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Show 7 4 Oft lie Gatti ofJerNjalem. L I B. II. · led the Sheep which were to be facrificed, being wailied in the Pool Bethfoda near the gate : 1he Fijh· gate, Nehem. 3.3. before this J~tdtM is thought to· have b _Stu'<Jul ton.. hanged hirnfelf. ( b ) Some think that thefe two ,n,,l.a~'· 11 ' Gates . and Iikewiie the Horfegate, Nehem. 3-28. were fo called ' becaufe they were in manner of . three feveral Jt-Jarl{et ·places , and at the one Gate, sheep, at the other, FijiJ, and at the third, Hotfes were fold. The old gate was fo called, becaufe it was fup .. pofed to have remained from the time of the Jehu• jite1, and not to have been defrroyed by the .A./]jrianJ' ; it was near Calvary, and without this Gate chrifl was crucified. Concerning the other Gates little isfpoken. Touching the Gates of the Temple, there were r.K..ru.ia in l. (c) 1wo ot,prinhcipal note,both bui.ltdby So!o1JJon, the M 11far. vii. one 10r.tho1e t at were new mar.ne , the other for Dn,.pr4tterit, mournersand excommunicate perfons. The mournJ. s"n·9• ~ 2 • ers were diftinguifhed from the excommunicate perfons, by having their lips covered w·ith a skirt o£ their garment; none entered that gate with their lip uncovered, but fuch as were excommunicate~ Now the ifraelites·whkh one the sabbath days fate bttween thofe Gates faid · unto the new married : He, 'lfJhofe Nt~me dweHeth. in this houfe, glad the- with children~ Unto the mourner, He, which dweUeth in this houfe1 glad andcomfor·t thee. Unto the exco-mmunicate, He, which dwelfeth in this hpufo, move thJ heart. to har4bz to the words if thy feUows. · · ·Among the Jenu, .the gates ":w~re placeg of chiefeft (irength, fo tnat th€y being taken or. defended , the wholt Cjty was taken, qr pefended : and they w~re ·' · · ohief pl~es . ~( JttrifdilJ.io~, fer.in.thelJ)JNdges __ ,ere wont to .~, and tQ q~CJde cQntrove1·""es.. Hence · proceeded L 'I B. I I. of their Gr,'lJel and hig'h Place1. 7:s proce~ded !hofe phrafes : The g~tes of HeU {haD. not prevazl ag.etnfl th~e, &c. And, ThJ fled fhall poffefl~ithe gcttes oj'h11 Enemtes~~ - Of their Gro'IJes, and high Places •. ~He ancient MeAt hens did not only not build . ·~.;.J..\ Temples, (a) but they held it utterly unlawful u,, . J fc d rh r. f h" . a no1 pr•. ae o to o. e rea10n o t ts m1ght be, becaufe they ori .Ttmp/. thought no Temple fpzcious enough for the sun pa: • 1 ' ~hich was their chief God. Hence came that fay~ 1nd , (b) Mundm Hniverfm efl. Temp/11m solh ; The w ho / e wo~ d 1·. f a !,.,e.., mp1 e . fio r tu1..e Sun. M ore over, they lbihA.iex abAle:r: 2 .cap.2 •• • thou~ht 1t un~t t<? ftratt~n, and confine the fuppofed lnfinttenefs ot their fancied Deities within _walls; and therefore when after~times had browght in the ufe of Temples, yet their GodTermintH, and divers others of their . Go1J' were worfhipped in Temples open roofed , which were therefore called ur;ra.t~e;t. This I take to be the reafon why they made choice of HiU.r and MountainJ', as the convenientefi places for their · Idols. ~hef~ confecrated Hills, are tho{e high placet. whtch the .scripture fo often forbids. AfterWards, as the numbet of their GodJ' ericreafed ·; fo the num~er of t~eir confecrated hiU1 was multiplied, from \Vhtch thea Gods and Goddtj[er took their names; as MercuritH CtUeniHs, Fentn ErJcina ]upite1• Capitolintn. ~t.length to beautifie thefe ho!J hills, the pl~ces of thetr tdolatrous worfhip, they befet them wtrh ~rees) and bene~ came ~he con(ecrt>ttion of GroveJ, and Woods, from whtch thetr Idols many .times were L ::& named |
