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النشر الإلكتروني

LXXXIX.

DUTERONOMY, Chap. XXXIV.

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v.1. Mofes went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho: and the Lord fhewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, &c.

V.4. And the Lord faid unto him, this is the land which I fware unto Abraham, unto Ifaac, and unto Jacob, faying, I will give it unto thy feed: I have caused thee to fee it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

v. 5, 6: And Moses the fervant of the Lord died there; but no man knoweth of his fepulchre unto this day.

But God himself his Fun'ral Honours pay'd,
And in a Tomb unknown to Mortals laid :
Nor this enough, O favour'd Saint for thee;
Since God himself thus wrote thy Elegy.

"What Prophet by the Sacred Breath inspir'd, "What Friend of God with Holy Raptures fir'd, "Whose Deathless Name can equal Glories share, "Or with my Servant Mofes can compare? "With Mortal Eyes th' Invisible he saw, "On trembling Sinai's Top receiv'd the Law: "From Egypt's Fetters ransom'd Ifrael brought, "And in their fight, dread Signs, and mighy Won. ders wrought.

LXXXIX.

JOSHUA, Chap. I. Ver. 1.2. Chap. II. Rahab and the Spies.

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Ntomb'd in Moab's Valley Moses lies;
Jehova bids the Valiant Joshua rife

Second in Honour fill his Vacant Place,

And to their happy Seats conduct the chofen Race:
The Prudent General's Thoughts and Care no less,
Tho' Heav'n itself affures him of Success:
Two Spies to neighb'ring Jericho he fent,
Nor undiscover'd thro' the Guards they went:
The jealous King appriz'd of their Intent,

With speed his Guards to faithful Rahab sends,
But Rabab's House conceals her Hebrew Friends:
The Souldiers hope in vain their Prey to find,
Pour'd thro' the Eaftern Gate as fwift as Wind,
In vain pursuing those who ftaid behind;
To whom their Fair Preferver thus begins:

"Too well we know the weight of Canaan'sSins: "Your Title and Poffeffion Heav'n fecures ; "Yours are our Cities, and our Land is Yours: "A Panic Fear does every Breaft invade, "We faint, we melt, of Ifrael's Arms afraid. "We've heard how God did you thro' Seas convey "While parting Waters fhow'd your world'rous

What you to Sibon and to Og have done, (way: "Trembling we hear,and make theirFates our own: "Since then with hazard of my Life conceal'd, "Nor to the threatning cheated Guards reveal'd, "The Mercy I have shown you, let me find, "And to my Father's House be juft and kind. "Swear by the Pow'r that loves your Nation Swear "The hungry Sword their precious Lives shall fpare:

They did, then o'r the Wall the lets 'em down,
They to the Mountain flee, and leave the Town:
Three Days conceal'd in Palm-Tree Groves they lay
Almoft impervious to the All-searching Day;
Then fording Jordan, to the Camp repair;
To Joshua and the reft the joyful news they bear.

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THE Hoft of God, a mighty Hoft, remain,

Near Jordan's Banks decamp'd from Shit-
tim's Plain :

With longing Eyes they view'd, unfatisfy'd,
Their promis'd Fields that grac'd hisWestern fide,
Still to their Wishes and their Vows deny'd;
For Jordan now his flimy Banks o'reflows,
And broad as Father Nile, or Ganges grows.
In vain, for Nature to her Lord gives way:
When Seas divide, can Rivers not obey?
The Priests, in Stoles of pureft Linen, bear
The dreadful Ark, and to the Brink repair;
Nor fooner on the utmost Rivage tread,
When, lo! the Waters faw, and backward fled,
Their ancient Courfe forgot, and Oozy Bed;
Far, far away to Adam's diftant Strand,

And furl'd on Heaps like Icy Mountains stand:
While those below fail from the Salt-fea Plain,
Whose thirsty Soil expects their cooling Waves
in vain.

This great Event the trembling Guards perceive,
From Jericho, and fcarce their Eyes believe:
Thick on the Walls and Battlements they ftood,
To their chill Hearts retir'd the curdling Blood:
They faw the ranfom'd Flock come fafely o're,
And with glad Shouts falute the welcom Shore:
Twelve weighty Stones from Fordan saw them take,
And Signals of their wondrous Paflage make:

Nor

XC.

JOSHUA, Chap. III. Ver. 1. to 17. Chap. IV. Ver. 5. to 18.

163

Chap. IV. Ver. 5. Joshua faid, Pafs over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his Aboulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Ifrael.

6. That this may be a fign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, faying, What mean you by thefe ftones?

7. Then ye shall answer them, &c.

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