the nest; that the land also of the Philistines was to be destroyed-the sea-coasts to be dwellings for shepherds and folds for flocks; that the remnant would perish; that Gaza would be bereaved of its king, of its wealth, and of its fortifications; that the inhabitant would be cut off from Ashdod; that Ashkelon would be a desolation without an inhabitant, and that Ekron would be rooted up. Of Lebanon it was prophesied that its branches were to fall, its cedars to be devoured; and (although it was covered with trees for eight hundred years after the prophecy was delivered) that the trees of this forest were to be few, that a child might write them.-And, in one word, it may be said that all these prophecies, however marvellous they may seem, are at this hour, as proved by the most unexceptionable and abundant evidence, literally fulfilled.

EDOM, Or IDUMEA, forms the only other boundary of Judea, and the prophecies concerning it remain to be briefly considered. And here again we may appeal to Volney, in the first instance, as the readiest witness. The prophecies are so remarkable that they shall be given somewhat at length.

From generation to generation it (Idumea) shall lie waste, none shall pass through it for ever and ever. But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also, and the raven, shall dwell in it, and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there; and all her princes shall

I

be nothing. And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof; and it shall be a habitation for dragons and a court for owls. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island; and the satyr (or hairy creature) shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay and hatch, and gather under her shadow; there shall the vultures also be gathered every one with her mate. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate; for my mouth it hath commanded, and his Spirit it hath gathered them. And he shall cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line; they shall possess it for ever-from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.*-Concerning Edom thus saith the Lord of hosts: Is wisdom no more in Teman? Is counsel perished from the prudent? I will bring the captivity of Esau upon him, the time that I wil. visit him. If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough. But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself. Behold they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall go altogether unpunished? Thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. I have sworn Isa. xxxiv. 5, 10-17.

by mysef, saith the Lord, that Bozrah (the strong or fortified city) shall become a desolation a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. Lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. Thy terribleness hath de

ceived thee and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill. Though thou shouldst make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Also Edom shall be a desolation; every one that goeth by shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither. shall a son of man dwell in it.* Thus saith the Lord, I will stretch forth mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it, and I will make it desolate from Teman.† The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God, I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate. Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return. When the whole earth rejoiceth I will make thee desolate. Thou shalt be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Idumea * Jerem. xlix. 7—10, 12—18. + Ezek. xxv. 13.

even all of it. And they shall know that I am the Lord.* Edom shall be a desolate wilderness. I have made thee small among the heathen, thou art greatly despised.-The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high.-— Shall I not destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau ?— The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions, but there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau.t I laid the mountains of Esau and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts.-They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them the border of wickedness.' Is there any land, once inhabited and opulent, so utterly desolate? There is, and that land is Idumea. And all may now know that He who spoke such judgments concerning it, is the Lord.

Idumea was situated to the south and southeast of Judea. It bordered on the east with Arabia Petræa, under which name it was included in the latter part of its history; and it extended southward to the eastern gulf of the Red Sea. A single extract from the travels of Volney will be found to be equally illustrative of the prophecy and of the fact. This country has not been visited by any traveller, but it well merits such an attention; for from the report of the Arabs of Bakir, and the inhabitants of Gaza, who * Ezek. xxxv. 1, &c. Joel iii. 19. † Obad. ver. 2, 3, 8, 17, 18

Mal. i. 3, 4.

frequently go to Maan and Karak, on the road of the pilgrims, there are to the south-east of the lake Asphaltites, (Dead Sea,) within three days journey, upwards of thirty ruined towns absolutely deserted. The Arabs, in general, avoid them, on account of the enormous scorpions with which they swarm. We cannot be surprised at these traces of ancient population, when we recollect that this was the country of the Nabatheans, the most powerful of the Arabs, and of the Idumeans who, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, were almost as numerous as the Jews. Besides the advantages of being under a tolerably good government, these districts enjoyed a considerable share of the commerce of Arabia and India, which increased their industry and population. We know that as far back as the time of Solomon, the cities of Astioum Gaber (Esion Gaber) and Ailah (Eloth) were highly frequented marts. The Idumeans, from whom the Jews only took their ports at intervals, must have found in them a great source of wealth and population.'* Evidence which must have been undesigned, which cannot be suspected of partiality, and which no illustration can strengthen, and no ingenuity pervert, is thus borne to the truth of the most wonderful prophecies. That the Idumeans were a populous and powerful nation at a time long after the delivery of the prophecies; that they possessed a tolerably good government, (even in the estimation of Volney ;) that Idumea contained many cities; that these Volney's Travels, vol. ii. p. 344, &c.