People of GOD, and built many of their Follies and ominous Superstitions on a Custom which they alone were indulged in. For in the earliest Age of the World, when a Matter of any great Consequence was depending, and the Servants of GOD would know what the Event would be, they asked a Sign of GOD, by desiring that such a Thing might happen, if. they were to succeed, and God was sometimes so condescending as to grant them their Desire. Thus we read, That * Jonathan accompany'd only by his Armour Bearer, not fearing the Steepness of the Rocks, nor Multitudes of Enemies, attempted the Garrison of the Philistines and conquered, through a Token of this Nature. If they say, says he to his Armour-Bearer. Terry until we come up, then we will stand st in our Place, and will not go up une trens dit they say come up unto us, that we will go up for the LORD hath deliporch then be cur Hands, and this shall be *Span728... And so indeed it came to pass, Gep v bo bad inspired Jonathan with this Thought directing the Tongues of the others accouting to his Wishes. In like Manner, ebot de good old Servant of Abraham had arrived at the City of Nahor, to find a Wife for his Master's Son; we have him desiring of GOD, that the Sign of the Woman he should pitch upon, might be her saying, Drink, and I will give thy Camels Drink also. * And he said, O Lord GOD of my Master Abraham, 1 pray thee send me good Speed this Day, and shew Kindness unto my Master Abraham: Behold, I stand here by the Well of Water, and the Daughters of the Men of the City come out to draw Water. And let it come to pass, that the Damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy Pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy Camels drink also: Let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy Servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed Kindness unto my Master. This happened according to his Prayer, by which he knew that the LORD had prospered his Journey. Now this Custom we know the Philistines imitated, when they would know whether they had been afflicted by the GOD of Israel for keeping the Ark. They took the Ark of the LORD, and laid it on a Cart, and sent it away. And they said, If it goeth by the Way of his * Gen. xxiv. 12. H 2 + Sam. i. 6, 9. очеп own Coast to Beth-shemoth, then he hath done us this great Evil. In these early ages of the World, GOD permitted such Things upon extraordinary Occasions, to be asked by his own People. But they were only peculiar to those Times. We have no Warrant for doing the like: It becomes not us to prescribe Means to GOD, by which we may judge of our future Success, but to depend on his Power and Wisdom, his Care and Providence. The Observation of Omens, such as the falling of Salt, a Hare crossing the Way, of the Dead-Watch, of Crickets, &c. are sinful and diabolical: They are the Inventions of the Devil, to draw Men from a due Trust in GoD, and make them his own Vassals. For by such Observations as these, they are the Slaves of Superstition and Sin, and have all the While no true Dependance upon GOD, no Trust in his Providence. OBSERVATIONS ON CHAP. IX. VARIOUS are the popular Superstitions with regard to Omers-To these our Author has hinted at, any more may be added. The The breaking a Looking Glass is accounted a very unlucky Accident.-Mirrors were formerly used by Magicians in their superstitious and diabolical Operations; and there was an antient Kind of Divination by the Looking Glass: * Hence it should seem the present popular Notion. When our Cheek burns, or Ear tingles, we usually say somebody is talking of us-a Conceit of great Antiquity, and ranked among superstitious Opinions by Pliny †.-Dr. Browne supposes this to have proceeded from the Notion of a signifying Genius, or universal Mercury, that conducted Sounds to their distant Subjects and taught to hear by Touch. It is accounted unlucky to destroy Swallows;This is probably a Pagan Relique. We read in Ælian, that these Birds were sacred to the Penates, or household Gods of the Antients, and therefore were preserved. They were honoured antiently as the Nuncios of the Spring.-The Rhodians are said to have had a solemn anniverary Song, to welcome * See the Greek Scholia on the Nubes of Aristophanes, p. 169. + Absentes tinnitu aurium præsentire sermones de se receptum est. Thus also the Distich noted by Dalecampius: Garrula quid totis resonas mibi noctibus auris? Nescio quem diçis nunc meminisse mei? Moresin enumerates some of these superstitious Omens:-The croaking of Ravens, the hooting of Owls, the unseasonable Crowing of Cocks, the Hornedness of the Moon, the cloudy rising of the Sun, the shooting of Stars, the coming in and going out of strange Cats, the sudden Fall of Hens from the House-Top, &c.—Corvorum crocitatum super tecto, bubonum bubulatum in transitu, Gallorum gallinaceorum cucurritum intempestivui―lunæ corniculationem, Solis nubilum ortum, stellarum trajectiones in Aere-felium peregrinarum egressum, ingressumn-Gallinarum subitum è tecto casum stupent, &c. Deprav. Rel. Orig. p. 21. Swallow. See Anacreon's Ode to that Bird. it is Mr. Addison that supposes the popuar Ballad of the Babes in the Wood to have preser ei tre Lives of many Robin Redbreasts. The stosequent Stanza places them in a very favourable Point of View: No Burial this pretty Pair * Did cover them with Leaves." Vide Dr. Percy's Collect. Ballads. The actient Augurs foretold Things to come by De chinning of singing of certain Birds*-the Crow, te Pia the Cough, &c. hence perhaps the old womanish Observation that when the Pye chatters, we shall cave Strangerst. It is volgarly thought unlucky to kill Spiders.Cantos be in Sepport of the Scotch Proverb, ← Pat bedes lack?" However this be, it serves in wany Paces for an Apology for the Laziness of Housewares, în not destroying the Cobwebs‡. the ancent B tons made Use of the Hare for the Purposes of they were never kiled for the Table. 'Tis perhaps stour deace Day choy dave been accounted ominous by the Vulgar. ha ers, aded her Hoba›d to build a Monastery at Osney, apna Devitog Pos Lambarde's Die. p. 260. bha aiso Pavenged Com the Magicians of antient Rome. We Maxx Macan 21 say. - Pessages and Prognostications were Set With A song Der I còs. N Drone Daxx dus dooie, Esq. 11th April, 1681, he acAYYe Morting a good Dose of Elixir, < 300ct or Neck, and they drove my As mole was a judicial Astrologer, seed Ms Ly. Par nobile fratrum! There |