then in that of an Antiochus Epiphanes * Behold, in the latter case, the temple profaned, its altars violated, the sacrifices suppressed, the sacred vessels plundered, and "the abomination of desolation," predicted by the prophet Daniel, polluting the holy sanctuary; while ten thousand weeping captives proclaim the greatness of the crime, in the severity of the punishment. Once more the day of mercy dawns upon the Jews, and the Lord raises up a great deliverer. The sword of Judas Maccabeus, like the sword of Gideon, puts to flight the armies of the aliens, and the land is free. Last of all, in the mighty link of God's dispensations, comes the Fourth or Roman empire; during which we are called upon to witness the suspension of God's promises, and the final overthrow *The book of Maccabees, recording the state of the Jews at that period, observes; "In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us, for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow, So this device pleased them well. Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the heathen. Whereupon they built a place of exercise, at Jerusalem, according to the customs of the heathen; and made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen, and were sold to do mischief."-Maccabees, book I. i. 11—15. + Josephus's Antiquities, book 12, chap. v. of the civil and ecclesiastical polity of the Jewish nation. But we have seen, however, that it was not till after a long preparatory course of solemn warnings and manifold mercies, line upon line, and precept upon precept, that the Lord at length drew the weapons from his armoury, and that his arrows went forth "like the lightning," and his judgments "like the whirlwind of the south.' But how many pathetic appeals were mingled with these solemn denunciations! How earnest and tender the language of remonstrance, as recorded in the Prophets! "O my people, what have I done unto thee? wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me." How affectingly does the Lord contrast the gracious purpose for which he formed them, and their abuse of his mercy. "This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise."-" But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob: thou hast been weary of me, O Israel."-"Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities."* And again, "Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as * Isaiah xliii. 21, 22, 24. وو - the waves of the sea. "Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof: his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me."* Where too was there ever recorded a more sublime or affecting spectacle of divine compassion, than that of the Saviour weeping over Jerusalem, and predicting its final and complete overthrow? "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it: ""saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes."-" For the days shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side;" "and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee: and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." (Luke xix. 41-44.)† * Isaiah xlviii. 18, 19. It was on the occasion of our Lord's return from Bethany, the city of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, that the affecting incident here recorded, occurred. The road lies over the Mount of Olives, by a path-way that intersects the mountain. No position can be selected more commanding, or more singularly adapted to present an extensive and uninterrupted view of the whole city. There the traveller may stand, realizing the scene described by the Evangelist, and the sublime associations connected with such solemn recollections. There may he meditate on the past history and present degradation of that devoted city, and anticipate its future glories. Seventy years after was the prediction above recorded awfully accomplished, and the bitter cup drank to its last dregs. On the hill called Scopas, lying northwards of the city, on the self-same spot where the Assyrian army, 599 years before Christ, had formerly planted its standard, and commenced the siege, there did the Roman army under Titus take its position, to achieve the same purpose, and to level Jerusalem with the ground. There is generally a singular adaptation in all God's judgments, in their time and circumstances, to the character of the trangression committed. Thus Josephus remarks, "that neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age ever produce a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world," (Book 5, c. 10.) "I suppose," he adds, "that had the Romans made any longer delay in coming, the city would either have been swallowed up, by the ground opening upon them, or been overflowed by water, or else been destroyed by such thunder as that by which the country of Sodom once perished: for it had brought forth a generation of men much more atheistical than were those that suffered such things," (Book 5, chap. 13.) "It is God, therefore, it is God himself who is bringing on this fire to purge the city and temple by means of the Romans, and is going to pluck up the city, which is full of pollutions." (Book 6, c. 2.) Great was their crime, great also was their punishment. The prediction that "the tender and delicate woman, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, should look with an evil eye toward her young one, and toward her children which she should bear; and that she should eat them for want of all things secretly, in the siege and straitness wherewith the enemy should distress them, in their gates ;" (Deut. xxviii. 56, 57.*) all this was fearfully verified. Nor is it less worthy of remark, that the Temple was burnt in the same month, and on the self-same day, wherein it was formerly consumed by the king of Babylon, 639 years and 45 days after its erection under Cyrus.‡ Who can contemplate so great a catastrophe, without exclaiming, "How terrible art thou in thy works, O God! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee," (Ps. lxvi. 3.) Well might Zion say, "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorwhich is done unto me, wherewith the Lord row, * See also Jer. xix. 9. † See Josephus, book 6, ch. 3. ‡ Book 6, ch. 5. |