of internal disorders, it does not appear to have been customary to call in the aid of a physician. These maladies were regarded as the immediate effect of the divine anger, and inflicted by evil spirits, as the executioners of his vengeance; and this was the reason why religious people generally had recourse to God only, or to his prophets, (see 2 Kings xx. 7,) while the irreligious resorted to false gods, and charms or enchantments. (2 Kings i. 2. Jer. viii. 17.)

Various diseases are mentioned in the sacred writings, as cancers, consumption, dropsy, epilepsy, fevers, gangrenes, hemorrhoids, or piles, leprosy, (concerning which see p. 245, supra,) lunacy, palsy, &c. The disease of Saul appears to have been a true melancholy madness ; that of Nebuchadnezzar, a hypochondriacal madness; that of Job, an incurable elephantiasis, in which the skin becomes uneven and wrinkled with many furrows, like that of an elephant, whence it takes its name.

Lastly, in the New Testament we meet with numerous cases of what are termed Demoniacal Possession. Some eminent writers have supposed that the demoniacs, or persons who were possessed by evil spirits, were only lunatics. But it is evident that the persons, who in the New Testament are said to be possessed with devils, (more correctly with demons,) cannot mean only persons afflicted with some strange disease: for they are evidently here, as in other places,-particularly in Luke iv. 3336, 41-distinguished from the diseased. Further Christ's speaking on various occasions to these evil spirits, as distinct from the persons possessed by them,-his commanding them, and asking them questions, and receiving answers from them, or not suffering them to speak,-and several circumstances relating to the terrible preternatural effects which they had upon the possessed, and to the manner of Christ's evoking them,-particularly their requesting and obtaining permission to enter the herd of swine, (Matt. viii. 31, 32,) and precipitating them into the sea; all these circumstances can never be accounted for by any distemper whatever. Nor is it any reasonable objection, that we do not read of such frequent possessions before or since the appearance of our Redeemer upon earth. It seems, indeed, to have been ordered by a spe

cial providence, that they should have been permitted to have then been more common; in order that He, who came to destroy the works of the Devil, might the more remarkably and visibly triumph over him; and that the machinations and devices of Satan might be more openly defeated, at a time when their power was at its highest, both in the souls and bodies of men; and also, that plain facts might be a sensible confutation of the Sadducean error, which denied the existence of angels or spirits, (Acts xxiii. 8,) and prevailed among the principal men both for rank and learning in those days. The cases of the demoniacs expelled by the apostles were cases of real possessions and it is a well known fact, that, in the second century of the Christian æra, the apologists for the persecuted believers in the faith of Christ, appealed to their ejection of evil spirits as a proof of the divine origin. of their religion. Hence it is evident that the demoniacs were not merely insane or epileptic patients, but persons really and truly vexed and convulsed by unclean demons.

CHAPTER VIII.

ALLUSIONS TO THE THEATRES, TO THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES, AND TO THE GRECIAN GAMES, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

I. THEATRICAL performances were in great request among the Greeks and Romans, and this will account for so many theatres being erected in Judæa, soon after that country became subject to the Roman power. The Epistles of St. Paul, being addressed to Gentiles, abound with elegant allusions drawn from the theatre. Thus, in 1 Cor. vii. 29-31, he refers to the personification of the woes of others, which was common on the stage, while the heart continued unaffected with them, and also to the rapid shifting of the scenes. In 1 Cor. iv. 9, he alludes to the barbarous practice then common in the Roman amphitheatre, where the bestiarii, who in the morning combated with wild beasts, had armour with which to defend themselves, and to slay their antagonists: but the last, those who were exposed at noon were naked and

unarmed, and set forth (as our version renders it) to certain and cruel death.

II. But the most splendid and renowned solemnities were the Olympic Games, solemnized every fifth year, in the presence of a cloud of witnesses or spectators, assembled from almost every part of the then known world. The exercises at these games consisted principally in running, wrestling, and the chariot race. The candidates were to be freemen and Greeks, of unimpeachable character; and they were subjected to a long and severe regimen. On the day appointed, the names of the candidates were called over by the heralds: and on a given signal, those who engaged in the foot-race, rushed forward towards the goal, in the presence of the assembled multitude, and especially of the Hellanodics, persons venerable for their years and character, who were appointed judges of the games, and whose province it was to distribute chaplets composed of the fading sprigs of the wild olive, and palm branches, which were conspicuously exposed to the view of the candidates. The knowledge of these circumstances throws much light and beauty on those animating exhortations of St. Paul, in Heb. xii. 1. 3. 12, 13. Phil. iii. 12—14. 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, and 1 Cor. ix. 24, 25. In the two following verses, he alludes to the practice of those who engaged in boxing, as well as to the previous discipline to which all candidates were subjected.

CHAPTER IX.

JEWISH MODE OF TREATING THE DEAD.-FUNERAL RITES.

By the law of Moses a dead body conveyed a legal pollution to every thing that touched it-even to the very house and furniture-which continued seven days. (Numb. xix. 14, 15, 16.) And this was the reason why the priests, on account of their daily ministrations in holy things, were forbidden to assist at any funerals but those of their nearest relatives; nay, the very dead bones, though they had lain ever so long in the grave, if digged up, conveyed a pollution to any who touched them; and this was the

reason why Josiah caused the bones of the false priests to be burnt upon the altar at Bethel, (2 Chron. xxxiv. 5,) to the intent that these altars, being thus polluted, might be had in the greater detestation.

When the principle of life was extinguishea, the first funeral office among the Jews was to close the eyes of the deceased. This was done by the nearest of kin. Thus, it was promised to Jacob, when he took his journey into Egypt, that Joseph should put his hands upon his eyes. (Gen. xlvi. 4.) The next office was the ablution of the corpse. Thus, when Tabitha died, it is said, that they washed her body, and laid it in an upper chamber. (Acts ix. 37.) This rite was common both to the Greeks and Romans. In Egypt, it is still the custom to wash the dead body several times. Loud lamentations attended the decease of persons, especially those who were greatly beloved, not only as soon as they had expired, (Gen. 1. 1. Matt. ix. 23. Mark v. 38,) but especially at the time of interment. (Gen. 1. 10, 11.) In later times, the Jews hired persons, whose profession it was to superintend and conduct these funeral lamentations. (Jer. ix. 17, xvi. 6, 7, xlviii. 36, 37. Ezek. xxiv. 16-18. Amos v. 16:) and in the time of Christ, minstrels and mourners were hired for this purpose. (Matt. ix. 23. Mark v. 38.

After the corpse had been washed it was embalmed in costly spices and aromatic drugs, after which it was closely swathed in linen rollers, probably resembling those of the Egyptian mummies now to be seen in the British Museum. So Nicodemus made preparation for the embalming of Jesus Christ; (John xix. 39, 40 ;) and Lazarus appears to have been swathed in a similar way, when raised to life again by the omnipotent voice of Jesus Christ. (John xi. 44.) At the funerals of some Jewish monarchs, great piles of aromatics were set on fire, in which were consumed their bowels, armour, and other things. (2 Chron. xvi. 14. Jer. xxxiv. 5.)

The Jews showed great regard for the burial of their dead. To be deprived of interment, was deemed one of the greatest dishonours and calamities that could befall any person. (Psal. lxxix. 2. Jer. xxii. 19, xxxvi. 30.) Their burial-places were in gardens, fields, and the sides

of mountains and over the rich and great were erected splendid monuments. To this practice Jesus Christ alludes in Matt. xxiii. 7. From Isa. lxv. 4, and Mark v. 5, it would seem that some tombs had cupolas over them which afforded shelter, similar to those which modern travellers in the East have seen and described. Family sepulchres were in gardens. (John xix. 41.)

A funeral feast commonly succeeded the Jewish burials. Thus, after Abner's funeral was solemnized, the people came to David to eat meat with him, though they could not persuade him to do so. (2 Sam. iii. 35.) He was the chief mourner, and probably had invited them to this banquet. Of this Jeremiah speaks. (xvi. 7,) where he calls it the cup of consolation, which they drank for their father or their mother; and accordingly the place where this funeral entertainment was made is called in the next verse the house of feasting. Hosea calls it the bread of mourners. (Hos. ix. 4.)

The usual tokens of mourning, by which the Jews expressed their grief and concern for the death of their friends and relations, were, the rending of their garments, putting on sack-cloth, sprinkling dust upon their heads, wearing mourning apparel, and covering the face and head. (Gen. xxxvii. 34. 2 Sam. xiv. 2, xix. 4.)

Anciently, there was a peculiar space of time allotted for lamenting the deceased, which they called the days of mourning. (Gen. xxvii. 41, and 1. 4.) Thus, the Egyptians, who had a great regard for the patriarch Jacob, lamented his death threescore and ten days. (Gen. 1. 3.) The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. (Deut. xxxiv. 8.) Afterwards among the Jews the funeral mourning was generally confined to seven days. Thus, besides the mourning for Jacob in Egypt, Joseph and his company set apart seven days to mourn for his father, when they approached the Jordan with his corpse. (Gen. 1. 10.) No particular period has been recorded, during which widows mourned for their husbands. Bathsheba is said, generally, to have mourned for Uriah; (2 Sam. xi. 26;) but her mourning could neither be long nor very sincere. The Jews paid a greater or less degree of honour to their kings after their death, according to the merits of their actions when they were