told that "he received from God the Father honour and glory," at the time of his transfiguration on the holy mount; but under what circumstances was this attestation given? Was it when honours were heaped upon him by mortals? Was the voice from heaven an echo of the plaudits of an admiring world? No, verily ! When, on that remarkable occasion, the light of heaven shone around him, investing, as it were, his sacred person, and the glory of heaven overspread the hallowed scene,-when the inhabitants of heaven descended to do him homage, and the God of heaven announced him as the centre of his delights, and the medium of his communications with the children of men, he was the object of general contempt and scorn-" despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." It was then, amidst the insults and reproaches, the cruel mockings and blasphemies, and contradiction of sinners, that Jehovah beheld him with unabated, and even, if it were possible, with increased delight. When men were hiding their faces from him, He lifted up upon him the light of his countenance. When the eyes of carnal men saw no beauty in him, why they should desire him, the eye of his heavenly Father beamed upon him with ineffable delight. When the lips of sinners were filled with reproaches that broke his heart, the mouth of God was opened to attest his innocence and to speak his praise. And this approbation and delight attended him to the last. The injuries which he suffered from the cruel, infatuated, thankless, children of men, only the more endeared the holy, harmless sufferer to the heart of his divine Father who sent him. In the garden of Gethsemane-at the judgment seat of Caiaphas, —at the tribunal of Pilate, when he was reviled, and buffeted, and spit upon; falsely accused, unjustly condemned, scourged, crowned with thorns, and laden with his cross-the sentiments of heaven and earth concerning him were in full contrast. And, may I not add, that contrast was perfected on Mount Calvary? There the hatred, and malice, and scorn of men exhausted themselves in insult and cruelty; yet, even there, the delight of Jehovah in the Son of his love was at its highest pitch. Never was divine complacency in him more perfect-never were admiration and love more intensely in exercise, than when he uttered the mysterious anguish of his soul in those memorable words, "My

VIEW OF THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST

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God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" and when, bowing his head, he said, "It is finished!" and resigned his spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father.

It was for obedience such as this that the Father loved him, and rewarded him by raising him from the dead and crowning him with glory and honour at his own right hand in the heavens, angels, authorities, and powers being put in subjection unto him. And now was verified the language of prophecy: "Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips; for thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance." Ps. xxi. 2-6.

SECTION II.

THE STATE OF THE GENTILE WORLD AT THE TIME OF THE MESSIAH'S APPEARANCE.

THE Roman Empire was at this epoch a most magnificent object. It extended from the river Euphrates in the east, to the Atlantic or Western Ocean; that is, in length more than three. thousand miles. In breadth, too, it was more than two thousand; and the whole included above sixteen hundred thousand. square miles. This vast extent of territory was divided into provinces; and they comprised the countries called Spain, Gaul (now France), the greater part of Britain, Italy, Rhotia, Noricum, Pannonia, Dalmatia, Moesia, Dacia, Thrace, Macedonia, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine, Egypt, Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea with its islands and colonies. This extensive territory lay between the twenty-fourth and fifty-sixth degrees of northern latitude, which was certainly the most eligible part of the temperate zone, and it produced in general all the conveniences and luxuries of life.*

From the days of Ninus, who lived about three hundred years after the flood, to those of Augustus Cæsar, was a period of two thousand years; in which interval various empires, kingdoms, and states had gradually arisen and succeeded each other. The Assyrian or Babylonian empire may be said to have taken the lead. It not only had the precedence in point of time, but it was the cradle of Asiatic elegance and arts, and exhibited the first examples of that refinement and luxury which have distinguished every subsequent age in the annals of the east. But that gigantic power gave place to the empire of the Medes and Persians, while the latter, in process of time, yielded to the valour of the Greeks; and the empire of Greece, so renowned for splendour in arts and in arms, had sunk under the dominion of Imperial Rome, which thus became mistress of all the civilized world.

* Rollin's Roman History.-Hooke's Do. Do.-and Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

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Rome is said to have owed her greatness as much to the manners as to the arms of her citizens. Whenever they had subdued a particular territory, they prepared to civilize it. They transferred into each of the conquered countries their laws, manners, arts, sciences, and literature. The advantages that resulted from the bringing of so many different nations into subjection to one people-or, to speak more properly, under one man—were no doubt, in many respects, considerable. For by this means the people of various countries, alike strangers to each other's language, manners, and laws, became associated together in amity and enjoyed reciprocal intercourse. By Roman munificence, which spared no expense to render the public roads commodious to travellers, an easy access was given to parts the most distant and remote. Literature and the arts became generally diffused, and the cultivation of them extended even to countries that had previously formed no other scale by which to estimate the dignity of man than that of corporeal vigour, or muscular strength. In short, men that had hitherto known no other rules of action, or modes of life, than those of savage and uncultivated nature, had now before them the example of a polished nation, and were gradually instructed by their conquerors to form themselves after it. These things deserve mention, because, as they contributed in some measure to facilitate the propagation of the gospel by the labours of the apostles, they may consequently be entitled to rank among those concurring events which constituted the period of our Lord's advent "the fulness of time."

The subjects of the Roman Empire, at this period, have been estimated at about one hundred and twenty millions of persons, who were divided into three classes; namely, Citizens, Provincials, and Slaves. The first class enjoyed ample liberty, and were entitled to peculiar immunities; the second had only the shadow of liberty, without any constitutional freedom; while the last were entirely dependent on the arbitrary will of their masters, who, as best suited their purpose, either enfranchised, or oppressed, or barbarously punished and destroyed them. Enthusiastic in the cause of liberty themselves, the Romans studied the most prudent methods of rendering the provinces of the empire insensible to the yoke that was imposed on them. They treated willing captives with commendable liberality, and used the conquered

countries with that moderation which evinced that their leading object was not the destruction of mankind, but the increase of the empire. They colonized foreign countries with Romans, who introduced agriculture, arts, sciences, learning, and commerce. Having made the art of government a particular branch of study, they excelled in it above all the inhabitants of the globe. Their history, indeed, exhibits wise councils, prudent measures, equitable laws, and all classes of men are represented to us as conducting themselves so as to command the admiration of posterity.

Having thus briefly glanced at the state of civilization which prevailed in the Roman Empire at the date of the Christian æra, we shall next examine its condition more especially with regard to morals and religion; for it is with these that the history of the Christian church is chiefly concerned. And, that we may have a more enlarged and distinct view of the matter, it may be profitable for us to go back in our enquiries, and take a rapid glance of the state of the Heathen world from a much earlier period. Much has been said of late respecting the sufficiency of reason to direct the human mind in its pursuit of the chief good, or of the knowledge of the true character of God and of obedience to his will: the enquiry on which we are entering may possibly serve to evince how little such representations are entitled to regard, and perhaps tend to prove the truth of the apostle's assertion, that "the world by wisdom knew not God."

Our knowledge of the state of any of those nations which were situated beyond the confines of the Roman Empire is necessarily very imperfect and obscure, arising from the paucity of their historical monuments and writers. We have sufficient light, however, to perceive that the eastern nations were distinguished by a low and servile spirit, prone to slavery and every species of abject humiliation; whilst those towards the north prided themselves in cherishing a warlike and savage disposition, that scorned even the restraint of a fixed habitation, and placed its chief gratification in the liberty of roaming at large through scenes of devastation, blood, and slaughter. A soft and feeble constitution both of body and mind, with powers barely adequate to the cultivation of the arts of peace, and chiefly exercised in ministering at the shrine of voluptuous gratification, may be considered as the characteristic trait of the former; a robust and vigorous corporeal frame, ani