4888. [- — 13.] Physical consonances heighten moral sensations, especially when there is a transition from one kingdom of Nature to another. St. PIERRE's Studies of Nature, vol. iv. p. 62.

4889. [- 17.] As the Moon, though destitute of native light, yet by virtue of that borrowed one, which she plentifully receives from the sun, affords more to men than any of those stars, which, on the score of their vast distance from the sun, are, by modern naturalists, supposed to shine by their own light; so those illiterate Fishermen, whom the Sun of Righteousness called, and made the light of the world, did, by virtue of the copious irradiations He vouch

safed them, diffuse far more light to mankind than the greatest Philosophers, that, being unassisted by Divine Revelation, had only their own native beams to shine with. BOYLE'S Occasional Reflections, vol. iv. p. 55,

4890. [i. 44.] Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, that he may examine whether thou be cured, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them that I command the fulfilling of the law; and that I am the true High-priest, invested with the legal right of inspecting and curing the leprosy.

4891. [30. Fever] It is well known, that the effluvia · constantly arising from the living human body, if long retained in the same place, without being diffused in the atmosphere, acquire a singular virulence; and in that state, being applied to the bodies of men, become the cause of a fever which is highly contagious. The existence of such a cause is fully proved by the observations on jail and hospital fevers.· With respect to these contagions, it is proper to observe, that they are never found to act but when they are near to the sources from whence they arise; that is, either near to the bodies of men, from which they immediately issue, or near to some substances which, as having been near to the bodies

of men, are imbued with their effluvia, and in which substances these effluvia are sometimes retained in an active state for a very long time.

See No. 1177.

Dr. CULLEN'S Practice of Physic, No. 81.

of the heathen deity Apollo: Pytho, signifies putrid: in HOMER, epythonto means become rotten.

4892. [Mark ii. 4.] The Eastern houses being built round a square court, it is customary to fix cords from the parapet walls, of the flat roofs across this court, and on them to expand a veil or covering, as a shelter from the heat. In this area probably our Saviour was teaching. The paralytic might be brought on the roof by the stairs in the gateway, or the terraces of the adjoining houses. Then having rolled back the veil, they could easily let down the sick man over the parapet of the roof into the area or court of the house, before Jesus. See Dr. SHAW, Trav. p. 277.

4895. [Mark iii. 21. He is beside himself] He will be stifled by the croud.

See LE SCEN. Ess. on a new Version.

Matthew, giving an account of this affair, says it was the multitude who were besides themselves, or ravished with admiration, at the sight of our Saviour's miracles; and Luke makes the same remark, employing a word which always signifies to be ravished with admiration,

See Sir NORTON KNATCHBULL; or Essay for a New Trans. part ii. p. 211.

4896. [ 30. An unclean spirit] A pythonic spirit

4897. [Mark iv. 11.] The word mystery, is always used in the New Testament for a thing intelligible in itself, but which could not be known without special revelation.

TOLAND.

4898. [12.] Effects considered alone, unfold not any cause, But causes unfold effects. To know effects from causes, is wise. But to enquire into causes from effects, is unwise; because, in that case, fallacies present themselves, which the investigator calls causes and thus wisdom is misled; for causes are prior and effects posterior; and things prior cannot be seen from things posterior. But things posterior may be seen from things prior: this is order. SWEDENBORG, on Divine Love, n. 119. That] MATTHEW translates because, xiii. 13. 2 Cor. iv. 4.

4899. L

See Univer. Hist. vol. iii. p. 463.

19. Choke the word] Men do not alter the seed: they only make it more or less fruitful.

4902. [Mark v. 3] In Barbary, each family has a proper portion of ground walled in like a garden, where the bones of their ancestors have remained undisturbed for many generations. In these inclosures the graves are all distinct and separate; each of them having a stone placed upright, both at the head and feet, inscribed with the name or uitle (2 Kings xxii. 17), of the deceased; whilst the intermediate space is either planted with flowers, bordered round with stone, or paved with tiles. The graves of the principal citizens are

further distinguished, by having cupolas, or vaulted chambers, of three, four, or more yards square built over them; and as these very frequently lie open, and occasionally sheiter us from the inclemency of the weather, the demoniac (Mark v. 3) might with propriety enough have had his dwelling among the tombs; as others are said (Isai. xv. 4) to remain among the graves, and to lodge in the monuments. And as all these different sorts of tombs and sepulchres, with the very walls likewise of their respective cupolas and inclosures, are constantly kept clean, white-washed, and beautified, they continue to illustrate those expressions of our Saviour, where he mentions the garnishing of the sepulchres, &c. Matt. xxiii. 29, 27. SHAW'S Trav. in Barbary, Pinkerton's Coll. part lxiii. p. 654.

4903. [Mark v. 6, 7, &c.] All demons endeavoured to injure Jesus Christ by making him known before the time of his glorification.

Acts viii. 7.

4904. [9.] There were in a complete legion thirty manipuli, or companies; each company consisted of a hundred and twenty men, and was divided into two bands, or, as the Autients style them, orders: each order consisted of sixty men, and had its peculiar centurion; so that there were in a complete legion sixty centurions, and each centurion had sixty men under his command.

Univer, Hist. vol. xiii. p. 419. A legion of Romans contained 6000 footmen and 732 horsemen. In every legion were ten cohorts; in the first whereof were 1105 footinen and 132 horses, and this cohort had the aquila, and the antigard (antiguard). The other consisted each, of 555 footmen and 66 horsemen.

Month. Mag. for Jan. 1815, p. 527.

4905. [ 13. The unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine] The original doctrine of the transmigration of souls from man to animals.

4906. [38-40.] When it was falsely reported that Josephus was slain, the general lamentation did not cease in Jerusalem before the thirtieth day, and a great many had hired mourners, with their pipes, to begin the melancholy ditties or toem. (JOSEPH. Wars, b. iii. ch. ix. § 5.) Such public mourners, hired on this occasion, doubtless were the wretches that laughed our Saviour to scorn.

4909. [

Phytologia, sect. xiii. 1. 1.

14. Herod] Herod Antipas, second son of Herod the Great, by Malthace.

Verse 17. Herodias] Herodias, daughter of Aristobulus whom Herod the Great, his Father put to death; she first married Herod Philip her uncle, and afterwards eloped from him to marry Herod Antipas his brother. By the former she hao Salome who danced off John Baptist's head.

Verse 18. Herod] That is, Herod Antipas, who was son of Herod the Great by his sixth wife Cleopatra. This Herod had married Herodias the wife of his brother Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great by Mariamue his second wife. Univer. Hist. vol. x. p. 197, note (N).

4910. [- 20.] The latter part of the verse should be read thus: kai kakosai (Acts xii. 1) auton polla epoici, kai ede osautos ekoue (Grk): and, to harrass him, did many things, and in that way heard him frequently. — R. STEPHANUS and BEZA had some Greek Copies, in which, instead of he did many things, are words which signify he was much vexed, or troubled. And Josephus the historian observes, that Herod had put John the Baptist to death because he thought the people were altogether led by him, which is an argument that he did neither respect him, nor hear him gladly, nor do many things for love of him. See Essay for a New Translation, part ii. p. 124.

4913. [Mark vii. 3.] In the time of Eleazar the high-priest, arose those elders among the Jews, who taught that Traditions are equally to be observed with the Scriptures themselves. Antigonus of Socho, who succeeded Simon the Just in the presidency of the Great Sanhedrim, was the first of these ishnical, or traditionary doctors.

We read in I Macc. ii. 42, that Mattathias was joined by a company of Asideans who were mighty men of Israel, and voluntarily devoted to the law. These, not content with the written law, added by way of supererogation the rigorous. observance of all the traditions and constitutions of the elders. They were consequently denominated in Hebrew Chasidim, the pious; which, according to the Greek idiom and pronunciation, may be rendered Chasideans, Hasideans, or Asideans

The Pharisees, going still further, enjoined the traditions of the elders, and other rigorous observances, as precepts necessarily to be obeyed. Thus, being righteous over much, they separated themselves from all others, even from the Asideans, as not sufficiently holy; and were thence called in Hebrew Pharisees, that is Separatists. See No. 1184. WELLS' Continuation of the Jewish Hist. vol. ii. pp. 85, 88, 92.

the market, except they wash, they eat not] Horrible! as if all men were unclean but themselves.

"The neglect, in Catholic countries, of fasts, confessions, penances, and pater-nosters, is a crime of the first magnitude. And there is, perhaps, no country where the people have not a greater abhorrence of some of these crimes of prejudice, than for villanies the most atrocious, and the most injurious to society." HELVETIUS.

4915. [Mark vii. 4, 6.] The Kemmont, a sect of Christians, are hewers of wood and carriers of water to Gondar, and are held in great detestation by the Abyssinians. They hold that, having been once baptized and having once communicated, no sort of prayer or other attention to divine worship is necessary. They wash themselves from head to foot after coming from market or any public place, where they may have touched any one of a sect different from their own, esteeming all such unclean.

BRUCE, vol. iv. p. 275.

4916. [5.] Bread might not be eaten by the Jews, unless they had first washed their hands; but they were allowed to eat dried fruits, with unwashed hands. - This circumstance should be particularly noticed, as bread is emphatically mentioned by the Evangelist.

See WOOTTEN's Miscell. vol. i. p. 166.

4917. [11. Ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free] As the word Corban signifies a present made to God, the Pharisees taught, that a man having once said as above to his parents, had thereby consecrated all he possessed to God, and could not even retain enough for that honorary support of his father and mother, which was, as our Lord intimates, indispensibly required by the law.

See Dr. A. CLARKE's Additions 10
Fleury, p. 318.

4920. [Mark vii. 34 Ephphatha] Syriac, our Lord's, vernacular language, as appears from other Syriac expressions; particularly in Ch. v. 41, we read as his own words Talitha Cumi: and in Matt. xxvii. 46 we have Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani more properly Ail, Ail, lamono sabachthani; for Ail, pronounced Il, or Eel, was mistaken for Hil, or Hila, which is the Syriac word for vinegar, Mark xv. 36 (See Christian Researches in Asia, p. 114.) The above instances are no proof whatever that Jesus Christ usually spoke Syriac as his vernacular or mother tongue. It only proves, that the spirit in Him when working miracles, as on the day of Pentecost, spoke to every man in his own language. The spirit of a Syrian could be properly worked upon in his own tongue Ephphatha'; Talitha Cumi'.

4923. [17-27.] The Abbe Mazeas, at the castle of Maintenon, drew electric sparks from an epileptic person, 35 years old, during a thunder storm. At first the young man bore them; but in two or three minutes perceiving his countenance change, and fearing that an accident might happen to him, M. Mazeas begged he would retire. He was no sooner returned home than his senses failed him, and he was seized with a most violent fit. His convulsions were taken off with spirit of hartshorn; but his reason did not return in an hour and a half. He went up and down stairs like one who walks in his sleep, without speaking or knowing any person, settling his papers, taking snuff, and offering chairs to all that came in. When he was spoken to, he pronounced inarticulate and unconnected words. When he recovered his reason, he fell into another fit His friends said, that he was more affected with the distemper when it thungcred than at any other time; and that it it happened that se nen escaped, which it rarely did, his eyes, his countenance, and the confusion of his expressions, sufficiently demonstrated the

See Frag. to CALMET, Third IIundred, P. 119.

4927. [14.] "We are perpetually told that human nature is essentially perverse; that man is born a child of the devil - Bring together all the children of the universe, you will see nothing but innocence, gentleness, and fear. Were they torn wicked, spiteful, and cruel, some signs of i would come from them, as the snakes strive to bile, and 4ittle tygers to tear. But Nature having been as sparing of offensive weapons to man as to pigeous and rebbits, it cannot have given them on instinct to mischief and destruction."

VOLTAIRE,