visited on the people by divine will, we are by no means to infer that the disease, whereby it was ostensibly effected, was of a new or miraculous nature; on the contrary, it was the disease of the country, in which they had resided, as is directly asserted in the verses just quoted.

To shew how very vague and opposite the ideas of persons, generally speaking, have been, in respect to the disease that this term applies to, we find Dr. Gill, in his Commentary on the verse, "Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord," () saying that they, and they only, at this time, died by the plague before the Lord, either by the pestilence immediately sent upon them by the Lord, or by a flash of lightning from him, or in some other

(1) Καὶ ἀ πέθανον οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ κατείπαντες πονηρὰ κατὰ τῆς γῆς ἐν τῆ πληγῇ ἕναντι Κυρίου.—Numbers xvi. 37

way, however, by the immediate hand of God, and in his presence; they being in the tabernacle of the congregation (v. 10). For my own part, I cannot see the reason why this learned commentator should for a moment suppose it to be " lightning, or some other way," when the plague (nn), and nothing else but the plague, is mentioned or indicated: surely, had it been lightning, such a remarkable and miraculous occurrence would have found notice in the impressive writings of Scripture. The Jews themselves differently relate the manner of their death: 66 some say worms came out of their navels and crawled up to their jaws, and ate them and their tongues; and others say, that these worms came out of their tongues, and entered their navels."(1)

(1) The aphorismal character that these descriptions justly enjoy, is ably exposed in some recent articles in a northern magazine. Vide, Blackwood.

The observation of Rosenmüller is especially worthy of remark: "Hinc totus hic versus nil aliud continebit quam hoc inter ipsam cotur-nicum epulationem multos homines esse sublatos; id quod prisci homines pœnam murmurationis contra Deum existi marunt, Causa vero subitæ illius mortis, sine dubio, naturalis erat: scilicet jam veteres observerunt coturnices elleboro et aliis herbis venenatis vesci solere: qua de re multa collegit Bochartus. Talibus coturnicibus qui vescibantur Isralitæ esu carnium harum insalubrium perierunt."

Besides, the particular symptoms that are mentioned as belonging to the plague, the striking mortality, attendant on its infliction, is peculiarly dwelt upon, as being a prominent characteristic: we shall find that this is no less the case in the present day. Thus, in the sixteenth chapter of Numbers, we are told that "the plague is

begun,” and that fourteen thousands and seven hundred, beside those that died about the matter of Korah, fell a sacrifice to it: and in the twenty-fifth chapter, the deaths from the plague, which by Josephus is considered to be the pestilence, properly so called, are estimated at twenty and four thousands. This, however, does not appear quite correct, for Moses here includes the thousand that were hanged against the sun, whilst Saint Paul (1) calls it twenty-three thousands, including in that number, but only those that fell by the plague itself.

It would be needless to quote here more passages to the effect of the mortality of the plague, which, it should be particularly remarked, is not mentioned as an immediate consequence of the leprosies and other diseases, as every one, conversant with the

(1) Corinthians x. 8.

Sacred writings, will be able to call to mind. corroborative passages.

I shall now proceed to give a condensed view of the plague, as described by the various authors, who have been eyewitnesses of its ravages; pointing out, where opportunity offers, such coincidences as agree with the passages referring to it in the Old Testament.

The plague, arthracia pestis, of Good, (') pestis, of Cullen,(2) will find, in the following, a sufficiently correct definition to convey a general idea of its character, taking into consideration, as is always to be done, that

(1) Tumours bubonous, carbuncular, or both, appearing at an uncertain time of the disease; eyes with a muddy glistening; fever, a malignant typhus, with extreme internal heat and debility, contagious.

(2) Typhus maximè contagiosa, cum summa debilitate. Incerto morbi die, eruptio bubonum vel anthracum, variat gradu.