for out of God's book, as out of God's world, more may be often concluded than our philosophy at first suspects. The principle is good, for it is sanctioned by our Lord himself, who reproaches the Sadducees with not knowing those Scriptures which they received, because they had not deduced the doctrine of a future state from the words of Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," though the doctrine was there if they would but have sought it out. One consideration, however, we must take along with us in this inquiry, that the Books of Moses are in most cases a very incomplete history of facts-telling something and leaving a great deal untoldabounding in chasms which cannot be filled up-not, therefore, to be lightly esteemed even in their hints, for hints are often all that they offer.

The proofs of this are numberless; but as it is important to my argument that the thing itself should be distinctly borne in mind, I will name a few. Thus if we read the history of Joseph as it is given in the 37th chapter of Genesis, where his brethren first put him into the pit and then sell him to the Ishmaelites, we might conclude that he was himself quite passive in the whole transaction. Yet when the brothers happen to talk together upon this same subject many years afterwards in Egypt, they say one to another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear."* All these fervent intreaties are sunk in the direct history of the event, and only come out by accident after all. As another instance. The simple account of Jacob's reluctance to part * Genesis, xlii. 21.

with Benjamin, would lead us to suppose that it was expressed and overcome in a short time, and with no great effort. Yet we incidentally hear from Judah that this family struggle (for such it seems to have been) had occupied as much time as would have sufficed for a journey to Egypt and back.* As a third instance. The several blessings which Jacob bestows on his sons have probably a reference to the past as well as to the future fortunes of each. In the case of Reuben the allusion happens to be to a circumstance in his life with which we are already acquainted, here, therefore, we understand the old man's address; but in the case of several at least of his other sons, where there are probably similar allusions to events in their lives too, which have not, however, been left on record, † xlix. 4.

* Genesis, xliii. 10.

there is much that is obscure-the brevity of the previous narrative not supplying us with the proper key to the blessing. It is needless to multiply instances, all that I wish to impress is this, that in the Book of Genesis a hint is not to be wasted but improved; and that he who expects every probable deduction from Scripture to be made out complete in all its parts before he will admit it, expects more than he will in many cases meet with, and will learn much less than he might otherwise learn.

Having made these preliminary remarks, I shall now proceed to collect the detached incidents in Genesis which appear to point out the existence of a Patriarchal Church. And the circumstance of so many incidents tending to this one centre, though evidently without being marshalled or arranged, implies veracity in the record itself, for it is a

very comprehensive instance of coincidence without design in the several parts of that record.

1. First, then, the Patriarchs seem to have had places set apart for the worship of God, consecrated, as it were, especially to His service. To do things" before the Lord," is a phrase not unfrequently occurring, and generally in a local sense. and Abel appear to have brought their of

Cain

ferings to the same spot-it might be, (as some have thought,*) to the East of the Garden, where the symbols of God's presence were displayed; and when Cain is banished from his first dwelling, and driven to wander upon the earth, he is said to have " gone out from the presence of the Lord," as though, in the land where he was henceforward to live, he would no

* Vide, Mr. Faber's Three Dispensations, vol. i. p. 8, and Comp. Wisdom, ix. 9. † Genesis, iv. 16.