the great controversy-第7节

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cruelties　were　not　infrequently　practiced　by　men　who　were　themselves　well
fed；　and　who　were　merely　desirous　of　laying　up　a　store　of　provision　for　the
future。

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Thousands　perished　from　famine　and　pestilence。　Natural　affection　seemed　to
have　been　destroyed。　Husbands　robbed　their　wives；　and　wives　their　husbands。
Children　would　be　seen　snatching　the　food　from　the　mouths　of　their　aged
parents。　The　question　of　the　prophet；　〃Can　a　woman　forget　her　sucking
child？〃　received　the　answer　within　the　walls　of　that　doomed　city：　〃The　hands
of　the　pitiful　women　have　sodden　their　own　children：　they　were　their　meat　in
the　destruction　of　the　daughter　of　my　people。〃　Isaiah　49：15；　Lamentations
4：10。　Again　was　fulfilled　the　warning　prophecy　given　fourteen　centuries
before：　〃The　tender　and　delicate　woman　among　you；　which　would　not　adventure
to　set　the　sole　of　her　foot　upon　the　ground　for　delicateness　and　tenderness；
her　eye　shall　be　evil　toward　the　husband　of　her　bosom；　and　toward　her　son；
and　toward　her　daughter；　。　。　。　and　toward　her　children　which　she　shall　bear：
for　she　shall　eat　them　for　want　of　all　things　secretly　in　the　siege　and
straitness；　wherewith　thine　enemy　shall　distress　thee　in　thy　gates。〃
Deuteronomy　28：56；　57。

The　Roman　leaders　endeavored　to　strike　terror　to　the　Jews　and　thus　cause
them　to　surrender。　Those　prisoners　who　resisted　when　taken；　were　scourged；
tortured；　and　crucified　before　the　wall　of　the　city。　Hundreds　were　daily　put
to　death　in　this　manner；　and　the　dreadful　work　continued　until；　along　the
Valley　of　Jehoshaphat　and　at　Calvary；　crosses　were　erected　in　so　great
numbers　that　there　was　scarcely　room　to　move　among　them。　So　terribly　was
visited　that　awful　imprecation　uttered　before　the　judgment　seat　of　Pilate：
〃His　blood　be　on　us；　and　on　our　children。〃　Matthew　27：25。

Titus　would　willingly　have　put　an　end　to　the　fearful　scene；　and　thus　have
spared　Jerusalem　the　full　measure　of　her　doom。　He　was　filled　with　horror　as
he　saw　the　bodies　of　the　dead　lying　in　heaps　in　the　valleys。　Like　one
entranced；　he　looked　from　the　crest　of　Olivet　upon　the　magnificent　temple
and　gave　command　that　not　one　stone　of　it　be　touched。　Before　attempting　to
gain　possession　of　this　stronghold；

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he　made　an　earnest　appeal　to　the　Jewish　leaders　not　to　force　him　to　defile
the　sacred　place　with　blood。　If　they　would　come　forth　and　fight　in　any　other
place；　no　Roman　should　violate　the　sanctity　of　the　temple。　Josephus　himself；
in　a　most　eloquent　appeal；　entreated　them　to　surrender；　to　save　themselves；
their　city；　and　their　place　of　worship。　But　his　words　were　answered　with
bitter　curses。　Darts　were　hurled　at　him；　their　last　human　mediator；　as　he
stood　pleading　with　them。　The　Jews　had　rejected　the　entreaties　of　the　Son　of
God；　and　now　expostulation　and　entreaty　only　made　them　more　determined　to
resist　to　the　last。　In　vain　were　the　efforts　of　Titus　to　save　the　temple；
One　greater　than　he　had　declared　that　not　one　stone　was　to　be　left　upon
another。

The　blind　obstinacy　of　the　Jewish　leaders；　and　the　detestable　crimes
perpetrated　within　the　besieged　city；　excited　the　horror　and　indignation　of
the　Romans；　and　Titus　at　last　decided　to　take　the　temple　by　storm。　He
determined；　however；　that　if　possible　it　should　be　saved　from　destruction。
But　his　commands　were　disregarded。　After　he　had　retired　to　his　tent　at
night；　the　Jews；　sallying　from　the　temple；　attacked　the　soldiers　without。　In
the　struggle；　a　firebrand　was　flung　by　a　soldier　through　an　opening　in　the
porch；　and　immediately　the　cedar…lined　chambers　about　the　holy　house　were　in
a　blaze。　Titus　rushed　to　the　place；　followed　by　his　generals　and
legionaries；　and　commanded　the　soldiers　to　quench　the　flames。　His　words　were
unheeded。　In　their　fury　the　soldiers　hurled　blazing　brands　into　the　chambers
adjoining　the　temple；　and　then　with　their　swords　they　slaughtered　in　great
numbers　those　who　had　found　shelter　there。　Blood　flowed　down　the　temple
steps　like　water。　Thousands　upon　thousands　of　Jews　perished。　Above　the　sound
of　battle；　voices　were　heard　shouting：　〃Ichabod！〃the　glory　is　departed。

〃Titus　found　it　impossible　to　check　the　rage　of　the　soldiery；　he　entered
with　his　officers；　and　surveyed　the　interior　of　the　sacred　edifice。　The
splendor　filled　them　with　wonder；　and　as　the　flames　had　not　yet　penetrated
to　the　holy　place；

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he　made　a　last　effort　to　save　it；　and　springing　forth；　again　exhorted　the
soldiers　to　stay　the　progress　of　the　conflagration。　The　centurion　Liberalis
endeavored　to　force　obedience　with　his　staff　of　office；　but　even　respect　for
the　emperor　gave　way　to　the　furious　animosity　against　the　Jews；　to　the
fierce　excitement　of　battle；　and　to　the　insatiable　hope　of　plunder。　The
soldiers　saw　everything　around　them　radiant　with　gold；　which　shone
dazzlingly　in　the　wild　light　of　the　flames；　they　supposed　that　incalculable
treasures　were　laid　up　in　the　sanctuary。　A　soldier；　unperceived；　thrust　a
lighted　torch　between　the　hinges　of　the　door：　the　whole　building　was　in
flames　in　an　instant。　The　blinding　smoke　and　fire　forced　the　officers　to
retreat；　and　the　noble　edifice　was　left　to　its　fate。

〃It　was　an　appalling　spectacle　to　the　Romanwhat　was　it　to　the　Jew？　The
whole　summit　of　the　hill　which　commanded　the　city；　blazed　like　a　volcano。
One　after　another　the　buildings　fell　in；　with　a　tremendous　crash；　and　were
swallowed　up　in　the　fiery　abyss。　The　roofs　of　cedar　were　like　sheets　of
flame；　the　gilded　pinnacles　shone　like　spikes　of　red　light；　the　gate　towers
sent　up　tall　columns　of　flame　and　smoke。　The　neighboring　hills　were　lighted
up；　and　dark　groups　of　people　were　seen　watching　in　horrible　anxiety　the
progress　of　the　destruction：　the　walls　and　heights　of　the　upper　city　were
crowded　with　faces；　some　pale　with　the　agony　of　despair；　others　scowling
unavailing　vengeance。　The　shouts　of　the　Roman　soldiery　as　they　ran　to　and
fro；　and　the　howlings　of　the　insurgents　who　were　perishing　in　the　flames；
mingled　with　the　roaring　of　the　conflagration　and　the　thundering　sound　of
falling　timbers。　The　echoes　of　the　mountains　replied　or　brought　back　the
shrieks　of　the　people　on　the　heights；　all　along　the　walls　resounded　screams
and　wailings；　men　who　were　expiring　with　famine　rallied　their　remaining
strength　to　utter　a　cry　of　anguish　and　desolation。

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〃The　slaughter　within　was　even　more　dreadful　than　the　spectacle　from
without。　Men　and　women；　old　and　young；　insurgents　and　priests；　those　who
fought　and　those　who　entreated　mercy；　were　hewn　down　in　indiscriminate
carnage。　The　number　of　the　slain　exceeded　that　of　the　slayers。　The
legionaries　had　to　clamber　over　heaps　of　dead　to　carry　on　the　work　of
extermination。〃Milman；　The　History　of　the　Jews；　book　16。

After　the　destruction　of　the　temple；　the　whole　city　soon　fell　into　the　hands
of　the　Romans。　The　leaders　of　the　Jews　forsook　their　impregnable　towers；　and
Titus　found　them　solitary。　He　gazed　upon　them　with　amazement；　and　declared
that　God　had　given　them　into　his　hands；　for　no　engines；　however　powerful；
could　have　prevailed　against　those　stupendous　battlements。　Both　the　city　and
the　temple　were　razed　to　their　foundations；　and　the　ground　upon　which　the
holy　house　had　stood　was　〃plowed　like　a　field。〃　Jeremiah　26：18。　In　the　siege
and　the　slaughter　that　followed；　more　than　a　million　of　the　people　perished；
the　survivors　were　carried　away　as　captives；　sold　as　slaves；　dragged　to　Rome
to　grace　the　conqueror's　triumph；　thrown　to　wild　beasts　in　the
amphitheaters；　or　scattered　as　homeless　wanderers　throughout　the　earth。

The　Jews　had　forged　their　own　fetters；　they　had　filled　for　themselves　the
cup　of　vengeance。　In　the　utter　destruction　that　befell　them　as　a　nation；　and
in　all　the　woes　that　followed　them　in　their　dispersion；　they　were　but
reaping　the　harvest　which　their　own　hands　had　sown。　Says　the　prophet：　〃O
Israel；　thou　hast　destroyed　thyself；〃　〃for　thou　hast　fallen　by　thine
iniquity。〃　Hosea　13：9；　14：1。　Their　sufferings　are　often　represented　as　a
punishment　visited　upon　them　by　the　direct　decree　of　God。　It　is　thus　that
the　great　deceiver　seeks　to　conceal　his　own　work。　By　stubborn　rejection　of
divine　love　and　mercy；　the　Jews　had　caused　the　protection　of　God　to　be
withdrawn　from　them；　and　Satan　was　permitted　to　rule　them　according　to　his
will。　The　horrible　cruelties　enacted　in　the

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destruction　of　Jerusalem　are　a　demonstration　of　Satan's　vindictive　power
over　those　who　yield　to　his　control。

We　cannot　know　how　much　we　owe　to　Christ　for　the　peace　and　protection　which
we　enjoy。　It　is　the　restraining　power　of　God　that　prevents　mankind　from
passing　fully　under　the　control　of　Satan。　The　disobedient　and　unthankful
have　great　reason　for　gratitude　for　God's　mercy　and　long…suffering　in
holding　in　check　the　cruel；　malignant　power　of　the　evil　one。　But　when　men
pass　the　limits　of　divine　forbearance；　that　restraint　is　removed。　God　does
not　stand　toward　the　sinner　as　an　executioner　of　the　sentence　against
transgression；　but　He　leaves　the　rejectors　of　His　mercy　to　themselves；　to
reap　that　which　they　have　sown。　Every　ray　of　li