juft ftarting from his eye, is this moment before me and thus, methinks, I catch inftruction (as he addreffes Lot) from the lip of the venerable man. Away, my dear brother, away with ftrife; we were born to be the fervants of God, and the companions of each other: the twin breafts of our mother are not so closely united as thou and I: as we sprang from the fame parent, so we naturally partake the fame affections. We are brethren, fons of the fame father: we are friends, for furely kindredship should be the most exalted friendship: let not us then difagree, because our herdmen have difagreed, fince that

were to encourage every idle pique, and fenfelefs animofity. Great, indeed, hath been our fuccefs fince our migration into this fair country: we have much fubftance, and much cattle.. But what of that? Shall brothers quarrel, because it has pleased Heaven to profper them-Oh ingrateful! Oh impious!-But if, notwithstanding. these perfuafives, thy fpirit is ftill. troubled, let us feparate: rather than contend with a brotherhard as it is, I could even part with him for a time-haply, the occafion of difpute (which I have already forgotten) fhall foon be no more remembered by thee. Is

not

not the whole land before thee? Take then my bleffing and my embrace, and separate thyfelf from me: To thee is fubmitted the advantages of choice: if thou wilt take the left hand, then, that I may not appear to thwart thee unbrotherly, I will take the right: or if thou art more inclined to the country which lieth upon the right, then will I go to the left. Be it as thou wilt, and whither foever thou goeft, happy mayeft thou be..

Lot, liftened to his brother, and departed. He caft his eyes on the well-watered plains of Jordan. There feems a degree of avarici

ous

ous infenfibility in his character; and when he feparated, it appears to have been with the hope of increafing his wealth; while Abraham, no doubt, often preffed his brother's hand, and often bade him adieu, and even followed him to repeat the farewell wishes, ere he could fuffer him to depart.

ESSAY

ESSAY IX.

MERCY.

PASSAGE.

AND ABRAHAM SAID, WILT THOU ALSO
DESTROY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE

WICKED, O LORD?

PERADVENTURE, THERE BE FIFTY RIGH-
TEOUS WITHIN THE CITY; WILT THOU
ALSO DESTROY AND NOT SPARE THE
CITY, FOR THE FIFTY RIGHTEOUS THAT
ARE THEREIN? &c.

THESE, and the following
verses, in a very remarkable
manner, demonftrate, on the one
hand, the MERCY of the Almighty;
and the benevolent difpofition of

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