being first laid open-all his other bad actions follow in course, like fo many fymptomatic complaints from the fame distemper.

Let us fee, if this was not the cafe even of his virtues too.

At first fight it seems a mystery-how a man, fo black as Herod has been thus far defcribed-should be able to fupport himself, in the favour and friendship of fo wife and penetrating a body of men, as the Roman fenate, of whom he held his power. To counter-ballance the weight of fo bad and detefted a character-and be able to bear it up, as Herod did, one would think he must have been master of fome great fecret worth enquiring afterhe was fo. But that fecret was no other than what appears on this reverse of his character. He was a perfon of great addrefs-popular in his outward behaviour.He was generous, prince-like in his entertainments and expences. The world was then as corrupt at least, as how-and Herod understood it knew at what price it was to be bought--and what quali

ties would bid the highest for its good word and approbation.

And in truth, he judged this matter fo well-that notwithstanding the general odium and prepoffeffion which arose against fo hateful a character-in fpight of all the ill impreffions, from fo many repeated complaints of his cruelties and oppreffions -he yet stemmed the torrent-and by the fpecious difplay of thefe popular virtues bore himself up against it all his life. So that at length, when he was fummoned to Rome to answer for his crimes-Jofephus tells us, that by the mere magnificence of his expences and the apparent generofity of his behaviour, he entirely confuted the whole charge-and fo ingratiated himself with the Roman fenate-and won the heart of Auguftus (as he had that of Anthony before) that he ever after had his favour and kindness; which I cannot mention without adding that it is an eternal ftain upon the character and memory of Auguftus, that he fold his countenance and protection to fo bad a man, for fo mean and bafe a confideration.

From this point of view, if we look back upon Herod-his best qualities will shrink into little room, and how glittering foever in appearance, when brought to this ballance, are found wanting, And in truth, if we would not willingly be deceived in the value of any virtue or set of virtues in fo complex a character---we must call them to this very account; examine whom they serve, what paffion and what principle they have for their mafter. When this is understood, the whole clue is unrayelled at once, and the character of Herod, as complicated as it is given us in hiftory-when thus analyfed, is fummed up in three words- That he was a man of unbounded ambition, who ftuck at nothing to gratify it,fo that not only his vices were minifterial to his ruling paffion, but his virtues too (if they deferve the name) were drawn in, and lifted into the fame fervice.

Thus much for this character of Herod -the critical review of which has many obvious uses, to which I may truft you, having time but to mention that particular one, which first led me into this examina

tion, namely, that all objections against the evangelift's account of this day's flaughter of the Bethlemitish infants---from the incredibility of fo horrid an account-are filenced by this account of the man; fince in this, he acted but like himself, and just so as you would expect in the fame circumftances, from every man of fo ambitious a head-and fo bad a heart. --Confider what havock ambition has made --how often the fame tragedy as been acted upon larger theatres---where not only the innocence of childhood-- or the grey hairs of the aged, have found no protection--but whole countries, without distinction, have been put to the fword, or what is as cruel, have been driven forth to nakedness and famine, to make way for new comers under the guidance of this paffion.---For a fpecimen of this, reflect upon the story related by Plutarch: -when by order of the Roman fenate, seventy populous cities were unawares facked and deftroyed at one prefixed hour, by P. Æmilius---by whom one hundred and fifty thousand unhappy people were driven in one day into captivity--to be fold to the highest bidder to end their days in cruel labour and anguish. As aftonishing

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nifhing as the account before us is, it vanishes into nothing from fuch views, fince it is plain from all hiftory, that there is no wickedness too great for fo unbounded a caufe, and that the most horrid accounts in history are, as I said above, but too probable effects of it.--

May God of his mercy defend mankind from future experiments of this kind---and grant we may make a proper ufe of them, for the fake of Jefus Chrift, Amen.

SER