brought to this gate and obliged to enter in, never to return. No B.C. 1490. tem, fr. the nice of infectious disorders, and the symptoms by wh. they were characterised." discrimination one who enters in by that awful gate is ever allowed to come that medical out again. Within this abode of misery there are multitudes of science had at lepers in all stages of the disease. Dr. Halbeck, a missionary of this time been the Church of England, from the top of a neighbouring hill, saw reduced to a systhem at work. He noticed two particularly, sowing peas in the field. The one had no hands, the other had no feet-these members being wasted away by disease. The one who wanted the hands was carrying the other, who wanted the feet, upon his back, and he again carried in his hands the bag of seed, and dropped a pea every now and then, which the other pressed into the ground with his feet; and so they managed the work of one man between the two. Two Moravian missionaries, impelled by an ardent love for souls, have chosen the lazar-house as their field of labour. They entered it, never to come out again; and it is said as soon as these die, other Moravians are quite ready to fill their place. "Ah! my dear friends," adds the late Rev. Robert M. MacCheyne," may we not blush and be ashamed before God that we, redeemed with the same blood and taught by the same Spirit, bōhak. should be so unlike these men in vehement, heart-consuming love to Jesus and the souls of men?" 14-17 (14) raw flesh, lit. living flesh. (15) unclean, the presence of the living flesh, in parts, showing that the disease is at work within. (16) raw.. white, the leprosy having come out all over the body. (17) clean, see on v. 13; also Bacon's note, vv. 5-8. of the two kinds, is the most viru- so than the common lep., or "The character istics of this disease are precisely as descr. by Moses, being a glossy white and spreading scale upon an elevated base, encircled with a red border. The natural patches participates in the whiteness, black hair on the and the patches perpetually widen their outline." Kitto. The comparative harmlessness of manifest leprosy.-I. The man who was distinctly a leper would be avoided; so also the man who is desperately wicked. II. The man whose leprosy is partial and concealed might mingle with unsuspecting people and spread contagion: so those who cloke their evil hearts with an appearance of virtue, may be corruptors of others who do not know of the evil. Leprosy in the Holy Land.-"Sauntering down the Jaffa road, on my approach to the Holy City, in a kind of dreamy maze, with, as I remember, scarcely one distinct idea in my head, I was startled out of my reverie by the sudden apparition of a crowd of beggars, 'sans eyes, sans nose, sans hair, sans everything.' They Sir W. Morice, held up towards me their handless arms, unearthly sounds gurgled Lord's Supper, through throats without palates-in a word, I was horrified. The lepers, when not obliged to live outside the city, have a separate abode assigned to them, and they are shunned as unclean and dangerous. No healthy person will touch them, eat with them, or use any of their clothes or utensils, and with good reason. The leper was required by Moses to stand apart, and give warning by crying, Unclean! unclean!' Thus the ten men that met our Saviour stood afar off, and lifted up their voice of entreaty. They still do the same substantially, and, even in their begging, never attempt to touch you. Among tent-dwelling Arabs the leper is literally put out of the camp." a 681. Sir Theodore Mayem, on his deathbed, gave this advice to a noble friend who asked his counsel tion of health:"Be moderate in your diet, use much exercise, and little physic." a Dr. Thomson. for the preserva half our diseases 18-23. (18) healed, apparently being free fr. eruption. (19) white, etc., symptomatic of leprosy. (20) lower.. skin, "In these days reaching below the scarfskin, see v. 2. (21) dark, the dusky come from the var. see note in margin vv. 5—8. (22) spread.. skin, active neglect of the leprosy. plague, i.e. leprosy. (23) it.. boil, lit, the scar of body in the overthe ulcer or the burn of the ulcer. work of the B.C. 1490. brain. In this lect go on with we suffer more the nerves." Bulwer Lytton. The judicial death and burial of the leper.-A priest, robed with surplice and stole, went with the cross to the house of railway age, the the doomed leper. The minister of the church began the neceswear and tear of sary ceremonies, by exhorting him to suffer, with a patient and labour and intel-penitent spirit, the incurable plague with which God had stricken out pause or self-him. He then sprinkled the unfortunate leper with holy water, pity. We live and afterwards conducted him to the church, the usual burial longer than our service being sung during their march thither. In the church, forefathers; but the ordinary habiliments of the leper were removed; he was from a thousand clothed in a funeral pall, and, while placed before the altar, artificial anxie- between the trestles, the libera was sung, and the mass for the ties and cares. dead celebrated over him. After this service he was again They fatigued only the muscles, sprinkled with holy water, and led from the church to the house we exhaust the or hospital destined for his future abode. A pair of clappers, a finer strength of barrel, a stick, cowl, and dress, etc., were given him. Before leaving the leper, the priest solemnly interdicted him from appearing in public without his leper's garb,-from entering inns, churches, mills, and bakehouses,-from touching children, or giving them aught he had touched,-from washing his hands, or anything pertaining to him, in the common fountains or unto life, and streams,-from touching, in the markets, the goods he wished to quarrel with buy, with anything except his stick,-from eating and drinking their constitu- with any other than lepers,-and he specially forbade him from sick; but I, that walking in narrow paths, or from answering those who spoke to have examined him in roads or streets, unless in a whisper, that they might not the parts of man, be annoyed with his pestilent breath, and with the infectious and know upon odour that exhaled from his body,-and last of all, before taking ments that fabric his departure, and leaving the leper for ever to the seclusion of hangs,do wonder the lazar-house, the official of the church terminated the ceremony of his separation from his living fellow-creatures, by throwing upon the body of the poor outcast a shovelful of earth, in imitation of the closure of the grave. "Men that look no further than their outsides, think health an appurtenance tions for being! what tender filla that we are not always so; and considering the thousand doors that lead to death, do thank my God that we can die but once."-Sir Thomas Brown. a "And if the glossy spot continues un changed and makes no advance in the skin, Spk. Comm. 24-28. (24) burning, an inflammatory eruption. (25) hair. . white, etc., the destr. of colouring matter in the hair showing that the disease penetrated below the scarfskin and affected the bulb of the hair. (26) no.. hair, and hence the poss. of its being only a surface eruption. then.. days, to test the true nature of the appearance. (27) spread, see on v. 5. (28) it.. burning," and nothing more. Homiletic hints (v. 28).-Appearance of evil. Many things in speech and conduct may have the appearance of sin. Not to pronounce upon their moral character without examination. To consider constitutional defects and infirmities. and is rather in distinct, it is the mark of the inflammation, and Leprosy in England. It was introduced into England in the the priest shall pronounce him reign of Henry I., and was supposed to have been brought out of clean, for it is the Egypt, or perhaps the East, by means of the Crusaders. To add (mere) hurt of to the horror it was contagious, which enhanced the charity of a inflammation."-- provision for such miserables, who were not only naturally "If mankind in shunned, but even chased by royal edict from the society of the present day their fellow-creatures.-Lepers, or lazars, were sick persons rewere strictly to moved out of monasteries to cells or hospitals, always built out practices which of towns and cities. Their usual maintenance was from liberty promote the allowed them to go upon every market day, to the market, where, health and well- with a dish, called a clap dish, they would beg corn. Their sickbeing of their ness and loathsome appearance giving great disgust, many withminds and bodies, and as held their charity, upon which account they were afterwards adhere to those B.C. 1490. restrained from begging at large, but permitted to send the proctor of the hospital, who came with his box one day in every month to the churches, and other religious houses, at time of from those which strictly to abstain service; and there received the voluntary charity of the congre- tend to injure gations. This custom is said to be the origin of the present them,, there practice of collecting briefs. The leprosy was much more no cause to comcommon formerly, in this part of the globe, than at present. It plain that our is said, that there were in Europe fifteen thousand hospitals race is degenefounded for them. Perhaps near half the hospitals that were in rating, and that England were built for lepers. would be little or the men of modern days scarcely possess their fore 29-34. (29) plague, any suspicious mark. (30) dry the sixth part of scall, baldness fr. hair falling off. (31, 32) behold, etc., see the strength of supra. (33) shaven," to admit of close examination of sur- fathers.""-Hodgrounding parts, etc. (34) clean, it being only a natural bald-kin ness, or arising from some harmless skin disease. Homiletic hints.-Excitements to evil to be repressed (on v. 29) -the plague in the head. Those who thus suffer are-I. Often crotchety. II. Influenced by erroneous opinions. III. Men of one idea. IV. Self-willed. Extent of leprosy in the past.-Lepers were so numerous in the twelfth century, that by a decree of the Lateran Council, under Pope Alexander III., A.D. 1179, they were empowered to erect churches for themselves, and to have their own ministers to officiate in them. This shows at once how infectious and offensive their distemper was. On this account, "In England, where a man was a leper, and was dwelling in a town, and would come into the churches, or among his neighbours when they were assembled, to talk to them to their annoyance or disturbance, a writ lay De Leproso amovendo," What follows is remarkable. The writ is for those lepers "who appear to the sight of all men they are lepers, by their voice and their sores, the putrefaction of their flesh, and by the smell of them." And so late as the reign of Edward VI. multitudes of lepers seem to have been in England; for in I. Edwd. 6, c. 3, in which directions are given for carrying the poor to the places where they were born, etc., we read the following clause:-" Provided always, that all leprous and poor bed-rid creatures may, at their liberty, remain and continue in such houses appointed for lepers, or bed-rid people, as they now be in." 35-37. (35) spread.. skin, vitality of disease. shall.. hair, the scall spreading being sign sufficient. black.. therein, small proof of uncleanness sufficient: vincing evidence of cleanness necessary. Scall, an eruption Perh. fr. A. S. scyl, shell, of the skin, tetter. fr. scylan, to divide; hence akin to scale. "With skalled browes black, and piled berd." - Chaucer. Or scall, a scale, fr. Du. schelle, bark, shell. a" Lest the place should be irritated and inflamed, and assume in conse quence other appearances beleprous infection, in wh. case the priest might not be able to form ment."-Clarke. anaccurate judg sides those of a (36) "Who would not Leprosy in Guadaloupe.-A very well grounded fear of being infected with this cruel disease, the difficulty of recognising the persons attacked with it, before the disorder has attained its height; the length of time that it remains secret, from the care of the patients to conceal it; the uncertainty of the symptoms at the beginning, which should distinguish it from other disorders, excited extraordinary claims among all the inhabitants of this island. They were suspicious of each, because virtue and rank were no protection against this cruel scourge. They called this disease the leprosy, and presented to the commander and governor several petitions, in which they represented all the above circumstances; the general good, the uneasiness caused in this newlyVOL. II. O. T. D health could be purchased with gold? Who not ambitious if it were at the command of power, or restored by honour? But alas! а white gouty feet to walk better than a common cane; nor a blue riband bind up a wound so well as a fillet; the glitter of gold B.C. 1490. settled country; the inconveniences and the hatred which such or of diamonds inculpations produced among them; the laws which had been will but hurt sore made against lepers, and their exclusion from civil society. They eyes, instead of demanded a general inspection of all those who were suspected of curing them; having this disease, in order that those who were found to be and an aching infected might be removed into a particular hospital, or some more eased by separate place." head will be no wearing a crown instead of a common nightcap.". Sir W. Temple. 38-41. (38) even .. spots, the slightest appearance of disease was to arouse suspicion. (39) freckled spot, Heb., bōhak; still denotes superficial skin disease among the Arabs. a "If v. 12 refs. (40) hair.. head, fr. old age. bald, naturally. (41) part face, partial baldness. a Dr. Peysonnel. denote some kind lar external cha 34. to Lepra vulgaris, as seems The freckled spot.-The Hebrew word here translated "freckled most prob., the spot," is bōhak, and the Arabs still use the same word to denote a Heb. bōhak may kind of leprosy, of which Niebuhr says, “Bōhak is neither conof Eczema, a skin tagious nor dangerous. A black boy at Mocha, who was affected disease of a with this eruption, had here and there on his body white spots. somewhat simi- We were told that the use of sulphur had relieved this boy for a racter."-Spk. time, but had not entirely removed the disease." He adds, Comm. See also subsequently, from Forskal's papers, the following particulars: Wilson, 165; Pal-"On the 15th of May, 1765, I myself first saw the eruption called grave, Arabia, ii. The latter bōhak in a Jew at Mocha. The spots of this eruption are of says: "The unequal size; they do not shine, are imperceptibly higher than 'Baras, though the skin, and do not change the colour of the hair. Their colour never fatal, may is a dirty white, or rather reddish. The rest of the skin of the lead to superficial ulceration. How-patient I saw was darker than the inhabitants of the country ever, neither of usually were, but the spots were not so white as the skin of a these diseases European when it is not tanned by the sun. The spots of this exactly with what eruption do not appear on the hands or near the navel, but on the we read of in neck and face, yet not that part of the face where the hair grows Numbers, so that thick. They spread gradually. Sometimes they remain only two the leprosy of the Jews months, sometimes one or two years, and go away by degrees of remains themselves. This disorder is neither contagious nor hereditary, and does not cause any bodily inconvenience." Hence it appears why a person affected with the bōhak is declared in the above law not to be unclean.c corresponds distinct fr. that of the Arabs." c Rosenmuller. a Ez. xxiv. 17, 23; Mi. iii. 7. b2 K. vii. 3; Lam. iv. 15; Is. lii. 11. c Nu. v. 2, xii. 14; 2 K. xv. 5; 2 Ch. xxvi. 26; Lu. xvii. 12. d C. Clayton, M.A. 42-46. (42) upon forehead, hence the presence of white hair not the only test. (43) sore, stroke. (44) leprous, having, at least, a tendency that way. (45) leper, any one of the foregoing varieties. put. . lip, bandage on lower part of face, leaving mouth free. unclean, to prevent others fr. coming in contact with him. (46) alone, apart, separated fr. the people. without.. be, to save it from contamination. The cleansing of the leper.-The particulars here recorded explain, in reference to sin-I. Its nature. It is-1. Abominable "At the present before God; 2. Incurable by man. II. Its consequences. It are unfits for communion with-1. God's saints on earth; 2. Saints pesthouses in the day there E., set apart for and angels in heaven. Learn (1) Self-distrust; (2) Selflepers, outside humiliation; (3) Self-purification. lem within the the towns. There Covering the lip.-The prophet Ezekiel, in reference to the is one at Jerusa-death of his wife, was ordered not to "cry," neither to cover the Zion gate." lips (the margin has "upper lip"). The prophet Micah (iii. 7) Robinson, B. R. describes the confusion and sorrow of those who had by their wickedness offended the Lord. "Then shall the seers be ashamed, i. 359. B.C. 1490. "People who are always taking care of their health are like and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer of God." Margin again has "upper lip.' All these passages refer to the sorrow of those concerned. A person in deep distress puts his hand over his mouth, and hangs down his head, as if looking on the ground. When a man misers, who are suddenly claps his hand on his mouth, it denotes great sorrow or hoarding a treasurprise. To put the fingers in a line with the nose, conveys the sure which they idea of silence and submission. "Why is your hand on your have never spirit mouth?" "Not for joy." "But why?" 'My son, my son, my enough to enjoy." -Sterne. wicked son! He has gone with the evil ones to the distant country."-" Ah, friend, why is your hand there?" "Alas, the chiefest tigers got among my cattle last night, and great is the slaughter." Bestowed by hea"The king is angry with Raman—his hand is now on his ven, but seldom mouth."-"I may well put my hand on my mouth; I have been Lucan.. taken by the neck, and driven from the presence of my lord. My e Roberts. requests have all been denied" (Job xxi. 5).e a 66 Health! thou good, understood." 47-52. (47) garment, clothing generally. (48) whether, of garments etc., minuteness of detail sugg. a disposition to evade the spirit of law, and quibble ab. the scope of a commandment. (49) a Jude 23; Re. greenish, etc., perh. some kind of mildew or fungus is indi- iii. 4; De. viii. 11. cated. (50) and, etc., the same course pursued with clothes as with persons. (51) fretting, rotting, corroding. (52) it.. fire, only hastening the destr. of what had been a slow mouldering away. Homiletic hints.-Leprous garments of modern times. I. When worn so as to excite to sin: indecencies of dress. II. When worn of a cut and quality above one's station in life: false appearances. III. When belonging to the opposite sex, and worn for evil purposes. "When a man is labouring under the pain of any distemper, it is then that he recollects there is a God, and that he himself is but a man. No mortal is then the object of his envy, his admi ration, or his contempt; and, having no malice to gratify, the tales of slander excite not his attention."-Pliny. a Let find himself with The leprosy of clothes.-The leprosy of clothes is described as consisting of green or reddish spots that remain in spite of washing, and still spread; and by which the cloth becomes bald, or bare, sometimes on the one side, sometimes on the other. This Moses terms dropping or losing the hair; that is, if we are to give the literal truth of the Hebrew text, in a passage which might have its difficulties to a man of learning, if he knew nothing of the manufacture of woollen. These symptoms, too, of leprosy are said to be found sometimes only in the warp, and "Dress has at other times only in the woof. To a person who has nothing to moral effect upon do with the manufactures of woollen, linen, or leather, but with the conduct of books only, this must doubtless be obscure; or, at most, he will mankind. be led to think of specks of rottenness, but still without being any gentleman rightly satisfied. I have not been able to obtain complete infor- dirty boots, old mation on this subject; but in regard to wool and woollen surtout, soiled stuffs, I have consulted the greatest manufacturer in the electo- neckcloth, and a general neglirate of Hanover, and he informs me that what he has read in my. gence of dress, German Bible, at this passage, will be found to hold good, at any he will, in all rate, with regard to woollen articles; and that it proceeds from probability, find what is called dead wool, that is, the wool of sheep that have a corresponding disposition died by disease, not by the knife; that such wool, if the disease negligence of adhas been but of short duration, is not altogether useless, but in a dress."-Sir Jonah sheep that has been long diseased, becomes extremely bad, and Barrington. loses the points; and that, according to the established usage of honest manufacturers, it is unfair to manufacture dead wool into any article worn by man, because vermin are so apt to establish themselves in it, particularly when it is worn close to the body, by R. Hall, v. 228; ii. 9 |