Page images
PDF
EPUB

bius (2) too affirms, that it was ploughed up by the Romans, and he faw it lying in ruins. The (3) city alfo shared the fame fate, and was burnt and deftroyed as well as the temple. The (4) Romans burnt the extremeft parts of the city, and demolished the walls. Three (5) towers only, and fome part of the wall were left ftanding, for the better incamping of the foldiers, and to how to pofterity what a city and how fortified the valor of the Romans had taken. All the reft of the city was fo demolished and levelled with the ground, that they who came to fee it, could not believe that it was ever inhabited. After the city was thus taken and deftroyed, (6) great riches were found among the ruins, and the Romans dug it up in fearch of the treafures, which had been concealed and buried in the earch. So literally were our Saviour's words accomplished in the ruin both of the city and of the temple and well might Eleazar (7) fay, that God had delivered his moft holy city to be burnt, and to be fubverted by their enemies and (8) with that they all had died, before they faw that holy city demolished by the hands of their enemies, and the facred temple fo wickedly dug up from the foundations.

In this plain manner our Saviour, now drawing near to his fatal hour, foretold the abfolute ruin and deftruction of the city and temple. The difciples were curious to know more of thefe events, when they fhould be, and how they should be; but yet thought it not proper to ask him at prefent, the multitude probably ftill flocking about

[blocks in formation]

πολιν πυρί και κατασκαφαις πολεμιων. Urbemque fibi facratiffimam tradidiffet hoftibus ut incendio periret et funditus dirueretur. Jofeph. ibid. Cap. 8. Sect. 6. p. 1318.

(8) αλλ' είθε πανίες ελεθνηκειμεν, πριν την ιεραν εκείνην πολιν χερσιν ιδειν και λασκαπίομενην πολεμίων, πριν τον ναον τον άγιον ὅλως ανοσίως εξαρωρυγμενον. Atque utinam omnes fuiffemus mortui, priufquam illam facram civitatem hoftium manibus exfcindi videremus, priufquam templum tanta impietate funditus erui. Jofeph. ibid. Sect. 7. p. 1322. Edit. Hudion.

him:

him and therefore they take an opportunity of coming unto him privately, as he was fitting upon the mount of Olives, from whence was a good profpect of the city and temple, and there prefer their requeft to him, (ver. 3.) Tell us when fall these things be, and what shall be the fign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Thefe are only different expreffions to denote the fame period with the deftruction of Jerufalem; for when they conceived would be the deftruction of Jerufalem, then they conceived would be the coming of Chrift; and when they conceived would be the coming of Chrift, then they conceived would be the end of the world, or (9) rather (as it fhould be rendered) the conclufion of the age. The end of the world or the conclufion of the age is the fame period with the deftruction of Jerufalem; for there being two ages (as they were called) among the Jews, the one under the law, the other under the Meffiah; when the city and temple were deftroyed, and the Jewish polity in church and state was diffolved, the former age muft of courfe be concluded, and the age under the Meffiah be commenced. It is true the phrafe συντέλεια τε αιωνος noft ufually fignifies the end of the world properly fo called; as in the parable of the tares (Matt. XIII. 39.) the harvest is overea T8 alvos the end of the world; As therefore the tares (ver. 40.) are gathered and burnt in the fire, fo fhall it be εν τη συνέπεια τα αιώνος τελ in the end of this world. And again (ver. 49.) So fhall it be ev TY OUTEXEIR Taswvos at the end of the world, the angels fhall come forth, and fever the wicked from among the juft. In like manner our Saviour fays to his difciples (Matt. XXVIII. 20.) Lo, I am with you alway, έως της συνέχειας το αιώνος ecen unto the end of the world. But here the phrafe appears to be ufed much in the fame manner as in the Epift. to the Hebrews, (IX. 26.) But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away fin by the facrifice of himself; in the end of the world, Ei oleλE TWD awvwv, in the conclufion of the Jewish age or ages: And thefe, I think, are all the places where the phrafe occurs in fcripture. The coming of Chrift is alfo the fame period

(9) συντέλεια τε αιώνος•

with the deftruction of Jerufalem, as may appear from feveral places in the Gospels, and particularly from these two paffages. There are fome ftanding here, faith our bleffed Lord, (Matt. XVI. 28.) who shall not tafte of death, till they fee the fon of man coming in his kingdom, that is evidently, there are fome ftanding here who fhall live, not till the end of the world, to the coming of Chrift to judge mankind, but till the deftruction of Jerufalem, to the coming of Chrift in judgement upon the Jews. In another place (John XXI. 22.) fpeaking to Peter concerning John, he faith, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? what is it to thee, if I will that he live till the deftruction of Jerufalem? as in truth he did, and longer. The coming of Chrift and the conclufion of the age being therefore only different expreffions to denote the fame period with the deftruction of Jerufalem, the purport of the queftion plainly is, when fhall the deftruction of Jerufalem be, and what shall be the figns of it? In the parallel place of St. Mark (XIII. 4.) the question is put thus, When fhall these things be, and what shall be the fign when all these things fhall be fulfilled? In the parallel place of St. Luke (XXI. 7.) the question is put thus, When fhall these things be, and what fign will there be when these things fhall come to pass? So that the difciples afk two things, firft the time of the deftruction of Jerufalem, when these things fhall be; and fecondly the figns of it, and what shall be the fign when all these things Thall be fulfilled as it is in St. Mark, and what will be the fign when thefe things fhall come to pafs as it is in St. Luke, and what shall be the fign of thy coming and of the conclufion of the age as it is in St. Matthew. The latter part of the question our Saviour answereth first, and treateth of the figns of his coming and the deftruction of Jerufalem from the 4th to the 31ft verfe inclufive; and then paffeth on to the other part of the queftion concerning the time of his coming: And thefe two heads of our Saviour's anfwer fhall likewife in the fame method and order be made the fubject of this and fome fubfequent difcourfes.

Our bleffed Saviour treateth of the figns of his com ing and the deftruction of Jerufalem from the 4th to the

31ft

31ft verfe inclufive; by figns meaning the circumftances and accidents which fhould forerun, ufher in, and attend. this great event: and I am perfuaded the whole compafs of hiftory cannot furnish us with a prophecy more exactly fulfilled in all points than this hath been.

Falfe Chrifts our Saviour mentions as the firft fign of his coming, (ver. 4 and 5.) Take heed that no man deceive you; for many fhall come in my name, faying, I am Chrift; and shall deceive many. With this he begins in all the evangelifts, and in all ufeth almoft the very fame words; only in St. Luke (XXI. 8.) he addeth the time draweth near; and indeed within a little time this part of the prophecy began to be fulfilled. For very foon after our Saviour's deceafe appeared Simon Magus, (Acts VIII. 9, 10.) and bewitched the people of Samaria, groing out that himself was fome great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the leaft to the greateft, faying, This man is the great power of God. He boafted himself likewife (1) among the Jews, as the Son of God. Of the fame ftamp and character was alfo (2) Dofitheus the Samaritan, who pretended that he was the Chrift foretold by Mofes. In the reign of Claudius, about twelve years after the death of our Saviour, when Cufpius Fadus was procurator of Judea, a certain impoftor, named Theudas, perfuaded a great multitude with their best effects to follow him to the river Jordan; for he faid that he was a prophet, and promifed to divide the river for their paffage, and faying thefe things he deceived many, (3) faith Jofephus. But Fadus fent a troop of horfe against them, who falling unexpectedly upon them, killed many, and made many prifoners; and having taken Theudas himfelf alive, they cut off his head, and

(1) Irenæi Lib. 1. Cap. 20. p. 94

Edit. Grabe. Theodoret. Hæretic.
Fab. Lib. 1. Cap. 1. p. 192. Vol. 4.
Edit. Paris. 1642.

(2) και μελα τες Ιησε δε X80985 ηθέλησε και ο Σαμαρευς Δοσίθεος πείσαι Σαμαρεις, ότι αύλος μη ὁ προφήτευομενος υπο Μωσέως Χριτος" και εδοξε τινων τη καυλα διδασκαλία κεκρατηκέναι. Poft Jefu tempora voluit et Dofitheus quidam Samarita fuis perfuadere, fe effe

Chriftum illum, quem Moyfes prædixerat, vifufque eft nonnullos fibi fua doctrina conciliare. Origen contra Celfum, Lib. 1. p. 372. Vide etiam Lib. 6. p. 638. Vol. 1. In Matt. Tra&. 27. p. 851. Col. 2. Vol. 3. Edit. Benedit.

(3) και ταυία λεγων πολλές υπαλ Ev. et hujufmodi fermonibus plurimos decepit. Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 20. Cap. 4. Sect. 1. p. 886. Edit. Hudfon.

brought

brought it to Jerufalem. A few years afterwards in the reign of Nero, and under the procuratorfhip of Felix, thefe impoftors arofe fo frequent, that (4) many of them were apprehended and killed every day. They feduced great numbers of the people ftill expecting the Meffiah; and well therefore might our Saviour caution his difciples against them.

The next figus he giveth of his coming are feveral terrible calamities, as wars and rumors of wars, famins, and peftilences, and earthquakes in divers places, (ver. 6 and 7.) And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: fee that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pafs, but the end is not yet. For nation fhall rife against nation, and kingdom againft kingdom: and there shall be famins, and pejiilences, and earthquakes in dicers places. Accordingly there were wars and rumors of wars, as appears in all the hiftorians of thofe times, and above all in Jofephus. To relate the particulars would indeed be to transcribe great part of his hiftory of the Jewish wars. There were more efpecially rumors of wars, (5) when Caligula the Roman emperor ordered his ftatue to be fet up in the temple of Jerufalem, which the Jews refused to fuffer, and perfifted in their refufal; and hav ing therefore reafon to apprehend a war from the Romans, were in fuch a confternation that they omitted even the tilling of their lands: but this ftorm was foon blown over, and their fears were diffipated by the timely death of that emperor.

It is faid moreover, that nation fhall rise against nation, and kingdom againft kingdom. Here, as (6) Grotius well obferves,

(4) τετων μὲν ὁ Φήλιξ πολλές καθ' ἕκασην ημεραν λαμβανων ανηρεί 1o rum quidem multos,-quotidie captos, Felix fuftulit. Jofeph, ibid. Cap. 7. Sect. 5. p. 892.

(5) Jofeph. Antiq, Lib. 18. Cap. 9. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 2. Cap. 10. Edit. Hudfon. Philo contra Flaccum. Tacitus Hift. Lib. 5.

(6) Indicat Chriftus majores quam fub Caio evenerant cædes imminere ultimis temporibus Claudianis, et Neronis principatu. Illud 20vos em 80v

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »