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Of human facrifice, and parents tears,

Though for the noise of drums and timbrels loud
Their childrens cries unheard, that pass'd through fire
To his grim idol. Him the Ammonite
Worfhipt in Rabba and her watry plain,
In Argob and in Bafan, to the ftream
Of utmost Arnon. Nor content with fuch

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Audacious

The name Moloch fignifies king, and Ammon, 1 Kings XI. 7. and was he is call'd borrid king, because of worshipped in Rabba, the capital the human facrifices which were city of the Ammonites, which Damade to him. This idol is fup- vid conquer'd, and took from pofed by fome to be the fame as thence the crown of their God Saturn, to whom the Heathens fa- Milcom as fome render the words crificed their children, and by others 2 Sam. XII. 30. and this Rabba to be the Sun. It is faid in Scrip- being called the city of waters, fure that the children paffed through 2 Sam. XII. 27. it is here faid the fire to Moloch, and our author Rabba and her watry plain: and employs the fame expreffion, by likewife in Argob and in Bafan, which we must understand not that neighbouring countries to Rabba they always actually burnt their and fubject to the Ammonites, as far children in honor of this idol, but as to the fream of utmost Arnon, fometimes made them only leap which river was the boundary of over the flames, or pafs nimbly be their country on the fouth. Soltween two fires, to purify them by mon built a temple to Moloch on the that luftration, and confecrate them mount of Olives, 1 Kings XI. 7. to this falfe deity. The Rabbins therefore called that opprobrious bill; affure us that the idol Moloch was and high places and facrifices were of brafs, fitting on a throne of the made to him in the pleasant walley Tame metal and wearing a royal of Hinnom, Jer. VII. 31. which lay crown, having the head of a calf fouth-east of Jerufalem, and was and his arms extended to receive called likewife Topbet from the Hethe miferable victims which were brew Toph a drum, drums and fuch to be confumed in the flames; and like noify inftruments being used to therefore is very probably filed drown the cries of the miferable here his grim idol. He was the children who were offer'd to this God of the Ammonites, and is called idol, and Gehenna or the valley of be abomination of the children of Hinnom is in feveral places of the

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Audacious neighbourhood, the wifeft heart
Of Solomon he led by fraud to build

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His temple right against the temple' of God
On that opprobrious hill, and made his grove
The pleasant valley' of Hinnom, Tophet thence 3
And black Gehenna call'd, the type of Hell. 405
Next Chemos, th' óbfcene dread of Moab's fons,

New Teftament, and by our Saviour himself made the name and type of Hell, by reafon of the fire that was kept up there to Moloch, and of the horrid groans and outcries of human facrifices. We might inlarge much more upon each of these idols, and produce a heap of learned authorities and quotations; but we endevor to be as fhort as we can, and fay no more than may serve as a fufficient commentary to explain and illuftrate our author.

406. Next Chemos, &c.] He is rightly mention'd next after Moloch, as their names are join'd together in Scripture 1 Kings XI. 7. and it was a natural transition from the God of the Ammonites to the God of their neighbours the Moabites. St. Jerom and feveral learned men affert Chemos and Baal Pear to be only different names for the fame idol, and fuppofe him to be the fame with Priapus or the idol of turpitude, and therefore called here th' obfcene dread of Moab's fons, from Aroar, a city upon the river Arnon, the boun

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dary of their country to the north, afterwards belonging to the tribe of Gad, to Nebo, a city eastward, afterwards belonging to the tribe of Reuben, and the wild of fouthmoft Abarim, a ridge of mountains the boundary of their country to the fouth; in Hefebon or Hethbon, and Horonaim, Seon's realm, two cities of the Moabites, taken from them by Sihon king of the Amorites, Numb. XXI. 26. beyond the flow'ry dale of Sibma clad with vines, a place famous for vineyards, as appears from Jer. XLVIII. 32. O vine of Sibmah I will weep. for thee, and Elealé, another city of the Moabites not far from Hefhbon, to th' Afphaltic pool, the Dead Sea fo call'd from the Afphaltus or bitumen abounding in it; the river Jordan empties itself into it, and that river and this fea were the boundary of the Moabites to the weft. It was this God under the name of Baal Peor, that the Ifraelites were induced to worship in Sittim, and committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab, for which there died of the plague

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twenty

From Aroar to Nebo, and the wild dich in tu

Of fouthmoft Abarim; in Hefebon

And Horonaim, Seon's realm, beyond

The flow'ry dale of Sibma clad with vines,

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And Eleälé to th' Asphaltic pool.

Peor his other name, when he entic'd

Ifrael in Sittim on their march from Nile

To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe.
Yet thence his luftful orgies he inlarg'd
Ev'n to that hill of fcandal, by the grove

twenty and four thoufand, as we read in Numb. XXV. His high places were adjoining to thofe of Moloch on the mount of Olives, therefore called here that bill of fcandal as before that opprobrious bill, for Solomon did build an bigh place for Chemob the abomination of Moab in the bill that is before JeruSalem, and for Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon, 1 Kings XI. 7. But good Jofiah brake in pieces their images, and cut down their groves. See 2 Kings XXIII. 13, 14€

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* 415. orgies] Wild frantic rites; generally by orgies are understood the feafts of Bacchus because they were fuch, but any other mad ceremonies may be fo call'd, as here the lewd ones of Chemos or Peor.

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417. - luft bard by bate ;] What

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419. from the bordring flood Of old Euphrates &c.] It is rightly called old, being mention'd by the oldeft hiftorian in the earlieft accounts of time, Gen. II. 14. And it is likewife called the bordring border caftward of the promis'd food, being the utmoft limit or land, according to Gen. XV. 18. Unto thy feed have I given this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: and the Pfalmift fpeaking of the vine that was brought out of Egypt fays Pfal. LXXX. 11. fhe fint out

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Of Moloch homicide, luft hard by hate so mor Till good Jofiah drove them thence to Helluar 10 With these came they, who from the bord'ring flood Of old Euphrates to the brook that parts

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oft s 420 Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names) na Of Baälim and Afhtaroth, thofe male,p. Thefe feminine. For Spirits when they please is Can either fex affume, or both; fo foftoi T And uncompounded is their effence pure,d-425 Not ty'd or manacled with joint or limb, 97

bir boughs unto the fea, and ber branches unto the river, that is from the Mediterranean to the river Euphrates: to the brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground, moft probably the brook Befor mention'd in Scripture, near Rhinocolura, which city is affign'd fometimes to Syria and fometimes to Egypt.

Nor

about the operation of Demons, where a story is related of a Demon's appearing in the shape of a woman; and upon this a doubt is rais'd whether fome Demons aré males, and others females; and it is afferted that they can affume either fex, and take what shape and color they please, and contract or dilate themselves at pleasure, as they are of an aery nature. Fro xa εκας με αυτων, τότε σωμά Bei ὁ αν αίροι το σχήμα μετατι πώσας, και χρωματα τι θα

422. Baalim and Ahtareth,] Thefe are properly named together, as they frequently are in Scripture; and there were many Baalim and many Aftareth; they were the ge- TPG TO TO ANNAT & SEαneral names of the Gods and Goddefles of Syria, Paleftine, and the 1% TERMS, BOTE μER as amp εμφανίζεται, ποτε δε προς γυ neighbouring countries. It is fupa ketabanne Mopony &c. See pored that by them is meant the fun and the hoft of Heaven.

423. For Spirits when they pleafe

&c.] Thefe notions about Spirits feem to have been borrow'd from Michael Pfellus his dialogue

Μιχαηλο το ελλο περι ενεργείας δαιμόνων διαλογG. P. 70.779 Edit. Lutet. Parif. 1615. Such an extraordinary fcholar was Milton, and fuch ufe he made of all forts of authors.

437. With

Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,

Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choofe

Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure,

Can execute their aery purposes,

And works of love or enmity fulfil.

For those the race of Ifrael oft forfook

Their living strength, and unfrequented left
His righteous altar, bowing lowly down
To beftial Gods; for which their heads as low
Bow'd down in battel, funk before the spear

437. With thefe in troop &c.] Aftoreth or Aftarte was the Goddefs of the Phenicians, and the moon was adored under this name. She is rightly faid to come in troop with Afhtaroth, as he was one of them, the moon with the ftars. Sometimes fhe is called queen of Heaven, Jer. VII. 18. and XLIV. 17, 18. She is likewife called the Goddess of the Zidonians, 1 Kings XI. 5. and the abomination of the Zidonians, 2 Kings XXIII. 13. as fhe was worshipped very much in Zidon or Sidon, a famous city of the Phoenicians, fituated upon the Mediterranean. Solomon, who had many wives that were foreigners, was prevail'd upon by them to introduce the worship of this Goddefs into Ifrael, 1 Kings XI. 5. and built her temple on the mount of Olives, which on account of this and other idols is called the

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mountain of corruption, 2 Kings XXIII. 13. as here by the poet th offenfive mountain, and before that opprobrious hill, and that hill of fcandal.

446. Thammuz came next &c. ] The account of Thammug is finely romantic, and fuitable to what we read among the Ancients of the worship which was paid to that idol. The reader will pardon me, if I infert as a note on this beautiful paffage, the account given us by the late ingenious Mr. Maundrel of this ancient piece of worfhip, and probably the first occa fion of fuch a fuperftition.

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"We

came to a fair large river " doubtlefs the ancient river Ado"nis, fo famous for the idolatrous " rites performed here in lamenta"tion of Adonis. We had the "fortune to fee what may be fup"posed to be the occafion of that

" opinion

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