1 : . several Names: Whether they had gone any Length then in what has been fince call'd judiciary Astrology, or only in observing the Colours or Clouds, which changed irregularly, or, as they thought, voluntarily, with Design to express and determine the Fate of Things, is uncertain. It appears, Ifa. xlvii. 13 החזים בכוכנים they had Seers of Visions, of Secrets in the Stars: So Deut. xviii. 14, all they had מעוננים Obfervers, or Prognosticators, from the Clouds: But it seems they expected this Deity should, upon their Interceffion, exhibit such Appearances as should be favourable to them. I am inclin'd to this, because a Pan ther is the Emblem, with a party-colour'd, or spotted Skin ; and I think they wore Party-colour'd Robes : And they had fome Representation mention'd Ezek. xvi. 16, High Places of Divers Colours, LXX, " Idols fowed together, or Patch'd-work "Idols." The Instrument forbid to be us'd upon the Head of a Nazarite, is call'd by this Name, render'd Novacula, which was in Opposition to some Custom of the Heathen in shaving some Part of their Heads; perhaps into some Figures: C. under this includes fowing their Ground with various Sorts of Seeds, &c. בית 1 בית לבאות Explain'd in the fecond Part of M. P. p. 371. It expresses the Giver of Intelligence by Signs, and so the Knowledge of Things to come. Some of the Claims are also inserted: I shall add, Deut. xiii. 1, If there arise among you a Prophet, or a Dreamer of Dreams, and giveth thee a Sign or a Wonder ; and the Sign or the Wonder come to pass whereof he Spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other Aleim (which thou hast not known) and let us serve them: Thou shalt not hearken unto the Words of that Prophet, or that Dreamer of Dreams; for Jehovah your Aleim proveth you, to know whether you love Jehovah your Aleim- And that Prophet, or that Dreamer of Dreams, shall be put to Death. Ib. xviii. 10, There shall not be found among you that useth Divination, or an Obferver of Times, or &c. Pf. cv. 27, They shewed his Signs among them, and Wonders in the Land of Ham; all the Particulars are enumerated. Ifa. vii. II, Ask thee a Sign of Jehovah thy Aleim: Ask it either in the Depth, or in the Height above. Ib. xxxviii. 7, And this shall be a Sign unto thee or thee I will bring again the Shadow of the Degrees, which is gone down in the Light-Dial of Ahaz, ten Degrees backward: So the Light return'd ten Degrees. Ib. xli. 22, Let them bring forth, and fhew us what shall happen, &c. Ib. xliv. 25. That frustrateth the Tokens of the Liars, and maketh Diviners mad, Ib. xlvii. 12, Stand now with thine Inchantments, and with the Multitude of thy Sorceries -Let now the Astrologers, the Stargazers, the Monthly Prognosticators, stand up and save thee. Dan. iv. 2, I thought it good to shew the Signs and Wonders that the most high God hath wrought toward me, &c. Pf. lxxiv. 9, We see not our Signs; there is no more any Prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. M נבו Entioned Ifa. xlvi. 1. An Object which the Babylonians worshipp'd. The Word expresses to shew or reveal Things secret, by being past unknown or forgotten, or Things or Actions yet to come, is what we call Prophecy; fo the Giver of Power to Prophecy, no doubt the fame to which they gave all their other Attributes. The Denuntia tions against those who pretended to prophecy by these Powers are many. And every true Prophet, every Prophecy, every miraculous Sign, and every Completion, is not only a reclaiming, but an Evidence of the Possession and Ability of communicating this Power. Several Places, a King, and several Persons bore this Name; and one greater than all was to bear this Office, Deut. xviii. 18, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren, like unto thee, and will put my Words in his Mouth. And he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoewer will not hearken unto my Words which he Shall speak in my Name, I will require it of him. אלהי נבחן M Ention'd 2 Kings xvii. 31. The Aleim of the Avites; compound of נבא to few and חוה Vision of Representations of secret Things, past or to come; so the Agents with Power, to represent to the Eyes of the Body or Mind Appearances or Ideas of Things past or to come. This Crime was to be punish'd with Death, Deut. xviii. 20, But the Prophet-that shall speak inthe Nameof other Aleim, even that Prophet shall die. One of the Methods God took to reveal Things was by Vision. 1 Sam. iii. 1, The Word of Jehovah was precious in those Days, there was no open Vision. Prov. xxix. 8, Where there is no Vision the People perish. These Names which had been us'd in Chaldea, were not us'd by the Canaanites or Ifraelites. But they had Prophets to these Aleim under other Names, I Kings xviii. 19, The Prophets of Baal four Hundred and Fifty, and the Prophets of the Groves (Blesser) four Hundred. Jer. ii. 8. xxiii. 13, And the Prophets prophesied in Baal. The Destruction of these was predicted, and evidently accomplish'd by Chrift. Zach. xiii. 2, And it shall come to pass in that Day - and also I will cause the Prophets and the unclean Spirit to pass out of the Land. They had various Methods of discovering Things to come, or to Prophecy, as Visions from the Stars, Discoveries by Observations from the Clouds, already mention'd in express Words, and others mention'd by the Names of the Persons employ'd. But the Translations do not determine the Manner, and 'tis out of my way to explain them here. Men |