the friends of Jesus came and stole His body in the night. It does not appear that this story ever became popular. The affair was hushed up, but the followers of the Nazarene went everywhere preaching Jesus and the Resurrection. They proclaimed that Resurrection in the very place where they said it had occurred; they made it the very groundwork of their new doctrines; they encountered animosity of every kind, but there was no attempt made, plausibly, not to say reasonably, to deny the truth of the Resurrection. The Sadducees could afford to laugh at the whole matter-it was a trick, which one of their able reasoners would be able to put straight some day; but the Pharisees, who taught that earth and sea should one day yield their dead, could not deny that the facts might be possible. They were greatly enraged. Nothing enrages people more than having to face a truth which they do not wish to admit. They resorted to the means which all ecclesiastical powers have resorted to, from Egypt's oldest oracles till now-that of legal penalty. The preachers of the new doctrine were forbidden to preach they should not say that Christ was the Messiah, nor declare the Idead Christ was Christ alive.

The whole world over which Rome exercised its supremacy knew little, and cared nothing, about Jesus of Nazareth. He took no place as a great figure in secular history. Josephus alludes to Him, but the passage is said to have been interpolated; whether it be so or no, it is very plain that the mark of the Nazarene was not then made. We, in the full light of Christianity, see around us all that has been achieved by Christian tenderness, towards those whom paganism despised, and on whom even Judaism had small pity-weak women and little children, feeble and impotent folk: over these Christianity spreads her beautiful robe—becomes the champion of the oppressed. But more than eighteen hundred years ago charity was strange to society: wonderful Greece-glorious Rome-even old Jewry, where the Great One had shone Himself, knew nothing of it.

It is said of the apostle John, that when he was ever so old, and quite incapable of Sunday work or week-day services, he

used to allow himself sometimes to be carried in among the people who believed in Christ, and all he used to say was "Love one another." This was the great doctrine of Christianity. It startled the world. In cold philosophy, or warm intoleranceindifference on the one hand, or positive decision on the other— religion had shown her face to the world. Now religion wore a new aspect. It was love, it was tenderness, it was extreme delicacy, it was brightness and purity, brighter and purer than shone from the jewels of the high priest's ephod. And it began, and it went on, and Rome was very angry, not foreseeing that she should herself become the very centre and chief promoter of the new faith.

During this period two sons of Herod had reigned in peace over their respective provinces-Herod Antipas as tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip in the province beyond Jordan. Philip was a prince of great justice and humanity; he left no son, and his territory was annexed to the province of Syria. The accession of Caligula as emperor of Rome was an event of importance to another branch of the Herodian family-Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus, one of the two unfortunate princes, sons of Herod the Great.

The early life of Agrippa had been passed in a strange course of adventure and vicissitude. After many dangers and escapes, he was received at the court of Caligula, and had the vacant tetrarchate of Philip conferred on him, with the title of king. He took possession of his new dominions with royal pomp; during his reign many evils fell upon the Jews. When they stoned Stephen, he told them they were a stiffnecked people; and he only did them justice. They had outraged High Heaven; put to contempt their sovereign Lord; so it was not a strange matter they should defy imperial Rome; but High Heaven is one thing, and imperial Rome is another thing. High Heaven looks with compassionate eyes on rebellious children; knows their frame, and remembers they are dust; but glorious purple and gold is not High Heaven, and so the Jews found it a more dangerous thing to insult the emperor than to offend their God. On the least suspicion of rebellion, the Jews in Judea, Alexandria,

Babylonia, and on the Euphrates, were massacred without mercy. Caligula determined to set up a statue of himself in Herod's temple, and compel the Jews to worship it; but the Jews were determined to perish rather than submit to such an indignity. Do you not often find that people will insult their best friends, but on the least show of any one else insulting them, become exceedingly indignant? The Jews had danced round the golden calf-a copy after Apis-they had offered sacrifice to Baal, and passed their children through the fire to Molech; but the thought of Caligula's statue was intolerable to them—rather than yield to this, they would give up every pound of flesh, and every drop of blood. As to this detestable, miserable Caligula, in the midst of his threatenings, death silenced him for ever.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A.D. 44 TO A.D. 70.

Agrippa-Fanaticism-Collision between the People and the Roman SoldiersRobbers-Terrible Portends-The dreadful Conflict begins-Corruption of Florus-Treacherous Massacre of a Roman Garrison-A Signal Defeat of the Romans-Vespasian advances into Palestine-Preparations for DefenceJosephus-Siege of Jotapata-Strange Disasters at the Taking of GamalaState of Jerusalem-Factions-Vespasian called to Rome-Beginning of the Siege-Infatuated Resistance-Horrible Stories of the Famine-The Temple Fired-Number of Victims-Land Sale and Tribute.

KING AGRIPPA was advanced by Claudius Cæsar, his dominions were extended, and he came to Palestine in great splendour, king of the Jews; and with the Jews he endeavoured to ingratiate himself by every possible means. He was a great man, a learned man, a powerful man, and a man of inordinate vanity. Beneath his rule the unoffending Christians suffered severely. With the doctrine of the Nazarene he had no sympathy, and he found that by persecuting the Christians he commended himself to the Jews. He killed James, the brother of John, and threw Peter into prison; he ornamented the Temple, built a wall about Jerusalem, and did his utmost to sustain his popularity. When Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea he made a state visit to Cæsarea; there he exhibited shows, gladiatorial combats, wild beast fights, and the like, in honour of Cæsar. Multitudes of people came from all parts to witness these displays, and on the second day of the festival Agrippa showed himself to the people; he was dressed in a garment of silver cloth, and when the sun's rays fell upon it, the effect was so brilliant, and his aspect so commanding, that he produced a very great sensation, so that his flatterers, when he began to speak, cried out from various parts of the theatre that he was the very embodiment of God; and they added, "Be thou merciful to us, for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature." The crowned king, resplendent in his majesty, smiled on his courtiers; but, as he looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his