Emperor Julian, commonly called the apostate, because after having been educated in the christian religion, he turned heathen, about three hundred years after the destruction of Jerusalem, formed a scheme of rebuilding the temple. Filled with enmity against the people whom he had forsaken, but still desirous to avoid the scandal of open persecution, he tried every method to humble the christians, and root out their religion. Knowing the aversion of the Jewish people to christianity, he sent for some of their chief men, and asked them why they did not sacrifice? They answered, because they could sacrifice no where but at the temple at Jerusalem, and now they had none. He bid them take good heart, and engaged to build a temple for them. And accordingly gave full powers and strict orders for that purpose to proper officers, allotting likewise large sums out of the public revenue. But when materials were provided, and they were about to lay the foundations of the intended temple, the workmen were terrified, and some of them scorched by frequent and repeated eruptions of fire from the earth: as is related by divers authors, who lived at the time or near it: and particularly by a heathen historian of good credit, and a friend and admirer of Julian. Undoubt edly such a design was formed and defeated.

If they, who lived about three hundred years after the destruction of Jerusalem, thought this captivity of the Jewish people long; how much more may we, when it is now not only three hundred, but thrice three hundred years, and almost double that number, since the commencement of it.

If they who lived above a thousand years ago observed the long continuance of this dispersion, as exceeding every thing of the like kind that had befallen this people, certainly the continuance of it to this day must appear very extraordinary and affecting.

5. The subsistence of the Jewish people at this time affords

4 See Socrat. H. E. l. 3. c. 20. Sozom, l. 5. c. 20. Thedrt, 1, 3. c. 20. Chrys. T. 1. p. 580, 646, &c. T. 2. p. 574.

Ambitiosum quondam apud Hierosolymam templum, quod post multa et interneciva certamina obsidente Vespasiano posteaque Tito ægre est expugnatum, instaurare sumtibus cogitabat immodicis. Negotiumque maturandum Alypio dederat Antiochensi, qui olim Britannias curaverat pro Præfectis. Cum itaque rei idem fortiter instaret Alypius, juvaretque provinciæ rector, metuendi globi flammarum prope fundamenta crebris assultibus erumpentes, fecere locum exustis aliquoties operantibus inaccessum. Hocque modo elemento destinatius repellente, cessavit inceptum. Amm. Marcel. 1, 23. c. i.

Chrysostom and others.

an attestation to divers things upon which some evidences of the christian religion depend.

For hereby all are assured of the antiquity and genuineness of the scriptures of the Old Testament. These are received by them, and read in their synagogues: and they allow, that therein are contained promises of a great and eminent deliverer. None therefore can pretend, that the scriptures, so often appealed to by Christ and his apostles, are forgeries of christians.

Possibly we are not aware how great an advantage we have, in this respect, from the subsistence of the Jewish people, and their synagogue worship, where the scriptures of the Old Testament are often read.

It is true, the time of Christ's coming seems to have been a time of greater knowledge, and more general commerce, than that of the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian bondage: but a variety of evidence for important facts, such as the coming of Christ, and his teaching among the Jews, is not to be despised, but thankfully accepted. And if the Jewish people had been extinguished soon after the coming of Christ, and the planting his religion in the world, some things might have been disputed by enemies which now are incontestable. Some might have had the assurance to deny, that ever there was such a people in the world, or that ever a nation existed which conformed to the institutions of Moses: and they might have formed an argument, which would have affected some persons, little conversant in ancient history. And our case might have resembled that of the Jewish people of old, who were sometimes obliged to labour in the proof, thats they were not expelled out of Egypt, but conducted thence under the especial care of a powerful providence and protection.

But here possibly a scruple may arise in the minds of some and they may say, if the subsistence of the Jewish people be so much to the advantage of the christian religion, might it not have been as well for them to have continued in the land of Canaan, maintaining the ancient form of their commonwealth, and living in power and splendour, as in some times of old?

I answer, it was not fit.

1.) For their rejecting the Messiah must require some tokens of divine resentment and displeasure. If Jesus wrought such miracles as are recorded in the gospels, and

See Josephus at the end of his first book against Appion, and compare Tacitus, Hist. book V. near the beginning.

was crucified by the Jews: and if his apostles preached in his name, and were abused, as the history of the New Testament relates: it was highly proper, that after waiting to be gracious, God should send remarkable judgments upon them, if they repented not; which they did not, but went on increasing in wickedness, as we are assured by Josephus, and other historians.

2.) It was by no means fit that the ancient power of the Jews should be continued to them, considering their rejection of Jesus, and their enmity to them that believed in him. The opposition they would have made to the followers of Jesus, the sufferings they would have brought upon them, would have been insupportable by human nature. By the severest persecution within their own territories, and by solemn and powerful embassies into foreign parts, disparaging the disciples of Jesus and their principles, they would have extirpated them as soon as they were risen up. We may clearly collect as much from the afflictions and sufferings they actually brought upon the apostles and other disciples of Jesus; though their authority and influence were greatly restrained by the superior power of the Roman empire.

3.) If the Jewish nation had continued to subsist in their former power and splendour, some evidences of the truth of the christian religion had not been so cogent as they are: for now the temple, built after the return from Babylon, where the promised Messiah was to appear, is in ruins: therefore he is already come. The Jewish tribes and families are confounded, and it is impossible any Messiah should arise now, who can be known to be of the tribe of Judah and the family of David. In a word, if the Jewish commonwealth and temple still subsisted, all the preceding arguments, taken from their afflictive circumstances, would be weakened: but that is neither for their, nor our benefit. That it is not for ours is manifest; nor is it for theirs: for it is conducive to their best interest, that the evidences of christianity should be strong and affecting; that they may be provoked to jealousy, and all Israel may be saved; that is, that the prejudices, which they are so apt to indulge, may be weakened and removed; and that all who can be persuaded, may be disposed to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus, and receive him as the Messiah.

VOL. IX.

I say then, have they stumbled, that they should fall? God forbid. But rather through their fall, salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Rom. xi. 11.

III. Before I conclude this argument I choose to mention a few remarks and observations, which I hope may be of

some use.

1. The argument afforded us for the truth of our religion from the subsistence and afflictive circumstances of the Jewish people was not absolutely necessary; but yet it was expedient, and is very useful.

It was not absolutely necessary for though the Jewish nation had been long ago extinct; that is, though they had not now been a distinct people, but had been lost and mingled with other nations, so that no remains of them had been now observable, following any of the ordinances of the law of Moses; yet we should have had sufficient evidence of the truth of the christian religion, or that Jesus is the Christ, and his doctrine from heaven. This we could have been assured of from our Lord's character, the excellence of his principles, his miracles, his resurrection, and other particulars, well known, and formerly mentioned.

But yet this argument, from the being and afflictive circumstances of the Jewish people, was expedient, and is very useful; as abundantly appears from the considerations which have been insisted on in the discourses upon this subject.

2. We may likewise observe, that some evidences of the truth of the christian religion are not weakened, but do rather gain force by length of time.

A history of facts may be thought to lose some degree of credibility in a long tract of time: and therefore it might be feared, that the evangelical history might some time suffer upon that account: but indeed it is so circumstanced, and has in it so many internal characters of truth, and is so supported by external testimonies of various kinds, that its credit must remain to the latest ages inviolable.

However it is sufficient that this kind of evidence remains as it is; but then some other evidence advances and gains strength by time.

Christ assured Peter that he would build his church upon a rock, and "that the gates of hell should not prevail against it," Matt. xvi. 18. The longer christianity has a being in the world, the fulfilment of that promise is the

more remarkable, and the foreknowledge of Christ the more conspicuous; especially considering what oppositions of various kinds, in all ages, are made against this doctrine; some by force, and some by art and sophistry: and considering likewise the weakness and inconstancy of mankind, and that some, who in name are friends, weaken the interest they profess to uphold.

When a certain woman, not long before our Lord's removal out of this world, opened a very precious vessel of ointment, and poured it upon his head, some had indignation, and seemed to think it too great and expensive a mark of respect: but he answered them: " Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also that which this woman has done be told for a memorial of her," Matt. xxvi. 6-13. And every time this portion of scripture is read, especially in late ages, it establishes the belief of our Lord's great character.

Jesus often spoke of many coming" from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven," Matt. viii. 11; that is, to partake of the privileges of the gospel, and the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. So long therefore as there are Gentiles in the world, who thankfully embrace the gospel, this declaration is fulfilled. And the longer it is since these words were spoken, the more are they verified. And every accession to the church of Christ from among ignorant and darkened Gentiles is a fresh confirmation of the truth of his doctrine.

The dispersion of the Jews, the longer it lasts, still more and more does it strengthen the evidences of the christian religion; it is the more remarkable: it is a plainer and a more affecting token of divine displeasure against them. The greater assurance does it afford that the Messiah is already come: and the more impossible it is rendered for any man to prove himself of the tribe of Judah, and the family of David, whence the Messiah was to rise. For these reasons their present dispersion is prolonged, and may it be duly attended to by all to whom the consideration of it may be of use !

3. These things ought also to be considered as warnings

to us.

Paul, the apostle more especially of the Gentiles, fails not to make this use of the argument he is upon : "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive, * See Whitby upon Matt. viii. 11, 12.