repugnant to the laws and customs of the Jews, that they regarded them with the utmost horror and detestation, (Josephus, Ant. Jud. lib. xv. c. 8. § 1, 2. De Bell. Jud. lib. i. c. 21. § 8.)

The Epistles of St. Paul being, for the most part, 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 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.

scenes.

IV. But the most splendid and renowned solemnities were the Olympic Games, solemnised 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 springs 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.

ON THE DISEASES MENTIONED IN THE SCRIPTURES.-JEWISH MODE OF TREATING THE DEAD. FUNERAL RITES.

SECTION I.-On the Diseases mentioned in the Scriptures.

THE DISEASES to which the human frame is subject would naturally lead man to try to alleviate or to remove them. Hence sprang the Art of MEDICINE. Antiently it is said to have been the practice to expose the sick on the sides of frequented ways, in order that those persons who passed along, enquiring into the nature of their complaint, might communicate the knowledge of such remedies as had been beneficial to themselves under similar circumstances. The healing art was unquestionably cultivated; but there is reason to think that the knowledge of the Jews was very limited, and that it extended little beyond the curing of a green wound, or the binding up of fractures. In the case 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 7.), while the irreligious resorted to false gods, and charms or enchantments. (2 Kings i. 2. Jer. viii. 17.)

xx.

Various diseases are mentioned in the sacred writings, as cancers, consumption, dropsy, epilepsy, fevers, gan

R

grenes, hemorrhoids, or piles, leprosy (concerning which see p. 327. suprà), 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. 33-36.41. -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 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 special 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,

sea;

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 era, 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.

even to the

SECTION II. 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, 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 de

testation.

When the principle of life was extinguished, 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. Jer. 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 should seem that some tombs had cupolas over them