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none like unto him, who kept the Law of the Moft High.

"Tis plain it was for refufing to worship the Gods of their Fathers, the Chaldeans or Babylonians, and adhering to the true God, that Abraham the eldeft, or Heir of the Line of Shem, was banished, and taken into the Protection of God: And for which God was pleafed to call himfelf the God of Abraham, and make Covenants with him. What thefe Gods of the Chaldeans were, has been mentioned, and will appear more fully; and why God was called the God of Heaven.

As this Account of Abraham's Separation was writ long after the Institution of those Gods of the Chaldeans, the hiftorical Account of them could be of no Ufe to that People, nor to thofe between that Time and the writing of it: Nor if it had been more particular would it have been of Ufe to the People at the Time it was writ; because they knew too well what they were, and were infected with that Worfhip: And when Mofes and the Prophets were by Miracles and Arguments reclaiming the People, and prohibiting the Vices, as long as there was Hopes, there was no great Occafion of being fo particular what the Crimes there committed were, or

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what the Gods they worshiped were; that would have given Advantage to the Heathens. The People who were guilty knew well enough, by the Nature of the Miracles, what they were intended for; and in, their Prohibitions or Arguments, by fuch Names as they had given thofe Gods, or by fuch Signs or Images as they worshiped them. by, what the Prophets meant; and if those People had been informed, and the Crimes demolished, could it have answered any End that we know of? But when the Crimes were grown fo common, to that Height, that, as Micah fays, Chap. vi. 2. Hear ye, O Mountains! (the Places where the Crimes were committed) the Lord hath a Controverfy with his People; and that they perpetrated them to that Degree, that God ordered the Prophets to denounce immediate Deftruction by the Sword, Captivity, &c. It was neceffary, for clearing the Juftice of God, and in Terror to all others then alive, and to all Pofterity, that the Objects of their falfe Worthip fhould be named by fuch Names as would fhew to all what they were, their Signs or Reprefentations of thofe Objects, the Manner of their Worship, their Sacrifices, &c. And notwithstanding that Things are writ plain,

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plain, it pleases God, fometimes, to let the Knowledge of them fleep till there be Occafion, and gives clearer Lights of them, as it beft ferves his Purpofes of informing Ages, when the Knowledge of fuch Things are most needed: But as the Evidence of these Things is in relations of what concerned one Race, and of the reft but occafionally, as they happened to be concerned with that Race, or that Race with them, we cannot poffibly feparate them entirely, but must take them as they refer to each other; and therefore we must have Patience to trace down this Vice, in the feveral Branches, till we come to clear Defcriptions of it; and that will alfo thew why there was an Altar to the Heavens, &c.

BABYLO N.

Gen. xi. 4. Let us build us a City, and a Tower whofe Top MAY REACH unto Hea

ven.

Ezra v. 14. -And brought them into the Temple of Babylon

Ifai. xiv. 4. That thou shalt take up this Proverb against the King of Babylon. Ver. 12. How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, (or, DAY-STAR) Son of the Morning!

Ifai. xlvi. 1. Bel boweth down, Neba floopeth; their Idols were upon the Beafts and upon the Cattle; your Carriages WERE heavy loaden, THEY ARE a Burden to the weary BEASTSVer. 7. They bear them upon the Shoulder.

Chap. xlvii. 1. Come down, and fit in the Duft, O Virgin, Daughter of Babylon! Sit on the Ground, THERE IS no Throne, Daughter of the Chaldeans. Ver. 10.-Thy Wisdom and thy Knowledge it hath perverted thee, (or CAUSED THEE TO TURN AWAY.) Ver. 12. Stand now with thine Inchantments, and with the Multitude of the Sorceries wherein thou haft laboured from thy Youth-let now thy Aftrologers, (VIEWERS OF THE HEAVENS,) the Star-gazers, the monthly Prognofticators, (THAT GIVE KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING MONTHS,) ftand up, and fave thee,Behold, they fhall all be as Stubble, the Fire fall burn them.

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Jer. 1. 2. Şay, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodock is broken in Pieces, ber Idols are confounded, her Images are broken in Pieces. Ver. 35. A Sword 18 upon the Chaldeans-Ver. 38. For it is a Land of graven Images, and they are mad upon THEIR Idols.

Chap.

Chap. li. 44. And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his Mouth that which he hath fwallowed up; and the Nations fhall not flow together any more unto him.

Ezek. xxi. 21. For the King of Babylon food at the Head of the two Ways, to use Divination; he made HIS Arrows bright, be confulted with Images, he looked into the Liver. Ver. 22. At his right Hand was the Divination for Jerufalem to appoint Captains, &c.

Chap. xxiii. 14. And THAT fke (Jerufalem) increafed her Whoredoms; for when fe faw Men pourtraied upon the Wall, the Images of the Chaldeans pourtraied with Vermilion, girded with Girdles upon their Loins, exceeding in died Attire upon their Heads, all of them. Princes to look to, after the Manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the Land of their Nativity.

2 Efdr. xv. 43. And they fall go ftedfafly unto Babylon, and make her afraid, (or, DESTROY,) they shall come to her, and tefiege her; the Star and all Wrath fhall they pour out upon her, then shall the Duft and Smoak go up unto the Heaven.

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