nias, who in his fifth Book exprefly tells us, he faw the River Jordan, which runs thro' the Lake of Tiberias, fall into another Lake, called the Dead Sea, by whom it is confumed; and afterwards adds, This Lake is void of Fish, who turn back to their accustomed Waters, as from a manifeft Danger. The Second is, St. Jerome, who upon the 47th. Chapter of Ezekiel: If Jordan, fays he, fwelled by the Rains, carries any fishes into it, they immediately die, and float upon the furface of the fat Water. VI. So much concerning the Lake. Now let us proceed to fay fomething of its Banks, and the circumjacent Country; besides what we have already related of it by the by. Jo Sephus, fpeaking of the Territory about Sodom, thus expreffes himself: Near this Lake, says he, is Sodomitis, formerly a delicious and fertile Land, and famous for the Riches of its Cities, but now wholly burnt up. After this he goes on in the following words; fo that you'd rather think, that Tacitus, or any Pagan Author fpoke, rather than Jofephus. The Reports run, That for the wickedness of the Inhabitants it was deftroy'd by. Thunderbolts. Indeed the remainders of the Divine Fire, and the Refemblance of five Cities, are ftill to be feen; the fight of which, gives credit to the Stories that are told of the Country about Sodom. After the fame manner, Philo, towards the end of his fecond Book, concerning the Life of Mofes. The Monuments of that unfpeakable Deftru ction, Яtion, are to this day shown in Syria; Ruines, Alhes, Brimstone, Smoak, and a flender fmall Flame ftill breaking forth, certain indications of Fire. St. Jude, in the 7th. verfe of his Epiftle, feems to have his Eye upon this, where he says, that Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring Cities, are propofed as a Spectacle, bearing the punishment of everlasting Fire. This Fire, which for fo many Ages was fed by the Bituminous Matter, and perhaps ftill continues, is called air. Thus Pliny, l. 2. c. 106. fays, That the Mountain Chimera in Phafelis, burns Night and Day with an IMMORTAL Flame; after Ctefias, who had ufed the word abávar, of the fame fignification in Greek. Diogenes Laertius, 1. 8. $75. Thus fpeaks to Empedocles, who is reported to have thrown himself. headlong into Etna. Πῆς ἀπὸ Κρητήρων έκπιες ΑΘΑΝΑΤΩΝ Thou haft drunk Fire out of immortal Cups. G, Learned Men are mistaken, who imagine, that this fire which burnt down the Cities of this famous Valley, was therefore called because 'tis a Figure of Eternity; or because it was not extinguished till it had deftroy'd every thing; for it flamed long after that, and both Interpretations are unnatural. Nor is that incomparable Man Dr. Hammond, happier in his Con Conjecture than the reft, who is of opinion, that the eternal Pains of Hell are here fignified; as likewife in Matth. 18.8. and feveral other places of Scripture. In the first place he tells us, that Sodom and Gomorrah, are here put for the Inhabitants of thofe Cities. Secondly, he obferves, that a prefent Punishment is meant here; fince the Apoftle fays,Teneras Selyμa, they are propofed as a Spectacle, altho he had ufed the Præterperfect Tenfe before; from whence he concludes, that we are to understand this of the Damned in Hell, for as much as the other Fire was paft and gone. However, the Monuments of that Punishment, as we have already taken notice, ftill continued; nor cou'd the Sodomites be faid TeenDay Sagua, to be propofed as a Spectacle, qui Sexvdai non poterant, i. e. who cou'd not be fhewn. Therefore our Interpretation is the most fimple and agreeable to the Words; which being allowed, we may ftill fay, that the Punishment of Cities deftroy'd, are ftill left to be seen by us. Brocardus indeed, in his Defcription of the Holy Land, Part the first, ch. 7. $ 25. The Dead Sea, fays he, is always fmoaking, and duskifh like the mouth of Hell, as I have be held it with my own eyes, by reason of the noifome Vapours that proceed from it. The Author of the Poem concerning Sodom, seems to have thought of the fame thing, for he concludes al with these Verfes. Hæ He Sodomum & Gomorum fignata in fcecula pana Gentibus injuftis, queis pectora dura timorem Inq; unum Dominum rerum spectare docebunt, The adjoyning Country which escaped the waters of the Lacus Afphaltites, was, as Mofes calls it, Deut. 19. 23. Brimftone, Salt and Combustion; that is to fay, burnt up with a fulphureous Fire, and changed into a Salt, and confequently va barren Soil. The Holy Writers, when they wou'd terrifie Sinners with the moft horrible Punishments, are used to compare them with thofe of the Sodomites; fee Ifaiah 13. 19. and c. 34. 10. Jeremiah 20. 16. and c. 50.40. Lamentations 4.6. Ezekiel 16. 49. Hofea 11.8. Amos 4. 11. St. Luke 17.29. St. Peter Ep. 2. c. 2. 6. They feem likewife to allude to this, or rather use Expreffions-borrowed from hence, when they defcribe the Torments of the other World, under the representation of eternal Fire, of Smoak afcending for ever, of a Lake burning with Fire and Brimftone; as Revelations, o. 14. v. 10, II. c. 21. 8. Likewife the Heathen Poets, because perhaps they looked upon these vulcano's or fiery Mountains, to be as it were the Chimnies of Hell, feigned, that there were Rivers of burning Brimstone in the Regions below. VII. But to omit a farther difquifition of this matter, because it requires a larger Volume; we shall rather chufe to obferve, That several circumftances of a Fable in Ovid's Metamorphofes, l. 8. feem to derive their Original from this Hiftory; as, 1. Jupiter and Mercury, like the two Angels in this Story, put on human Shape, and travel among men. 2. They meet with very barbarous, inhofpitable Men, just as among the Sodomites, they fhewed no manner of relpect to Strangers. Jupiter buc fpecie mortali, cumq; parente 73. Tamen una recepit. But one House at last received them; and fo Lot gave a Lodging to the Angels, who muft otherwife have paffed the Night in the Streets. 4. At last Jupiter and Mercury confefs themfelves to be Gods, and threaten to punish the Neighbourhood. So do the two Angels, Diiq; fumus, meritafq; dabit vicinia pænas 5. These Deities fave Baucis and Philemon, as the Angels doe Lot and his Family. -Vobis |