questions to the man, and exhorts him to marry the widow; then, seeing him persist in his refusal, after some other interrogatories the man puts on one of the rabbin's shoes, which is fit for any foot, and the woman in the mean time draws near to him, and assisted by the rabbin, says to him in Hebrew, My husband's brother will not continue the posterity of his brother in Israel, and refuses to marry me, as being my brotherin-law.' The brother-in-law answers, I have no mind to take her.' Hereupon the woman stoops down, loosens and pulls off the shoe, throws it upon the ground, spits before him, and says in Hebrew to him, with the help of the rabbin, So shall it be done unto that man who will not build up his brother's house; and his name shall be called in Israel, the house of him that hath his shoe loosed.' These words she repeats three times, and they who are present answer as often, 'He that hath his shoe loosed.' Hereupon the rabbin immediately tells her, that she may marry again; and if she requires any certificate of what is done, the rabbins shall deliver one to her." No. 409.-xxii. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.] These words allude to a custom mentioned by Tertullian, of writing the laws and hanging them up in a public place, that they might be seen by all the people. It imports that in these two commandments, is contained all that the law and the prophets require, in reference to our duty to God and man; for though there are some precepts of temperance, which we owe to ourselves, yet they are such as we may be inclined to perform from the true love of God and of our neighbour; for the love of God will preserve us from impatience, discontent, and evil lustings; it will make us watchful over our selves to keep a good conscience, as being solicitous for our eternal welfare: and the love of our neighbour will restrain us from all angry passions, such as envy and malice, which arise against him: so that these two commandments may be very justly called an abridgment or compendium of the whole scriptures. WHITBY, in loc. No. 410.-xxiii. 2. The scribes.] The scribes were persons some way employed about books, writings, or accounts, either in transcribing, reading, or explaining them. According to these various employments there were several sorts of them. Most authors, however, reduce them to two general classes, civil and ecclesiastical scribes. Of the civil scribes there were doubtless various ranks and degrees, from the common scrivener to the principal secretary of state. It is probable the next scribe in office was the secretary of war, called the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land, (2 Kings xxv. 19.) It is reasonably supposed this is the officer referred to in Isaiah xxxiii. 18. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counteth the towers? Besides the principal scribes or secretaries, we read of numbers of a lower order, as of the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez, (1 Chron. ii. 55.) and of the scribes, as well as the officers and porters that were of the tribe of Levi. (2 Chron. xxxiv. 13.) It is probable some of these were under-secretaries and clerks to the principal scribes; others of them might be scriveners employed in drawing deeds and contracts, and in writing letters, and any other business of penmanship. Such scribes are referred to in Psalm xlv. 1. My tongue is as the pen of a ready writer. Others of these inferior scribes might be schoolmasters, who, as the Jewish doctors tell us, were chiefly of the tribe of Simeon, and that Jacob's prophetic curse upon this tribe, that they should be divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel, (Gen. xlix. 7.} was hereby accomplished. The ecclesiastical scribes, who are frequently mentioned in the New Testament, were the learned of the nation who expounded the law, and taught it to the people, and are therefore sometimes called νομοδιδασκαλοι, doctors of the law. The vouno so often mentioned in the New Testament, and rendered lawyers, were the scribes. Compare Matt. xxii. 35. with Mark xii. 28. Scribe was a general name or title of all who studied, and were teachers of the law and of religion, (Isaiah ix. 15.) They were the preaching clergy among the Jews, and while the priests attended the sacrifices, they instructed the people. It appears, however, that what they taught chiefly related to the traditions of the fathers; that it was about external, carnal, and trivial rites; and that it was very litigious and disputatious. JENNINGS's Jewish Ant. vol. i. p. 390. No. 411.-xxiii. 6. And love the uppermost rooms at feasts.] "At their feasts matters were commonly ordered thus: three couches were set in the form of the Greek letter II. The table was placed in the middle, the lower end whereof was left open to give access to servants for setting and removing the dishes, and serving the guests. The other three sides were inclosed by the couches, whence it got the name of triclinium. The middle couch, which lay along the upper end of the table, and was therefore accounted the most honourable place, and that which the pharisees are said particularly to have affected, was distinguished by the name πρωτοκλισία.” CAMPBELL, Prelim. Dissert. p. 365. -- No. 412. xxiii. 24. Ye strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.] This is an allusion to a custom the Jews had of filtering their wine, for fear of swallowing any insect forbidden by the law as unclean. Maimonides in his treatise of forbidden meats, (cap. ii. art. 20.) affords a remarkable illustration of our Saviour's prover. bial expression. "He who strains wine, or vinegar, or strong drink, and eats the gnats, or flies, or worms which he hath strained off, is whipped." In these hot countries, as Serrarius well observes, (Trihæres, p. 51.) gnats were apt to fall into wine, if it were not carefully covered; and passing the liquor through a strainer, that no gnat or part of one might remain, grew into a proverb for exactness about little matters. No. 413.-xxiii. 27. Ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.] Of the tombs of the ancients, accurate descriptions have been given by eastern travellers. SHAW presents us with the following account of these sepulchres. "If we except a few persons who are buried within the precincts of some sanctuary, the rest are carried out at a small distance from their cities and villages, where a great extent of ground is allotted for that purpose. Each family hath a particular portion of it walled in like a garden, where the bones of their ancestors have remained undisturbed for many generations: for in these inclosures the graves are all distinct and separate, having each of them a stone placed upright, both at the head and feet, inscribed with the name of the person who lieth there interred, whilst the intermediate space is either planted with flowers, bordered round with stone, or paved all over with tiles. The graves of the principal citizens are further distinguished by some square chambers or cupolas, that are built over them. (Mark. v. 3.) Now. as all these different sorts of tombs and sepulchres, with the very walls likewise of the inclosures, are constantly kept clean white-washed and beautified, they continue to this day to be an excellent comment upon that expression of our Saviour's, where he mentions the garnishing of the sepulchres; (Matt. xxiii. 29.) and again, ver. 27. where he compares the scribes, pharisees, and hypocrites to whited sepulchres." (Trav. p. 285. fol.) What is here narrated furnishes a comment upon Matt. viii. 28. where mention is made of the demoniacs who came out of the tombs. It is obvious that they might dwell in places that were constructed like chambers or rooms. It may be agreeable to add to the above citation, that it was a customary thing to plant herbs and flowers either upon or close to the grave. The women in Egypt, according to Maillet, go "at least two days in the week to pray and weep at the sepulchres of the dead; and the custom then is, to throw upon the tombs a sort of herb which the Arabs call rihan, and which is our sweet basil. They cover them also with the leaves of the palm-tree." (Lett. x. p. 91.) Myrtle, which has been frequently used on joyful occasions, is employed by the people of the East to adorn the tombs of the dead, for Dr. Chandler tells us, that in his travels in the Lesser Asia (p. 200.) he found some Turkish graves there, which had each a bough of myrtle stuck at the head and the feet. Rauwolff mentions the same circumstance (p. 65.) At Aleppo, there grow many myrtles, which they diligently propagate, because they are beautiful, and remain long green, to put about their graves. No. 414.-xxiv. 41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left.] Amongst other circumstances which should manifest the security of the world at the coming of Christ, it is par |