Page:Light and truth.djvu/23

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the history of man.
21

Temah; and Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah—twelve princes, towns and castles, according to their nations. And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria.—(Gen. xxv.)

Ishmael peopled Arabia, and a part of Asia. The Moors were his descendants.

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai, thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name; and I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.—(Gen. xvii.)

Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age; at the set time of which God had spoken unto him: and Abraham called his name Isaac; and circumcised him when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him: and Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born. And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerer; and the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of; sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.—(Gen. xx, xxvi.)

Isaac had now arrived at mature age, and Abraham called one of his servants, probably Eliezer, (Gen. xv. 2,) and made him swear that he would obtain a wife for Isaac; not among the Canaanites, (where they then dwelt, and who were to be cut off, according to the revealed purpose of God,) but in Abraham's native country, and from among his own kindred. This enterprise terminated successfully, and every desire of the patriarch respecting Isaac's marriage was answered.

Abraham removed his tent to Egypt; and having become very rich in servants, men and women, cattle; silver and gold, he returned from Egypt to Canaan. Lot, his nephew, had been with him, and shared his prosperity;