education, being returned to Jerusalem in the heat of their youth, they frequently expressed their resentments for the death of their mother, and thereby they became obnoxious to the rage of Salome, Herod's sister and favourite and thus she, who had heen one great and constant instrument to blow the coals of jealousy and discontent between Herod and his queen, and at last to occasion her death, pursued the same course to make him jealous of some designs of his sons against his life? 25 Q. What issue had these quarrels and jealousies? A. They continued several years: plots were invented on both sides: these gave Herod in his old age perpetual disquietudes, suspicions and fears: but Salome his sister prevailed so far by her craft against his two sons, that after many accusations and acquitments of them, she at last procured their condemnation and execution by Herod's order and the consent of Augustus Cæsar. This was about a year or two before the birth of Christ.

26 Q. What was the general state of the heathen world about this time?

4. All the known parts of the world were subdued to the Romans, and the nations were in peace; on which account the temple of Janus was shut up at Rome, which had never been shut but five times since the first building of that city; and then JESUS CHRIST the Prince of peace came into the world and was born at Bethlehem.

27 Q. Wherein does it appear that the world was thus all at quiet under the government or dominion of the Romans?

A. Augustus Cæsar, the emperor of Rome, issued out a decree that year for a general register of his whole empire, which St. Luke calls a taxing, or enrolling of all the world. Luke ii. 1. This brought Mary the mother of Christ to Bethlehem, the city of David, to which family she belonged; and while she was there, she brought forth her son Jesus, as it is written, Luke ii. 1-11.

Note. This year, in which Christ was born, according to bishop Usher's exact computation, is the four thousandth year from the creation; which falls in with. an old tradition of the

Jews, that the world was to last six thousand years; namely, two thousand years before the law, (or before Abraham, who was the father of circumcision and the Jews;) and two thousand under the law; that is, from Abraham to the Messiah ; and two thousand under the Messiah.

And here I might conclude this chapter, having brought the Jewish affairs down to the birth of Christ. But it may give some light to the New Testament to carry it on a little farther.

28 Q. What piece of cruelty was Herod guilty of, when he heard that a child was born, who was to be king of the Jews?

A. He slew all the young children in Bethlehem, that he might be sure to destroy Christ, and that his own posterity might be kings of Judea.

29 Q. Whom did Herod design then for the successor to his kingdom?

A. Antipater, his eldest son by Doris, a wife which Herod had before Mariamne; his father had raised him to some post of honour upon his displeasure with his other sons, and he had been also active and busy himself towards procuring the death of those two brothers.

30 Q. Did Antipater succeed his father in the kingdom, according to Herod's present design?

A. Antipater longing for the crown and for his fathier's death, did really conspire to poison him, and being convicted thereof, had a sentence of condemnation passed upon him and it being confirmed by Augustus Cæsar, was executed by his father's approbation. This was the third son whom Herod put to death.

31 Q. When and in what manner did Herod die ? A. In the seventieth year of his age, and five days after the execution of his son Antipater, Herod himself died by a dreadful complication of diseases. He had a slow fever, an asthma, an ulcer in his bowels and his lower parts, which bred worms and lice; he languished under extreme pain and torment till he expired, and seems to have been smitten of God in a signal and terrible manner for his cruelty, and the multiplied iniquities of his whole life.

32 Q. What instance of cruelty was he guilty of even at his death?

A. Knowing how much he was hated of the Jews, he concluded there would be no lamentation for him, but rather rejoicing when he died; and to prevent this, he framed a project, one of the most horrid that could enter into the heart of man; he summoned all the chief Jews over the whole kingdom on pain of death to appear at Jericho, where he then lay; he shut them up prisoners in the circus, or public place of shews, he ordered and adjured his sister Salome and her husband, who were his chief confidents, to send in soldiers as soon as he was dead, and put them all to the sword; For this, said he, will provide mourners for my funeral all the land over.

33 Q. Was this barbarous and bloody command exeçuted?

A. His sister Salome, as bad as she was, chose rather to break her oath to him than to execute so horrid a design, and therefore she released them all after his death.

34 Q. What posterity did Herod leave behind him? A. He had nine wives, and such of his posterity as are named in Scripture, are these that follow, namely, Archelaus his son, who succeeded him in the kingdom of Judea and Samaria, Matt. ii. 22; Herod Antipas, tetrarch or governor of Galilee, who cut off John the baptist's head, Matt. xiv. 1, 3, 6; Philip, governor of Iturea and Toachonitis, Luke iii. 1; and Herod Philip, who married his own neice, Herodias, and had a daughter by her called Salome, who danced well but Herodias afterward left him, to marry Herod Antipas his brother, for which John the baptist reproved this Herod Antipas. Luke iii. 19.

This Herodias was daughter of Herod's son AristobuIus, whom he put to death, and sister of Herod Agrippa, who slew the apostle James, Acts xii. 1, 2, and was afterwards smitten of God, at Cæsarea. ver. 20-23. Of this Herod Agrippa was born, that king Agrippa the second, before whom Paul pleaded his cause, Acts xxv. and xxvi. and his two sisters were, Drusilla, wife to Felix the governor, Acts xxiv. 24, and Bernice, who attended her

brother Agrippa to hear Paul plead. This genealogy is borrowed from Dr. Prideaux.

35 Q. Did Archelaus continue long in his govern

ment?

A. He was guilty of many and great instances of tyranny, for which he was deposed, and banished to a town in France by the Roman emperor, when he had reigned in Judea between nine and ten years.

36 Q. How was Judea governed afterwards?

A. The Romans were so much displeased with the evil practices of Archelaus, that they reduced Judea to the form of a Roman province, and ruled it afterwards by procurators or governors, who were sent thither, and recalled at their pleasure: the power of life and death was taken out of the hands of the Jews, and placed in the Roman governor, and their taxes were paid more directly to the Roman emperor, and gathered by the publicans.

37 Q. How did the Jews resent this?

A. The Pharisees, and the people under their influence, thought it unlawful to acknowledge a king who was not a Jew. Deut. xvii. 15. From among thy brethren shalt thou set a king over thee: and therefore, though they were constrained to pay tribute to Cæsar, yet they scarce allowed it to be lawful; upon this account they looked upon these publicans with greater detestation than any of the tax-gatherers in former ages, while their governor was of the Jewish nation or religion.

Note. Though Herod was an Idumean by nation, yet all the Idumeans having received the Jewish religion, Herod was so far counted a lawful governor, as that they did not scruple paying taxes to him.

38 Q. How was the high priesthood carried on at this time?

A. As Herod had done before, so the Roman governors continued to make high priests, and to depose them as often as they pleased, to answer their own purposes. 39 Q. Who was high priest when our blessed Saviour was put to death?

A. Caiaphas, who was son-in-law to Annas, who had been himself high priest for fifteen years, and was deposed by one of their governors.

Note. Caiaphas was not immediate successor to Annas, for there were three high priests came between them, who had been instituted in that office, and deposed by the Romans: Hence it may come to pass, that in the history of the Gospels we frequently read of several chief priests at the same time, and of Annas and Caiaphas being high priests at the beginning of John the baptist's ministry. Luke iii. 2. For whether they had any concurring power given them by the Romans or no, yet being still alive, after they had been in that office, they might have their title given them by the people, and some of them had probably considerable influence in the Jewish affairs. In the case of Annas and Caiaphas, some suppose one to have been head of the Sanhedrim, and to have chiefly managed in civil affairs, the other in sacred. Others fancy one to have been the high priest, and the other the deputy high priest, or Sagan, who was always ready to perform the office, if the high priest was indisposed or hindered. And some think they might rule alternately, or together, by permission, or appointment of the Romans. It is evident the sacred laws of Moses were not strictly observed at that time among them, nor long before.

Note. This Annas is supposed to be the same person with that Ananius, whom Paul did not seem to acknowledge for God's high priest, when he reproved him, and called him, Thou whited wall. Acts xxiii. 3-5.

40 Q. Who was governor of Judea at that time?

A. Pontius Pilate: for Tiberius Cæsar (who had reigned two or three years together with Augustus at Rome, and had after his death succeeded him now nineteen years in the empire) had a few years before made this Pilate governor: he was a man thoroughly prepared for all manner of iniquity, which he executed through his whole government; and gave further proof of it in that unjust sentence, which he passed even against his own conscience, for the crucifixion of our blessed Lord, at the request of the wicked Jews.

41 Q. What became of Pontius Pilate at last?

A. He was in a very short time recalled by the Roman emperor for misdemeanors in his government, and