the wars of the jews-第137章

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n；　and　he　also　trembled　at　　　those　visions　which　he　saw　in　the　night　season；　and　　　bestowed　both　silver　and　gold　on　the　Hebrews；　as　on　a　　　people　beloved　by　God。　Shall　I　say　nothing；　or　shall　I　　　mention　the　removal　of　our　fathers　into　Egypt；　who；　（17）　when　they　were　used　tyrannically；　and　were　fallen　under　　　the　power　of　foreign　kings　for　four　hundred　ears　together；　and　might　have　defended　themselves　by　war　and　by　　　fighting；　did　yet　do　nothing　but　commit　themselves　to　God！　Who　is　there　that　does　not　know　that　Egypt　was　overrun　　　with　all　sorts　of　wild　beasts；　and　consumed　by　all　sorts　of　distempers？　how　their　land　did　not　bring　forth　its　fruit？　how　the　Nile　failed　of　water？　how　the　ten　plagues　of　Egypt　　　followed　one　upon　another？　and　how　by　those　means　our　　　fathers　were　sent　away　under　a　guard；　without　any　　　bloodshed；　and　without　running　any　dangers；　because　God　　　conducted　them　as　his　peculiar　servants？　Moreover；　did　not　Palestine　groan　under　the　ravage　the　Assyrians　made；　　　when　they　carried　away　our　sacred　ark？　as　did　their　idol　Dagon；　and　as　also　did　that　entire　nation　of　those　that　　　carried　it　away；　how　they　were　smitten　with　a　loathsome　　　distemper　in　the　secret　parts　of　their　bodies；　when　their　very　bowels　came　down　together　with　what　they　had　eaten；　till　those　hands　that　stole　it　away　were　obliged　to　bring　it　back　again；　and　that　with　the　sound　of　cymbals　and　　　timbrels；　and　other　oblations；　in　order　to　appease　the　anger　of　God　for　their　violation　of　his　holy　ark。　It　was　God　who　then　became　our　General；　and　accomplished　these　great　　　things　for　our　fathers；　and　this　because　they　did　not　meddle　with　war　and　fighting；　but　committed　it　to　him　to　judge　about　their　affairs。　When　Sennacherib；　king　of　Assyria；　brought　along　with　him　all　Asia；　and　encompassed　this　city　round　with　his　army；　did　he　fall　by　the　hands　of　men？　were　not　those　hands　lifted　up　to　God　in　prayers；　without　meddling　with　their　arms；　when　an　angel　of　God　destroyed　that　　　prodigious　army　in　one　night？　when　the　Assyrian　king；　as　he　rose　the　next　day；　found　a　hundred　fourscore　and　five　thousand　dead　bodies；　and　when　he；　with　the　remainder　of　his　army；　fled　away　from　the　Hebrews；　though　they　were　　　unarmed；　and　did　not　pursue　them。　You　are　also　　　acquainted　with　the　slavery　we　were　under　at　Babylon；　　　where　the　people　were　captives　for　seventy　years；　yet　were　they　not　delivered　into　freedom　again　before　God　made　　　Cyrus　his　gracious　instrument　in　bringing　it　about；　　　accordingly　they　were　set　free　by　him；　and　did　again　　　restore　the　worship　of　their　Deliverer　at　his　temple。　And；　to　speak　in　general；　we　can　produce　no　example　wherein　our　　　fathers　got　any　success　by　war；　or　failed　of　success　when　without　war　they　committed　themselves　to　God。　When　they　　　staid　at　home；　they　conquered；　as　pleased　their　Judge；　but　when　they　went　out　to　fight；　they　were　always　disappointed：　for　example；　when　the　king　of　Babylon　besieged　this　very　city；　and　our　king　Zedekiah　fought　against　him；　contrary　to　what　predictions　were　made　to　him　by　Jeremiah　the　　　prophet；　he　was　at　once　taken　prisoner；　and　saw　the　city　and　the　temple　demolished。　Yet　how　much　greater　was　the　　　moderation　of　that　king；　than　is　that　of　your　present　　　governors；　and　that　of　the　people　then　under　him；　than　is　that　of　you　at　this　time！　for　when　Jeremiah　cried　out　aloud；　how　very　angry　God　was　at　them；　because　of　their　　　transgressions；　and　told　them　they　should　be　taken　　　prisoners；　unless　they　would　surrender　up　their　city；　neither　did　the　king　nor　the　people　put　him　to　death；　but　for　you；　（to　pass　over　what　you　have　done　within　the　city；　which　I　am　not　able　to　describe　as　your　wickedness　deserves；）　you　　　abuse　me；　and　throw　darts　at　me；　who　only　exhort　you　to　　　save　yourselves；　as　being　provoked　when　you　are　put　in　　　mind　of　your　sins；　and　cannot　bear　the　very　mention　of　　　those　crimes　which　you　every　day　perpetrate。　For　another　example；　when　Antiochus；　who　was　called　Epiphanes；　lay　　　before　this　city；　and　had　been　guilty　of　many　indignities　against　God；　and　our　forefathers　met　him　in　arms；　they　　　then　were　slain　in　the　battle；　this　city　was　plundered　by　our　enemies；　and　our　sanctuary　made　desolate　for　three　years　and　six　months。　And　what　need　I　bring　any　more　　　examples？　Indeed　what　can　it　be　that　hath　stirred　up　an　army　of　the　Romans　against　our　nation？　Is　it　not　the　impiety　of　the　inhabitants？　Whence　did　our　servitude　commence？　Was　it　not　derived　from　the　seditions　that　were　among　our　forefathers；　when　the　madness　of　Aristobulus　and　Hyrcanus；　and　our　mutual　quarrels；　brought　Pompey　upon　this　city；　and　when　God　reduced　those　under　　subjection　to　the　Romans　who　were　unworthy　of　the　liberty　they　had　enjoyed？　After　a　siege；　therefore；　of　three　months；　they　were　forced　to　surrender　themselves；　although　they　had　not　been　guilty　of　such　offenses；　with　regard　to　our　sanctuary　and　our　laws；　as　you　have；　and　this　while　they　had　much　greater　advantages　to　go　to　war　than　you　have。　Do　not　we　know　what　end　Antigonus；　the　son　of　Aristobulus；　came　to；　under　whose　reign　God　provided　that　this　city　should　be　taken　again　upon　account　of　the　people's　offenses？　When　Herod；　the　son　of　Antipater；　brought　upon　us　Sosius；　and　Sosius　brought　upon　us　the　Roman　army；　they　were　then　encompassed　and　besieged　for　six　months；　till；　as　a　punishment　for　their　sins；　they　were　taken；　and　the　city　was　plundered　by　the　enemy。　Thus　it　appears　that　arms　were　never　given　to　our　nation；　but　that　we　are　always　given　up　to　be　fought　against；　and　to　be　taken；　for　I　suppose　that　such　as　inhabit　this　holy　place　ought　to　commit　the　disposal　of　all　things　to　God；　and　then　only　to　disregard　the　assistance　of　men　when　they　resign　themselves　up　to　their　Arbitrator；　who　is　above。　As　for　you；　what　have　you　done　of　those　things　that　are　recommended　by　our　legislator？　and　what　have　you　not　done　of　those　things　that　he　hath　condemned？　How　much　more　impious　are　you　than　those　who　were　so　quickly　taken！　You　have　not　avoided　so　much　as　those　sins　that　are　usually　done　in　secret；　I　mean　thefts；　and　treacherous　plots　against　men；　and　adulteries。　You　are　quarrelling　about　rapines　and　murders；　and　invent　strange　ways　of　wickedness。　Nay；　the　temple　itself　is　become　the　receptacle　of　all；　and　this　Divine　place　is　polluted　by　the　hands　of　those　of　our　own　country；　which　place　hath　yet　been　reverenced　by　the　Romans　when　it　was　at　a　distance　from　them；　when　they　have　suffered　many　of　their　own　customs　to　give　place　to　our　law。　And；　after　all　this；　do　you　expect　Him　whom　you　have　so　impiously　abused　to　be　your　supporter？　To　be　sure　then　　you　have　a　right　to　be　petitioners；　and　to　call　upon　Him　to　assist　you；　so　pure　are　your　hands！　Did　your　king　＇Hezekiah＇　lift　up　such　hands　in　prayer　to　God　against　the　king　of　Assyria；　when　he　destroyed　that　great　army　in　one　night？　And　do　the　Romans　commit　such　wickedness　as　did　the　king　of　Assyria；　that　you　may　have　reason　to　hope　for　the　like　vengeance　upon　them？　Did　not　that　king　accept　of　money　from　our　king　on　this　condition；　that　he　should　not　destroy　the　city；　and　yet；　contrary　to　the　oath　he　had　taken；　he　came　down　to　burn　the　temple？　while　the　Romans　do　　demand　no　more　than　that　accustomed　tribute　which　our　fathers　paid　to　their