Mercury

Acts xiv. 11.MERCURY, Son of Jupiter and Maia, one of the fabulous Gods of the ancient Pagans, and the Messenger of the other Gods. He was worshipped as the Deity that presided over Learning, Eloquence, and Traffick. The Greeks gave him the Name of Hermes, which signifies an Interpreter, because they looked upon him as the Interpreter of the Will of the Gods. ‘Twas probably for this Reason that the People of Lystra having heard St. Paul preach, and having seen him heal a sick Man, would have offered Sacrifices to him, as if he had been Mercury, and to St. Barnabas as if he had been Jupiter, probably because of his venerable Aspect. They called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief Speaker. The Pagans seem to have confounded some Characters of the Life of Mercury, with that of Aaron the High-priest, the Brother of Moses. Mercury was the Messenger and Interpreter of the Gods, as Aaron was the Prophet and Interpreter of the Lord, and the Tongue of Moses. Mercury is represented with a miraculous Wand or Rod; Aaron also had a miraculous Rod, that budded, and was laid up near the Ark. Mercury was the God of Thieves; Aaron and the other Jews rifled the Egyptians of their Treasures. Mercury was the Inventer of the Harp; the Children of Aaron and the Levites were employed in playing upon Instruments of Musick in the Lord’s Temple. Mercury is the God of Travellers, Aaron, together with Moses, conducted the Children of Israel in their Journey through the Desert, &c.

The wise Author of the Book of Proverbs¹ says, He that raises a Fool to Honour, is like him that throws a Stone to the Heap of Mercury. ‘Tis as absurd or superfluous to exalt a Fool to Honour and Dignity, as it is to cast a Stone at the Foot of a Statue of Mercury, set up in a Crossway: For this is, as we may say, to add one useless Thing to another. This Piece of Superstition, of laying a Heap of Stones at a Term or Limit, or at a half Statue of Mercury set up in a High-way, was in Practice among the Ancients². But it may well be doubted, whether in this Place Solomon had any Intention to speak of Mercury, or of the Heap of Stones that was used to be cast at the Feet of his Statue. The Hebrew Text³ makes no Mention of Mercury. Some translate it thus, To give Honours to a Fool, is to bind a Stone in a Sling. The Stone thus bound will continue immovable, and cannot be discharged from the Sling. So a Fool can make no Use of the Honour that shall be conferred upon him. Otherwise thus. As a Stone cast upon a Heap of other common Stones is useless, so is the Honour that is conferred upon a Fool. ‘Tis only adding another Stone to a Heap of Stones. Ragam, which is the Root of Margemah, signifies to stone, or to overwhelm with Stones⁴. The Rabbins commonly understand it of a Heap of Stones amassed together in Honour of Mercury, as the Author of the Vulgate has rendered it in his Translation. But the Seventy translate it by a Sling⁵. I could easily come into the Chaldee Explication. Like as a Plate, or Lingot of Gold or Silver, put in a Sling, is a Thing very ill placed, so is the Honour that is given to a Fool. The Hebrew Wordu Zeror-eben, an Heap of Stones, may signify a Bundle of Bars of Gold or Silver, tried by the Touch-Stone, or weighed with a Stone-Weight. The Jews made Use of Stones instead of Weights. Prov. xx. 10, 23, according to the Hebrew, is Stone and Stone, instead of Weight and Weight. See also Deut. xxv. 13.

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