obferves, Chrift declares that greater difturbances than thofe which happened under Caligula, fhould fall out in the latter times of Claudius, and in the reign of Nero. That of nation against nation portended the diffenfions, infurrections, and mutual flaughter of the Jews and those of other nations, who dwelt in the fame cities together: as particularly at (7) Cæfarea, where the Jews and Syrians contended about the right of the city, which contention at length proceeded fo far, that above twenty thoufand Jews were flain, and the city was cleared of the Jewish inhabitants. At this blow the (8) whole nation of the Jews were exafperated; and dividing themselves into parties, they burnt and plundered the neighbouring cities and villages of the Syrians, and made an immenfe flaughter of the people. The Syrians in revenge deftroyed not a lefs number of the Jews, and every city, as (9) Jofephus expreffeth it, was divided into two armies. At (1) Scythopolis the inhabitants compelled the Jews who refided among them to fight against their own countrymen, and after the victory bafely fetting upon them by night, murdered above thirteen thousand of them, and fpoiled their goods. At (2) Afcalon they killed two thoufand and five hundred, at Ptolemais two thoufand, and made not a few prifoners. The Tyrians put many to death, and imprifoned more. The people of Gadara did likewife, and all the other cities of Syria, in proportion as they hated or feared the Jews. At Alexandria (3) the old enmity was revived between the Jews and Heathens, and many fell on both fides, but of the Jews to the number of fifty thoufand. The (4) people of Damafcus too confpired againft the Jews of

the fame city, and affaulting them unarmed, killed ten thousand of them. That of kingdom against kingdom portended the open wars of different tetrarchies and provinces against one another: as (5) that of the Jews who dwelt in Perea against the people of Philadelphia concerning their bounds, while Cufpius Fadus was procurator: and (6) that of the Jews and Galilæans against the Samaritans, for the murder of fome Galilæans going up to the feast of Jerufalem while Cumanus was procurator; and (7) that of the whole nation of the Jews against the Romans and Agrippa and other allies of the Roman empire, which began while Geffius Florus was procurator. But as (8) Jofephus faith, there was not only fedition and civil war throughout Judea, but likewife in Italy, Otho and Vitellius contending for the empire.

It is farther added, and there fhall be famins, and pefti: lences, and earthquakes in divers places. There were famins, as particularly that prophefied of by Agabus, and mentioned in the Acts of the Apoftles, (XI. 28.) and by (9) Suetonius and other prophane hiftorians referred to by Eufebius, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cæfar, and was fo fevere at Jerufalem, that, as (1) Jofephus faith, many perifhed for want of victuals. And peftilences, for thefe are the ufual attendants upon famins. Scarcity and badnefs of provifions almoft always end in fome epidemical diftemper. We fee

many died by reafon of the famin in the reign of Claudius: and (2) Jofephus farther informs us, that when Niger was killed by the Jewith zealots, he imprecated befides other calamities famin and peftilence upon them, (λιμοντέ και λοιμον the very words uted by the evangelift)

(5) Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 20. Cap. 1. Sect. I.

(6) Ibid. Cap. 5. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 2. Cap. 12. Sect. 3, &c.

(7) Ibid. Cap. 17.

(8) Ov μovov de nata rny Indian facis ην και πολεμος ευφυλιος, αλλά και επι της Ιταλίας. Verum non folum per Judæam erat feditio et bellum civile, fed etiam in Italia. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 4. Cap. 9. Sect. 9. p. 1200.

(9) Suetonius in Claudio 18. Ta

citi Annal. Lib. 12. Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 2. Cap. 8.

(1) πολλων ὑπ' ενδείας αναλωμάτων φθειρόμενων, multis alimentorum inopia pereuntibus. Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 20Cap. 2. Sect. 6. p. 881. Ibid. Cap. 4. Sect. 2. Edit. Hudfon.

(2) ἁ δη παντα κατα των ασεβον Exupwσev • E05. Quæ fane univerfa contra improbos rata habuit Deus. Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. Lib. 4. Cap. 6. Sect. 1. p. 1186. Edit, Hudson.

all

all which, faith he, God ratified and brought to pafs against the ungodly,-And earthquakes in divers places, as particularly that (3) in Crete in the reign of Claudius, mentioned by Philoftratus in the life of Apollonius, and thofe alfo mentioned by Philoftratus at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, in all which places fome Jews inhabited; and those (4) at Rome mentioned by Tacitus; and that (5) at Loadicea in the reign of Nero mentioned by Tacitus, which city was overthrown, as were likewife Hierapolis and Coloffe; and that in (6) Campania, mentioned by Seneca; and that at (7) Rome in the reign of Galba mentioned by Suetonius; and that in Judea, mentioned by (8) Jofephus. For by night there broke out a moft dreadful tempeft, and violent ftrong winds with the moft vehement fhowers, and continual lightnings, and horrid thundrings, and prodigious bellowings of the fhaken earth: and it was manifeft, as he faith, that the constitution of the universe was confounded for the deftruction of men; and any one might eafily conjecture, that these things portended no common calamity.

To thefe St. Luke addeth (XXI. 11.) that there fhall be fearful fights and great figns from heaven. Jofephus in (9) the preface to his hiftory of the Jewish war, undertakes to relate the figns and prodigies, which preceded the taking of the city: and he relates accord

(3) Gravis terræ motus qui in Creta accidit Claudio imperante meminit Philoftratus in vita Apollonii. Item terræ mortum Smyrnæ, Mileti, Chii, Sami paulo ante tempora excila urbis Hierofolymorum. Grot. in lo

cum.

(4) Tacit. Annal. Lib. 12. p. 91. Edit. Lipfii.

(5) Tacit. Annal. Lib. 14. p. 113. Edit. Lipfii. Orofius Lib. 7. Cap. 7. p. 473. Edit. Havercamp.

(6) Nat. Quæft. Lib. 6. Cap. 1. (7) Suet. Galb. Cap. 18. (8) Jofeph. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 4. Cap. 4. Sect. 5. δια γας της κυκλος αμήχανος εκρήγνυται χειμων, ανεμοι τε Βίαιοι συν όμβροις λαβροτάτοις, και

συνεχεις αςραπαί, βρονται τα φρικώδεις, και μυνηματα σειομένης της γης εξαισία. πρόδηλον δ' ήν, επ' ανθρωπων ολέθρω, το κατάφημά των ὅλων συγκεχυμενον και εχι μικρε τις αν εικασαι συμπλωματος τα τέρατα. Nocte enim graviffima erumpit tempeftas, ventusque violentus cum imbre vehementi conjunctus, et crebra fulgura, horrendaque tonitrua, et ingentes terræ concuffæ mugitus: manifeftumque erat hominum in exitium, mundi ftatum fuiffe conturbatum: eratque ut quis conjiceret ea non vulgares portendere calamitates. p. 1181. Edit. Hudson.

(9) και τα προ ταύτης σημεία και Tegala. quæque præcefferant figna et prodigia. Sect. 11. p. 957.

ingly, that (1) a ftar hung over the city like a fword, and the comet continued for a whole year; that (2) the people being affembled to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, at the ninth hour of the night there fhone fo great a light about the altar and the temple, that it feemed to be bright day, and this continued for half an hour; that (3) at the fame feaft a cow, led by the prieft to facrifice, brought forth a lamb in the middle of the temple; that (4) the eastern gate of the temple, which was of folid brass and very heavy, and was fcarcely fhut in an evening by twenty men, and was faftened by strong bars and bolts, was feen at the fixth hour of the night, opened of its own accord, and could hardly be fhut again; that (5) before the setting of the fun there were feen over all the country chariots and armies fighting in the clouds, and befieging cities; that (6) at the feast of Pentecoft, as the priests were going into the inner temple by night as ufual to attend their fervice, they heard first a motion and noise, and then a voice as of a multitude faying, Let us depart hence; and (7) what he reckons as the most terrible of all, that one Jefus, an ordinary country fellow, four years before the war began, when the city was in peace and

(1) ύπερ την πολιν αςρον εςη ῥομφαια Φαραπλησιον, και παρατείνας επ' ενι αυτον κομήτης, fupra civitatem fetit fidus fimile gladio, et anni fpatio ardere perfeverabat cometes. Lib. 6. Cap. 5. Sect. 3. p. 1281.

(2) αθροιζομενο το λας προ την των Αζυμων ορίην,καλα νυκίος εννάτην ώραν, τόσελον φως περιέλαμψε τον βωμον και τον ναον, ὡς δοκείν ἡμέραν είναι λαμπραν, και τετο παρέτεινεν ἐφ' ἡμίσειαν ώραν. populo ad feftum diem Azymorum congregato-hora notis nona, tanta lux circa altare templumque circumfufa eft, ut dies clarus effe videretur, atque hoc horæ dimidiæ fpatio duravit. Ibid.

(3) και κατα την αυλην εορτην βες μεν αχθείσα ύπο το αρχιερέως προς την θυσιαν, ελεκεν αρνα εν τω ἱερῷ μέσῳ. in eadem quoque folennitate, vacca, cum a pontifice ad facrificium adduceretur, agnum in medio templo enixa eft. Ibid. (4) ή δε αναλυλικη πυλη κ. τ. λ. fed et janua, &c. Ibid.

VOL. II.

(5) προ

ήλιος δύσεως ώφθη μετεωρα περι πασαν την χώραν άρματα και φα λαγγες ενοπλοι διατζεσαι των νεφων, και nuxμeva Tas ones ante folis occafum per univerfam regionem currus in aere fublimes ferri, et armatæ phalanges per nubes difcurrere, urbefque circumvallare funt vitæ. Ibid. p. 1282.

(6) κατα δε την εορτην, ἡ Πεντεκοσ η καλεῖται, νυκλως οἱ ἱερεις παρελθοντες εἰς το ενδον ίερον, ὥσπερ αυίοις έθος ην προς τας λειτεργίας, πρώτον μεν κινήσεως αντι λαβεσθαι εφασαν και κυπε μετα ταυία και φωνης αφροας, μελαβαινωμεν εντευθεν Fetto autem die qui Pentecoste appel-latur, facerdotes noctu templum ingrefii ad obeunda ex more minifteria, primum quidem motum ac frepitum fe exaudiffe dixerunt, tum deinde vocem quafi confertæ multitudinis fimul clamantis, Migremus hinc. Ibid..

(7) το δε τελων φοβερώτερον Ιησες γας TIS X. T.λ. Quod vero his omnibus terribilius eft, Jefus quidam, &c. Ibid. C

plenty,

plenty, came to the feaft of tabernacles, and ran crying up and down the streets day and night, A voice from the eaft, a voice from the weft, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerufalem and the temple, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, a voice * against all the people.' The magiftrates endeavoured by ftripes and torture, to reftrain him; but he ftill cried with a mournful voice, "Woe woe to Jerufalem !' This he continued to do for feven years and five months together, and especially at the great feftivals; and he neither grew hoarfe nor was tired: but went about the walls, and cried with a loud voice, "Woe woe to the city, and to the people, and to the temple;' and as he added at last, Woe woe alfo to myself,' it happened that a ftone from fome fling or engin immediately truck him dead. These were indeed fearful figns and great fights from heaven: and there is not a more creditable hiftorian than the author who relates them, and who appeals to the teftimony of those who faw and heard them. But it may add fome weight to his relation, that Tacitus, the Roman historian, also gives us a fummary account of the fame occurrences. He faith that (8) there happened several prodigies, armies were feen engaging in the heavens, arms were feen glittering, and the temple fhone with the fudden fire of the clouds, the doors of the temple opened fuddenly, and a voice greater than human was heard, that the gods were departing, and likewife a great motion of their departing. Dr. Jortin's (9) remark is very pertinent, "If Chrift "had not exprefsly foretold this, many, who give little "heed to portents, and who know that hiftorians have

been too credulous in that point, would have fufpect"ed that Jofephus exaggerated, and that Tacitus was "mifinformed; but as the teftimonies of Jofephus and "Tacitus confirm the predictions of Chrift, fo the "predictions of Chrift confirm the wonders recorded

(8) Evenerant prodigia-Vifæ per cælum concurrere acies, rutilantia arma, et fubito nubium igne collucere templum. Expaffe repente delubri fores, et audita major humanâ vox,

Excedere deos. Simul ingens motus excedentium. Tacit. Hift. Lib. 5. p. 217. Edit. Lipfii.

(9) Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hif. tory, Vol. 1. p. 41.

"by