233.1 The Jews Moved To Jealousy. 487

only never relapsed into idolatry, but you withstood every attempt to ensnare or to compel you to it. Yet, as your sufferings since that period have been so heavy and protracted, it must be supposed that your fathers committed some crime of deeper die, or at least some that was of equal enormity with your former idolatries. I ask then again, What crime is it ? for there is not one of you that will ven- ture to say, that God punishes you without a cause. If you cannot tell me, I will tell you what that crime is : it is the crucifying of your Messiah. You know, and your Rabbis all know, that there was a very general expectation of your Messiah at the precise time that Jesus came into the world. You know that Jesus professed himself to be the Messiah : you know also that he wrought innumerable miracles in confirmation of his claim : you know that he ap- pealed to Moses and the prophets as bearing witness of him : you know that he foretold all that he should suffer ; and shewed, that in all those sufferings the prophecies concerning him would be fulfilled : you know also, that the crucifying of him was a national act, in which all ranks and orders of your country- men concurred ; and that when Pilate wished to free himself from the guilt of shedding innocent blood, they all cried, " His blood be on us, and on our chil- dren!" You know, moreover, that Jesus foretold the destruction of your city and nation by the Ro- mans, together with your present desolate condition, as the punishment that should be inflicted on you for your murder of him: nay more, that these things should befall your nation before that generation should pass away. You know also, that, agreeably to his predictions, they did come to pass about forty years after his death, and that these judgments have been upon you from that time to the present hour. If you say, that only two of the tribes were thus guilty of putting him to death ; I answer, that every Jew in the universe approves and applauds that act ; and that therefore the judgments are inflicted on them all, and will continue to be inflicted, till they