Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-06-13

characters have made deathess impress
upon the annals of time. But Of all these,
as the progeni:or of the Jewish race, as the
father of the faithful, both in the carnsl and
spiritual Israel, as " the friend of God," and
he to whom was given the promise Of uni.
versal hership through faith, Abraham may
be regarded as superior 10 them all aud
this is he who occupies the starting point
from which we propose to notice part of
the history and some of the pecularilies of
Gods ancient people, the design of their
calling and their ultimate destiny.
The history of Abraham begins with the
declaration of the record that he was son
of Terab, descendant from the house Of
Noah in the line of Shem. Terah with his
family left the land Of Chaldea, where they
were living, to go to the land of Canaan,
and came and dwelt for time in Haran.
Here Terah died, and from this Abraham
continued on his way to Canaan, in obedi'
ence TO the call received from God in Ur Of
the Chaldees.
But to pass over many interesting Incl
dents in the life of this man, (for we are not
writing his biography in process Of time
Abraham became the father of lshmael,
by Hagar his wife's maid, and Isaac the
first born and only child Of his wife Sa.
rah. TO Ishmael were born twelve sons,
from whom are descended the Arabs OF. the
present time, said to he divided into twelve
tribes like the Israelites, and formerly to
have divided of their cotsntry in similar
manner. These are known in their religious
and political Technology by the names of
Moslems, Saracens, &c.
TO Isaac, the child Of promise, were born
two sons, Esau and Jacob, and from Jacob
sprang " the twelve patriarchs," the heads of
the families Of Israel. Such is the origin Of
the Jewish race-a people whose fortunes
have been more varied, whose pecularities
are more striking, wbpse history is more
eventful than that Of any other, and who in
these latter days, after an exile OF eighteen
hundred years from the land Of their love,
present the singular spectacle of"a people
scattered and peeled" wanderers on the
earth, a scorn aud derision to the nations.
yet cliuging with tenacity that death only
can dissolve to their time e.honored religion,
themselves thus making out the fulflment Of
the promises concerning them. 90 Jerusa.
lem if forget thee, let my right hand for.
get its cunning" Peace be within thy
walls and prosperity within thy palaces, for
my brethren and companions sake | will
now say peace be within thee" " Pray for
the peace Of Jerusalem, they shall prosper
that love thee" Such is the sentiment of
their hearts, which long years of oppression
and sorrow have not quenched, and ever and
anon amidst their troubled wanderngs, they
take down their harps from the willows, and
sing The song Of God even in a strange land
In noticing some of the pecuiarities Of
this peculiar people" we begin by saying,
that, many things which are ascribed to
them as peculiar are decidedly common to
humanity. No people have been and still
are more abused aud vili6ed than tue Jews.
Amongst the first lessons that many preachers
learn, is to sketch the Jewish character in
the most unfavorable light. Scarcely any
thing is too hard to say against them, SO
that it is not surprising that they SO studi.
ously avoid any attendance upon the servi.
ces of the christian synasogues. The reli.
gious press also is not as sparing as it might
be Of epithets not soothing to their feelings,
whilst the world" also may come in for
share ofjust rebuke for its contemptuous de-
Now, the Jews were wicked enough in all
conscience. Their whole history proves it.
Their conduct on many occasions during
their sojourn in the wilderness,their abandon
;nent of theocracy, and setting up in its room
a monarchy, was an insult to high heaven.
Their wickedness under the Kings and dis.
regard of the prophets sent from God, can.
not be justified. Aud in the close Of their
they committed q crime which
hung the heavens in mourning, and shook
the dead from the sleep Of the charnel house.
A wonder of wonders, which only the knowl,.
edge of Gods love can solve, that they were
not with ".besom of destruction" swept
away down to endless ruin. Their continu.
ed existence in unbending obstinacy is but
another proof of Gods forbearance.
But stay o, man! Thou that judgest an.
other, condemest not thou thyselfs Might
you not, similarly situated, have acted in the
same wsy9 The great mass of the Gentle
world, has for many long ages, because of
been given over to blindness
and hardness, to follow their own ways. De-
pravity is the common Inheritance of man,
and without some restraining influence, it
shows itself alike in all; both Jews and Gen.
tiles are under the condemnation of that
law which says "the soul that sinneth it
shall die"