Of human facrifice, and parents tears, 396 Though for the noise of drums and timbrels loud the name Moloch fignifies king, and he is call'd horrid king, because of the human facrifices which were made to him. This idol is fuppofed by fome to be the fame as Saturn, to whom the Heathens facrificed their children, and by others to be the Sun. It is faid in Scripture that the children passed through the fire to Moloch, and our author employs the fame expreffion, by which we must understand not that they always actually burnt their children in honor of this idol, but fometimes made them only leap over the flames, or pafs nimbly between two fires, to purify them by that luftration, and confecrate them to this falfe deity. The Rabbins affure us that the idol Moloch was of brafs, fitting on a throne of the fame metal, and wearing a royal crown, having the head of a calf and his arms extended to receive the miferable victims which were to be confumed in the flames; and therefore it is very probably ftiled here his grim idol. He was the God of the Ammonites, and is called the abomination of the children of Audacious Ammon, 1 Kings XI. 7. and was worshipped in Rabba, the capital city of the Ammonites, which David conquer'd, and took from thence the crown of their God Milcolm as fome render the words 2 Sam. XII. 30. and this Rabba being called the city of waters, 2 Sam. XII. 27. it is here faid Rabba and her watry plain: and likewife in Argob and in Bafan, neighbouring countries to Rabba and fubject to the Ammonites, as far as to the stream of utmost Arnon, which river was the boundary of their country on the fouth. Solomon built a temple to Moloch on the mount of Olives, 1 Kings XI. 7. therefore called that opprobrious hili; and high places and facrifices were made to him in the pleafant valley of Hinnom, Jer. VII. 31. which lay fouth-east of Jerufalem, and was called likewife Tophet from the Hebrew Toph a drum, drums and fuch like noify inftruments being used to drown the cries of the miferable children who were offer'd to this idol; and Gehenna or the valley of Hinnom is in feveral places of the New 400 Audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart New Teftament, and by our Saviour himself made the name and type of Hell, by reafon of the fire that was kept up there to Moloch, and of the horrid groans and outcries of human facrifices. We might inlarge much more upon each of these idols, and produce a heap of learned authorities and quotations; but we endevor to be as fhort as we can, and fay no more than may serve as a fufficient commentary to explain and illuftrate our author. 406. Next Chemos, &c.] He is rightly mention'd next after Moloch, as their names are join'd together in Scripture 1 Kings XI. 7. and it was a natural transition from the God of the Ammonites to the God of their neighbours the Moabites. St. Jerom and feveral learned men affert Chemos and Baal Peor to be only different names for the fame idol, and fuppofe him to be the fame with Priapus or the idol of turpitude, and therefore called here th' obscene dread of Moab's fons, from Aroar, a city upon the river Arnon, the boun 405 From dary of their country to the north, afterwards belonging to the tribe of Gad, to Nebo, a city eastward, afterwards belonging to the tribe of Reuben, and the wild of fouthmoft Abarim, a ridge of mountains the boundary of their country to the fouth; in Hefebon or Hefhbon, and Horonaim, Seon's realm, two cities of the Moabites, taken from them by Sihon king of the Amorites, Numb. XXI. 26. beyond the flow'ry dale of Sibma, clad with vines, a place famous for vineyards, as appears from Jer. XLVIII. 32. O vine of Sibmah I will weep for thee, and Eleälé, another city of the Moabites not far from Hefhbon, to th' Afphaltic pool, the Dead Sea, fo call'd from the Afphaltus or bitumen abounding in it; the river Jordan empties itself into it, and that river and this fea were the boundary of the Moabites to the weft. It was this God under the name of Baal Peor, that the Ifraelites were induced to worship in Sittim, and committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab, `for which there died of the plague twenty From Aroar to Nebo, and the wild Of fouthmoft Abarim; in Hefebon The flow'ry dale of Sibma clad with vines, 410 Peor his other name, when he entic'd Ifrael in Sittim on their march from Nile To do him wanton rites, which coft them woe. twenty and four thoufand, as we read in Numb. XXV. His high places were adjoining to thofe of Moloch on the mount of Olives, therefore called here that bill of Jeandal as before that opprobrious bill, for Solomon did build an high place for Chemof the abomination of Moab in the hill that is before Jerufalem, and for Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon, 1 Kings XI. 7. But good Jofiah brake in pieces their images, and cut down their groves. See 2 Kings XXIII. 13, 14. 415. orgies] Wild frantic rites; generally by orgies are understood the feafts of Bacchus, because they were fuch, but any other mad ceremonies may be fo call'd, as here the lewd ones of Chemos or Peor. Richardfon. 417.-luft hard by hate;] What 415 419.-from the bord'ring flood Of old Euphrates &c.] It is rightly call'd old, being mention'd by the oldest hiftorian in the earliest accounts of time, Gen. II. 14. And it is likewife called the bord'ring flood, being the utmost limit or border eastward of the promis'd land, according to Gen. XV. 18. Unto thy feed bave I given this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: and the Pfalmift, speaking of the vine that was brought out of Egypt, fays Pfal. LXXX. 11. fhe fent out her Of Moloch homicide, luft hard by hate; Till good Jofiah drove them thence to Hell. Egypt from Syrian ground, had general names 425 Nor from Michael Pfellus his dialogue about the operation of Demons, where a story is related of a Demon's appearing in the shape of a woman; and upon this a doubt is rais'd whether fome Demons are males, and others females; and it is afferted that they can affume either fex, and take what fhape and color they pleafe, and contract or dilate themfelves at pleasure, as they are of an aery nature. dio xai εκαςΘ- γε αυτών, τοτε σωμα πριν ὁ αν αίροι το σχημα μετατυπώσας, και χρωματων τινών είδος προς το τε σου ματος εξανίσχων πέρας, ποτε μεν ὡς ανηρ εμφανίζεται, ποτε δε προς γυναίκ μεταβάλλει μορφην &c. See Μιχαηλε του Ψελλού περί ενέργειας δαιμονων δια Aoyos P. 70. 77. Edit. Lutet. Parif. 1613. Such an extraordinary fcholar was Milton, and fuch ufe he made of all forts of authors. Nor founded on the brittle ftrength of bones, Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose Dilated or condens'd, bright or obfcure, Can execute their aery purposes, 430 And works of love or enmity fulfil. For thofe the race of Ifrael oft forfook Their living ftrength, and unfrequented left To beftial Gods; for which their heads as low 435 437. With thefe in troop &c.] Aftereth or Aftarte was the Goddefs of the Phenicians, and the moon was adored under this name. She is rightly fad to come in troop with Afhitaroth, as fhe was one of them, the moon with the ftars. Sometimes he is called queen of Heaven, Jer. VII. 18. and XLIV. 17, 18. She is likewife called the Goddess of the Zidonians, 1 Kings XI. 5. and the abomination of the Zidenians, 2 Kings XXIII. 13. as the was worshipped very much in Zidon or Sidon, a famous city of the Phoenicians, fituated upon the Mediterranean. Solomon, who had many wives that were forcigners, was prevail'd upon by them to introduce the worthip of this Goddefs into Ifracl, Kings XI. 5. and built her temple on the mount of Olives, which on account of this and other idols is called the mountain of corruption, 2 Kings Of XXIII. 13. as here by the poet the offenfive mountain, and before that opprobious hill, and that bill of fcandal. 446. Thammuz came next &c.] The account of Thammuz is finely romantic, and fuitable to what we read among the Ancients of the worfhip which was paid to that idol. The reader will pardon me, if I infert as a note on this beautiful paffage, the account given us by the late ingenious Mr. Maundrel of this ancient piece of worflip, and probably the firft occafion of fuch a fuperftition. 64 "We came to a fair large river doubtlefs the ancient river Adonis, fo famous for the idolatrous "rites performed here in lamen"tation of Adonis. We had the "fortune to fee what may be fuppofed to be the occafion of that "opinion 66 |