The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-04-08
DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM

J
remarkable appearance in the heavens
which preceded the destruction of Jerusa-
lem, by the Roman army, is taken from
Salathiel." The scene is laid at the time
when the Roman soldiers were first enter
/ ing the city,.
! :" In that hour came one of those solemn
signs that marked the downfall of Jerusa-
| lem.
"The tempest that had blown at inter
walls with tremendous violence, died away
at once, and stream Of light assembled
from the horizon, and rolled up rapidly to
the zenith: The phenomenon Immediately
liked every eye. There was an indefnabe
sense in the general mind that a sign of
power and providence was about to be
given. The battle ceased, the outcries
were followed by utter silence: the armed
ranks stood still, in the very act of running
ON each other; all faces were turned on
the heavens.
The light rose pale and quivering, like
the meteors Of summer evening; but in
the zenith it spread and swelled into a
splendor that distinguished it irresistlbly
from the wonders of the air. 1t swiftly
eclipsed every star. The moon vanished
before it; the canopy of the sky seemed
to be dissolved, for a view into the bright
and Infinite region beyond, fit for the ca
reer of these mighty beings to whom man
is but feather on the gale
" AS we gaZed, the boundless field was
transformed into field of battle multi
tudes poured across it in the fercest con-
vulslons of combat: horsemen charged,
and died under their horses feet; armor
and standard were trampled in blood :;
column and line burst through each other.
At length the battle stopped towards the
earth; and with hearts beating with in
descrlbabe feelings, were recognized the
banners of the different tribes. 1t was
Jew and Roman struggling for life; the
very countenance of the combatants be-
came visible, and each man below saw a
representative of himself and his fortune
above. The fate of the Jewish war was
there written by the hand of heaven. The
fate of the individual was there predicted
in the individual triumph or fall. What
thought of man can conceive the intense
interest with which we watched every
blow, every movement, every word of these
images of ourselves.
"The light illuminated the whole hori-
ION below The legions were soon drawn
every helmet and spear-point glittering in
the radiance; every face turned up, gaz-
ing in awe and terror on the sky. The
tents spreading over the hills; thousands
and tens Of thousands of auxiliaries and
captives; the little groups of the peasantry
reused from sleep by the uproar Of the
night, and gathered upon the knobs and
eminences of their fields; all were bathed
in flood preturnatural lustre.
"But the wonderous battle approached
its close. The visionary Romans shook
column and cohort gave way, and the ban
ners of the tribes waved in victory over
field. The first human voices dared to be
heard, from the city and the plain burst
forth one mighty shout of triumph.
But our presumption was to be soon
checked. A peal of thunder, that made
the very ground tremble under foot, rolled
from the four quarters of the heavens
The conquering host shook, broke and fled
in utter confusion over the sapphire field.
1t was pursued by no semblance of Ro-
mans. An awful enemy was on its steps,
flashes of forked fire, like myriads of
lances, darted down, as the smoke of
mighty furnace; globes of light shot blaz-
ing and burning along its track. Then
amid the double roar of thunder, rushing
forth the cavalry of Heaven: shapes OF
transcendent beauty, yet with looks Of
wrath that blasted human eyes; armed
sons Of Immortality descended on the wing
by millions mingled with shapes and in
struments of ruin for which the mind has no
conception.
"The circles of the heavens were filled
with the charots and horses of fire. Flight
was in vain; the weapons were seen to
drop from the Jewish host; their warriors
sank upon the splendid field. Still the i'm
destroying, until the last of the routed was
consumed
"The angry pomp then paused. Count
less wings were spread, and the multi
tudes, having done the work of vengeance,
rushed upwards with the sound of the
ocean in the storm. The roar of the trum-
pets and thunders was heard, until the
splendor was lost in the heights of the en-
pyrean.
ave felt the terrible warning. Our
strength was dried up at the sight, despair
seized upon our souls. We had now seen
the fate of Jerusalem. No victory over
man could save us from the coming of final
ruin. Thousands never left the ground on
which they stood-they perished by their
own hands, or laid down and died of broken
hearts. The rest fed through the night,
that again wrapped them in tenfold dark
ness. The whole multitude scattered
away, with soundless steps and in silence,
like an army of spectres."
From the WiliamStO,cn Adu0cate.
STAR GAZING.
1t is recorded of Thales, the celebrated Gre