Jesus Christ, though a murderer and a thief. His name signifies, son of the father, from Bar, son; and Ab, father.

BARACHEL. Father of Elihu. (Job xxxii. 2.) His name signifies, one who blesseth God; from Barach, to bless; and El, God. BARACHIAS. Father of Zacharias, spoken of Matt. xxiii. 35. His name signifies, to bless the Lord; from Barach, to bless; and Jah, Lord. We meet with several of this name is Scripture. (1 Chron. iii. 20; vi. 39; and ix. 16.)

BARAK. The son of Abinoam. We have his history, Judges iv. and v. His name signifies, thunder. BAR-JESUS. A false prophet, spoken of Acts xiii. 6. His name signifies, the son of Jesus

BAR-JONA. The son of Jonah. (Matt. xvi. 17.) Sometimes Jonah means pigeon.

BARNABAS. The son of the prophet, from Nabi, a prophet. The writer of the Acts of the Apostles derives his name from Jabah, consolation. (Acts iv. 36.)

BARSABAS. The son of return; for so the word seems to be best explained. This man was so highly esteemed by the apostles, as to be put in nomination for the apostolic office, in the room of the traitor Judas. (Acts i. 23.)

BARTHOLOMEW. One of the apostles of Christ. His name signifies, a son of Tholomy, or, as some read, Ptolemy. Some are of opinion, that Bartholomew and Nathaniel are the same person. And in confirmation of this, it is remarkable, that where the one name is mentioned in Scripture the other is not. BAR-TIMEUS. Son of Timeus: from Bar, son; and Thamam, finished. We have his history, and a very interesting history it is, Mark x. 46, &e.

BARUCH. Son of Neriah. An interesting cha

racter, as related to us in the prophecy of Jeremiah. (ch. xxxii. 36. 43. 45.) His name is derived from Barach, to bless.

BASHAN. A most rich and fruitful country. It lay

beyond Jordan; and before Israel's conquest, it was possessed by Og. The sacred writers continually speak of the fertility of this land. The name seems expressive of it, Beth, in; Shen, the very mouth or tooth.

BATH. A measure among the Hebrews, of the same
dimensions as the ephah, which contained seven
gallons and four pints, liquid measure; and three
pecks, three pints, dry measure. (Isa. v. 10. Ezek.
xlv. 10, 11.)
BATH-SHEBA. The wife of Uriah. Her history
we have 2 Sam. xi, &c. If from Shaboh, which is
the number seven; probably as Bath, is daughter,
the name means, the seventh daughter.

BEELZEBUB. See Baalzebub.
BEER-LA-HAI-ROI. The margin of our old En-

glish Bibles hath rendered this compound word by "The well of Him that liveth and seeth me." (Gen, xvi. 14.) The history which gave rise to this name being given to this well, is most beautiful and interesting. I entreat the reader to turn to it. His attention will be well rewarded. (Gen. xvi. 1 to 14.) It was Hagar, the handmaid of Sarai, which gave this name to the well, when she fled from her mistress, and was found by the angel of the Lord near a fountain of water in the wilderness of Shur. There is somewhat uncommonly striking in the history. I admire the faith of this poor servant. And I beg to adore the Lord still more, in both giving her that faith, and affording so blessed an opportunity for

the exercise of it.

That Hagar should have her steps directed into this wilderness-that there she should find a well of

water, already prepared to her hands, when we know how rare and precious wells were considered in the Eastern world; what pains men took to dig them; and what strife for possessing them they occasioned ;that there the Lord should manifest himself to her, and give her such gracious promises :-these are so many distinct tokens of divine love. And how blessedly did the Lord, that led Hagar there, and present before her such testimonies of his watchful care over all, give her grace also, to eye the Lord's hand in the Lord's appointment. Hagar perceived the Lord's grace in all. And she discovered his mercy towards her in all: so that, under the full impression of a full heart, she cried out, "Thou, God, seest "me.".

I cannot dismiss the subject before that I have first requested the reader to ask himself, whether, when at any time in the wilderness frames of his own heart, or under the wilderness dispensations the Lord hath brought him into, he hath not often found a well of seasonable and unexpected supplies, like that of Hagar, so that he could call it Beer-la-hai-roi? How very often hath it been found, yea, it may always be found, in the believer's exercises, that where we least expected, there most of Jesus hath been discovered. That precious Redeemer, always beforehand with his people, and going before them in all his providences, as well as in all his grace, hath been at length manifested to the soul, in the close of some trying dispensation, as having been all the while -present, appointing all, regulating all, watching over all, and giving a sweet and precious finish. in his sanctifying blessing on the providence to all; though to our timid and unwatchful hearts, he hath been supposed by us as absent, and inattentive to our distress. How truly blessed is it, like Hagar, when the seasoned relief, like the well at Shur, opens

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with such manifestations of the Lord's love, as to display, at the same time, the Lord's hand. The sanctified use of every blessing then calls forth the same cry, as Sarah's handmaid, from the soul, "Thou, God, seest me. For she said, Have I also looked after him that (first) looked after me?" (1 John iv. 19.)

BEER-ELIM. We meet with this name, Isa. xv. 8. But it is more than probable, that it is the name of the well so sweetly spoken of Num. xxi. 16—18. I beg the reader to consult the Scripture, and let him judge for himself, whether it be not so.. Beerelim, means, the well of the princes. And the princes are said to have digged it. But when the reader hath satisfied his mind on this point, there is another object, and that of an higher nature, that I would request the reader to attend to. In those wells, I humbly conceive, we discover gospel lessons beautifully represented. Hence, the prophet sings," Because God (saith he) is my salvation, therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of those wells of salvation." (Isa. xii. 2, 3.) And hence, if, with an eye to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is himself, in the souls of all his redeemed, a well of water springing up unto everlasting life, (John iv. 14.) we accept those Beer-elim in the word, we then join the Lord's song, in the Lord's own words, as he directed Moses. This is the well whereof the Lord spake unto Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water." Then Israel sang this song. song. "Spring up, O well! sing ye unto it. The princes digged the well; the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver with their staves." (Num. xxi. 16-18.)

BEER-SHEBA. The well of an oath; so called, because here it was that Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech. (Gen. xxvi. 33.) The word

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is a compound of Beer, well; and Shabah, swearing. BEGGING. I could not prevail upon myself to pass over this word, though it be perfectly well understood, and is not frequently found in Scripture: yet, it appears to me, that as the Word of God hath made ample provision, not only in precept, but in the very constitution and frame of the human heart, for beggars, it is our duty to attend to it. (Ps. xxxvii. 25. Mark x. 46.) It should seem, by the precept · delivered by Moses, that the Lord thereby intimated that there should be no poor: unrelieved among them, in that the Lord had so greatly blessed Israel, that Israel would prevent the necessity of begging; though, for the exercises of their brotherly love, the poor should never cease out of the land. (Deut. xv. 4.7. 11.) I recommend the reader to consult this whole chapter, from whence he will form better ideas concerning the mind of the Lord on the character of the beggar, and his own gracious and allwise appointments of the inequalities of life. And when he hath done this, I would recommend him yet farther to consider the whole subject spiritually, and with an eye to Christ. The brother waxen poor was to be relieved by the nearest of kin ; and when he had sold his possession, this brother, born for adversity, was to redeem it. (Lev. xxv. 25.) Here Jesus, the nearest of kin, was plainly seen. And therefore, the beggar in Israel had always a claim upon every passer-by, who considered duly this relationship. And And may I not ask, was not this among the gracious designs of the Lord, in his providence, to afford luxuries to the minds of believers, in the true Israel of God, when, from the inequalities of life, the Lord afforded opportunity to follow the steps of Jesus, in relieving a poor brother? How little have those studied the Scriptures of God, and how little do they know of the mind of Jesus, who, to the

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