clinging to the Sanctuary, and the shouts of the conquerors as they approached it; conspired to present a scene the most dreadful that can be imagined. In vain did the vanquished call upon that God who had so signally abandoned them to this sanguinary fate. It was only now, while the sword was suspended over them, that they were convinced that the Lord of Hosts was not on their side; nor the God of Jacob their refuge. Followed to the recesses of the Sanctuary by an enemy whom they had provoked to destroy them, their hopes altogether vanished; while the Temple, that source of every former comfort and later misfor tune now enveloped in flames, left them no alternative but to yield their lives to the resentment of an infuriated soldiery.'

The report of the Temple being on fire, soon reached the knowledge of Titus; who hastened with great precipitation to the scene of bloodshed and confusion. By every exertion, he endeavoured to prevail upon his men to use their utmost efforts to check the conflagration: but the greater noise overwhelmed the lesser, and his soldiers

(1) Here was again even more particularly fulfilled, that prophecy of Jeremiah, which bore a stronger reference to this, than to the former destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar; because the Temple, in this instance, was taken by force of arms, whereas in the first destruction it was evacuated by the Jews, and quietly left in the possession of the King of Babylon.

BEHOLD, OH LORD, AND CONSIDER TO WHOM THOU HAST DONE THIS. SHALL THE WOMEN EAT THEIR FRUIT, AND CHILDREN OF A SPAN LONG? SHALL THE PRIEST AND THE PROPHET BE SLAIN IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE LORD? THE

YOUNG AND THE OLD LIE ON THE GROUND IN THE STREETS: MY VIRGINS AND MY YOUNG MEN ARE FALLEN BY THE SWORD: THOU HAST SLAIN THEM IN THE DAY OF THINE ANGER ;.THOU HAST KILLED AND NOT PITIED. THOU HAST CALLED AS IN A SOLEMN DAY MY TERROURS ROUND ABOUT, SO THAT IN THE DAY OF THE LORD'S ANGER NONE ESCAPED NOR REMAINED: THOSE THAT I HAVE SWADDLED, AND BROUGHT UP, HATH MINE ENEMY CONSUMED.-Lament. ii, 20-22.

soldiers were as blind to the signals he made, as they were deaf to his commands: governed no longer by menaces and intreaties, they pretended to excuse their disobedience by denying the possibility of hearing, or their ability to execute the orders of their commander. The seditious had now no way either to escape themselves, or to extinguish the flames; whichever way they turned, nothing but destruction met them. Here the dead were piled around the altar, there streams of blood flowed copiously in every direction.'

When Titus found it impossible to restrain the fury of his soldiers, or prevent the ravages of the fire, he, with some of his officers, entered the sacred recesses of the Temple; where he found upon examination, the magnificence and splendour, greatly to exceed the common report or his own conception of it. Perceiving

(1) Bell. Jud. 6, iv. 6.

OH GOD! THE HEATHEN ARE COME INTO THINE INHERITANCE, THY HOLY TEMPLE HAVE THEY DEFILED AND MADE JERUSALEM AN HEAP OF STONES.

Psalm lxxix. 1. This could not apply more directly to the first, than to this final destruction.

Here was accomplished, in a remarkable manner, the words spoken by Christ to the Jews, when he was informed that Pilate, at the time of the Passover, had sacrificed upon the altar some of the Galileans, because they had revolted against the Roman power-against paying tribute to Cæsaragainst acknowledging any as LORD, but the God of Israel—and against offering sacrifices for the Romans.-" So," said Christ, "I tell you, that "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." The Jews did not repentthey openly revolted against the Roman power-they refused paying tribute-they disbelieved Messiah, and thereby rejected the LORD-they refused to sacrifice for the Roman Emperour and people (Bell. Jud. 2, xviii. 2.) and here we see at this awful Passover, their priests slaughtered at the altar, and the rest," like those upon whom the tower of Siloam fell," destroyed, and buried in the ruins of their temple and city.

Vide Luke, xiii. 1—4.

(2) Here, a third time, was the prophecy of our Saviour verified, when he foretold that the Roman ensigns, called "THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,"

should

ing in this situation that the fire had not reached the sanctuary, and that the possibility of its preservation still existed he earnestly in person, besought his soldiers to put forth every exertion to save it from destruction; but with an ungovernable rage, and an ambitious fondness for plunder; neither fear nor respect could operate to keep them within the limits of their duty. The hope of booty alone carried influence with it: the golden doors, the ponderous ornaments of the Temple, and the riches within its treasury, were the only objects of their attention. But while Titus was thus intent upon the preservation of the building, one of the soldiers set fire to the door-posts; compelling him and his captains to retire with the utmost precipitation: and thus was this glorious fabric consigned to complete ruin, notwithstanding all the efforts of the conqueror to preserve it who declared it to be a building the most beautiful and astonishing of all the works he had either seen or heard of, as well for its exquisite structure and surprising magnitude, as for the wealth bestowed upon it, and its reputed sanctity.'

The

should be seen 66 STANDING IN THE HOLY PLACE:" for the Jews having defiled the Temple with their own arms, made it necessary for the Romans to follow them into the sanctuary, so that they took it by storm, and consequently caused their military ensigns to be seen "STANDING THERE."

(1)" Thus," according to the "sure word of prophecy," was the Temple completely destroyed, though it was equally the wish and the endeavour of the conqueror and conquered to preserve it. The extreme rigour of the Roman discipline, and the prompt obedience of the legions to the voice of their commander, were in this instance violated, and an enthusiastic rage and ungovernable fury hurried them to the work of destruction; and thus human agents became the instruments of Divine vengeance in opposition to their own determinations."-Kett's Hist. Intr. Prop. i. 225. To their God they have erected a Temple of surprising magnitude and beauty. Cui Templum summæ molis pulcherrimumque extruxerunt.

Dio Cass. Lib. xxxvi.

The Temple was now enveloped in flames. The soldiers seized upon all within their reach, and killed, without distinction of age or sex, to the number of ten thousand.' As the fire extended, the cracking of the flames was but indistinctly heard above the dying groans of those whom it had overtaken. From the depth of the hill, and the extent of the conflagration, the city appeared in one entire blaze; the tumult and uproar exceeded all description. The outcries of the legions and the howling of the insurgents, when they found themselves surrounded by fire on the one hand, and the sword on the other; are subjects too shocking minutely to detail. The people on the hills, and those in the city, reechoed each others shrieks of woe and lamentation; the flames opening the eyes of those whom the effects of the famine had nearly closed; inspiring them with fresh vigour and ability, once more to deplore their misfortunes. The slaughter of the besieged exceeded in number that of the conquerors. The Romans now seeing the Temple reduced to ashes, thought it useless to save the outward gates and cloisters, or even the treasury and wardrobe; in which were deposited jewels, money, and robes, to an incredible amount.

9

At

(1) A NATION OF FIERCE COUNTENANCE,WHICH SHALL NOT REGARD THE PERSON OF THE OLD, NOR SHEW FAVOUR TO THE YOUNG.-Deut. xxviii. 50.

WHEREFORE, AS I LIVE, SAITH The Lord GOD; SURELY BECAUSE THOU HAST DEFILED MY SANCTUARY WITH ALL THY DETESTABLE THINGS, AND WITH ALL THINE ABOMINATIONS, THEREFORE WILL I ALSO DIMINISH THEE; NEITHER SHALL MINE EYE SPARE, NEITHER WILL I HAVE ANY PITY. A THIRD PART OF THEE SHALL DIE WITH THE PESTILENCE, AND WITH FAMINE SHALL THEY BE CONSUMED IN THE MIDST OF THEE: AND A THIRD PART SHALL FALL BY THE SWORD ROUND ABOUT THEE: AND I WILL SCATTER A THIRD PART INTO ALL THE WINDS, AND I WILL DRAW OUt a sword afteR THEM.-Ezek. v. 11, 12.

(2) OUR HOLY AND OUR BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, WHere our fatherS PRAISED THEE, IS BURNED UP WITH FIRE: AND ALL OUR PLEASANT THINGS ARE LAID WASTE.-Isa. lxiv. 11.

At this time there were collected in one of the gal leries, a vast concourse of women, children, and mixed people, to the number of six thousand. This gallery, before Titus could give orders to the contrary, was set on fire by the brutal fury of his soldiers; in consequence of which many of these ill-fated creatures were suffocated; others were killed by throwing themselves over; and the remainder burnt to death; so that not one of the whole multitude escaped. These were assembled by an impostor, who pretending to have a mission from the Almighty, brought upon the too credulous Jews, this summary destruction: they were commanded by this man, in the name of God, to repair immediately to the Temple, giving them an assurance that they should there receive an infallible proof of divine favour and protection. These pretensions to revelation were commonly practised by the factions with a view to keep the body of the people firm against immediate dangers. Such were the gradual advantages of the enemy,

(1)" It is remarkable," observes Bishop Porteus," that Christ foretold "not only the appearance of these false prophets, but the very places to "which they would lead their deluded followers." These were the desert and the secret chamber; an Egyptian collected and deceived thirty thousand Jews in the wilderness, and this impostor six thousand others in a gallery, or secret chamber.-WHEREFORE IF THEY SHALL SAY UNTO YOU, BEHOLD, HE IS IN THE DESERT; go noT FORTH: BEHOLD, HE IS IN THE SECRET CHAMBER; BELIEVE IT NOT. Matt. xxiv. 26.

(2) Bell. Jud. 6, v. 4.

THERE SHALL ARISE FALSE CHRISTS, AND FALSE PROPHETS, AND SHALL SHEW GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS; INSOMUCH THAT IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, THEY SHALL DECEIVE THE VERY ELECT.-Matt. xxiv. 24.

"So that they who had despised the true Prophet," says Reland," were deservedly abused and deluded by false ones."

I AM COME, says our Saviour, IN MY FATHER'S NAME, AND YE RECEIVE ME NOT: IF ANOTHER SHALL COME IN HIS OWN NAME, HIM YE WILL RECEIVE. John, v. 43.

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