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cities, and laying wafte their land; the zealots and feditious plundered and flaughtered the aged and moderate, their dearest friends as well as fecret foes, with fuch merciless fury, that to be captured by the enemy feemed to the sufferers the more defirable alternative".

Sated at length with ravaging the country, they fought in the capital a nobler prey. Jerufalem, accustomed of old, when at unity within herself, to receive into her bofom all her fons, to celebrate her feasts and partake her joy, ftill admitted every Jew without examination for fhe hoped they came to relieve her distress, and to give no less than to receive protection. But instead of adminiftering help or comfort, they reforted to her only to embitter her pangs, and infult her in death.

They styled themselves Zealots, as if they were actuated by a regard for religion; but they despised its sanctions, and trampled on its ordinances. They boafted that they were the benefactors and deliverers of their country'; though they flew without remorse the noble and the brave, who in vain exhibited

B. J. L. IV. c. iii. §. 2, 3. z Ibid. §. 6-9. c. vi. §. 3. a Ibid. c. iii. §. 5.

N 4

the

the honourable scars received from the Romans, and fupplicated in vain for the rites of burial.

As a protector against these monsters, Simon was in an evil hour admitted into the city; notwithstanding he had, in his march through the country, spread defolation whereever he came. His entrance, instead of producing peace, caufed more general havoc and carnage".

When Titus was abfent, the favourable moment for fomenting difcord was eagerly feifed; and the city now faw within her walls three separate and powerful factions, ranged under their proper leaders, contending daily with obftinate courage and mutual hatred, and unanimous only in deftroying those who best deserved to live.

On the approach of the Romans, the seditious for a while were awed into harmony; and rushed out, with refiftless fury, on the common foe. But the struggles within were foon renewed with unabated ardour; and fire was employed to make room for the

b B. J. L. IV. c. vi. §. 1. Ibid. c. ix. §. 7, 8. 10. &c. d Ibid. L. V. c. i. §. 1-5.

e Ibid. c. ii. §. 4,5. fword '.

fword. Captivity was a bleffing devoutly to be wished for, if compared even with their present sufferings; but their cup of forrow was not yet full, nor was fedition the fole ingredient.

The Roman commander, with a generous clemency, that infeparable attendant on true heroifm, laboured inceffantly and to the very last moment to preferve the place. With this view, he again and again intreated the tyrants to furrender and save their lives. With the fame view alfo, after carrying the second wall, the fiege was intermitted four days. To roufe their fears, as well as interest their hopes, prisoners to the number of five hundred or more were crucified daily before the walls; till space, Jofephus fays, was wanting for the croffes, and croffes for the captives ".

But neither terror could alarm, nor pity foften, the heart of the tyrants harder than adamant. Terms of mercy were rejected with difdain, and threats of vengeance treated with contempt: "GOD was with them, and He would preferve the habitation of his

f B. J. L. V. c. vi. §. 1.

Ibid. c. xi. §. 1.

Ibid. c. ix. §. 1.

glory'."

glory." Desertion to the Romans was guarded against with a more watchful eye, than the admiffion of the enemy; and even the shadow of a fufpicion was a fufficient reafon for instant death. If any eluded the vigilance of their keepers, and fled to the Romans; the defection, when discovered, was cruelly revenged on their helpless relations who remained behind'.

Many however, under all these disadvantages, effected their escape; and being treated by Titus with the kindeft humanity, and fuffered to enjoy their religion and liberty, the numbers increafed ". But no means of fafety was to be a bleffing to this devoted people. Many who had fled, impelled by hunger, found in fatiety a more speedy diffolution; and it being at last discovered, that they had swallowed their money, the day disclosed to the enraged Titus two thoufand fugitives ript up by his army in one night".

Such was the scene before Jerusalem. But the profpect is pleafing, if compared with the

i B. J. L. V. c. xi. §. 2. Ibid. c. xi. §. 1.

k Ibid. c. x. §. 1: m Ibid. §. 2. L. VI. c. ii. §. 2, 3.

n Ibid. L.V. c. xiii. §. 4, 5.

view

view within the walls. Violence and ftrife there went about; deceit and guile did not depart thence. There the peftilence walked in darkness, and there the famine destroyed at noon day.

At the feast of the paffover, the fame whereat lately they had crucified the Lord of glory, the Roman army came up against the city; and an innumerable multitude of Jews, from all quarters of the earth, were in confequence shut up, as within a prifon. First therefore the straitness of room proved pestilential; and the ftores being in great part confumed by fire, the effects of hunger foon were apparent. There were many who parted with their whole fubftance for a fingle bufhel of wheat, or of barley; and what was thus obtained was eaten in fecret, and often unprepared. To the power of famine all the paffions yielded, but shame was totally extinguished by it. "Women forced food from their husbands, children from their fathers, and even mothers from their infants: they snatched it out of their very mouths:

B. J. L. VI. c. ix. §. 3, 4. So punctually was our Lord's prediction fulfilled : "As a fnare fhall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." Luke xxi. 35. p B. J. L. V. c. x. §. 2-4.

and

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