they, under the name of the "seven stars" or Orion, are alluded to by the prophet. The children of Israel, therefore, were not to trust in idols, nor to venerate the stars and planets, but their great Creator: "The Lord is his name."

Maketh the day dark with night-This probably refers to an eclipse of the sun, when the day is made dark by the concealment of his bright beams. Again: the infinity of the power of God is alluded to; for he "calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth."

As if a man went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.-Verse 19.

How extremely natural is this! for serpents love to dwell in old walls there they live in security, and there they deposit their eggs.

But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god.-Verse 26.

I incline to Calmet's opinion, that this Chiun is the Siva of the Hindoos; because his name is often written and pronounced in the same way; because of the associations in this verse with Moloch and the "star of your god;" and because of the reference in the preceding verse to the Israelites in the wilderness, in which Calmet believes allusion is made to those events. His remark is: "It will no doubt be observed, that the Chiven of Amos is a term used many ages after the events to which the prophet refers, and which are those connected with the history of Balaam; and the term in Numbers is not Chiven, but Baal-Peor." We find Israel joined himself unto. Baal-Peor, which was the Priapus of the Romans, and the Lingam of the Hindoo Siva. This Chiun and his family are more carried out in the cars and tabernacles than all the other gods put together: in time of prevalent sickness, or of any other public calamity, they are uniformly taken out in procession.

The star of your god-The Ardra of Sir William Jones in the knee of Gemini is called Siva's star, and is painted on the car in which the deity is conveyed along in gorgeous parade. The Septuagint, however, has it Papav, and the Acts of the Apostles Peppav. "Ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch*

• Moloch corresponds with Kāli or Durga, an incarnation of Pärvati, the wife of Siva.

and the star of your god Remphan." See the observations on Isaiah xlvi. 7; and on Deut. iv. 16.

CHAP. VI.

That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches. -Verse 4.

Ivory is plentiful in the East: it is, therefore, no wonder that the sovereigns had their bedsteads formed principally of that article. But why is there a distinction made in reference to beds and couches? The latter word, I think, refers to the swinging-cot, as the Tamul translation also implies. In the houses of the voluptuous these cots are always found, and many are the stories in ancient books of kings and queens who were swinging together in their cots. When a man affects great delicacy as to the place where he sleeps, it is common to say, "You had better have a swinging-cot."+ See Job vii. 13.

And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue : for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.-Verses 9, 10.

These verses and the context refer to the mortality which should result from the pestilence and famine, (in consequence of the sins of the people,) and to the burning of the bodies. The number ten probably refers to "many;" as that is a common expression in the East to denote many. I believe the whole alludes to the custom of burning human bodies,

Some of the Eastern potentates are most extravagant in their furniture. Lieutenant Burnes relates concerning himself and two other gentlemen who were on a visit to Runjeet Sing: "We sat round his Highness on silver chairs:" and concerning a camp-bedstead: "Its frame-work, posts, and legs, were entirely covered with gold. The canopy was one massy sheet of the same precious metal : it stood on footstools raised about ten inches from the ground, and which were also of gold. The curtains were of Cashmere shawls." ("Travels," vol. i. p. 29.) + "Some of those slight bedsteads they call cots in their standing-houses hang by ropes a little above ground, which are fastened to the four corners thereof, moved gently up and down by their servants to lull them asleep."-SIR THOMAS ROE'S "Voyage to the East, 1615. Imprinted at the Blew Anchor, London."

and to that of gathering up the half-calcined bones, and putting them into an earthen or other vessel, and then carrying back these fragments to the house or to some outbuilding, where they are usually kept till conveyed to a sacred place. In India this is done by a son or a near relation; but in case there is not one near akin, then some other person who is going to any holy place, (such as the Ganges,) can take the fragments of bones, and thus perform the last rites. Dr. Boothroyd takes the same view as to the place where the bones have to be kept till they are removed, because he translates by the sides of the house, "a side-room of the house." "Hold thy tongue," finds a forcible illustration in chap. viii. 3; where it is mentioned that there were "dead in every place;" and where it is said, they were to "cast them forth with silence." When the cholera or any other pestilence has carried off many of the people, the relations cease to weep or speak; they ask, "What is the use of wailing? It is all over: hold thy tongue."

CHAP. IX.

I saw the Lord standing upon the altar. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: and though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them.-Verses 1-4. What altar is this upon which Jehovah was standing? Dr. A. Clarke says, "As this is a continuation of the preceding prophecy, the altar here may be one of those either at Dan or Beersheba." See, then, the Divine Majesty trampling on their most sacred places. In these verses we have some most pointed allusions to the idolatry of the Assyrians, which had been adopted by the Jews: and as the triad of the Hindoos was probably taken from that mother-nation of idolaters, I I think it refers to the celebrated dispute for supremacy amongst the three gods. Siva assumed the form of a pillar of fire; and Vishnoo went down to the lower regions, called the seventh world, to find out the foundation of the pillar, but

could not; then Brahma assumed the form of a swan, and soared height above height, but could not find out its summit. But JEHOVAH Could drag all of them from the depths, and bring them down from the heights. Though they concealed themselves in Carmel, or in the sacred mount Mearu or Himalaya, as did the two gods of the triad, yet could his hand bring them forth. "Though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them;" for, there, in the sea, the second deity resided, and rode on the serpent Athe-sealshan, with his thousand heads.* "Though they go into captivity," as did the gods, yet the Lord could find them out. For, "the Lord God of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt;" (Amos ix. 5;) not like Siva's pillar of fire: for He by a touch could melt the earth, and cause all that dwell therein to "mourn." For He, the Supreme, "buildeth his stories" (in the Hebrew, ascensions) in the loftiest regions of his eternal mansion: (verse 6:) his throne is not the sacred Himalaya. "He cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire." (Micah i. 3, 4.) He "calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth." (Amos ix. 6.) Not like the fabled Ganges flowing from the head of Siva, the sea obeys the high behest of Jehovah. "The Lord is his name." Here is grandeur! Human language cannot heighten the scene, and the mind recoils back into its own littleness.

"A God, a God, appears!

A GOD, A GOD! the vocal hills reply,

The rocks proclaim the' approaching Deity.”

POPE'S "Messiah."

In that valuable work on "The Worship of the Serpent," by the Rev. John Bathurst Dean, it is observed: "The chronicles and histories of the gods and heroes of Japan are full of fabulous stories of this animal. They believe that it dwells at the bottom of the sea as its proper element. They represent it in their books as a huge, long, four-footed snake.” (Page 73.)

JONAH.

CHAP. I.

Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god.Verse 5.

No

HEKE again we (to speak royally) are at home. Never was the conduct of a heathen crew during a storm more naturally and graphically described than it is in this passage. sooner does danger appear, than one begins to beat his head, and cry aloud, "Siva, Siva!" another beats his breast, and piteously shrieks forth, "Vishnoo!" and a third strikes his thigh, and shouts out with all his might, "Varuna!" Thus do they cry to their gods, instead of doing their duty. More than once have I been in these circumstances, and never can I forget the horror and helplessness of the poor idolaters.

And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. The sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.-Verses 7, 15, 16.

In a storm, the heathen mariners always conclude, that there is some one on board who has committed a great crime; when they begin to inquire: "Who is the sinner?" Some time ago, a number of native vessels left the roads of Negapatam, at the same hour, for Point Pedro, in the island of Ceylon. They had not been long at sea before it was perceived that one of them could not make any way; she rolled and pitched and veered about in every direction; but the other vessels went on beautifully before the wind. The captain and his crew began to look at the passengers; and, at last, fixed their eyes upon a poor woman, who was crouched in a corner of the hold. They inquired into her condition, and found she was in a state of impurity. "Let down the canoe," was the order, "and take this woman ashore!" In vain were her remonstrances: she was compelled to enter, and was soon landed on the beach. "After this the vessel sailed as well as any other!" When the storm rages, they make

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