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mentioned, many literati in Europe had a wonderful desire to see it, thinking that, no doubt, many secrets and unknown histories might be drawn from it. Upon this, some impostor, getting an Ethiopic book into his hands, wrote for the title, The Prophesies of Enoch, upon the front page of it. M. Pierise no sooner heard of it than he purchased it of the impostor for a considerable sum of money. Being placed afterwards in Cardinal Mazarine's library, where Mr. Ludolf had access to it, he found it was but a Gnostic book upon mysteries of heaven and earth, but which mentioned not a word of Enoch or his prophecy, from beginning to end; and from this disappointment he takes upon him to deny the existence of any such book any where else. This, however, is a mistake; for, as a public return for the many obligations I had received from every rank of that most humane, polite, scientific nation, and more especially from the sovereign, Louis XV, I gave to his cabinet a part of every thing curious I had collected abroad, which was received with that degree of consideration and attention that cannot fail to determine every traveller of a liberal mind to follow my example.

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Amongst the articles I consigned to the library at Paris, was a very beautiful and magnificent copy of the Prophecies of Enoch, in large quarto; another is amongst the books of scripture which I brought home, standing immediately before the book of Job, which is its proper place in the Abys

sinian canon; and a third copy I have presented to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, by the hands of Dr. Douglas, the Bishop of Carlisle.' And concerning the passage in Jude, he says as follows:

And, indeed, the quotation is, word for word, the same in the second chapter of the book.' Bruce's Travels, folio, Vol. I. p. 497-499. I will not tell my reader how much my ears have itched to hear the contents of that book.

But, as for the book in my text, I believe it to be no other than the writings of Moses, which contain several wars of the Lord, and especially these two that are mentioned:

1. What he did in the Red Sea.

2. What he did in the brooks of Arnon: both of which are recorded in the writings of Moses. If it be objected, that Moses wrote five books, and the book in the text is but one; it may be answered, that Moses himself called all his writings a book: "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." The mind of Moses seems to me to be this: What I have written has been by thy command, and under the influence of thy Spirit; and thou hast proclaimed thy name before me, and I have written thine own proclamation, "The Lord God, gracious and merciful, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin." And now,

if thou wilt not forgive the sin of this people, blot my name out, and let it not stand in that book, nor let it ever be known that I am the writer of it. Which shews great wisdom in Moses, and wonderful.condescension in the Almighty, to suffer a poor frail worm to make so free. But Moses represented the great Mediator; and a mediator must draw near to both parties. And, whosoever declares or wages war, the Captain of our salvation is the God of armies; he mustereth the forces, numbers the slain to the sword, and gives the victory. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." And we read, in the book of Genesis, of the wars of the confederate kings, who fought in the plains of Sodom, where the five kings were overthrown, and all the cities of the plain plundered, and the people led into captivity, whom Abraham and his confederates rescued. But the wars in my text seem chiefly to intend the wars of Egypt. God had sent Joseph into that country, who had made known to the king of Egypt God's intention of sending seven years plenty, and of the seven years famine that was to succeed. In the seven years famine Joseph had bought up all the land of Egypt, except the land of the priests, for the king. The king, being in possession of the whole country, sends for Jacob and all his family, bidding them not regard their stuff, for the good of all the land of Egypt was

theirs. But some of the succeeding kings and heirs of the land of Egypt knew not Joseph, though they enjoyed the land which Joseph had bought up for the crown. One of these heirs of the crown and country pays no regard to the promise of his predecessors, but turns his guests into slaves. This people being the people of God, God, like the king and sovereign of his people, sends his ambassador to demand his subjects from thraldom. This his just request being denied, he wages war with the king of Egypt. Hence it is said that God took him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, Deut. iv. 34. And he proceeded as great generals often do, who frequently distress the invaded by cutting off or poisoning their waters; so God turns all the waters of the river, ponds, and brooks, into blood, so that they could not drink thereof, Exod. vii. 24.

He distressed them in their cattle also, by sending a grievous murrain among them. And he brought such instruments of death forth from his armoury as are not in the power of an earthly prince to furnish out.

Nor was the beginning of this war army against army, but rather single combat. The Lord of hosts fought the field; his troops were making brick in Goshen. He sent frogs, lice, pestilence, hail, and fire, into the land, which destroyed their corn, trees, and vines; then he sent darkness; and, last of all, smites the heir apparent, and all the

firstborn of the land; and having humbled them, and spoiled them of their treasure, he enriched his own subjects with the spoil. He led his armies out with an high hand, and with the full consent of the truly mortified king of Egypt.

But he, repenting of his submission, and of the compulsive terms he had agreed to, pursues them with all his strength. Moses, as their leader at the head, seeing they were likely to be surrounded, calls to his Sovereign for aid. He is ordered to divide the sea, and lead the armies of the Lord into it; and, they being hid as in an ambuscade, their enemies pursue; but, lest the pursuers should travel too fast for the pursued, the wheels of the war chariots drop from their axles, and this troubles the host, and impedes their march. The armies of God gain the shore, when the returning waves, like soldiers in ambush, fall upon their enemies in the rear, and overwhelm them. This raises the Lord's honour, and spreads his fame: And, in very deed, for this cause," says God, "have I raised thee up, to shew in thee my power, and that my name may be declared thoughout all the earth." And, indeed, it is upon this stroke that Jethro so much admires him: "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for, in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them," Exod. xviii. 11. And upon this also the Almighty got a new title; "The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name."

And upon this victory was that famous song

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