VII.

Prophecies of MoSES
concerning the Jews.

Tis obfervable that the prophecies of Mofes

abound most in the latter part of his writings. As he drew nearer his end, it pleased God to open to him larger prospects of things. As he was about to take leave of the people, he was enabled to difclofe unto them more particulars of their future ftate and condition. The defign of this work will permit us to take notice of fuch only as have fome reference to these later ages; and we will confine ourselves principally to the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy, the greater part whereof we may fee accomplished in the world at this present time.

This great prophet and lawgiver is here propofing at large to the people the bleffings for obedience, and the curfes for difobedience: and indeed he had foretold at feveral times and upon several occafions, that they should be happy or miferable in the world, as they were obedient or disobedient to the law that he had

given them. And could there be any stronger evidence of the divine original of the Mofaical law? and hath not the interpofition of providence, been wonderfully remarkable in their good or bad fortune? and is not the truth of the prediction fully attefted by the whole series of their history from their first fettlement in Canaan to this very day? But he is larger and more particular in recounting the curfes than the bleffings, as if he had a prefcience of the people's difobedience, and forefaw that a larger portion and longer continuation of the evil would fall to their share, than of the good. I know that fome critics make a divifion of these prophecies, and imagin that one part relates to the former captivity of the Jews, and to the calamities which they fuffered under the Chaldæans; and that the other part relates to the latter captivity of the Jews, and to the calamities which they fuffered under the Romans: but there is no need of any fuch distinction; there is no reason to think that any fuch was intended by the author; feveral prophecies of the one part as well as of the other have been fulfilled at both periods, but they have all more amply been fulfilled during the latter period; and there cannot be a more lively picture than they exhibit, of the ftate of the Jews at prefent.

VOL. I.

N

1. We

1. We will confider them with a view to the order of time, rather than the order wherein they lie; and we may not improperly begin with this paffage, ver. 49, The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as fwift as the eagle flieth, a nation whofe tongue thou shalt not understand: and the Chaldæans might be faid to come from far, in comparison with the Moabites, Philistines, and other neighbours, who ufed to infeft Judea. Much the fame description is given of the Chaldæans by Jeremiah, (V. 15.) Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O houfe of Ifrael, faith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whofe language thou knowest not, neither understandeft what they say. He com pares them in like manner to eagles, (Lam. IV. 19.) Our perfecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven; they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. But this description cannot be applied to any nation with fuch propriety as to the Romans. They were truly brought from far, from the end of the earth. Vefpafian and Adrian, the

των Ρωμαίων ηλικιας ελεον
μενων, μισει τε Aps To Dros,

two great conquerors and deftroyers of the Jews, both came from commanding here in Britain. The Romans too for the rapidity of their conquests might very well be compared to eagles, and perhaps not without an allufion to the standard of the Roman armies, which was an eagle and their language was more unknown to the Jews than the Chaldee.

2. The enemies of the Jews are farther characterized in the next verfe, A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor how favor to the young. Such were the Chaldæans; and the facred hiftorian faith exprefly, (2 Chron. XXXVI. 17.) that for the wickedness of the Jews God brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who flew their young men with the fword, in the house of their fanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age; be gave them all into his hand. Such alfo were the Romans for when Vefpafian entered Gadara, (1) Jofephus faith, that he flew all man by man, the Romans fhowing mercy to no age, cut of hatred to the nation, and remembrance of • their

nulli ætati mifericordiam adhibentibus, tam ex odio in gentem, quam memoria iniquitatis

illorum in Ceftium. Bel. Jud. Lib. 3. C. 7. Sect. 1. p. 1128. Edit. Hudfon.

N 2

(2) fr

• their former injuries.' The like slaughter was made at Gamala, (2) For no body escaped 'befides two women, and they escaped by concealing themselves from the rage of the Romans. For they did not fo much as fpare young ' children, but every one at that time fnatching up many caft them down from the cittadel.' 3. Their enemies were alfo to besiege and take their cities, ver. 52, And he shall befiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedft, throughout all thy land. So Shalmanefer king of Affyria came up against Samaria, and befieged it, and at the end of three years they took it. (2 Kings XVIII. 9, 10.) So did Sennacherib king of Affyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them: (Ib. ver. 13.) and Nebuchadnezzar and his captains took and spoiled Jerusalem, burnt the city and temple, and brake down the walls of Jerufalem round about. (Ib. XXV. 10.) So likewife the Romans, as we may read in Josephus's history of the Jewish war, demolished feveral fortified places, before they befieged and

(2) διεσώθη δε πλην δύο γυναικών δεις. Sonoa δε, τας πapa THE άhwow opγας Ρωμαίων λαθεσαι, είδε γαρ INTINY εφείδοντο, πολλά de έκατος τοτε άρπάζοντες εσφιν

destroyed

δονων απο της ακρας. Nemo autem præter duas mulieres interitum effugit.-evaferunt autem, quod iræ Romanorum in excidio fefe iubduxerint. Nec enim infantibus pepercerunt,

multos