did not know how to understand it otherwise than of " entering a second time into the womb, and being born,” ver. 4. Whereas he, who was a master in Israel, and probably a member of the great council or Sanhedrim, might have been expected to comprehend the force of our Lord's phraseology from the common use of the like expressions concerning those who became proselytes*.

2dly, The bond of natural relation, betwixt the proselyte and all his kindred, was now dissolved. Wherefore it was a maxim with the rabbies, that a proselyte might lawfully marry his own mother, or his own daughter, born before he became a proselyte, they being now no more related to him than any other women: though such marriages were looked upon as indecent, and on that account not permitted+. Some have supposed our Saviour refers to the proselyte's renunciation of his natural relations when he saith, "If any man come unto me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple," Luke xiv, 26. And that the same is alluded to in the following passage of the Psalmist: "Hearken, O daughter, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people and thy father's house," Psal. xlv, 10. Tacitus, in his character of the Jews, having mentioned their custom of circumcision, as adopted by proselytes, adds, "They then quickly learn to despise the gods, to renounce their country, and to hold their parents, children, and brethren in the utmost contempt. And very probably this unnatural contempt, which the Jewish doctors taught proselytes to entertain of their nearest relations, might be one thing on account of which they are said to have "made them twofold more the children of Hell than themselves, Matt. xxiii, 15.

3dly, The proselyte was now to all intents and purposes a Jew§, and entitled to a share in the privileges and blessings * See Lightfoot, Hora Heb. in loc.

+ Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. ad Joh. iii, 3, and Selden, de Jure Nat. et Gent. lib. v, cap. 18.

↑ Tacit. Histor. lib. v, cap. v.

§ Consult Numb. xv, 15; Esth. viii, 17; and Josephus, in the place above cited concerning the Idumeans, where he saith, that being circumcised and living according to the law of Moses, they were from that time Jews, το λοιπον Ιεδαίον.

of such. He was to be treated with the utmost respect and kindness*: no native Jew might upbraid him with his former idolatry and wickedness. Yet it is certain the Jews were in general apt to look with a very evil eye upon proselytes, especially on those who had been Samaritans; for they thought themselves allowed to hate Samaritans, even though they became proselytes, because their ancestors obstructed the rebuilding the temple and the holy city; and for this they would never forgive them, though by admitting them as proselytes they declared their faith and hope that God had forgiven them.

According to the rabbies, proselytes were excluded from many civil advantages, or privileges of the commonwealth, to which Israelites by descent were entitled+. Certain it is, the law made a difference between one nation and another, as to what is called "entering into the congregation of the Lord," Deut. xxiii, beginning. Edomites and Egyptians had this privilege in the third generation, ver. 7, 8; though their immediate children were excluded, their grandchildren were admitted. An Ammonite or Moabite was excluded even "to the tenth generation," saith the law, or, as it is added, "for ever;" which the Jews take to be explanatory of the tenth generation, ver. 3. The law was certainly thus understood in Nehemiah's time: "On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not enter into the congregation of God for ever, &c.; and it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude," Nehem. xiii, 1-3. Bastards were, likewise, under the same exclusion to the tenth generation, though not for ever, Deut. xxiii, 2.

It is not certain what is meant by not " entering into the congregation of the Lord." It cannot be, as Ainsworth rightly observes, not adopting the faith and religion of Israel, and entering into the church in that respect; because it was law

* See a remarkable passage in Philo, lib. i de Monarchia, apud Opera, p. 631, 632, F. G. A. edit. Colon. Allobr. 1613.

+ Vid. Selden. de Jure Naturæ et Gent. lib. ii, cap. iv. Oper. tom. i, p. 194-196; et de Scynedr. lib. ii, cap. viii, tom. ii, p. 1396, et seq. edit. Lond. 1726.

In loc.

ful for all so to do, Exod. xii, 48, 49. The Hebrew doctors generally understand by it, a prohibition of the Israelites marrying with such persons as are here excluded*. To this it is objected, that " he who is wounded in genitalibus, cui sunt attriti vel amputati testes, or who is totally castrated, cui abscissum est veretrum, is, likewise, excluded," ver. 1. Now, say they, it would be superfluous to forbid women to marry with such persons, because it cannot be supposed they would. It may nevertheless be replied, though such a prohibition might probably be needless, when this their defect was known, it might be requisite to forbid such persons marrying, when it was secret, as they might be inclined to do for several politic reasons. Dr. Patrick, therefore, understands by the mixed multitude, which in the forecited passage of Nehemiah we are told, was separated from Israel by this law, such as were born of strangers, who were not allowed to partake of the rites of marriage with Israelites.

But the opinion concerning entering into the congregation, most commonly received among Christian writers, is, that it signifies being permitted to bear any office in the Jewish commonwealth. And it is certain, saith Dr. Patrick, the Hebrew word bp kahal, which we render congregation, does in many places signify, not the whole body of the people of Israel, but the great assembly of elders. Those, who prefer this sense, assign as a reason why eunuchs of all sorts were excluded as well as strangers, that they are generally observed to want courage, and are therefore unfit for government.

We proceed now to the other sort of proselytes, whom the Jewish doctors style w gere shangnar, "strangers of the gate," from an expression which several times occurs in the Mosaic law, "The stranger that is within thy gate," see Deut. xiv, 21. Or otherwise they are called angere toshabh. Thus in Leviticus we read of "strangers that sojourned" among the Israelites, an ann hattoshabim haggarim, Lev. xxv, 45. These were foreigners, who did not embrace the Jewish religion (and are, therefore, improperly called proselytes), yet "were suffered to live among the Jews," under certain restrictions. As,

1st, That they should not practise idolatry, nor worship * Vid. Selden. de Jure Naturæ et Gent. lib. v, cap. xvi, Oper. tom. i, p. 576.

H

any other god beside the God of Israel; which, under the theocracy, was crimen læsa majestatis, and therefore not to be tolerated: "He that sacrificeth unto any god, save the Lord, he shall utterly be destroyed," Exod. xxii, 20.

2dly, That they should not blaspheme the God of Israel: "He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; as well the stranger as he that is born in the land," Lev. xxiv, 16. And perhaps also,

3dly, That they should keep the Jewish sabbath; so far at least as to refrain from working on that day. For in the fourth commandment the obligation of observing the sabbatical rest is expressly extended to the "stranger that was within their gates," Exod. xx, 10.

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So long as they lived under these restrictions in a peaceable manner, the Israelites were forbid to vex or oppress them," Exod. xxii, 21. Nevertheless they might buy slaves out of their families, as well as of the Heathen that were round about them, Lev. xxv, 44, 45. But of their brethren, the Israelites, they were forbid to make slaves, ver. 39, 40. It was lawful to lend upon usury to these strangers, though it was not to an Israelite, Deut. xxiii, 20. They might eat that which died of itself, which was prohibited to an Israelite, Deut. xiv, 21. By the stranger, therefore, who was forbidden to "eat blood and that which died of itself," Lev. xvii, 12, 15, we must necessarily understand a proselyte of righteousness. And such also, the Jewish doctors say, is the stranger mentioned in the fourth commandment, who was obliged to keep the sabbath; it being, in their apprehension, unlawful for any uncircumcised person to observe the law of Moses, because it was given peculiarly to Israel: "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob," Deut. xxxiii, 4, in particular the law concerning the sabbath: "Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign betwixt me and the children of Israel for ever," Exod. xxxi, 16, 17. But in concluding from hence, that none except native Israelites, and such as had joined themselves to their church, were obliged by the law of the sabbath; they seem to forget, that it was given to Adam, and consequently to all mankind, Gen. ii, 3. There

is no impropriety, therefore, in supposing, that these uncircumcised strangers were comprehended in the fourth commandment. Besides, it seems reasonable, that they should be obliged to rest on the Jewish sabbath, lest their working or recreations should disturb and hinder the devotion of the Israelites.

These strangers were, moreover, permitted to worship the God of Israel in the outer court of the temple; which for that reason was called "the court of the Gentiles;" to which there is a reference in the charge given to the angel in the book of the Revelation, to measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein; but the court, which is without the temple, to leave out, and measure it not; because it is given to the Gentiles, Rev. xi, 2. Betwixt this and the inner court, where the Israelites assembled, there was a wall, to which the apostle Paul alludes; "For he is our peace, who hath made both (Jews and Gentiles) one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us," Eph. ii, 14. For such worshippers as these strangers, and for their acceptance with God, Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple, " Moreover, concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country, for thy name's sake (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm), when he shall come and pray towards this house, hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for, that all the people of the Earth may know thy name to fear thee, as do thy people Israel," 1 Kings viii, 41–43.

The numbers of these strangers, who dwelt among the Israelites, were very considerable; we find no less than one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred of them, in Solomon's time, employed in servile labour, 2 Chron. ii, 17, 18.

This is the sum of what can be gathered from scripture concerning the "gere shangnar, or un toshabh.

But the talmudical rabbies have made proselytes of all these strangers and sojourners*, at least, of all who were in the land of Israel when the Jews were their own masters, and not in subjection to any foreign power; for they confess, in that case, there was no preventing Heathens dwelling among * Vid. Selden. de Jure Naturæ et Gent. lib. ii, cap. iii.