the other two went to carry God's Commands to Lot But others are of Opinion that he who is called Jehovah v. 13 14 17 20 22. and whom Abraham calls the Judges of the Earth v. 25.27 was the second Person of the holy Trinity But as these People make the Divinity assume a humane shape upon trivial grounds not altogether so becoming the Divine Majesty so they have none of the Jews that lived in the Apostolical times to countenance their Opinion 'T is certain that if Abraham did really entertain the highest God the Exhortation of the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews ch 13.2 is one of the coldest things in the World Be not forgetful to entertain Strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares He ought to have added nay and God himself which had made his Argument much more efficacious However these ancient Stories of the Angels travelling up and down the Earth in humane shapes seem to have given occasion to the Opinion of the Pagans that the Gods used to visit Mankind Thus one of Penelope's Suiters in the Odysses blames Antinous for striking Vlysses because says he the Gods are accustomed to travel thro' Towns and Cities in the Disguise of Guests to behold the Manners and Behaviour of Mortals See Acts 14 11. Now it was not the Custom of Travellers at this time to knock at the Door or to speak to those Persons first by whom they hoped to be entertained But they only stood in the High-way waiting till they were called and at their departure used to receive a Viaticum from their Host to support them upon the Road. For in those Ages there were no Inns in the Eastern Countries no more than there are now a days except a sew Kervansera's as they call them for the Reception of Strangers so that they must either lye all night in the Streets if they came to any Town or else lye in some Body's House who was so kind as to receive them A remarkable Instance of this we find in Judges ch 19.15 Thus likewise among the Greeks and Romans though in the latter Ages they had Inns and Victualing Houses yet formerly they had none Hence came the Fashion of lodging in private Houses and hence Hospitality came to be so much commended Upon which Argument consult Tomasinus de Tesseris And Abraham there called on the name of the Lord the everlasting God ch 21.33 Perhaps the sacred Historian added this Epithet here to distinguish the true God whom Abraham worshipped from those Divinities that were sometimes born and were to dye at last If Philo Byblius's Sanchoniathon was a faithful Expositor of the Phaenician Theology those People only own'd two Gods to be eternal and held that the rest were generated for after that manner does he explain their Doctrine in Eusebius Dem. Evang. l. 1. c. 10. He teaches that the first Principle of all things was a dark dusky Air full of Wind or the breath of a dusky Air and a turbid Chaos encompassed with Darkness That these were eternal and had not an end in many Ages And afterwards relates the Generations of the Gods who alone were worshipt The Grecians believed that the Nymphs were born with Oaks and that they died along with them and perhaps they borrowed this Opinion from the Oriental Nations as they did several more Thus we find in Plutarch de Oracul Defectu that Cleombrotus supposes those Deities that had been the Presidents of Oracles formerly to be dead upon which follows the famous Story of the Death of Pan the Great and other Relations of that nature by which it appears that the Nymphs and Daemons or their Gods of the lower rank was commonly believed to be mortal altho' they were long-lived Therefore Abraham seems to have opposed the everlasting God who had no beginning and who is capable of no end to some such sort of an Opinion received by the Eastern People And there was set Meat before him to eat but he said I will not eat till I have told my Errand In the ancient times it was usual to receive Strangers and entertain them with a Repast before they asked them any Questions Thus after Nestor had given a plentiful Meal to Telemachus Odysses l 3. and the other had eaten as much as was sufficient then at last the old Gentleman thought it high time to examine him 'T is best to ask News of Strangers says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. after they have filled their Bellies Nay sometimes several days pass'd over their Heads before they thought fit to lay down the occasion of their coming Thus Esdras and his Companions who brought the Vessels belonging to the Temple staid three days in Jerusalem before they restored them to the Priests Thus Iliad 8. Homer tells us that the King of Lycia entertained Bellerophon for nine days successively and that when the tenth Morning appear'd he began to ask him Questions Dares Phrygius speaking of Antenon who was sent Ambassador to Peleus tells us that the latter well-comed him for the space of three days but on the fourth enquired upon what Message he came Die quarto rogat eum quid venerit After the same manner Laban here took Abraham's Servant within doors and set some Meat before him though he had no Acquaintance with him and asked him no Questions but the other finding that God had directly sent him to Abraham's Relations was in pain till he had delivered his Errand Tell me I pray thee thy name ch 32.22 Some Interpreters suspect that Jacob knew his Antagonist with whom he wrestled to be an Angel because he desired him to bless him but then this Passage makes them at a stand for how cou'd he imagine to be a jot the better after he knew the Angel's name We are desirous to know the names of those with whom we have any dealing because when we once know that we may find out who and what manner of Men they are by enquiring of those that are better acquainted with them But since there is no Correspondence between us and the Angels after we know the names of two or three of them we know them no more than we did before Thus Manoah who took the Angel that appear'd to him for a Prophet desires him to tell him his name and subjoins this reason for it that when thy Sayings are come to pass we may do thee honour that is give thee all the respect that is usually paid to a Prophet 'T is true indeed that the Jews and the other Eastern People talked much of the names of Angels in the following times but 't is scarce credible that in Jacob's days such Notions were current nor do we find the least footstep of them in the Bible before Daniel Ask me never so much Dowry and Gift ch 34.12 It was the Fashion of that Age for the Suitor to offer Presents to the young Woman's Parents as appears plainly by this Passage Thus also in the Heroical
Ipsáque imago sibi formam sine corpore servans Durat ad huc etenim nudâ statione sub aethram Nec pluviis dilapsa situ nec diruta ventis Quin etiam siquis mutilaverit advena formam Protinus ex sese suggestu vulnera complet Dicitur vivens alio sub corpore sexus Munificos solito dispungere sanguine Menses Neither was Tertullian the Inventor of this silly Fiction for St. Irenaeus had it before him as appears by the following words lib. 4. l. 51. The Wife remain'd in Sodom not now a corruptible Flesh but an everlasting Statue of Salt and through her Privities showing her Menses after the manner of Women because the Church which is the Salt of the Earth is left in the Confines of the Earth suffering those things that are Human and tho' whole Members are often taken from it yet it perseveres a Statue of Salt which is the Foundation of Faith strengthening and sending the Sons to their Father This excellent Man was impos'd upon by some monstrous Story-teller and perhaps too greedily swallowed what he heard without throughly examining his witness 's Reputation It has been long ago observed by some Judicious Persons that Orators are allow'd to take some liberty in History that they may be able to say something fine and Elegant Now this manner of Death for Lot's Wife was capable of all the Beauties of Rhetorick and Strains of Tragedy but the common Death as we have said is described by Moses afforded little or no matter for Pomp and Ornament This seems to be the reason why some of our Modern Writers of Travels have given an Account of what they never saw not to take notice that perhaps they were ashamed to say they had not seen that which others who had been in those Parts pretended to have seen least the World should take them not to have made a true use of their Travels Christopher Furerus a Noble-man of Germany whose Travels of Palestine and the neighbouring Countries were Printed at Nurimberg in the Year 1621. affirms that he washed his Hands in the Lacus Asphaltites and found that the taste of it was very nasty and more saltish then ever he found but be makes not the least mention of the Statue of Salt Bellonius was in the Province of Jeriche about Jordan and describes all the Nations about it l. 2. c. 86. but is silent as to this wonderful Statue whether he had heard nothing concerning it or was of opinion that the common Reports were false You 'll find Thevenot does the same if you read ch 41. l. 2. Part I. of his Travels into the East Nay Nicholas Christopher Radzivil a Polish Prince who Survey'd these Places with all the exactness imaginable I inquired says he very carefully of our Arabian and those that are well skill'd in our Country who all of them affirm'd that nothing like it was there to be found To return now to the more ancient Times we might to these Witnesses add St. Jerome who lived so many Years in Palestine and took no little care to divulge things of this Nature and yet he never makes the least mention of this Statue of Salt altho' he takes notice of the Subversion of Sodom of Lot nay even of his Wise too Those that are acquainted with his Character and know what Pains he takes to show his own wit even upon the names of Places and other Witticisms tho' never so far fetched are no doubt on 't sensible that he wou'd never have lost so Glorious an opportunity as this everlasting Statue afforded him to exercise his Talent upon if any one had presumed to affirm that so remarkable a Monument was extant in his Time In his Epitaph of Paula where he hunts after Mysteries from every place which she saw or even beheld at a distance he lost the best opportunity of showing his Wit that he could have desired if at that time this Famous Statue was to be seen As soon as the Sun was up says he she stood upon the Brow of Caphar Baracha that is the Town of Benediction to which place Abraham followed the Lord from whence she beheld a vast Solitude and the Ground where formerly Sodom and Gomorrah Adma and Zeboim stood She view'd the Vineyards of Balsam in Engaddi and Segor vitulaus conteruantem which was formerly called Bale and was in the Syrian Dialect Translated into Zoar that is a little one She remembred the Cave of Lot and why not the Statue of Salt if it was still remaining and shedding Tears admonished her Virgin Companions to abstain from Wine the unlucky Parent of Luxury If the Statue of Lot's Wife had been then believed to be on the other side of the Lacus Asphaltites how opportunely might he have introduced Paula admonishing her Companions to eschew Earthly things and not to look back In his Epistle to Rusticus tho' he makes mention of Lot's Wife yet he says no more of her than that disordered by Despair and looking behind her she was condemn'd to wear an everlasting Mark of her Infidelity In his Commentary upon Amos c. 4.11 Lot says he was saved tho' Sodom was destroyed losing the part and substance of his Body by which we understand his Wife and yet this perpetual affecter of Allegories says no more of her All which Circumstances clearly show that in St. Jerome's time no body believed that this Statue of Salt was then Extant VI. And indeed we have no Arguments to prove she was turn'd into a Statue 't is far more probable that the Woman either grew benum'd by fear or else was suffocated by some Bituminous or Sulphureous Vapour When she saw her native Country destroy'd by Fire from Heaven and Earth with a dreadful Noise the Ground trembling under her Feet and she recollected in her mind the sad Destiny that befel all her Friends and Relations except her Husband and two Daughters What wonder is it if Grief and Fear so possest her Spirits that she immediately expired or at least fainted away and no one being by to assist her in that deliquium died upon the spot Plutarch in Sympos L. 4. Qu. 2. affirms that several Persons have been killed meerly with the fright of Thunderbolts Add to this says he the Consternation and Fear by which abundance of Men that suffered not the least Injury have been carried off only by their being too apprehensive of Death Great numbers have been kill'd by Thunder who have not any Footsteps of being struck or burnt because their Soul with meer fear has flown out of their Body like a Bird. Many as Euripides says have been destroyed by the very breath of Thunder for at other times also the Hearing is easiest affected of any of the Senses those Disturbances and Apprehensions that proceed from Noise giving always the most terrible Alarms to the Soul Besides it has been observ'd that several have been stupified to that degree by an Earthquake that they have run up and down
like Persons distracted and out of their wits which sad Accident if it surprized this poor Woman as her Husband was making the best of his way to escape 't is no Mystery that she was not able to save herself Seneca tells us that this frequently happen'd when Campania was shaken by an Earthquake Sen. Quaest Nat. l. 6. c. 1. and in the 38th Chapter of the same Book he assigns the following Reasons for it for if Fear even when it is moderate and not so general makes Men reel up and down as if they were actually mad what wonder is it that when the Terror is publick when Cities fall when the Earth trembles when whole Multitudes are Buried in the Ruins that our Minds what between Fear and Grief should forsake us 'T is a hard matter not to be concern'd when we see Thousands before us are so and therefore the most resolute Dispositions were so disorder'd by Fear that they knew not what they did Nay Men of the best Courage are not exempted from Fear and the wise Stoick was never yet to be sound who as the same Philosopher expresses himself cou'd without any manner of concern behold the dreadful and angry Face of Heaven when it Thunders tho' the Firmament were dissolved and darted its Fires to the Destruction of every thing but especially itself There is not and never was such a Man in the World that cou'd behold the Ground breaking under him and be at the same time fearless and unconcern'd And can any one therefore think it strange if we say that Lot's Wife overcome by so Tragical a Spectacle was benummed or fainted away and consequently cou'd not save herself by flight If any one shall Reply that this manner of Death does not seem probable to them perhaps 't is no absurd Conjecture that this Woman not only cast back her Eyes towards her native Country but went back thither as soon as the Angels were gone to behold the Burning of it nearer and so was suffocated by some poisonous Vapour as Pliny the Elder was whom his Curiosity led too near the Mountain Vesuvius And this seems to be implied in our Blessed Saviour's Words Luke 17.32 Where after he had said Let no Man return back i. e. to Jerusalem after he was once gone out of it the Siege of it now drawing near he immediately adds Remember Lot 's Wife who returned back perhaps to see whether she cou'd save any of her Houshold Stuff Nor do the Angels seem to have forbidden Lot's Wife to look back as if God Almighty would punish her with Death only for casting her Eyes back but that she might not loyter and tarry as those Persons are used to do who often look behind them out of Love to the place which they leave or are minded when a Town is destroying to behold at a nearer Distance what becomes of it And the following Words and stay not in all the Plain seem to have been added to oblige them to make the greater speed the Angels therefore advis'd them to hasten because as the Destruction encreased on all sides they might be consumed with the rest tho' they only tarried to look on which frequently happens in such Earthquakes and Fire as are fed and nourished by the Nature of the Soil Cornelius Severus in his Poem of Aetna says Ardebant arvis segetes millia culta Jugera cum dominis sylva collesque virentes c. Cunctantes vorat ignis undique terret avaros Namely such as tarried behind to carry off their Wealth which perhaps Lot's Wife endeavour'd to do and because she was not removed from the place where she fell therefore she is said to be like a Statue of Salt in that salt Country Nor is there any reason to urge the Emphasis since we find the same Expression used about Matters of less Importance In the first of Samuel c. 25. v. 37. the Sacred Historian speaks thus concerning Nabal And his heart was dead within him and he was changed into a Stone that is after his Wife Abigale had recounted to him the Danger he had escaped by her making some Presents to David this foolish old Hunks either out of Fear or Covetousness was so stupified that he seem'd to be a Stone and died within ten Days But altho' Nabal is here said to be made a Stone yet no one will conclude from thence that he was actually Metamorphos'd into a Stone So in like manner we must not suppose Lot's Wife was a Statue of Salt for all she is said to become a Statue of Salt or in Salt The Latin Poets have used the like Expressions to signifie a mighty Amazement Thus Ovid introduces Ariadne who had been abondon'd by Theseus and left all alone in a solitary Island expressing her Grief and Wonder Aut mare prospiciens in saxo frigida sedi Quamque lapis sedes tam LAPIS ipsa fui Metam l. 5. Mater ad auditos stupuit ceu saxea voces And l. 13. speaking of Hecuba after she had seen Polydorus's dead Body Duroque simillima saxo Torpet VII In the most ancient Histories of the Greeks which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we find innumerable Stories or Fables not corrupted so much for the sake of Lying but because the Narrations of the ancient Inhabitants were not understood well enough and because their Metaphorical Expressions were erroniously interpreted in the proper or literal Sense We will here set down some few Examples of it which we hope will not be unpleasant or disagreeable to the Reader They that first related the History of Niobe who was destroy'd by Grief dirigiusque males i. e. was rendred stupid or sensless by her Misfortunes perhaps expressed it after such a manner as we find the Sacred Historian did in the Story of Nabal which after Ages not regarding the Meaning so understood as if Niobe had been really changed into a Statue of Stone But Men of more acute Understandings were aware that something else was formerly meant by it Niobe says Tully in his Tusc 3. was for a reason supposed to be turned into a Stone because as I imagine she was everlastingly silent in her Grief Palaephatus de incred Hist c. 9. who ever believes a Man was made of a Stone or a Stone made of a Man is a Fool. But the Reality of the Truth is this Niobe after the Death of her Children caused her own Statue to be made and placed it upon their Sepulchre We might here observe by the bye that Niobe's Misfortune is said to have happened in Phrygia which Country as we have remark'd in the former Dissertation has a great Affinity with the Valley of Sodom since both of them are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. burnt We might add too that Niobe's Children are reported to be buried by the Gods which Tzetzes thus interprets Chil. 4. Carm. 141. These Gods are Elements which thus interr'd Her wretched Children Earthquakes Thunder Floods Perswaded cruel Men to