, when the king of Sodom was routed in battle by his enemies, Gen. xiv.

25 Q. What did Abraham do on this occasion? A. He armed his own servants, three hundred and eighteen men, who pursued the conquerors and routed them, and brought back Lot and the other captives with their goods, Gen. xiv. 14-16.

26 Q. When Abraham returned from the slaughter of the kings, what honour was done him?

A. Melchisedek, the king of Salem, and the priest of the most high God, met him, and pronounced a. blessing upon him, Gen. xiv. 18-20.

27 Q. What civility did the king of Sodom shew Abraham?

A. He offered him all the goods that Abraham, had recovered from the former conquerors, but Abraham refused to accept them, ver. 21, &c.

28 Q. What became of Sodom afterwards?

A. It was burnt by fire and brimstone from heaven, together with Gomorrah, and other cities, because of the abominable wickedness of their inhabitants, Gen. xix. 24.

29 Q. Was there nobody to plead with God to spare them?

A. Yes; Abraham pleaded with God to spare Sodom, and God. would have done it, had there been but ten righteous men in all the city, Gen. xviii. 23-33.

30 Q. How did Lot escape?

4. The two angels, which were sent to destroy Sodom, persuaded him to flee away with his family first, Gen. xix. 15.

31 Q. How many of his family escaped this judgment?

A. Only himself and his two daughters, for his two sons-in-law refused to remove, Gen. xix. 14. 32 Q. What became of Lot's wife?

A. She went with him part of the way, but when she looked back, hankering after Sodom, she was struck dead immediately, perhaps with a blast of that lightning which burnt Sodom, and she stood like a pillar of salt, Gen. xix. 26.

33 Q. Was Lot a religious man?

A. Yes, and his righteous soul was daily vexed with the wicked conversation of the men of Sodom, 2. Pet. ii. 7, 8.

34 Q. Did he maintain his righteous character ever afterwards?

A. He once was enticed into the sin of drunkenness, and then he let his two daughters lie with him and abuse him, Gen. xix. 30, &c.

35 Q. Had Lot any children by this sinful action?

A. Yes, Moab was the son of one daughter, and Ben-ammi of the other; and they were afterwards the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites, who proved to be sore enemies of God's people, Gen. xix. 37, 38.

36 Q. Thus ends the history of Lot and Sodom; let us return now to Abraham: in what part of the country did he dwell?

A. When he removed from Lot he went toward the west, and travelling on toward the south-west, he sojourned in the land of Abimelech, Gen. xx, 1. 37 Q. Who was Abimelech?

A. He was king of Gerar, in the country of the Philistines, Gen. xx. 2. xxi. 32.

38 Q. What did Abimelech do at Abraham's coming? A. He took Sarah, Abraham's wife, into his house; but being warned of God, he restored her again, Gen. xx. 2. 6. 14.

39 Q.How came Abimelech to takeAbraham's wife? A. Because she was a beautiful woman, and Abraham did not call her his wife, but his sister; and by this means he exposed her to be taken by other men, Gen. xx. 2.

40 Q. What sons had Abraham?

4. The two chief were Ishmael and Isaac, Gen. xxv. 9.

41 Q. What was Ishmael?

A. He was the son of Abraham, by Hagar his servant maid, Gen. xvi. 15.

42 Q. How came Abraham to take his maid to be his concubine?

A. God had promised him a son, and he thought his wife Sarah was too old to have a child, and therefore by her advice he took Hagar, Gen. xvi. 1, 2. 43 Q. What became of Ishmael?

A. Abraham, by the command of God, turned Ishmael and his mother out of his house into the wilderness, because they mocked and abused his younger son Isaac, Gen. xxi. 9, &c.

44 Q. Did Ishmael perish in the wilderness?

A. The angel of God appeared to Hagar, and shewed her a spring of water when they were dying with thirst; and Ishmael grew up to be a great man, and the father of a large nation, Gen. xxi. 16—20. and xxv. 16.

45 Q. Who was Isaac's mother?

A. Isaac was the son of Abraham, by Sarah his wife, according to the promise of God, when they were both grown old, Gen. xxi. 1, &c. Rom. ix. 7, 8.

46 Q. Why is Abraham called the father of the faithful, i. e. of the believers?