The words added, upon the face of the earth, are calculated, considered as an addition, to convey the idea, that at the time spoken of, the whole world would be known and explored. We have now arrived at the point of our argument. It is, to prove that the Tyre, spoken of in verse 18, and the last of verse 17, is not ancient Tyre, but a nation, which represents her; and which is called Tyre, with much the same propriety as insular Tyre was so called, after the destruction of the old city. It will be recollected that in verse 3, Sidon is called a mart of nations. One of these was insular Tyre, which, after the revival of their commerce, became rich and powerful; and flourished till the time of Alexander. The other was that shoot, which was afterwards grafted into the Milesian stock in Ireland. The Milesian nation, by the accession of Tyrians, and the transfusion of Tyrian manners, customs, literature and song, became essentially Phoenician. Probably their language, and all traces of national origin, would otherwise have been lost. I will not here review the other evidence, which we have already seen, that the Tyre, spoken of in these verses, with the exception of the period of the commerce of insular Tyre as above, is, exclusively, Tyre, as renewed and springing up in Ireland, as she had done before, in the island of Tyre; although that evidence, considered in all its bearings, is satisfactory. There is still additional evidence, which is entirely conclusive. Verse 18 has been supposed to foretell the prevalence, and influence upon the rich, of Christianity in Tyre, during or soon after the time of the apostles. But, should it appear that ancient Tyre is regarded, in the prophetical writings, as having ceased to exist, at the time of its destruction by Alexander, this supposition must be relinquished. There is a prophecy to this effect, in Ezekiel, the most of which I will cite, and add some remarks.

7

EZEK. XXVI. 7 — 21. For thus saith the Lord GoD, Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, 8 and much people. He shall slay with the sword thy

daughters in the field; and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler 9 against thee. And he shall set engines of war against

thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy tow10 ers. By reason of the abundance of his horses, their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city 11 wherein is made a breach. With the hoofs of his horses

shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down 12 to the ground. And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise; and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses; and they shall lay thy stones, and thy timber, and thy dust, 13 in the midst of the water. And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be 14 no more heard. And I will make thee like the top of a

15

rock thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I, the Lord, have spoken it, saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, 16 when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble 17 at every moment, and be astonished at thee. And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of sea-faring men, the renowned city which was strong in the sea, she and

her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy 18 fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled AT THY DEPARTURE. For thus saith the Lord GOD; WHEN I 19

SHALL MAKE THEE A DESOLATE CITY, LIKE THE CITIES THAT

ARE NOT INHABITED; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee; WHEN I 20

SHALL BRING THEE DOWN WITH THEM THAT DESCEND INTO
THE PIT, WITH THE PEOPLE OF OLD TIME, AND SHALL SET
THEE IN THE LOW PARTS OF THE EARTH, IN PLACES DESOLATE
OF OLD, WITH THEM THAT GO DOWN TO THE PIT, THAT

THOU BE NOT INHABITED; and I shall set glory in the land
of the living; I will make thee a terror, AND THOU SHALT 21

BE NO MORE THOUGH THOU BE SOUGHT FOR, YET SHALT
THOU NEVER BE FOUND AGAIN, SAITH THE LORD GOD.

This prophecy was made known three years before the commencement of the siege of Tyre by the Babylonians. Verses 8-14 evidently relate to that event. Verses 8, 11. Mention is here made of the slaughter of the Tyrians, in the territory of Tyre, before the city was invested; and during the siege; and perhaps of some who were left when the old city was abandoned. 12. The riches and merchandise, were such as were found without the city. That nothing valuable remained, when they entered the city, appears from Ezek. 29: 17-20. The prediction, in this verse, respecting the destruction of old Tyre, is said to have been literally accomplished, by the troops of Nebuchadnezzar, To this they would be incited, both by resentment and policy. The houses might also have been dilapidated in the search for treasure; and the materials thrown into the sea, not only to prevent Tyre from being easily rebuilt; but to form a mole to the island, such as was afterwards constructed by Alexander. 13. The Tyrians appear to have been fond of the song and the harp. I am led, by

etymological and other considerations, to suspect that one variety of the Irish harp will prove to be identical with the harp of Tyre.

The solemn introduction, at the beginning of verse 15, proves that a new event is referred to; undoubtedly, the destruction of Tyre by Alexander. At that time there was a great slaughter of the inhabitants, two thousand were crucified, and thirty thousand were sold into slavery. 19. It would seem that the Babylonians, in the siege of Tyre, made no use of ships; but Alexander collected, from various places, a maritime force, superior to that of the Tyrians; he also built a mole from the main land to the island, through a considerable depth of water. It was by these means that the city was reduced. In verses 18-21, the prophet seems to endeavor, by repetition, and varied forms of expression, to convey the idea, in the most unequivocal manner, that when these things should come upon Tyre, she should finally cease to be. This is conformable to historical facts. Insular Tyre was a continuation of old Tyre; but in the present instance, Alexander replenished the city with inhabitants from the continent; and though doubtless, numbers of the former inhabitants returned, and though the king, who was absent, during the siege, was permitted still to rule, as governor; the character of the population was so far changed, that the inhabitants of the new city were not answerable, morally or politically, for the national sins or acts, of the former city. in Isaiah cannot then, relate to ancient Tyre, after the introduction of Christianity.

The last of the prophecy

But what, it will be asked, is the meaning of the extraordinary expression, in verse 20, AND I SHALL SET GLORY It doubtless refers to the establishment, in Ireland, of the Tyrio-Milesian kingdom;

IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING.

as modified by its own progress, and by intercourse with Tyre, up to the time of the destruction of Tyre, by Alexander. The regime of the prophecy, so to speak, requires, in default of explanation, that the expression should refer to the establishment of some nation, in the room of that about to be destroyed. This is required by obvious antithesisin the land of the LIVING. The antithesis seems to require something more. That the nation, which is to be established, should be, in some way, associated with still another nation, which would be enduring. When, in addition to these considerations, we find that the establishment of a distant nation, is introduced, with much machinery of prophecy, in connection with the destruction of old Tyre; that insular Tyre is called upon to keep up an intercourse with this nation; and that this nation is near, and intimately connected with another, which is to endure, no doubt can remain.

But why, it will be again asked, is this event GLORIOUS? It will be remembered, that in verse 3, of the prophecy in Isaiah, a part of the Mediterranean, the harbor of Tyre, and the river Nile, are called great waters.* The Tyrio-Milesian nation is thus associated with the Jewish nation, under similar circumstances, and at the same incipient period of their national existence, by an expression, abrupt, extraordinary, and obviously, highly significant. The Jews were separated from the other nations of the earth, for momentous objects, connected with the progress of mankind. The more obvious inference in the present case, is, that Ireland is to afford important aid. In verses 8, 9, immediately after the mention of the removal to Ireland, it is said, Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? The LORD of hosts hath pur