storm of persecution was blown over, the Tyrians under their bishop Paulinus built an oratory, or rather a temple, for the public worship of God, the most magnificent and sumptuous in all Palestine and Phoenicia, which temple Eusebius hath described and celebrated. In like manner St. Jerome: "We may behold churches in Tyre built to Christ; we may see their riches that they are not laid up, nor treasured, but given to those who dwell before the Lord. For the Lord hath appointed, that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel."

VI. But after all, the city should be totally destroyed, and become a placé only for fishers to spread their

nets upon. Several travellers have noticed the remarkable and literal fulfilment of these prophecies. But the fullest for this purpose is Mr. Maundrell; and whose journal of his journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem is so accurately and ingeniously written, that it might serve as a model for all writers of travels." This city," saith he, "standing in the sea upon a peninsula, promises at a distance something very magnificent. But when you come to it, you find no similitude of that glory for which it was so renowned in ancient times, and which the prophet Ezekiel describes. On the north side it has

an old Turkish ungarrisoned castle;

besides which you see nothing here but a mere Babel of broken walls, pillars, vaults, &c. there being not so much as one entire house left; its present inhabitants are only a few poor wretches harbouring themselves in vaults, and subsisting chiefly upon fishing, who seem to be preserved in this place by divine providence, as a visible argument, how God has fulfilled his word concerning Tyre, viz. that it should be as the top of a rock, a place for fishers to dry their nets on."

Prophecies concerning Egypt.

EGYPT is one of the first and most famous countries that we read of in history. It was celebrated for its

wisdom no less than for its antiquity. Hither the wits and sages of Greece and other countries repaired, and imbibed their learning at this fountain. And the highest character given of Solomon's wisdom is that it excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. But with this wisdom, and this greatness, it was early corrupted, and was as much the parent of superstition as it was the mistress of learning; and the one, as well as the other, was from thence propagated and diffused over other countries. It was indeed the grand corrupter of the world, the source of polytheism and idolatry to several of the eastern, and

to most of the more western nations; and degenerated at last to such monstrous and beastly worship, that we shall scarce find a parallel in all history.

However this was the country where

the children of Israel were in a manner born and bred; and it must be said they were much perverted by their education. It is remarkable that the prophecies uttered against any city or country often carry the inscription of the burden of that city or country. Such, eminently such, are all the prophecies relating to Egypt; for they comprise the principal revolutions of that kingdom, from the times of the prophets to this day.

I. The first great revolution that we