storm, and a dreadful slaughter ensued; none being spared except the women and children, who were taken captives. The whole number of the slain, both in the city and in the first conflict, amounted to fifteen thousand.

Joppa, which had been lately destroyed by Cestius, being rebuilt and inhabited by some seditious Jews, who infested that part of the country, Vespasian sent some troops to take it, which they soon accomplished. The inhabitants, terrified at the sight of the Romans, instead of attempting to make resistance, immediately took to their ships; when a sudden tempest arising, they were beat back and dashed upon the rocks, those who escaped being put to the sword. Thus four thousand and two hundred lost their lives.

Vespasian next proceeded to Cæsarea Philippi to refresh his army, and was entertained by Agrippa. From thence he marched to Tiberias, which yielded, and was spared at the request of Agrippa. Tarichea, on the sea of Galilee, was next attacked, but making resistance, it was destroyed: great numbers were cut to pieces, and thirty thousand sold for slaves. He next took Gamala, after a month's siege, and, shortly after, the mountain Itaburium, both with great slaughter. Giscala, another town in Galilee, was invested by Titus. He offered fair terms to the governor, John, who appeared ready to embrace them, till he found an opportunity to fly with his party to Jerusalem. Titus spared the city when he took it, put a garrison in it, and repaired to Cæsarea, where he was joined by his father, Vespasian ;

who ended the campaign in December, with the total reduction of the province of Galilee.

While Judea was in this deplorable situation, Rome itself was not much better The Romans

had borne with patience the dissimulation of Tiberius, the brutality of Caligula, and the stupidity of Claudius; but the fury and madness of Nero brought on a revolution, and the senate condemned him to have his head made fast in a pillory, and to be scourged to death; but hearing of this sentence, he, with the assistance of others, stabbed himself.

68.

Galba succeeded, who, after a short tumultuous Year of reign, was murdered. Otho was chosen our Lord by the soldiers, and acknowledged by the senate. He was scarcely settled on the throne, before the legion in lower Germany created their commander, Vitellius, emperor, without regard to the senate. The claims of these two emperors could not be decided but by the sword. Thus was all the world in commotion as well as Judea; fulfilling our Saviour's prediction, That there should be wars and rumours of wars in all nations before the destruction of Jerusalem.

The civil war among the Romans commenced and was carried on rapidly. In a few days three considerable battles were fought; in each of which Otho's party was defeated. Though he might have carried on the war, he determined to sacrifice his own life to spare the blood of his countrymen, and, in the presence of his army, carried his resolution into effect, by stabbing himself, having reigned only twelve weeks and six days.

Vitellius behaved himself with the utmost inso

lence and cruelty, making himself odious both to the city and country; in consequence of which, a revolt ensued, and Vespasian was unanimously chosen and proclaimed emperor. But he absolutely refusing the honour, his soldiers at length compelled him to accept it, by drawing their swords, and threatening him with instant death, if he did not take the empire upon him; upon which he yielded.

A council was called, wherein it was determined, that Titus should continue the war against the Jews; that Mutianus should enter Italy, with the greatest part of the legions; and that Vespasian should go to Alexandria, to provide for all parts as occasion should require. Vespasian forgot not his famous prisoner, Josephus, but publicly applauded his valour, and, gratefully acknowledging his predictions concerning his own advancement to the empire, he immediately ordered his chains to be knocked off, and himself to be set at liberty. Vitellius was defeated and put to the sword, after a short reign of eight months and five days: the reigns of the three last emperors together being little more than eighteen mouths. Vespasian was declared emperor by unanimous consent, and invited to Rome. In my next letter I shall resume the Jewish history; I conclude the present with subscribing myself

Your affectionate aunt.

LETTER XV.

MY DEAR GEORGE,

Year of

our Lord

70.

WE are, at length, arrived at the great and terrible year of the dissolution of the Jewish œconomy; which the apostle Peter calls, The end of all things, and James, The coming of the Lord. See 1 Peter iv. 7, and James v. 8. The sound of the gospel having been conveyed, by the apostles and others, in less than forty years, to the most distant parts of the earth, and numbers of the gentiles having received the joyful tidings with gladness of heart, God now thought fit to make a dreadful example of the most perverse opposers of it, the Jews; who, for their infidelity, are exhibited as a spectacle to all ages. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God! who can stand when he cometh to judgment? The Jews had frequently experienced the divine displeasure: but, though in anger for a small moment, he appeared to forsake them, yet, in mercy, he gathered them again; but they had now filled up the measure of their iniquities; and the Lord would not turn again, nor have compassion on them. You will see in the sequel, that they were left to endure what our Lord had predicted, Such tribulation as never was since the beginning of the world to that time, or ever should be again. See Matt. xxiv. 21.

I gave you an account, in my last, of the revolutions in the Roman empire, which prevented Vespa

sian, after the first campaign, from pursuing the war with vigour. Had the Jews acted wisely at this juncture, they would certainly have given up all private animosities, and united in the defence of their country; but, instead of that, they broke out into factions; one party arming against another, and committing such cruelties as surpassed all the miseries inflicted upon them by the Roman armies.

One party, called Zealots, from their boasted zeal for the law of God and the religious customs of their ancestors, being headed by John, who had fled from Giscala, withdrew to the temple, which they used as a fortress. The people, however, rose against them, and, after a severe contest, drove them into the inner temple; whence they privately sent to the Idumeans for assistance, who immediately advanced, to the number of twenty thousand men: but, on their arrival, they found the gates shut against them by the citizens. On the night following, there happened a most tremendous storm of thunder and lightning, accompanied with heavy rain and a violent earthquake. The zealots, who were besieged in the inner temple, took advantage of the terror and confusion that now prevailed, to force a passage through, and let the Idumeans into the city upon which, a dreadful massacre ensued. Twelve thousand of the higher rank, eight thousand citizens, and vast numbers of the lower sort, fell victims on this occasion. The Idumeans, at length, began to be ashamed of the inhuman practices of the zealots, and repented that they had joined them. They accordingly returned to their own country, having first set at liberty two thousand prisoners