Another sect was named Sadducees, from Sadoc, who founded it, about 263 years before the birth of Christ. The Sadducees asserted that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but that the Deity confined his rewards and punishments to the present life. To this party belonged the most opulent and powerful among the Jews.

The Hebrew scribes who copied and expounded the law, had, from time to time, added greatly to the burden of the Mosaic ceremonies, and had perverted many of the wisest institutions of their divine legislator.

The Herodians derived their name from their espousing the political maxims of Herod, who paid the most servile adulation to the Roman government, abandoned all regard to the principles of religion and liberty, and adopted heathen manners, and heathen vices.

Another sect, was that of the Essenes, who were superstitious enthusiasts; abstemious and austere in their manners; industrious, benevolent; and, generally, dwelling at a distance from cities.

In this state of things, an almost universal expectation prevailed of the approaching appearance of some illustrious person. "There was "spread over all the Eastern regions an old and "constantly received opinion, that it was decreed "by the fates, that about this time some one "should proceed from Judea, and obtain uni"versal empire. This prediction was "plished in Vespasian, but the Jews, applying "it to themselves, excited a rebellion." Such is

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the attestation of two celebrated Roman historians, Suetonius and Tacitus, in nearly the same words. Josephus, the Jewish historian, declares, likewise, that such a persuasion was generally prevalent among his countrymen at that period. The prophet Daniel had predicted, that, "From the going forth of the edict to rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks." These prophetic weeks, standing, each, for so many seven years, and making 490 years, were now complete, and the hope of the Jews, that the glory of the kingdom was about to be restored to Israel, was raised to the highest degree.

The general depravity and corruption called for some adequate remedy; the expectation of a reformer, and deliverer, soon to come, awakened the attention of Gentiles, as well as of Jews; the time predicted for the coming of the Saviour was expired, when a prophet, named John, the son of Zachariah, a priest, appeared in the wilderness of Judea, clad, like the ancient prophets, in coarse garments of camel's hair, and subsisting on locusts and wild honey; food common among the poor, in Eastern countries, even to this day. Isaiah and Malachi had predicted a forerunner to the Messiah, who should come in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert, a highway for our God."

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"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me." This forerunner, John, who was miraculously born of aged parents, claimed to be. As no prophet

had addressed the children of Israel since the days of Malachi, an interval of 400 years, multitudes crowded to hear his instructions. Such of them as confessed their sins, professed repentance, and promised amendment, he baptized in the river Jordan. Hence, he was surnamed the Baptist.

QUESTIONS.

Was there

What

What was the state of the most enlightened heathen nations at the time of our Saviour's appearance on earth? What was the state of the Jews at that time? any general expectation of a deliverer at that time? was the sect of the Pharisees? Who were the Sadducees; and what principles did they profess? Who were the Scribes? Who were the Essenes? Who was John the Baptist; and what character did he assume? Why was he called the Baptist? How long had the Jews been without a prophet, when John appeared? Where did John appear; what was his dress; what was his food?

NEW TESTAMENT.

CHAP. I.

THE life of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God, our Saviour, Lord, and Master, is contained in the writings of four historians, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, who exhibit every testimony of authenticity, and every mark of truth. Two of them were companions of Jesus in his labours; attended his public discourses; were with him in the hours of retirement; were daily witnesses of his wonderful powers, and godlike benevolence. The other two were familiar friends of the Apostles, who had been assistant ministers with Christ, in publishing the glad tidings of salvation. Consequently, no writers could have enjoyed more favourable opportunities for giving just accounts of the discourses, events, and actions which they record. And they had no imaginable motive to mislead by false representations. No prospect of gaining riches, honour, or power, tempted them to fabricate such an astonishing story, had they been capable of such an invention; but, on the contrary, they well knew that persecution, bonds, imprisonment, and death itself, would probably be their recompense, for publishing to the world those important truths. Their histories are plain and simple statements of facts, without comments of their own. The readers of the narrative are left to draw their own inferences. Matthew was a native of Galilee; a tax-gath

erer, under the Romans, at the port of Capernaum, a town on the sea, or lake, of Galilee. Our blessed Lord, as he was passing through Capernaum, saw this man sitting in the taxgatherer's office; and, by his perfect knowledge of the human heart, discerning that he was a person of good dispositions, and fitted to become one of his disciples, called him unto him; and Matthew arose, and followed Jesus. From that time, Matthew continued with Christ, a familiar attendant upon his person. He had the honour of being in the number of the twelve apostles; received the gifts of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost: and the crown of martyrdom, as it is believed, at Nadabber, a city of Ethiopia. His Gospel was published about eight years after

our Saviour's ascension.

Mark was the son of a religious woman, at Jerusalem, who had embraced the Christian faith, and at whose house the disciples were accustomed to meet, in times of persecution; but he was not an apostle of Christ. He is said to have preached the Gospel which he had composed, at Alexandria; and there to have founded a church. It appears that he wrote his Gospel at Rome, about the year 64, from the birth of Christ.

Luke was a native of Antioch, by profession, a physician; the particular friend and companion of the apostle Paul. He was the author of the Acts of the Apostles, as well as of the Gospel which bears his name. Both of which were published about the year 63, of the Christian era.

John, supposed to have been the youngest of