God, faith the LORD God." This fhews that, their exalted ftate will then be as far above what it is at prefent, as is that of man above the brute creation; for during this dreadful captivity, they were, 26 as a lamb led to the flaughter, and as a sheep before her fhearers, is dumb." But at the reftoration, they will enjoy the preeminence of

man.

The Prophet having thus prophefied of the future happiness of the nation, proceeds immediately to prophefy of Seir; which is the fourth beast mentioned by Daniel; and denotes the Romans, who deftroyed the temple, and carried us captive; and in which captivity, we remain to this day. And therefore, the downfall of Seir, is connected with the redemption of Ifrael: Chap. xxxv. I- '4. "Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, faying; Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophefy against

* How exactly this hath been fulfilled, will be fhewn at large in the fecond part of this work; when we come to confider those prophecies, which Chriftians only apply to the Meffiah; but which will be fhewn not to be applicable to the Meffiah.

it

it, And fay unto it, Thus faith the LORD God; Behold, I (am) against thee, O mount Seir, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and will make thee a defolation and an aftonishment. Thy cities I will lay wafte, and thou shalt be defolate; and thou fhalt know that I (am) the LORD."

And, because the hatred of Edom to the children of Ifrael, hath been perpetual, even from the very birth of Efau ; they are therefore to be made a perpetual desolation: ver. "Because thou haft borne a per5-II. petual hatred, and haft shed* (the blood of ) the children of Ifrael by the fword, in the time of their calamity, in the time of (the punishment of) iniquity, (even in) the end† (thereof;) Therefore, (as) I live, faith the LORD God, furely in blood will I deal with thee, and blood fhall purfue thee: fince thou haft not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue thee. Thus will I make mount Seir a defolation and an aftonishment, and will

Heb. And didst pour out.

This denotes the deftruction of the fecond temple by the Romans; as being the laft captivity, and which will be the end of their punishment.

cut

cut off from it him that paffeth out, and him that returneth. And I will fill thy* mountains with thy flain: (as for) thine hills, and thy vallies, and all thy ftreams, they that are flain by the sword shall fall therein. I will make thee perpetual + defolations, and thy cities fhall not be inhabited ‡, and ye fhall know that I (am) the LORD." For this deftruction of Edom, (which is the fourth beaft) will be fo great and extraordinary, that they will be fully convinced, that it is the finger of God, that hath done it. And all this will be,

faid, Thefe two nations

"Because thou haft

and these two coun

tries fhall be mine, and we will poffefs it: whereas the LORD was there: Therefore, (as) I live, faith the LORD God, I will do according to thine anger, and according to envy, which thou haft used from thine

thine envy,

hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I fhall judge thee."

* Heb. His.

Heb. Everlasting defolations.

Or return: that is, the inhabitants shall not re

turn, as fhall thofe of Ifrael.

Ifrael and Judah.

His holy temple.

The

The Prophet then proceeds to speak of the erroneous doctrines and opinions which they have promulgated, in oppofition to the word of God; efpecially that of the miraculous conception; of the trinity, &c. And also that Ifrael was to be perfecuted to death and deftruction; and totally destroyed : because they crucified the lord of life. ver. 12—~13. "And thou fhalt know that I (am) the LORD, (and that) I have heard all thy biafphemies which thou haft spoken against the mountains of Ifrael, faying, They are laid defolate, unto us are they given to be devour. ed. Thus with your mouth have ye magnified (yourselves) against me, and multiplied your words against me: I have heard (them).

The Prophet then goes on to fhew that, the whole earth fhall rejoice at their desolation as the world will then be freed from intolerance and fuperftition: ver. 14—-15. "Thus faith the LORD God; when the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee defolate. As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the houfe of Ifrael, because it was defolate, fo will I do unto thee: thou shalt be defolate, O mount Seir; and all Edom,

(even)

(even) all of it: and they fhall know that I am the LORD.”

And, because the confolation and redemption of Ifrael will arife from the desolation of Edom; the Prophet therefore received the following vision. Chap. xxxvi. ver. 1ft &c. "Alfo, thou son of man, prophefy unto the mountains of Ifrael, and fay, Ye mountains of Ifrael, hear the word of the LORD: Thus faith the LORD God: Because the enemy hath faid against you. Aha! even the ancient high places are become our poffeffion : Therefore prophefy, and fay; Thus faith the LORD God: Because they have made (you) defolate, and swallowed you up on every fide, that ye might be a poffeffion to the refidue of the nations; and ye are taken up in the speech of every tongue, and (in) the defamation of (every) people;"

By "the refidue of the nations," the Prophet alluded to the Saracens, Turks, &c. who alfo at different times had poffeffion of it for the land of Ifrael had for a long time been a bone of contention between the Chriftians and Mahometans; as is well known from the Croifade, or holy war, (as it was called) which the Christian powers waged