Chreeshna, an incarnation of their mediatorial God Vishnu, trampling on the crushed head of the serpent; while in the latter it is seen encircling the deity in its folds, and biting his heel. (MAURICE's Hist. of Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 290.) It is said that Zerâdusht, or Zoroaster, predicted in the Zendavestâ, that in the latter days would appear a man called Oshanderbeghâ who was destined to bless the earth by the introduction of justice and religion; that, in his time, would likewise appear a malignant demon, who would oppose his plans, and trouble his empire, for the space of twenty years; that afterwards, Osiderbeghâ would revive the practice of justice, put an end to injuries, and re-establish such customs as are immutable in their nature; that kings should be obedient to him, and advance his affairs; that the cause of true religion should flourish; that peace and tranquillity should prevail, and discord and trouble cease. (HYDE, de Relig. vet. Pers. c. 31.) According to Abulpharagius, the Persian legislator wrote of the advent of the Messiah in terms even more express than those contained in the foregoing prediction. "Zeradusht," says he, "the preceptor of the magi, taught the Persians concerning the manifestation of Christ, and ordered them to bring gifts to him, in token of their reverence and submission. He declared, that in the latter days a pure virgin would conceive; and that as soon as the child was born, a star would appear, blazing even at noon day with undiminished lustre. You, my sons," exclaims the venerable seer, "will perceive its rising, before any other nation. As soon, therefore, as you shall behold the star, follow it whithersoever it shall lead you, and adore that mysterious child, offering your gifts to him with the profoundest humility. He is the almighty woRD, which created the heavens." (Cited by HYDE, de Relig. vet. Pers. c. 31.)

No. 2.-iv. 4. Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock.] The universality of sacrificial rites will naturally produce an enquiry into the source, from which such a custom so inexplicable upon any principles of mere natural reason, could have been derived. And here we are involuntarily led to the first institution of this ordinance, which is so particularly recorded in scripture. When it pleased God to reveal his gracious purpose of redeeming lost mankind by the blood of the Messiah, it would doubtless be highly expedient to institute some visible sign, some external representation, by which the mysterious sacrifice of Mount Calvary might be prophetically exhibited to all the posterity of Adam. With this view, a pure and immaculate victim, the firstling of the flock, was carefully selected; and, after its blood had been shed, was solemnly appointed to blaze upon the altar of Jehovah. When the first typical sacrifice was offered up, fire miraculously descended from heaven, and consumed it; and when this primitive ordinance was renewed under the levitical priesthood, two circumstances are particularly worthy of observation— that the victim should be a firstling—and that the oblation should be made by the instrumentality of fire. It is remarkable that both these primitive customs have been faithfully preserved in the heathen world;--The Canaanites caused their first born to pass through the fire, with a view of appeasing the anger of their false deities; and one of the kings of Moab is said to have offered up his eldest son as a burnt offering, when in danger from the superior prowess of the Edomites. 2 Kings, iii. 27. Nor was the belief, that the gods were rendered propitious by this particular mode of sacrifice, confined to the nations which were more immediately contiguous to the territories of Israel. We learn from Homer, that a whole hecatomb of firstling lambs was no uncommon

offering among his countrymen. (Iliad. iv. ver. 202.) And the ancient Goths, having "laid it down as a principle, that the effusion of the blood of animals appeased the anger of the gods, and that their justice turned aside upon the victims those strokes which were destined for men," (MALLET's North. Antiq. vol. i. chap. 7.) soon proceeded to greater lengths, and adopted the horrid practice of devoting human victims. In honour of the mystical number three, a number deemed particularly dear to Heaven, every ninth month witnessed the groans and dying struggles of nine unfortunate victims. The fatal blow being struck, the lifeless bodies were consumed in the sacred fire, which was kept perpetually burning; while the blood, in singular conformity with the levitical ordinances, was sprinkled, partly upon the surrounding multitude, partly upon trees of the hallowed grove, and partly upon the images of their idols. (MALLET's North. Antiq. vol. i. chap, 7.) Even the remote inhabitants of America have retained similar customs, and for similar reasons. It is somewhere observed by Acosta, that in cases of sickness, it is usual for a Peruvian to sacrifice his son to Virachoca, beseeching him to spare his life, and to be satisfied with the blood of his child.

FABER'S Hore. Mosaica, vol. i. p. 88.

the

No. 3. v. 24. God took him.] The following singular tradition may possibly have some reference to the translation of Enoch: "The Kalmucks, among other idols, worship in a peculiar manner one, which they call Xacamuni. They say, that four thousand years ago, he was only a sovereign prince in India; but, on account of his unparalleled sanctity, God had taken him up to heaven alive."

VON STRAHLENBERG's Siberia, p. 409.

No. 4. ix. 4. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.] Mr. Bruce has given a very extraordinary account of the practice of eating blood in Abyssinia. This custom, so prevalent in several places, is forbidden in the scriptures. A recital of the narrative will probably suggest to the reader the reasons of the prohibition. Mr. Bruce tells us, that, "not long after our losing sight of the ruins of this ancient capital of Abyssinia, we overtook three travellers driving a cow before them: they had black goat skins upon their shoulders, and lances and shields in their hands; in other respects they were but thinly clothed; they appeared to be soldiers. The cow did not seem to be fatted for killing, and it occurred to us all, that it had been stolen. This, however, was not our business, nor was such an occurrence at all remarkable in a country so long engaged in war. We saw that our attendants attached themselves, in a particular manner, to the three soldiers that were driving the cow, and held a short conversation with them. Soon after, we arrived at the hithermost bank of the river, where I thought we were to pitch our tent: the drivers suddenly tript up the cow, and gave the poor animal a very rude fall upon the ground, which was but the beginning of her sufferings. One of them sat across her neck, holding down her head by the horns, the other twisted the halter about her fore feet, while the third, who had a knife in his hand, to my very great surprise, in place of taking her by the throat, got astride upon her belly, 'before her hind legs, and gave her a very deep wound in the upper part of the buttock. From the time I had seen them throw the beast upon the ground, I had rejoiced, thinking that when three people were killing a cow, they must have agreed to sell part of her to us; and I was much disappointed upon hearing the Abyssinians say, that we were to pass the river to the other side, and not encamp where

I intended. Upon my proposing they should bargain for part of the cow, my men answered, what they had already learned in conversation, that they were not then to kill her: that she was not wholly theirs, and they could not sell her. This awakened my curiosity; I let my people go forward, and staid myself, till I saw, with the utmost astonishment, two pieces, thicker and longer than our ordinary beef steaks, cut out of the higher part of the buttock of the beast: how it was done I cannot positively say, because, judging the cow was to be killed from the moment I saw the knife drawn, I was not anxious to view that catastrophe, which was by no means an object of curiosity: whatever way it was done, it surely was adroitly, and the two pieces were spread upon the outside of one of their shields. One of them still continued holding the head, while the other two were busy in curing the wound. This, too, was done not in an ordinary manner. The skin, which had covered the flesh that was taken away, was left intire, and flapped over the wound, and was fastened to the corresponding part by two or more small skewers or pins. Whether they had put any thing under the skin, between that and the wounded flesh, I know not; but, at the river side where they were, they had prepared a cataplasm of clay, with which they covered the wound; they then forced the animal to rise, and drove it on before them, to furnish them with a fuller meal when they should meet their companions in the evening." (Travels, vol. iii. p. 142.) "We have an instance, in the life of Saul, that shews the propensity of the Israelites to this crime: Saul's army, after a battle, flew, that is, fell voraciously upon the cattle they had taken, and threw them upon the ground to cut off their flesh, and eat them raw; so that the army was defiled by eating blood, or living animals. 1 Sam. xiv. 33. To prevent this, Saul caused to be rolled to him a great stone, and