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Tears of Parents, tho' for the Noife of loud Drums and Timbrels, the Cries of their Children, who pafs'd thro' the Fire to his cruel Idol, are fcarcely heard; the AMMONITES (2) worshipp'd him in RABBA, (a) and the watry Plains about that City; in ARGOB, (b) and in BASAN,

An Idol of the Ammonites ftrictly forbidden the Jews, Levit. 18. 21. 20. 2. The Prophets denounc'd and God executed grievous Judgments upon all the Worshippers of it; and no Wonder, for it was a moft infamous Idol. ft, in his affuming the Name of a King, and robbing God of his Sovereignty and Glory. 2dly, in the Inhumanity of the Worship paid him. Moloch was a hollow Statue of Brafs, with the Head of an Ox and the Hands of a Man, with feven Chapels. It was made red hot, then the Priests threw the Sacrifices into its Arms, where they were burnt to Death in a dreadful Manner. The Carthaginians offer'd zoo Children of their Nobility to it at one Time, and 300 at another; which made Darius fend Ambaffadors to Carthage, with an Edict to forbid them that Inhumanity. See Jufin. Hift. L. xix. Cap. 1. 490 Years before Jefus Chrift. The Americans 5 or 6000 Children every Year; and one of their Kings facrific'd 64080 Men in the Space of four Days, A. D. 1486. He that offer'd his Son, kifs'd the Idol, Hof. v. 2. It was the Saturn of the old Romans. This devilish Abomination was laid afide in Europe by the Decree of Conftantine I. A bleffed Effect of the Chriftian Re

ligion; therefore our Author calls it justly horrid, dreadful King. It was the Sun, and the feven Chapels fignify'd the feven Planets, whereof he is the chief. See Macrob. 1. 2. Curt. L. iv. Diod. Siculus.

(x) Ammonites; The Pofterity of Ben-Ammi, Heb. i. e. The Son of my People. The Son of Lot by his youngest Daughter, Gen. 19. 38. A mighty Nation in Arabia Felix, bordering upon Canaan; but miferable Idolaters, and always mortal Enemies to the People of God; for which Crimes God cut them off the Face of the Earth. They dwelt beyond Mount Gilead about 96 Miles from Jerufalem North Eastward, and were infamous Worshippers of this Idol. 1 Kings 11. 7.

(a) Rabba or Rabbath; Heb. i. e. Great. The chief City of the Ammonites on the North-Eaft Side of Jordan and the River Arnon. It was well water'd by the Springs of Mount Arnon and Mount Gilead; therefore it was call'd the City of Waters, 2 Sam. 12. David took and plunder'd it, and made all the Inhabitants Slaves. There the brave Uriah loft his Life, 2 Sam. 12. 26.

(b) Argob; Heb. i. e. A Lump of Earth or Gravel. A large, very fruitful, and populous Country, lying on the Eaft

of

BASAN, (c) as far as the Extent of the River ARNON; (d) and not contented with fo near an Approach, he led by Fraud the Heart of wife SoL OMON, (e) to build him a Temple over against the Temple of Go D, on a Hill juft without JERUSALEM, and made his Grove in the pleasant Valley of HINNON, (f) by that Reafon fometimes called To

of Jordan among the Mountains, and belong'd to Og King of Bafan, near Mount Gilead, Deut. iii. 13, 14. Afterwards it was call'd Trachonitis, Gr. i. e. Rocky or Stóny. See Luke 3. 1.

(c) Balan, or Bafhan; Heb. i. e. in Ivory or Tooth, because it lay between two Ranges of Mountains, like the Tooth of an Elephant. It was alfo call'd Perea, Gr. i. e. beyond, because it lay beyond Jordan, Northward from Jerufalem. A fine fruitful Country beyond Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon.

(d) Arnon; Heb. i. e. A wild Afb; becaufe thefe Trees grew upon the Banks of it in Abundance. It is a fmall River of the Moabites on the East Side of Fordan, rifing in Mount Gilead, watereth these Countries, and runs into the Dead Sea, 20 Miles from Jerufalem Eastward. was the uttermost Boundary between the Moabites and Ammonites. Num. 21. 13.

It

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rael, and the wifeft of all Mortals, fince the Fall of Adam, i Kings 4. 29. Yet he fell into this abominable Idolatry, and built a Temple to this Devil, near that which he himself had erected to the living and true God, to gratify his idolatrous Wives, 1 Kings 10. 5. Ahaz, Manaffes, and other impious Succeffors follow'd his Thameful Example, which brought divine Vengeance upon them. He was born in the Year of the World 2971, before Jefus Chrift 1029. Built, befides other Edifices, a famous Academy upon Mount Sion, where he taught Philofophy, Prov. 9. 1. And from him Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Ariftotle, Trismegiftus, &c. borrow'd their Principles of Philofophy. He reign'd 40 Years, liv'd 60, and was the faddeft Inftance of human Frailty extant; yet he repented, was pardoned, and fav'd.

(f) Hinnom; Heb. i. e. Gracious. This was the Name of (e) Solomon, Salomon, or Sche- the Poffeffor of the Valley,which lamob; Heb. i. e. Peace or Pea- is call'd alfo the Valley of Benceable, because he was a peacea- Hinnom, Heb. i. e. of the Son ble Prince, not like his Father. of Hinnom. It lies at the Foot The Son of David by Bathsheba, of Mount Moriah and Mount (Heb. i. e. The Daughter of Olivet, Southward. the Oath) the third King of food the Grove of Moloch,

There

wherein

PHET, (g) and black GEHENNA, (b) and liken'd to Hell. Next came CHEMOS, (i) an obfcene Idol, o which the MOABITES ftood in great Dread, who in habited from AROAR (k) to NEBO, (1) and to the Souther

wherein they offered Children and other Sacrifices to this cruel Idol. It was alfo call'd the Valley of Tophet, and our Saviour liken'd it to Hell. Vhe Valley of Jehofaphat runs a-crofs the Mouth of it, which is fo call'd, because there that pious King was buried.

(g) Tophet; Heb. i. e. A Drum, becaufe Idolaters beat Drums, &c. to drown the Cries of miferable Creatures, which were broil'd to Death in that Pit of Fire. A Cruelty, which God never commanded, always abhorr'd, ftrictly prohibited, and feverely punish'd. Jerem. 7.31. 19. 5.

(b) Gehenna; Gr. from the Heb. i. e. The Land of Hinnom; for Hinnom was the Lord of it; and Tophet, because Ido laters beat Drums in the Grove of Moloch which ftood there. But our Saviour and others mean the Place of the Damn'd thereby. Mat. 18. 9. because of the dreadful Torments there.

(i) Chemos or Kemos; II. Heb. i. e. Swift or Speedy, from the Swiftness of the Sun, which this Idol reprefented. Others fay hid and concealed; because of the fhameful Proftitutions and Rites of this Idolatry. Some take it to be the filthy Priapus of the Greeks and Romans. The Idol of the Moabites and Midianites. It is frequently mentioned in holy Writ, and the Wor

fhip of it is very ftrictly forbidden, threatned and punish'd. Solomon built a Temple or Highplace for it alfo, 1 Kings 11. 7. But pious Fofias deftroy'd it, z Kings 23. 13. Chemos fhall go into Captivity with her Priefts and Princes; and Moab fhall be afham'd of Chemosh. Jer. 28. 7, 13.

(1) Aroar or Aroer ; Heb. i. e. Heat or deftroyed and rooted out; because Jepththa won a memorable Battle near it. Judg. II. A City of the Moabites on the Banks of the River Arnon in the Land of Gilead, 24 Miles from Jerufalem Eastward, Joh. 12. 2. It fell to the Tribe of Gad, who repair'd and fortified it and other Cities; but called them by other Names, that there might be no Remains of Idolatry left among them, according to the Law, Numb. 32. 24. There was another City of this Name near Damafcus in Syria, I. 7.

(m) Nebo; Heb. i. e. A Prophecy. A City and Mountain of the Moabites, near to Mount Pifgah, z0 Miles from Jerufalem Eastward, on the East Side of the Dead Sea, belonging to Sihon or Og, very good for Pafture and Cattle, being a mountainous Country. Upon this Mountain Mofes had a fair View of Canaan, died, and was bury'd, Deut. 34. 1. And there Jeremy hid

the

Southermoft Mountains of AB ARIM, (2) in HESHBON (0) and HORONAIM, (p) the Kingdom of SEON, (q) beyond the flowery Valley of SIBMAH, which is cover'd with Vines, and ELEALE, (r) as far as the Pool ASPHALTUS. (s) Another of thefe fallen Angels,

the Tabernacle, Ark, and Altar of Incense, in a hollow Cave, 2 Maccab. 2. 5. ‡‡ OBS. Nebo, Hefbbon, Sibmah, Elealeh, &c. were rebuilt by the Reubenites, at the Permiffion of Moses; who gave them new Names, to deftroy all Relicts of Idolatry. See Numb. 32. 37. as they were commanded, Deut. 12. 2, 3.

(n) Abarim; Heb. i. e. Bridges or Paffages; because of divers Fords over Jordan near to thefe Mountains. A Ridge of Mountains lying along the Eaft of the Dead Sea, belonging to Moab, which part the Kingdoms of the Moabites, Edomites, and Ammonites. Nebo, Pisgah, and Peor were feveral Mountains in this Tract. Num. 33. 47. Deut.

30. 49.

(0) Hefebon for Hefbbon, Heb. i. e. numbering, thinking or infructing; because there was an Academy or School. The Royal City of Sihon or Sehon, King of the Amorites, therefore Sihon is called King of Hefbbon, Deut. 1. 4. It was zo Miles from Jordan on the East. He had taken it from the King of Moab, but Mofes fubdued him, and divided all his Country to the Tribe of Reuben. This Country was well water'd and fruitful; for it lay between the River Arnon and Jobbock upon the Borders of the Ammonites. Num. 21. 26.

(p) Horonaim; Heb. i. e. The Mountains or Furies; and in the Syriac, Liberties. Two Cities of the Moabites, one was called the Upper, and the other Inferior or Lower, l. 15.5. There Sanballat, the bitter Enemy of Nehemiah, was born, Nehemiah

2. 10.

(9) Seon or Siebon, Heb. i. e. Rooting up or deftroying utterly; because he was a cruel Oppreffor of his Neighbours. A King of the Amorites, who refus'd the Ifraelites a Paffage thro' his Dominions into Canaan, which occafion'd a bloody War; but they vanquish'd him, and poffefs'd all his Country, Num. 21. 21, 32. He had taken Horonaim from the Moabites; therefore Milton judicioufly calls these Cities the Realm of Seon.

(r) Eleale or Elealeh; Heb. i. e. The Afcenfion or Burnt-Offering of God. A Town 6 Miles from Hebbon, belonging to Sihon, beyond Jordan to the Eaft, and 36 Miles from Jerufalem. It fell to the Tribe of Reuben after the Conqueft of these Countries, Num. 32. 37. It abounded with Vines and other good Fruits, and was a strong City in the Days of St. Jerome; he flourish'd in the 4th Century, and died 420.

(5) Afphaltos or Asphaltus, Lat. from the Gr. i. e. yielding Bitumen or Sulphur. A Lake of fulphureous,

gels was BAAL-PEOR, (t) an abominable Idol, who entic'd the Children of ISRAEL in SITTIM, (u) on their

phureous, falt and bitter Water in Judea, where Sodom and Gomorrah ftood, 35 Miles from Jerufalem to the Eaft; about 24 Leagues long, and fix or feven broad. On the Eaft and South it is enclos'd with exceeding high Mountains, viz. Abarim, Nebo, Pifgah, Peor; on the North with the Plains of Jericho; and on the Weft with the Land belonging to the Tribe of Judah, Jerufalem, &c. It is called the Dead Sea, because no Fish live in it; or from the heavy ftagnated Nature of its Waters: The Salt Sea, because it is of a brackish Tafte; the Sea of the Plain, the Eaft Sea, because it was eafterly from Jerufalem. See Joel 3. 20. And the Sea of Sodom. It is a Pool or Lake of ftanding Water; for tho' Jordan, Arnon, Jabbock, Dibon, Zered, and Cedron run into it, yet it hath no vifible Discharge. Iron, Lead, or any other weighty Matter doth fwim upon the Top of it. Vefpafian threw fome condemn'd Criminals into the deepest Place of it, and manacled; yet they rofe up with fuch Violence as if a Storm had fent them up. If Men or Beasts drink of it mix'd with Water, it makes them exceeding fick; and Birds that fly over it, fall down dead. This Pitch refembleth Bulls without Heads, and is good for pitching Ships, Cables, and Medicines. Befides Mofes, Strabo, Tacitus Pliny, Diodorus Siculus, and other antient Hiftorians have left

March

Accounts of it, and mostly from him. See Gen. 19.

(t) Peor, Baal-Peor, and Baal-Pheor; III. Heb. i. e. A naked Gad or Lord, or, he that fheweth his Nakedness publickly. An Idol of the Moabites and Midianites, the fame as Chemos, the beaftly and obfcene Priapus of the Greeks and Romans. An abominable Idol, frequentlymention'd in holy Writ with the utmoft Abhorrence, as it well deferv'd. Jeremiah calls it fo by Way of Difgrace, Ch. xl. 7. This Name is more ufual than the other Chemos. The Heathens took this Idolatry from the Hiftory of Noah, when he lay expos'd, Gen. ix. 21. A fad Original, but a worfe Copy. A Mountain that bears his Name belong'd to the Moabites on the Eaft of Jordan; because there was Beth Peor, i. e. The Temple of Peor upon Mount Peor, wherein he was worshipp'd. The Moabites entic'd the Ifraelites to worship him, which brought a fad Plague upon them; Numb,

XXV. I.

(u) Sittim or Shittim; i. e. Scourges or Thorns. A Place in the Plains of Moab, fixty Furlongs, or eight Miles from Jordan, where the Ifraelites encamped laft under the Conduct of Mofes; and where they were tempted by the wicked Counsel of Baalam to commit Fornication with the Women of Moab, and to facrifice to this Devil; which provok'd God to deftroy

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