y

conqueror, in which the law of the Jews closed 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 difabled from any further obfervance of their ceremonial worship, confiftently with the laws of that dispensation, to which they refolutely adhere. They seem 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

† Ο τε νόμω ὁ τῶν Ἰεδαίων ἐπὶ τέτοις εφέρετο, τ' 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 shall not the leaft 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.

C

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 ; they were again given up to flaughter, and

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,

e

If any

famine, and peftilence, and fire.
furvived this fecond overthrow, them the
edict of Hadrian prohibited, on pain of
death, from entering, and even from behold-
ing afar off, the miferable ruins of their city..

Another attempt was afterwards made by
the emperor Julian, to defeat the accom-
plishment of this prophecy of Jefus, and to
reftore the law, as a rival to the Gospel,
by rebuilding the temple, and recalling the
difperfed people, of Jerufalem. But, with-
out minutely difcuffing the plain evidence
of divine interpofition, to prevent the exe-
cution of this defign, it may perhaps be
fufficient here to obferve, that the prophecy
and the promife of Jefus are not defeated
of their accomplishment. The temple

and city of Jerufalem continue "trodden
down of the Gentiles," and the law is in no
condition to contend, as a competitor, with
the Gospel.

III. Another great obftacle to the increase
of Jefus, and to the fuccefs of his little

Eufeb. H. E. Lightfoot. Vol. i. 367. Whitby. See Pref.
f See Lightfoot. Vol. i. pag. 367.

* See Whitby, Gen. Pref. pag. 28.-Lightfoot. Vol. i.

362.

flock,

i

flock in establishing his kingdom, is de-
fcribed in the words of the Apostle Paul;

we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, and against fpiritual wickedness in
high places." This is a full description of
what Scripture elsewhere compendiously
calls the "power of darkness," and the
kingdom of Satan, antagonist to the king-
dom of God's dear Son. That enemy is
the God of this world, the father of every
thing that maketh a lie, and especially of
religious abominations; ufing, in every age,
and with all his power and subtlety, the
falfe theology, the vain philosophy, and the

h Eph. vi. 12.

1 ἐν τοῖς ἐπερανίοις - fcil. χρήμασι, fays, Wolf. ad l. « in
1. "in
heavenly things, i. e. remiffion of fins, justification, adoption,
&c. Chryfoft. τὸ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἐπερανίοις, ἀντὶ τῶ, ὑπὲρ τῶν
ἐπερανίων, ἐςιν.
But rims, is generally, and more pro-
bably, fupplied. See Hamm. ad 1. Satan is called in Scrip-
ture, "the Prince of the power of the air."
confederacy,

He, and his

rul'd the middle Air,

Their higheft Heaven.

Milton, P. L. i. 516.

The seventh phial, Rev. xvi. 17. is poured upon the Air, when
idolatrous Babylon falls, which is ftyled (xviii. 2.) Quλann
warròs @rúμarC anafers, and at whofe fall" the holy apof-
tles and prophets," (20) are called upon to rejoice.

corrupt

k

corrupt paffions of men, to fuftain his own kingdom, and to bear down that of God. He had his establishment among the heathen nations, and his fynagogue among the Jews, and 66 now worketh in the children of difobedience," and "blindeth their eyes, left the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.'

To the whole power and confederacy of fuch a formidable enemy, affuming all shapes, even that of an angel of light, the kingdom of Jefus is opposed; and, having himself foreseen the conflict between them, he prepared his disciples for it, by giving them power, and promifing them support from himself; "behold," he said to the feventy difciples," "I give unto you power to tread 'on ferpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy;" and to an Apostle, "thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it;" and,

* See 2 Cor. xi. 14. Rev. ii. 9, 10.

1 Luke x. 19. Ἵνα μὴ τὰ ἕρποντα υπολάβης, ἐπήγαγεν, σε ε ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τω δύναμιν ᾧ ἐχθρό δράκων ἢ ὄφις ο Διάβολο. Εχ Photii Amphiloch. apud Wolf. Cur. Phil. Vol. v. ad calc. pag. 815.