to thee. We meet the fame Expreffion, 2 Chron. 13.5. Now Salt feems to be a fymbol of Eternity, because things that are feason'd with it, continue incorrupt for many Years; which perhaps is the reason why this word is ufed to fignifie duration of time. And if this fignifica tion may be admitted, Lot's Wife may be understood to have continued always in the Country of Sodom, or there to have been benumb'd, and never to have return'd back.

Thus we fee there is nothing in Mofes's words which obliges us to fuppofe, that any unusual Metamorphofts happen'd in this cafe, in order to find out any meaning, in them; and yet we ought not to have recourfe to this forry shift, unless after a diligent inquiry into the Signification of his Words, we were convinced they cou'd bear no other meaning: For fince thofe Prodigies, which are above the power of Nature, very rarely happen in comparison of those. that may be effected by it; we ought feldom to admit of any Miracle in the Interpretation of Scripture, unless there be an urgent occafion for it..

III. When God is pleased to work any Miracle, that is, fomething which cannot be done according to the Rules of Nature, as they were at firft establifh'd; there is fome important Reafon, why the All-wife Governour of the Univerfe neglects the Laws of Nature, and makes ufe of his infinite Prerogative; because it is by no means consistent with his Wisdom, frequent

y to break that Order for trivial Causes, which -he at the Creation instituted with the highest Reason. Now if we carefully examine this wonderful Metamorphofts of Lot's Wife, we shall find nothing in this whole affair that feems to deferve fo great a Miracle. 'Twas enough that this undiscreet Woman was punished by Death for her Dilatoriness; nor did the Angels threaten to inflict any thing beyond this, fave thy life, faid he, and don't look behind thee, nor tarry in the Plain, but fly to the Mountain, least thou fhould ft perish. Nor was there the leaft necef fity for a Miracle to deftroy her, as we fhall ~presently demonstrate.

Befides, Who can digeft this abfurd turning of her into Salt? where any thing of this nature is related in Scripture, there are evident convincing Reasons, why fuch and fuch Miracles, and no other, fhould be wrought. A Man of the meaneft capacity knows why Mofes's Rod was changed into a Serpent, and Water into Wine, at the Marriage in Cana. But here, if we were to refign our Faith up blindly to the Interpreters,a strange and sudden Change is wrought for no reason at all; for I wou'd willingly be inform'd, why Lot's Wife was rather turn'd into Salt, than into a Stone.

Some People pretend this was done, because the Earth itself being converted into Salt, as Mofes informs us, Deut. 29. emitted a faline Vapour, which penerating the flesh of the Woman, he was immediately turn'd into Salt.

But

But those that have diligently examin'd the nature of Salt tell us, that this terreftrial Salt is fixt, as the Chymifts exprefs it; that is, does not spend itself in Vapours. Nevertheless,fhou'd we grant what they fo confidently affirm, yet a human Body, tho' it were never fo much impregnated with thofe Vapours, wou'd not on the fudden be changed into Salt. Befides, tho' the Earth where Lot's Wife perifhed,is faid to be Salt, yet it abounds in a far greater quantity of Bitumen and Brimstone; fo that if the were to be changed into fome Matter of near affinity with that Earth, fhe might much more conveniently have been turn'd into a Fountain of Bitumen or Brimstone.

Others, in which number we find Clem. Alexandrinus, give us a myftical Reason why the was turn'd into Salt. Lot's Wife, fays he, who of her own accord alone relapsed to the vices of the World, he left fenfelefs, and made her as it were a Stone of Salt, and commanded her to go no farther: No infipid, or unprofitable Image, but to feafon and whet up those who have a Spritual Difcernment, Strom. lib. 2. p. 387. We meet with the fame ftrain of Reasoning in St. Austin, de Civ. Dei. lib. 16. c. 3. But any one may fee how far fetched and Oratorical this fort of Argumentation is, it may ferve well enough for the Pulpit, or a popular Harangue, but can never fatisfie a Philofophical Ear, which is not to be impofed upon by fuch miferable Rhetorick.

Aben Ezra is of opinion, that Lot's Wife was burnt by Fire, which had fome Salt mixt with it, fo that he was as it were seasoned by that Salt; and he endeavours to prove that Salt fell down from Heaven with the Fire, which was likewife the fentiment of H Grotius,from Deut. 29. v. 22. But Mofes fpeaks not a fyllable of any Salt falling down from Heaven, neither can it be deduced from his words, as any confider ing Reader will foon discover, or might know from what has been already faid. But how this burnt Soil came to be faltish, we fhall fhew in our Annotations upon that place of Deuteronamy. We may likewife add to what has been mention'd above, against thofe Gentlemen who maintain,that this Statue of Salt has lafted for fo many thousand Years; that altho' it were made of Salt, which equall'd that which is foffil in hardness, yet being expos'd fo long to the open Air, cou'd not have lafted fo long. The hardeft Marble cou'd scarce have fuffer'd the force of the Air, of heat, and cold, and rain, and wind, without being confiderably injured. They that pretend it was preferv'd by a Miracle, are fo accuftom'd to defend uncertain Miracles, by more uncertain ones, and are fo feldom convinced by the moft cogent Reasons in the World, that 'tis not worth the while to confute them.

Therefore fince fo many monftrous Abfur dities ftare us in the Face, if with the generality of Mankind, we admit of a Metamorphofts here, and Mofes's words will very well allow of ano

ther

ther meaning, 'tis more preferable in my Opinion, to have recourse to that, especially if 'tis more agreeable to Reason. Nay, tho' the Words of the facred Hiftorian were wrested a little, which we have not done, as is fufficiently evident already, and will be made more plain hereafter. It were better to father a hard Interpretation upon them, than to introduce him fpeaking Abfurdities. 'Tis certainly much more credible, that Mofes uled an improper Phrase, than that he deliver'd plain downright Incongruities, and therefore a forced Interpretation wou'd be infinitely more tolerable, than to feign a prodigious Event, meerly for the fake of expounding two poor doubtful words at beft.

IV. But we are oppofed, they fay, by the Authority of the ancient Jews and Chriftians; fome Citations out of whom we will produce, besides those we have already brought, least any one should suppose, that we purposely fuppreft or omitted them. The Author of the Book of Wisdom, ch. 10.7. a perpetual Teftimony of Wickedness, a fmoaking Earth, and Plants bringing forth Fruit at unfeasonable times; compare this with the 7th. verse of St. Jude, mentioned in the former Differtation, a Pillar of Salt, ftanding for a Monument of an unbelieving Mind. Philo likewife frequently takes notice of this Metamorphofis, as we gather from the two above-cited places out of him, to which we will add this third out of the Allega