(2.) He reflects upon his prediction of the end of the world, ver. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, &c. that is, not of that other day, of which I have been fpeaking, namely, of the end of the world, no man knows; as if he had faid, The figns which I have given of the deftruction of Jerufalem are as plain, as the budding of the fig-tree is a fign of fummer: But I have not given fuch plain figns of the end of the world, and the day of judgment. That I have declared to you in dark allegories, of the fun's being darkened, and the moon's not giving her light, and the ftars falling from heaven, which cannot be understood literally; and the myftical meaning of them is very hidden. And thus I hope I have removed thofe difficulties, and made the order and feries of this prophecy very clear. Secondly, I come in the next place to expound the particulars of this prophecy, fo far as it concerns the deftruction of Jerufalem, as we find them in the 24th of St. Matthew, compared with the other two Evangelifts that wrote of it, St. Mark and St. Luke; and to fhew the exact accomplishment of each of thefe particulars, not only from the tradition of Chriftians, but from the writings of the Jews and Heathens, which are fo much the ftronger on our fide, because they are the teftimonies of enemies. And in the expounding of this prophecy, I fhall diftin&tly confider these three things: 1. Our Saviour's general prediction of the fiege and total deftruction of the city of Jerufalem, and of the temple, which you have from the 34th verfe of the 23d chapter, to the 3d verfe of the 24th. 2. His prediction of the figns that should forerun the deftruction of Jerufalem, from verfe the 3d, to verfe the 21ft. 3. The concomitant and fubfequent circumstances of it, from verfe 21ft to verfe 29th. 1. Our Saviour's general prediction of the fiege of Jerufalem, and of the total deftruction of the city. This our Saviour foretells, Luke xix. 41, 42, 43, 44. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, faying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall caft a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every fide, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy vifitation. So Jofephus. tells, lib. 6. that Titus raifed a wall round about Jerufalem, and kept them in on every fide; fo that none could come out, though many thoufands were famished with hunger; which was fo fad and difmal a calamity, that our Saviour, though he knew how just a caufe there was for it, yet out of very humanity, and tenderness of nature, he could not but upon the forefight of fo fad a deftruction, weep over it. He indeed expreffeth his vehement defire that this might have been prevented, Matth. xxiii. 37, O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that killeft the Prophets, and storeft them which are fent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Therefore having brought this ruin wilfully upon themfelves, he pronounceth the fentence of their deftruction, verfe 38. Behold your house is left unto you defolate! And at the beginning of the next chapter, when the difciples were fhewing him the beautiful ftructure of the temple, he foretells, that there should not one stone be left upon another, which should not be thrown down. Now that all this was punctually accomplished, Jofephus tells us, lib. 7. bell. Jud. that when the Romans had taken the city, Cæfar gave order to lay it wafte to the ground, excepting fome part of the wall which was left for the guards of foldiers, and three of the ftrongest towers, which he ordered to be left for a standing monument of the Roman courage but all the reft of the city was fo levelled, B 3 that that no man that should come to fee it, could believe that it was ever inhabited. And our Saviour's prediction of the utter ruin of the temple, was moft remarkably fulfilled. For the Roman history tells us, That Turnus Rufus with a plough fhare did tear up the foundation of the temple, and left no part of it, not fo much as under ground, undiffolved. So that our Saviour's prophecy was literally fulfilled, There was not left one stone upon another, that was not thrown down. 2. I fhall next confider our Saviour's prediction of the figns which fhould forerun the deftruction of Jerufalem, namely, thefe eight: First, That there fhould rife up falfe and counterfeit Chrifts or Meffias's. Secondly, Great judgments fhould befal the world, and particularly that nation, not long before that time; there fhould be wars, and rumours of wars, famines, peftilences, earthquakes in divers places. Thirdly, Fearful fights and figns from heaven. Fifthly, That upon this occafion there fhould be a great apoftacy of Christians. Sixthly, That upon this perfecution many falfe prophets and teachers fhould arife. Seventhly, That there fhould be an univerfal publication of the gofpel before this great defolation fhould happen. Eighthly, and laftly, which was to be the moft immediate fign and forerunner of their ruin, The abomination of defolation, fhould be feen standing in the holy place. And these you have fet down from the 3d verfe of this 24th chapter, to the 21ft, which I fhall briefly expound, and fhew how the event did correfpond to the prediction. Our Saviour having before foretold the deftruction of Jerufalem, and the temple in general, the difciples come to him, and ask him two questions, When fhould these things be? And what should be the fign of his coming? that is, in judgment to destroy Jerufalem; and what should be the signs of the end of the world? I fhall only confider the first, the figns that should forerun the deftruction of Jerufalem, as being only pertinent to my prefent purpose. First, He foretells there fhould be falfe and counterfeit Chrifts, or Meffias's, ver. 3, 4. Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, faying, I am Chrift, and shall deceive many. This our Saviour gives as one of the first figns, and there. fore St. Luke adds, chap. xxi. 8. The time draweth near, that is, it fhould not be long before this fign fhould appear; and it accordingly happened. Jofephus mentions feveral of thefe; of whom, though Jofephus do not exprefly fay that they called themfelves the Meffias, yet he fays that which is equivalent, that they undertook to refcue the people from the Roman yoke, which was the thing which the Jews expected the Meffias fhould do for them: And therefore we find Luke xxiv. 21. that the difciples that were going up to Emmaus, and knew not that Chrift was rifen, and were doubtful what to think of him, because it was the third day, they fay, We hoped this had been he that should have redeemed Ifrael; that is, they hoped this had been the Meffias, that being it seems a common periphrafis of the Meffias, that he was he that was to deliver Ifrael. Such an one Theudas ptetended himself to be; not that Theudas of whom Gamaliel fpeaks, Acts xv. 36. but another of the fame name, who about twelve years after our Saviour's death, when Cufpius Fadus was Procurator of Judea, rofe and feduced the people; of whom Jofephus, lib. 18. gives this account, that " being a forcerer, he rofe up and deceived many;" which is the very expreffion our Saviour ufeth, They fhall deceive many. This man perfuaded a great multitude to bring their goods and follow him down the river Jordan, which he promised by his command to divide, and to give them a fafe par fage over it. But whilft he was thus playing the fool among the people, Fadus fent fome forces, and furprifed him and his company, killing many of them, and cutting off his head; and fo there was an end of him. Such Such likewife were thofe impoftors, which about two and twenty years after our Saviour's death, were fo rife among them, when Felix was governor of Judea of whom Jofephus tells us, that, they drew multitudes after them into the wildernefs, promifing to work great figns and wonders before thein; which agrees exactly with the defcription which our Saviour gives of the false Chrifts and false prophets, ver. 24. where he fays, that they fhould fhew great figns and wonders, onuda nai repara, the very words which Jofephus ufeth. And verfe 26. If they shall fay to you, he is in the defart, go not forth; anfwerable to what Jofephus fays, That they drew many after "them into the wilderness." Such an one likewife was the Egyptian Prophet, who, as Jofephus tells, came to Jerufalem much about the fame time, and perfuaded the people to follow him to mount Olivet, perfuading them, that from thence they fhould fee the walls of Jerufalem fall, and fo might enter the city. Which Felix underftanding, fent foldiers, and flew and took feveral of them, but the Egyptian impoftor himself made an escape; which is the reafon of that faying of the chief Captain to Paul, Acts xxi. 38. Art not thou the Egyptian, which before these days madeft an up roar? &c. Such another was that impoftor, (if he be diftinc from the former) who, as Jofephus tells us, about three years after, under Feftus Porcius the Procurator, deceived the people with vain promises of deliverance, and eafe from their oppreffions, if they would follow him into the wildernefs; but Feftus fent foldiers, and deftroyed him and his company. And shall deceive many, that is, by raising falfe expectations in the people, fhall draw them into ruin, as Jofephus tells us they did many of the Jews. And this our Saviour elfewhere foretold as a just judgment of God upon them for rejecting of him who was the true Meffias, John v. 43. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. Se |