Genesis 16

Genesis 16:5

Since you indulge your concubine in her contempt of me, may God plead my cause, and avenge the injury done to me on both you and her; I Sam. xxiv. 12, 15. i. 36. 2. Chron. xx

Genesis 16:12

Rev. vi. 10. Ver. 7. Here, and in many other places, the Angel of the Lord, or Angel Chowah, denotes Jesus Christ, who is the Messenger of the new covenant; Chap. xxii. 11. and xlviii

Genesis 16:16

Judg. ii. 1. vi. 11. and xiii. 3. Is. lxiii. 9. Zech. i. 12. and iii. 5. Mal. iii. 1. Ver. 8, 9. He puts her in mind of her relation to Sarai, to render her sensible of her fault, and dispose her to a dutiful return and subjection to her. I Pet. ii. 18. Eph. vi. 5. Ver. 10—12. Here it is foretold that Ishmael and his seed should be wild free men, like wild asses; mischievous to all around them, and extremely numerous. For almost four thousand years the fulfilment hath been amazingly remarkable. Ishmael had twelve sons, who gave rise to as many tribes or nations, called by their names, and who dwelt southward in Arabia, before the War, or in the presence, of their near relations, the Ammonites, Moabites, seandants of Keturah, Edomites, and Jews; ch. xvii. 20. xxi. 13, 18. and xxv. 11—18. All along they have been a nuisance and plague to the nations around them; infamous for theft, robbery, revenge, pillage, and murder. It hath therefore been the continued and common interest of mankind to extirpate them from the earth.—But though almost every noted conqueror, who hath appeared in the world, whether Hebrew, Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, Roman, Tartar, or Turkish, hath pushed his conquests to their borders, or even beyond them into Egypt, or Arabia Felix, not one hath ever been able to subdue these Ishmaelites, or deprive them of their freedom. The mighty Shishak, king of Egypt, was obliged to draw a line along their frontiers, for the protection of his kingdom from their ravaging inroads. The Assyrians under Shalmanezer, and Sennacherib, and the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar, greatly harassed them, and almost extirpated some of their tribes; Is. xxi. 11—17. Num. xxiv. 22. Jer. xxv. 23, 24. and xlix. 28—33. Provoked with their contempt, Alexander the Great made vast preparations for their utter destruction; but death cut short his purpose. Antigonus, one of his valiant captains and successors, provoked with their depredations, more than once, but to his repeated dishonour, attempted to subdue them.—Flushed with his eastern victories, Pompey, the famed Roman general, attempted to reduce them; but his army being recalled, when they had hopes of gaining their purpose, these wild Arabs pursued them, almost at their heels, and dreadfully harassed the Roman subjects in Syria.—Augustus, the renowned emperor, made one or more fruitless attempts to subdue them. About A. D. 110, Trajan, one of the most powerful emperors, and valiant generals, that ever filled the Roman throne, with a mighty army, determined, if possible, to subdue them, and laid siege to their capital. But storms of hail, which is scarcely ever seen in that country, thunder, lightning, whirlwinds, swarms of flies, and dreadful apparitions in the air, terrified or repulsed his troops as often as they repeated their attacks.—About eighty years after, Severus, another warlike emperor, determined to punish their siding with Niger, his rival, by an utter reduction of them. But, after he had made a breach on the wall of their principal city, an unaccountable difference between him and his beloved and faithful European troops obliged him to raise the siege, and leave the country.—In the seventh century of the Christian era, these Ishmaelites, under Mahomet, their famed impostor, and his successors, furiously extended their empire, and their new and false religion, through a great part of Asia and Africa, and even some countries of Europe; Rev. ix. 1—11. Since the fall of their empire, the Turks have made repeated attempts to subdue them; but, instead of succeeding, they have been obliged for near three hundred years past, to pay them a yearly tribute of forty thousand crowns, for procuring a safe passage for their pilgrims to Mecca, the holy city where Mahomet was born. If, to fulfil his promise, God hath done so much for protecting the temporal liberty of miscreants, what will he not do for the salvation of his people! Ver. 13. Have I, in this desert, as well as in my master’s family, and notwithstanding my misbehaviour, received a gracious visit from God, as my powerful guardian, and kind benefactor? and have I duly considered, and thanked him for, and improved, the same? Ps. ix. 13. Luke i. 48, 49

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XVI.—The best of saints too often degrade themselves to obtain what they desire before God’s time; and with some plausible pretexts endeavour to conceal their guilt. An easiness of temper, and too much affection to creatures, often induce us to comply with their sinful proposals. But the best-intended transgressions will quickly issue in shame and trouble to the guilty, especially if saints; while our tempters prove our first and principal accusers. How transcendent the mercy of God, in visiting transgressors in the very troubles which they had drawn upon their own heads! Yet remember no happy deliverance is to be expected but in the way of returning to our duty. Let me never therefore hope for comfort in children, or in any thing besides, but in the Lord’s way. Let me always leave it to him to give his promise a proper and honourable accomplishment in the season which he thinks fit. And if he grant me undeserved visits, while the yoke of my transgressions is wreathed about my neck, let me with wonder remark his kindness, and take to myself shame and confusion of face