But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Reader! pause over this verse, and contemplate the awful death of this man. Ah Herod! is this the termination of all thy grandeur? Hast thou so shortly after followed thy murdered subjects to the grave? If the Reader would see a striking representation of such an end as this of Herod's, he may find it, Isaiah 14:4-20. I cannot refrain from quoting what Eusebius hath related in his Ecclesiastical History (and which he had from Josephus) concerning the dreadful close of Herod's life. He saith "that a burning fever seized him, with an intolerable itching over his whole body. He was visited with grievous wounds, which putrefied, and bred worms. So that his whole body became so horridly offensive, that none could approach him. And such was his unbounded rage, as to be the dread of every one. Finding death drawing nigh, he attempted to destroy himself, but was prevented. At length he expired in agonies."
It is worthy remark, that three, out of the four Herods we read of in the New Testament were such awful characters. This was the first. The second is but just mentioned by the name of Philip. Mark 6:17. The third was he who caused the beheading of John the Baptist Matthew 14:1-2. And the fourth was eaten by worms before his death. Acts 12:1. Reader! doth the LORD manifest to his dear children in poor circumstances, his contempt of riches, by bestowing them so often upon the most worthless of men? Oh! for grace to bless him for a sanctified use of humble poverty. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27.