the clamours of his troops, who vehemently insisted on the necessity of razing it to the ground. The fol lowing day was therefore fixed upon, for a general assault upon that magnificent structure.

12. The utmost exertions of Titus to save the temple were, however, ineffectual. Our Saviour had foretold its total destruction; and his awful prediction was about to be accomplished. "And now," says Josephus, "the fatal day approached in the revolution of ages, the 10th of Augnst, emphatically called the day of vengeance, in which the first temple had been destroyed by the king of Babylon." While Titus was reposing himself in his pavilion, a Roman soldier, without receiving any command, but urged as it were by a divine impulse, seized some of the blazing materials, and with the assistance of another soldier, who raised him from the ground, threw them through a window into one of the apartments that surrounded the sanctuary. The whole north side, up to the third story, was immediately enveloped in flames. The Jews, who now began to suppose that Heaven had forsaken them, rushed in with violent lamentations, and spared no effort, not even life itself, to preserve the sacred edifice on which they had rested their security.

13. Titus, being awakened by the outcry, hastened to the spot, and commanded his soldiers to exert themselves to the utmost to extinguish the fire. He called, prayed, and threatened his men. But so great was the clamour and tumult, that his entreaties and menaces were alike disregarded. The exasperated Romans, who resorted thither from the camp, were engaged either in increasing the conflagration, or killing the Jews; the dead were heaped about the altar, and a stream of blood flowed at its steps.

14. Still, as the flames had not reached the inner part of the temple, Titus, with some of his chief officers, entered the sanctuary and most holy place, which excited his astonishment and admiration. After having in vain repeated his attempts to prevent its destruction, he saved the golden candlestick, the table

of shew bread, the altar of perfumes, which were all of pure gold; and the volume of the law, wrapped up in a rich golden tissue. Upon his leaving the sacred place, some other soldiers set fire to it, after tearing off the golden plaiting from the gates and timber work.

15. A horrid massacre soon followed, in which prodigious multitudes perished; while others rushed, in a kind of frenzy, into the midst of the flames, and precipitated themselves from the battlements of their falling temple. Six thousand persons, who, deluded by a false prophet with the hopes of a miraculous deliverance, had fled to a gallery yet standing without the temple, perished at once, by the relentless barbarity of the soldiers, who set it on fire, and suffered none to escape. The conquerors carried their fury to such a height as to massacre all they met, without distinction of age, sex, or quality. They also burnt all the treasure houses, containing vast quantities of money, plate, and the richest furniture. In a word, they continued to mark their progress with fire and sword, till they had destroyed all, except two of the temple gates, and that part of the court which was destined for the women.

16. In the mean time, many of the zealots, by making the most vigorous exertions, effected their escape from the temple, and retired into the city. But the avenues were so strictly guarded, that it was impossible for them to escape. They therefore fortified themselves, as well as they were able, on the south side of it; from whence John and Simon sent to desire a conference with Titus. They were answered, that though they had caused all this ruin and effusion of blood, yet their lives should be spared, if they would surrender themselves. They replied, that "they had engaged, by the most solemn oaths, not to deliver up their per sons to him on any condition; and requested permission to retire to the mountains with their wives and children." The Roman general, enraged at this insolence, ordered proclamation to be made, that not one of them should be spared, since they persisted in rejecting his last offers of pardon.

17. The daughter of Zion, or the lower city, was next abandoned to the fury of the Roman soldiers, who plundered, burnt, and massacred, with insatiable rage. The zealots next betook themselves to the royal palace, in the upper and stronger part of Jerusalem, styled also the city of David, on Mount Zion. As many of the Jews had deposited their possessions in the palace for security, they attacked it, killed eight thousand four hundred of their countrymen, and plundered their property.

18. The Roman army spent nearly twenty days in making great preparations for attacking the upper city, especially the royal palace; during which time many came and made their submission to Titus. The warlike engines then played so furiously upon the zealots, that they were seized with a sudden panic, quitted the towers which were deemed impregnable, and ran like mad men towards Shiloah, intending to have attacked the wall of circumvallation, and escaped out of the city. But being vigorously repulsed, they endeavoured to conceal themselves in subterraneous passages; and as many as were discovered, were put to death.

19. The conquest of Jerusalem being now completed, the Romans placed their ensigns upon the walls with triumphant joy. They next walked the streets, with swords in their hands, and killed all they met. Amidst the darkness of that awful night, fire was set to the remaining divisions of the city, and Jerusalem, wrapt in flames, and bleeding on every side, sunk in utter ruin and destruction. During the siege, which lasted nearly five months, upwards of eleven hundred thousand Jews perished. John and Simon, the two grand rebels, with seven hundred of the most beautiful and vigorous of the Jewish youth, were reserved, to attend the victor's triumphal chariot. After which, Simon was put to death; and John, who had stooped to beg his life, condemned to perpetual imprisonment.

20. The number who were taken captive, during the fatal contest with the Romans, amounted to ninetyseven thousand, many of whom were sent into Syria, and other provinces, to be exposed on the public the

atres, to fight like gladiators, or to be devoured by wild beasts. The number of those destroyed, during the war, which lasted seven years, is computed to have been one million four hundred and sixty-two thousand. When the sword had returned to its scabbard, for want of objects whereon to exercise its fury, and the troops were satisfied with plunder, Titus commanded the whole city and temple to be demolished. Thus were our Saviour's prophecies fulfilled-" Thine enemies shall lay thee even with the ground, and there shall not be left one stone upon another."

QUESTIONS.

1. When did Titus commence his march towards Jerusalem? -2. What feast were the Jews observing at this time?-3. By whom did Titus frequently send offers of peace?-4. What distressing consequences resulted from having such multitudes of Jews shut up in Jerusalem?-5. What caused Titus to resolve on the complete ruin of Jerusalem, and the extirpation of its inhabitants?-6. What induced him to wish the preservation of the temple?-7. And what finally determined him to destroy it?-8. How long did the siege last?-9. How many Jews perished in it?

ORDER OF NATURE.

1. SEE, through this air, this ocean, and this earth, All matter quick, and bursting into birth. Above, how high progressive life may go ! Around, how wide! how deep extend below! Vast chain of being! which from God began, Natures ethereal, human, angel, man, Beast, bird, fish, insect! what no eye can see; No glass can reach! from infinite to thee, From thee to nothing! on superior pow'rs Were we to press, inferior might on ours; Or in the full creation leave a void,

Where, one step broken, the great scale's destroy'd; From nature's chain, whatever link

you strike, Tenth or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike.

2. What if the foot, ordain'd the dust to tread, Or hand to toil, aspir'd to be the head? What if the head, the eye, or ear, repin'd To serve mere engines of the ruling mind Just as absurd, for any part to claim To be another, in this gen'ral frame ; Just as absurd, to mourn the tasks or pains, The great directing MIND of ALL orḍains.

3. All are but parts of one stupendous whole,
Whose body Nature is, and God the soul;
That chang'd through all, and yet in all the same,
Great in the earth, as in th' ethereal frame;
Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze,
Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees,
Lives through all life, extends through all extent,
Spreads undivided, operates unspent,

Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part,
As full, as perfect, in a hair as heart;
As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns,
As the rapt seraph that adores and burns;
To him, no high, no low, no great, no small;
He fills, he bounds, connects and equals all.

4. Cease, then, nor Order Imperfection name; Our proper bliss depends on what we blame. Know thy own point; this kind, this due degree Of blindness, weakness, Heaven bestows on thee. Submit in this, or any other sphere,

Secure to be as blest as thou canst bear ;
Safe in the hand of one disposing Power,
Or in the natal, or the mortal hour.
All nature is but art unknown to thee;

All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony, not understood;

All partial evil, universal good ;

And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear, "Whatever is, is RIGHT.