123456 Gen. xli. 53-57, xlii. 1-28. Acts ii. 1—36. h m h m xlii. 29-39, xliii. 1-14........ii. 37-47, iii. 6 46 5 40 6 43 5 41 5 43 .v. 17-42. 6 39 5 45 xlvi. 29-34, xlvii.................... .vi., vii. 1-8. LD Psalms. 63 6 12 M Exod. xiii. 17-22, xiv......Acts xiii. 44-52, xiv. 1-7. 6 0 6 14 23 XV..... .xiv. 8-28. 5 58 6 16 xix. 1-9, 16-25, xx. 1-21....iii. 19-29, iv. 1-11. PICTORIAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURE. THE last sentence of the book of the wall' (Euterpe. 86). The Hebrew Genesis tells us that when Joseph died word employed in the text i, aron, they embalmed him, "and he was put in denotes that the coffin was of wood, and a coffin in Egypt." "This," says Dr. Kitto, has been mentioned as throwing some "is certainly mentioned here as a distinc- doubt upon the knowledge of Egypt tion. Coffins have never been much used in possessed by the author of Genesis, seethe east, although great personages have ing that a sarcophagus of stone might be occasionally been deposited in marble seen more properly to belong to a person sarcophagi. The custom was and is to of such high distinction as Joseph. But wrap the body up closely in wrappers, a closer examination shows that this or to swathe it with bandages, and so expression is directly in favour of the bury it or deposit it in the excavated credibility of the Pentateuch. Coffins sepulchre. In Egypt coffins were more of stone (basalt) were very rare excepin use than any where else, but still the tions, perhaps only used for royal percommon people were obliged to dispense sonages, whereas those of wood were in with them. On the other hand, persons general use. And in the case of Joseph of wealth and distinction had two, his order respecting the removal of his three, or even four coffins, one within remains probably prevented his friends the other. from thinking of a stone sarcophagus for his remains. The workmanship of the wooden coffins and the number of those within each other sufficed to denote high rank even without a stone sarcophagus." "Herodotus says, that after the embalming the relatives of the deceased 'take away the body and make a wooden image in the shape of a man and place the body in it. When it is thus enclosed they put it in the apartment for the dead, setting it upright against Subjoined is the woodcut illustrative of this subject in the Pictorial Bible. When Moses and the Israelites generally had celebrated in a song the triumph of the Most High over Pharaoh and his hosts, and the wonderful deliverance they had experienced, we are told that" Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances." Respecting this fact, the learned editor of the Pictorial Bible observes, "The Hebrew word , toph, occurs about twenty times in scripture, in half of which it is rendered 'timbrel,' and in the other half 'tabret,' a variety of rendering not unusual in the authorized version, but which tends to breed unnecessary confusion. We have noticed this instrument under Gen. xxxi. 27, and have here to call attention to it chiefly in its Egyptian connexions. There is much room to think that a people freshly come from Egypt employed the instruments of this kind which were used in that country, especially as from the different shapes which the tabrets of that country bear in the ancient paintings, it is evident that the Egyptians had paid much attention to its construction, and could offer it under varieties of form and corresponding modifications of sound to a people abiding among them who had been probably acquainted before with but one form of the instrument. The Egyptian forms of the tambourine are shown in the cut which we introduce from a mural painting at Thebes. They are of three shapes, one was circular, another square or oblong, and the other consisted of two squares separated by a bar. They were all beaten by the hand, and often used as an accompaniment to the harp and other musical instruments." DANCE OF EGYPTIAN FEMALES WITH TIMBRELS. "The tambourine was usually played by females, who are represented as dancing to its sound without the accompaniment of any other instruments. The imperfect manner of the representation VOL. X.-FOURTH SERIES. does not allow us to discover whether these Egyptian instruments had such moveable pieces of metal let into the frame as we find in the eastern and European tambourines of the present X day; but from the manner in which the, festivals, and was silent in wars and desolation (comp. Gen. xxxi. 27; 2 Sam. vi. 5; Ps. lxviii. 25; Isa. xxiv. 8); all which particulars are entirely conformable to those which the Egyptian paintings and sculpture exemplify, and are indeed similar to the existing practices of the east." tambourine is held up after being struck, their presence may be inferred; and we know that the ancient Greek instruments, which were confessedly derived from the east, had balls of metal attached by short thongs to the circular rim, and there are even examples in the paintings at Herculaneum of tambourines in which, as in our own, circular pieces of moveable metal are let into the frame itself; and this is not now unusual in the east. Among the Hebrews it was particularly the instrument of the women, was often accompanied by dancing, was used in religious and civil The part of the sea-shore on which this joyous scene took place, is supposed by Dr. Kitto to be near what is now called Ayun Musa, the fountains of Moses, at which he traces a correspondence between the present aspect of the place and the sacred narrative quence, probably, of the springs being so near the sea; but it is, nevertheless, cool and refreshing, and in these waterless deserts affords a desirable resting place. The view from this place, looking westward, is very beautiful and most interesting from its association with the wonderful events which it has been our duty to relate. The mountain chains of Attaka, each running into a long promontory, stretch along the shore of Africa; and nearly opposite our station we view the opening-the Pi-hahiroth—the 'mouth of the pass' formed by the valley in the mouth of which the Hebrews were encamped before they crossed the sea. On the side where we stand the access to the shore from the bed of the gulf would have been easy. And it deserves to be mentioned that not only do the springs bear the name of Moses, but the projecting headland below them towards the sea bears the name of Ras Musa. Thus do the Cape of Moses and the Cape of Deliverance look towards each other from the opposite shores of the Arabian gulf and unite their abiding and unshaken testimony to the judgment and wonders of that day in which the right hand of Jehovah was so abundantly 'glorified in might.' TOO MUCH EXPECTED OF A PASTOR. In the Boston Christian Watchman he may make upon them for his neceswe find under this title some observations which, though intended for the churches of the United States, deserve the serious consideration of some churches in this country. Let the reader judge if it be not so. Many churches depend too much upon their pastors. They expect that the men whom they choose to take the oversight of them will not only meet fully their own laborious engagements, but discharge the duties of those who profess to be co-workers with them. How often is it the case that a church, either destitute of a pastor or about to become so, look forward to the man whom they shall choose as their shepherd with the most confident assurance that he will be the instrument of building them up immediately; that he will cause the waste places of Zion again to flourish; that he will add to them both numbers and strength; and that, if they can only secure his services, there will be no difficulty in meeting every demand sary support. Perhaps they secure just the man of their choice. He enters upon his labours. In his ministrations at the altar, his voice falls on the ears of all like the melody of rich music. They listen; they are enraptured. All lips concur in speaking forth his praise, and all hands and all hearts are ready to give him a cordial welcome. His every want is attended to, his every wish gratified. Again the drooping hopes of the church are revived, and nought but the voice of joy and gladness is heard within her portals. Perhaps the labours of the pastor are immediately blessed. He gathers into the church a goodly number of souls, and this serves to deepen their conviction that the Lord had truly sent the man to them whom they had chosen as their under shepherd. But time wears away. The revival ceases. The pastor's manner, his voice, and his countenance have become familiar to all. The novelty which he first excited has died away. Things |