The winter passed away, and it was now the spring of the year 68, and
the commencement of a new campaign. The Jews who had deserted, or
fled for refuge to the camp of Vespasian, earnestly besought him to
march without further delay towards the capital; but the Roman
general thought it more prudent to defer that step until he had
reduced the rest of the country. The first place which he attacked
was Gadara, the chief city of Peræa. Some of the most influential
inhabitants sent a deputation to meet and conciliate Vespasian; and
the rebellious party, after revenging themselves on some of those who
had offered to surrender, withdrew from the city, and the conqueror
was received with acclamations of joy. A garrison was placed in
Gadara, for the protection of the inhabitants; and Vespasian having
dispatched Placidus, with five hundred horse and three thousand
foot-soldiers, to pursue the insurgents who had fled from the city,
returned to Cæsarea with the rest of his forces. The fugitives had
taken possession of a large village called Bethanabris, which they
fortified as well as lay in their power. The Romans attacked them in
their place of refuge; and being unable to scale the walls or force
the gates, Placidus employed his favourite stratagem to draw them
from their hiding-place. He feigned a retreat; and when the
Gadarenes sallied forth to pursue his army, he faced round, and
getting between them and the gates, effectually cut off their
retreat. Before night the village was taken and destroyed, with a
dreadful slaughter. Those of the insurgents who escaped, fled
towards Jericho, and being joined by a number of the peasants on
their way, they became a considerable body before they reached the
eastern bank of the Jordan, near Bethabara. Here Placidus overtook
them; and the river being much swollen, they found it impassable, and
were compelled to turn and fight.
The Romans charged with all their accustomed vigour, and multitudes
of the half-armed peasants and wearied fugitives fell before them.
Hundreds were driven into the rapid and foaming waters, and many
plunged in of their own accord, to escape the swords of their
assailants. The river was almost choked with bodies, and countless
numbers were carried down the stream into the Dead Sea, and lay
floating on its dark and stagnant waters. Fifteen thousand were
killed on this spot, and upwards of two thousand taken prisoners;
while an immense number of cattle of every description were driven
off as a valuable prey, from that fertile and pastoral district.
Placidus did not immediately rejoin the main body of the Roman army,
but remained for some time in that neighbourhood, and reduced the
whole country of Persea, and the coast of the Dead Sea, as far as
Machærus.
The moon was high in the heavens, and her clear and silver light fell
softly on the bleak and barren scenery around, and glittered on the
motionless surface of the deadly "sea of the plain." No sound of
life broke the oppressive stillness of the night, save the footsteps
of a solitary soldier, who slowly wandered along the margin of the
lake, and gazed on the dark outline of the ruins that yet remained
near the shore, a standing witness of the wrath of God on the sinful
cities of the plain. The shattered remnants of walls and towers were
covered over with a coating of asphaltum or bitumen, which preserved
them from crumbling away; and the margin of the sea was strewed with
pieces of the same bituminous substance, thrown up from the depths
below, where all the wealth and all the grandeur of Sodom and
Gomorrah lay engulfed in utter ruin. Who has ever looked upon the
black expanse without a shudder? Marcellus felt that the scourge of
God had passed over the spot, and he contemplated it with intense
interest. Life was extinct around him--no animal bounded over the
sterile rocks, no bird sank to rest in the small tufts of shrubs that
scantily covered their surface. The low monotonous sound of the
distant Jordan, forcing its way through the heavy waters, and the
sighing of the wind among the reeds, only added to the gloom of the
scene. Marcellus had been disgusted that day with the cruelty and
bloodshed which he had witnessed. He had fought like a Roman, for
glory and for victory; but he had remembered that he was a Christian
soldier, and had shown mercy where mercy was possible. He had
endeavoured to restrain the wanton massacre that was carried on by
his comrades; and had exposed himself to the charge of cowardice and
faint-heartedness for his humanity. But his conscience approved his
conduct; and he rambled from the distant camp to enjoy the silence
and calm of the night, and to commune with his own heart and with his
God in peace. He ascended the rocky cliffs that bounded the lake to
the west, and looked over the sleeping water, and the lower eminences
on the eastern shore, until his eye rested on the far distant towers
and fortresses of Jerusalem. The moonlight sparkled on the gilded
pinnacles of the temple; and the clear blue sky threw out the summits
of the lofty buildings in bold relief. Marcellus thought that Naomi
was within those walls; and, oh, how his heart yearned to be
permitted to join her there, to share her anxieties and her dangers,
and to protect and cheer her in the coming days of trouble and of
woe! But he was enrolled among tin ranks of her enemies, and he must
be among those who would seek the ruin and destruction of her beloved
city.
His only consolation was the hope, that when the Roman army should
actually besiege the walls of Jerusalem, and as he doubted not, carry
the city by storm, he might have it in his power to preserve the
lives of Naomi and her family; and this hope made him rejoice, that
since he could not take part with her countrymen, he was at length
brought to the scene of action, and should be near her, though
numbered with her foes. The fate of Jerusalem, so awfully predicted
by the Messiah, pressed heavily on his mind; for who in that day
should escape but the people of the Lord? He knew the bigotry of
Zadok, and he feared that Naomi inherited all his prejudices, and
shared his abhorrence of the Nazarenes. His dear sister too, what
would become of her? Hitherto Rufus had found it impossible to have
her safely conveyed from the city to the camp, though he had sought
earnestly to find an opportunity of doing so ever since the war had
approached the neighbouring regions; but the distracted state of the
metropolis rendered it impracticable; and if Vespasian were now to
march to the attack, Claudia must remain among the besieged.
The reflections of Marcellus were deep and melancholy; and almost
unconsciously he wandered on, and was descending the rocky boundary
of the dismal lake, by a path that led into a narrow valley to the
east, when he started from his reverie at the sound of footsteps,
hastily approaching towards him. The light of the moon was
intercepted by the lofty rocks that overhung the pathway, and
Marcellus did not recognise the figure of Javan, until the latter
advanced close to him, and presenting a drawn sword, fiercely
demanded who went there. The voice discovered him to the young
Roman, who immediately perceived that Javan had escaped from the
camp, and was now hastening through these unfrequented valleys, in
the hope of making his way round the southern extremity of the Dead
Sea, and rejoining his countrymen in Judea.
"Is it you, Javan?" he replied; "you may sheath your sword, for you
need fear no evil from me. But tell me, wherefore are you here?"
"I have fled from captivity, Marcellus. Liberty is the right of
every man, and especially of every Jew. Had I met any other Roman in
this dark glen, revenge and self-preservation would have urged me to
plunge my sword into his bosom; but I can trust you, though a
heathen."
"I have not the power to compel you to return to the camp," replied
Marcellus; "otherwise it would be my duty, however unwillingly, to do
so. You were on your oath, Javan, to remain within the palisades;
and to effect your escape you must have bribed Clodius, who had the
charge of you, and broken a sacred promise. Let me entreat you to
redeem your word, and return with me to the camp."
"What is there binding to a Jew in an oath taken to a heathen, and
that oath a compulsory one?" answered Javan, in a tone of contempt.
"The life and liberty of one son of Abraham are worth a hundred
promises; and the wily Romans have deserved no confidence at our
hands."
"The word of every man should be sacred," said Marcellus; "the
Almighty Jehovah heard and recorded your promise, and in his sight
you are guilty of falsehood."
"What is the Lord of Israel to you, Marcellus? and why do you utter
his great name with so much reverence?" asked Javan, with an
involuntary feeling of awe.
"Because I have learnt to acknowledge your God as King of kings, and
Lord of lords, and to know that all our thoughts, and words, and
actions lie open before his eye; and therefore, Javan, I should fear
to be guilty of a wilful sin against his holy laws, more than to
dwell in captivity, or even to be put to a violent death."
"If you, Marcellus, have been taught the knowledge of the true God,
yet Clodius and the rest of your comrades are but base idolaters. I
would not break my word to a Jew: but now I am free, and I rejoice
too much in my liberty to resign it for the sake of a promise to a
Roman. Farewell, Marcellus; I hasten to Judea; and when next we
meet, it may be at the walls of Jerusalem."
"Since you are resolved to go we will part as friends," replied
Marcellus, extending his hand towards Javan. who received it, though
with an air of suspicion, and at the same moment grasping his
sword-hilt, to guard against any treacherous design on the part of
the Roman.
"You do not yet know me, Javan," said Marcellus: "I trust one day we
may be better acquainted. My sister Claudia is in your father's
house; I charge you to be a brother to her, until we can find means
of conveying her to a place of greater safety. Bear to her my most
affectionate salutation and blessing--and to Naomi also--may I not
send the same message to her? She lives in my memory and in my heart
as a beloved sister. It may be that the time will come when a friend
in the Roman camp may be of service to her and her family. Tell her,
Javan, that Marcellus will use every influence, and brave every
danger to promote the safety and the happiness of those whom he has
loved so long."
There was something in the tone and manner of the noble young Roman
that softened even Javan's rugged nature. "Forgive me, that I
doubted you for a moment, Marcellus," he replied; "you were always
brave and generous, and kind; and I will bear your message to my
sister, though I fear she will value it more than will be for her
peace. She has always regarded you more kindly than a Jewish maiden
should have done; and it will but revive her girlish affection to
hear, that amid the gaiety and magnificence of Rome, and the toil and
excitement of a camp, you still remember her. I hope she never may
be reduced to need the protection of any Roman; but should such be
her fate, there is not one of that proud nation to whom I would so
willingly or so confidently consign her as to you."
With these words Javan left his friend, who watched his dark figure
as he traversed the valley, and emerged into the bright moonlight,
that rendered the open plains as clear as in the day. Marcellus
envied him, for he was going where Naomi dwelt; and it would be his
privilege to protect her in time of danger: but he pitied the deceit
and the pride of his heart, which could induce him to seek safety and
freedom at the expense of truth, and regard his captors as unworthy
to be treated with the faith and confidence due from man to man,
whether friends or foes.
He returned to the camp, and found Clodius in great dismay at the
flight of Javan. He had allowed his prisoner more liberty than was
usual, in dependence on his promise to remain in the precincts of the
camp; and he feared the anger of the centurion, who had the command
over him. Great power was in the hands of the centurions; and they
might chastise with blows any offending member of their company; but
only the generals could punish with death. Happily for Clodius, his
commander was Rufus, and he was a just and a merciful man. Marcellus
also undertook to state the case to his father, and persuade him to
intercede with Placidus for the pardon of the delinquent, which was
at length obtained, though such was the strictness and severity of
the Roman discipline, that but for the influence of Rufus and his
son, it is probable that Clodius might even have forfeited his life
for his negligence.
Placidus having completed the conquest of Persea, remained in the
neighbourhood of Jericho, to await the further movements of
Vespasian, who was at this time greatly disturbed by the news which
had just reached him of the state of affairs at Rome. Vindex had
revolted against the power of the emperor in the province of Gaul;
and Vespasian foreseeing that his army might be required to take part
in the war consequent on this rebellion, was very desirous to hasten
the operations in Palestine, and put an end to the war without loss
of time. He marched from Cæsarea, and successively attacked and
reduced Antipatris, Lydda, and Jamnia, and blockaded Emmaus, which
for some time resisted his forces. But Vespasian did not suffer this
event to delay his progress; he seized on the avenues leading to the
city, fortified his camp with a strong wall, and leaving the fifth
legion to maintain the blockade, he proceeded southwards through the
toparchy of Bethleptepha, wasting all around with fire and sword.
From thence he entered Idumea, and seized and fortified such castles
and fortresses as he found convenient for his designs, and took also
Bataris and Cephartoba, two towns in the very heart of the country,
where he put to the sword upwards of ten thousand men, and carried
away a great number of prisoners. In these towns he placed a strong
body of troops, and left them to overrun and ravage all the
neighbouring mountainous region. He himself, with the rest of his
forces, returned to Emmaus, and thence by Samaria and Neapolis to
Jericho, where he was joined by the army which had been employed in
the conquest of Persea.
Before the arrival of the Romans, a multitude of the inhabitants fled
from Jericho, and took refuge among the mountains that bound the
wilderness of Judea, on the borders of the Dead Sea; but those who
remained in the city perished. Vespasian found this important place
almost deserted, and his army entered it without resistance; and
gladly reposed for some time among the fertile and lovely gardens,
and the shady groves of palm-trees that lay around the city, before
they proceeded to traverse the dreary and mountainous desert that lay
between Jericho and Jerusalem. The plain of Jericho is surrounded by
wild and barren mountains, extending northward as far as the country
of Scythopolis and southward towards the shores of the Dead Sea, and
the great plain of the Jordan. This very extensive plain may be said
to reach almost the whole length of Palestine, and to contain within
its limits the two seas or lakes of Genesareth and Asphaltites.
These lakes are united by the Jordan; but their waters are of the
most opposite qualities, those of the former being sweet and
salubrious, while the latter gives nourishment to neither animal nor
vegetable life, but diffuses barrenness and death around its dismal
shores.
At the period when Vespasian encamped at Jericho, it was a luxuriant
and delicious spot. A plentiful fountain rose near the old city, and
poured its copious streams among the adjoining meadows and orchards.
Tradition related that this fountain was the same that in the days of
old was healed by the prophet Elisha, when at the request of the men
of the city, he cast salt into the spring of the waters, and rendered
them henceforth sweet and wholesome, and the ground was no more
barren. The district that received the benefit of this fertilizing
stream was fruitful to a wonderful degree, and produced fruits and
herbs and honey of the finest quality. The climate also appeared to
be affected by the temperature of the water, which in winter was very
warm; and the air was so mild that though the other parts of Judea
were subject to snows, the inhabitants of Jericho were accustomed at
that season to wear only a garment of fine linen.
Here did Vespasian take up his quarters, while he sent detachments to
reduce all the neighbouring country. He dispatched Lucius Annius to
Gerasa, with part of the cavalry and a considerable body of
foot-soldiers; and at the first charge they took the city, and slew a
thousand of the young men. The families were carried away captive,
and the soldiers had full license to plunder all their goods; after
which the houses were burnt, and Lucius proceeded to the adjoining
towns.
The fury of the war spread through all the mountains as well as the
plains around Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of the metropolis were
entirely blocked up. Those who would gladly have made their escape,
and fled to the Romans, were narrowly watched by the Zealots; and
those who had no wish to favour the conquering army were afraid to
venture forth, as their forces now invested the city on every side.
Every day they looked out, in the fearful expectation of seeing the
golden eagles glittering on the plain to the north, and the enemy
approaching to their very gates.
But it pleased the Almighty Disposer of all events yet to postpone
for a time the destruction of the place where once his honour dwelt;
and to allow his people a still longer time in which they might by
repentance seek to avert their doom, and also make preparations for a
more regular and vigorous resistance. News arrived from Rome that
Nero was slain, after he had reigned thirteen years, and that Galba
was proclaimed emperor in his stead. Vespasian paused in his
operations, and held his army together, though inactive, that he
might be ready to take advantage of any events that should arise to
open a way for him towards the sovereignty of the Roman empire.
When the army of Vespasian had approached the neighbourhood of
Jerusalem, Zadok feared that Pella was no longer a safe retreat for
his daughter; and with some difficulty he sent a messenger and a
small band of armed men to Amaziah, to entreat him to return with
Judith and Naomi to the city. Amaziah put perfect faith in the
revealed promise, that the disciples of Jesus should be safe in the
refuge which had been appointed for them, and he wished to remain
there and keep his niece with him. But he knew that his confidence
in the security of their present abode would neither be shared nor
understood by his brother, and Naomi also was very anxious to rejoin
her family; he therefore complied with their wishes, and immediately
made arrangements for returning to Jerusalem. Amaziah did not,
however, take Judith or Mary with him, but they remained at Pella
with her Christian friends, until he had safely deposited Naomi in
her father's house, when he hastened back to the chosen city, to
abide there in conformity to the command of the Lord, until Vespasian
should withdraw his troops from the neighbourhood.
But we must follow Naomi to her home, and tell of her joys and her
sorrows. She was received with the warmest affection and delight by
her mother and Claudia and old Deborah; but Zadok was at the temple
at the time when she and Amaziah entered his house. He was engaged
in the performance of divine service, for the form of worship was
still continued whenever it was possible, though the house of God was
defiled with blood and violence. Naomi and the rest of the family
were seated on the housetop, enjoying the evening breeze from the
mountains, and the delicious odour of the fine Persian roses that
grew luxuriantly in rich marble vases placed on the roof, when they
heard the voice of Zadok in the vestibule below. How joyfully did
Naomi bound down to meet and embrace her father; and how
affectionately did Zadok receive his beloved daughter, after her long
and anxious separation from him! But there was a mixture of fear and
sorrow in the heart of Naomi, and she trembled with a feeling nearly
allied to self-reproach as she was folded in the arms of her father,
for she knew how soon his high opinion of her would be changed into
contempt, and perhaps even his affection into hatred. She had
resolved to declare to him her conversion to Christianity, and to
implore his permission to observe the customs and the sabbaths of her
brethren in the faith: but she felt that all her own courage would be
insufficient to support her through the dreaded avowal; and she
lifted up her heart in silent supplication for grace and strength to
enable her to take up the cross and carry it after her Saviour, even
if it should involve the severest trials and domestic persecutions.
She had requested her uncle to be present at her confession, as she
thought that his kindness and sympathy would support her, and his
influence with her father might also soften his anger towards her.
It was likewise Amaziah's intention to confide to his brother his own
change of religion and that of his wife, and to urge him to read and
examine for himself the records of the Christians, and to weigh well
their pretensions to truth and divine revelation. He hardly hoped to
obtain any concession on these points from his prejudiced but
high-minded brother; yet he could not bid him farewell, perhaps for
ever, without making one effort to enlighten his mind and open to him
the true way of salvation.
The evening meal was served, and after it was finished, Zadok,
according to his general custom, called his family to join in prayer
before they retired to rest. The forms he used were in strict
accordance with the Jewish ritual; but the piety and devotion to
God's service which were expressed both in the words and the manner
of the priest were such as would do honour to any Christian worship,
and Naomi joined with heart and voice in celebrating the evening
service to which she had been accustomed from her earliest childhood.
At the same time she felt how imperfect and how unsatisfactory were
any prayers that were not offered up in the name and through the
mediation of the Saviour of mankind, and secretly she invoked his
aid; while she concluded every petition with the words so precious to
her soul, "For the sake of Jesus Christ, thy Son."
Her feelings were highly excited, and unconsciously she repeated this
solemn adjuration in an audible whisper, as her father terminated the
evening's devotions, and no other voice prevented her soul-felt
prayer from being heard. In an instant she was aware of the
inadvertency; and rising from her knees, she turned and saw the keen
eye of Zadok fixed upon her with an expression of anxious inquiry,
mingled with astonishment. She had intended to defer the important
avowal of her faith until the following day, and to request an
audience with Zadok, with no one present except her uncle; but now
she saw that her long-cherished secret was already divulged. She
approached her father with faltering steps, and sinking on her knees
at his feet, she caught the hem of his embroidered robe, and
exclaimed, "Yes, my father, I have betrayed myself sooner than I had
intended; I have called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; and
oh--spurn me not from you when I declare myself to be his most
unworthy disciple!"
Words could not paint the feelings that chased each other across the
expressive but stern countenance of the priest, as this open avowal
of her apostasy fell from the quivering lips of his daughter. Horror
and amazement held him motionless for a few moments, and strong
affection for his suppliant child restrained him from any violent
expression of anger; but all the prejudices of his nation and all the
pride of his sect repressed his rising pity. He looked on Naomi with
an expression of bitter disappointment and contempt; and unable to
command the grief that wrung his heart, he drew his garment from her
convulsive grasp, and would have retired from the apartment had not
Amaziah detained him.
"Zadok, my brother," he said, "leave us not thus in anger; but hear
your innocent, your most devoted daughter, towards whom I know your
spirit yearns, though deep-rooted prejudice would prompt you to cast
her from you. Hear me also, for I must encounter your wrath and your
scorn. I must confess that the faith which now animates Naomi's soul
has for many years been established in my own heart and that of my
wife, and that we have been in part God's instruments in
strengthening the same belief in your daughter's mind. The knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ was imparted to her many months ago by one
of hie most enlightened and most favoured disciples; and when we
found that she believed in him as the Messiah, the Son of the Most
High God, we joyfully encouraged her, and instructed her in the
truth."
"Oh, fool that I was," exclaimed Zadok, "to suffer my treasure to be
so long removed from my own care and my own watchful guardianship!
But how could I look for such a return from a brother's hands, for
all the love that I have ever borne towards him? Speak not to me,
Amaziah. Had you plunged a dagger to Naomi's heart you would have
less deeply injured me, than by thus instilling into her guileless
breast the doctrines of the impostor of Nazareth. Oh! I have
watched her from her infancy with feelings of anxiety and affection
which none but a father can tell. I have exulted in her abilities,
her graces, and still more, in her piety and zeal, and knowledge in
our holy religion; and in her dutiful affection and gratitude I hoped
to receive a rich reward for all my care and solicitude. But now
what has she become? A curse and a shame to her parents--an apostate
from the only true faith--a believer in a blasphemous creed, worse
even than idolatry, founded on impostures, invented by a malefactor,
who was unable to save himself or his followers from the punishment
which they drew on themselves by their false pretensions. O God of
Israel! avenge thy great name, and suffer not these deluded Nazarenes
to draw away thy lambs from thy fold. Restore my child to her
religion and her parents, and let her not be an outcast from thy
people, a disgrace to the tribe of Aaron!"
Zadok spoke with all the passionate vehemence so characteristic of
his Hebrew blood. His hands were clasped energetically, his eyes
flashed fire, and his whole form seemed animated with powerful
emotion. Salome gazed alternately on him and on her stricken child,
whose head was bowed to the ground in humiliation and sorrow, while
her long black hair fell in profusion over her neck and face, and
concealed the tears which she strove ineffectually to repress. Her
mother could not feel the indignation that filled the breast of
Zadok; she could not forget that Naomi, however erring, was still her
only, her most beloved daughter, and she stooped to raise her from
the floor, and to whisper words of comfort. But Naomi refused to
rise. "Oh, my mother," she murmured, "has not my father cursed me?
Let me lie in dust and ashes, until once more I hear his voice recall
those dreadful words, and bless his child."
[Illustration: SALOME INTERCEDING FOR NAOMI.]
"He cursed thee not, my Naomi; he only spoke in sorrow and in anger
of the sad change that has been wrought in you. But tell him that
you will listen again to his instructions--tell him that you will
strive to shake off and forget the errors into which you have so
unhappily been led, and he will bless you again, and joy will yet
return to our house. I will kneel with you, my child. Zadok never
yet denied me what I asked. I will plead for you, and promise for
you that you will return to the holy religion of your ancestors."
Salome's tears fell fast as she uttered these words, and she knelt by
her daughter's side before the dignified form of her husband. He
could not see her thus abase herself before him unmoved, nor behold
the tears that flowed down her gentle countenance without emotion.
He approached, and raised her from the ground, while he replied in a
softened tone, "For thy dear sake, Salome, I will pardon the child
for whom you plead so well. But I only restore her to my favour, and
acknowledge her as my daughter, on the terms which you yourself have
named. She shall promise no more to use the name of the God of the
Nazarenes, and she shall attend to all the forms and customs of our
religion, and again receive instruction from our most holy rabbis and
from myself, on the points concerning which her faith has been
shaken. Naomi, promise me this, and then come back to my arms and my
heart, as my own lovely and beloved child."
Even Zadok's self-command was failing, and the natural tenderness of
his heart was ready to triumph over the lofty calmness that usually
distinguished his manner and deportment. His wife and Claudia,
Deborah, and all the other attendants wept aloud from sympathy and
anxiety, while Amaziah bent his eyes on Naomi, and waited in almost
breathless expectation of her reply to the appeal of Zadok. She had
raised her face, and shaken back her clustering hair from her pale
brow and weeping eyes, while Salome's words of kindness were
whispered in her ear, and she had sought to interrupt her mother when
she spoke of forgetting the faith she had so lately learned. But
when Zadok addressed her she paused in deep reverence, and waited in
silence until he called for her reply. Then she rose from her knees,
and stood erect and self-possessed. Her mother's promise that she
should return to the Jewish faith had startled her, and recalled her
to a sense of her duty, and a confident reliance on the aid she had
implored to keep her firm and unshaken under every temptation and
trial. Her countenance was as pale as death, and the beating of her
heart was almost audible, yet she spoke firmly.
"My father, you have commanded me to renounce the faith which I have
embraced because I feel that it is true. Sooner could I gaze up at
the noonday sun, and say that it gives no light, than I can behold
the character of Jesus of Nazareth, and say that the glory of the
Godhead shines not therein. My soul was dark, my heart was hard, my
spirit was proud and unhumbled, and therefore I knew not peace; when
many months ago I met an aged disciple of Jesus Christ, and she told
me of his power and his love, and the words that he spake, and the
miracles that he wrought. She told me how he left his Father's
throne on high, and lived with sinful men, in poverty and affliction
on earth, to teach them how they ought to live. And she told me how
at length he died, a sacrifice for sin and an atonement for us
sinners; and having borne his Father's wrath, and drained the cup of
sorrow that was mixed for us, how he rose triumphant from the grave,
and ascended again to his God and our God, there to plead his death
for our forgiveness, and to prepare mansions of everlasting peace and
joy for all who truly love and serve him. When I heard all this, my
father, I felt my heart was changed. Could I be too grateful to him
who had done so much for me? Could I feel proud and self-righteous
when the Son of God had died to wash away my guilt? Could I any
longer put my trust in the blood of calves and goats to wash away my
sin, when the blood of the Messiah had been shed as a perfect
oblation and satisfaction? I received the Lord Jesus as my God and
Saviour, and he has given rest unto my soul. Never, never will I
forsake Him who gave himself for me!--never will I renounce that name
whereby alone I hope to be saved!"
Naomi had gathered courage as she continued, and ere she concluded
her reply the colour had returned to her cheek, her eyes had
recovered their wonted brightness, and her hands were clasped in an
attitude of firmness and devotion. She was astonished at her own
boldness, and still more at the forbearance with which her father
listened to the end. Zadok, and all who heard her, were struck and
impressed by the earnestness and solemnity of her manner, and could
not repress the admiration that was excited by the zeal and the
firmness she displayed. Amaziah rejoiced with thankfulness at this
evident proof that she was sustained by the grace of God, and he felt
proud in being the relative and the instructor of the devoted
creature who stood before him. At length Zadok spoke:
"Would to God, Naomi, that all this warmth of feeling, and this
firmness of spirit, were directed in the way of truth and reason.
Alas! I can now only deplore that the powers of your soul have been
so misled. My heart is wounded within me, and I am unable to answer
you as I ought to do. Go to your chamber, and remain there until I
either visit you to-morrow, or call for you to listen to the teaching
of Rabbi Joazer. If you return to your duty and your religion all
shall be forgiven; but if the delusions of the evil spirit cannot be
removed, and you still refuse to acknowledge yourself a true daughter
of Abraham, then, O my God! enable me to act according to the spirit
of thy holy laws, and be the first to bring to judgment the
idolatrous member of my house, though my heart-strings break in the
effort!"
Zadok hurried from the room, and shutting himself up in his private
apartment, passed the night in prayer for the soul of his child.
None of the family retired to rest, for Salome and Claudia would not
leave Naomi, on whom they hoped their persuasions would have some
effect, and incline her more readily to obey the wishes of her
father. Amaziah also remained with his niece, to strengthen and
support her, for her spirits sank after the violent effort she had
made; and he also entertained a hope, that while he defended the
cause of his niece, his arguments might have some good influence in
weakening the prejudices of Salome and Claudia. Had Zadok been aware
of the discussion that was carried on for several hours that night,
he would have put a stop to it, nor have suffered his wife to listen
to the doctrines and the narratives so eloquently set forth by his
zealous brother. Salome's naturally mild and amiable disposition had
always prevented her from manifesting the same hatred and contempt
for the Nazarenes that was felt by her husband and her son. The
malignant violence of Javan had ever inspired her with fear and
horror; and even Zadok appeared to her to cherish sentiments at
variance with true religion and charity. The character also of
Jesus, of whom in her childhood she had heard innumerable stories of
love and mercy, had to a certain degree impressed her heart; and
though she looked upon his assumption of Divinity as unfounded and
blasphemous, and ascribed his miracles to the agency of evil spirits,
according to the belief of all her mistaken people, yet she could not
withhold her admiration from the holiness, and purity, and
self-devotion of his life, and that of his followers and disciples.
The enthusiasm and determination of Amaziah and her daughter also
greatly influenced her mind, and she respected a firmness which she
felt herself incapable of sharing. She knew not then the
all-powerful effect of the Christian faith in giving courage and
boldness to the weakest believer; she knew not how the contemplation
of the Redeemer's love could inspire such a corresponding feeling of
gratitude and devotion, as to banish all weakness and all regard for
personal suffering, and make death in its most terrible form less to
be dreaded than one act of unfaithfulness to Him. Had Zadok been a
Christian, Salome would have found no difficulty in receiving the
same doctrines: but she looked up to him as a model of wisdom, and
judgment, and piety; and when she heard him laugh to scorn the "wild
delusions of the Nazarenes," she was convinced that he must have good
reason for the contempt he expressed, and that it was the weakness of
her own mind that inclined her to favour a system to which her
husband was so averse. Had she looked simply to the word of God, and
studied it attentively, with prayer for the guidance of his Spirit,
and cast aside all human dependence, doubtless her mind would have
been speedily enlightened, and she would have been spared much of the
sorrow, and doubt, and anxiety by which she was eventually tried and
afflicted.
Claudia had not so many prejudices to overcome. She had been brought
up in the belief of the existence of a multitude of deities, and if
required no great effort for her to admit the God of Israel to a
share of her worship, when she was instructed by Naomi in the wonders
he had performed, and the manifestations he had made of his power and
goodness to his peculiar people. But her friend had found it much
more difficult to persuade her that all the divinities to whom she
had from her childhood been taught to pay adoration were but
senseless images, helpless and powerless. Time and reflection, the
perusal of the Scriptures, and the prayers of Naomi, had by degrees
eradicated the errors of her youth; and the letter which she had
received from her brother, declaring his renunciation of all the gods
of the heathen, had gone far to convince her that they were unworthy
of her worship. During the period of Naomi's absence from Jerusalem,
her time had been passed in perfect retirement. The state of the
city had made it necessary for females to remain as secluded as
possible, and Salome and Deborah had both taken advantage of this
season of comparative inactivity to improve the good impressions
already made by Naomi's instructions.
At the period of which we are now speaking, Claudia was therefore in
belief a Jew. Naomi had not ventured to confide to her the change
which was worked in her own sentiments, for she feared that it might
weaken Claudia's newly-acquired faith in the one true God of heaven
and earth, if she knew that her young teacher paid divine worship to
Jesus of Nazareth. Naomi waited until she could be satisfied that
her pupil had a right understanding of the nature of Jehovah, as
revealed by himself; and then she anticipated with delight the task
of displaying to her mind the light of the Gospel, and showing her
how the same God who reigns over the universe had manifested himself
to the world in the person of his Son--and this for the salvation and
redemption of guilty, fallen man!
The conversation of Amaziah on the night of her return to her home,
deprived her of the privilege of being the first to declare Jesus
Christ to her friend as the Messiah, the Lord; but she saw with joy
the evident impression that was made by her uncle's arguments both on
her mother and Claudia, and earnestly she prayed that the good seed
then sown, might, by the influence of the Holy Spirit, spring up and
come to perfection, and bear good fruit; and that it might be her
blessed privilege to help forward two beings so dear to her in the
way of eternal salvation.
[Illustration: Fountain of the Virgin]