those that enjoyed them; and the earth with the things thereon, the inferior people; and the lowest parts of the earth called Hades, or Hell, the lowest or most miserable part of them. Great earthquakes, and the shaking of heaven and earth, are put for the shaking of kingdoms, so as to distract and overthrow them; the creating a new heaven and earth, and the passing of an old one, or the beginning and end of a world, for the rise and ruin of a body politic, signified thereby. The sun, for the whole species and race of kings, in the kingdoms of the world politic; the moon, for the body of the common people, considered as the king's wife; the stars, for subordinate princes and great men; or for bishops and rulers of the people of God, when the sun is Christ; setting of the sun, moon, and stars; darkening the sun, turning the moon into blood, and falling of the stars, for the ceasing of a kingdom." Sir Isaac Newton's Observations on the Prophecies. Part I. Chap. 2. See Language.

ECCLESIASTES. The author of this book in examining into the nature, order, quality, and end, of all creation, oftentimes assumes the position (for the sake of argument) of an opposer, or an infidel; and stating in the language of an infidel, the reasons that the opposer would advance, combats them, and demonstrates that "all is vanity and vexation of spirit." Thus, in chap. iii., from verse 18 to 22, he adopts this course; but in the first verse of the next chapter he says, “ So I returned,” &c.; and again after pursuing the same course, he says in the seventh verse of this chapter "Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.” And after going repeatedly into the enemy's arguments, and again as often returning, he concludes the whole book with these remarkable works; "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole

matter; FEAR GOD, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: FOR For God shall bring

THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN.

every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccles. xii. 13,

14.

EDAR signifies literally "the tower of the flocks," and originally applied to any retreat, or shelter, for shepherds with their flocks. Subsequently one of the gates of Jerusalem was called Edar. Moses evidently applied it in the former sense, to some safe and usual retreat for the flocks. (Gen. xxxv. 21.) The contrary opinion, involves a manifest absurdity, viz.: Israel spreading his tent in Jerusalem!

EGYPT. A much renowned kingdom of antiquity, situated in Africa, between 24 and 33 degrees of north latitude, and 48 and 53 degrees of east longitude, being 600 miles long, and 300 broad; bounded on the south by Ethiopia; on the north by the Mediterranean sea; on the east by the Arabian gulf, or the Red sea, and the isthmus of Suez; and on the west by Libya. It is said to have derived its name from Ham, the son of Noah, whence it is frequently in the book of Psalms styled the land of Ham. But the name by which it is generally denoted in scripture, is the land of Misraim, who was a son of Ham; from whence the Arabians and other oriental nations still call it Mesr; but the etymology of the word Egypt is variously accounted for.

Among all the nations of antiquity, there is none more worthy of attention than Egypt. If not the birth-place it was the early protector of the sciences, and cherished every species of knowledge, which was known or cultivated in remote times. It was the principal source from

whence the Greeks derived their information, and after all its windings and enlargements, we may still trace the stream of our knowledge to the banks of the Nile. Every ancient nation lays claims to a higher origin than legitimate history can sanction; and the Egyptians not only boast of being the most ancient people in the world, but they evidently extend their claims to a fabulous period. This proud nation, fondly conceited of its own antiquity, as Rollin expresses it, thought it glorious to lose itself in an abyss of infinite ages, as though it would carry back its pretensions to eternity. But though such extravagant claims are quite inadmissible, it cannot be denied that Egypt was the cradle of the Hebrew nation. Joseph being carried thither and sold as a slave, he was, through the over-ruling hand of Providence, raised to the rank of governor, and made Viceroy of all Egypt. Hither he invited his father and all his family, in number about seventy-five persons; and after an abode of four hundred and thirty years they departed thence in number six hundred thousand men capable of bearing arms, besides women and children.

The Egyptians were, at a very early period of their history, greatly addicted to idolatry; and if we may believe the Greeks and Romans, who have ridiculed their excessive superstition, they carried their idolatry further than any other people, even to the worshipping of the sun, moon, and stars, men, animals, and plants. They had so many dif ferent creatures to represent their deities, that there was scarcely an animal of the brute creation that was not sacred to some one of their gods. Even the beetle made a considerable figure in their temples. "Egypt,” says Herodotus, "abounds with beasts, yet are they all, both wild and tame, accounted sacred. Cicero says, "the Egyptians had stricter notions of the sacredness of

their beasts than the Romans have of the sanctity of their temples, or the statues of their gods." It was to imitate their worship that the Hebrews sacrificed to the golden calf in the wilderness; and Jeroboam instituted similar idolatrous worship among his subjects. And Moses informs us that the beasts which the Hebrews sacrificed were the objects of idolatrous worship among the Egyptians. Exod. viii. 26.

Among nations who are not blessed by divine revelátion, the luminaries of heaven are the first objects of worship. Diodorus Siculus, mentioning the Egyptians, informs us, "that the first men, looking up to the world above them, and struck with admiration at the nature of the universe, supposed the sun and moon to be the principal and eternal gods." This, which may be called the natural superstition of mankind, we can trace in the annals of the west, as well as of the east; among the inhabitants of the new world, as well as of the old. The sun and moon, under the names of Isis and Osiris, were the chief objects of adoration among the Egyptians. An order of men, like the priests of Egypt, who were devoted to science, and studied the phenomena of nature, discovered, in the progress of time, that these were the noblest production and most powerful agents of the Divine power, and began to recognize a Supreme Being, who created the heavens, and presides over the universe. The following inscription, engraven in hieroglyphics in the temple of Neith, the Egyptian Minerva, conveys the most sublime idea of the Deity which unenlightened reason could form: "I am that which is, was, and shall be; no mortal hath lifted up my veil; the offspring of my power is the sun.” A similar inscription still remains at Capua, on the temple of Isis-"Thou art one, and from thee all things proceed." Plutarch also informs us,

that the inhabitants of Thebais worshipped only the im mortal and supreme God, whom they called Eneph. According to their cosmogony, all things sprung from athor, or night, by which they denoted the darkness of chaos before the creation. Sanchoniathon relates, that "from the breath of gods and the void, were mortals created." This theology differs little from that of Moses, who says, "the earth was without form, and void; darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

In the midst of innumerable superstitions, the theology of Egypt contained the two great principles of religion, the existence of a supreme being, and the immortality of the soul. The first is proved by the inscription on the temple of Minerva; the second by the care with which dead bodies were embalmed, and the prayer recited at the hour of death, by an Egyptian, expressing his desire to be received to the presence of the deities.

There is no country, of which more frequent mention is made in Scripture than of Egypt. For even after the times of David and Solomon, this country was the subject of many of the predictions of the prophets. Isaiah, for instance, delivers a prediction concerning it, which takes up chap. xviii. and xix. of his writings. Jeremiah is still more copious in his predictions concerning Egypt, in chap. xlii. to xlvi. inclusive. But most of all are the writings of Ezekiel directed to this particular subject. See chap. xxix. xxx. xxxi. and xxxii.

The predictions in the inspired writings concerning the invasion and conquest of Egypt, and the subsequent character of its inhabitants, are no less remarkable than striking. This celebrated kingdom was distinguished among the nations by its antiquity, splendour, military glory, and renown in the arts and sciences. By tracing