u hopest! He still receives his accustomed
sacrifices! Vile wretch that thou art! if any one should deprive thee of
thy daily food, thou wouldst esteem him to be an enemy to thee; but thou
hopest to have that God for thy supporter in this war whom thou hast
deprived of his everlasting worship; and thou imputest those sins to the
Romans, who to this very time take care to have our laws observed, and
almost compel these sacrifices to be still offered to God, which have
by thy means been intermitted! Who is there that can avoid groans and
lamentations at the amazing change that is made in this city? since
very foreigners and enemies do now correct that impiety which thou hast
occasioned; while thou, who art a Jew, and wast educated in our laws,
art become a greater enemy to them than the others. But still, John, it
is never dishonorable to repent, and amend what hath been done amiss,
even at the last extremity. Thou hast an instance before thee in
Jechoniah, [7] the king of the Jews, if thou hast a mind to save the
city, who, when the king of Babylon made war against him, did of his
own accord go out of this city before it was taken, and did undergo a
voluntary captivity with his family, that the sanctuary might not be
delivered up to the enemy, and that he might not see the house of God
set on fire; on which account he is celebrated among all the Jews, in
their sacred memorials, and his memory is become immortal, and will be
conveyed fresh down to our posterity through all ages. This, John, is
an excellent example in such a time of danger, and I dare venture to
promise that the Romans shall still forgive thee. And take notice that
I, who make this exhortation to thee, am one of thine own nation; I,
who am a Jew, do make this promise to thee. And it will become thee to
consider who I am that give thee this counsel, and whence I am derived;
for while I am alive I shall never be in such slavery, as to forego
my own kindred, or forget the laws of our forefathers. Thou hast
indignation at me again, and makest a clamor at me, and reproachest me;
indeed I cannot deny but I am worthy of worse treatment than all this
amounts to, because, in opposition to fate, I make this kind invitation
to thee, and endeavor to force deliverance upon those whom God hath
condemned. And who is there that does not know what the writings of the
ancient prophets contain in them,--and particularly that oracle which
is just now going to be fulfilled upon