north-east of Gibeah and Michmash, near the desert. Judges xx. 45, 47. It is placed fifteen miles north of Jerusalem. 4. A town in Zebulun, allotted to the Levites; called also REMMONMETHOAR. Josh. xix. 13; 1Chron.vi.77. border of Palestine, in the district of) in the tribe of Simeon, 1 Chron. iv. 32; Hamath, through which the Baby-rebuilt after the captivity: called lonians, in their incursions into the REMMON, Josh. xix. 7. 3. A town country, were accustomed to pass. It was evidently a pleasant place, and chosen by the kings of Babylon as a residence. Pharaoh-Necho stopped here on his return from Carchemish, and deposed Jehoahaz, putting Jehoiakim in his place; and here Nebuchadnezzar abode, while his general, Nebuzaradan, besieged Jerusalem. 2 Kings xxiii. 33, 34; xxv. 20. It is supposed to be represented by a place on the Orontes, called Ribleh, thirty or forty miles south of Hamath. RIGHTEOUSNESS. An essential perfection of God's nature, and put for his justice and holiness. Isai. xlvi. 13; li. 5, 6, 8; lvi. 1. "The righteousness of God without the law," Rom. iii. 21, cannot mean the primitive justice of God, nor the righteousness which God possesses,that is, his rectitude and holiness, -but God's method of constituting men righteous. See Rom. iii. 22; x. 3. The righteousness of Christ is taken for his perfect obedience to death, and his suffering the penalty of the law in our stead. The righteousness of faith is the justification which is received by faith. The word is also used for uprightness between man and man, and for holiness of life and conversation. Lev. xix. 15; Rom. xiv. 17. RIGHT HAND. It is the emblem of power and strength. To give the right hand was a mark of friendship. Psal. cxliv. 8. Being the most useful member, to cut it off was a great sacrifice. Matt. v. 30. To sit at the right hand of kings was the place of dignity and honour. Kings ii. 19. The expression is used respecting Christ: he "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," Heb. i. 3; in unequalled dignity and glory. See HAND. RIMMON. 1. An idol worshipped by the Syrians. 2 Kings v. 18. The word is supposed to mean exalted, and may refer to the sun, or to some idol under which the sun was represented. Naaman was perplexed as to a question of duty in attending his master to the temple of this god. See NAAMAN. 2. A town in the south of Palestine, RINGS. Isai. iii. 21. The antiquity of rings appears from Scripture and from profane authors. Judah left his ring with Tamar. Gen. xxxviii. 18. When Pharaoh committed the government of Egypt to Joseph, he took his ring from his finger, and gave it to Joseph. Gen. xli. 42. After the victory of the Israelites over the Midianites, they offered to the Lord the rings, the bracelets, and the golden necklaces, taken from the enemy. Numb. xxxi. 50. The Israelitish women wore rings, not only on their fingers, but also in their nostrils and their ears. St. James distinguishes a man of wealth and dignity by the ring of gold on his finger. James ii. 2. At the return of the prodigal son, his father orders him to be dressed in a new suit of clothes, and to have a ring put on his finger. Luke xv. 22. When God threatened Jeconiah with the utmost effects of his anger, he tells him, that though he were the signet, or ring, on his finger, yet he should be torn off. Jer. xxii. 24. The ring was used chiefly to seal with; and Scripture generally assigns it to princes and great persons, as the king of Egypt, Joseph, Ahaz, Jezebel, king Ahasuerus, his favourite Haman, Mordecai, king Darius. 1 Kings xxi. 8; Esther iii. 10, &c.; Dan. vi. 17. The patents and orders of these princes were sealed with their rings or signets, an impression from which was their confirmation. The ring was one mark of sovereign authority. Pharaoh gave his ring to Joseph, as a token of authority. The term "ringstraked," which designates some of the cattle of Laban, means marked in circles. Gen. xxx. 35. RIVER, THE. The Nile is so called by way of pre-eminence. Sometimes the term refers to the Euphrates; but the context must decide the meaning. The Hebrews gave the name of river to brooks and rivulets. The word is used symbolically to denote great abundance. Job xxix. 6; Psal. xxxvi. 8. RIZPAH, a coal. A concubine of Saul. 2. Sam. iii. 7. Her history furnishes a memorable instance of maternal affection. She watched the bodies of her two sons, who had been gibbeted by the Gibeonites, for several months, and drove away the birds from them. 2 Sam. xxi. 8, 10, 11. righteousness is displayed in the remission of sins; yea, he is just in pardoning sin. Then justification is seen to be gratuitous, because it is by faith. Verse 28, &c. This is evident from the history of Abraham and David. Justification is followed by peace, hope, &c. Chaps. iv., v. Then follows the comparison between Adam and Christ. We are condemned in Adam; we are justified through Christ. Both were representatives. In consequence of Adam's offence, guilt and depravity are entailed on all his posterity. In consequence of Christ's obedience unto death, justification unto life, and full salvation, come upon all believers. Free justification is not inimical to holiness. apostle then shows how unable the motives of the law are to produce holiness, which believers can only enjoy by faith in Christ. By the law is the knowledge of sin, and it finally leads to despair. Chap. vii. This The ROD. This word is variously used in Scripture. It means a branch of a tree, Gen. xxx. 37; sometimes a staff or wand, Exod. iv. 17, 20; a shepherd's crook, Lev. xxvii. 32; an instrument of correction, 2 Sam. vii. 14; tribe or possession, Psal. lxxiv. 2; that which supports or strengthens, Psal. xxiii. 4; Îsai. iii. 1; power and authority, Psal. ii. 9. The rod of Aaron was the staff commonly used by the high-priest. This blossomed and budded like an almond-seventh chapter certainly refers to tree. Numb. xvii. See AARON. ROE. See HART. ROGEL. See ENROGEL. ROMANS, EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE. This Epistle was written from Corinth, about A.D. 60, just as the apostle was preparing to leave that city for Jerusalem. Rom. xv. 25. See Acts xx. 2, 3, 16; Rom. xvi. 23; 1 Cor. i. 14; 2 Tim. iv. 20. It is remarkably systematic in its arrangement, and the most argumentative of all the productions of the apostle Paul. In the commencement, the Gentile world is proved guilty before God: the fearful descriptions of the first chapter are borne out by the statements of pagan writers. (See the "Satires of Juvenal," especially the sixth.) The Jewish world is proved to be in an equally unfavourable position before God; but the guilt of the Jews was aggravated by the facts that they had the oracles of God, &c. The entire race is under condemnation. Rom. iii. 19. Salvation from this miserable condition is by the pure, unmerited grace of God; for, since all have sinned, they cannot be the authors of their own salvation. Verse 20. Christ died to satisfy the requirements of the law; God's one yet under the law. If it refers to the apostle's experience at all, it must be to the history of his mental struggles, after he was convinced of sin, up to the time of the visit of Ananias. After this awful struggle deliverance then follows, the absence of condemnation, sonship, the witness of the Holy Spirit, heirship with Christ. The sufferings of the present time cannot prevent the development of the Christian's glory. Chap. viii. The ninth chapter opens with an expression of St. Paul's tender love and high esteem for the Jewish nation; and he then shows that the rejection of a great part of the seed of Abraham was an undeniable fact; that God had not chosen them to such peculiar privileges for any kind of goodness, either in them or their fathers; that his admission of the Gentiles to the church had been foretold by Hosea and Isaiah; that salvation had been offered to Gentiles and Jews on the same terms, though the latter had refused it; but the rejection of Israel for their obstinacy was not total, nor was it final; meanwhile, their obstinacy and rejection served to display the unsearchable wisdom and love of God. Chaps. ix., x., xi. The rest of the Epistle contains many prac- | branches, love, the fulfilling of the tical instructions and exhortations. law, and universal holiness: chap. The apostle urges upon the Romans an entire consecration of themselves to God, and a care to glorify him by a diligent improvement of their talents. He inculcates devotion, patience, hospitality, mutual sympathy, humility, peace, and meekness. Chap. xii. Then follow directions respecting obedience to magistrates, justice in all its xiii.: candour between those who differed in judgment, respecting the observance of the Mosaic law. Chap. xiv.; xv. 1-7. The remainder of the Epistle contains miscellaneous matter, and various salutations. The Epistle is a remarkable treatise on the topics, Christ our justification, and Christ our sanctification. ROME. The capital of the Roman for the purpose of martial exercises empire, and at one time the metro- and games. The Campus Martius was polis of the world. It is situated on the principal. The Forum, between the Tiber, about fifteen miles from the Capitoline and Palatine hills, was the sea, in the plain now called eight hundred feet wide, and adorned Campagna. It was founded by Romu- on all sides with porticoes, shops, and lus, B.C. 753. At first it occupied other edifices; on the erection of which only the Palatine-hill; but was large sums of money had been exextended by degrees to take in six pended, and the appearance of which other hills, at the foot of which ran was very imposing. In the centre of deep valleys, which in early times the Forum was the Curtian lake, where were overflowed with water. In the Curtius is said to have cast himself into days of its glory the walls were near a chasm, or gulf, which closed upon twenty miles in circuit; its gates, ori- him, and so saved his country; and the ginally only three in number, had, in Comitium was close by. The celethe time of Pliny, increased to thirty- brated temple, called the Capitol, seven. Modern Rome has sixteen; stood on the Capitoline-hill. It was some of which, however, are built up. square in form, each side extending Thirty-one great roads centred in two hundred feet, and the ascent to Rome, which traversed Italy, ran it was by a flight of one hundred through the provinces, and were steps. Its gates were of brass, and terminated only by the boundary of it was adorned with costly gildings. the empire. A gilt pillar (milliarium It enclosed three structures; the temaureum) was set up by Augustus, ple of Jupiter Capitolinus in the in the middle of the Forum, from centre, and the temple of Minerva on which distances were reckoned. Eight the right, and that of Juno on the principal bridges led over the Tiber: left. The earliest churches, bearing of these three are still relics. Open the name basilicæ, were erected in spaces were set apart for the people, the time of Constantine. He gave his own palace, on the Calian-hill, as a site for a Christian temple. The church of St. Peter was built on the Vatican-hill, about A.D. 324, on the site of temples consecrated to Apollo and Mars. It stood about twelve centuries, and was then superseded by the modern church bearing the same name. Judæa formed a part of the immense empire of Rome; and consequently many Jews were resident in the city. In the reign of Tiberius, when the Jews were banished, in consequence of the misconduct of some members of their body, about four thousand enlisted in the Roman army which was then stationed in Sardinia. Philo says that the Jews were allowed the free use of their national worship in Rome. They lived in a part of the city appropriated to them. They were again expelled, under Claudius, about A.D. 50. At what time Christianity was introduced is uncertain. Some are of opinion that it was during our Lord's lifetime. It is worthy of notice, that Luke, in the book of the Acts, when speaking of the decree of Claudius for the banishment of all Jews from Rome, adverts to the fact as a reason why Aquila and Priscilla, whom we know to have been members of the church at Rome, had lately come from Italy. Acts xviii. 2; Rom. xvi. 3. As early as A.D. 64, a fierce persecution was commenced against the Christians, who must have been considerable in number. This was renewed, A.D. 81, by Domitian; and again carried out by the emperor Trajan, with implacable malice, A.D. 98-117. Seasons of suffering and rest succeeded till the time of Constantine, when Christianity was established as the religion of the empire. Modern Rome is celebrated not only for its magnificence and splendour, but also for the ruins of its former greatness. ROOF. See HOUSES. ROSE. Sol. Song, ii. 1. A flower held in high estimation in the East for its elegance, fragrance, and colour. It was used by the ancients in the formation of the chaplets: it was a principal ornament in every festive meeting, and in every solemn sacrifice. The vale of Sharon, from its soil and position, was fitted to produce the rose in great perfection. Some suppose that the flower called in our version the "rose of Sharon" was a species of narcissus, which blooms in vast abundance in this valley. RUBY. A beautiful gem, of a vivid red colour, and esteemed next to the diamond in value. Job xxviii. 18; Prov. xxxi. 10. The word PENINIM in these passages is supposed to mean pearls. RUDIMENTS. See ELEMENTS. RUE. A small medicinal plant, common in gardens. It has a strong, unpleasant smell, and a bitter taste. It was one of the things tithed by the Pharisees, while they omitted the more important matters of the law. Luke xi. 42. RUFUS. A son of Simon, the Cyrenian, who was laid hold of to bear the cross of Christ. Mark xv. 21. Many suppose him to be the person to whom St. Paul alludes in his Epistle to the Romans: "Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine." Chap. xvi. 13. RUSH. Job viii. 11. A plant found in marshy ground, and near the sides of rivers. It is used for chairs, baskets, mats, &c. The pith is used as the wick of a candle. In Isai. ix. 14, and xix. 15, it is used to signify the lowest of the people: "The Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day." RUTH, beauty. A Moabitess, who, under peculiar circumstances, became engrafted among the Israelites, and one of the ancestors of David. Her story is one of singular interest, and is told with inimitable beauty and force. Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, are driven by the pressure of famine into the land of Moab. Elimelech soon dies; his two sons marry, the one to a female called Ruth, the other to Orpah. About ten years afterwards they are both removed by death. Naomi resolves to return to her kindred and country, when Ruth determines at all hazards to accompany her. She accordingly arrives at Bethlehem with her motherin-law, and, under the pressure of want, goes to glean after the reapers in the harvest-field. A kinsman of Elimelech, called Boaz, is attracted by her appearance, and, informed of her exemplary filial kindness, bade her return from day to day to the harvestfield, and directed his servants to give her a welcome reception. Respect and admiration soon ripen into love. Subsequently she intimates to Boaz the claim which she had upon him as the nearest of kin to her deceased husband; and at length Ruth became the wife of Boaz, and the mother of Obed. Many important lessons are taught by this story. 1. A lesson of trust in the providence of God. 2. Of the obligations of children to their parents. 3. Of filial piety. 4. Of God's reward of constancy and obedience. 5. An early intimation of God's purpose to bless the Gentile world with the Gospel. Ruth, a Gentile, was admitted into the church of God, into the tribe of Judah, and the family of David. THE BOOK OF RUTH is the eighth in order among the books of the Old Testament, and is a supplement to the book of Judges. The events happened during the time of the Judges, but the precise period cannot be accurately ascertained. Salmon, the father of Boaz, was married to Rahab: between Salmon and David there were at least three hundred years, though Boaz, Obed, and Jesse are the only individuals intervening. Probably the occurrences might take place about the time of Gideon. The authorship is unknown, though it is generally attributed to Samuel. There is internal evidence that it was written at a time considerably remote from the events which it records. S SABACHTHANI. Matt. xxvii. 46. Part of the exclamation of our blessed Redeemer on the cross. The expressions, ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI, are Syro-Chaldaic, and correspond to the Hebrew, ELI, ELI, LAMMAH AZABTHANI; being the first clause of the first verse of the twenty-second Psalm: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" SABAOTH, properly TZABAOTH, hosts, armies. When used in relation to Jehovah, it indicates his infinite power and majesty. It may allude to the angels, those ministers of his, who hearken to the voice of his word; or to the worlds above, for "God bringeth out their hosts by number;" or to the sacramental host of his elect and sanctified people. SABBATH. The Sabbath is a positive institution, and the proof of its obligation is to be sought for entirely from the Scriptures; yet there are indications in the constitution of things that periods of rest are necessary both for man and beast. The recurrence of night and the necessity of repose show us that the principle of rest enters into the present system, as much as that of labour. It is found that animals which are allowed one day in seven for rest, live longer, and enjoy better health, than those which are worked without intermission. The same may be said of man. All that can be accomplished in the brief space allotted to this article will be to give a summary of the argument on the divine institution and perpetual obligation of the Sabbath. I. The original institution of the Sabbath. 1. The authority is found Gen. ii. 1-3. Now a careful consideration of this passage will show: that the Sabbath was given to the whole race, because it was given to our first parents: that God "blessed it ;" that is, designed it to be the source of particular blessings to man; and "sanctified it," or set it apart from common to sacred and religious uses: that the appointment has no reference to any peculiar people, but is designed as an example from God to all the human race, as is evident from the expression, "God rested:" that the nature of the ordinance does not refer to any particular people, but to the day itself. The objects to be accomplished by the appointment are rest and moral cultivation; and surely these are needed quite as much by others as by the Jews. 2. It is apparent that a weekly division of time was observed by the patriarchs before Moses, and that the Sabbath was regarded as a day of religious worship. In Gen. iv. 3, it is said, "And in process of time it came to |