sees in the gospel history. The evangelist Matthew, comparing our Savior's preaching with that of these Jewish doctors, tells us, that "he taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes ;" that is, as Dr. Lightfoot comments on the words, our Savior taught the pure word of God; they, the idle traditions of the fathers. He taught the weighty and spiritual doctrines of faith, repentance, renovation, and love; they, outward, carnal, and trivial ceremonies. His preaching was plain and convincing; theirs conceited, intricate, and puzzling.

But here a question arises-if the preaching of the scribes was so corrupt, why does our Savior give the following direction to his disciples?" The scribes and pharisees sit in Moses' seat; all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not." We answer, Moses' seat here probably means the chair or pulpit, from which they delivered their discourses, and which is called the seat of Moses, because the books of Moses were read and expounded from it, and because these teachers, like Moses, were the constituted instructers and rulers of the people. But when Christ commands his disciples to observe and do whatever these preachers bid them, the command extends to those instructions only, in which the scribes represented and truly copied Moses, or gave the genuine sense of his law. To extend it to all their instructions would imply that our Savior charged his disciples to reject both Moses and himself; for the doc trine of these preachers went to the rejection of both; it really subverted both the law and the gospel.

III. Another title of distinction among the Jews was that of Rabbi ; which is derived from the Hebrew root rebeb or rabbab, signifying to be great. This title was

originally given to persons of high condition in general, particularly to men of rank in the state. It was not under the Old Testament assumed by, nor bestowed on the prophets, or other distinguished characters in the church. But on the decline of sound knowledge and piety, a proud affectation of this and other high sounding names appeared among their spiritual leaders. About the time of Christ's birth the learned Hebrew doctors began to be distinguished by this appellation; and for about eight hundred years this has been their great and only title of distinction; except that such of them, as statedly minister in the synagogues, are called Chacams, or wise men. Near the middle of the eleventh century their schools in Mesopotamia, where they had enjoyed and exercised their high titles and claims, were destroyed, and themselves expelled by the Mahometan princes; since which they and their disciples have settled chiefly in the west of Christendom, and the pompous names, which they affected in the east, have been lost in the general appellation of rabbi.

The later rabbies inform us that this title was confer red with great formality. When a candidate was by a regular education qualified for this honor, he was placed in a chair somewhat elevated; then were delivered to him a key and a table book; the key, as a symbol of authority to open to others the treasures of his knowledge. This symbol he afterward wore as a badge of his dignity; and when he died, it was buried with him. The table book was an emblem of continued diligence and improvement in his studies. After these ceremonies, the delegates of the sanhedrim imposed their hands upon him, as a token of consecration to his office, and closed the solemnity with proclaiming his title.

*

We find this title given to John the Baptist by his disciples; and to our Savior by Nicodemus, by the votaries of John, and by the admiring multitude. The learned Vitringa maintains that Christ had taken the degree of rabbi in the Jewish schools, because otherwise he could not have preached publicly in the synagogues and temple. But this reason is erroneous; for any Jew might preach publicly in the temple or synagogue by the permission of the ruler of it; and this permission was usually granted to prophets, and workers of miracles, or to the leaders of new sects. Under these characters Jesus and his apostles were admitted to this privilege; and not on the ground of their having received a rabbinical education. That Jesus had not been thus educated appears, not only from the total silence of the evangelists on this head, but from the astonishment expressed by his hearers at his wisdom and eloquence, especially from their admiring question-" how knoweth this man letters, having never learned ?" Christ also expressly condemns this title, and forbids his disciples to assume it-“ Be not ye called rabbi ;" that is, do not ye covet nor receive this honorary degree. Banish from your bosoms that vain ambition and pride, that wish to tyrannize over men's consciences, which distinguish the Jewish rabbies. The extreme vanity of these Hebrew doctors was manifested in various instances, particularly by their high resentment, if any person addressed them without their customary title. A remarkable instance of this may be seen in the following anecdote. "A certain rabbi.sent a letter to another, and forgot to give him his title; but only saluted him with the familiar appellation of friend. At which he was so much incensed, that he immediately * John, iii. 26. John, i. 38.-iii. 2.-vi. 25. John, vii. 15.

sent a message to the letter writer, charging him to call him Anan, which was his proper name, without giving him the title rabbi. We are told in one of their rabbinical books that the Sanhedrim excommunicated certain persons twenty four times for not giving due honor to the rabbies. These arrogant men also claimed absolute dominion over the faith of the people. It was deemed criminal for any person to disbelieve or even question their doctrines. Hence Gamaliel advises the ignorant "to get themselves rabbies, that they may no longer doubt of any thing;" and Eleazar says, he that separates from the school of the rabbies, or teaches any thing which he has not heard from his master, provokes the divine Majesty to depart from Israel.” Maimonides

tells us that one who had attained the honor of rabbi, was also styled abba, or father. Hence our Savior forbids his disciples to give or receive the title of father, as well as rabbi and master. He enforces this prohibition by telling them that they have one Father and one Master, whose authority and guidance are supreme and infallible. Agreeably, even the inspired apostles disclaimed all dominion over the consciences of men, and aspired to no honor, but that of faithfully serving Christ and their brethren. Happy had it been for the christian church, if her clergy had uniformly cherished this lowly and be nevolent spirit; if none of them had revived the lofty feelings and claims of Jewish rabbies!

We proceed to a

IV. Religious class among the Hebrews, called Nazarites from Nezer to separate, because they were peculiarly set apart or devoted to God, either by the act of their parents, or by their own. Thus Sampson, Samuel, and John the Baptist were dedicated to God from their D d

birth.* The only peculiarities we can discover in the mode of life enjoined upon these early and perpetual Naz. arites, were an abstinence from wine and strong drink, and from ever shaving their heads. Those who bound themselves for a limited time by a vow of Nazariteship, were to observe these and some other peculiarities during that time; but when the days of their vow were fulfilled, they were to have their hair shaved off at the door of the tabernacle, and burnt under the altar. This Jewish custom probably gave rise to a practice among the Gentiles of consecrating their hair to the gods; of which Suetonius relates an instance in the life of Nero; who cut off his first beard, put it in a golden box set with jewels, and consecrated it to Jupiter Capitolinus. It appears likewise from Homer, Statius, Censerinus, and others, that the same custom obtained among the early Grecians. It seems that if a Nazarite were at a great distance from the temple, or in a foreign country, when his vow was accomplished, he might shave his head in the place where he was, and offer the prescribed sacrifice at the temple on the first opportunity. Thus it appears that Paul on some special occasion made a vow at Corinth, shaved his head at Cenchrea, and afterward made the usual offering at Jerusalem. This voluntary

submission of Paul to the self denying duties of a Nazarite, after the ceremonial law had ceased to be binding, was probably dictated by that tender and prudent condescension, which made him innocently conform to the prejudices of the Jews, and even become all things to all men, that he might win them over to the christian faith. I would further observe that Jehovah, the God of the Jews, commanded their Nazarites to cut off and burn Judg. xiii. 5. I Sam. i. II. Luke i. 15. t Numb. vi.

Acts xviii. 18. xxi. 26. &c.