Afhteret, as if it were the fame. As the Worship was paid to the Representations, of which there were. many, it does not determine, or indeed imply, that they intended to exprefs by it more Objects or Powers than One, except as they term'd each mafculine and feminine. Affyria, and another Place, were nam'd from this: So the Son of Shem, and one of Jacob's Sons: So a Perfon was named, 1 Chron. iv. Ashral. Another 1 Chron. xxv. Afbrelah. It appears by what Maachah the Queen did, 1 Kings xv. 13, that one of them was a Female Power, a Goddefs, of which hereafter; for which 2 Chron. xv. 16. her Son removed her from her Royal Dignity. 1 Kings xviii. 19, There were four Hundred Prophets to this Power. 2 Kings xxiii. 7, the Women wove Hangings to make Temples for thefe Images. The Image of this was fet in the Temple, 2 Kings xxi. 7. And he put

16,

2,

גבירה

I

the Grave Image of the את פסל האשרה

Bleffer, which he had made, in the Houfe of which Jehovah had faid in this Houfe will I put my Name for ever. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 7. And he fet on AN the carved Image of Samel which he had made in the House of the Aleim, of which the Aleim had faid-in this House, will VOL. IV.

T

I

I put my Name for ever. As they would not fhew us what Abrah was, so they have not fhew'd us what Samel, which ftands in its Stead, was. Deut. iv. 16. Left ye corrupt your felves, and make you

the Similitude תמונה,agraven Image פסל כל־ סמל

of GDD any the Likeness of Male

or Female. Ezek. viii. 3. Where was the Seat of D of Jealousy. ver. 5. Northward at the Gate of the Altar was DD of Fealousy in the Entry. C. Chald. Samel malignant Angel, namely, of Death, and is called the Prince of the Air. Gen. iii. 6. Job xxviii. 7,

סמא-סמאל

-סמאל

al". Tho' the late Jews pretend to be clear of thefe Crimes, it appears otherwise by their Books, cited B C. 1495, 3NDD"Hence they give, or offer Gifts to him as an Advocate of Court, in the Feast of Propitiation, left he accufe the Jews upon Account of their Sins. Whence that Saying, "Give a Gift to Samael in the Day of Propitiation." They labour to prove this Satan which tempted Eve. Indeed it was the Power which Satan made the Serpent perfonate, the Power of the Air. To excufe this, which is gone Abroad in their Books, they would mend the Matter well; perfuade their People to offer Sacrifice to the Devil, in the Day of Propitiation, to

perfuade

perfuade him not to accufe them. I fuppofe this Improvement is fince the Alcoran. It feems, by the Words, as if this Image was, or by what the Queen did, was made an Hermaphodrite. As this was attributing to the Emblems what was to be the chief A& in the Performance of the Covenant, calling this Object the Bleffed, or Bleffer, and fetting the Emblem of this imaginary Female Representation in the Temple of the Effence exifting, was, perhaps, the highest Crime that ever was committed in this falfe Worship. There are many Orders to destroy thefe Images, and many Precepts and Threatnings to deter them from worshipping these, and to punish them for what they had done: And 2 Kings xxi. 11, &c. Jer. xv. 4, fetting this

Image in the Temple is affign'd for the Crime for which they were carry'd into Captivity. There was one Species of Trees a Representation of this Power, which they conftrue the Box-Tree. This emblematically explains the Meaning of the great Mystery both in the Old and New Teftament; Abraham, and his Line; Jacob, and his Line; fo David and his Line, were to be the Bleffed, or Bleffers; the Producers of the Humanity which was to contain the Light. So all who accepted that Benefit, would blefs thofe of that T 2 Line

Line who begot, in Succeffion, Her who fhould bring forth the Blefler, containing the Light; and for that, as pronounced, would themfelves be bleffed. And those who did not blefs that Line for producing that Bleffer, or curfe or contemn them for that, as pronounced, would themselves be curfed. Hence the Virgin Mary fays, Luke i. 48, For behold from henceforth all Generations fhall call me bleffed, (or bless me)

This takes off the feeming Harfhness of many Speeches, and the Sufpicion of Uncharitablenefs in David and the other Prophets. Those who fee nothing themselves, think none else, not even the inspir'd Men, could fee any Thing. David, and all the People of Ifrael knew, that the Aleim had establifh'd the Covenant in him and his Line; fo he and they were to be joint Operators in producing this Bleffer: So the Bleflings by him. David, was then what Pharoah commanded to be attributed to Jofeph, by a Word well known among the Heathens, Gen. xli. 43, 78, the bleffed Father, or Father of the Blef fing: In David the Father of the Bleffer. Tho' the Defign or Attempt was the furtheft any could go; to put the Cafe: If it had been poffible, after this, to have cut off David

David without Iffuc, the Covenant had been void. And fuppofing he who attempted it knew that, he was thereby, ipfo facto, curled and any one, much more David, or others who had the Spirit of Prophecy, had, or has Right or Reafon, either perfonally, or generally, for himself and others; nay, all Generations would . have had juft Occafion to pronounce him, or any fuch, or any who doth endeavour to defeat that Defign, curfed, odious, &c. and will have to pronounce any fuch, as long as they oppofe that Defign, as much as they have to pronounce the Devil the grand Oppofer fo. Hence Chrift, for the fame Reason, Mark viii. 33, 33, call'd Peter SATAN,

Tho' all the Patriarchs, and laftly the Virgin Mary, were the Givers, tho' fhe immediately, of this Bleffer, and might and ought to be bleffed by Men, were themselves to be bleffed by him; (not for producing his Humanity,) as Luke xi. 28, but rather for hearing and keeping the Word of his Divinity; thofe who place the Image of the Producer of the Humanity in the Temple of the Effence exifting, or blefs it or Her to any other End, go far beyond their Commiffion.

שמש