informing us, that he cut off his first beard, put it into a golden box set with jewels, and consecrated it to Jupi ter Capitolinus. No. 724.-vi. 24. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.] The high priest was accustomed annually to bless the people when assembled together. "During this ceremony he not only three times pronounced the eternal benediction, and each different time in a different accent, but, in the elevation of his hands, extended the three middle fingers of his right hand in so conspicuous a manner as to `exhibit a manifest emblem of the three Hypostases; to whom the triple benediction, and repetition of the word Jehovah in a varied tone of voice, evidently pointed. I am credibly informed that at this day, on certain high festivals and solemnities, this form of blessing the people is still adhered to by the Jewish priests, but is attempted to be explained by them, as if allusive to the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; an explanation, of which it may be doubted whether it savour more of impiety or absurdity." Maurices Ind. Ant. vol. iv. p. 209. Captain Innys, of Madras, has asserted that the Mohammedan priests also at present use the same form: this is a strong collateral circumstance; for, since it is notorious that Mohammed was indebted for a considerable part of his theological knowledge to the secret instructions of a Jew, he probably learned from that Jew the symbol; and it was frequently practised in the Arabian mosques so early as the seventh century, No. 725.-vii. 17. And for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year.] Mr. Selden observes (de Synedriis, lib. iii. cap. 14. num. 3.) that the Greeks dedicated their altars, temples, and statues with sumptuous sacrifices; and that the Romans did the same, with feasting, plays, and public largesses. This custom he supposes to have been derived from the Jews, who provided the numerous sacrifices mentioned in this verse, because the priests, the princes, and as many of the people as were invited, had a share of them, and feasted before the Lord with great rejoicing. No. 726. vii. 87. All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks.] Whether there were any prayers offered for a gracious acceptance of the sacrifices which should be hereafter made upon this altar, we are not told, but the sacrifices themselves were in the nature of supplications; and it is likely they that offered them made their humble petitions with them. And so the Gentiles always did at the dedication of their temples or altars: an instance of which is observed from Gruter by Fort. Scacchus, and by Selden in these words. Hanc tibi aram, Jupiter opt. max. dico dedicoque, uti sis volens propitius mihi collegisque meis, &c. which is a dedication of an altar to Jupiter, with a prayer that he would be gracious to him that dedicated it, and to his friends and neighbours. The like dedication there is of a temple to Priapus near Padua, with this he would constantly guard their fields, &c. prayer, that PATRICK, in loc. No. 727.-viii. 16. Instead of the first-born of all the children of Israel have I taken them unto me.] The heathens annexed the same ideas of substitution to the victims which they devoted to their gods. We find a singular instance of it in Ovid. Certain birds, which fed upon the flesh of children, and sucked their blood, were coming down upon the young Procas, and just seizing him as their prey, The nymph Crane immediately sacrificed a pig, and holding in her hands the entrails of that victim, exclaims, -Noctis aves, extis puerilibus, inquit, Parcite pro parvo victima parva cadit. Fast. vi. 159. No. 728.-xi. 5. We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely.] Pococke (Trav. vol. i. p. 182.) says, that in Egypt fish is commonly eaten by the people with great pleasure but that in April and May, which is the hot season there, they eat scarcely any thing but fish, with pulse and herbs, the great heat taking away their appetite for all sorts of meat. This account perfectly agrees with what the children of Israel are represented as saying. No. 729.-xii. 3. Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men who were upon the face of the earth.] That Moses should commend himself for his meekness, has been perversely objected to by sceptics and infidels. But certainly not upon just ground. Parallel instances occur in profane writers, which are permitted to pass without censure. In Homer, Ulysses calls himself the wisest of the Grecians. Achilles represents himself the best and most valiant of them. Æneas talks frequently of his own piety and valour. Xenophon represents Cyrus upon his deathbed, as taking notice of the greatest beauty of his own character, his humanity. And Moses says of himself that he was the meekest man upon earth. Di bene fecerunt, inopis me quodque pusilli Hor. b. i. Sat. iv. 17. No. 730.-xvii. 6. The rod of Aaron.] It has been the custom in all ages for elderly men, and for those in authority, to carry as a mark of dignity, a rod or walking-staff, which at length became the sceptre peculiar to princes. Minos, king of Crete, is represented in Hesiod as bearing the sceptre of Jupiter and Homer (Il. i. 14.) says, the priest Chryses had a sceptre of gold. The priests among the Greeks and Romans had their recurved rods; and bishops in later ages have their crosiers; all which are ensigns of dignity and office. Expository Ind. p. 69. "For No. 731.-xix. 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot.] "The resemblance between the institutes of the Hindoos and the Jews has frequently been noticed: but I know not whether the following coincidence has ever been observed. The Hindoos believe that their mediatorial god Vishnow has already been incarnate nine times, and that in his tenth incarnation he will appear in the form of a mighty angel, leading a white winged horse like that in the Apocalypse. These ten incarnations they call Avatars. (See Maurice's History of Hindostan.) Let us now hear Dr. Allix. the Jews, in the ages next to these paraphrases (viz. the Targums), I ought to observe this one thing of Pirke Eliezer, (cap. 14.) there they assert, that God descended nine times, and that the tenth time he shall descend in the age to come, i. e. in the time of the Messiah. The first time was in the garden of Eden: the second, at the confusion of tongues: the third, at the destruction of Sodom: the fourth, at his talking with Moses on Mount Horeb : the fifth, at his appearance on Sinai : the sixth and seventh, when he spake to Moses in the hollow of the rock: the eighth and ninth, in the tabernacle: the tenth, will be, when he shall appear in the times of the Messiah. Such is their ancient opinion." (Judgment of the Jewish Church, p. 282.) The tradition mentioned by Maimonides, (de Vacca rufa, ch. 3.) respecting the red heifer seems to be closely connected with the preceding. "Nine red heifers have been sacrificed between the original delivering of this precept, and the desolation of the second temple. Our master Moses, sacrificed the first: Ezra offered up the second: and seven more were slain during the period which elapsed from the time of Ezra to the destruction of the temple: the tenth king Messiah himself will sacrifice by his speedy manifestation he will cause great joy. Amen, may he come quickly." It is almost superfluous to observe that the red heifer is the type of Christ." Christian Observer, vol. i. p. 85. No. 732.-xix. 2. Upon which never came yoke. According to the common consent of mankind, those creatures which had been used became unfit to be offered to God. Hence Diomed promises Pallas a cow of a year old. which no man hitherto had brought under the yoke. See more in Bochart Hieroz. P. i. 1. 2. cap. 33. No. 783.-xix. 11. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.] We meet with a remarkable account of the notions of certain modern heathens concerning pollution by the dead, and of their ceremonies respecting it, in Captain Cook's Third Voyage, vol. i. p. 305. Speaking of a walk he took in Tongataboo, one of the Friendly Islands in the Pacific Ocean, he says, " In this walk we met with about half a dozen women in one place at supper. Two of the company, I observed, being fed by the others, on our asking the reason, they said, taboo matee. On further enquiry, we found, that one of them had, two |