the greatness of his might, and commanded the nations to stand in awe before him.

Thus far has sacred history conducted us. The true religion having acquired, by the perpetual care and protection of the universal sovereign, a due degree of energy and strength, ostensible interference was withheld. But whoever attends to the series of events which fill the pages of profane history, from the time of the Babylonish captivity, and the reinstatement of these captives, in the land of their fathers; whoever believes that the Deity has not totally withdrawn his secret operations from the concerns of mortals, will be disposed to ascribe various occurrences to the continued interposition of Providence; for he will perceive the surprizing co-operation of these natural events, in the refinement of manners, improvement of morals, and diffusion of knowledge. With the Jews was the grand deposit of religious truth; and whenever the Jews individually or collectively were patronized and protected, these were patronized and protected. As their religion had for its basis a much higher object than the pride of empire, they were not reinstated in worldly gran

deur; they were placed in a state of inferiority; subjected to other powers, and not unfrequently oppressed by them. But their religion was revered. This was a clear demonstration of its innate greatness; for it had not the imposing splendour of sublunary greatness to recommend it. Fully to elucidate this fact would be to transcribe the history of many ages. We shall simply hint at a few circumstances which presented themselves, in the earlier periods of their emancipation from the abject bondage of Babylon.

The deep veneration entertained by Cyrus for the God of Israel, is recorded by the historians of his reign, in a manner correspondent with sacred history. It was manifested by the most splendid acts of benevolence and indulgence towards these captives. He restored the rich treasure of their sacred vessels, which had been profaned in libations to idols; and he made the most liberal grants to promote the re-instatement of their worship in all its splendour.

Notwithstanding a temporary interruption by Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, and the Artaxerxes of the scriptures, his successors, Darius the son of Hystaspes, and Xerxes the son of Darius, named Artaxerxes by Ezra, greatly favoured

the Jews. The former permitted and promoted the building of the temple, notwithstanding the strong efforts of the Chutheans to prevent and the latter "commanded that the remain

it;

ing gold and silver in the country of Babylon, which had been dedicated to the service of God, should be sent to Jerusalem for the use of the sacrifices." The following passage in his edict, as recorded by Ezra, sufficiently indicates the motives of his actions; 66 whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm for the king and his sons."*

The perilous state of the Jews, who remained under the immediate jurisdiction of the Persian sovereigns, from the hatred of Haman, and their subsequent advancement into more exalted favours than they had ever enjoyed, are recorded in the book of Esther, and enlarged upon by their historian Josephus. The same historian informs us, that in the days of Alexander, the Jews who were in Judea, incurred his displeasure by a conscientious refusal to assist him in the siege of Tyre, but that his resentment was changed into the admiration of their piety. Whatever credit may be given to

* Ezra ch. vii. 23.

E e

his singular dream, and to the particular mode pursued by the high priest which pacified his wrath, it is a fact that he was appeased. We are told also, and it is highly probable, that the books of Daniel were shewn to him, in which was prophesied the overthrow of the Persian empire by his victorious arms, at which he would doubtless rejoice: and it is certain that he granted them many privileges. Josephus asserts, that "when the king came into the city, he went up to the temple, where he sacrificed to God, according to the directions of the high priest, whom he treated, together with the other Priests, with great honour."*

der

"Ptolomy Soter," says Josephus, "after the death of Alexander, seized upon Jerusalem by stratagem; for, entering the city on the sabbath, unpretence of sacrificing, he got possession of the city without any trouble. In this event we perceive the strong attachment of the Jews to what they deemed to be an indispensable duty, and the popular respect shewn to the God of Israel, by those who still believed in a plurality of Gods. Many of the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem, Samaria and Garizim, were carried into Egypt." This treatment, however severe

* Antiq. of Jews, B. xi. ch. viii.]

and unjust, had its moral and theological advantages. It proved honourable to themselves, gave them an opportunity of displaying their supe rior virtues, and greatly contributed to the spread of true religion. "Hearing that the Hierosolymites were the most strict observers of their oaths and words, from the accounts which Alexander's ambassadors reported, after the defeat of Darius, he disposed many of them into garrisons, and put them on the same level at Alexandria with the Macedonians, exacting of them an oath of allegiance to him and his successors."

His son Ptolemy Philadelphus, ordered the Jewish laws to be translated into the Greek language, which was the most extensively known. He also liberated an hundred and twenty thousand persons, who were captives in Egypt, generously paying, out of the public treasury, the price of their redemption. It is obvious that such proceedings were the strongest evidence of the exalted opinion, entertained for the sacred writings, by a Gentile sovereign, which not only was highly honourable to the Jews, but was the means of rendering the duties of morality more generally known, and a reverence of the living and true God more extensively diffused. We refer to our historian Josephus,