Contigerat nostras infamia temporis aures: Οvid. Μet. lib. i. 211-219. The INFAMY of the times had REACHED OUR EARS: WISHING it might be FALSE, I DESCENDED from high OLYMPUS, and, a God, I passed through the earth UNDER A HUMAN FORM. These remarks apply to page 204, of the preceding Lecture. NOTE 3.-The several testimonies collected from different ancient writers, respecting the lake Asphaltites and it's vicinity, with the traditions of it's destruction by fire, From TACITUS:-"Haud procul inde campi, quos ferunt olim « uberes magnisque urbibus habitatos, fulminum jactu arsisse: "et manere vestigia, terramque specie torridam, vim frugiferam " perdidisse." Tacit. Hist. lib. v. Translated in page 217, of the preceding Lecture. From DIODORUS SICULUS. Οἱ δὲ πλησίον τόπος, ἔμπυρος ὢν και δυσώδης, ποιεῖται τὰ σώματα τῶν ανθρώπων ἐπίνοσα, και παντελῶς ὀλιγοχρόνια. Diod. Sic. lib. ii. Ο δὲ πλησίον τόπος, ἔμπυρος ὢν, και δυσώδης, ποιει τὰ σώματα τῶν περιοικένων ἐπίνοσα και παντελῶς ὀλίγο χρόνια. Diod. Sic. lib. xix. Translated in page 218, of the preceding Lecture. From STRABO. Το δ ̓ ἔμπωρον, τὴν χώραν εἶναι τὰ ἄλλα τεκμήρια φέρωσι πολλά· και γὰς πέτρας τινὰς ἐπικεκαυμένας δεικνύωσι τραχείας περὶ Μασάδα, και σύριγγας πολλαχό, και γῆν τεφρώδη, σταγόνας τε πίσσης ἐκ λισσάδων λειβομένας, και δυσώδεις πόῤῥωθεν ποταμες ζέονας, καλοικίας δὲ ἀναλετραμμένας σποράδην· ὥστε πιστεύειν τοῖς θρυλλυμένοις ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων, ὡς ἄρα ικανό πολύ τρισκαίδικα πόλεις ἐπαῦθα, ὧν τῆς μητροπόλεως Σοδόμων σώζοιτο κύκλος ἐξήκοντά του σταδίων· ὑπὸ σεισ μῶν τε καὶ ἀναφυσημάτων πυρὸς και θερμῶν ὑδάτων ἀσφαλλωδῶν τε και Θειωδῶν ἡ λίμνη προπέσοι και πέτραι πυρίληπτοι γίνοιντο αι τε πολεῖς αἱ μὲν καλαποθεῖεν, ἃς δ ̓ ἐκλείποιεν οἱ δυνάμενοι φυγεῖν. Translated in page 218, of the preceding Lecture. From SOLINUS. Strabo, lib. xvi. Longo ab Hierosolymis recessu tristis sinus “panditur,quem de cœlo tactum testatur humus nigra et in cinerem ❝soluta. Duo ibi oppida, Sodoma nominatum alterum, alterum "Gomorrum." Solinus, cap. xxxvi. edit. Salmasianæ. Translated in page 219, of the preceding Lecture. Many travellers bear a testimony to the unhealthiness of the air about the lake: the monks who live in the neighbourhood, would have dissuaded Dr. Pococke from bathing in these singular waters: he ventured in, however, and was, two days after, seized with a dizziness, and violent pain in the stomach, which lasted nearly three weeks, and which they imputed to his rashness; nor does he contradict them. NOTE 4.-The day of judgment is a doctrine of Christianity: yet is it worthy remark, that the heathens cherished some vague opinions, and held some uncertain traditions, that the earth, and the orbs around us, are to be consumed by fire, as the following extracts will prove. -Sic, cùm compage soluta Secula tot mundi suprema coëgerit hora, Antiquum repetent iterum chaos omnia; mixtis Lucan. Phars. lib. i. v. 72–80. p. 13 & 14. edit. Ouden When fate commands the final hour, Stars mix'd with stars shall vainly try, The land no more shall guard the sea, And chaos shall return. "Sidera sideribus incurrent, et omni flagrante materia, uno igne, " quicquid nunc ex disposito lucet, ardebit." Seneca, fine ad Marciam. Stars shall rush upon stars: every thing material shall be consumed; and whatever now shines in order, shall perish in one common fire! Ovid represents his Jupiter, when resolved to punish the earth, choosing water, and checking his thunder, for the following reason; Sed timuit, ne forte sacer tot ab ignibus æther, Conciperet flammas, longusque ardesceret axis. Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur, affore tempus, Quo mare, quo tellus, correptaque regia cœli Ardeat ; et mundi moles operosa laboret. Ovid. Met. lib. i. 254-258. He stopt, for fear, thus violently driv'n, DRYDEN-Garth's Ovid. b. i. l. 346-350. This note is referred to in page 228, of the preceding Lecture: LECTURE VI. THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH. GENESIS XLIX. 22-26. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of thy progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. ACTS VII. 9-16. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharoah. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor, the father of Sychem. Sa To enter at large into the beautiful history that connects the preceding Lecture with the |