which border on the Dead Sea."e Towards the opposite extremity of the land of Moab, and at a little distance from its borders, Sectzen relates that there are many families living in caverns; and he actually designates them "the inhabitants of the rocks."f And at the distance of a few miles from the ruined site of Heshbon, "there are many artificial caves in a large range of perpendicular cliffs, in some of which are chambers and small sleeping-apartments." While the cities are desolate without any to dwell therein, the rocks are tenanted. But whether flocks lie down in the former, without any to make them afraid,-or whether men are to be found dwelling in the latter, and are like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth,-the wonderful transition, in either case, and the close accordance, in both, of the fact to the prediction, assuredly mark it in characters that may be visible to the purblind mind, as the word of that God before whom the darkness of futurity is as light, and without whom a sparrow cannot fall unto the ground.

e

Volney's Travels, vol. ii. p. 344.

f Seetzen's Travels, p. 26. See Monthly Review, vol. lxxi. p. 405.

Captain's Irby and Mangles's Travels, p. 473.

h Another prediction respecting the dwellers in Moab ought not perhaps to be passed over in silence, although the terms in which it is expressed are not so clear and unambiguous as those to which the observations in the text are confined, and although it may have met its primary fulfilment in a much earlier age. Yet it is so intelligible, that the fact, to which it bears an unrestrained application, may be left as its sole and adequate exposition; and the continued truth of the prophecy greatly strengthens, instead of weakening the evidence of its inspiration. And how is Moab broken down and spoiled, when, in lieu of the arrogancy and exceeding pride and haughtiness of its ancient inhabitants, the following description is characteristic of the wanderers who now possess it. "In the valley of Wale,” which is situated in the immediate vicinity of the river Arnon, into which the Wale flows,

And although chargeable with the impropriety of being somewhat out of place, it may not be here altogether improper to remark, that, demonstrative as all these clear predictions and coincident facts are of the inspiration of the Scriptures, it cannot but be gratifying to every lover of his kind, when he contemplates that desolation, caused by many sins, and fraught with many miseries, which the wickedness of man has wrought, and which the prescience of God revealed, to know that all these prophecies, while they mingle the voice of wailing with that of denunciation, are the word of that God, who, although he suffers not iniquity to pass unpunished, overrules evil for good, and makes the wrath of man to praise him, and who in the midst of judgment can remember mercy. And reasoning merely from the "uniform experience" (to borrow a term, and draw an argument from Hume) of the truth of the prophecies already fulfilled, the unprejudiced mind will at once perceive the full force of the truth derived from experience, and acknowledge that it would be a rejection of the authority of reason as well as of revelation, to mistrust the truth of that

i

Burckhardt observed "a large party of Arabs Shererat encamped-Bedouins of the Arabian desert, who resort hither in summer for pasturage." Being oppressed and hemmed in by other Arab tribes, "they wander about in misery, have very few horses, and are not able to feed any flocks of sheep or goats. - Their tents are very miserable; both men and women go almost naked, the former being only covered round the waist, and the women wearing nothing but a loose shirt hanging in rags about them." Moab shall be a derision. As a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of ARNON. (Burckhardt's Travels, pp. 370, 371. Jer. xlviii. 39. Isa. xvi. 2.)

"Being determined by custom to transfer the past to the future, in all our inferences; where the past has been entirely regular and uniform, we expect the event with the greatest assurance, and leave no room for any contrary supposition." (Hume's Essay of Probability.)

prophetic affirmation of resuscitating and redeeming import, respecting Ammon and Moab, which is the last of the series, and which alone now awaits futurity to stamp it with the brilliant and crowning seal of its testimony. "I will bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. K I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the Lord. The remnant of my people shall possess them. They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations."

IDUMEA.

But a heavier and irreversible doom was denounced against the land of Edom or Idumea; and the testimony of an infidel was the first to shew how it has been realized. That testimony, as forming an exposition of itself, may, in a primary view of them, be subjoined to the prophecies, and must have its due influence on every unbiassed mind. There are numerous prophecies respecting Idumea, that bear a literal interpretation, however hyperbolical they may appear. "My sword shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it; and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing. And thorns shall

k Jer. xlviii, 47. 1 Ibid. xlix. 6. m Zeph. ii. 9. n Isa. lxi. 4; lviii. 12. Ezek. xxxvi. 33, 36.

come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof; and it shall be a habitation of dragons, and a court for owls. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr (or hairy creature) shall cry to his fellow; the screech-owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate; for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.° Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him the time that I will visit him. If grape-gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning-grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough. But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself. Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? Thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bosrah (the strong or fortified city) shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. Lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the

o Isaiah xxxiv. 5, 10-17.

pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill : though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Also Edom shall be a desolation; every one that goeth by shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbour. cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it. P Thus saith the Lord God, I will stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman. The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir, aud prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God, I will stretch out my hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate." Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out, and him that returneth. I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return. When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. Thou shalt be desolate, O Mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord." Edom shall be a desolate wilderness.x For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. y Thus saith the Lord concerning Edom, I have made thee small among the heathen, thou art greatly despised. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high. Shall