little integrity, it is no wonder there should be so much strife.

GENESIS XIV.

He armed his trained servants born in his own house.-Verse 14. Abram had trained his three hundred and eighteen servants to arms; and with them he rescued his brother Lot, and brought back his "goods, and the women also, and the people."

To Englishmen it may appear strange that Abram should have so many servants, and that they were born in his own house. Many Hindoos in North Ceylon once possessed numbers of slaves, who were all born on their own grounds. I know a man who once had nearly one thousand of his fellowcreatures. Not that they always worked for him, or were dependent upon him; they were the descendants of his slaves, and were, in the strongest sense of the word, his vassals. Neither were they descended from men of other nations, but from Hindoos only; and some of them from the same caste as their master.

The king of Sodom went out to meet him.-Verse 17.

The conduct of this king, of Abraham, of Lot, of Saul, of the father of the prodigal, and of many others, is beautifully illustrated by the manners of the East, at this day. Not to meet a friend, or an expected guest, would be considered as rude in the extreme. So soon as the host hears of the approach of his visitant, he and his attendants go forth in courtly style; and when they meet him, the host addresses him, "Ah! this is a happy day for me; by your favour I am found in health." He will then, perhaps, put his arm round his waist, or gently tap him on the shoulder, as they proceed towards the house. When at the door, he again makes his bow, and politely ushers him in; and the rest joyfully follow, congratulating each other on the happy meeting.

I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God.-Verse 22. To lift up the right hand with the fingers towards heaven is equivalent to an oath. Hence Dr. Boothroyd has rendered

the passage, "I swear to Jehovah." To lift up the hand in confirmation of any thing is considered a most sacred way of swearing. In Isaiah lxii. 8, it is written, "The Lord hath sworn by his right hand." It is an interesting fact, that many of the images of the gods of the Heathen have the right hand lifted up, which, to the understanding of the people, says, "I am God; I am truth; I myself; I am. Fear not." *

Does a man make a solemn promise, and does the person to whom it is made express a doubt? he will say, "Lift up your hand;" which means, "Swear that you will perform it.”

In the month of December, when evil spirits are believed to roam about, the people dip their hands in a strong solution of lime, and then strike the door or walls of their dwellings; the impression indicates that the inmates are under the protection of God. "They are true; it is confirmed by an oath.”

I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet.-Verse 23.

This may refer to the red thread worn round the neck or the arm, and which binds on the amulet; or the string with which females tie up the hair. The latchet I suppose to mean the thong of the sandal, which goes over the top of the foot, and betwixt the great and little toes. It is proverbial to say, should a man be accused of taking away some valuable article which belongs to another, "I have not taken away even a piece of the thong of your worn-out sandals."

CHAP. XV.

Behold a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.-Verses 17, 18.

Several eminent critics believe the lamp of fire was an emblem of the Divine presence, and that it ratified the covenant with Abram.

It is an interesting fact, that the burning lamp or fire is still used in the East in confirmation of a covenant. Should

In Orme's History of Hindostan, vol. i. p. 348, mention is made of a letter directed to Mahomed Issoof, by the regent of Mysore, "sealed with his seal of signature; and on the back was stamped the print of a hand,-a form, with the Mysoreans, equivalent to an oath."

a person in the evening make a solemn promise to perform something for another, and should the latter doubt his word, the former will say, pointing to the flame of the lamp, “That is the witness." On occasions of greater importance, when two or more join in a covenant, should the fidelity of any be questioned, they will say, "We invoke the lamp of the Temple," as a witness. When an agreement of this kind has been broken, it will be said, "Who would have thought this? for the lamp of the Temple was invoked."

That fire was a symbol of the Divine presence, no one acquainted with the sacred scriptures can deny; and in the literature and customs of the East, the same thing is still asserted. In the ancient writings, where the marriages of the gods and demigods are described, it is always said the ceremony was performed in the presence of the god of fire. He was the witness. But it is also a general practice, at the celebration of respectable marriages at this day, to have a fire as a witness of the transaction. It is made of the wood of the mango-tree, or the aal or arasu, or panne or palāsu. The fire being kindled in the centre of the room, the young couple sit on stools; but when the Brahmin begins to repeat the incantations, they arise, and the bridegroom puts the little finger of his left hand round the little finger of the right hand of the bride, and they walk round the fire three times from left to right. "Fire is the witness of their covenant; and if they break it, fire will be their destruction."

In the Scanda Purāna, the father of the virgin who was to be married to the son of the Rishi, said to him, "Call your son, that I may give to him my daughter in the presence of the god of fire, that HE may be the witness." That being done, "Usteyār gave his daughter Verunte in marriage, the fire being the witness."

CHAP. XVI.

It may be that I may obtain children by her.-Verse 2. The Hebrew has," be builded by her."

When a wife has been for some time considered sterile, should she have a child, she is said to be making her house new, or rather, she has caused the house to be newly built. When a man marries, "he is making a new house."

CHAP. XVIII,

And he sat in the tent-door in the heat of the day.-Verse 1.

Often has my mind reverted to the scene of the good old patriarch sitting in the door of his tent in the heat of the day. When the sun is at the meridian, the wind often becomes softer, and the heat more oppressive; and then may be seen the people seated in the doors of their huts, to inhale the breezes, and invite them to blow on their almost-naked bodies.

He lift up his eyes, and looked.-Verse 2.

To lift up the eyes does not mean to look upwards, but to look directly at an object, and that earnestly. A man coming from the jungle might say, "As I came this morning, I lifted up my eyes, and, behold, I saw three elephants." -"Have you seen any thing to-day in your travels?" "I have not lifted up my eyes."—"I do not see the thing you sent me for, sir." "Just lift up your eyes, and you will soon find it."

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet.— Verse 4.

How often, in passing through a village, may we see this grateful office performed for the weary traveller! As the people wear neither shoes nor stockings, and as the sandal is principally for the defence of the sole of the foot, the upper part soon becomes dirty. Under these circumstances, to have the feet and ankles washed, is very refreshing, and is considered a necessary part of Eastern hospitality.

The service is always performed by servants. (John xiii, 14.)

I, which am but dust and ashes.-Verse 27.

Such was the language of Abraham before the Lord. A poor man pleading for mercy, or speaking of his own littleness, says, "Ah! my lord, I am but man" (that is, dust) "before you." Has a man been greatly despised? he says, "I am accounted as dust."

CHAP. XIX.

Thy servant hath found grace in thy sight.-Verse 19.

Nothing can be more common than this form of speech. Has a man been pleading with another, and succeeded in his request? he will say, "Ah! since I have found favour in your sight, let me mention another thing." "My lord, had I not found favour in your sight, who would have helped me?" "Happy is the man who finds grace in your sight!"

His wife looked back from behind him.-Verse 26.

"From behind him." This seems to imply that she was following her husband, as is the custom at this day.

When men, or women, leave their house, they never look back, as "it would be very unfortunate." Should a husband have left any thing which his wife knows he will require, she will not call on him to turn or look back; but will either take the article herself, or send it by another. Should a man, on some great emergency, have to look back, he will not then proceed on the business he was about to transact. When a person goes along the road, (especially in the evening,) he will take great care not to look back, "because the evil spirits would assuredly seize him." When they go on a journey, they will not look behind, though the palankeen or bandy should be close upon them; they step a little on one side, and then look at you. Should a person have to leave the house of a friend after sunset, he will be advised in going home not to look back: "As much as possible keep your eyes closed; fear not." Has a person made an offering to the evil spirits? he must take particular care, when he leaves the place, not to look back. A female known to me is believed to have got her crooked neck by looking back. Such observations as the following may be often heard in private conversation. "Have you heard that Comaran is "Matvery ill?" "No; what is the matter with him?” ter! why, he has looked back, and the evil spirit has caught him."