prob. were in the habit of repairing at stated

seasons to Jerus. The plight in which they now dicative of deep appeared was inmourning on ac

to several popular idols, to accommodate all classes of comers.
Here many self-inflicted or self-chosen cruelties are practised by
those who thus hope to merit a place in the Hindoo heaven. A
favourite penance is to have the tongue bored through with a
large iron spike. A blacksmith is the operator, who is said to be
very skilful both in driving a nail and driving a bargain. It
sometimes happens that the candidates for this piece of service
at his hands are so numerous and impatient, that they are obliged
to submit to be arranged in order as they arrive, and wait till each
in his turn can be gratified with a wound in the unruly member,
which they use, meanwhile, with no small eloquence, to induce
him to hasten to their relief, and when he is come, to get the d Cheever.
business done as cheaply as they can. The shrewd knave, how-
aver, is wise enough to take his time, and extort a larger or a
smaller fee, according to the number, rank, or fanaticism of his
customers.<

of

the

of

count
destruction
that city."-Hen-
derson.

8-10. (8) we have treasures," a very politic plea. These a "Subterranean men knew that hidden stores of provisions would be important storehouses for to Ishmael, and their secret would be lost with them if he put safe from robkeeping grain them to death. (9) it which Asa made, see 1 Ki. xv. 22. A bers." large cistern would be necessary for the supply of the fortress. (10) captive, intending to set up a petty kingdom under the shelter of the Ammonites.

Granaries in the East.-In Palestine wells or cisterns are used for grain. In them the farmers store their crops of all kinds after the grain is threshed and winnowed. They are cool and perfectly dry. The top is hermetically sealed with plaster, and covered with a deep bed of earth; and thus they keep out rats, mice, and even ants-the latter by no means a contemptible enemy. The custom is doubtless an ancient one, and is extended from this country through the Carthaginians of North Africa into Spain. They seem to be alluded to in the passage cited above. These cisterns not only preserve the grain and other stores deposited in them from insects and mice, but they are admirably adapted to conceal them from robbers. These ten men had doubtless thus hid their treasures, to avoid being plundered in that time of utter lawlessness; and in a similar time I found people storing away grain in cisterns far out in the open country between Aleppo and Hamath; and they told me it was to hide it from the Government tax-gatherers. It is quite dangerous to come upon a deserted site full of these open cisterns and wells, especially at night, as I have often found. Frequently they are entirely concealed by the grass, and the path leads right among them. They must always be dug in dry places, generally on the side of a sloping hill. They would not answer in a wet country, but in these dry climates stores have been found quite fresh and sound many years after they were thus buried.'

11-14. (11) Johanan, ch. xl. 13: the man who had warned Gedaliah. (12) great waters, a large open pool, 2 Sa. ii. 13. Gibeon, four miles N.W. of Jerus., on the road from Mizpah to Ammon. (13) glad, at the prospect of deliverance. (14) cast about, turned round.

worth.

v. 8.

Words

"This re

con

fers to stores
they had
cealed, as is clear
tioning of the
oil and honey.'
During the time
of the Kandian

from the men

war many prisoners received

lenient treat-
ment, because of

the assurance
that they had
treasures hid in
the
field, and

that they should
be the property
of their keepers.

In

some cases there can be no

doubt there were large sums thus acquired by cer

tain individuals."- Roberts.

b Dr. Thomson.

"The wise and

good wish well to liberty, throughout

all

lands; but aim to win her cause some bold

by

Recaptures.-In the year 1760, the ship Good Intent, from Waterford, was taken by a French privateer off Ushant, who took manly movement out all the crew, except five men and a boy, over whom they

from the heart of

all

united nations; not by

base assassin's

craft, of hang

man's well

re

paid. But how to gain this, how to inaugurate this grand concerted blessing,

seems a knot time's wearied

fingers work at till they bleed; and baffled races vainly pray for. Still the riddle

must be read. The hour must

placed nine Frenchmen. While aavigating the vessel to France, four of the English formed the design of regaining possession of the vessel. One Brien tripped up the heels of the Frenchman at the helm, seized his pistol, and discharged it at another; making at the same time a signal to his three comrades below to follow his example; they did so, and soon overcame them, the Frenchmen crying for quarter. None of the British sailors could either read or write, and were quite ignorant how to navigate the vessel; but Brien steered at a venture, and arrived safe at Youghall, in Ireland, in the gaol of which place he lodged his prisoners. In 1794, the Betsey, of London, in her return from Jamaica, parted from her convoy in the Gulf of Florida, and was captured off the Lizard by a French frigate. The captain and crew, with the exception of the mate, carpenter, cook, and boy, and Mrs. Williams, a passenger, were taken out of the Betsey by the Frenchmen, come when retriand a lieutenant and thirteen men put on board to take charge butive Mercy shall succeed her of the prize. Three days after, the ship being driven by heavy sterner sister gales of wind in sight of Guernsey, a plot was laid for securing Justice, and aye the Frenchmen, and retaking the ship. Mrs. Williams counterreign in parity divine with righ-feited being ill, on purpose to draw the attention of the lieutenant, love." while the cabin-boy removed the fire-arms, etc. This being effected, she prepared herself with extraordinary resolution for the event. At eleven o'clock at night, when the lieutenant was asleep in his berth, and others of the French were between deck, in the fore part of the ship, the signal was given, and Mrs. Williams locked the lieutenant in the cabin, and stood at the door with a pistol in her hand, to prevent its being opened by force. In the meantime, the French on deck were thrust down the fore hatchway by the three men. A fine breeze brought them into Cowes Road in twelve hours; and Mrs. Williams was found standing sentinel, with a pistol in her hand, at the cabindoor, when a boat's crew went on board. Thus, by the spirited exertions of a woman and three brave fellows, a ship and cargo, worth £20,000, was rescued from the enemy."

teous Bailey.

a Percy Anec.

a 2 Sa. xix. 38, 40.

"Lest the Chaldæans should suspect all the

15-18. (15) escaped, fleeing at once, scarcely even showing fight, but losing two of his party. (16) took Johanan, he becoming the leader on the death of Gedaliah. (17) Chimham, Heb. Geruth-chemhoham, poss. a caravanserai belonging to Chimham, near Bethlehem." (18) because of the Chaldæans,' Jews of being who would certainly take vengeance for the murder of the governor whom they had appointed.

implicated in Ishmael's treason, as though the Jews sought to have a prince David."-Fausset

of the house of

Certainty of judgment.-There was a man who committed a foul murder in a Scottish castle upon a young bridegroom, at whose marriage festivities he had hypocritically assisted. The assassin took horse in the dead of night, and fled for his life through wood and winding path. When the sun dawned, he slackened his pace, and behold! he was emerging from a thicket in front of the very castle whence he had fled, and to which, by tortuous paths, he had returned. Horror seized him; he was discovered, and condemned to death. So, however far and fast we may fly, we shall find ourselves, when light returns, ever in presence of our sin and of our Judge.

CHAPTER THE FORTY-SECOND.

1-3. (1) came near, sought an audience to ask counsel in the time of perplexity. (2) unto Jeremiah, who poss. was one of the captives taken away by Ishmael. (2) supplication, etc., as ch. xxxvi. 7. thy God, intimating that he had prevailing power with Him. (3) show us the way, the prayer sounds right and good, but it does not seem to have been offered in sincerity."

Note on v. 2.-The margin has this, "Let our supplication fall before Thee.' "O my lord," says the suppliant, "let my prayers be prostrate at your feet.' "Ö forget not my requests, but let them ever surround your feet." "Allow my supplications to lie before you." "Ah! give but a small place for my prayers." At your feet, my lord, at your feet, my lord, are all my requests."

4-6. (4) heard, ch. xxxiv. 10, xxxv. 17. (5) between us, or against us. (6) we will obey, good promises followed by bad performances."

Patience in prayer.-How many courtiers be there that go a hundred times a year into the prince's chamber, without hope of once speaking with him, but only to be seen of him. So must we come to the exercise of prayer purely, and merely to do our duty, and to testify our fidelity. If it please His Divine Majesty to speak, and discourse with us by His holy inspirations and interior consolations, it will be doubtless an inestimable honour to us, and a pleasure above all pleasures; but if it please Him not to do us this favour, leaving us without so much as speaking to us, as if He saw us not, or as if we were not in His presence, we must not for all that go our way, but continue with decent and devout behaviour in the presence of His Sovereign Goodness; and then infallibly our patience will be acceptable to Him, and He will take notice of our diligence and perseverance; so that another time, when we shall come before Him, He will favour us, and pass His time with us in heavenly consolations, and make us see the beauty of holy prayer."

7-12. (7) ten days, he had to wait for this time before the answer came. The delay may have been necessary to allay the panic, and quiet the people. They had impulsively promised obedience in the time of excitement. (8-10) still abide, settling down quietly under the power of the Chaldæans. repent, ch. xviii. 11. (11, 12) I.. mercies, by overruling the King of Babylon's plans concerning you.

Bricks. If their bricks, in those hot and dry countries, are in general only dried in the sun, not burnt, there is some reason to be doubtful whether the Hebrew word malben signifies a brickkiln, as multitudes besides our translators have supposed. The bricks used in the construction of the Egyptian canals, must have been well burnt: those dried in the sun could have lasted no time. But bricks for this use could not have been often wanted. They were not necessary for the building those treasure cities which are mentioned Exod. i. 11. One of the pyramids is built with sun-dried bricks, which Sir J. Chardin tells us are durable,

hearts are most

set on often prove fatal to us. Those

who think to

escape troubles by changing their place will find them wherever they go."Fausset.

"Even as a mother o'er her children bending yearns with maternal love her

fond embraces and gentle kiss to

each in turn extending, one at her feet, one on

her knee she places, and from their eyes, and

as well as accommodated to the temperature of the air there; which last circumstance is, I presume, the reason they are in such common use in these very hot countries. There must then be many places used in the East for the making bricks, where there are no kilns at all; and such a place, I apprehend, the word malben signifies; and it should seem to be the perpetual associa tion of a kiln and of the places where bricks are made with us in the West that has occasioned the word to be translated brickkiln. The interpretation I have given best suits Jer. xliii. 9. The smoke of the brick-kiln, in the neighbourhood of a royal Egyptian palace would not have agreed very well with the Eastern cleanliness and perfumes."

13-16. (13, 14) generally favoured. carried into Egypt.

Egypt, seeking shelter there was the plan see no war, as yet the battle had not been (15) sojourn there, seeking the protection of its king rather than the protection of God. (16) overtake you, ch. xliv. 14, 18.4

66

Wild Arabs.-The deserts that lie between Egypt and Syria are at this day terribly infested by the wild Arabs. "In travelling along the sea-coast of Syria, and from Suez to Mount Sinai,” says Dr. Shaw, we were in little or no danger of being robbed or insulted; in the Holy Land, and upon the isthmus between Egypt and the Red Sea, our conductors cannot be too numerous. He then goes on to inform us, that when he went from Ramah to Jerusalem, though the pilgrims themselves were more than six thousand, and were escorted by four bands of Turkish infantry, exclusive of three or four hundred spahees (cavalry), yet were they most barbarously insulted and beaten by the Arabs. This may lead us, perhaps, to the true sense of the preceding words, "And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment." It signifies, that just as a voice, and speak-person appearing to be a shepherd, passed unmolested in common ing faces, their by the wild Arabs; so Nebuchadnezzar, by his subduing Egypt, varying wants and wishes com- shall induce the Arab tribes to suffer him to go out of that prehending, to country unmolested, the possession of Egypt being to him what one a look, to one a shepherd's garment was to a single person for though, upon even with her Occasion, the Arabs are not afraid to affront the most powerful frowns a princes, it is not to be imagined that conquest and power have no effect upon them. "They that dwell in the wilderness," says the Psalmist, referring to these Arabs, "shall bow before him," whom he has described immediately before, "he having dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth," and which he unquestionably supposes was the great inducement to that submission. Thus the Arab that was charged with the care of conducting Dr. Pococke to Jerusalem, after secreting him for some time in his tent, when he took him out into the fields, to walk there, put on him his striped garment; apparently for his security, and that he might pass for an Arab. So D'Arvieux, when he was sent by the consul of Sidon to the camp of the grand emir, equipped himself for the greater security exactly like an Arab, and accordingly passed unmolested and unquestioned.

a word addresses,

mother's fondness blending; so o'er us watches Providence

on

high, and hope to some and help to yields alike to all an open ear, and when she seems

others lends, and

her favours to

deny, she for our prayers alone the boon suspends, or, seeming to deny, she grants the prayer." Filicajee.

b Burder.

a "The Jews

17—19. (17) all the men, for a limitation of this denunciagoing into Egypt tion, comp. ch. xliv. 14, 28. (18) execration, etc., ch. xxiv. 9. protection, (19) admonished you, or testified against you.

for

The worst punishment of sin is the wrath to come.-The pirate Gibbs, whose name was for many years a terror to commerce with the West Indies and South America, was at last taken captive, tried, condemned, and executed in the city of New York. He acknowledged, before his death, that when he committed the first murder, and plundered the first ship, his compunctions were severe, conscience was on the rack, and made a hell within his bosom. But after he had sailed for years under the black flag, his conscience became so hardened and blunted that he could rob a vessel and murder all its crew, and then lie down and sleep as sweetly at night as an infant in its cradle. His remorse diminished as his crimes increased. So it is generally. If, therefore, remorse in this life is God's way of punishing crimes, the more men sin the less He punishes them! How absurd!

v. 20. Dr. J.Orton,

i. 282; T. Gisborne, i. 173.

to

"Ottocar, King of Bohemia, refused to do homage Rodolplus I., till at last, chastised with war, he was content to do him homage privately in a tent;

which tent was so contrived by

the

emperor's servants, that,

a

by drawing cord, all was taken away, and and so Ottocar presented on his

knees, doing his homage, to the

20-22. (20) dissembled, see vv. 3, 5, 6. (21, 22) not cbeyed, as you so faithfully promised, and even swore to do. Present age suitable to hypocrisy. There was an age of chivalry, when no craven courted knighthood, for it involved the hard blows, the dangerous wounds, the rough unhorsings, and the ungentle perils of the tournament; nay, these were but child's play there were distant Eastern fields, where Paynim warriors must be slain by valiant hands, and blood must flow in rivers from the Red-cross knights. Then men who lacked valour preferred their hawks and their jesters, and left heroes to court death and glory on the battle-field. This genial time of peace breeds carpet knights, who flourish their untried weapons, and bear the insignia of valour, without incurring its inconvenient toils. Many are crowding to the seats of the heroes, since prowess and patience are no more required. The war is over, and every man is willing to enlist. When Rome commenced her long career of victory, it was no pleasant thing to be a soldier in the Roman legions. The power which smote the nations like a rod of iron abroad, was a yoke of iron at home. There were long forced marches, with hunger and cold and weariness; heavy armour was the usual load when the legionary marched at ease; but "ease" was a word he seldom used. Rivers were forded; mountains were scaled; barbarians were attacked; proud nations were assailed; kingdoms were subdued. No toil too stern for the scarred veteran, no odds too heavy, no onslaught too ferocious, no arms too terrible. Scarcely were his wounds healed, ere he was called to new fields; his life was battle; his home the tent; his repast was plunder; his bed the battle-field; while the eagle's bloody talons removed all need of sepulchre for his slaughtered body. But afterwards when Rome was mistress of the world, and the Prætorian cohorts could sell the imperial purple to the highest bidder, many would follow the legions to share their spoils. It is not otherwise to-day. Into the triumphs of martyrs and confessors few are unwilling to enter; in a national respect to religion, which is the result of their holiness, even ungodly of lions. men are willing to share. They have gone before us with true hearts valiant for truth, and false traitors are willing to divide a C. H. Spurgeon. their spoils.

view of three armies then in

the field.

Thus

God at last shall uncase the closest

dissembler to the sight of men, angels, and devils; having and pretences of religion and piety."— Spencer.

removed all veils

A Christian with
Christ may be

safe and happy
in the stocks, in

the prison, or even in the den