fephus himself saw. And they were entering into a long captivity, of which they have not yet feen the end, after a period of almost feventeen hundred years, though they are ftill wonderfully pre

ferved.

Jofephus was still a prifoner. But when Vefpafian had been proclaimed emperor, he ordered his iron chain to be cut *afunder. When Vefpafian went to Rome, Jofephus continued to be with Titus, and was present at the fiege of Jerufalem, and faw the ruin of his city and country.

After the war was over, when Titus went to Rome, he went with him. And Vefpafian allotted him an apartment in the fame house in which he himself had lived before he came to the empire. He also made him a citizen of Rome, and gave him an annual penfion, and continued to fhew him great refpect as long as he lived. His fon Titus, who fucceeded him, fhewed him the like regard. And afterwards Domitian, and his wife Domitia, did him many kind t offices.

Jofephus, however, does not deny, that he had many enemies. But the emperors in whose time he lived, protected him. Indeed, it is very likely that the Jews fhould have little regard for a man who was with the Romans in their camp during the fiege of their city. He particularly fays, that § upon the firft tidings of the taking of Jotapata, the people of Jerufalem made great and public lamentations for him, fuppofing that he had been killed in the fiege; but when they heard that he had escaped, and was with the Romans, and was well used by them, they loaded him with all manner of reproaches, not excepting treachery itself. Nor do we find, that || the Jewish people ever had any great refpect for his writings: though they have been much efteemed, and often quoted by Chriftian and ** other writers in early and later times.

Of them ++ we are now to take fome notice.

The firft is the Hiftory of the Jewish War," and the taking of Jerufalem, in feven books. In which work he goes back to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes, and the Maccabees. In the preface he says, that he firft wrote it in the language of his own country, for the fake of fuch as lived in Parthia, Babylonia, Arabia, and other parts, and afterwards published it in Greek for the benefit of others; which is what we have. It is generally fuppofed to have been published by him in the 75th year of Chrift, and the 38th year of his own age. He profeffeth to have writ with great §§ fidelity; and for the truth of his hiftory

+ Vit. cap. 76.

Ibid.

* De B. J. l. 4. cap. x. § 7. De B. J. 1. 3. cap. ix. § 7. Quamvis enim ejus fcripta apud Judæos in nullo pretio fuerint.... Gentiles tamen pariter et Chriftiani Jofephum, licet Judæum, ejufque opera, magni æftimarunt. Ittig. Proleg. pag. 88. ap. Havercamp.

** Jofephus is quoted by Porphyry, not in his books against the Chriftians, but elsewhere. See the testimonies prefixed to the works of Jofephus.

++ Particular accounts of them are to be feen in Cave, Hift. Lit. Fabric. Bib. Gr. 1. 4. cap. 6. Tom. 3. p. 228. &c. Tillemont, La Ruine des Juifs, art. 79. &c. Hift. des Emp. Tom. i. tt De B. J. L. i. in Pro. § 2. §§ In Pr. § 5. &c. et 1. 7. cap. ult. fin.

hiftory appeals to Vefpafian, and Titus, and King Agrippa, * then living. Het prefented it to Vefpafian and Titus; which last not only defired the publication of it, but with his own hand figned the book that should be reckoned authentic.

2." The Jewish Antiquities," in twenty books, or the hiftory of the Jews from the creation of the world to the twelfth year of Nero, in which the war began. This work was finifhed by him in the 56th year of his own life, in the third year of the reign of Domitian, and the year of Chrift 93.

3. To this work is fubjoined, as a part of it, or an appendix to it, "His Life," written by himself fome while afterwards.

4. After the feveral above-mentioned works, he published another work in two books, entitled " Of the Antiquity of the Jews, against "Apion" being a vindication of the Jewish people against the calumnies of that Egyptian author.

5. To Jofephus likewife is generally afcribed a book, entitled, “ A "Difcourfe of the Maccabees." But, as | Cave fays, there is good reafon to doubt of its genuineness. And ** Mr. Whifton, who made an English translation of all the above-named works of this writer, declined to tranflate this, and would not publifh it among

the reft.

The works of Jofephus, notwithstanding many things in them liable to exception, which may be observed by careful and impartial readers, are very valuable. In his larger work, the "Jewish Anti"quities," he confirms the truth of the hiftory of the Old Teftament. And, as in feveral of the laft books of that work he has brought down the Jewish hiftory from the ceafing of prophecy among them to the twelfth of Nero, he has let us know the state of affairs in Júdea during the time of the evangelical hiftory. And he had before done the like in the first two books of the Jewish War." What he has therein faid of Herod, and his fons, of the Roman governors in Judea, the Jewish fects, and their principles, the manners of the Jewish people, and likewife concerning the Samaritans, greatly confirms and illuftrates the hiftory of our Evangelifts as was formerly fhewn in the first part of this work, the "Credibility of the "Gofpel-history;" the defign of which was to confirm the facts occafionally mentioned in the New Teftament by paffages of ancient††

authors.

"

We are now to confider, whether there is any thing in the works of this Jewish author more directly confirming the principal facts of the New Teftament: particularly, whether he affords any evidences

In Vit. cap. 65. Adv. Ap. 1. i. c. 9.

* Αλλ' ἀυλοῖς απέδωκα τοῖς ἀυλοκράτορσι τὰ βιβλία, Vit. § 65. Conf. Adv. Ap. ut fupre - ώςε χαράξας τῇ ἑαυτῶ χειρὶ τὰ βιβλία δημοσιεύσεσθαι προσέταξεν. Vit. § 65. Ant. 1. 20. cap. ult. fin.

of

"Nihilominus an genuinum fit Josephi opus, justa est dubitandi ratio." Cav. H. L, de Jofepho, p. 35.

** See his note at the end of his tranflation of Jofephus.

tt" Quam in multis capitibus Evangeliftarum narrationi fuffragetur Jofephus, erudite nuper demonftravit Nathanael Lardnerus in opere Anglice edito, de Fide Hiftoriæ Evangelicæ." Lond. 1727, 8vo. 2 vols. J. A. Fabric. Lux Evangelii, p. 16. not. (a).

of the fulfilment of our Lord's predictions concerning the destruction of the temple and city of Jerufalem, and the great calamities coming upon the Jewish people; and whether he has faid any thing of John the Baptift, our Lord's fore-runner, or of our Lord himself, or of any of his Apoftles.

I fhall begin with the firft article. For it is very likely, that in his "Hiftory of the Jewish War," we fhould find many things giving credit to the fulfilment of our Lord's predictions concerning the Jewish people.

II. STATE OF JUDEA IN OUR SAVIOUR'S TIME, AND BEFORE. Judea was first brought into subjection to the Romans by Pompey, who, after a fiege of three months, took Jerufalem in the year 63, before the Chriftian æra, about the time of our * Midfummer. Jofephus always dates † the lofs of their liberty at that time. The fame is faid by Tacitus.

But though the Jewish people then became subject to the Romans, and it may be faid, that from that time forward the rod of Heaven hung over them; they enjoyed many privileges, and the freedom of their worship, under the mild government of those mafters as appears both from Jofephus, and from the hiftorical books of the New Teftament.

When Pompey became mafter of Jerufalem, he § and some of his officers entered into the temple, and the most holy places of it; but he took nothing away. There were then in it the table, the candleftick, with its lamps, the pouring veffels, and the cenfers, all of gold, and great quantities of fpices, and two thousand talents in money; all which he left untouched. And the day after he gave orders, that they who had the charge of the temple fhould cleanse it, and perform the accustomed facrifices. And he reftored the priesthood to Hyr

canus.

It was

And that after this the Jewish people were, fometimes at least, in a flourishing condition, appears from many confiderations. during this period, that || Herod repaired the temple. Excepting the cloud of glory with which the first temple had been favoured, that erected by Herod may be reckoned to have been equal to it in the fplendor and magnificence of the building, and in rich and coftly prefents, and other ornaments.

When the Jewish people, after their return from the Babylonish captivity, laid the foundation of the new houfe," many of the Priests, "the Levites, and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, wept with a loud voice." Ezr. iii. 12. But God encouraged them

by

* See Prideaux, in the year before Chrift 63, p. 439. And Jofeph. Antiq. 1. 14. cap. iv. 4. De B. J. 1. i. cap. vii. § 6.

† Τότε το πάθος τοῖς Ιεροσολύμοις αἴτιοι κατέπεσαν Ὑρκανὸς καὶ Αριτοβόλος προς αλλήλες τασιάζοντες. Τήν τε γὰς ἐλευθερίαν ἀπεβάλομεν, καὶ ὑπήκοοι Ρωμαίων καλέςημεν. Antig. l. 14. iv. 5. And comm pare what Agrippa fays to the Jews at Jerufalem. D. B. J. 1. 2. cap. xvi. 4. p. 187.

"Romanorum primus Cn. Pompeius Judæos domuit, templumque jure victoriæ in"greffus eft." Tacit. H. E. 5. c. 9.

§ De B. J. l. 1. cap. vii. 6. Conf. Antiq. 1. 14. cap. iv.

Vid. Antiq. 1. 15. cap. xi. De B. J. 1. 1. cap. xxi. et 1. 5. cap. v,

by the prophet Haggai, in this manner; ch. ii. 3. "Who is left among you, that faw this houfe in its first glory? and how do ye "fee it now? is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it, as nothing? "Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, faith the Lord... and be strong, "all ye people of the land, and work: for I am with you, faith the "Lord of Hofts. . . For thus faith the Lord of Hofts, I will, "fhake all nations. And the defire of all nations fhall come. And "I will fill this houfe with glory, faith the Lord of Hofts. The "filver is mine, and the gold is mine, faith the Lord of Hofts. The glory of this latter houfe fhall be greater than that of the for"mer, faith the Lord of Hofts. And in this place will I give peace,

"faith the Lord of Hofts."

<< Silver

Here is, undoubtedly, a renewal of the great promise concerning the coming of the Meffiah, the true Shechinah, whofe prefence would make this fecond temple more glorious than the firft. But here is also, a gracious affurance of external grandeur and fplendor. "and gold, and all the riches of the world, fays God, are mine, to "bestow on whom I pleafe. And notwithstanding the prefent mean "and despicable appearance of the building before your eyes, I "will fill it with glory, and will caufe it to equal, or even fur"pafs, the former in fplendor and magnificence.. For in this place

will I give peace. My purpofe is to bless you abundantly, and to "give you great profperity." Which gracious declaration was fulfilled.

That they were in flourishing circumftances at the time of our Lord's preaching among them, is apparent: though they were uneafy under fubjection to the Romans. Jofephus continually speaks of the temple, as very grand and magnificent. And it appears to be fo, from his large and particular defcription of it in the fifth chapter of the fifth book of the Jewifh War, juft before its final ruin. And when Titus, upon the fire having feized the temple, entered it, with fome of his officers, he fays, "that Titus faw it to be far fupe"rior to the report of ftrangers, and not inferior to our boaftings "concerning it." And, having related how it was burnt, he fays, it might be justly lamented: "fince it was the most admirable "of all the works which we have seen, or heard of, for its curious "ftructure and magnitude, and for all the wealth bestowed upon it, "as well as for the reputation of its fanctity." And he exprefsly calls it the temple that was built, or begun to be built, in the fecond year of Cyrus, under the direction of the prophet Haggai. And our Lord's difciples bear witness to the fame in fome paffages that will come before us in reciting his predictions, of which we are now to take notice, and then obferve the fulfilment of them.

t

III. OUR

παρελθὼν μετὰ τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἔνδὲν ἐθεάσατο τὸ ναῦ τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ τὰ ἐν ἀυτῶ πολὺ μὲν τῆς παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις φήμης ἀμείνω, τῶ δὲ κόμπυ καὶ τῆς παρὰ οἰκείοις δόξης ἐκ ἐλάττω. De B. J. 1. 6,

cap. iv. 7.

† L. 6. iv. 8. Conf. 1. 6. x. fin.

7 ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ὕφερον, ἣν ἔτει δευτέρῳ Κύρω βασιλεύοντος ἐποιήσατο Αργαίος, L. 6. c. iv. 8.

III. OUR LORD'S PREDICTIONS CONCERNING THE CALAMITIES COMING UPON THE JEWISH NATION.

We find our Lord's difciples fpeaking of the magnificence of the temple with admiration. So in Mark xiii. 1—10. "And as he "went out of the temple, one of his disciples faith unto him: Mafter, "fee what manner of ftones, and what buildings are here! And "Jefus anfwering faid unto him: Seeft thou these great buildings? There fhall not be left one ftone upon another, that fhall not be thrown down. And as he fat upon the Mount of Olives over "against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, " asked him privately: Tell us when these things fhall be; and what "fhall be the fign, when all these things fhall be fulfilled? And Jefus "answering them began to fay: Take heed, left any man deceive "you for many will come in my name, and fay, I am Chrift; and << will deceive many. And when ye fhall hear of wars, and rumours "of wars, be ye not troubled; for fuch things muft needs be. But "the end fhall not be yet: for nation fhall rife against nation, and "kingdom against kingdom; and there fhall be carthquakes in di"vers places; and there fhall be famines and troubles. These are "the beginnings of forrows... And the Gospel must first be published ડે among all nations." And ver. 14-20. "But when ye fhall fee

the abomination of defolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, "ftanding where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand) "then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains. And let him "that is on the house-top, not go down into the house, neither enter "therein, or take any thing out of his houfe. And let him that is "in the field not turn back again, for to take up his garment. But wo to them that are with child, and to them that give fuck in those "days. And pray ye, that your flight be not in the winter; for in thofe days fhall be affliction, fuch as was not from the begin"ning of the creation, which God created, unto this time, neither "fhall be."

The like things are in St. Matthew xxiv. 1-35. " And Jefus "went out, and departed from the temple. And his difciples came "to him, for to fhew him the buildings of the temple. And Jefus

faid unto them: See ye not all these things? Verily I fay unto you, "there fhall not be left here one ftone upon another, that fhall not "be thrown down. And as he fat upon the Mount of Olives, the "difciples came unto him privately, faying: Tell us when these

things fhall be, and what fhall be the fign of thy coming, and of "the end of the world? And Jefus answered, and faid unto them: «Take heed, that no man deceive you for many will come in my name, faying, I am Chrift; and will deceive many. And ye will "hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. "For all these things muft come to pafs. But the end is not yet: "for nation will rife against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

and there will be famines and peftilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All thefe are the beginnings of forrows. Then fhall they

3