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Covenant (or Law, as the Word )ברית( is fometimes rendred by the LXXII.) of ton Love, which is in a more peculiar manner the Character of this Branch of Sin, as we have before observed. The Curse hath (or, La according to the Prophetick Idiom, shall), mea. devour the Ground, and they that dwell therein are defolate. Thence he proceeds to a more particular Account of the Causes and Ef fects of a Famine, which is to be at that time. V.7. The new Wine languisheth, the Vine mourneth, and all the merry-hearted figh The mirth of Tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the Harp ceaseth; They shall not drink Wine with a Song, strong Drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. There is a crying for Wine in the Streets, all joy is darkned, the mirth of the Land is gone, &c. All expressing a State of great Affliction, or Trouble, to be brought upon the World in the last Days, to punish their enormous Deviations from the Love of God, and which shall be effected by some great Diforders in inferiour Nature; fo that the Earth shall not bring forth her Fruits, and Mankind shall be in want of the common Neceffaries of human Life, expressed by Bread and Wine.

II. THE next Place that I shall mention, shall be that Prophetical Description of a dreadful Famine in the Prophecy of Foel, Chap. r. which, though in its ultimate and compleats enfe it refers to the Times of the Great Antichrift, as I shall show more at large upon that Head, yet I think it may not improperly be touched upon in this

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Place; because the Prophet does plainl point out the natural Causes of that Plague which, though ultimately referring to the Grand Divifions of the Antichristian Army yet in its Beginnings or first Principles may be placed much nearer. He begins there fore, Chap. 1. v. 4. with a Description of the first and natural Causes of a Famine; fuch were the Palmer-worm; the Locul אַרְבָה || )or Grashopper, as the Word || may be sometimes rendred ;) the Canker-wom and the Caterpiller; all being general reputed very mischievous Creatures green Corn and other Fruits of the Earth and these, he says, shall succeed one and ther in fuch a manner, as that the latte shall still destroy what the former le Now all these Creatures are generally pro duced by exceffive Drought and He which shall be the prevailing natural Cauf as may be proved at large from many Es preffions, not only in this Place, but man others; of which more hereafter. Now if this Prophecy be capable of a litera Senfe, not excluding the Interpretation which I understand to be couched unde it, as referring to the Reign of Antichrift as I think it fairly may, then it will b difficult to prove, that it has ever been a complished; the Historical Part of; Sch pture having made no mention of any fu Thing: And if it be not accomplished, what fitter Time can we affign it, tha that Great and Terrible Day of Vengeanc to which the Prophet in this whole Pr phecy feems chiefly to have respect, ar of which we have been hitherto treating fo far as it relates to natural Evils? For this we need look no further than that folemn and pompous Preface, wherewith he ushers it in, as a Matter or Subject of the greatest Importance to all fucceeding Generations. V. 3. Tell ye your Children of it, and let your Children tell their Children, and their Children the next Generation; which may be very fairly so interpreted, as not to be limited to that, but to be still propagated from one Generation to another, till the very Times of its Completion should come. From thence he proceeds, v. 5. as it were to point out the Sins that had particularly deferved this heavy Judgment, and to warn and awaken the Committers of them to look about them, and prepare themselves for the approaching Vengeance. Awake ye Drunkards and weep, and bowl all ye drinkers of Wine, because of the new Wine; for it is cut off from your Mouth. By Drunkards and drinkers of Wine, are understood all forts of luxurious Perfons, which is frequent in Scripture, that being the most scandalous, open, and visible Instance of it; and so, as the Learned Dr. Pocock obferves, Abarbenel has explained the Place, Ye, says he, who are drunken with the Vanities of the World, and the Delights of Meat and Drink all the Day, and do not regard the Work of the Lord, awake from your Drunkenness, and weep and bowl for the Destruction of your Land: For the Wine and Must being of the delightful Things of the Products of the Earth, which ye did eat and drink, are now cut off from your G3 Mouth. Mouth. An Expression that seems to timate the sudden and unexpected comin of this Judgment; as if the Fruits wer all destroyed, just in the midst of a gre Plenty, when they were all ripe, and the People preparing to enjoy them, and 25 it were ready to taste them. Which brings to my Mind those Words of the Apody phal Author of Efdras, referring to t time, used Part I. 2 Efd. 16. 21. Be Victuals shall be so good cheap upon Earth, the they shall think themselves in good Cafe, even then shall Evils grow upon them, Swor Famine, and great Confusion. From henc the Prophet proceeds, in the following Verfes of this Chapter, to give a most particular Account of the Nature and Causes of this great Evil; of which we shall make a more particular Use when we come to the next Head. There are, befides these, several other Places up and down in the Holy Scriptures, efpecially the Book of Pfalms, and the Prophets, that may not unfairly be interpreted of this Time; but because they seem to have a further Intent and Meaning in the Times of Antichrift, we shall omit them for the present, and consider them more fully under that Head; and proceed to inquire what shall be the natural Caufes of this heavy Judgment.

The Causes $5. AND these are probably prefumed of this Evil, to be the fame with the former, viz. The exceffive evil Influences of the Heavenly Bodies,

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operating particularly by the Means of exceffive Heat. What I have faid in the

fore

foregoing Part, concerning the Natures and Operations of those Bodies, may fuffice for this Place: And I shall proceed to point - out the Reasons that move me to attribute these Effects to the fame Cause. And these are, First and chiefly, the Expreffions which the Holy Scriptures make use of upon these Occafions. 2dly, That according to the common Philosophy, all the other usual Caufes of Famines are reducible to the afore-mentioned, and may not improperly be faid to be the Effects of them.

I. In that particular Place of Ifaiah's This prov'd Prophecy, Chap. 24. which I have before from Scriquoted, as relating to this heavy Judgment, Pture, there are several Expreffions up and down that Chapter, which being intended to describe the Nature and Effects of this Evil, do plainly point out and discover its Caufes also. Of which fort are Verses the 6th and 7th. Therefore hath the Curse devoured the Earth, and they that dwell therein are defolate; therefore the Inhabitants of the Earth are burned (1) and there are few Men left : Which Burning, or Heat, no doubt is the Caufe alfo of those other Evils mentioned in the following Verse; The new Wine mourneth, the Vine languisheth, all the merry-hearted do figh, &c. and by consequence of that great Want or fore Famine so pathetically described in the following Verses. So alfo in the Prophecy of Joel, Chap. 1. there are plain Indications of the fame Thing: The Field is wasted, the Land mourneth, the Corn is wasted, the new Wine is dried up, the Oil languisheth, v. 10. Again, The Vine is dried

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