grant no further pardon to the insurgents. His legions now were ordered to "ravage and destroy." With the light of the next morning, arose the tremendous flame of the castle of Antonia, the council chamber, register's office, and the noble palace of the Queen Helena. These magnificent piles were reduced to ashes. The furious legions, [executioners of divine vengeance, Ezek. ix. 5, 6,] then flew through the lower city, of which they soon became masters, slaughtering and burning in every street. The Jews themselves aided the slaughter. In the royal palace, containing vast treasures, eight thousand four hundred Jews were murdered by their seditious brethren. Great numbers of deserters from the furious leaders of faction, flocked to the Romans; but it was too late. The general order was given, all should be slain. Such therefore fell.
The Roman soldiers, however, being at length weary with butchery, and more than satisfied with blood, for a short time sheathed their swords, and betook themselves to plunder. They collected multitudes of Jews—husbands, wives, children and servants, formed a market: and set them up at vendue for slaves. They sold them for any trifle; while purchasers were but few. Their law-giver, Moses, had forewarned them of this; Deut. xxviii. 68: "And ye shall be sold for bondmen and bond-
women; and no man shall buy you." Tremendous indeed must the lot of those be, who reject the Messiah, and are found fighting against the Son of God. Often had these Jews heard read [but little it seems did they understand the sense of the tremendous passage] relative to the Jewish rejectors of Christ, "He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." "Thus saith the Lord, say, a sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished: it is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter; [said God by the prophet, Ezek. xxi., alluding to this very event;] the sword is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer. Cry and howl, son
