there consecrated king, with idolatrous sacrifices. Having thus far secured the object of his highest ambition, Herod remembered that the affairs of his family and kingdom did not justify a protracted stay at Rome: he therefore departed from the city at the expiration of seven days; and, by a rapid journey, reached Judea just three months after he had left it.

Here, although beset with difficulties, he found a fair field: the Parthians had, during his journey, been driven from Syria, which was again occupied by Roman troops. His first care was to collect an army, with which, and some aid from the Roman general, he made himself master of Galilee. Following up this success, he marched to the relief of his family, who were closely besieged by Antigonus. In this object he also succeeded; and, after a series of dangers and exploits, he became master of all the country, and shut up Antigonus in Jerusalem. Yet, notwithstanding the utmost efforts of Herod, it was not until his rival had reigned three years that he was able, when supported by a Roman army, to reduce the capital, which was at length taken by assault, and subjected to fearful massacre and pillage from the Roman troops, who, enraged at the obstinacy of the defense, continued the slaughter after all resistance had ceased; and at length Herod had to pay a large sum of money to save Jerusalem from being destroyed. Antigonus was taken and put to death by the Romans as a malefactor.

Herod was now seated on the throne of Judea, the first of a new dynasty. Hitherto the Asmonean or Maccabean family had really or nominally governed. With Hyrcanus and Antigonus this line had ended; and Herod, who was not a Jew, but an Idumean by nation, and professedly a Jewish proselyte in religion, was, by the favor of Rome, invested with supreme authority over the Jewish people. From the first elevation of Antipater, the cause of his family was unpopular; and it was only the consummate sagacity of that person, in attaching himself to the oldest branch of the Asmonean family, which enabled him to carry out his purpose. Herod felt this throughout his career. It was this which kept Antigonus so long upon the throne; it was this which caused the son of Antipater so much difficulty, when possessed of the object of his ambition.

Fully aware of the state of the public mind, his first care, after having recovered Jerusalem, was the extermination of the Asmonean family. Although he had married Mariamne, the daughter of Hyrcanus, this seemed in no wise to soften the violence of his political hate. All those Jews who had supported Antigonus were proscribed, forty-five of the principal of them were slain; all their property was confiscated, and seized by the king; all the gold, silver, and valuables

found in Jerusalem were taken for his use; and thus, with the exception of a small part of the people, the land was treated like a conquered country. Influenced by this jealousy of the Asmoneans, Herod found an obscure priest of Babylon, who was descended from the ancient high priests of Israel. Him he raised to the high priesthood, although his wife's brother was of age, and heir to the office. He also cut off the whole sanhedrim, except Sameas and Pollio.

The superseding of Aristobulus in the high priesthood created an element of discord and misery in the family of Herod, which ultimately destroyed his peace. Herod's intimacy with Antony introduced his family to the infamous Cleopatra. Alexandra, the mother of Mariamne and Aristobulus, by her influence with this queen, and her intercession with Antony, induced Herod to cancel his appointment. Ananelus was set aside, and Aristobulus inducted into the high priesthood. But this young man was received with such marks of favor and affection by the people, while officiating at the ensuing feast of tabernacles, that all the jealous enmity of Herod was again blown into a flame, and the heartless king soon after caused the young priest to be drowned whilst bathing. Cleopatra, informed of this crime, used her utmost influence with Antony to have Herod slain. Besides the gratification of vanity and revenge, (for she had attempted in vain to seduce Herod,) she greatly desired the possession of Judea; but as Antony was equally in want of money to sustain him in his contest with Octavius, Herod supplied him, and continued to reign.

After the fall of Antony, Herod waited upon Octavius, and by his frank and candid deportment secured the friendship of the sole governor of the great Roman empire. Prior to this time, Herod had lured the aged Hyrcanus from his captivity in Parthia, and, after placing him in close surveillance for several years, had him beheaded. The future course of Herod was violent, miserable, and vile. He labored, on the one hand, to make his kingdom great, and his country magnificent; but his means of effecting this were most atrocious: while, on the other hand, his conduct to his family was suspicious and cruel.

In his public life he consolidated his power, and raised Judea to a state of wealth and prosperity which it had not before attained for centuries. Having by the most sanguinary means cut off the last of the Asmoneans, he built a theatre in Jerusalem, and a spacious amphitheatre in the suburbs. All kinds of heathenish games were introduced. Musicians, players, courses, gladiators, and wild beasts, were exhibited in the holy city. And it is a circumstance worthy of observation, that there yet existed sufficient zeal for the Divine

law to render all these exceedingly disgusting to a great body of the Jewish people. About this time Herod also rebuilt several important fortresses, and restored Samaria, which had long lain in ruins. He also adorned Jerusalem with a stately palace for himself, which was built of the most costly materials, and of exquisite workmanship. Yet all these things were performed in a manner and style so foreign to the peculiar genius of the Jewish mind, that, proud as they were of their country, they were by these means more and more alienated from the king. He saw this, and labored to stem the torrent of public feeling. At one time he wished to introduce an oath of allegiance; but it was so strenuously opposed by the most eminent Jewish doctors, that he was compelled to lay it aside. He then remitted a part of the taxes, professedly on account of several national calamities which had recently fallen upon the country, but really to bid for popular favor: this also was vain. One other course was open to him; and he pursued it. The temple, as then existing, was unworthy of the nation, and of the improved state of Jerusalem: he proposed to rebuild it; but so distrustful were the people of his promise and of his religion, that they would not have the old one removed until they saw the materials collected for the new building. After two years of preparation, the old edifice was taken down in parts, as the new one was raised. The holy place was finished in eighteen months, the body of the structure in eight years. This building was erected in the Greek style of architecture, and of the most costly and beautiful marble and other materials; and the great work appears to some extent to have produced a better state of feeling between the Jews and their king.

Yet, during all these works, Herod's domestic course was one of continued misery and crime. As if the blood through which he had waded to the throne, and the numerous victims which in these times of turbulence and war were sacrificed to his ambition, were not sufficient to satiate his sanguinary nature, his lovely wife, Mariamne, after having borne him two sons, was doomed by his order to perish on the scaffold, the victim of the most groundless jealousy and cruel conspiracy. He endeavored to bury this crime in oblivion by other marriages, but in vain. Intense suspicion haunted all his thoughts; a morbid apprehension of evil destroyed every acquisition, and turned all the members of his family into foes. Under this influence, after years of disquiet, he condemned his two sons by Mariamne to death. It were useless to attempt the history of this family at greater length. Herod married ten wives, eight of whom

The ornamenting of this new building was carried on until the time of Agrippa, which justifies John ii, 20.

bore him children. This was not the least amongst the causes of his domestic misery.

Meanwhile, Octavius Cæsar, under his new name of Augustus, reigned the absolute monarch of the Roman empire. Every element of national disorder sank before the genius and temper with which he conducted the government. Throughout this wide dominion. and its dependencies, war had ceased, the temple of Janus was shut, and then God's Messiah, the long-promised and predicted ONE, appeared among men.

REMARKABLE EVENTS FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INDEPENDENCE TO THE TIME OF CHRIST.

CHAPTER XII.

THE RELIGION OF THE HEBREWS FROM THE RESTORATION TO THE TIME OF CHRIST.

STATE OF RELIGION AFTER THE RESTORATION-Ezra and Nehemiah-Messianic Prophecies of Haggai-Of Zechariah-And of Malachi-THE DOCTRINES HELD RESPECTING THE DIVINE NATURE, AND THE PROMISED REDEEMER-The Jews believed in a Plurality in the Divine Existence-Which is limited to three-But they did not regard the promised Messiah as one of these-But expected him as a Prophet and Prince who would act under the Guidance of a visible Revelation of the glorious Word, as Moses did-THE ORDINANCES OF RELIGION, INSTRUCTION, AND WORSHIP-The Services of the Temple-And of the Synagogue, including reading the Scriptures, Preaching, Prayer, and religious conversational Intercourse-Efficiency of these Means-THE PECULIARITIES, CHARACTER, AND INFLUENCE OF THE SEVERAL RELIGIOUS SECTS WHICH OBTAINED AT THIS TIME -The Pharisees-Their Origin-Distinguished by great apparent Sanctity of Life-Doctrines and Power-Their Influence opposed to the Purposes of Grace-The Sadducees--Their Origin-Doctrines-Learning and Wealth-The Essenes-Their Doctrines-Institutions-Worship-And Character-THE VIEWS ENTERTAINED ON PERSONAL RELIGION— Repentance-Pardon-Faith-The Effect of these Doctrines practically destroyed by the Adoption of Tradition-A Reliance on Rites-And the Rejection of spiritual Religion. WHEN, by the gracious providence of Jehovah, the Jewish people were restored to their own land, the important objects for which they had been raised up and preserved were neither superseded nor forgotten. The great purpose of God was still carried on. Much as had been already done by the communication of law, by unceasing special interposition, by prophetic revelations, it appeared necessary to continue the latter means during the gradul reconstruction of the Jewish polity, and the restoration of the national faith in the land of Judea. For this purpose, inspired men were raised up, and divinely qualified for the important work; and the gift of prophecy was, for a further season, continued. To the influence of these holy men it will be necessary to direct passing attention.

Ezra and Nehemiah were the principal agents in the re-establishment of the Hebrew people. The first of these was a scribe and a priest. He devoted himself, with unwearied assiduity, to restore the ecclesiastical economy of Moses. In order to this, he reformed abuses, enforced the law, and instructed the people. The latter work he carried into effect by giving expositions of the law. The people, having been so long accustomed to the Chaldee dialect, could not clearly understand the letter of their ancient language; and they had been for so many years prevented from conforming to some parts of the ceremonial law, that they were ignorant of several important requirements. To remedy these evils, Ezra taught them the sense of the written law, and strongly enforced its observance.