neighbours, for they possessed the very heart of the country, Samaria stretching from Jordan to the Great or Mediterranean Sea, between Judea and Galilee. Samaria was built by Omri king of Israel, for the capital of the ten tribes, soon after their revolt. The ten tribes possessed this territory about two hundred and fifty years, at the expiration of which period, Esar-haddon pushed the conquest of his predecessor Shalmaneser so far as to take all the remnant of Israel captive, dispersing them in Babylon and Assyria, from whence he sent people to re-inhabit Samaria. These new settlers brought their gods with them, in addition to which Esar-haddon furnished them with a Jewish priest to instruct them in the knowledge of the God of Israel ; hence they united in one established ritual the worship of the true God, and the worship of idols.* This motley religion continued upwards of two hundred and sixty years, till Sanballat built the temple on Mount Gerizim, installed Manassch in the office of high-priest, and put down idolatry. These things occurring, Samaria became the resort and asylum of vagabond Jews, who fled thither in order to escape punishment and reproach due from their own country. By these means, somewhat of an affinity took place between Jews and Samaritans, but this had no tendency to destroy the prejudices entertained by the Jews against this people; their heathen origin was still recognised, and all dealings with them were strictly forbidden. Changes in the affairs of Samaria ended not here. About seventy years after the above reformation, Alexander the Great, taking offence at some part of their conduct, entered the city, put many to the sword, and drove the rest out of the place, and

* 2 Kings xvii.

+Josephus Antiq. book 11. chap. &.

re-peopled Samaria with new inhabitants from Macedonia, giving part of the adjacent country to the Jews. Those of the Samaritans that survived this calamity dwelt afterwards in Shechem, under Mount Gerizim, from which time that place became the centre of that people. So that from this period we are to look for the sect of the Samaritans, not in the city bearing that name, but in Sychar, and in places of little note contiguous to Mount Gerizim;† and thus they continued till the fate of Palestine was decided by the Roman arms. In the year one hundred and nine before Christ, Samaria was razed to the ground by Hyrcanus the Jewish general, in which state it continued eighty-four years, when it was rebuilt by Herod the Great, and called by him Sebaste, in honour of his master. Such was the state of the Samaritans at the birth, and during the ministry, of the Lord Jesus. As a religious sect, they professed to believe in the holy oracles, and to look for the coming of the promised Messiah; but their state, in a spiritual point of view, differed very little from that of the Jews, for when he came they received him not.

Peace, universal peace, is said to have blessed the world at the time of his birth, who is called, and who only maintains the dignity of the title, THE PRINCE OF PEACE. But, oh! what torrents of blood had been shed before the arrival of this blissful period! The Romans had carried their conquering arms into almost all the known world; Babylon and Egypt, and Greece and Palestine, bowed to the Roman sceptre; so that this general pacification arose from general subjugation-the

*Or Sychar, John iv. 5. + Prideaux, vol. 1. p. 395. Josephus Antiq, book 13. chap. 18. Prideaux, vol. 2. p. 253. Josephus, book 15. chap. 11.

To these might be added Britain.

Roman empire was become an universal monarchy. This, upon the whole, was a circumstance favourable to the introduction of the gospel; remote and barbarous nations became accessible, learning and science were more general, and the mind of man was more disposed to enter into an investigation of the great and important truths of God and religion.

All these nations (the Jews excepted) were without the knowledge of the only living and true God; their religion, though a little diverse as to ritual, in different countries, was yet one in essence and principle—all was fable and superstition. Philosophy saw through the cheat, but did not venture to speak out, for fear of the charge of atheism, and the vengeance of priesteraft; and indeed, whatever philosophy might have discovered in these systems of mythology as puerile and absurd, it had scarcely any thing better to recommend. These sages were so divided in their opinions, that their instructions amounted to nothing higher than an opposition of science, vain janglings, doubtful disputations. The world by wisdom knew not God; therefore when the gospel was published, the preaching of the Cross was to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness. From this view of the nations, we see nothing but the shadow of death: let us now turn and behold the Sun of righteousness arising upon the earth"A LIGHT TO LIGHTEN THE GENTILES, AND THE GLORY OF ISRAEL.”

FIRST CENTURY.

CHAPTER I.

JESUS CHRIST.

THE Messiah, whose coming had been so long foretold by prophetic oracle, and so long expected by the House of Israel, was born in the land of Judea about the year of the world 4004. His mother was "a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." The exact period of the Saviour's birth has not been settled by writers on the subject; even the most early Christians were at a loss. The marginal writers of our Bible have placed it in the year of the world 4004. To be correct as to the time would be of little consequence; we know that the Son of God is come: however, the sacred historians have given a statement of this grand event, sufficiently circumstantial and satisfactory. St. Luke informs us it was in the days of the taxing, under the décree of Augustus the Roman emperor, while Herod the Great reigned in Judea, by the persecution of whom, Jesus, almost as soon as born, was driven into exile. The place of his nativity was Bethlehem; his early infancy was spent in Egypt; from which period to his entrance on his public ministry, he dwelt at Nazareth. All this, that the scripture might be fulfilled. At twelve years

Chap. 1.

Jesus Christ.

21

of age, he paid his memorable visit to Jerusalem; the well-told story by the sacred penman, can receive no elucidation from us. His youth, we are certain, was spent in acts of filial obedience, and his riper years, it is probable, were employed in the occupation of his father. "The labours of industry are honourable employments," and we see them not unworthy the Son of God.

At the age of thirty, Jesus comes forth from obscurity, and makes his first appearance to John on the banks of the Jordan, where his forerunner had been baptizing and bearing testimony to his coming. The baptism instituted by the son of Zacharias was under the inspiration of God, and the most pure then existing in the Jewish church; to which the Saviour applies, and by which he is "solemnly inaugurated in office." The witnessing and outpouring of the Spirit attend this expressive ceremonial. His temptation in the wilderness succeeds. “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about."

The ministry of Christ continued about the space of three years, during which time the events of his life, and holy diligence were so numerous, and so full of expression, that if all had been written, the world never would have given a cordial reception to such a mighty mass of history. But the four Evangelists have recorded enough to establish the divine purpose, and confirm the faith of God's elect. It would lead us into too great length of detail, were we to follow the sacred historians through the life of our blessed Lord: the New Testament supercedes such a course. We shall just glance at general circumstances for the sake of connexion, and proceed to those events which lead to after-times.