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The prophets will inform us how the Tyrians loft it; and the like caufes will always produce the

like effects. (If. XXIII. 8, 9.) Who hath taken S this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whofe merchants are princes, whofe traffickers are the honorable of the earth? The Lord of bofts hath purpofed it, to ftain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. (Ezek. XXVII. 3, 4) Thus faith the Lord God, O Tyrus, thou haft faid, I am of perfect beauty. Thy borders are in the midst of the feas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty. (XXVIII 5, &c. By thy great wisdom, and by thy traffick haft thou increafed thy riches, and thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches. By the multitude of thy merchandife they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou haft finned; therefore will I caft thee as profane out of the mountain of God. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou haft corrupted thy wifdom by reafon of thy brightness. Thou haft defiled thy fanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; there fore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it fall devour thee, and I will bring thee to afkes upon the earth, in the fight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people, fhall be aflonified at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never fhalt thou be any more.

XII. The

XII.

The prophecies concerning EGYPT.

E

GYPT is one of the first and most fa mous countries that we read of in history. In the Hebrew fcriptures it is called Mizraim and the land of Ham, having been first inhabited after the deluge by Noah's youngest son Ham or Hammon, and by his fon Mizraim. The name of Egypt is of more uncertain derivation. It appears that the river was fo called in (1) Homer's time; and from thence, as Hefychius imagins, the name might be derived to the country. Others more probably conceive that the meaning of the name (2) Ægyptus is a Cuphti, the land of Cuphti, as it was formerly called by the Egyptians themselves and their neighbours the Arabians. All agree in this,

that the kingdom of Egypt was very ancient; but fome have carried this antiquity

(1) Hom. Odyf. XIV. 257,

258.
Iquares & Aigualor egy
ικόμεσθα

Σrnoa ♪ Aiyul wola

με νέας αμφιελισσας.

to

Quinto-die autem ad Egyptum pulcré-fluentem venimus: Statui vero in Egypto fluvio naves remis utrinque-agitatas. He

to an extravagant and fabulous highth, their dynafties being utterly irreconcileable to reafon and history both, and no ways to be folved or credited but by fuppofing that they extend beyond the deluge, and that they contain the catalogues of feveral contemporary; as well as of fome fucceffive kings and kingdoms. It is certain, that in the days of Jofeph, if not before thofe in the days of Abraham, it was a great and floruihing kingdom. There are monuments of its greatness yet remaining to the surprise and aftonishment of all pofterity, of which as we know not the time of their erection, fo in all probability we shall never know the time of their deftruction.

This country was alfo celebrated for its wifdom, no less than for its antiquity. It was, as I may call it, the great academy of the earlier ages. Hither the wits and fages of Greece and other countries repaired, and imbibed their learning at this fountain. It is mentioned to the commendation of Mofes (Acts VII. 22.) that he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians:

Nu

Hefychius Ayulos, λος ὁ ποταμος αφ' ε και η χώρα απο των νεωτέρων Αιγυπίος εκληθη. Ægyptus, Nilus fluvius; a quo ipfa regio recentioribus VOL. I.

A a

appellata eft Ægyptus.

and

(2) Mede's Works B. 1. Dilc. 50. p. 281. Hoffmanni Lexicon &c.

(3)

and the highest character given of Solomon's wisdom (1 Kings IV. 30.) is that it excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. But with this wisdom, and this greatness, it was early corrupted; and was as much the parent of fuperftition, as it was the mistress of learning; and the one as well as the other were from thence propagated and diffused over other countries. It was indeed the grand corruptor of the world, the fource of polytheism and idolatry to feveral of the eastern, and to most of the more weftern nations; and degenerated at laft to fuch monftrous and beaftly worship, that we shall scarcely find a parallel in all history.

However this was the country, where the children of Ifrael were in a manner born and bred; and it must be faid they were much perverted by their education, and retained a fondness for the idols of Egypt ever afterwards. Several of Mofes's laws and inftitutions were plainly calculated to wean them from, and to guard them against the manners and customs of the Egyptians. But ftill in their hearts and affections they were much inclined to return into Egypt. Even Solomon married his wife from thence. And upon all occafions they courted the friendship and alliance of Egypt rather than of

any

any of the neighbouring powers. Which prejudice of theirs was the more extraordinary, as the Egyptians generally treated them very injuriously. They oppreffed them with moft cruel fervitude in Egypt. They gave them leave to depart, and then pursued them as fugitives. Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerufalem, (1 Kings XIV. 25, 26.) and plundered it. And in all their leagues and alliances Egypt was to them as a broken reed, (If. XXXVI. 6.) whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it. Upon all these accounts we might reasonably expect that Egypt would be the fubject of feveral prophecies, and we shall not be deceived in our expectation.

It is remarkable, that the prophecies uttered against any city or country, often carry the infcription of the burden of that city or country. The prophecies against Nineveh, Babylon, and Tyre were infcribed (Nahum I. 1.) the burden of Nineveh, (If. XIII. 1.) the burden of Babylon, and (Is. XXIII. 1.) the burden of Tyre: and fo here likewife (If. XIX. 1) the prophecies against Egypt have the title of the burden of Egypt. And by burden is commonly understood a threatning burdenfome prophecy, big with ruin and destruction, which like a dead weight

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