speaks of him in the following terms. His main object is to expose the cruelty of Herod the Tetrarch who, he says, in accordance with St. Mark, was the murderer of John.

*

'Herod the Tetrarch was utterly routed in a battle with Arctas, through the treachery of a certain band of refugees that came over from Philip, and were at that time in Herod's pay.' The historian goes on to say, 'Now the generality of the Jews were of opinion that this was only a just judgment of God upon Herod and his army, for the business of John, surnamed the Baptist, which excellent man this Tetrarch murdered. And what was his crime? but his only exhorting the Jews to the love and practice of virtue and, in the first place, of piety and justice, and to regeneration by baptism, and a new life; not by abstaining from this or that particular sin, but by an habitual purity of mind, as well as of body. Now so great was the credit and authority of this holy man, as appeared by the multitude of his disciples, and the veneration they had for his doctrines, (for he could do what he would with them) that Herod did not know how far the reputation of

Mark vi. 27.

a man of his spirit might influence the people towards a revolt; so that, for fear, he chose rather to take him out of the way in time, before any hurt was done, than to put it to the hazard of an unprofitable repentance when it should be too late. Therefore he sent him away bound to Macharus, with orders to have him put to death, which was accordingly executed; and that impious fact was followed with edivine vengeance upon Herod, for the blood of this just man, as the Jews reasonably enough persuaded themselves."*

This account, it will be seen, does not greatly differ from St. Mark, in the sixth chapter of his gospel, where he says, "Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a holy, and observed him, and when he heard him he did many things, and heard him gladly."+ Nor is this inconsistent with Herod's cruelty towards John, either upon the motive alleged by Josephus-that the people's reverence for John might lead to an insurrection, or upon St. Mark's narrative-that "Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him in prison, for Hero* Jewish Antiquities, book 18, c. 7, p. 507. L'Estrange's Translation.

+ Mark vi. 20.

dias' sake, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him, but she could not."* It appears from the Evangelist, that Herod had put John in prison at the instance of Herodias, whom he had offended by condemning her marriage with her husband's brother. St. Mark's expression is extremely strong, "that she would have killed him, but she could not," and justifies all the circumstances that happened after, until Herodias had obtained her purpose by procuring John to be beheaded. Granting, however, that Herod had put John in prison at the instance of Herodias, according to the Evangelist, it is highly probable that other motives might have also weighed with him, as described by Josephus; and this is supported by the remarkable expression of St. Mark, that "Herod feared John," although he afterwards says that "he heard him gladly," for what cause of fear could Herod have of John, excepting from the excessive attachment of the people to him? in which the scriptures accord with Josephus; for St.

* Mark vi. 17, 18, 19.

Matthew says, "he feared the multitude, be-cause they counted him as a prophet."* That John the Baptist, then, lived in the land of Judea, at the time spoken of by the Evangelists, and that he was murdered by Herod the Tetrarch, is placed beyond dispute.

We may, therefore, now turn our attention to the end for which John the Baptist was sent into the world, as stated by the Evangelists. St. Matthew says, "This is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight.Ӡ St. Luke adds the remainder of the prophecy, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."+ This last sentence is taken from the 10th verse of the 52d chapter of Isaiah; in which chapter the learned commentator Whitby observes, the ancient Jews allow that the prophet is speaking of the Messiah?' The theologians, however,

whom I have noticed in the introduction, will not admit that this prophecy of Isaiah relates to John the Baptist; because, they say, in its original purport, it was a prophecy which foretold the future state of Jerusalem; and this they affirm, notwithstanding they confess that St. Mark, when he cites this place of Isaiah, joins to it a passage of Malachi-" Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee,"* which they say was a literal prophecy, and was really accomplished in John. I may, therefore, safely leave it to the judgment of Christians in general to decide, whether the prophecies of Isaiah related to John or not, since here is the prophecy of another prophet, which is admitted to have belonged to John, and to have been accomplished in him. And it must be evident to all, that the general tenor of John's preaching was confined to one object-the pointing out Him, and his future kingdom, who was in very deed the promised salvation of God. "He (John) was not that light; but was sent to bear witness of that light-that was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the

* Mark i. 2.