After the death of Solomon, and the division of his kingdom, the eastern or southern trade continued, but with less advantage, and with less regularity. We read that the ships of Jehoshaphat were wrecked in the Red Sea. In the reign of Jehoram, his successor, the Edomites, in whose country these ports were situated, revolted from the Jewish yoke. Uzziah again obtained possession of Elath, when the trade continued in the hands of the Jews, till Rezin, king of Damascus, and afterwards Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, took these ports away from the Jews. Thus their trade and commercial greatness were destroyed: see 2 Kings xvi, and 2 Chron. xxviii. From hence may plainly be seen, that persons cannot expect to prosper in trade or commerce, or in any other pursuit, without the blessing of Almighty God.

SHIPS.

No particular description of the ships belonging to the Jews is given in Scripture; they would be similar to the ships of the neighboring nations, which in those times. differed very much from our vessels. Even in the present day, the ships of the Asiatics are different from those of the west; and by attending to the accounts given by modern travelers, we may better understand the account of St. Paul's voyage, and other passages of Scripture.

The trading vessels were, in general, much smaller than those common among us. Frequently they were less than fifty tons burden. Within the last three hundred years, very small vessels were sent on long voyages. Some of Sir Francis Drake's vessels, which went out to sail round the world, were only about thirty tons burden. In Acts xxvii, is the account of Paul's voyage, which shows how much less skillful the ancient sailors were than the moderns.

In those days the sailors had no compass, or magnetic needle, which, by pointing constantly towards the north, might have directed their course at all times. They could only judge which way they were sailing by observing the sun and the stars; so that, in cloudy weather, when neither appeared for many days, (ver. 20,) they were quite at a loss: they knew not which way they were sailing. It was then usual for vessels to remain in harbor during the winter months, (ver. 12,) because the sailors feared the dark tempestuous nights and cloudy days. This the master of

Paul's ship intended to do; but a storm came on, and drove the vessel out of its course. It is still the custom in those seas to tow the boats after the ship, which gives much trouble when the waves are high, ver. 16. The vessel being much shaken by the storm, they undergirded it, ver. 17; that is, they passed a strong rope or cable round the ship, to prevent it from falling to pieces; this is sometimes done at the present day. One of the Spanish ships sent out against Lord Anson, in 1740, was so much damaged by a storm, that a cable was fastened round it in six places. Some persons have been much puzzled about the four anchors cast out of the stern; but Pocock tells us it is not unusual for Egyptian saïques, or trading vessels, to carry anchors at the stern, which they cast out by the help of a boat, ver. 29, 30; or it may have been an anchor with four points, or flukes, which is used in some vessels in those countries. The loosing of the rudder band, (ver. 40,) is explained by the ancient vessels having been steered by two large, broad oars, one on each side. These were fastened by bands or cords to the sides of the ship. They probably had been tied up when the vessel was allowed to drive, (ver. 17,) but were loosed again to direct the ship's course, when they hoisted the sail, and steered towards the shore. These explanations remove many difficulties which sailors have felt respecting the account of Paul's voyage, because they did not consider the great difference between ancient and modern ships.

There are many places in which ships are mentioned in the Old Testament. Jonah had gone down into the sides of the ship, and was fast asleep, Jonah i, 5. This was in the cabin: probably the bed-places were along the sides, as now is often the case; but Jonah soon learned that no man can hide himself from God, or long enjoy repose when disobeying his commands. The prophet Ezekiel gives the fullest account of an ancient ship, and describes one of the largest and most complete: see ch. xxvii. To such a noble vessel he compares the city of Tyre, which existed and flourished by its trade and commerce. "The walls round about," (ver. 11,) were stages projecting from the sides of the ships, upon which, as is shown upon ancient medals, the soldiers hung their shields, and stood to fight. The towers were high places upon the forecastle.

In the passages mentioned are one or two other points to notice. When the men in Jonah's ship were in danger and afraid, "every man cried unto his god," ch. i, 5. Persons who have been on board ships with a crew of Roman Catholic sailors during a storm, describe similar scenes. The frightened sailors then call upon different saints to pro

tect and save them.

The ship of Alexandria, (Acts xxviii, 11,) in which Paul sailed from Malta to Syracuse, had for its sign Castor and Pollux. These were two idols worshiped by the heathens, by whose name this ship was called, and to whose care it was committed; it doubtless had images of those gods, as was usual in ancient ships. This vessel, and the one wrecked at Melita, doubtless were employed in the carrying corn from Egypt to Rome.

CHAPTER IX.

THE FINE ARTS AND IMAGES.

THE FINE ARTS.

THE Jews did not possess much knowledge of what are called the fine arts, such as sculpture and painting; many beautiful specimens of which abounded in Italy and Greece, particularly at Athens, where the apostle Paul's spirit was stirred within him, when he beheld the people worshiping these idols; nor was their beauty any excuse for the idolatry. He bore testimony against them on the very spot itself, Acts xvii. Some of the very same sculptures which he then beheld, are now in the British Museum. However, when the Israelites left the land of Egypt, it is evident that some among them must have possessed knowledge of this sort, for they made a molten calf and fashioned it with a graving tool, Exod. xxxii, 4; and, after their arrival in the land of Canaan, Micah employed a founder who made a graven image and a molten image, Judg. xvii, 4. Bezaleel and Aholiab appear to have been especially directed by the Lord in cutting the precious stones, and in all the beautiful works they executed for the tabernacle, Exod. xxxv, 30-35. There is little mention of anything of this sort afterwards, till the time of Solomon, who was

obliged to employ a foreign artist from Tyre, 2 Chron. ii, 7, 13, 14, to plan and direct the works of the temple.

If the simple mode of life pursued by the Israelites for many years after their settlement in Canaan is considered, it is plain that there would be little or no employment for persons skilled in the arts of luxury. The second commandment also expressly forbade the use of sculpture (or making images) and painting, the purposes to which those arts were then almost entirely confined. The chief employment of such artists then, and even in later days, was to make the images of deities, which the heathen worshiped; so that where the worship of false gods was prohibited, there would be little demand for their labors. The histories of Greece and Rome, and a sight of the articles dug from the ruins of ancient cities fully explain this; among them are many images, which were placed in the houses, and were supposed to be protectors of the families. Such is the case now among heathens; although to us it appears very absurd that people should suppose a piece of wood or metal, which they have just carved or purchased, could guard them from evil and danger. There is a striking description of idols in Psa. cxxxv, 15-18. The ancient sculptures in the Egyptian tombs represent the making and painting of idols.

An ancient author has well exposed this folly. He represents the master of a family going to a sculptor's shop to buy a god, for a long time puzzled which to choose, and at last disputing with the workman respecting a few pence in the price of a Jupiter!

The silver shrines for Diana, made at Ephesus, (Acts xix, 24,) were little images of this sort, or perhaps models of that temple, as models of the sepulchre at Jerusalem, and of Popish shrines, are now made and sold. But the household deities or teraphim, the molten and graven images, such as those in the house of Micah, (Judges xviii, 14,) were fanciful figures of supposed deities.

Let me ask youthful readers how they would feel if their father went to a shop where plaster figures are sold, or to one of the image-boys who go about the streets, and when he had bought one of the figures, if he should bring it home, and order them to worship it? Or what would servants think of a master who gravely told them that such

a thing could preserve them from evil? But similar proceedings really take place in heathen countries. A few years ago, there was an account, in the letter of a missionary, about a boy who came to school in India, where he learned respecting Christ, and to repeat the commandments. His parents one day ordered him to worship an image which they had lately bought; but he knew that it was sinful, and refused to do so. He patiently endured a great deal of ill-treatment: at length his parents saw that he was dutiful in all other respects, and they did not any longer require him to worship their image.

Lamentable as the folly of worshiping idols may appear, there are similar practices, not only in heathen lands, but in countries called Christian, and even in our own day. It is related of Louis XI., king of France, a most cruel and vile character, that he wore a great number of small images of saints around his hat, and that, when he was in any great trouble, he used to kneel down, take out one or other of the images, put it on the table, and pray to it! Dr. Moore saw a great number of shops at Loretto, in Italy, a few years ago, which were full of these little images. Travelers may notice the same in all countries where the Romish religion prevails. Jowett represents the pagan traffic for shrines, and other idolatrous articles, graphically described by the prophet, (Isa. xliv, 9-18,) as being in full activity in Romish countries even now. They are openly sold, and many persons got their livelihood by making them.

After a time, when the Israelites began to follow the wicked customs of the idolatrous nations around them, they had workmen to make their images. Such persons are described by the prophets, Jer. x, 3-5; and Isa. xl, 20; xliv, 17-20. Various passages in the books of Kings and Chronicles show that images were made, and even set up in the temple, by the kings, particularly Manasseh.

See

2 Chron. xxxiii, 7. Many passages in those books awfully describe the manner in which the Jews refused to listen to the repeated warnings of the prophets against their idolatry, until, at length, they were carried captive to Babylon. Since that time, down to the present day, the Jews never have worshiped graven images.

The prophet Ezekiel (viii, 8-12) speaks of chambers of