was likely to be equally dangerous; and which, therefore, demanded a full exertion of fortitude and resolution.

"It was still the hot season of the year, and we were to travel through that country, over which the horrid wind I have before mentioned, sweeps its consuming blasts; it is called by the Turks SAMIEL, is mentioned by holy JOB under the name of the East Wind, and extends its ravages all the way from the extreme end of the Gulph of Cambaya, up to Mosul; it carries along with it flakes of fire like threads of silk; instantly strikes dead those that breathe it, and consumes them inwardly to ashes; the flesh soon becoming black as a coal, and dropping off the bones. Philosophers consider it as a kind of electric fire, proceeding from the sulphureous or nitrous exhalations which are kindled by the agitation of the winds, The only possible means of escape from its fatal effects, is to fall flat on the ground, and thereby prevent the drawing it in to do this, however, it is necessary first to see it, which is not always practicable.

"But, besides this, the ordinary heat of the climate is extremely dangerous to the blood and lungs, and even to the skin, which blisters and peels from the flesh, affecting the eyes so much, that travellers are obliged to wear a transparent covering over them, to keep the heat off."

2 CHRONICLES XXViii. 3.

Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen.

THE following extract from Sonnerat's Travels in India, will afford a correct idea of this idolatrous and inhuman practice of passing over, or through fire.

"A still more astonishing instance of the superstition of the ancient Indians, in respect to their venerated fire, remains at this day, in the grand annual festival holden in honour of Darmah Rajah, and called the FEAST OF FIRE; in which, as in the ancient rites of Moloch, the devotees walk barefoot over a glowing fire, extending forty feet. It is called the feast of fire, because they then walk on that element. It lasts eighteen days, during which time, those who make a vow to keep it, must fast, abstain from women, lie on the bare ground, and walk on a brisk fire. The eighteenth day, they assemble to

the

the sound of instruments; their heads crowned with flowers, the body bedaubed with saffron, and follow in cadence, the figures of Darmah Rajah, and of Drotede, his wife, which are carried there in procession: when they comé to the fire, they stir it to animate its activity, and take of the ashes, with which they rub their forehead, and when the gods have been three times round it, they walk either fast or slow, according to their zeal, over a very hot fire, extended to about forty feet in length. Some carry their children in their arms, others lances, sabres, and standards.

"The most fervent devotees walk several times over the fire. After the ceremony, the people press to collect some of the ashes to rub their foreheads with, and obtain from the devotees some of the flowers with which they were adorned, and which they carefully preserve."-Sonnerat's Travels, vol. i. page 154.

It is evident that the abomination of which Ahaz was guilty, consisted in a practice somewhat similar to that which is here described; and not that he sacrificed or destroyed his children, as he was succeeded by his son Hezekiah, and another of his sons, Maasaiah, was slain by" Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim," see verse 7 of this chapter.

REMARKS ON THE SECOND BOOK OF ESDRAS. (Continued from page 120.)

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

SIR,

TH

HE following supplement to my external evidences has been in part suggested by Sir John Floyer's commentary on the book. Justin Martyr, as I before slightly observed, in the middle of the second century, accused the Jews of having expunged a passage from Esdras' commentaries (now BIS TOY YOOY) on the law of Moses. Hence it clearly appears that Esdras had written an exposition, or targum, upon the law, which the Jews

had

had mutilated. In another place, speaking of the prophetical evidence for Christianity, he mentions the prophet Jeremiah, and Esdras, and David, and says, that he would not argue from controverted passages of those prophets, but from readings admitted by the Jews themselves. (Justini Martyris Opera, p. 349 and 292.) It appears then, that, in the time of Justin Martyr, there existed certain prophetical writings of Esdras, and an exposition of the law; which confirms the testimony of Picus, and my remarks upon Picus.

Melito, likewise who was cotemporary with Justin, in his list of canonical books, according to Eusebius, says, "The prophets are, Isaiah, Jeremiah, one book of the twelve prophets, Daniel, Ezekiel, Esdras." He cannot here mean only the canonical books of Esdras, because they are not prophetical. In addition to these testimonies, Sir John Floyer has collected many others from the fathers both Greek and Latin, which I do not know to have been ever before noticed. Indeed it is astonishing how superficially this book has been examined and criticised. My limits do not allow me to bring forward more than the following quotation of his from Scaliger: “ Ar· cana multa continentur in libro Esdræ, quorum admirabile et divinum compendium apud me est, Syrâ conscriptum lingua, (Scaligeri exerc. 308.) I must not, however, omit Sir John Floyer's criticism upon the testimony of Justin Martyr. "Justin Martyr (says he) affirms, that in Esdras, there were many proofs and demonstrations concerning Christ, as well as in Jeremiah and David's psalms. The disingenuity of the Jews, in rasing out the prophecy above-mentioned, gives us a just suspicion_that they suppressed the original copy. And since Justin Martyr mentions Esdras' prophecies, the second book of Esdras, Apocrypha, was known before Clemens Alexandrinus's days, though Mr. Mede asserts the contrary."

It appears to me, that both Justin and Melito referred to this book, but I am inclined to think, that it was from the commentaries of Esdras that the passage was punged, of which this book may have been a part.

Either supposition is of the highest importance in the present enquiry, and tends to authenticate the book in question. For, according to Picus, this book was a part of Esdras' great commentary upon the Law, And if it be true that the Apocalypse is alluded

to

to in 2d Esdras, as its adversaries cannot but suppose, then was the forgery admitted by friends and enemies, and appealed to as ancient and genuine prophecy by one party and mutilated by the other in its own defence, at the very time when it first appeared in the world, i. e. between the time of of St. John and of Justin Martyr! The case is not much altered if Clemens Alexandrinus be supposed to have been the first author who quoted the book.

I shall now proceed to enquire into The internal Evidence for the authenticity of 2d Esdras. It must be premised, that the book is handed down to us in a barbarous Latin translation, (the manuscripts of which greatly differ, and have never been collated,) and in an Arabic version extremely different from the Latin. Consequently the foundations of internal evidences for, or against the book, must be extremely precarious, and of small value when compared with those of the external evidences. The practice, however, has been to inverse this proposition.

Having premised thus much, I shall first enquire whether there be sufficient internal evidence to enable us to decide in what language the book was originally written. Now, the Vulgate, as Sir John Floyer has proved, is evidently a translation from the Greek, and retains many Greek words. But the Arabick is so different from the Vulgate, that they must have proceeded from different sources, which is a strong presumption that the Arabic is a translation from an Oriental original.

It must secondly be enquired whether the style resembles that of Esdras or not. This a translation will not enable us to decide, and the difference of the subjects of this and the canonical books would render almost impossible. The Jews, indeed, believe, that Esdras composed the book attributed to Malachi, and several corresponding passages are certainly found in Malachi. Comp. Mal. i. 3, with 2d Esd. xv. 29, and Mal. iii. 3, with 2d Esdras xvi. 74, and Mal. iv. 1, with 2nd Esd. xvi. 79.

To this head it belongs to observe that many passages in the Targums and Talmud strongly resemble 2d Esdras.

We must thirdly endeavour to ascertain whether the author of this book alluded to the New Testament, or whether he was himself alluded to therein.

Now the learned author of The Sign of the Times has brought forwards a remarkable passage, viz. Luke xi. 49, which is very important in the present enquiry.

In that place our Lord himself apparently quotes 2d

Esdras

Esdras i. 32, under the title of " The Wisdom of God," by which may fairly be understood, the Spirit of Christ, denominated "the Spirit of Wisdom," which spake by the prophets. But there may further have been a peculiar propriety in styling this book by that name, for the reason of which compare 2d Esdras xiv. 48, with Luke xi. 52. And that it is a quotation from Esdras is confirmed by comparing it with the parallel place in Mat. xxiii. 34, &c. where we find a second quotation from the same place in Esdras. These together resemble the two sections of an indenture, and form a coincidence which it must have been the height of imposture to have contrived.

Besides this, it may generally, be observed that where there are found in Esdras places common to the New Testament, Esdras is frequently the more plain and full. And it must be remembered, that it was the custom of the apostles thus slightly to allude to the Old Testament writers for a more full explanation of any point treated of by both. Time will more clearly shew whether the explanations of the prophecies common to the New Testament and to this book were inspired (comp. Rev. xii. 14, with 2d Esd. xii. 11, &c. and Rev. xiii. 3, with 2d Esd. xii. 18, and Rev. xii. 1, &c. with 2d Esd. ix. 38, &c.) and whether its other prophecies are true. I come now,

fourthly, to examine the chronology of the book. Calmet observes, that Ezra is thought by some to have returned with Zerobabel to Jerusalem, (B. C. 526,) which he thinks improbable. It is, however, certain, that he was present when the officers of the king of Persia came to Jerusalem, (Ez. v. 3, B. C. 520) and that he was a chief person in the expedition, (Ez. vii. 27, 28, B. C. 457,) and that he lived under Nehemiah, (Neh. xii. 26, 36, B. C. 445,) It is therefore evident, that between the years 520 and 444 B. C. Esdras was of an age to prophesy.

Now to reconcile the chronology of 2d Esdras with this, it must be observed that in ch. i. 3. Esdras is said to have been" captive in the land of the Medes in the reign' of Artaxerxes King of the Persians." This agrees with Ezra vii. where the genealogy of Ezra with some small variation, is likewise given, and Esdras said in like manner to have been in Babylon. It is not improbable, that the two fisst chapters of Esdras were written not long before the expedition of Esdras to Jerusalem, considering

the