guests as they approach, as if from a watering-pan.

The object is, to show that they are now the king's or the great

man's guests: they are in his favour and under his protection. So shall the Eternal Son of God sprinkle many nations, and admit them into his presence in token of their purification, and of his protection and favour. The kings of the earth shall no longer rebel against him; but "shall shut their mouths,' to denote their submission and respect.

CHAP. LIV.

And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.-Verse 12. See Rev. xxi. 18, 21. This figurative way of speaking is in exact keeping with the Eastern notions of magnificence: thus, the abodes of the gods, or distant kings, are described as having pillars of red coral; rooms made of crystal; ruby doors; thrones of the nine precious stones; walls of gold, surrounded by emerald rivers. Such passages, therefore, are not to be received literally, but as being indicative of the great splendour and unrivalled prosperity of the places thus described.

CHAP. LV.

The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree.-Verses 12, 13.

Here we have another specimen of the fervid and splendid imagery of Eastern language. Some people affect to despise the hyperboles, the parables, and high-toned allusions of such a style; but they ought to recollect, that they arise as much from the climate, the genius, and customs of the people, as do our more plain and sober effusions from opposite circumstances. When the god Ramar was going to the desert, it was said to him, "The trees will watch for you; they will say, 'He is come, he is come!' and the white flowers will clap their hands. The leaves, as they shake, will say, 'Come, come;' and the thorny places will be changed into gardens of flowers,"

CHAP. LVI.

Neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.-Verse 3. These injured individuals are found only in the harems of the native sovereigns, and principally amongst those of the Mahometan faith.

People without posterity, of both sexes, are called "dry trees;" which, strictly speaking, means they are dead, having neither sap, nor leaves, nor fruit.

They are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.-Verse 10. The margin reads: " or dreaming, or talking in their sleep."

The Tamul translation adopts the marginal rendering. The natives often ask a man who talks foolishly or incoherently: "Why do you talk in your sleep?" "Why are you always saying, 'Give, give?"" "Take no notice of that fellow it is mere sleep-talk." "Poor dolt! he has the custom of talking in his sleep: listen, and you will hear all his secrets."

:

CHAP. LVII.

Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot even to them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered a meat-offering. Should I receive comfort in these?Verse 6.

In this chapter there are some striking allusions to the nature of that idolatry into which the Jews had fallen. That a prominent feature of that system was obscenity, is most manifest, both from the testimony of profane and sacred writers; and several commentators misunderstand various passages, when, in a sweeping way, they declare, that the epithet "whoredoms" and kindred terms in general signify only idolatry. There can be no doubt that the worship of idols is generally implied; but the practices most offensive to purity are nearly always included. In the third verse, it is said, "Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and whore ;" and the next contains a description of the disgusting conduct of people of a loose character: "Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree? Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion." Some suppose allusion is here made to the large stones called Baituλo or Baituia; but that is not my opinion. The Salam-stone, in its rough state, is worshipped by the Hindoos; its general size is that of a nutmeg. Its name in the Sathur-Agarathe is sāla-kiramam; from sālam, "to have sexual intercourse," and kirāmam, "a stone." a stone." Professor Jameson calls it the salamstone; and Werner, the salenstein; this, he says, is the Indian name for this gem. "It occurs principally in the Peninsula of India, and is so hard as to scratch all other minerals, except diamond. Its specific gravity is not determined. It is translucent, and exhibits a particular kind of opalescence in two directly opposite places." This description, as might have been expected, is very correct; but it involves more than that able mineralogist was himself aware of. The formation of the stone is said to have taken place when Siva and Vishnoo, under different sexes, had unlawful intercourse.

The worm vachara-tanthe is said to live in the stone.* It is a fact, that all the stones which I have seen have the appearance of something being inside; and this is the "particular kind of opalescence in two directly opposite places," noticed by the learned Professor.

Some have this stone fastened to a particular part of the body, to preserve them from witchcraft. The Pandārams, the sect of Vishnoo, and some of the followers of Siva, worship it in their houses and other places. Having smeared a place with the ordure of the cow, the devotee presents incense, flowers, fruits, and cakes. Look then at the origin of this stone; read the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth verses of this chapter; and then say, have we not found a probable illustration of "the smooth stones of the stream," to which the profligate Jews had made their offerings? For the salam-stone, is literally "the stone of the brook or river;" (not of the valley ;) and it is identified with the same gross system of idolatry as that which prevailed in ancient Assyria, to whose kings, or those of Egypt, the Jews had sent messengers to form an unholy alliance, instead of trusting in the Lord their God. (Hosea xii. 1.)

CHAP. LVIII.

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity.Verse 9.

This chapter commences with, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." After this, the people are severely reproved for their hypocrisy: "Ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness;" and then they are exhorted to cease from their oppressions, "to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke." It appears, they were tyrants under the garb of sanctity; and, in contempt of the injured, they took delight in "the putting-forth

• See the book Scanda-Purāna, where the scene is described in the plainest

terms.

of the finger, and speaking vanity." See that boasting tyrant, when addressing his humbled antagonist; he scowls and storms "like the raging sea," and then lifts up the forefinger of the right hand to the height of his head, and moves it up and down, to show that punishment of a still higher nature shall be the award of the victim of his wrath.

And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day.-Verse 10.

Has a person in reference to temporal circumstances been in great difficulty, and has he been delivered? then is he compared to a man in a dark place who suddenly finds a light, which enables him to walk with pleasure and safety in his appointed way. "True, true, I was in darkness; but the light has come! it shines around me; there is no shade."*

CHAP. LIX.

They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.-Verse 5. The margin has, instead of cockatrice, "or adders."

So far as the strength of the poison is concerned, I believe there is scarcely any difference betwixt the oviparous and the viviparous serpents. The eggs of the former are generally deposited in heaps of stones, in old walls, or holes in dry places; and, under some circumstances, (like those of the large lizard,) they are soft and yielding to the touch. The pliability of the shell may be the result of being newly-laid, as I have seen some shells as hard as those of other eggs. It is said of the plans of a decidedly wicked and talented man: "That wretch! he hatches serpents' eggs." "Beware of the fellow, his eggs are nearly hatched." "Ah my friend! touch not that affair; meddle not with that matter; there is a serpent in the shell." "Interfere not, interfere not! young serpents are coming forth." "I have been long absent from

Meaning, "it is noon;" because when a man, in tropical climes, stands erect in the sun, at that time his body throws out no shadow.

+ The remarks of the editor of Calmet on this subject are worthy of attention. (Vol. iv. p. 670.)