dicted, that Zion should be ploughed as a field *.

Josephus states, that 'T'itus laboured to preserve the temple, but that the soldiers, as if hurried on by a Divine impulse, would not listen to him, but set fire to every part.

Titus afterwards ordered the remainder of the city to be demolished, and the foundations of its walls to be dug up t.

From that time, all attempts to rebuild it have failed, and Ammianus Marcellinus and Julian, furnish evidence of miraculous interposition to prevent its being effected, so that even Gibbon seems constrained to admit, what he shews every disposition to question.

Thus it appears, that there are many particulars incorporated with the works of Josephus, which form together a firm texture of truth, in which we every where discern the confirmation of Sacred History. An Hebrew writer, who lived at the time that the struc

Micah iii. 12.

+ De Bell. Jud. lib. vii. c. 2. lib. vi. c. 13. p. 273. Edit. Par. 1628.

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ture of the Mosaic dispensation was dissolved, and the foundations of the Christian temple were laid, is endowed with particular talents, and placed in peculiar circumstances, to enable him to bear undeniable testimony to the most important truths. A Jew, led by the hand of Providence, is conducted by the Romans to Jerusalem, to behold it encompassed with their armies, which effect its destruction in the manner precisely foretold. "He walks about Zion, and goes "round about her, tells the towers thereof, "marks well her bulwarks, and considers her palaces, that he may tell them that are to 66 come after."

66

He acknowledges every where, and represents the Roman emperor to have acknowledged the direction of the Almighty *. He exhibits the Jews labouring under a judicial blindness, and encouraged by the remembrance of God's frequent interposition in their favour, to believe, even when the enemy was within the walls, that they should still experience a deliverance, and thereby aggravating their own calamities, and ensuring

* De Bell. Jud. lib. vii. c. 28.

their own fate, having neither eyes to see, or minds to believe *.

A spectator and an historian of the events, he verifies the completion of the divine revelation in every part; and while he thought, possibly, that he was describing only the fulfilment of the Jewish prophecies, he unintentionally substantiated the exact accomplishment of the denunciations of our Lord †. He, and the writers, who consent with him, weave a purple robe for Christ, which though put on with insult and mockery, is expressive of the inherent majesty of him who wears it; and they inscribe a title in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, which with whatsoever view it was written, "is "written," and declares that "Jesus is the King of the Jews."

The conviction which must result to every impartial reader of the works of Josephus, cannot, I think, be resisted. It is related in the Life of Count de Santenne, who became

* De Bell. Jud. lib. iv. c. 7. b. vi. c. i.

rea

+ It is not undeserving of notice, that Josep that the watchmen on the walls of the city, when they w the tremendous stones approaching such were trwa kun the engines, were accustomed to cry out, « the Bun sime → all the matracripts agree in this reading and dad 12 serves, that some will suspect a myvery.

a monk of La Trappe, and is known under the name of Palæmon, that he was first moved to consider the majesty of God, and to a faith in the Scriptures, by reading Josephus *.

Josephus mentions other writers, besides those whose report has already been adduced, who bear testimony to the Jewish History, as Agatharcides, who speaks of the reverence of the Jews for the sabbath, in abstaining on that day from military exercises and agriculture, and employing it in devotion; he states also, that Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, availed himself of this custom to enter the city with an army on that day.

The historian mentions likewise Theophilus, Theodotius, Aristophanes, Hermogenes, Conon, Zopyrian, and others, who particularly spoke of the Jews, and acknowledged the antiquity of their nation.

* Fabricius, in Flav. Joseph. lib. iv.

+ Cont. Apion, lib. i.

CHAP. XXXII.

The Voyage of St. Paul apparently confirmed by an Account in the Life of Josephus.

voyage,

in

be

THERE is an account in the life of Josephus, written by himself, which contains so many circumstances of correspondence with the relation given of St. Paul's the Acts of the Apostles, that it may worth while to compare the two reports; and perhaps it will appear not improbable, that they both refer, in part at least, to the same events, and that St. Paul and Josephus were companions upon this occasion, sailing during part of the voyage together, and travelling in company from Puteoli to Rome.

The very interesting detail of circumstances recorded by St. Luke, has been examined with so much attention, that it is somewhat surprizing that the confirmation of it, which seems to be afforded by Josephus, should have escaped notice, or that the passage at least should not have been brought forward with a view to substantia the statements made