numerous youth, God admonished them again to send out colonies;
but they, imagining the prosperity they enjoyed was not derived
from the favor of God, but supposing that their own power was the
proper cause of the plentiful condition they were in, did not
obey him. Nay, they added to this their disobedience to the
Divine will, the suspicion that they were therefore ordered to
send out separate colonies, that, being divided asunder, they
might the more easily be Oppressed.

2. Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and
contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a
bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to
ascribe it to God, as if it was through his means they were
happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which
procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government
into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of
God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power.
He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a
mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower
too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would
avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers !

3. Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination
of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to
God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being
in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the
multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than
any one could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and
it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed,
upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of