customs from the Romans, particularly in the case of females; that the Grecian women lived in lone apartments of their own, very much retired; that decency forbad the deacons of the first churches to visit women, especially in sickness; that the women frequently held separate religious assemblies for divine worship in their own apartments; that in them Paul approved of their praying and teaching; that these female assemblies were not churches, and that women, who were allowed to teach and pray among themselves, were not allowed to speak in the church; that in their own assemblies it was their custom to lay aside their vails, but that as men, who are called angels, that is, messengers, were sometimes sent by the church to inspect these assemblies, it was requisite the women should then put on their vails. This account explains two apparently contradictory passages of Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians; and some in other Epistles. 1 Corinthians, xi. 5— 15; 1 Corinthians, xiv. 34, 35; Philippians, iv. 3; Romans, xvi. 3. 6. 13; 1 Timothy, ii. 11; Titus, ii. 3, 4."-Robinson's History of Baptism.

1 Corinthians. xv. 32. Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. See also Matthew, vi, 31, 32.

"It was a perverse use which the old Heathens made of the necessity of dying, when in their feasts, their custom was to bring in a skeleton to their guests, thereby exciting them to mirth and voluptuousness, while they could relish such delights, because shortly they must be as much dust and bones as what they saw. This is the common theme of Horace, Anacreon, and all the Epicurean sty." Hopkins.D'Israeli says, this skeleton was of beautiful workmanship, and carried in a small box. The Cingalese have a saying often employed by a squanderer on being admonished for extravagance: Mokada enna

kal kanawa bonawa?-What! while living, (shall we not) eat and drink?-The Indo-Portuguese say on the same point: Ate nos tem com vida, nos lo cume e bebe.-While we are living, we will eat and drink.

1 Corinthians, xv. 29. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?

I should imagine, that the phrase, "baptized for the dead," alludes to the baptism of converts, whose confidence in the truth of Christianity, enabled them undauntedly to supply the places of others cut off by martyrdom." Baptizing some living man in the behalf of his dead friend. Cerinthius held that Christ did not rise from the dead, and so went about to weaken the doctrine of the resurrection, yet it was their fashion that followed his heresy, if one died unbaptized, they baptized a living man for him."-Leigh.

1 Corinthians, xvi. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha.-1 Samuel, xxiv. 12. The Lord judge between thee and me, and the Lord avenge me of thee; but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

Bruce mentions a pretended saint, enraged on being set ashore, after embarking with the hope of a passage, who mingled with his execrations, "May God send and do justice!"-Similar appeals are current among the Cingalese.

2 Corinthians, iv. 4. The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.-Judges, xvi. 21. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.-2 Kings, xxv. 7. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

Instances are brought from eastern histories, of the eyes being sewed or sealed up, to keep princes from doing mischief in a time of faction, or as a punishment for disobedience; as well as of depriving criminals of one or both eyes.

2 Corinthians, iv. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

In a Cingalese pottery, I have seen hundreds of earthern vessels for hoarding money in. They are nearly round, and in size something less than the two fists. They have no opening but a small hole, like that in a till to slip in a coin;—and are said to be mostly bought up by children, to hide the profit of their play in, and other such sums.

2 Corinthians, vi. 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

However disadvisable may be the marriage of a pious person with one destitute of the spirit of Christianity, though well-informed or correct in religious opinion, the Apostle here appears to prohibit marriages between professed Christians and avowed Idolaters or Jews. In many cases where this unhappily takes place, (just as when a Protestant and Catholic marry,) one brings up the boys, and the other the girls. In a case within the writer's recollection, a Christian catechist had a son a preacher, and others Protestants like himself, whose daughters were said to be by the mother conducted to the Budhuist temple.

Ephesians, vi. 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith.

Bishop Horsley reads, over, or outside all.

1 Timothy, iii. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness.

Mystery." "The leading sense is Arcanum, a secret, any thing not disclosed, not published to the world, though perhaps communicated to a select number. Αποκαλυψις stands in the same relation to this word, as discovery does to secret." Campbell. -Had Lord Chesterfield been aware that the common acceptation of the word mystery in English, differs from the word in Greek, his politeness would have checked his profaneness, if Christian principles had lost all their force, when his Lordship thus wrote to B. Doddington, Esq. "The mystery of state is become like that of godliness, ineffable and incomprehensible, and has likewise the same good luck of being thought the finer for not being understood."-But infidelity was ever superficial,like his Lordship's system of manners.

Hebrews, i. 12. As a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed.

The Grand Seignior appears in different coloured robes, for various purposes the same day.

1 Peter, iii. 3, 4. Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

"Neither Paul, 1 Timothy, ii. 9, nor Peter here do simply condemn ornaments, but the abuse of

them, they being used by persons of mean condition. 2. The Church was then under grievous persecution. 3. The words are rather an admonition than a prohibition. He forbiddeth not using of them, but admonisheth them that they would rather adorn the inside than the outside, and this evidently appears by the antithesis that is used in both places, not, saith Paul, but not, saith Peter, desire more the adorning of the mind than the body."-Leigh. Old Mr. Trapp is always too interesting to be refused a hearing. His note on 1 Peter, iii. 3, is as follows: verse 3. "[Whose adorning] Mundus muliebris. SeeIsaiah,iii. 18, where the prophet as punctually inveighs against this noble vanity, as if he had viewed the ladies' wardrobes in Jerusalem. [Let it not be that outward] Vestium curiositas, deformitatis mentium et morum indicium est, saith Bernard. Excessive neatness is a sign of inward nastiness. It was a true saying of the wise Cato, Cultus magna cura, magna est virtutis injuria. They are never good that strive to be over fine. Lysander would not suffer his daughters to wear gorgeous attire; saying, it would not make them so comely as common."-See Harmer's luminous remarks on these passages.

1 Peter, iv. 3, 4. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.

Hindoo festivals abound with follies the most frantic, and obscenities the most shocking.-Budhuist processions are conducted with noise and buffoonery-men for the purpose being dressed fantastically-in a manner, partly Cingalese and partly