ral principles, with bitter hoftility to the true difciples of Jefus, and virtually laboured to fubvert his kingdom. Every effort of Apoftolical vigilance and industry, and all the authority of an Apoftolical fynod, would certainly have failed in supporting the little flock of Chrift, against this weight of unrelenting and fanguinary oppofition, if it had not been the Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom. The removal of this great obstacle to the increase of Jefus, and of his kingdom, depended upon his accomplishment of that woe, which he had denounced against the city, temple, and people of Ifrael, representing the fhaking and downfal of their state, by the convulfion and ruin of nature. By this fignal act of his judicial authority, he had promised to come and relieve his church, and to make a way for his own kingdom. Hence it seems frequently represented in the Apoftolical P Comp. Ifaiah xiii. 10. Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8. Joel. ii. 31, iii. 15. P John xxi. 22. 1 Pet. iv. 7. Phil. iv. 5. Theff. v. 2. Heb. x. 25. James v. 9. Epiftles, Epiftles, as the fignal teft, by which the true fervants and the real kingdom of Jefus might be known, and by which the contest, between the two rival dispensations by Moses and himself, would be determined in favour of his own. As this prophecy was generally difperfed throughout the Roman émpire, before the fall of Jerufalem, the minds of men were awakened to expect the accomplishment of it, as an eventual testimony for or against Jefus, and his Gospel. That the prophecy was literally accomplished in the fall of the city, a fhort but ftriking evidence is given in the complaint of the Jew Eleazar, "where is that city, whose inmate, as we believed, was God? From the foundations it is rooted up; and one only monument of it is left, the camp of those who deftroyed it, ftill pitched on its remains." An overthrow, no lefs complete, befel the Temple. What the lingering flames, though madly haftened by the Jews them Jofeph. de bell, Iud. Lib. vii. cap. 8. Ed. Hudf. See Newton, on Proph. Vol. ii. pag. 315. felves. felves, had left undone, the Roman 'ploughfhare accomplished; it profaned and utterly defaced the holy place. The facred veffels were depofited in the temple of peace at Rome, and the tribute, ufually paid by the Jews to the God of Ifrael, was transferred to Jupiter of the Capitol, to whom erelong a temple was erected, " on or near the fite of the house of Jehovah. W These were indeed the days of wrath upon this people, and all things that were written against them were accomplished. They were thrown out, as a carcafe, and the eagles were gathered together to devour it. The flain were innumerable; and they who furvived, were either fold to flavery, or * devoted to the fanguinary combats of the theatre, or reserved for the triumph of the u See Lightfoot, Whitby, and Wetstein. on Luke xix. 44. 11 Jofeph. Lib. vii. cap. 27. φόρον δὲ, ὁπεδήποτ ̓ ἔσιν Ἰεδαίοις ἐπέβαλε δύο δραχμάς, έκασον κέλουσας ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτῷ ἐς τὸ καπετώλιον φέρειν, ώσπες απότερον εἰς ὃ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις νεών σμυετελῶν.-Xiphi Hin, ad Dion. Caff. Lib. 66. init. Kaj a' chairs diépáxμor iτάχθη τὲς τὰ πετρια αὐτῶν ἤθη περιτέλλοντος τῷ Διὶ κατ ̓ ἔτο απο φέρειν. w Dion. Caff. Hift. Lib. Ixix. p. 793. Ed. Leunclav. Hanov. 1606. Newton. on Proph. Vol. ii. pag. 317. Jofephus. de bell. Iud. Lib. vi. 9. §. ii. 3. et Lib. vii. Cap. ii. §. 1. Ibid. con conqueror, in which the law of the Jews clofed the train. From that time to this, their calamities have exceeded any that ever befel them, as a nation, before. They were together in Goshen, together in Babylon; Mofes, was fent to them, and Ezekiel and Daniel prophefied, under their captivity. But they are separated now, and deftitute of all divine communication, and entirely disabled from any further obfervance of their ceremonial worship, confiftently with the laws of that dispensation, to which they refolutely adhere. They feem to be held up to the eyes of all nations, as a fignal monument of the vengeance of Jefus now, as we hope they are referved for the final display of his mercy. a This coming of Jefus, in his kingdom, to fulfil his own denuntiation of woe to the temple, the city, and people of Ifrael, broke the power of the Jews, and relieved his little flock; and thereby he fubverted γ Ο τε νόμω ὁ τῶν Ἰεδαίων ἐπὶ τέτοις ἐφέρετο, ἃ λαφύρων τελού Tai. Jofeph. ibid. cap. 24. z Deuteron. xii. 11, 12, 13, 14. 2 Kings viii. 29. 2 Chron. vii. 2. a See Amos ix. 9. I will fift the house of Ifrael among all nations, like as corn is fifted in a fieve, yet fhall not the least grain fall upon the earth. the the law, and left his Gospel to ftand without a competitor, as a divine difpenfation. This great event was a teftimony to all men, that the peculiar church of Ifrael was diffolved, and that the spiritual kingdom of Jefus would comprehend all kindreds, and nations, and tongues. And accordingly, Jefus prophetically marked this act of his judicial power, as immediately and effectually leading to the univerfal establishment of his own kingdom; "he fhall fend his angels, with a great found of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds." The trumpet of the Gofpel would then be founded, by the meffengers of Jefus, in all lands, and his elect fhould hear it, and be gathered unto him from one end of heaven to the other. с b The Jews endeavoured, under Hadrian, to recover the remains of their city, with an intent to rebuild it, and reftore the laws and worship of their fathers. In vain ; d they were again given up to slaughter, and 기 See Lightfoot, and Whitby, on this place. "Ayy frequently means, fimply, a meffenger. Matth. xi. 10. Luke vii. 27. ix. 52. James ii. 25. Rev. ii. 1. See Olearii. Analyf. ep. ad Heb. pag. 11. See Eufebius, Jerome, Chryfoftom, and Appian who lived at that time. Mede's Works, b. 3. pag. 443. all quoted by Newton. on proph. Vol. ii. 318, &c. famine, |