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No. 1285.-ST. JOHN ii. 1.

There was a marriage in Cana.

THE following circumstances, as connected with marriage, are too remarkable to be passed over unnoticed. "Upon ordinary occasions it was usual to throw amongst the populace, as the procession moved along, money, sweetmeats, flowers, and other articles; which the people caught in cloths made for such occasions, stretched in a particular manner upon frames. With regard to the money however, there appears often to have been a mixture of economy, or rather of deception; which probably arose from the necessity of complying with a custom, that might be ill suited to the fortunes of some, and to the avarice of others: for we find that it was not uncommon to collect bad money, called kelb, at a low price, to throw away at nuptial processions.

The bride on the day of marriage was conducted with great ceremony by her friends to her husband's house : and immediately on her arrival she made him a varięty of presents; especially of household-furniture, with a spear and a tent. There seems to be a curious similitude in some of these ceremonies to custom which prevailed among the old Germans, before they left their forests, as well as among the gothic nations, after they were established in their conquests. Tacitus observes that the German bridegrooms and brides made each other reciprocal presents, and particularly of arms and cattle. The gifts made to an eastern bride appear likewise to have been upon the same principle with the morgengabe, or morning gift, which it was common for the

European husbands in the early and middle ages to present to his wife on the morning after marriage."

RICHARDSON's Dissert. on the East, p. 343.

No. 1286.-ii. 9. The ruler of the feast.] It was the custom amongst the ancients at feasts to choose a king or master, to order how much each guest should drink, whom all the company were obliged to obey. He was chosen by throwing dice, upon the sides of which were engraven or painted the images of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Apollo, Venus, and Diana. He who threw up Venus was made king, as Horace insinuates: Quem Venus dicet arbitrum bibendi, b. ii. od. 7. whom Venus shall appoint judge of drinking.

No. 1287.-iii. 10. Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?] There were several ceremonies to be performed by all who became Jewish proselytes. The first was a circumcision: the second was washing or baptism: and the third was that of offering sacrifice. It was a common opinion among the Jews concerning those who had gone through all these ceremonies, that they ought to be looked upon as new-born infants: Maimonides it in express terms. says "A

Gentile who is become a proselyte, and a slave who is sèt at liberty, are both as it were new-born babes; which is the reason why those who before were their parents are now no longer so." Hence it is evident that nothing could be more just than Christ's reproaching Nicodemus with his being a master in Israel, and yet being at the same time ignorant how a man could be born a second time. FLEURY'S Hist. of Israelites, p. 201.

No. 1288.-vi. 11. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples.] Gratitude to God for the common blessings of providence

is certainly the duty of those who enjoy them; and is very properly expressed by giving thanks on their reception. Such a practice we find to have prevailed both amongst heathens, Jews, and Christians.

That it prevailed amongst the heathens is certain from the following testimonies. Athenæus says, (Deipnosoph. lib. ii.) that in the famous regulation made by Amphictyon king of Athens with respect to the use of wine, both in sacrifices and at home, he required that the name of Jupiter the sustainer should be 'decently and reverently pronounced. The same writer (lib. iy. p. 149.) quotes Hermeias, an author extant in his time, who mentions a people in Egypt, inhabitants of the city of Naucratis, whose custom it was on certain occasions, after they had placed themselves in the usual posture of eating at the table, to rise again and kneel; the priest then chanted a grace according to a stated form amongst them, after which they joined in the meal in a solemn sacrificial manner. It was also a religious usage amongst the ancient Greeks, and derived to them from yet older ages. Clement of Alexandria informs us, that when they met together to refresh themselves with the juice of the grape, they sung a piece of music, which they called a scholion. Livy (lib. 39.) speaks of it as a settled custom amongst the old Romans, that they offered sacrifice and prayer to the gods at their meals. But one of the fullest testimonies to our purpose is given by Quintilian, (Dedam. 301.) Adisti mensam, ad quam cum venire cœpimus, deos invocamus. We ap-. proached the table, and then invoked the gods.

Trigantius a jesuit, in his narrative of the expedition of their missionaries into China, (b. i. p. 69.) says of the Chinese, that" before they place themselves for partaking of an entertainment, the person who makes it sets a vessel, either of gold, or silver, or marble, or ' some such valuable material, in a charger full of wine,

which he holds with both his hands, and then makes a low bow to the person of chief quality or character at the table. Then from the hall or dining-room he goes into the porch or entry, where he again makes a very low bow, and, turning his face to the south, pours out this wine upon the ground as a thankful oblation to the Lord of heaven. After this, repeating his reverential obeisance, he returns into the hall."

As to the sentiments and behaviour of the Jews on this point, Josephus, detailing the customs of the Essenes, says, that the priest begs a blessing before they presume to take any nourishment; and it is looked upon as a great sin to take or taste before. And when the meal is over, the priest prays again; and the company with him bless and praise God, as their preserver, and the donor of their life and nourishment. From the Hebrew ritual it appears, that the Jews had their hymns and psalms of thanksgiving not only after eating their passover, but on a variety of other occasions, at and after meals, and even between their several courses and dishes; as when the best of their wine was brought upon the table, or the fruit of the garden.

The practice of the Jews is farther discovered by the conduct of Christ. After eating the passover, himself and the disciples sung an hymn, Matt. xxvi. 30. Learned men have thought this-hymn to have been some stated. form in use among the Jews. Others say it was part of the book of Psalms. However that be, the Jews are said to have their zemiroth, verses or songs of thanksgiving, to this day. We may also observe that when Christ supped with the two disciples at Emmaus, he took bread and blessed it, Luke xxiv. 30.

The primitive Christians appear universally to have observed this custom. We read that St. Paul when he had spoken took bread, and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and when he had broken it, began to

eat. Acts xxvii. 35. In the days immediately following the apostles, we trace this practice in the writings of the fathers, particularly in the Clementine constitutions, in Chrysostom, and Origen.

No. 1289.-viii. 20. These words spake Jesus in the treasury.] In the court of the women in the temple there was placed one chest, or more; the Jews say eleven, for receiving the voluntary contributions of the people towards defraying the charges of public worship; such as providing the public sacrifices, wood for the altar, salt, and other necessaries. That part of the area where these chests were placed was the youλaxion, or treasury. Mark xii. 41. Perhaps the whole court, or at least the piazza on one side, with the chambers over it, in which the sacred stores were kept, was from hence called by the same name.

JENNINGS's Jewish Ant. vol. ii. p. 43.

No. 1290.-viii. 36. If the son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.] By some commentators it has been supposed, that Christ alludes to the mode of adoption called adeλpodeσia, (see Oriental Customs, No. 473.) but Dr. Gill refers it rather to a custom among the Romans of a son's making free, after his father's death, such as were born slaves in his house. Perhaps they may be also some reference to such sort of persons among the Jews as were partly servants and partly free; such as were servants to two partners, and were made free by one of them; or who had paid half the price of redemption, but left the other half due: of a person in such circumstances it is said, he may not eat of his master's lamb at the passover.

No. 1291.-viii. 57. Thou art not yet fifty years old.] The age of fifty is often spoken of by the Jews, and much

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