Of these glorious appearances, at the outfet of the gospel, we are certified by those who best could inform us, by the friends and followers of our bleffed Lord; who beheld what they related, and rifked their lives in fupport of their teftimony. But to other events, of fubfequent occurrence, which yet never could have happened, had not these earlier facts been true, the whole world is witness; the most bigoted oppofers, and the moft zealous advocates, of the Chriftian caufe; those who drew the fword to cut off from the earth the odious fect, and those who dreaded neither danger nor death, if they might confirm the brethren, or gain fresh converts.

It was foretold by the prophets who lived in the times of the Mofaic difpenfation, that the days were coming, when a new law fhould go forth from mount Sion; and the Gentiles, in all lands, fhould be admitted into covenant with the GOD of Jacob. Thefe prophecies, our Lord intimated, on various occafions during his miniftry, belonged to the doctrine which he taught; and at the moment, when, of all others, any fuch revolution was most unlikely to happen, when he was about to be forfaken and to fuffer an

igno

ignominious death; at this inaufpicious feafon, he declared in exprefs words, that his gospel should be preached, in that very generation, and by the very perfons whom he then addreffed, throughout the world. We have seen the event, the greatest bleffing that wretched finners ever experienced, correfpond with the prediction. At Jerufalem the new law was publicly promulged, and thousands voluntarily gave themselves to it; yet more, and more powerful thousands opposed it, blafpheming its author, and perfecuting his followers. But Heaven, that infpired, miraculously delivered them; and the work of their GoD profpered in their hands. Having taught the word in Judea, they went forth among the Gentiles; and met, as with fimilar danger, fo with fimilar fuccefs. Ignorance which philofophy never could subdue, and vice which laws never could reftrain, vanished at the fight of heaven-born wisdom; the banner of the cross was erected on the ruins of idolatry, and the fimplicity of the gofpel triumphed over the pride of affluence pomp of power.

and the

Thus was fulfilled one of the figns of the approaching diffolution of the Jewish economy: the kingdom of GOD was taken from the Jews, and given to a nation bringing forth

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forth the fruits thereof. The time therefore was at hand, when they fhould cease to have a name among the kingdoms of the earth. But of this fatal day other marks were forefhewn, fome to adminifter comfort and instruction to the faithful, and fome to be a warning to the rebellious and obftinate, and all of them, in their accomplishment, confpiring to prove the heavenly miffion and almighty power of the holy Speaker.

Before the calamities, and even in the midst of them, impoftors should appear in the fecret chambers and in the lonely defert, claiming immediate intercourse with heaven, and pretending feverally to be the expected Redeemer. At the time appointed, and with the character defcribed, the false prophets came; and the wilderness and the city, which were the scenes of their folly, faw likewise the confufion of them and their adherents.

Signs from above and wonders below, concuffions of the earth and roarings of the sea, peftilential air and barren seasons,

b Matt. xxi. 43.

Luke xxi. 25. This, as Bp. Newcome has observed (on our Lord's Conduct, &c. p. 209.) was literally verified, when the inhabitants of Joppa, to avoid the Roman army, betook

themselves

should prognosticate the approach of some great alteration. The ftars in their courfes fought against Ifrael; the wind and the storm fulfilled the word of the Son of man, and, when he called them, faid, Here we are.

Rumours of wars, infurrections and tumults, fhould precede the commencement of heavier troubles. The cities of the east were filled with fedition; the Jews combined against the aliens, and the aliens united against the Jews; Jews alfo divided against Jews, brother against brother, the father against the son, and the fon against the father. The eagle from afar fcented the battle, and flew to devour; but he hovered in mid air, before he stooped to the prey and bathed his talons in blood. The chosen of the Lord, the faithful few who obeyed his voice, had not yet made good their retreat; for the fignal to withdraw had not been given. The standard of abomination was to be reared on holy ground; and then they were to depart from Jerufalem and from Judea. The Roman commander therefore marched with an army to the walls of Jeru

themselves to their ships; and a violent ftorm arifing dashed the vessels against each other and against the rocks, and the coast was strewed with four thousand two hundred dead bodies. See B. J. L.III. c. viii. §. 2, 3.

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falem ;

falem; the Jews fled before him, he affailed the inner city and undermined the temple, and then abandoned the enterprise and abruptly decamped; for he had finished, though he knew it not, the work which he was fent to perform. He had fet up, on the skirts of the sanctuary, within the precincts of the holy city, the abominable enfigns of pagan idolatry, and founded the alarm of approaching defolation in the ears of the fons of Sion. Now therefore the Chriftians, poffeffing their fouls in patience to the end, were in readinefs to depart, when the moment should arrive; and He, who had taught them to pray that their flight might not be in the winter, nor on the fabbath, fo ordered the event, that the gates were thrown open and a way prepared for them, when the mildness of autumn favoured their efcape, and fix fucceffive days, without a fabbath intervening, gave space for their journey and for choosing their abode.

Thus the houfe of the unbelievers was left unto them defolate, their obftinacy was grown to the height, the measure of their iniquities was full, and vengeance, when it came, would find not one faithful remaining in the land, none but veffels fitted for deftruction.

d See Luke xviii. 8.

That