Ver. 62. Ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars, &c.— To mention no other of the calamities and slaughters which they have undergone, there was in the last siege of Jerusalem by Titus, an infinite multitude, who, according to Josephus, perished by famine: he computes that, during the whole siege, the number of those who were destroyed by that, and by the war, amounted to 1,100,000; the people being assembled from all parts to celebrate the passover. The same author hath given us an account of 1,240,490 destroyed in Jerusalem and other parts of Judea, besides 99,200 made prisoners. See Bell. Jud. lib. 6: cap. 3 sect. 3 and cap. 9 sect. 3. Basnage's Hist. of the Jews, b. 1 Chronicles 8 sect. 19 and the conclusion of Usher's Annals. Indeed, there is not a nation upon earth that hath been exposed to so many massacres and persecutions. Their history abounds with them. If God had not given them a promise of a numerous posterity, the whole race would at many a time have been extirpated. Bishop Newton.

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