form ; as, for example, our Lord says in the gospel : " The same
116 ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. [BOOK III.
of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations." ^ And, again, when the sons of Shem arc enumerated : " These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations."^ And it is added in reference to them all : " These are the families of the sons of Xoah, after their generations, in their nations ; and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech."^ Now the addition of this sentence,
" And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech," seems to indicate that at the time when the nations were scattered over the earth they had all one language in common ; but this is evidently inconsistent with the previous words,
" in their families, after their tongues." For each family or nation could not be said to have its own language if all had one language in common. And so it is by way of recapitulation it is added, " And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech," the narrative here going back, without indicatinfT the chan<]je, to tell how it was, that from havinf^ one lanouaire in common, the nations were divided into a multitude of tongues. And, accordingly, we are forthwith told of the building of the tower, and of this punishment being there laid upon them as the judgment of God upon their arrogance ; and it was after this that they were scattered over the earth according to their tongues. '
54. This recapitulation is found in a still more obscure form ; as, for example, our Lord says in the gospel : " The same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the house-top, and his stuff' in the house, let him not come down to take it away ; and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Eemember Lot's wife."* Is it when our Lord shall liave been revealed that men are to give heed to these sayings, and not to look behind them, that is, not to long after the past life which they have renounced ?
Is not the present rather the time to give heed to them, that when the
' Lord shall have been revealed every man may
Gen. X. 20. ^ Gen. x. 31. ' Gen. x. 32, xi. 1. < Luke xvii. 29-32.