564 The Evidences of the Truth by the Romans, was in their Camp all the time that ;fernfaóem was ticire- ged. 3. As he was an Eye- witnefs, and fo able to give the trueft account of thole matters, fo bath he always had the repute of a molt faithful fliflorian. y%ph Scaliger, who was a very good Judge in thcfe matters, gives this Chara ler of him, that he was Diligentiffimus quxaxnsrstirO., omnium Scrip. torum ; The moll painful Bijlarian, and thegreate/1 lover of Tiuth, of any that he had ever read 5 De quo nos hocaudatler dicimus,- -non folum in rebus ,judaicir, fed etiam in externis, tutius ills credi quam omnibus Gracie & Latiris Hiflori- cis , of o'hom, fags he, Imight confidently affirm, that not only in the Jewifh affairs, but in all foreign matters, one may more fafely rely upon his Credit, than upon all the Greek and Latin Hiflorians put together. 4 There is no ancient Hiftory extant4 that relates any matter with fo much particularity of Circumflanees, as 3ofephus does this of the lewifh Wars, ef- pccially the Siege and Defiru&ion of jerufalem. .S. That the Providence of God may appear the more remarkable in this . Hiftory, which is the only punhlual one that hath been preferred clown to us of this great Aétion, it will be worth our obfervation to confider, how remarkably this Perlon was prefetved for the writing of this Hiftory. When Vefpatian made War upon Galilee, Iofephus was chief Commander there, and was Befieged there by hefpatian, in the City 5otapata, which ad- ter a long and flout refiftance being taken by the Romans, he with forty more hid themfelves in a Cave, where at laft they were difcovered by the Romans ; which Vefpatian hearing of, fent and ofFer'd them life 5 and Tole- phots would have accepted of their offer, but the rat would not permit him to yield himfelf, but threatned to kill him ; and when by no perfwaftons he could take them off from this obftinate refolution, he was glad to pro- pound this to them, that they fhould call lots, two by two, who fhould . die, firfi, and he that had the fecond lot should kill the firft, and the next him,; and fo on, and the tail fhould kill himfelf. The Providence of God preferved 5tofephus and another to the lafi lot 5 and when all the reft were yofephus perfwaded him toyield up himfelf to the Romans, and fo they two doped with their Lives, by which remarkable Providence he was pre- ferved to write this Hiftory. HE. It feems very plain from this Relation which yafephus gives, that the 5etoifh Nation were remarkably devoted by God to Deftru&ion, and moll fatally hardened and blinded to their own ruin. This :ofephus every where to es notice of, that there was a fad and black Fate hung over the Nation, an God teemed to have determined their ruin. And after the Deftrufkion of yevt/alem, when the Caille of Maffada was befieged by the Romans, Elea. zar the Governour, in his Speech to the Soldiers, reckons up the fad Symp- toms of God's difpleafure againfi them 5 and tells them, that from the be- ginniryg of the War it was eafie for any one to conje&ure that God in great wrath,had devoted the Nation, which he formerly loved, to Deflru&ion. Irnd indeed all along thehand ofGodwas very vilibleagainfi them5 for when in the beginning of their Rebellion Cellins Gallus the Roman Commander Rad an opportunity to have taken yerufalem, and to have put an end to the Wa 5tofephus tells us, that God being angry with them would not permit it, but did referve them for a greater and fadder Deftruftion. And afterward when Vefpatian renewed the War againfi them, yofephus tells us, that he ufed all kind of - earnefi perfwafion with his Country men to prevent their ruin by fubmitting to the Roman Government 5 but they were obllinate, and would not hearken to any moderate counfels. And when the Seditionof the Zea- Jots began in 7erufalem, yofephus takes notice that all the wifeft Men among them,, and thole who were .moll likely, by their interefi, and Moderation, t !.
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