6 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED by the pride, luxury, and frequent quar- rels of their great men, the empire was finking from it's ancient greatnefs; the common-wealth was at an end; and the fenate had been forced to fubmit to a mailer. Though the Pate had made a violent Pruggle for liberty, in the murder of Julius Ca°far, great quarrels fucceeded, and the whole empire was fubjeëled to the authority of,Auguftus. . This was a prince of a very amiable difpofition : he, by his wife management, put an end to all con- tention, and governed the empire with fuch juflice, prudence, and moderation, as made him highly eíleemed by his fubjeas. He not only fettled the affairs of the Pate fo as to preferve all things quiet at home, but had the like fuccefs throughout the remoter parts of the vat empire : for a general peace prevailed through all the world, when our Great Redeemer, the heavenly Prince of peace, was born. The Jewilh nation was, at this time, groaning under the tyranny of Herod the great ; who, though an old man, declining in his health, and juif bordering on the grave, had fo little thought of his latter- end, that he reigned with fuch cruelty aid tyranny as jufly renderedhim the abhor- rence of his fubjeél.s. A late writer has afferted, that the Jews were, at this time, grievoufly oppreffed by the Romanpower; but as Herod was, for the moP part, in favour with the emperor Auguflus, and had liberty from him to rule as he pleated, and even, on flight grounds of com- plaint, to put hisown tons, Alexander and Chriflobolus, to death ; it muff certainly be the oppreffion of Herod, and not of Auguflus (who was a prince of a contrary charafrer) whom the Jews groaned under. Herod was a prince of Idumean defcent, whole anceflors had been profelytes to the Jewifh religion. He had no right to the regal authority, but was impofed on the Jews by the Roman power, when there was a contefl between Hyrcanus and Ariflobolus, two brothers of the Afmonian family, for the royal dignity. The Romans took the advantage of this, and Herod was declared king of the Jews by the fenate, and, three years after, anted by the Roman arms in the taking Jerufalem: and from that time he reigned over the Jewilh nation, in fubjeftion to the Romans, about thirty-five years. Herod was a prince of a martial difpofition, but as he knew he had no legal right to the crown, he was guilty of the higheil injuflice and cruelty to keep pof- feffton of that dignity which he had by unlawful means obtained; and never was at reif till he had procured the death of every prince who was related to it. Having thus ereaed his throne on mur- der, treachery, and all kinds of wick- ednefs, his reign was fuch as might be expeéled from fuch a beginning. For though he rote to great opulence and power; though he was poffe'ed of all that his ambition afpired to ; yet he was conflantly diflurbed by-domeflic divifions, and troubles of various kinds, which ren- dered him mofl deplorably unhappy in the midfl of profperity. Though he was fuccefsful in his wars, and conflantly augmenting his dominions ; though in the fumptuous buildings he ereaed, and in his grandeur and magnificence, in all re- fpefls, he exceeded his predeceffors, So- lomon only excepted; yet his reignwas one feries of plots, jealoufies, cruelties, murder, and every thing that is {hocking to human nature. ThePate of religion in the world, at the time of our Redeemer's birth, was fuch as flood in the greatei need of a teacher fent from God. The various nations around the globe were immerfed in the darknefs of idolatry and fuperflition. And though the unity of God, and the immortality of the foul had been taught by. Socrates and Plato, yet their fentiments were dark and confuted, very little known amongfl the vulgar, and very little depended on among the more learned. The Jews only retained the worfhip of the true God. Their temple- worihip
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=