fo the darkness at Chrift's death was the forerunner of the deftruction of the Jews, when, in the metaphorical and prophetic ftyle, and according to Chrift's exprefs prediction, the fun was darkened, and the moon withdrew her light, and the ftars fell from heaven, the Ecclefiaftical and Civil State of the Jews was overturned, and the rulers of both were deftroyed.

19. The face of Mofes fhone, when he defcended from the mountain: the fame happened unto Chrift at his transfiguration on the mountain. Mofes and Elias appeared then with him, to fhew that the Law and the Prophets. bare witness to him; and the Divine Voice faid, This is my beloved Son, hear ye him, alluding most evidently to the prediction of Mofes, unto bim fhall ye bearken.

20. Mofes cleanfed one leper: Chrift many.

Greeks called Linus, and which they had from the Ægyptians : ἔςι ἢ Αἰγυπτιςὶ ὁ Λίνω καλεύμενο Μανέρως. ἔφασαν δέ μιν Αἰγύπτιοι τε πρώτε βασιλεύσαν Αἰγύπτε παῖδα μονογενέα Ανέπλο Σποθανόντα δ' αὐτὸν ἄνωρον, θρήνοισι τέτοισι ὑπ ̓ Αἰγυπ τίων τιμηθῆναι καὶ ἀοιδήν τε ταύτίω πρώτίω και μούνω βρίσι λυέας. Vocatur autem Linus Ægyptiace Maneros: quem Egyptii tradiderunt, quum filius unicus extitiffet primi Ægypti regis, præmaturaque morte deceffiffet, his lamentis ab Egyptiis fuiffe decoratum: et cantilenam hanc primam eamque folam ipfos habuiffe. Herodotus ii. 79.

It may be observed, though it is a trifle, that Gronovius gives us A circumflexed; but the first fyllable is fhort in the best writers, and Moschus fays, Epitaph. Bion. ΑΙΛΙΝΑ μοι σοναχετε νάπαι, καὶ Δώριον ὕδωρο Sophocles Ajac. 632. Αἴλινον, αἴλινον.

21. Mofes

21. Mofes foretold the calamities which would befall the nation for their difobedience: fo did Chrift.

22. Mofes chofe and appointed feventy elders to be over the people: Chrift chose such a number of disciples.

23. The Spirit which was in Mofes was conferred in fome degree upon the feventy elders, and they prophefied: Chrift conferred miraculous powers upon his feventy difciples.

24. Mofes fent twelve men to fpy out the land which was to be conquered: Chrift fent his Apoftles into the world to fubdue it by a more glorious and miraculous conqueft.

25. Mofes was victorious over powerful kings, and great nations: fo was Chrift, by the effects of his religion, and by the fall of those who perfecuted his Church.

26. Mofes conquered Amalec by lifting and holding up both his hands all the day: Chrift overcame his and our enemies when his hands were faftened to the crofs. This refemblance has been obferved by fome of the ancient Chriftians, and ridiculed by fome of the moderns; but without fufficient reafon, I think.

27. Mofes interceded for tranfgreffors and caufed an attonement to be made for them, and ftopped the wrath of God: fo did Chrift.

28. Mofes ratified a covenant between God and the people, by fprinkling them with blood: Chrift with his own blood.

29. Mofes defired to die for the people, and prayed that God would forgive them, or blot

him out of his book: Chrift did more, he died for finners.

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30. Mofes inftituted the Paffover, when at lamb was facrificed, none of whose bones were to be broken, and whofe blood protected the people from deftruction: Chrift was that pafchal lamb.

31. Mofes lifted up the ferpent, that they who looked upon him might be healed of their mortal wounds: Chrift was that ferpent. A Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderness, even fo muft the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The ferpent being an emblem of Satan, may be thought an unfit image to represent Christ:

z Levit. xvii. 11. The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar, to make an attonement for your fouls; for it is the blood that maketh an attonement for the foul. Therefore I faid unto the Children of Ifrael, No foul of you fhall eat blood, etc.

Here appears the reafon of this strict and often repeated prohibition blood was appointed as the attonement for fin, it was fet apart and fanctified for that purpose; and confequently, when the use of the altar, and facrifices ceased, at the death of Chrift, the prohibition of eating blood should ceafe alío, and the precept concerning it in the Acts of the Apostles feems to have been prudential and temporary.

Of clean animals, the blood was to be shed and thrown away; of unclean, no part was to be eaten: of clean fishes, the blood feems to be no where exprefly forbidden, perhaps because their blood was never offered up in facrifice.

The eating of a clean animal, that died of itself, is not forbidden with the fame rigour; perhaps because the blood was coagulated, and not in a condition to be offered up to God. See Levit. xvii. 15. and Deut. xiv. 21.

but

but the ferpents which bit the people of Israel are called fiery ferpents, Seraphim. Num. xxi. 6. Now, Sunt boni Angeli Seraphim, funt mali Angeli Seraphim, quos nulla figura melius quam preflere exprimas. Et tali ufum primum humani generis feductorem putat Bachai. Grotius. Therefore Christ, as he was the great and good Angel, the Angel of God's prefence, the Angel xal ox, might be reprefented as a kind Seraph, a beneficent healing Serpent, who should abolish the evil introduced by the feducing lying Serpent, and who, like the ferpent of Mofes, should destroy the ferpents of the Magicians; as one of thofe gentle ferpents, who are friends to mankind:

Nunc quoque nec fugiunt hominem, nec vulnere lædunt,

Quidque prius fuerint, placidi meminere dracones: Ovid. Metam. iv. 6ot. Εἰσὶ δὲ πεὶ Θήβας ἱροὶ ἔφιες, ἀνθρώπων ἐδαμῶς δηλή proves. Herodotus ii. 74.

Poffemus hinc, fays Le Clerc, incipere oftendere fimilitudinem Serpentis anei, et Chrifti ipfius; nam ut nemo credidiffet falutiferum futurum efle Ifraëlitis ab cherfydris demorfis, confpectum anei ferpentis: ita nec quifquam poterat, eo tempore quo res contigit, fperare hominis crucifixi cognitionem unicam fore viam, qua bomines ad fidem Deo habendam, parendumque Evangelio, ex omnibus gentibus brevi adducendi effent. Verum boc aliaque id genus Theologis latius diducenda atque illuftranda relinquimus. Vide eos ad Joan. iii. 14.

In Ifaias vi. 2. etc. the Seraphim are reprefented as praifing God. Origen had a notion that thefe Seraphim were two, and that they were the Son and the Spirit of God; a paradox, which, though fcarcely to be maintained, yet deferved not the fevere cenfures which Jerom in his wrath was pleased to beftow upon it. See Vitringa. Eufebius fays fomething, very like it, Prap. Evang. vii. 15. where the notes of Vigerus may be confulted.

Æfculapius, the God of phyfic, and of all the Pagan Deities fuppofed to be the most beneficent, appeared, according to Pagan Tradition, in the form of a ferpent, and a ferpent was facred to him, and is described twisting round his rod.

32. All the affection which Mofes fhewed towards the people, all the cares and toils which he underwent on their account, were repaid by them with ingratitude, murmuring, and rebellion, and fometimes they threatened to ftone him the fame returns the Jews made to Christ for all his benefits.

33. Mofes was ill used by his own family; his brother and fifter rebelled against him: there was a time when Chrift's own brethren believed not in him.

34. Mofes had a very wicked and perverse generation committed to his care and conduct, and to enable him to rule them, miraculous powers were given to him, and he ufed his utmoft endeavours to make the people obedient to God, and to fave them from ruin; but in vain ; VOL. I.

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