perfecution to be very virulent. Together with fhedding their blood, the prophet intimates a fale of their perfons,-the spoiling of their ef fects,-lying in wait for those who endeavoured to escape,—delivering up fuch as were concealed. While this violence is accompanied with despiteful joy of heart, and proud boafting.

We have a further account of this perfecution in Joel iii. 3, 4, 5, 6. That it is the fame which precedes the converfion and restoration of the Jews, is obvious, because it takes place "in "those days, and in that time, when God shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerufa"lem;" verfe 1. After it follows the battle of Armageddon, largely defcribed; verfe 9.-15. The words of the prophet here are quoted by the apostle, Rev. xiv. 17.-20. and chap. xix. 15. and applied to that event. The battle of Armageddon is followed by the Millennium, verfe 16.-21. "They have caft lots for my "people: And have given a boy for an harlot, "and fold a girl for wine, that they might "drink. Yea, and what have ye to do with

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me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coafts "of Palestine? And if ye recompenfe me,

fwiftly and speedily will I return your recompenfe upon your own head: Because ye have "taken my filver and my gold, and have carried "into your temples my goodly pleasant things. <<The

"The children alfo of Judah, and the children of Jerufalem, have ye fold unto the Grecians, that "ye might remove them far from their border,' Joel iii. 3.-7. By this reprefentation, the perfecution rages throughout Palestine, particularly on the fea-coafts; and the enormities of the perfecution are aggravated by the fins of the perfecutors. This is the more worthy of remark, because, like all the perfecutions of the Papal power, it is carried on under pretence of promoting the interefts of religion; but, in reality, to gratify their lufts of whoredom and drunkenness, and to promote their idolatry. That they were "fold to the Grecians," in order to "remove them far from their border," verfe 6. confirms the obfervation formerly made, that by Greece and Grecians are intended the Greek Church. If the country of Greece were intended, its distance from Judea is not fo great as to justify that expreffion of removing them far from their border; but, if the Greek church is intended, and the Jews are supposed to be fold to the most remote provinces of her communion, as thofe of Ruffia and Tartary, the prophet's expreffion is fully vindicated. It would appear that the fame perfecution rages in the country of Moab. To this purpose is the exhortation of the Prophet Ifaiah, chap. xvi. 3. 4. "Hide the outcafts, bewray not him that wan"dereth.

LI

"dereth. Let mine outcafts dwell with thee, "Moab, be thou a covert to them from the "face of the fpoiler." That these calamities came upon the Jews immediately before their converfion and restoration, is evident from the following expreffions, which mark the time: "For the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler "ceafeth, the oppreffors are confumed out of "the land. And in mercy fhall the throne be "established; and he shall fit upon it in truth, "in the tabernacle of David, judging and feck"ing judgment, and hafting righteousness ;" verfe 4, 5. The inftant approach of the battle of Armageddon, and the Millennium, is offered as an argument, to induce Moab to fhow lenity in the persecution. The perfecution, therefore, immediately precedes these events.

It is probable, from a circumftance I fhall af terwards mention', that this perfecution fhall prevail over a great part of Afia and Africa. The motive by which the blafphemous king is influenced, in carrying on this perfecution, is likewife revealed. It is a defire to fecure the poffeffion of the land of Judea, where he now refides, to himself and his fucceffors, accompanied with a jealoufy, that the Jews may fome day lay claim to it. He wishes to exterminate the Jews, upon the fame principles that any ufurper

(1) See pofteà.

ufurper defires the destruction of the Royal Family, whofe throne he has feized. Thus, in the 35th chapter of Ezekiel, (a paffage which I have already proved, refers to this perfecution) God fays to Edom, "I will make thee perpetual "defolations, because thou haft faid, Thefe two "nations, and these two countries (of Judah "and Ifrael) fhall be mine, and we will poffefs "it, whereas the Lord was there: Therefore, as "I live, faith the Lord God, I will even do "according to thine anger and according to << thine envy, which thou haft used out of thy "hatred against them;" ver. 9, 10, 11. "I "have heard all thy blafphemies which thou "haft spoken against the mountains of Ifrael,

faying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to confume," (or to eat their produce, as it might be rendered), ver. 12. "Alfo, thou "fon of man, prophecy unto the mountains of "Ifrael, and fay, Thus faith the Lord God, Be"cause the enemy hath faid against you, Aha, ❝even the ancient high places' are ours in pof"feffion;" chap. xxxvi. 1, 2. "They have "made

(1) High places in Scripture fignify places of worship, as the ancient Edomites had no great veneration for the religion of the Jews, it is not likely that they would rejoice much in the poffeffion of their places of worship. But the fentiment fuggefted is exceedingly defcriptive of

the

"made you defolate, and fwallowed you up on

every fide, that ye might be a poffeffion to the "refidue of the heathen;" ver. 3. "which "have appointed my land into their poffeffion, "with the joy of all their heart, with defpiteful "minds, to caft it (the nation) out;" ver. 5. Here the reafon of Edom's violence is faid to be a defire to fecure the poffeffion of the land of Ifrael and Judah, while that defire arifes chiefly from a veneration for the ancient high places. The time of this poffeffion is immediately before the battle of Armageddon and the refettlement of the Jews in their own land, as appears from the following verfes: Therefore, thus "faith

the fpirit of Popery. To recover Jerufalem out of the hands of the infidels, has coft Europe, by the inftigation of the Popes, millions of men and of money; and all proceeded from a reverence for the high places. We may therefore eafily conceive, that the poffeffion of thefe will conftitute the chief joy of the Pope and his adherents, when refident in Judea ; and no wonder, fince it will prove the chief fource of his authority and influence. If we fuppofe the word Bamoth to be a fingular noun, and not the plural of Bama, (and doubtlefs it is connected with a fingular verb,) it fignifies a height, a facred inclosure, is the fame word ufed, Ifa. liii. 9, for our Saviour's tomb, according to Lowth, (fce his Translation of Ifaiah, notes, ad totum) it might be rendered alia, "The ancient fe"pulchre is ours in poffeffion." To recover the holy fepulchre was the profeffed defign of the Crufades,