which he possessed for several years, when Joshua, his younger brother, having insinuated himself into the favour of Bagoses, the governor of Syria, obtained a grant from him to supersede his brother in that office; but, in attempting to exercise it, he met with resistance from Johanan, who. the World slew him in the inner court of the temple. 3621. Bagoses, to revenge this outrage, imposed a heavy fine, to be paid by the priests, upon the sacrifices that were offered there.

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It is impossible to obtain a right understanding of the affairs of the Jews at this period, without paying attention to those of the surrounding nations, the successive revolutions of which had so considerable an influence on the events that took place in Judea.

You will recollect, that Daniel, in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, describes the four great empires, generally distinguished under the appellation of the Chaldean, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman. We have seen these prophecies in part fulfilled in the destruction of the first of these empires by Cyrus, who founded that of the Persians. The period to which we are now advancing, exhibits a farther accomplishment of those predictions in the subversion of the Persian empire, by Alexander the Great. We will, therefore, enter a little into his history.

At the age of twenty, he succeeded his father Philip, king of Macedon, who, during his whole reign, had been engaged in wars, and left his son surrounded with dangers. Alexander soon reduced to subjection the revolted nations contiguous to

Macedon. He then went into Greece to dissolve an alliance formed against him, in which he succeeded.

Soon after this, he undertook an expedition against the Persians. Darius was then king of Persia. The first battle that was fought

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3670.

was at the river Granicus, where Alexander the World had the advantage; but the most memorable victory he obtained was near the city Issus, where Darius narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. His army was routed with great slaughter, and his whole camp fell into the hands of the conqueror, in which were his mother, wife, and children, whom Alexander treated with great respect and attention. The rapidity of his conquests spread universal terror. Arriving in Syria, he seized on Damascus, where Darius had deposited his treasures. He likewise took Sidon, and then advanced to Tyre, which city, Rollin observes, "was justly entitled the Queen of the Sea, that element bringing to it the tribute of all nations. She boasted her having first invented navigation, and taught mankind the art of braving the winds and waves by the assistance of a frail bark. The happy situation of Tyre, the convenience and extent of its ports, the character of its inhabitants, who were industrious, laborious, patient, and extremely courteous to strangers, invited merchants thither from all parts of the globe; so that it might be considered, not so much a city belonging to any particular nation, as the common city of all nations, and the centre of their commerce."

On Alexander's approach, the Tyrians sent an embassy, with presents and refreshments for his army, but would not admit him into their city,

being willing to have him for a friend, but not a master. Alexander intended to invade Egypt; but this could not be easily done while the Persians were masters of the sea; nor could he pursue Darius with safety, if he left behind him so large an extent of country, whose inhabitants were not subject to him he determined therefore, at all events, on the conquest of Tyre; and the Tyrians were as much determined to defend it. The obstacles he had to encounter, and the amazing difficulties he overcame, are not to be paralleled in history.

But you remember, George, that God had foretold the destruction of this proud city; and the arm of the Lord was revealed, in girding Alexander with power and might. When God arises, what city, what empire can stand? By comparing the history and the prophecy together, you will see how wonderfully they accord. Alexander was only in pursuit of his own honour and fame, but God was making use of him, as an instrument, to punish the wickedness of the Tyrians. See Isaiah xxiii. Ezek. xxvi. xxvii. xxviii.

While Alexander was besieging Tyre, he sent commissaries to summon the inhabitants of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea, to submit to him, and furnish his army with provisions. The Jews desired to be excused; alleging for a reason, that they had taken an oath of fidelity to Darius, and that they would never acknowledge any other sovereign so long as he was living. This reply, says the historian, did honour to the only people, who, in that age, acknowledged the true God. But the haughty Alexander, not being able to brook such an answer,

after the many victories he had obtained, and vainly thinking all things should bow to him, determined, the instant he had conquered Tyre, to march against the Jews, and punish their disobedience as rigorously as he had done that of the Tyrians.

Sanballat, governor of Samaria, forsook Darius, and went over to Alexander, with eight thousand soldiers, at the beginning of the siege of Tyre, offering to surrender those places of which he had the command. Alexander received him graciously; upon which, Sanballat informed him that he had a son-in-law, whose name was Manasseh, brother to Jaddua, the high-priest of the Jews, who, with many of the same nation, were desirous to build a temple in the country under his dominion; which he assured the king would be to his advantage, as it would tend to weaken the Jews, by dividing them into parties, and thus prevent their conspiring together to make new insurrections, as they had done in times past, during the government of the kings of Assyria. Alexander granted him permission to build a temple according to his desire, and make his son-in-law high-priest.

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After a siege of seven months, Alexander took Tyre by storm, burnt and destroyed the whole city, and put the inhabitants to the sword. He then prepared to march to Jerusalem, which caused great consternation in that city. In this emergency, Jaddua the high-priest, and the the World people, sought to the Lord by supplication and prayer. The night following, God appeared to Jaddua in a dream, and ordered him to go forth in his pontifical robes, with all the priests

3672.

dressed in their vestments, and the people clothed in white, to meet Alexander.

This august procession marched out the very next day, and waited for the king, on an eminence not far from the city. The enraged victor, instead of ordering his soldiers to destroy them, as might have been expected, went himself up to the high-priest with profound respect, and, bowing his body, adored the Holy Name upon his front, and saluted him who wore it with a religious veneration.

Alexander's troops could scarcely believe what they saw, and could not tell how to account for it; for they knew not that the hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord, and he turneth them as seemeth him good. Parmenio, one of the king's attendants, asked him, with surprise, how it was that he who was adored by every one, adored the high-priest of the Jews? I do not, replied the king, adore the priest, but the God whose minister he is: for, while I was planning this expedition at Dia, in Macedon, I saw this very person in this habit, inviting me to come into Asia, with an assurance that God would give me the victory over the Persians. He then embraced the high-priest, and, walking in the midst of the procession, entered Jerusalem, where he offered sacrifices to God in the temple, after the manner prescribed by the high-priest. His confidence of success in his undertaking was was abundantly confirmed, when he was shewn those passages in Daniel, written long before he was born, which gave such a clear and circumstantial descripof himself, and the conquests he was to make.

Alexander was so pleased with the reception he