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of God; so that, notwithstanding all their strong fortifications, and their powerful and valiant armies, they fell under the dominion of the king of Babylon. But their pride, haughtiness and self-confidence, would not suffer them to humble themselves, and seek the favor and protection of Heaven, nor submit to the king of Babylon. Hence they formed an alliance with the king of Egypt, in the foolish expectation of being able, with his assistance, to free themselves from the dominion of the Babylonians.

Having formed this alliance, they made great military preparations, and defended themselves with much bravery; but as they rejected the counsel of God by his prophets, and trusted in their own strength and bravery, and the expected assistance of their Egyptian allies, they were unable to withstand their enemies. That same Divine Providence which had favored and protected their ancestors, who trusted in God, was now turned against them, and favored their enemies; therefore they were defeated and totally overthrown. The city of Jerusalem, tho strongly fortified and bravely defended,* was taken and sacked; the temple was rifled of its rich treasures and ornaments, and burnt to the ground; the king's palace, and all the principle buildings of the city, were also burnt; the whole country laid waste, and all the principal inhabitants carried captive to Babylon. Here they were compelled to serve their enemies for the space of seventy years: after which Divine wisdom saw fit to effect their deliverance.

REMARKS UPON THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS.

Upon a careful and impartial review of the Jewish history, as recorded in the sacred scriptures, and in the books of Josephus, their celebrated historian, we may learn the following important facts.

First; that from the time the Jews were settled in the land of Canaan, to the time they ceased to exist as an independent nation, they were not involved in any disastrous wars, excepting when they had transgressed the Divine commands, and violated their own laws. Indeed, while they kept the law, they were seldom engaged in war, except by Divine authority; and such wars always terminated in their favor and insured them the blessings of peace and prosperity. But when they indulged themselves in the spirit of war, and

* See Josephus' Antiquities, B. x. ch. viii.

went forth in their own strength, without any authority from God, they always suffered loss, and were involved in

trouble.

Second; that their protection always depended on the favor of Heaven, and not on the arms of war; these being only the means sometimes permitted by Divine Providence, and not the cause of their protection.

Third; that whenever they were led and governed by that pride and ambition which always attends the spirit of war, they were inevitably humbled, and sooner or later, brought down by the hand of Divine Justice. And we have no hesitation in asserting that this always has proved, and always will prove, the final fate of all warring nations.

As a further evidence that wars are not necessary in the order of Divine Providence, we may observe that the Jews were not delivered from the Babylonian captivity, by their military power, any more than their ancestors were from the bondage of Egypt. After seventy years captivity, agreeable to the predictions of the prophets, their deliverance was brought about by Divine influence. When Cyrus, the Persian king, by the special providence of God, had conquered the Babylonian empire, as the prophet Isaiah had predicted, he was directed by that same wise Providence, to let the captives go, "without money and without price." By a royal proclamation, he directed the Jews to return to their own land, and to rebuild their temple and city, and restore the religion of their nation.

During the continuance of the Persian empire, the Jews enjoyed a state of uninterrupted peace, except in a few instances, in which they brought war upon themselves by their own imprudence. It may indeed be said that they were under the dominion of the Persians, to whom they paid tribute. But they were by no means so oppressed by the Persian monarchs, as they afterwards were by their own kings; and all the expense of this subjection to the Persians, was but a trifle in comparison to the expense and dangers of war. And it appears from their history, that they actually enjoyed more security, in person and property, under the Persian kings, than they afterwards did under their own for while they kept the law, and were not governed by the spirit of war in their own bosoms, they were evidently favored by a superintending Providence.

According to all the accounts we have of that nation, after they returned from the Babylonian captivity, we rarely find that they were molested by an enemy, so long as they G

kept clear of the quarrels of other nations, subjected themselves to their own laws, and did not follow foreign customs. And if at any time they happened to be exposed to invasion, unless they brought it upon themselves, they had no occasion to resort to arms, so long as they put their trust in God; for in such cases they never failed of obtaining Divine protection. Their whole history justifies this remark. The following remarkable instance of the interposition of Divine Providence, in favor of the Jews, is worthy of particular notice.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT, having by rapid marches and unexampled success, defeated and entirely routed the armies of Darius, king of Persia, turned his course into Syria, and laid siege to the strong city of Tyre. He sent word, at the same time, to Jaddus, the high-priest of the Jews, "that he expected the same assistance from them, which they had before allowed to Darius, and that they should provide a market for the supply of his army, where he might have necessaries for his money; assuring them that they should have no reason to repent the respect." The answer returned by the high-priest was briefly this: "That they had bound themselves by an oath to Darius, never to bear arms against him, and therefore could not assist him in men nor provisions, without violating their oath." This answer so highly offended Alexander, that he threatened, after conquering Tyre, to march against the high-priest himself, and let him know how far oaths were to be broken or kept. In short, he was determined to make the Jews feel his vengeance.

Accordingly, after conquering the Tyrians, he marched with his victorious army towards Jerusalem. This brought Jaddus and the Jews into great tribulation. But instead of preparing for war, the high-priest appointed public prayers and sacrifices to be offered up to God, for his Divine assistance and protection. Having put his trust in God, he was instructed in a dream what to do. Accordingly, upon the approach of Alexander towards the city, Jaddus marched out, unarmed, with the priests in their pontifical robes, and the people all dressed in white, to meet the conqueror.

When Alexander saw this imposing sight, he was struck with awe. No powerful army in military array, had ever before so affected the feelings of this mighty conqueror. To see the high-priest in his sacred vestments, embroidered with gold, his mitre upon his head, and a golden plate upon his forehead, with the name of God engraven upon it, fol

lowed by the priests in the sacred habits of their order, and the people all in white, was a spectacle so majestic and reverend, and yet so pacific and heavenly, that this mighty monarch advanced with respect and reverence, bowed before him, adored the sacred inscription on his forehead, and saluted the high-priest himself. His vengeful spirit was arrested, his conquering arm was stayed, and he who had never before bowed to kings, was now vanquished by the wise and pacific policy of a Jewish high-priest.

The officers of his army were so surprised at Alexander's conduct, that they could hardly believe him to be in his right mind. His friend Parmenio took the liberty to ask him, in a familiar manner, "How it came to pass that he, who was adored by the whole earth, should now descend to bow to a Jewish priest." "No, said Alexander, I do not adore the man, but the God whom he serves."*

After this, the king embraced Jaddus, and was conducted into the city by the rest of the priests, where he went up to the temple and sacrificed in form, according to the highpriest's direction, paying also a singular veneration to the high-priest himself. When this ceremony was finished, Jaddus showed the king the book of the prophet Daniel, and in it, the prediction of a certain Greek, in time to come, that should make himself master of the Persian empire; which Alexander interpreted of himself. The next day the king called the Jews together, to know what request they had to make. The high-priest replied, that they only desired to enjoy the freedom of their own laws, and to be exempted from the seventh year's tribute. This request was freely granted, not only in Judea, but to all the Jews in Babylon and Media.

Thus the high-priest, by putting his trust in God, and adopting a pacific policy, carried the Divine presence with him; and it was the holy influence of this Divine presence, of which the sacred name in his forehead was a witness, that restrained the hostile power of this mighty monarch, and checked and turned his purpose. And thus this conqueror of conquerors, this most renowned warrior that had ever appeared on earth, was most effectually conquered without the arms of war, or any hostile array, and that too, by a people who had highly offended him, by refusing what he considered a fair and reasonable request.

*Josep, Ant, b, xi, ch, viii, See also Rollin's Anc. Hist. vol. v. sec. 7.

But their honesty and integrity secured the Divine favor; and their pacific conduct wholly disarmed the foe, and secured the liberty and freedom of the nation. Whereas, had they resorted to arms and sustained a siege, they would undoubtedly have been conquered, and their city and temple despoiled, and, in all probability, the conqueror would have wreaked his vengeance on their heads. All circumstances considered, this unarmed victory of the Jews over Alexander, was the greatest ever recorded in history. None of Alexander's allies obtained such advantages as did the Jews. The Samaritans, who had violated their oath to Darius, and sent an army of eight thousand men to assist Alexander, and had done all in their power to obtain his favor, and excite his enmity against the Jews, could not prevail on him to remit any part of the tribute exacted of them, nor even to pay them a visit.*

The preceding event affords a serious and instructive lesson, both to the friends of peace and to the advocates of war. They may say the hand of Divine Providence overruled these transactions, and that the high-priest was divinely inspired in the steps he took. This we readily admit; and by the same Divine authority are men directed to " overcome evil with good ;" and they would be equally favored by the providence of God, were they equally subject. Let the ruler of any nation on earth, with his people, preserve the same rectitude of conduct, that the ruler and people of the Jews did, at that time, and then let them march out as they did, to meet any conqueror that ever was famed in arms, and we are confident that it would arrest his progress, overcome his hostile feelings, and turn the threatened carnage of war to peace and good will. In such a case none but infidels could distrust the protection of a superintending Providence. It is opposition that excites the spirit of war.Warriors fight for the bubble, honor, for noisy fame, for the imaginary glory of displaying their courage against those who oppose them. They well know that they could gain no honor-nothing but execration and disgrace, by falling upon a virtuous, peaceable and defenceless people, whose national government makes no opposition.

We feel confident that if Napoleon Bonaparte, during his victorious career through Europe, had been met by the ruler of any nation whatever, as the ruler of the Jews met

A late writer affects to discredit this account; but we find no good authority in history, neither ancient nor modern, that in the least invalidates it.

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