order to confirm the opinion that the title properly belonged to himself, when emperor, he pretended to perform miracles, in imitation it should seem, of those of Christ, as that of restoring sight to the blind *.

The proofs, that a general expectation of some great deliverer prevailed among the Heathens about the time at which Christ appeared, are very numerous. The expectation, whether originally drawn from a traditionary knowledge of the earlier promises, or from colloquial intercourse with the Jews, was almost universal.

Information of what was foretold in the inspired writings had diffused itself; and there is reason to believe that the genuine and original verses of the Sibyl imparted notices upon the subject, framed in conformity to the predictions of Revelation, aud obtained from the Jews, who were spread abroad into Asia, Egypt, and the Greek islands †.

The expectation among the Heathens, built upon these notices, and not limited by the specific descriptions which had been expressed by the prophets, had produced many wild and undefined opinions: and the confidence,

Sueton. Flav. Vespasian. c. 7.

+ Grotius on Matth. ii. 1.

which they excited, augmented in a degree, which seemed to correspond with the increased hopes of the Jews.

The disgrace, which attached to celibacy among the Heathens, and which is frequently alluded to, originated, probably, in the ardent desire which prevailed, from the earliest ages, to give birth to the expected Saviour *.

The superstitious persuasion also of a security to states, to be derived from the selfdevoted death of individuals, which was so often productive of heroic actions among the Greeks and Romans, should seem to have some bearing towards the conviction, prevailing among the Jews, that it was expe"dient that one man should die for the "people." Such a notion very generally prevailed. Thus, in addition to instances before referred to, it may be observed Pausanias relates, that when the Peloponnesians made war upon the Athenians because Theseus would not deliver the children of Hercules to Eurystheus, an oracle admonished the Athenians, that they could not obtain the victory unless one of the children of Hercules

* Vide the Electra of Sophocles, and the Hecuba of Euripides, and the + passim,

which they excited, augmented in a degree, which seemed to correspond with the increased hopes of the Jews.

The disgrace, which attached to celibacy among the Heathens, and which is frequently alluded to, originated, probably, in the ardent desire which prevailed, from the earliest ages, to give birth to the expected Saviour *.

The superstitious persuasion also of a security to states, to be derived from the selfdevoted death of individuals, which was so often productive of heroic actions among the Greeks and Romans, should seem to have some bearing towards the conviction, prevailing among the Jews, that "it was expe"dient that one man should die for the "people." Such a notion very generally prevailed. Thus, in addition to instances before referred to, it may be observed Pausanias relates, that when the Peloponnesians made war upon the Athenians because Theseus would not deliver the children of Hercules to Eurystheus, an oracle admonished the Athenians, that they could not obtain the victory unless one of the children of Hercules

* Vide the Electra of Sophocles, and the Hecuba of Euripides, and the Old Test. passim.

should devote himself to a voluntary death. In consequence of which, Macaria, the daughter of Hercules by Deianira, yielded herself to death, and thereby enabled the Athenians to become victorious, and the fountain Macaria was afterwards called by her name in honour of her memory

Philo expressed his opinions upon the subject of some expected deliverer, in a pas sage which will hereafter be confidered. Among the Romans the expectation was so strong, a little before the coming of our Saviour, with respect to a King, who was to commence his reign and bring salvation, that Julius Cæsar contrived a motion in the senate that the title of king should be conferred upon him, when he was engaged in an undertaking against the Parthians, because it was alledged that it was written in the book of fate, (by which was meant probably the oracles of the Sibyl), that the Parthians could not be subdued but by a king, and that they must acknowledge him to be a king, who was a king in reality, if they would be safe +.

* Pausan. Attic. c. xxxii. p. 80. Edit. Lip.

+ Dion Cassius, lib. xliv. Suetonius Jut. c. 79. Cicero de Divin. ii. c. 54, and Chandler's Defence, c. I. See also Plu. tarch. Vit.