taken out on a visit. But a piece of silver, copper, or lead, made into the exact form of a leaf, with the fibres and stalk curiously engraved thereon, hangs down in front, having a string attached to it, which goes round the loins.

I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.-Verse 15.

This remarkable reference to the heel finds a parallel in the history of Jacob, whose "hand took hold on Esau's heel; his name also signifying "to defraud, deceive, or supplant." Dan was to be an "adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels;" obviously pointing out the stratagems which subsequently distinguished the conduct of that tribe. (See Judges xiv., xvi., xviii.) But Job says, "Thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet;" by which mark his betrayers could easily find him out and Bildad, speaking of the wicked, says, “The gin shall take him by the heel;" (Job xviii. 9 ;) showing that to be the part significant of being betrayed.

David also declares, that his own familiar friend in whom he trusted, who had partaken of his hospitality, and had afforded every reason to confide in his fidelity, had become a foe, and lifted up his heel against him; (Psalm xli. 9;) and in another place the Psalmist asks: "Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquities of my heels shall compass me about?" (Psalm xlix. 5.) On this complaint of the royal singer of Israel, the Bishops Horne and Lowth observe: "Why should I give way to fear and despondency in the time of my calamity, when the wickedness of my wealthy and powerful adversaries compasses me about to supplant and overthrow me?" Parkhurst says, "Iniquities of my heels-Rather, 'of my SUPPLANTERS,' of those who endeavour to supplant me."

Jeremiah, speaking of the royal family and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, utters this denunciation against them, as a part of the impending calamities, in consequence of their wickedness: "For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare." (Jer. xiii. 22.) Thus were they to be uncovered, that their enemies might casily supplant them.

Therefore we see, from Jacob to Dan, from Job to David and Jeremiah, all these references to the heel include the idea

of treachery, of craft and deceit. Thus was the serpent to injure the seed of the woman. The heel was the part to be wounded, which conveys the idea of being FOLLOWED for that purpose. The serpent affected to be the friend of the woman, but most perfidiously betrayed her. He went behind her for that purpose; and when she did not suspect his design, he bruised her heel, and that of her seed throughout all generations.

Proceed we now to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and we perceive in his sufferings a full confirmation of all these views; for, in reference to Judas Iscariot, he said, "He that eateth bread with me, hath lifted up his heel against me:" a plain evidence, even to a sceptical mind, that our Divine Redeemer had meditated upon that passage already quoted from the Psalms, respecting his own familiar friend, who lifted up his heel against him; which was, in all probability, a direct prophecy of the machinations and treachery of Judas, who thus betrayed his Master with a kiss; and, by so doing, insidiously bruised his heel. But glorious retribution was at hand; for the seed of the woman bruised the serpent's head,-a part of all others the most vulnerable; as a slight blow upon it is sure to disable the reptile from perpetrating any future mischief.

But in addition to these remarkable passages in the sacred scriptures, we have the corresponding testimony of similar phraseology existing in the East at this day; for the heel is the part which is said to be wounded, when a treacherous person, under the guise of friendship, has injured another. The man who has thus perfidiously conducted himself, is called a kuthe-kal vettukurraven; that is, "a heel-cutter;" which reminds us of the Russian proverb: "He fawned on me, and then bit my heel."* He also who has displaced some one from a lucrative post receives the same designation; and of him who has thus circumvented another in some office or emolument it is frequently said, "Ah! I will yet cut his heel; " that is, I will by some stratagem betray him, or have him discharged. But it is worthy of observation, that this infamous epithet is given only to that man who has shown himself to be a false friend.

Therefore whether we look at the text, "Thou shalt bruise

his heel," which refers to the old serpent Satan, and his emissary Judas; or to the supplanting Jacob, who took hold of Esau's heel; to the crouching Dan, who waited to bite the horses' heels; to the declaration of Bildad, that the gin should seize the heel; to David's complaint concerning his professed friend, who had lifted up his heel against him; to the solemn denunciation of Jeremiah against the debased Jews, that their "heels" were to be made "bare ;"-in all these we have, I think, such a concatenation of elucidatory evidence as will fully satisfy the mind respecting the simple meaning of this peculiar and most expressive form of speech, "Thou shalt bruise his heel."

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow.Verse 16.

It is believed that the pains and sorrows of women in child-bearing are produced by the sins they had committed in a former state of existence. "Brahma created woman out of sin, which he had collected;" and, being thus formed, it is believed she must have misery. Thus one of the great evils of the metempsychosis is, that a man, in consequence of his sins, may, in the next birth, be born a woman, in order to suffer the pains attendant on parturition for former transgressions. When a female suffers much, the people say, "Ah, how great must have been her sins in a former birth!"

In an ancient book, partly translated by the late Mr. Ellis, of Madras, it is said, with respect to future births, "It is not easy to escape being born a woman."

CHAP. IV.

And in process of time it came to pass.-Verse 3.

The margin reads, "at the end of days;" and this is truly Oriental. "When the days are ended, I will fulfil my promise." "After those days are ended, I shall have peace."

• I would here observe, once for all, that I have gone regularly through the marginal readings, and have found, with few exceptions, that they literally agree with Eastern language, in idiom and figure. In the course of this work, most of them will be illustrated; and, I think, few readers will doubt that they are the correct translations.

"When the days come round," (in their circle,) “I will do that for you."

Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.—

Verse 3.

What induced Cain to select that kind of offering for the Lord, we do not certainly know; but it is a fact, that in the Hindoo religion, also amongst the Budhists, (who prevail, with some modifications, over a great part of the Chinese and Burmese empires,) and in Japan, fruits in their ripe or unripe state, flowers, honey, roots, nuts, water, milk, boiled rice, cakes, oil, and perfumes, are offered to the gods.

Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock.-Verse 4.

The margin has, "sheep or goats;" and people in the East never speak of a flock without mentioning what is its kind.

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.-Verse 7.

D'Oyly and Mant interpret this, "Your sin will find you out." "Thy punishment is not far off." They also say, sin may be rendered "sin-offering;" and several other commentators take the same view, and think this is its true and only meaning. The victim proper for a sin-offering was lying at the door, and, therefore, was within his reach.

There are some who affect to smile at the idea of sin lying at the door: it is, however, an Eastern figure. Ask a man who is unacquainted with scripture, what he understands by sin lying at the threshold of the door; he will immediately speak of it as the guilt of some great crime which the owner had committed. A man accused of having murdered a child would be accosted in the following language: "If you have done this, think not to escape. No! for sin will ever lie at your door: it will descend from generation to generation." To a man accused of having committed any other dreadful crime, it would be said, "Ah! if I had done it, do I not know sin would ever lie at my door?" The idea is sin personified in the shape of some fierce animal crouched at the door. Its criminality and punishment remain.

If Cain had done well, would there not have been "the

excellency?" (sce the margin ;) but if not well, then sin, like a monster, was crouching at his door. Taking the other view of it seems to amount to this: Now, Cain, if thou doest well, that will be thy excellency, thou shalt be accepted; but, if thou doest not well, it is a matter of no very great consequence, because there is a sin-offering at thy door.

God's design appears to have been to induce Cain to do well, by speaking of the reward of righteousness; and to make him afraid of doing evil, by showing him the punishment of sin.

My punishment is greater than I can bear.-Verse 13. The margin has, "Mine iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven." This form of speech is very common. Has a person committed a great crime? he will go to the offended individual, and piteously plead for mercy; and at intervals will be crying, "Ah! my guilt is too great to be forgiven. My hopes are gone."

Every one that findeth me shall slay me.-Verse 14.

It has been tauntingly asked, "How could every one slay Cain?" Has a man escaped from prison? the people say, “Ah! all men will catch and bring that fellow back." Has a man committed murder? "Ah! all men will kill that murderer." This means, The feeling will be universal; all will desire to have that individual punished.

The Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.-Verse 15.

When people speak to each other on important or solemn subjects, they do not always use the personal pronoun; but the name of the person addressed is mentioned, apparently, that by-standers may have no doubt as to the individual intended. Suppose two persons-the one called Muttoo, and the other Kandan-were disputing about something serious which had occurred. Muttoo would say, "It is well known to Kandan that I never made any such promise; but Kandan has brought false witnesses to swear that I did say so." Has Chinnan done something for another which he fears another party will resent? he goes to the person for whom the favour was performed, and states his apprehensions. But the favoured individual will say, "Fear not; for whosoever injures Chinnan, I will injure."