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THOU, who from the thick Clouds on the fecret Top of Mount OREB (a), or, perhaps of SINAI (6), didit infpire MOSES when a Shepherd there, who first taught the Children of ISRAEL, how Heaven and Earth were created from the Elements, which were till then nothing but a mixed and confused Heap, and without Form. Or if thy Prefence be more revealed on Mount SION (c), or by the Brook of SILOA (d), which

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(a) Oreb, Horeb, or Choreb, Hebrew, i. e. Dryness; for it was a Defart or Dry Mountain in Arabia the Stony, where there was little or no Water, Deut. viii. 15: Horch is a Part of

Mount Sinai on the Weft Side; and Sinai lies on the Eaft Side of it. There Mofes fed the Flock of Jethro, and there God appeared to him firft in a burning Bufe, Exod. iii. 1.

(b) Sinai, Heb. from Seneh, i. e. A Bush, or Thorn; because thefe Bubes grew thereon in Abundance. It is a very steep and high Mountain in Arabia the Story, about 156 Miles from Jerufalem to the South. Tnefe are not two diftin& Mountains but one, which is parted into two Tops, like Parnaffus, &c. of which Sinai is the highest ; having a fair and fpacious Plain between them: That Top towards the West is called Horeb, and that to the Eaft Sinai. The Mountain is round, takes 7000 Steps to the Top, has fome Olive Trees, Fig Trees, Date Trees, &c. and feveral Chapels, Monafteries, Cells, Mofques, &c. It is called the Mount of God, because it is a great one; or because God

appeared thereon frequently to Mofes, and delivered his Law there; by the Turks, Gibol Moufa, i. e. the Mount of Mofes; by the Arabians, Tor, i. e. The Mountain. Very much Veneration is ftill paid to this Mountain, on Account of that antient and extraordinary Holiness, when the Almighty appeared upon it to Mojes.

(c) Sion, Zion, or Tzion, Heb. i. e. A Watch Tower; because it is the highest Hill thereabout, and from it one might fee the Holy Land far and near. A Mountain on the North Side, and fome Part of it within the City of Jerufalem, furrounded with steep Sides, high Rocks, and deep Ditches, except on the North Side; therefore it was very ftrong. Some of the Jebusites (Part of the old Canaanites) defended it against all the Force of the Ifraelites, Joh. xv. 63. 'till the valiant King David took it from them; there he fortified the Old Caffle, built the Upper Town, furrounded it with new Walls, and called it the City of David; there he kept his Court and Retinue, 2 Sam. v. 6. There were many fair Buildings and Houses

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which runs down from thence to the Temple where thy Oracle is placed, I intreat the Influence of thy Spirit from thence, to aid me in treating of this difficult Subject, feeing I must elevate my Stile, above the best Poets, and discourse of such high, and facred Things, as have never been attempted before, either in Profe or Rhime. Inftruct me for thou knowest, thou, who preferreft an upright and pure Heart before all Temples: Thou waft prefent from all Eternity, and moving on the great Deep didft infuse vital Heat, and as the Dove when the warms Eggs into Life make Nature prolific. What is dark in me do thou enlighten, and raise, and fupport me, where I am too low and weak, that I may affert the Wisdom and Justice of Eternal Providence, in a Manner worthy the Subject I have undertook to write on, and fo justify thy Ways to Men.

of his Officers, especially his Houfe of Cedar Wood, which he called the Cafle of Sion, and the Sepulchre of King David, Solomon, &c. within a Rock: Some of their Ruins are to be feen ftill. It is elegantly defcribed P/ xlviii. by Jofephus, Sands, &c. Sion was alfo called the Mount of the Houfe of the Sanctuary, and Millo, i. e. Plenty; because there was Abundance of all good Things for David's Family, and thofe of his Nobles. Sion was alfo a Type or Figure of the Church of Chrift, Heb. xii. 22.

* OBS. Mount Moriah and Mount Sion food directly in the Center, and Mount Calvary without the North Gate, in the Old Jerufalem, and at a confiderable Distance: But now Mount Sion

is without the Walls upon the South Side, and Mount Calvary almoft in the Middle of it.

(d) Siloe, Siloah, Siloam, Shi loach, Heb. i. e. Sent; for it was a Brook or Spring of Water gliding foftly down Mount Sion, on the East Side of the Temple of Jerufalem, and at the Bottom of it

made a Pool, which was Sent from God, at the Prayer of faias, a little before his Death, and when the City was closely befieged; as a Blaffing or Gift, to cure many Dileases among his People. Herein a Blind Man washed his Eyes at Chrip's Command, and received his EyeSight, John ix. 7. There a Tower was built over it, by the Fall of which eighteen Men were killed, Luke xiii. 4.

TAUGHT

TAUGHT by Thee, (for the highest Heaven nor lowest Hell hide nothing from Thee) let me relate what was the Cause that moved our first Parents, when they were placed in fo happy an Estate, and favoured fo highly of Heaven, to lofe Obedience to their Creator, and tranfgrefs his Command, when he had laid on them but one Restraint, and given them Power over the whole World befides; and who it was that first feduced them to that foul Rebellion: It was the chief of the fallen Angels (e) concealed in the Form of a Serpent, whofe Fraud, ftirred up with Revenge and Envy, deceived the first Mother of Mankind : Before which his Pride had occafioned him to be caft out from Heaven, with all the reft of the rebellious Angels, by whofe Affiftance he afpired firft to fet himfelf up in Glory above what he was, and imagined that he might equal himself to the Almighty, and Moft High Go D, if he did but ftrive, and oppofe him; and with this ambitious Aim made War in Heaven, and fought against his Government, absolute Power and Dominion, with proud Battle, but the Attempt was in vain, for the Power of the ALMIGHTY caft him down from the Heavens, with moft dreadful Ruin, and Burning, down to the bot

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Creatures they come nearest to the Eternal Father of Spirits, in their Spiritual Nature and vaft Perfections; which the Almighty makes ufe of as his Servants, to execute his Orders through the whole Creation, altho' he stands in no Need of their Services. Angels of the Prefence: And fo they are called Shinan, i. e. Second: Because they are Second or next to God, Pfal. Ixviii. 17. Here Satan, who had once been an Holy, but is now an Apoftate and Rebellious Angel.

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tomless Pit, and everlasting Destruction, where he was doomed to live, in fuch Pains and Bondage, as are beft expreffed by Chains and Fire; who had the Prefumption to defy, and fet himself against the omnipotent Creator of all Things.

As long as would feem many Days and Nights to mortal Men, he lay with his horrid Companions, totally fubdued, and reftlefs, as if they had been rolling in a fiery Gulph; for though they were immortal Spirits, yet were they confounded: But his Doom was to be referved to more Wrath, for now the Thought of the Happiness he had loft, and the lafting Pain which had feized, tormented him, and fpeaking after the Manner of Men, he caft his forrowful Eyes around, which fhewed that he was difmayed, and very much afflicted; but not fo, but that he retained ftedfaft Hate, and inflexible Pride. At once, as far as it was in the Power of an Angel, to difcern, he perceived the difmal Situation, that it was wafte, and wild, and his Idea reprefented to him a horrible Dungeon, that flamed round on all Sides, like a great Furnace, and yet there feemed to be no Light, but only perceptible Darkness; in which terrible Sights of Woe might be discovered; Regions of Sorrow, Shades of Hell, where Peace and Reft could never have Habitation, where Hope the only Comforter never comes, but endless Tortures urge continually, and a fiery Deluge, fed with what always burns, and never confumes: This Place eternal Juftice had prepared for those rebellious Angels, and here given them their Portion, farther removed from the Light of Heaven, and from Go D, than it is from the Center (f) three times to the fartheft Pole,

(f) Center; Fr. Ital. Span. Lat. from the Gr. i. e. A Point, An Aftronomical T. The Middle

Point of a Circle. Here, the
Middle Point of the Earth, i. e.
Three Times as far from Hea-

Pole (g), but oh! how unlike was this Place from that he fell from! There he foon difcerned the Companions of his Fall overwhelmed as with Floods and Whirlwinds of tempeftuous Fire; and weltering by his Side, one that was next himfelf in Power, and next in Wickednefs, who a great while afterwards was worshipped in PALESTINE (b), and called BEELZEBUB (i), to whom the Arch-Enemy (who thenceforward in Heaven, was called (k) ŠATAN, break

ven, as the two Poles are diftant ~from the Equator, which is a valt Diftance indeed.

(g) Pole; Fr. Lat. Gr. i. e. Turning round. An aftron. T. The two Ends of an imaginary Circle, on which Aftronomers fay the World turns round from Eaft to Weft daily. The Poles are two, the Artic or North Pole; and the Antartic or South Pole.

(b) Palaftine; Heb. i. e. Sprinkled with Duft and Sand; because it is a very dry Land. A Country of Afia upon the Mediterranean Sea. It was called, 1. Canaan, from Canaan the Son of Ham; 2. Philifaa or Paleftine, from a mighty People defcended from Mizraim, another of his Sons, Gen. x. 14. who inhabited fome Part of it. 3. The Land of Promife; because God promifed to give it to Abrabam and his Pofterity, for an Inheritance. 4. Judæa; from Judah, whole Offpring had it long in Poffeffion. And 5. the Holy Land; because it was honoured with God's extraordinary Prefence, Worship, Mercies, Blef. fings, Miracles, above all Countries upon Earth; and with the Nativity, Life, Actions, and

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Doctrines of the Holy Jefus and bis Apoftles. The Jerus expelled the Philistines for their abominable Idolatry and other Crimes; the Romans demolished thofe ; the Saracens and Turks have been Mafters of it above a thousand Years. OBS. That though Idolatry was practifed all the World over, yet our Author mentions this Nation in particular; because the Idols hereafter defcribed, were chiefly worshipped in it.

(i) Beelzebub, Baal-zebub, or Bel-zebub; Heb. i. e. The Lord of Fies; either because the People believed, that he drove away and deftroyed Flies, which very much infested them; or because Multitudes of these Vermin fwarmed about the Blood of the Sacrifices offered to him. He was worshipped firft at Babylon, and then every where; but chiefly by the People of Ekron, 2 Kin. i. 2. Here it is the Name of one Grand Prince of the Devils, and next to Satan; our Saviour calls him the Prince of the Devils, Matt. xii. 24.

(k) Satan; Heb. i. e. The Adverfary. The very Prince of all Devils. As there are diffe

rent

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