But from the many original circumstances, which Jesus has interwoven with his prophecy of the deftruction of Ifrael, it appears evident, that the divine purpose itself, and not barely antecedent revelation from God, was the fource of his prophecy.

I offer only fome few examples.

1. He limited the completion of his judicial vengeance upon Ifrael, to that generation, and to that period of time, in which the Gospel fhould have been preached throughout the Roman empire. When he informed his Apostles and followers, 'that their fuffering and death should precede it, he * excepted the Evangelift John, and intimated that he fhould furvive it. He had before extended the fame prediction to others, "there be fome standing here, which fhall not taste of death, till they fee the Son of man coming

The words of Chrift were confidered as a prophecy by the difciples. The extent of it was prolonged by them to the confummation of all things; but the Evangelift himself overrules that conftruction, and limits the prophecy to the coming of Chrift; and, as if to fix the fenfe, and fhew the accomplishment of it, he fubjoins, "this is that difciple, that teftifieth of these things, &c." As he wrote moft probably after the deftruction of Jerufalem, he might, at the fame time, record this prophecy, and atteft its completion.

in his kingdom;" "this generation fhall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”

2. He not only particularized every bloody and ignominious circumftance, that would attend and follow the fiege and downfal of Jerufalem, but also described the short and dreadful period, between the delivery and the accomplishment of his prediction, and gave a prophetical hiftory of that interval. The people of Ifrael are reprefented as falling from deep to deeper wickedness and woe. The coming of falfe Meffiahs, to deceive them ; their flaughter of his Apostles and difciples; wars and bloodshed among nations and cities; hatred and treachery between parents and children; famine, earthquake, peftilence; are all expreffly enumerated, as figns that the utter ruin of Ifrael drew near. These are called, her "beginning of forrows," apxù divwv; what then ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων were they to be, when her full time was come ?

Tacit. 15. (Whitby Mat. xxiv. 9, 10, 11.)- Joseph de B. Iud. 1. 4. cap. 10. et 18. 1 Theff. ii. 4.

On the approach of the legions to the city, thofe defperate bands, which had filled the whole country with flaughter, were driven within the walls. So that many, in Judæa and Galilee, escaped from their fury, by the fiege being thus ac

celerated.

3. He prophetically promised, that they who, according to the call of the Baptift, and his own, had endeavoured to fave themfelves from this wrath to come, by faith in him, should then be the objects of divine protection. "For their fakes, these days of his vengeance fhould be "fhortened;' and, with particular follicitude for them, he pointed out the ftanding of the Roman eagles in the holy place, as their appointed fignal for immediate escape. However imminent the danger was, and however short the time, before the enemy returned; yet

celerated. Before the fiege, they had deftroyed their own refources of corn; and by inteftine flaughter haftened and facilitated the triumph of their enemies. These were fome of the causes, that enabled many, who had fled to the barren mountains of Peræa, and others, even in the city itself, to fupport themselves there, till the end of these tribulations. Matth. xxiv. 22.

• Mat. xxiv. 25. The Roman ftandard was veàs pecxpès, x EV άUT @ άETC Xevos, a little fhrine, with a golden eagle in it. (Dion. in Hamm. ad Mat. xxiv. 28.) Grotius fhews from Arrian, Suetonius, Tacitus, Juftin, and Tertullian, that the Roman ftandards exhibited the image of the Emperor, and were, on that account, adored by the Legions.

an Idol is called an abomination. 1 Kings xi. 5, 7. 2 Kings xxiii. 13. Jerem. vii. 30. xxxii. 34. Ezek. vii. 20. The Roman Eagles appeared before the city, under Ceftius Gallus; but fuddenly disappeared, and erelong returned under Titus. In that interval, according to Jofephus, many efcaped; and according to Ecclefiaftical writers, many Chriftians filed to Agrippa's dominions, in Peræa, and took fhelter there.

the favourable moment might be, and was, feized with fuccefs, by all thofe, who be lieved in Christ and his prophecy, and not in false Christs, and falfe prophets, who would fay " peace and safety, when fudden deftruction cometh upon them."

4. He predicted alfo the captivity of the Jews in all nations; and even the present ftate of Jerufalem, thus "trodden down of the Gentiles ;" and limited the captivity of the one, and the defolation of the other, to that period, when the times of the Gentiles fhall be fulfilled. The prefent condition of the Jews, not only affords teftimony to the accomplishment of this prophecy, in that part of it, which denounced the end of their ftate; but also gives the ftrongest affurance of its future completion, in the remaining part, which feems to promife, that, "Jeru

P The general character, which Jofephus applies to fome of them, βασιλειῶν ὁ καιρὸς ἀνέπειθε, fews the operation of principles, which the Gospels afcribe to the Jews, viz. that the time of the Meffiah's appearance was confeffedly come, and that his leading object fhould be the temporal deliverance of Ifrael. The fame principles, that formed the ground of all thefe impoftures,would tend to produce their fuccefs. Jofephus adds, that there falfe Chrifts newed σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ; whence it is evident, that a miraculous power, was a credential of the true Meffiah, though Maimonides affirms the contrary.

falem

falem fhall cease to be trodden down of the Gentiles, and that Ifrael fhall fee Jefus coming to her in his mercy, as he came now in his wrath, when the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, and the Jews fhall be difpofed to fay, bleffed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

These are only fome few of the many original circumstances, with which Jefus enlarged the views, that foregoing prophets had given, of the deftruction of Ifrael; but these seem fufficient to fhew, that the divine mind, and not antecedent prophecy, had been the fource, from whence he drew, and that all the purposes both of the vengeance and mercy of God were equally known to him.

The history of Jofephus, a Jewish priest, and an eye-witness of the transactions, which he describes, yields at once a commentary, and a teftimony, to this prophecy of Jesus ; and the more closely the prediction and the detail of that hiftorian are compared to

This capital prophecy has been frequently, and very diftinctly, explained; the following are among those writers, who have already difcuffed it. Chandler, Diff. annexed to Comm. on Joel. Grotius and Whitby, on Matth. xxiv. Newton. Diff. on proph. Vol. ii. pag. 24. Jortin Rem, on Eccl. Hift. Vol. i. Tillotfon's Sermon. 184. fq.