serpents; to interpret omens, and eyes of spectators, or whether by to work things wonderful, by super-Satanic impression on the rods, wanatural influence. The witches, or ter, &c. there was any real change sorcerers, were such as used unlawful effected; or whether, while they arts of hurting their neighbours, used their enchantments, God effectby diabolical influence. The charmers ed a real miracle, in order to harden might be such as pretended to pre- the heart of Pharaoh; is not agreed by vent hurt, or heal diseases by charms, interpreters. It is certain, that, that is, by means having no natural in all their appearances of miracles, tendency to accomplish the end. Moses had by far the superiority; The wizards, or cunning men, that whatever they did, but added might be such as were consulted to the plagues of their country; and concerning things lost, or in cases of that they taught no doctrine proper apparently incurable diseases; or to to attend to, and be the distinguishfind out future fortunes. The di- ing mark of true miracles, Exod. vii. viners, might be such as set up and viii. Diviners abounded in for a kind of prophets; but how Canaan; nor do the Hebrews seem they came by their pretended know-to have taken due care to extirpate ledge, whether by observing the them, till the days of Saul, and he flight of birds, or by looking into the afterwards consulted a witch at Enentrails of beasts, or by diabolical dor, to show him his fate. In the impressions on the mind, &c. we can- days of Ahaz, it seems to have been not so much as guess. There were common to use divination by rods, besides, the consulters with familiar Hos. iv. 12. and to consult diviners spirits, who held familiar intercourse and soothsayers; and numbers, it is with Satan, and consulted him as likely, had come to them from Chalthey had need. Others were necro-dea or Arabia in the east, for the mancers, and pretended to raise and sake of gain, Isa. ii. 6. and viii. 19. consult with such persons as were Manasseh not only encouraged this dead. How the soothsayers pretend- infernal tribe, but became one of ed to have their art of foretelling fu- their number, 2 Kings xxi. 6. 2 turities, whether by clouds, or by di- Chron. xxxiii. 6. All along to this vination with twigs, &c. we know day, the Egyptians have made high not. It is probable, that sometimes, pretences to divination; nor were one person pretended to all or most the Philistines much behind them, of the arts, supposed to be marked Isa. ii. 6. No people were more by these various characters; hence mad upon it than the Chaldeans, it becomes hard to know the precise Isa. xlvii. 9, 12, 13. and xliv. 25. meaning of them. All these arts, When Nebuchadnezzar came to the and all pretensions thereto, are pro- south-east of Syria, he consulted, by hibited by the word of God, Lev. the drawing of arrows out of a quixx. 27. Deut. xviii. 9-13. Isa. viii. ver, and by images, and by inspect 19. It is probable, divination began ing the entrails of beasts, whether in the earliest ages: whether Joseph he should first besiege Rabba or Jehad imbibed something of it or not, rusalem, Ezek. xxi. 21. Multitudes is uncertain; but it is evident that, of diviners were maintained at Baabout 200 years after, there were bylon at the public expense, that magicians in Egypt, who pretended they might be ready to consult on to do wonderful things. By their every difficult occasion. Their inenchantments, they made their ability to tell Nebuchadnezzar one rods appear as serpents, water as of his dreams, and to interpret anoblood, and brought up frogs on ther; or to read the hand-writing of the land of Egypt, in imitation of the angel on the wall of Belshaz Moses. But whether by illusive zar's palace, no doubt, much dimiwitchcraft they merely cheated the nished their credit, Dan. ii. iv. and v. but it is probable, Zoroaster re-vent the murder of their wives, perstored it about the time of Darius mitted the husbands to divorce them Hystaspes, king of Persia. At Phi- if they found some hateful uncleanness lippi, a young sorceress grieved Paul in them. This permission their Raband Silas, till they dislodged the de- bins extended to such a degree, that, vil who possessed her, Acts xvi. 16 in our Saviour's time, it was thought -18. At Ephesus, a vast number lawful to divorce a wife for the of diviners were converted to the merest trifle. Women too divorced Christian faith, and burnt their ma- their husbands. Salome, the sister of gical books to the value of fifty Herod the Great, was the first we find thousand pieces of silver. If these mentioned that did so: but it soon pieces of silver be taken for Jewish after became a common practice. sheckels, the sum will amount to six All the three sisters of Agrippa dithousand two hundred and fifty vorced their husbands; Bernice, Popounds, Acts xix. 19. When Chris-lemon king of Pontus; Mariamne, tianity overspread the world, divi- Archelaus; and Drusilla, Azizus nation every-where fell into con- king of Emesa. The old Testament tempt. Under the prevalency of affords no instance of proper diAntichrist, it regained its character, vorce: for the marriage of the and was reckoned of great use to sanc- strange wives was unlawful and null tion the lying wonders necessary to from the beginning. The Pharisees the establishment of his delusions, 2 thought, perhaps oftener than once, Thess. ii. 11. Rev. xiii. 14. Even to entrap our Saviour on the head of among Protestants, the regard to divorce; but, by referring them to omens of good or bad luck; the the original institution of marriage, using of charms for healing or pre- he left it to themselves to think, venting of distempers; the readiness whether Moses could give a conto consult fortune-tellers, or pretend- trary command; and after observing, ers to skill in discovering of goods that no more than a mere permission stolen or lost; or to encourage dice- of divorce was mentioned by Moses, players, and exhibitors of puppet- he declared the mind of God on this shows, &c. show how ready multi-head, Matt. xix. 3—9. tudes are to yield subjection to, and Since their last dispersion the Jews evidence dependence on Satan. have been more cautious on the head of DIVISION, (1.) Separation, dif- divorce. Scarcely any thing but adulference, Exod. viii. 23. (2.) Con- tery, or strong suspicions thereof, tention, breach, 1 Cor. xii. 25, and are reckoned sufficient grounds for i. 10. And it is observable, from it; so many formalities are used these and other similar texts, that about it, and the examination of the schism in scripture, chiefly, if not husband with respect to his obstinasolely, means alienation of affection, cy, so close, that few seek or obtain and disagreement among those who it who can be reconciled to their continue the same joint attendance wives. The bill of divorce runs to on the ordinances of the gospel. (3.) this purpose," On such a day, month, Class, order, Ezra vi. 18. year, and at such a place, I, N. VODIVORCE, the separation of mar-luntarily divorce, put away, and ried persons one from another. Ac-restore to your liberty, you, N. cording to the original institution of who was formerly my wife; and marriage, a man and woman thereby permit you to marry whom you become one flesh; and nothing but please." This bill of divorce must death, adultery, or wilful desertion be written by a woman, a deaf man, of one party, can dissolve the union, or a Rabbi, on parchment, in twelve Matt. v. 32. and xix. 9. 1 Cor. vii. lines of square letters: two witness15. But the Jews being a malicious es must sign their attestation of the and revengeful people, God, to pre-man's subscription, and other two VOL. I. 3 A * must attest the date of it. Ordina-lowing, it is said, of the common rily there are other ten persons pre-use of women, and of compliance sent at the giving of it. They ge-with Heathenish superstitions, Rev. nerally advise the woman not to ii. 14, 15. marry till after three months. But DODANIM, beloved, RODANIM; the divine law absolutely prohibited youngest son of Javan; perhaps her return to her former husband, the same with Dorus, the son of NepDeut. xxiv. 4. Jer. iii. 1. God's di- tune; and father of the Dorian tribe of vorcement of the Hebrew nation, Greeks, who possessed part of Greece and of which he denies himself the in Europe, and part of the west of cause, is his casting them off from Lesser Asia. Some would have his being his peculiar people, Jer. iii. 8. posterity to have peopled Rhodes; Isa. 1. 1. and Bochart drags them as far as the DOCTOR, a teacher; somewhat banks of the Rhone, on the south-east like our teachers in colleges, Luke of France, Gen. x. 4. 1 Chron. i. 7. ii. 46. DOEG, careful, the accuser of DOCTRINE, (1.) Knowledge, AHIMELECH the high priest, and the learning, Isa. xxviii. 9. (2.) A te- murderer of him and eighty-four net or opinion, Matt. xvi. 12. (3.) other priests. It is thought he came The truths of the gospel in general, to an unhappy end, 1 Sam. xxi. xxii. Tit. ii. 10. (4.) Instruction in gos- Psal. lii. and cxx. and cxl. pel truth, 2 Tim. iii. 16. (5.) Act, DOG. In the Linnæan system of manner, and matter, of teaching, animals, this comprehends the houseMark iv. 2. Matt. vii. 28. (6.) Di- hold dogs of all kinds, as mastiffs, vine ordinances, Matt. xv. 9. The hounds, terriers, lap-dogs, curs, &c. truths of the gospel are the doctrine and the fox and wolf. Animals of of God, and according to godliness, the dog-kind have ten paps, four on and sound doctrine. God in Christ is the breast, and six on the belly; five their author, matter, and end; and toes on the fore feet, and four on they are pure, solid, substantial, and the hinder ones. All of this kind uncorrupted with error, 1 Tim. vi. were unclean, and reckoned by the 1, 3. Heb. vi. 1. 2 Tim. iv. 3. And Jews most vile and despicable; nor they are Christ's doctrine, as he is was their price to be devoted to the the chief preacher and great sub-Lord, Deut. xxiii. 18. A dog, dead stance of them, Tit. ii. 10. and they dog, or dog's head, was expressive of are not his, i. e. not his only, nor the most insignificant person, 2 Kings his as a mere man, which the Jews viii. 13. 1 Sam. xxiv. 14. and 2 Sam. supposed him to be, but the Father's ix. 8. and iii. 8. Persons immodest also, John vii. 16. They are the and unclean, or who return to filthy doctrines of preachers, as they are doctrines and practices, or who clapublished by them, 2 Tim. iii. 10. mour and rail at such as they hate, are The Popish tenets concerning the called dogs, Rev. xxii. 15. Deut. xxiii. unlawfulness of marriage to the cler- 18. 2 Pet. ii. 22. Prov. xxvi. 11. Psa. gy or others, or the restrained use of lix. 6. and xxii. 16. False teachers meats, are doctrines of devils, in-are called dogs; they are inclined to vented by, and calculated to accom-abominable courses; are dumb dogs, plish the purposes of, these evil spi- do not faithfully warn and instruct rits, 1 Tim. iv. 1. Error is strange men; are lazy dogs, do not travail as doctrine it is absurd in itself, and in birth, till Christ be formed in the foreign to God's word, the only souls of their hearers; are greedy dogs standard of truth, Heb. xiii. 9. The that never get enough of worldly doctrine of Balaam, imported an al-things, and are given to defame lowance of whoredom, and eating of and reproach the people of God, things offered to idols; nor was that Phil. iii. 2. Isa. Ivi. 10, 11. The of the Nicolaitans much different, al-Gentiles were reckoned as dogs by : the Jews, yet they did eat of the be open to such as are left behind, crumbs that fell from the Saviour's ta- Matt. xxv. 10. Luke xiii. 25. The ble, partook of some of his miracles, door of faith is opened to the Genand applied the virtue of his sufferings tiles, when they have a clear warfor the healing of their souls, Matt. rant and invitation to believe, set bexv. 27. Luke xvi. 21. Some writers fore them in the gospel, and they think, that Satan is intended by this are powerfully determined to receive word, Psa. xxii. 20. to denote his Jesus and all his fulness, as the gift fierce attacks on Christ and his saints; of God, and the means of access to whether by inward suggestions, or his favour, Acts xiv. 27. An effecoutward persecutions. tual door was opened to the apostles, DOLEFUL, hideously mournful, and other ministers when they had Mic. ii. 5. Doleful creatures are such opportunity, with appearance of sucas are given to hideous cries of the cess, to preach Christ to multitudes, mournful kind, as dragons, owls, &c. 1 Cor. xvi. 9. 2 Cor. ii. 12. Rev. iii. Isa. xiii. 21. and xxxiv. 13, 14. 8. Ministers have a door of utterance DOMINION, authority, power to given them, when they are helped rule and dispose of, Gen. i. 26. Mi- of God to preach the gospel with nisters have not dominion over the great plainness, readiness, and boldfaith of their hearers, to require them ness, Col. iv. 3. Ministers enter in to believe any thing not founded in by the door, when they have a call the word of God, 2 Cor. i. 24. 1 Pet. from God to their office, John x. 1, 2. v. 3. (2.) Kingdom, nation, Psa. ciii. At the door, or before it, imports near22. 2 Kings xx. 13. (3.) Governors ness, readiness, to testify against, and their subjects, Dan. vii. 27. (4.) come upon, or judge us, Gen. iv. 7. Angels who have great power and Matt. xxiv. 33. James v. 9. God authority to execute God's commis-promised to give his people, upon sion, Col. i. 16. their repentance, the valley of Achor DOOR, an entrance whereby peo- for a door of hope, Hos. ii. 15. Achor ple go out of and into houses, gardens, was a valley in the territory of Jeri&c. and it is used for any kind of cho, and in the tribe of Benjamin, means of entrance to, or going out. or the very entrance into the land of Christ is called the door; and was Canaan. The Israelites, fatigued and figured out by the doors or gates of discouraged with marching and enthe tabernacle and temple. He, in camping for forty years in the wilhis office of Mediator, is the only derness, and coming to this valley, mean of our access to God. Only such as believe on him, can be true members of his church on earth, or admitted to that in heaven, John x. 9. Slothful persons are as a door turning upon its hinges; they seem to be doing somewhat, and yet make DOR, or DORA, a generation, or no progress in any thing good, Prov. habitation, capital of a district in xxvi. 14. The door at which Christ Canaan, called in Hebrew, Nephatknocks, and demands entrance, is Dor. It stood about nine miles the understanding, conscience, and northward of Cesarea of Palestine, affections, whereby he enters into and a little to the south of mount our heart, Rev. iii. 20. Song v. 4. Carmel. It was taken by Joshua, Psa. xxiv. 7, 9. The door will be and given to the half-tribe of Mashut after Christ's saints shall have nasseh; but they suffered the Canaanentered his marriage-feast: all mer-ites to keep possession of it, ciful access to God, the dispensation Judg. i. 27. Long after, it was a of the gospel, and the striving of his strong city: and here Antiochus Spirit, shall cease. Nor will heaven Sidetes, about A. D. 3866, besieged began to entertain hopes of enjoying 1 Tryphon, the usurper of the Græco- species of doves are, the wood-piSyrian throne, Joshua xii. 23. and geon, the tame pigeon, the ring-dove xvii. 11. or turtle, the picaipinima, and the To DOTE, (1.) To become sense-St. Thomas's pigeon. The three first less or stupid, Jer. 1. 36. 1 Tim. vi. 4. species often occur in the Bible, under (2.) To be excessively fond of per- the names of the pigeon and turtlesons or things, Ezek. xxiii. 5, 12, 16. dove; and the two last are natives DOTHAN, the custom, or law, a of America; the picaipinima being city and country about twelve miles the gray and black dove, with a north of Samaria; and, according to white breast; and the St. Thomas's Bunting, 44 north of Jerusalem, and pigeon being the green columba with six westward of Tiberias. Here Jo-yellow legs. seph was sold to the Ishmaelites; and The dove was by the law of Moses here Elisha smote the Syrians who declared to be a clean bird. It was came to apprehend him, with blind- ordained, that when any woman ness, Gen. xxxvii. 17. 2 Kings vi. went to the temple after lying in, she should offer to the Lord a lamb, a 13. DOUBLE. God's people receive dove or turtle, or else a pigeon, or a of his hand double for all their sins. young turtle, Lev. xii. 6, 8. The lamb The Jews, in their Chaldean capti- was offered as a burnt-offering, the vity, received large punishment, suf-pigeon for a sin-offering; or, if the ficient to answer God's designs with person could not afford a lamb, then, them, Isa. xl. 2. The Jews had double instead of it, she offered two pigeons, for their shame, when their troubles or two turtles. The blessed Virgin, and disgrace were removed, and great to comply with this law, offered two happiness and glory succeeded, Isa. pigeons, or two turtles, because she Ixi. 7. Antichrist's cup shall be filled was poor, Luke ii. 24. And, as it double; the judgments of God upon was difficult for all those who came the Papists shall, at last, be more from remote places to bring doves dreadful than the persecution they with them, the priest gave permission inflicted on the witnesses of Christ, for the selling of these birds in the Rev. xviii. 6. A double portion, is courts of that holy place, which our either twice as much as any other, Saviour could not endure; for, havDeut. xxi. 17. or a very large share, ing entered the temple, he made a 2 Kings ii. 9. A double garment, is scourge, and drove out those who a lined one, Exod. xxxix. 9. A double thus profaned the temple for the sake heart, or mind, is that which has some of gain, Mark xi. 15. inclination to good, and yet habitually The dove is the symbol of simpliworks wickedness with pleasure; and city and innocency. The Holy Spi is opposite to a single, honest, faith-rit appeared at the baptism of our Saful, and sincere one, Psa. xii. 2. Jam.viour in the form of a dove, Matt. iii. i. 8. To DOUBT, to be uncertain what to think or believe, John x. 24. Matt. xxviii. 17. 16. to signify what Christ is, (1.) In his own nature, to them that come to him, namely, meek, harmless, loving. (2.) In the execution of his office, even DOVE, columba, a well known he by whom the Father is pacified, genus of birds, of the order of the and who brings the good tidings of passeres, or such birds whose beaks the assuaging the deluge of wrath, are of a conic and much attenuated as the dove did of the retiring of the figure: the generical characters of waters to Noah. (3.) What he is in the dove are, that the beak is straight, the operations of his Spirit upon his and furfuraceous at the base; the nos-people, that they are made meek, trils are oblong and membranaceous, harmless, and lowly, as doves. Christ and are in part covered; the tongue recommends to his disciples the wisis entire, or undivided. The several dom of the serpent, and the harm |