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certain. They might make for Perea, the nearest country that was friendly to the Romans; towards which the Chriftians, when the way should be opened for them, were to fhape their courfe. But while there were two contending armies near, and each hoftile to them, it was not safe to move, and perhaps fcarcely poffible.

During the affault upon the city, the people were not suffered to approach the gates or afcend the walls, the cuftody of which was in the hands of the predominant faction. And when the fiege was broken up, and free egrefs given to their own armed multitude; it is probable they let none go forth of the opposite party, who, by informing the Roman commander of the general difpofition of the people for peace, might encourage him to return and renew the attack.

The Chriftians therefore, reftrained by force or guided by prudence, remained still in Jerufalem; holding themselves however in readiness to depart, whenever the favour

Those who fled (didiopaσnov) when they thought the city would be taken, were of this party, as appears from what follows : τον δε δημον συνέβαινεν επι τετοις θάρρειν, και κάθε παρεια ποιεν δι πονηροί, προσπεσαν αυτοί τας πύλας ανοίξαντες. Β. J. L. II. c. xix. §. 6.

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able moment should offer, which every thing now led them to expect, and which accordingly foon arrived.

The Jews, having flain of the enemy above five thoufand, returned to Jerufalem with fongs of triumph towards the end of the following fabbath. The circumstance of the day, it is not unlikely, increased their joy, and was blindly regarded as a fure prognostic of future fuccefs. The apprehenfion of danger being now removed, the gates, it may be supposed, would be thrown open, and a free paffage afforded to all; and if the words of our Lord, where he speaks of the escape of the Christians by night, are to be understood literally, this may well feem to be the very night; when the feditious, intoxicated with joy, were congratulating one another upon the victory which they had gained, and ceased to moleft the quiet inha

bitants.

Of this we may be certain, that as the fignal had been given, and the way was now clear, they would lofe no time to confult for their safety; and that good providence, which, as we have already fhewn, ordered that their

• See Luke xvii. 34:

flight should not be in winter, granted likewife, as we here fee, that it should not be on the fabbath; but that they should have an entire week before them to complete their journey.

At the fame time and perhaps together with the Chriftians who fled from Jerufalem, those who were in the country likewife escaped; and none of them returned, when they had once quitted the place, either to take any thing thence, or to celebrate there fucceeding feftivals. Some probably were variously dispersed in the neighbouring provinces; but Pella, as but Pella, as we have before obferved, was their chief rendezvous.

This city, which was distant from Jerufalem about an hundred miles, was under the jurisdiction of king Agrippa; who was not only an ally of the Romans, but was alfo, as has been remarked on the occafion, " providentially difpofed to countenance the Chrif

"Let them which are in the midft of it [Jerufalem] depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto." Luke xxi. 21. See alfo xvii. 31. Matt. xxiv. 17, 18. Mar. xiii. 15, 16.

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8 All Perea was given him by Caligula. A. J. L. XVIII, c. viii. §. 2. p. 820. 1. 19. with §. 1.

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tians h. Here therefore they enjoyed an undisturbed and peaceful habitation', while Judea was a theatre of flaughter and confufion, and the metropolis itself, torn by inteftine difcord and tumults, before the Romans finally befieged it, exhibited the scene of a ruining city *.

Such then was the deliverance vouchfafed from heaven to the faithful in Judea, and to the church of Jerufalem, the mother of the univerfal Chriftian world. Let us paufe for a moment to reflect on the bleffing.

b Dr. Townson on the Gofp. p. 124.

i The province of Perea was not totally exempt from the horrors of war; but it is probable that the city of Pella was. Jofephus having mentioned the reduction of Gadara the metropolis, and one or two other places, fays, Thus all Perea either voluntarily fubmitted or was taken by force. B. J. L. IV. c. vii. §. 5. As he does not mention Pella on this occafion, though it was one of the chief cities (B. J. L. III. c. iii. §. 5.) it is highly probable that it was in the number of those which making no refiftance experienced no hoftilities. Perhaps the inhabitants were few of them Jews. See A. j. L. XIII. c. xv. §. 4.

όσου

απολυμένης.

* Το κατασημα της πόλεως πριν επελθειν Ρωμαίος ην B. J. L. II. c. xxii. §. 1. Jofephus alfo fays, fpeaking of an early stage of the war, that when the city was haraffed at once by war, by tyranny, and fedition, the firft of these feemed the leaft evil of the three; and he adds, that [even then] there was no part of Judea, which did not participate the ruin (UT) of the principal city. B. J. L. IV. c. vii. §. 1, 2.

In all the feverer judgements of GOD upon the fons of men, it has been his gracious pleasure to give intimations beforehand of the impending stroke, that the righteous might be faved, and the wicked might repent. When the flood was to be brought upon the world of the ungodly, the longfuffering of GOD waited an hundred and twenty years; and Noah, in the mean time, was ftirred up to be a preacher of righteousness, as well as commanded to build an ark for the preservation of himself and his family'.

To Niniveh, though in a remote and pagan land, the prophet Jonah was fent to warn the inhabitants that at the end of forty days the city should be destroyed. But the Ninivites repented, and the doom was reversed.

Before every captivity, every chaftifement,

that befell the chofen but rebellious houses of Ifrael and of Judah, the most preffing calls to repentance, the most tremendous denunciations of wrath, were held forth by those holy and undaunted men, whom the Lord raised up and fent among them; and when

1 See 1 Pet. lii. 20. 2 Pet. ii. 5. Gen. vi. 3.

Judah

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