# Jerusalem's captivities lamented, or, The history of Jerusalem

JERUSALEM'S
Captivities Lamented :
OR, THE
HISTORY
OF JERUSALEM.
FROM JOSHUA'S TIME IN THE YEAR 1517,
BOTH FROM SCRIPTURE AND ANCIENT RECORDS.
1. The antiquity of the city and number of inhabitants, with the depth and breadth of the trenches, height of the walls, and the number of the towers that stood thereon.
2. The greatness of the people, and the glory of the Sanctum Sanctorum, or the Holy of Holies; with a description of the birth, life, and death of our blessed Saviour, and miraculous wonders that happened about that time.
3. The sad and lamentable destruction and desolation of Jerusalem, by fire, sword, famine and pestilence.
TO WHICH IS ADDED,
A full and true account of
The Life of St. Peter,
THE APOSTLE,
who was crucified at Rome with his head downwards.
FALKIRK:
PRINTED AND SOLD BY T. JOHNTSON.
Jerusalem's Captivities Lamented, &c.
JERUSALEM was a principal city in Joshua's time when Adombezek was king, who was slain by him; yet the Jebusites held it four hundred years after, till David won it, though the inhabitants boasted that their blind and their lame should defend it. 2 Sam v. 6. David strengthened it with a castle, and beautified it with palaces; after this Solomon enlarged it, and further beautified and fortified it, the palace, gates and walls could not be matched in all the world, and had within the walls one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, besides women and children.
The trenches about it were sixty foot deep cut out of a rock, and two hundred and fifty broad. Not long after Shishak king of Egypt took it and became master of Solomon's riches, and of all King David's spoil, which he had taken from many nations, 2 King xiv. It was again plundered, and part of the wall broken down by Joash, king of Israel in Amaziah's reign, 2 Kings xv. Not long after Ahas the 15th king of Judah impoverished the temple to present Tiglathphilnezzer with the treasures thereof and Ma masses, lost what remained, I Chron. v.
And Nebuchadnezzer laid this glorious city, with the temple, palace, walls, and towers, even to the ground, 2 Kings xix, After eighteen months siege in the eleventh year of Zedikiah, the ninth day of the fourth month, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, the princess of Babylon surprised and took this brave city ; presently after Nebuzradan, general of the Babylorian army, commanded by Nebuchadnezzar, spoiled the temple, carrying away the vessels of gold and silver, and the great layer given by king Solomon, and burned the ​temple the first day of the next month, which was twenty one days after the surprisal, 470 years six months, and ten days after the foundation; 903 years six months, and ten days after the departure of the people out of Egypt; 1760 years, and six months after the flood; 3416 years, six months and ten days after the creation. Thus, and then was the city of Jerusalem taken, and for seventy years remained the Jews in this captivity.
It was built again by Nehemiah, Chron. i. ii. iii. iv. The temple and city was spoiled again by Burgoses Lieutenant to Artaxerexes then by Ptolomeuts the first then by Antiochus Ephiphanes, and again by Appolonious's deputy; after which, it was taken by Ponipy, and robbed by Crassus in his Parthian expedition. Yet all the losses the temple and city sustained were repaired by Herod the great, who enlarged the city, new built the temple, and left it both stately and glorious; it was compassed with three strong walls, the third wall had ninty towers, the second wall had fourteen, and the old wall had sixty: Agrippa built a fourth wall ten cubits high, but did not finish it, lest Claudious Cæser should think he designed to rebel: yet the Jews afterwards built it twenty cubits high, and raised a battlement two cubits, and built three towers thereon: All their towers were built of white marble, each stone being twenty cubits long, ten broad, and five thick; so curiously joined, that they seem'd but one stone, and the compass of the city, from the north to the west, was forty three furlongs.
Within the city was the king's palace surpassing all in the world for largeness and workmanship, invironed with a wall, which was thirty cubits high adorned with towers and beautified with houses to an hundred of the nobility; and in every room were many vessels of gold and silver, and porches adorned with ​curious pillars, and many pleasant walks, with all manner of trees and fountains, which spouted up water, with cisterns and brazen statues, from which ran water continually.
The temple was built upon a rocky mountain, and the place at the top, was not at first big enough for the temple and court, the hill being very steep, but the people every day brought earth thither, and they at last made it plain and large enough, with wonderful curiosity and labour, inclosed with three walls which were many days labour, with the cost of all the holy treasure offered to God from all parts; the foundation of the temple was laid three hundred cubits deep; the porches were double supported by many pillars twenty cubits high, all of one piece of marble, the tops of cyder so exactly wrought, as astonished beholders, the porches were thirty cabits broad, and the compass of the temple was six furlongs; the courts were curiously paved and wrought with all sorts of stones, and the gates were covered with weighty plates of gold, only one with Corinthian brass, which for beauty excelled the other, dazzling the eyes of the spectator.
Then the Holy of Holies, or Sanctum Sanctorum, situate in the midst, had twelve stairs to get up to it, the fore part of it was an hundred cubits high, and as many broad, and backwards it was forty cubits on each side. It had as it were two shoulders twenty cubits high, and twenty five wide, and had no doors to shew that heaven was always open. All the fore parts were gilded within and covered with fine gold, the inner part was divided into two rooms, whereof the first only might be seen, which was in height ninety cubits, in length forty, and in breadth twenty. Round about the wall was golden vine, whereon hung grapes in clusters, being six foot long; it had golden gates fifty five cubits high, and sixteen broad, ​and curious hangings of the same length, wrought with purple, velvet, scarlet and silk. All the fabric was so exquisite and rich, that none could imagine and workmanship to be wanted, for it was all covered with massy plates of gold, which astonished the beholders; the tops was also set with rods of gold, sharp at the ends, lest birds should sit thereon, and defile the holy place.
Our Saviour was born in the year of that world 4004, and in the 43d year of Augustus Cæsar many remarkable things were seen in the heavens, which caused the wise men to conclude, that some more than ordinary person would appear upon the earth, and the learned though it to be Augustus Cæsar, who then reigned prosperously: And others thought it to be whom the prophet Isaiah speaks of, that should have the government on his shoulders, even the Saviour of the world, whom the Evangelists mention the angels declared to the shepherds, and the star directed the wise men of the east to find out the place of his birth. So that,
As the new earth with a new Sun was blest, So heaven with a new glorious star was drest.
At Christ's birth the temple of Rome, dedicated to the God Pan, fell to the earth, and when it was built the Romans addressed to the oracle Apollo to know how long it should endure, who answered, Till a virgin should bring forth a son, which they judged impossible, therefore they believed that their temple should last eternally.
That night that Christ was born, there appeared in Spain at midnight, a cloud with so great a light, that it seemed like mid-day. St. Jerome writes that when the virgin fled with her son into Egypt, that all the images of the gods tumbled from their altars to the very ground; and that the oracles or answers, ​which these gods, or rather devils used to give them ceased, and never answered afterwards.
The first year of Christ's birth, there were many strange things that happened in Germany, and in Rome, and a terrible eclipse of the sun. At the twelfth year of his age he disputed with the doctors, and at that time there appeared a terrible comet, that the light of the sun apparently failed, and the heavens seemed to burn, and fire beams fell from them. In the 22d year of his age, several bloody comets were seen, and the river Tybar overflowed the city of Rome.
Publius Lentullus's Epistle to Rome concerning
CHRIST.
There appeared in those days a man of great virtue called Jesus Christ, is yet living among us, and of the people is called a prophet; but his own disciples call him the Son of God; he raiseth the dead, cureth all manner of diseases: a man of stature, somewhat tall and comely with a reverend countenance, such as the beholders nay both fear and love; his hair is of the colour of a chesnut full ripe, and plain down almost to his ears, but from thence downward somewhat curled, but more orient of colours waving about his shoulders; in midst of his head goeth a seam of his hair, or parting, like that of the Nazarites; his forehead very plain and smooth; his face without spot or wrinkle beautified with a comely red; his nose and mouth so formed that nothing can be reprehended, his beard thick, in colour of the hair of his head; his eyes grey, clear and quick; in reproving he is severe, in counselling courteous and fair spoken; pleasant in speech, mixed with gravity; it cannot be remembered that any have seen him laugh, but many have seen him weep; in proportion of body well shaped and ​straight; his hands and arms very delectable to behold, in speaking very temperate modest and wise, a man for his singular beauty far exceeding the sons of men.
Within the thirty third year of Christ's life, he was crucified by the wicked hands of the Jews which caused many miracles attested both by heathens and Christians. At his death there was a mighty darkness: In the day time, from six till nine, that is, from our twelve, to our three in the afternoon, and yet no eclipse of the sun, it being full moon, so it was contrary to the order of nature, but the power of God deprived the sun of its light.
Dennis the Areopagite, being that day in Athens, and seeing the darkness, cried with a loud voice, Either the world is at an end, or the God of nature suffers. Then the men of Athens being astonished, built an altar to the unknown God: and afterwards St. Paul declared to them, That Christ who suffered that day was the unknown God; whereby he converteb many to the Christian faith.
It is likewise acknowledged by Plutarch, though a heathen, that after the death of Christ, not only the oracles of Egypt ceased, but through all the world, of which he can give no reason being ignorant of, Christianity; however satan did plainly acknowledge himself overcome by the death of Christ, and could never give any answers afterwards. The words of Plutarch to Emilius the orator; concerning the matter, are, as follows. My father coming by sea towards Italy, and coasting by night about an island not inhabited, called Paraxis, when most in the ship were at rest, they heard a fearful voice which came from that island, that called on Alaman, who was pilot of the ship; and an Egyptian born, though his voice was heard once or twice, yet no man had the courage to answer it till the third time, when the pilot ​answered, Who is there? Who is it that calls? What would you have? When the voice spoke more high! and said, Alaman I require when you pass the gulph of Langu all you remember to call aloud, and make them to understand that the great god Pan is dead. At these words all in the ship were astonished, and concluded that the pilot should not take notice of the voice, nor stay in the gulph to utter such words if they could get beyond it: Now going on their voyage, and coming to the place before mentioned, the ship stood still, and the sea was calm, that they could go no farther : Whereupon they resolved that Alaman should perform his embassage, so he placed himself upon the poop of the ship, and cried aloud, Be it known unto you that the great god Pan is dead. When he had uttered these words, they heard many mournful cries, groans, and lamentations, that continued some time, which surprised those in the ship: But having a prosperous gale, they followed their course, and arrived at Rome, and told the adventure, and told Tiberius the Emperor, all the truth thereof.
Where it is evident, that Satan in all parts was banished by the death of Christ, and it is supposed that this god Pan is not to be restrained only to the god of the shepherds, but was rather some master devil, who lost his power and empire, as the others had done before, by the death of Jesus Christ.
About forty years after the death of Christ, the Jews had many warnings shewed them from heaven. Before Vespasion came, in the feast of weeks, the priest heard a man walking in the temple, saying with a terrible voice, Come let us go away out of this place, let us make away from hence.
Now the sins of the Jews being come to the full height, who with cruel hands had crucified the Lord of Life, that innocent blood, which they desired might fall on them and their children, it began now to be ​avenged upon them; for the civil wars were begun by Jehonanan and Simon, who destroyed all the corn and fruits without the city, and Jehonanan within the city ravished the citizens wives and daughters and shed floods of innocent blood. The citizens being weary of this tyranny delivered the city to Simon, thinking he would help them, but he joined the other rebel, and reigned month about, till at last they quarrelled between themselves.
Then there was nothing but slaughters and blood shed, so that the blood of the Jews ran thro' the streets even to the temple of the Lord, like a flood; all that the seditious overcame they set their houses on fire, so that they burnt fourteen hundred store houses, that were full of corn, wine, and oil, which caused a sudden famine in Jerusalem. Thus God visited the city with four plagues at once, viz. sword, pestilence, famine and fire; to which the fifth was added, the ruin and destruction of all the glorious buildings, so that nothing but desolutions, pollutions of the temple and all holy things, and uproars, without any rest, no help, no succour, but every corner was full of howling, yelling, weeping, wailing, sobbing, and sighing of women and children, and aged men staring for want of bread, and others roaring in their wounds, so that all manner of miseries oppressed the inhabitants; for he was thought a happy man that was dead before the day.
At this time Vespasian, with his army was lying in Galilee, and from thence he went to Rome to receive the imperial crown, and left his son Titus with the half of his army to beseige Jerusalem, the other to tarry at Alexandri till further orders. That I shall do, (said Titus) dear father, for unto you it belongeth to command, and me to obey.
In the first year of the reign of Vespasian, Titus mustered his army, and found them sufficient for the ​siege of Jerusalem, he then marched to Samaria and from thence to Atelphia, thirty furlongs from Jerusalem, where he pitched his camp, and the next day he brought the whole army to Jerusalem, a little before the feast of unleavened bread, which was April the 14th. so that an infinit number of the people, that come to celebrate, were all shut up in the city, which raised a famine; oxens dung was sold at a dear rate, so was old leather, and some women for want, boiled their own children and did eat them.
Now Titus approached the walls of the city and pitched his camp upon the river Peleponina, raised a mount, and with a battering ram broke into the city May 7th., and afterwards he raised four other mounts and made himself master of the second wall, and built twelve castles thereon, so that none could pass in or out, whereby the famine and pestilence raged within and the sword without the city, so that multitudes perished; for from April the 13, to July following, there were buried by the common charge of the city, six hundred thousand carcases, and multitudes thrown into empty houses, and over the walls which filled the houses with dead bodies. Titus intended to save the temple from fire, when some of the city was in flames by setting a guard upon it, but the seditious who raised the fire slew every man of the guard, which Titus hearing brought his whole army thitner. At that time a soldier of the seditious took a flaming fire brand, and cast it through the golden window into the temple, and others set fire to the doors and after the gold grew hot, the temple began to burn, and immediately the whole fabric was in a flame, and the holy of holies was laid open to the view of all there present.
This happened the second year of the reign of Vespasian: and the same month that it was burnt by Nebuchadnezzar, Titus drew his sword to save the ​holy place, but the flames rushed through all parts of the temple in a moment, so that none could save it: the Jews seeing all go to destruction before their eyes, they then threw themselves into the flames, saying, why should we live any longer? Now there was no temple after the holy of holies was burnt Titus entered it, and saw the glory of it. and said, I well percieve that this is no other than the house of God, and the dwelling place of the king of heaven; the God of heaven, who is God of this house, take vengeance, on the seditious whose heinous deeds have brought this evil upon themselves, and this holy place.
On September the seventh Titus commanded all the lower city to be set on fire, and assaulted the upper city, breaking over the fences, and destroying all before them with fire and sword then commanded the city and temple to be raized to the foundation, and the ground to be forthwith plowed. And Jehonanen and Simon were sent prisoners to Rome, with seven hundred of the Jews: the book of the law, and the purple vail of the sanctuary were taken in triumph to Rome. About that time neither sun nor moon were seen for fifteen days, as Christ foretold, Matth. xxiv. 15,
St. Jerome writes, that in this time, on that day of the year wherein Jerusalem was taken by the Romans you might have seen aged men and women, and several other wretched people, but pitied by none who with blubbered cheeks and dischevelled hair, went howling and lamenting for the ruin of the temple and sanctuary, wearing and bearing in their habits and bodies, the sad characters of divine vengence, of whom the soldiers exacted a fee for liberty of weeping; and they who formerly sold the blood of Jesus, were now forced to buy their own tears.
The Roman soldiers being now quite spent with ​doing execution, and having a great deal more of that work yet to do, Titus ordered his men to hold their hands, saving only to those that they found armed, or in a posture of resistance, and give quarter to all the rest. But the soldiers went beyond their commision, and put the aged and the sickly to the sword, promiscuously, with their companions, and for those, that were strong and serviceable, they shut them up in the temple, in the women's quarters. Cæsar appointed Fromo, one of his friends and freemen, to inform him of the people, and to do by them as they deserved. As for the ruffians, and the seditious, that impeached one another, he had them all put to death; but for men of comely and graeeful persons, and in the prime of their youth, he reserved them for the triumph; sending away all of above seventeen of the remainder of them, in chains into Egypt, to be employed in servile offices and drugery: besides those that were distributed up and down the provinces for the use of theatres in the quality of swords men or gladiators; and all under seventeen he exposed to sale.
In the meantime while the prisoners were under Fronto's charge, there were eleven thousand of them starved to death, betwixt the churlishness of the keepers that would give them no meat; and the squeemishness of their stomachs, that would swallow none. But in truth, the mouths were too many for the provisions.
The number of prisoners in this war was ninety seven thousand. The number of the dead was eleven hundred thousand; the greater part of them Jews by nation, tho' not natives of Judea: for it was only a general meeting of them at Jerusalem, gathered together from all quarters to celebrate the feast of the passover; who were there suprised into a war. There was such a prodigious multitude, and they so ​straitened for lodgings, that the croud first brought thc plague into the town, and then quickly made way for a famine, The city not being capable of entertaining that vast body of people, if the calculation of Cestius may at least pass for any thing: As follows.
Nero had so great a contempt for the Jews, that Cestius made it his sult to the high priest to bethink themselves of some way of numbering their peoplc: And this he did out of a desire to give Nero to understand, that the Jewish nation was not so dispiseable as he imagined; so that they took their time to enter upon the computation, at the celebration of their paschal feast: When offering up sacrifice according to custom, from the ninth hour of the day to the eleventh, and the sacrifice to be eaten afterwards in their families, by ten at least, and sometimes twenty to a lamb: They reckoned upon two hundred and sixty six thousand, fivc hundred oblations; which at the rate of ten to a lamb, amounted to two millions, five hundred and sixty thousand persons, all pure and sound; for neither lepers, scorbutic, men troubled with gonorhoeas, women in their monthly sickness, or people labouring under any malignant distempers, werc admitted to any part in this solemnity; No more were any strangers, but what came thither for religion. So that this mighty concourse of people from abroad before the siege, was afterwards, by the righteous providence of God, cooped up in the city as in a prison: and the number of the slain in that siege was the heaviest judgment of that kind that ever was heard of. Some were killed openly, others kept in custody by the Romans, who searched the very sepulchres and vaults for them, and put all they found alivc to the sword. There were upwards of two thousand that had either laid violent hands on themselves, or killed one another by consent; besides ​those that perished by the famine. The putrid corruption of dead bodies sent out a vapour to prison as many as came within the reach of it. Some were not able to endure it, and so went out of the way; others had their hearts so set upon Sooty, that they rifled the very carcases, and trampled upon the dead bodies as they lay soaking in their corruption; but avarice sticks at nothing. They brought out several prisoners also that the two tyrants had laid in chains there; for they kept up their cruelty to the last: But God s justice overtook them both in the end; for John and his brethren in the vaults were now driven by the distress of an unsupportable hunger, to beg that mercy of the Romans, that they had so often despised: and Simon after a long struggle with an unsupportable necessity, delivered up himself: The latter being reserved for the triumph, and John made prisoner for life. The Romans, after this burnt the remainder of the city, and threw down the walls.
The power of God on the one hand, and his goodness on the other, was very remarkable upon this occasion: For the tyrants ruined themselves, by quitting those holds of their own accord, that could never have been taken but by famine: And this after the Jews had spent so much time to no purpose upon other places of less value. By this means the Romans became masters of three impregnable forts, by fortune that could never have been taken any other way: For the three famous towers before mentioned were proof against all batteries.
Upon Simon and John's quitting these towers; or rather, upon their being driven out of them by the impulse of judicial infatuation, they hastened away to the vale of Siloa, where they took breath a while, and after some recollection, and refreshment, they gave an assault to the new wall there: ut so faint and weak, that the guards, beat them off; for between ​fatigue, despondency, dread and misery, their strength failed them, and they were then scattered several ways into sinks and gutters.
The soldiers were now broken loose all over the town, up and down in the streets, with their swords drawn, killing all that fell in their way without distinction: and burning entire houses, and whatever was in them, in one common flame In several places, where they entered to search for pillage, they found whole families dead, and houses crammed with hunger starved carcases: So that upon the horror of so hideous a spectacle, they came out again empty handed; but the compassion they had for the dead, made them not one jot tenderer to the living; for they stabbed every man they met till the narrow passages and alleys were choaked up with carcases. so that the channels of the city ran blood, as if it had been to quench the fire. In the evening, they gave over killing and at night they fell afresh to burning.
The eighth of the month Gorpieus put an end to the conflagration of Jerusalem. (A. D. 70.) and if all the blessings it ever enjoyed from the foundation of it, had been but comparable in proportion to the calamities it suffered in this siege, that city has been undoubtedly the envy of the world. But the greatest plague of all came out of its own bowels; in that infernal race of vipers that it brought forth to eat out of the belly of the mother.
While Titus was now taking a view of the ruins of this glorious city ; the works, the fortifications, and especially the turrets, which the tyrants had so sottishly abandoned; while Cæsar I say, was entertaining himself in the contemplation of the height, dimensions, and situation of these towers, the design. workmanship, and curiosity of the fabric with the wonderful contrivance of the whole: He let fall this expression, Well says he of God had not fought for us, ​and with us we could never have been masters of these forts. It was God in fire that assisted us, and that fought against the Jews, for it was not an undertaking to be compassed with hands or machines.
This was, in fine the issue of the siege: And when the soldiers had neither rapine nor blood shed for their spleens to work upon, (as they would not have been idle, if they had matter. Titus ordered them to lay the city and temple level with the ground; and to have nothing standing, but the three famous turrets, Thasael, Hippicos, and Marriamne, that overtoped all the rest; and a piece of wall to the west-ward of the town, where he designed a garrison. The towers to remain as so many monuments to posterity of the Roman's power and conduct in taking of them. This order was punctually executed, and all the rest laid so flat, that the place looked as if it never had been inhabited. This was the end of the Jerusalem faction; a mad and seditious people: And was also the end of the most glorious city of the universe.
What is here chiefly remarkable in this; that no foreign nation ever came thus to destroy the Jews at any of their solemn festivals, from the days of Moses till this time, but came now upon their apostacy from God, and from disobedience of him. Nor is it possible, in the nature of things, that in any other nation, such vast numbers should be gotten together, and perish in this siege of any one city whatsoever, as now happened in Jerusalem.
Thus was Jerusalem taken and utterly destroyed, in the second year of Vespasion, and on the eight day of the month Gorpieus, having been five times taken before; i. o. by Abchæus king of Egypt, Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria ; Pompy, and Herod, with Sosius ; who did all preserve the city after it was taken. But Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, laid it waste one thousand three hundred and sixty ​years, eight months and six days after the building of it.
The first founder of it was a Canaantish prince called Melchizedeck, which in the Hebrew language signifies a just king; for such as he in an eminent manner. He first dedicated the city to God; erected a temple in it, and officiated in the quality of a priest. giving it one name of Jerusalem, which before was called Solyma.
When David the king of the Jews came afterwards to drive out the Canaanites, he planted his own people there: And in four hundred and seventy seven years and three months after this, it was laid waste by the Babylonians.
From the reign of David there, to the destruction of the city by Titus, it was one thousand one hundred seventy nine years; and two thousand one hundred and seventy seven from the foundation of it. But neither the antiquity, wealth, fame, nor the honour of the religion itself, was any security against the appointments of fate, and them which afterwards saw it could not believe that ever there had been such a city there, yet the dispised Jews begged leave to build part of the city, but after sixty five years, when they began to revolt. Then Elius Adrianus the Emperor slew many thousands of them: And when his fury was over, he took one part of the city without the wall mount Calvery and Christ's sepulchre, and made a spacious city, which he called after his own name, Amelia Capitolia, which was inhabited by all nations, but most by Christians for five hundred years, and in six hundred and thirty nine, it was taken by the Egyptians and Saracens, who held it four hundred years ; and in one thousand and thirty nine, it was regained by Godfrey Bollogn, who being elected king, refused to be crowned with a crown of gold where Christ was crowned with a crown of thorns: ​It continued to him and his successors eighty eight years, till in 1127, it was taken by Saladine, king of Egypt; and in one thousand five hundred and seventeen the Turks took it (who are still masters of it) and called it in their own language Gunembreroa, the holy of holies.
The LIFE of St PETER the Apostle who was crucified at Rome with his head downwards.
His festival is celebrated by the Chureh, June 20.
ST Peter was born at Bethsaida, a place that had the honour of our Saviour's presence, who residing usually in these parts, did often resort thither. He is generally thought to be but ten years older than his Master, which his married condition, and the respeet shewed him by the rest of the apostles, for his gravity of person, with other circumstanees, seem to eonfirm. Being eireumcised aecording to the law, his name then given him was Simon, to whieh our blessed Lord added that of Cephas, signifying a stone, or rock, whieh is Peter in English. He was brother to St Andrew the apostle, who first brought him to the knowledge of the gosple. The father was Jonah of Bethsaida, probably a fisherman, who had the honour as well as Zebedee, to have each of them two of their sons among our Saviour's Apostles, though but twelve in number. Peter was employed in fishing in the sea of Galilee, being one hundred furlongs in length, and forty in breadth, the water elear and sweet, and stored with several kinds of choiee fish.
And here let us admire at the wonderful methods of Divine Providence, that low and mean men should be armed with such Divine Power, as to ruin the kingdom of Satan. The vile apostate Julian objected against the prophets of the Old Testament, that they ​were a company of rude illiterate men; but we find that these unlearned men and innocent apostles, by the assistanee of the Almighty, suddenly and powerfully prevailed over the learned world. Our Saviour designing to eleet some peeuliar persons to propegate his gospel through all nations, made choiee of twelve to be his apostles, and Simon Peter is by the Evangelists put in front of them.
It may be enquired when, and by whom the apostles were baptized; Nicephorus relates. That of all the apostles, Christ baptized none but Peter with his own hands, and Peter baptized Andrew, and the two sons of Zebedee, and the rest of the apostles. Among the twelve, our Saviour choiced three, who seem to be his near intimate eompanions, and whom he let into the most seeret passages and transaetions of his life, namely Peter, James and John, they being with him at the rising of Jarius daughter, as also at his transfiguration on the mount, where Peter desired our Lord, that he might build three tabernaeles in memory of that great transaction; One author writes, that in pursuanee of his petition, there were afterwards three churches built upon the top of this mountain; and one writer reports, that in his time, they shewed the ruins of these three tabernacles, which were built aceording to St Peter's desire.
After our Lord had entered Jerusalem in triumph, he retired to Bethany, and dispatehed Peter and John to make a preparation for the passover; aeeordingly they found the person whom he had described to them and followed him to his house, which whether it was St John the Evangelist's, situate near Mount Sion, or Simon the leper, or Nicodemus, or Joseph of Arimathea is uncertain. These two, with St James, aeeompanied him to the garden in his agony; and Eusebius writes, that even at this time, Christians were wont to come hither solemnly to offer up their prayers to ​God, and Christ Jesus. Our Lord being ascended into heaven and having fulfilled his promise of sending the Holy Ghost, the apostles and deeiples continued a while at Jerusalem, being tossed about with gentle storms, but upon aeeasion of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, a violent persecution fell upon them, which dispersed them into several countries; about the end of the reign of Caligula, the barbarous Roman Emperor; Peter having visited the churches, returned to Jerusalem, and Herod Agrippa, grandson to Herod the Great, having attained the kingdom of Judea, he, to ingratiate himself with the people, put St. James to death, and finding this grateful to the vulgar, apprehended St. Peter; and sent him to prison, placing strong guards to secure him, but the angels of the Lord delivered him in the night before his enemies designed to execute him; but before this, he is said to have gone down to Antioch, and to have planted the Christian faith, and founded a church there, as Eusebius and others reeord.
After this he went to Rome, about the seeond year of the emperor Claudius, and being mindful of the ehurehes whieh he had gathered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadoeiai Bithynia an Asia the less, writ his first epistle to them, and then took care to propagate the Christian faith, in the western parts of the world after he had eontinued some years at Rome, the Jews raising seditious tumults in the city, they were banished from thence; among whom was St. Peter, who from thence returned back to Jerusalem, and was present at the great apostoical synod, where the eontroversy about Mosaieal rites was determined, some report, that he was in Britain, and eonverted many to ehristianity: but toward the end of Nero's reign, he returned to Rome, where he found the peoples minds hardened against embraeing the Christian religion, by the subtilities and magie arts of Simon Magus; this impostor ​resided in Samaria, where St. Peter the decon preached with much success confirming the same by miracles; however, Simon was in great reputation among the people, and stiled himself, the great power of God, and affirming that he was the supreme Deity, worshipped by all nations; the apostles sent Peter and John from Jerusalem to Philip's assistancc, who when they came thither, laid their hands upon the new converts whereupon they presently reccived the Holy Ghost; which when Simon saw, he offered them money if they would confer that power upon him. But Peter perceiving his vile intentions, scornfully rejected his impious offer. However, by his witchcrafts and sorceries, he at length became acceptable to the emperor as well as the vulgar; Nero that monster, had much veneration for him, being patron of the magicians, and all thosc who have commerce with the infernal powers, and Peter being returned to Rome, resolved to encounter him, and discover the impostures and dclusions of this wretched man.
About that time, an eminent young gentleman, kinsman to the emperor, died at Rome, and the same of Peter's having power to raise the dead, his friends were persuaded to send for him, but others proposed Simon Magus, who readily came, being glad of the occasion to magnify himself among the people, and Peter being present, Simon alledged, that he had provoked the great power of God, and should lose his life if he did not raise the dead person, but if Peter prevailed he himself would submit to the same fate: Peter accepted the terms, and Simon began his charms and cnchantments, whereat the dead gentleman seemed to move his head, upon which the people shouted, and cricd he was alive, and talked to Simon, and began to insult Peter; the apostle intreated their patience, and told them it was nothing but fancy and appearance, and that if Simon were removed from ​the bed-side this delusion would soon vanish; which done, the body remained without the least sign of motion. Peter standing by at a good distance from the bed, silently made his address to heaven, and then before them all command the young man in the name of the Lord Jesus to arise, which he did immediately, and spoke, walked, and eat, and was by Peter restored to his mother. The people hereupon altered their opinions, and fell upon Simon, with intent to have stoned him: but Peter begged his life and told them, it would be punishment enough for him, to see that in despite of his malice the kingdom of Christ should increase and flourish.
The magician was inwardly tormented with this defeat, and vexed to see the triumph of the apostle, and mustered up all his infernal powers, acquainting the people, that he was offended at the Galileans, as he called the Christians, and therefore set a day when they should see him fly up to heaven, and accordingly he went up to the top of the Capital, and throwing himself from thence, began his flight, which the spectators beheld with wonder and veneration, affirming that this must be from the power of God, and not of man: Peter standing in the crowd, prayed to God, that the people might be undeceived, and that the vanity of the imposter might be discovered to the confusion of him, and shame of his admirers ; immediatley the wings which he had made himself began to fail, so that he fell to the ground miserably bruised with the fall, and being carried to a neighbouring village, and died soon after. The end of this wretched man coming to the emperor's ear: hastened St. Peter's death. Nero, no doubt, had been formerly displeased with him on account of his Christianity, and that he so strictly preached up temperance and charity, thereby reclaiming so many women in Rome, for a desolate and vicious live, which was ​so disagreeable to his wanton lascivious temper, to which he was a slavc, and being by this means robbed of his dear companion, he resolved upon revenge, causing St. Peter as also St. Paul, who was at that time at Rome) to be cast into the Martime prison, where they employed their time in preaching to the prisoners, and thosc who visited them. And here it is supposed, St. Peter wrote his second epistle to the dispersed Jews to confirm them in the faith, and fortify them against those pernicious principles and practiees, which even then began to break in upon the Christian church.
Nero returning from Achaia, and entering Rome with triumph, reved St. Peter should fall a sacrifice to his cruelty. Wile the fatal stroke was daily expected, the Christians at Rome carnestly solicited him to makc his escapc, and reserve himself for farther service to the church; which at length prevailed with him, and the next night having prayed with, and taken leavc of his brcthren, it is related, that he got over the prison wall, and being come to the city gate, hc is there said to have met with our Lord, who was just entcring the city; Peter, it is said, asked him, Lord whither art thou going? from whom he presently received this answer, I am coming to Rome to be crucified the second time; by which reply, Peter apprehended himself to be reproved, and that our Lord meant it for his death, and that he was to be crucified in his servant; and so went back to the prison, and surrendered himself to the keeper being ready to acquiesce in the will of God.
Before his suffering he was scourged after the Roman manner, who used to whip capital offenders before they suffered. Having saluted his brethren, and taken his leave of St. Paul, his fellow prisoner, he was led up to the top of the Vatican mount, being sentenced to be crucified, the most painful and ​shameful of all deaths: he then entreated the officers that he might be crucified the ordinary way, but suffer with his head downward, and his feet up to heaven, as being unworthy to die in the same posture as his blessed Master, his body being taken down, was said to have been embalmed by Marcellinus the presbyter after the Jewish way, and then buried in the Vatican, where it lay obscurely until the reign of Constantine the great, who had so much reverence for this apostle, that he built a church in the Vatican to his memory, which is now one of the most famous cathedrals in the word. This account of his death, tho' not mentioned in the holy writ, is recorded by the ancient Ecclesiastical Historians, but with what certainly it is, wc must leave the reader to judge.
Adam sinn'd and Adam fell, Then Adam's doom was death and hell! Yet by our Lord on bloody Cross, Repaird's the fall, prevents the curse; To all who look with Peter's faith, And meekly follows him to death; Who even at last with humbly sp'rit, Revers'd his head, turn'd up his feet; Which shew'd his great humility, He was unworthy, to suffer as He.
FINIS.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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