"Pilate gave orders, for bringing back the images from Jerufa"lem to Cefarea."

And not long after that, Vitellius, Prefident of Syria, received orders from Tiberius to attack Aretas, king of Petra. Whereupon he was going to march through Judea. "But fome of their "chief men waited on him, and entreated him, not to lead his "army through their country, because it was contrary to their laws, that any images fhould be brought into it, whereas there were a great many in his army. And he hearkened to them, "altered his intention, and marched his troops another way."

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Our Lord's difciples and followers therefore might well be alarmed as foon as they faw Roman armies, with their idolatrous enfigns, appear in an hoftile manner in any part of the land of Ifrael: but, as they approached to Jerufalem, the danger would be more imminent and preffing.

And as men unwillingly leave their native country, and their accustomed habitations, and removals are always attended with dangers and difficulties, our Lord recommends flight in very urgent terms, left any of those who loved him, and refpected his doctrine, fhould partake in the dreadful calamities of the fiege.

VI. How THE SEVERAL EVENTS, FORETOLD TO PRECEDE THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM, CAME TO PASS. THE GOSPEL

PREACHED ALL OVER THE WORLD.

We now obferve fome events fpoken of by our Lord, which would precede the great calamity coming upon the Jewish nation. 1. One is, that "the doctrine of the Gofpel" fhould be preached throughout the Roman Empire, and in other places adjoining to it. "And this gofpel of the kingdom," fays he, "fhall be preached "in all the world, for a witnefs to all nations. And then thall "the end come." Matt. xxiv. 14. "And the Gofpel must first "be published to all nations." Mark xiii. 10.

And however unlikely that might feem when thofe words were fpoken by our Lord, they were verified. The Epiftles of the New Teftament, ftill extant, and written to Chriftians in divers cities and countries, are a standing monument of it. For they are fent to believers at Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephefus, Philippi, Coloffe, Theffalonica, and the Hebrews. All written by St. Paul. And the Epiftles of the Apoftle Peter are directed to Chriftians, refiding in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia. And the four Gofpels, and the A&s of the Apoftles, afford evidence, that there were numerous converts to the faith of Jefus. For they were written for the ufe of fuch. St. Paul fays, Rom. xv. 19. that "from Jerufalem, and round about unto Illyricum, he had fully preached the Golpel of Chrift." He reminds the Romans, i. 18. " that their "faith was fpoken of throughout the whole world." To the Coloffians he obferves, "that the Gofpel had been preached to every

66

* Antiq. 1. 18. cap. v. 3.

creature

"creature under heaven," ch. i. 23. and fee ver. 6. The prediction therefore of that great event had been accomplished within. the limits of the time affigned for it.

And Tacitus bears witnefs, that the Chriftian religion, which had its rife in Judea, had fpread into many parts, and had reached Rome itself, where the profeffors of it were numerous, and many of them underwent grievous torments in the reign of Nero, about the year of our Lord 64, and afterwards.

2. CHRIST'S DISCIPLES PERSECUTED IN MANY PLACES.

Our Lord alfo fays to his difciples, in his prophetical difcourfes concerning the coming calamities upon Judea : "Before all these "things they will lay their hands upon you, and perfecute you, de

livering you to the fynagogues, and into prifons, being brought "before kings and rulers for my name fake. ... And fome of you "fhall they cause to be put to death. And ye will be hated of all "men for my name fake." Luke xxi. 12. and 16, 17. And to the like purpose in the other Evangelifts.

ment.

The full accomplishment of these things is well known to Chriftians from the book of the Acts, and the Epiftles of the New TeftaThe Apoftles of Jefus met with great difficulties in preaching the Gofpel. And the converts made by them were expofed to many fufferings. Peter and John, and all the Apostles, were brought before the Jewish Council, and were imprifoned, and beaten, and farther threatened; Acts iv. Stephen, an eminent difciple, and Evangelift, fuffered death by ftoning, ch. vi, vii. James, the brother of John, was beheaded by king Agrippa; who alfo fhut up Peter in prifon, with intention to put him to death alfo. But he was miraculously delivered, ch. xii. Paul was kept in prifon two years in Judea, and afterwards as long at Rome. He pleaded before Felix and Feftus, Roman governors in Judea, and king Agrippa the younger, as well as before the Jewish council at Jerufalem; xxixxviii. And there is good reafon to believe, that † he was brought before Nero himself. Many of his fufferings and dangers are enumerated in 2 Cor. xi. 23.-33

They who received the doctrine taught by the Apofties had alfo their fhare of afflictions and trials. Paul, whilft he was their enemy, "made havock of the church, entering into every houfe, and haling men and women committed them to prifon. And when they were put to death, he gave his voice against them:.. he punished them in every fynagogue, and perfecuted them even into ftrange cities;" Acts viii. 3. and xxvi. 10, 11. And in his Epiftle to the Hebrews he obferves to them, "that they had endured a great fight of allic"tions, partly whilft they were made a gazing-flock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly whilft they became companions

*Apr. 1. 15. cap. 44.

+ See that fully proved in the fecond volume of the Supplement to the "Credibility," &c. P. 250, &c.

I 3

" of

"of those who were so used: and that they had joyfully taken the "fpoiling of their goods;" ch. x. 32-34. And Agrippa beforementioned began with laying his hands upon certain of the church," Acts xii. 1. And that the believers fuffered afflictions in other places befide Judea, is manifeft from 2 Theff. i. 3-6. James ii. 5-72 Pet. iv, 12-19. And the Jews at Rome, whom aul fent for to come to him, fay: "As concerning this feet, we know that every where it is fpoken against."

He

Tacitus confirms the truth of thefe predictions of our Lord. has given a particular account of the fufferings of many Chriftians at Rome, before the defolations of Judea. In the tenth year of Nero, the 64th of our Lord, there happened a great fire at Rome. Nero was fufpected to have fet it on fire himfelf. "For * fuppreffing that common rumour, Nero procured others to be accused, "and inflicted exquifite punithments upon thofe people, who were "in abhorrence for their crimes, and were commonly known by the "name of Chriftians." And he fays, "that they were condemned, "not fo much for the crime of burning the city, as for their enmity to mankind." Thus Tacitus bears witness, not only to their undeferved fufferings, but alfo to the reproaches they underwent, agreeably to what our bleffed Lord had faid, that they would be

hated of all men for his name fake." However, these innocent fufferers had their fupports. For their unerring Matter, all whofe words were true, has faid: "Bleffed are ye, when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and thall fay all manner of evil against you falfely for my fake."

3. DECLENSIONS AMONG HIS FOLLOWERS.

Farther, our Lord intimates, that before the full accomplishment of his predictions concerning the miferies coming upon the Jewish nation, there would be declenfions of zeal among his own profeffed difciples and followers.

"And then thall many be offended, and fhall betray one another; "and because iniquity will abound, the love of many will wax cold," Matt. xxiv, 10. 12. And fee Mark xiii. 12. 13. and Luke xxi. 16.

What is faid of this matter in the Gofpels may be verified from the Epiftles of the New Testament. The whole Epiftle to the Hebrews is an argument to fedfaftnefs, implying the great danger of apoftaly from the faith, or of abatements of zeal for it; "Let us, fays he, hold faft the profeflion of our faith without wavering. "And let us confider one another, to provoke unto love and good works, not forfaking the affembling of ourfeives together, as the "manner of fome is." Heb. x. 23. 25. and onwards to ver. 39. And ch. xii. 12. "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, " and the feeble knees." In ch. vi. 4-9. he fhews the great guilt, "Ergo ab lendo rumori Nero fubdidit reos, et exquifitifimis pœnis affecit quos per fiagitia invifos, valgos Chriftianos appellabat. Igitur primo correpti qui fatebantur, deinde "ud cio ecru n multitudo ingens, haud perinde crimine incendii, quam odio humani generis convicti funt, &c." AL. 15. c. 14.

64

and

and the deplorable condition of fuch as apoftatize. In his fecond epiftle to Timothy, ch. i. 15. "This thou knoweft," fays he, “that

all they which are of Afia (probably meaning fuch as were then at "Rome) are turned away from me: of whom are Phygellus and Her"mogenes. And afterwards, ch. iv. 16. he complains of other Chriftians at Rome, who deferted him, when he made his appearance there before Nero. "At my firft anfwer," or apology, "no man ftood "with me: but all men forfook me." And again, in the fame Epistle, ch. ii. 17. he speaks of Hymeneus and Philetus; "who concerning the truth have erred, faying that the refurrection is past, and "overthrow the faith of fome." And fee 1 Tim. i. 19, 20. I allege nothing more from the books of the New Teftament.

66

Tacitus, in his account of Nero's perfecution of the Chriftians, already quoted more than once, does alfo confirm the truth of this prediction of our Lord; who fays, "that at firft they only were "apprehended, who confeffed themfelves to be of that fect. After"wards, many more were taken up, whom they discovered to be "of their number."

Nor ought this to be thought exceeding ftrange, notwithstanding the perfection of the Chriftian doctrine, and the evidences of it's truth. For in a great number of men it is very likely that fome fhould be overcome by the difficulties and dangers attending the profeffion of it. So fays the chief fower of his heavenly doctrine. Some "feed fell in ftony places. The fame is he that heareth the word, " and anon with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not root in himfelf, "but endureth for a while. For when tribulation or perfecution "arifeth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

4. FAMINES IN DIVERS PLACES.

Our bleffed Lord faid, that before the great calamity predicted by him, there would be "famines, and peftilences, and earthquakes in divers places."

We know from the hiftory in the Acts of the Apoftles, that there was a famine in Judea in the time of the Emperor Claudius, ch. xi. 25. 30. It was not an accidental fcarcity at Jerufalem only, but it was a famine all over that country. It began in the fourth year of that Emperor, and lafted feveral years. We have a particular account of it in † Jofephus. He alfo fays, it was a very fevere famine. And in another place he mentions the high price of corn at that feafon : and fays, that this famine happened in the reign of Claudius, not long before the war.

That famine is alfo taken notice of by Eufebius in his Chronicle, and ** in his Hiftory, and by †† Orofius.

* “Igitur primo correpti, qui fatebantur: deinde indicio corum multitudo ingens, &c." Ann. 15. c. 44.

Ant. 1. 20. ii. 6.

† Ἐπὶ τέπεις δὴ καὶ μέγαν λιμὸν κατὰ τὴν Ἰνδειαν συνέβη γενέσθαι. Ib. cap. 9. 2.

§ 8 μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ δε τα πολέμε μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν, Κλαυδία Ρωμαίων άκοντος, καὶ λιν τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν καταλαβόντος, ὡς τεσσάρων δραχμῶν πωλεῖσθαι τὸν ἀσσαρώνα. Αnt. 1. 3. XV. 3. Chr. p. 160

**H. E. 1. 2. cap. xii.
I 4

++ Or. 1. 7. cap. 6.

There

There was alfo a famine at Rome, and in Italy, mentioned by Dion Caus, which began in the first year of Claudius, and conti• nued in the next year.

There was another famine in the fame reign, mentioned + by Tacitus, and Eufebius. Which feems to have been chiefly in the tenth or eleventh year of that Emperor.

To all thefe & Suetonius feems to refer, though he does not men, tion the years in which they happened.

PESTILENCES.

Concerning the famines in the reign of the Emperor Claudius, fome modern hiftorians and chronologers might be confulted.

Our Lord speaks alfo of peftilences. By Jofephus we are informed, that about the year of Chrift 40, there was ** a peftilence at Babylon, in which the Jews fuffered.

In the ++ 65th year of the Christian era there was a great mortality at Rome. At the fame time there were other calamities in divers parts of the Roman Empire, as we learn from Tacitus 11, and Suetonius, as well as from Orofius, who might tranfcribe from them.

EARTHQUAKES.

Tacitus *** fpeaks of an earthquake at Rome in the time of Claudius, and of another +++ at Apamea in the fame reign.

*Dio, 1. 1. 60. p. 671. al. 949.

Frugum quoque egeftas, et orta ex eo fames, in prodigium accipiebatur." Tac. Ann.

1. 12. c. 43.

"Fanes facta in Græcia. Modius fex drachmis venundatus eft.... Magna fames Ro

mae.

"

Chr. p.

160 infr. m.

$ "Arétiore autem annona propter affiduas fterilitates," &c. Suet. Claud. cap. 18.

Vid. et cap 19. it 27.

Vid. Pagi, A. D. 72. n. vii. Reimariann. ad Dion Caff. p. 948. See also Credib. P. B. i. ch. x.

**

Soups in Bafuron. lyvero duTüv. Ant. 1. 18. ix. 8.

tt Vid. Pagi. A. D 67. n. ii.

"Tot facinor bus foedum annum etiam Dii tempeftatibus et morbis infignivere. Vastata "Campania turbine ventorum, qui villas, arbufta, fruges paffim disjecit, pertulitque violen"tiam ad vicina Urbi. In qua omne mortalium genus vis peftilentiæ depopulabatur, nulla coeli intemperie, que occurreret oculis. Sed domus corporibus exanimis, itinera funeribus complebantur. Non fexus, ron ætas periculo vacua. Servitia perinde ac ingenua plebes ❝raptim exftingui, inter conjugum et liberorum lamenta: qui dum affident, dum defìent, "faepe eodem rogo cremabantur. Equitum, Senatorumque interitus, quamvis promifcui, 66 minus flebiles erant, tauquam communi mortalitate fævitiam principis praevenirent." Tacit. Ann. 16. cap. 13.

$$ "Accefferunt tantis ex principe malis, probrifque, quædam et fortuita: peftilentia unius autumni, quo triginta funerum millia in rationem Lisiting venerunt: clades Bri"Lannica, qui duo præcipua oppida, magna civium fociorumque cæde direpta funt: igno“minia ad Orientem, legionibus in Armenia fub jugum miths, ægreque Syria retenta." Suefor. Neto, cap. 39.

Orof. 1. 7. cap, vii.

*** « Multa co anno prodigia evenere. Infeffum diris avious Capitolium: crebris terræ "motibus prerute demus." Ann. 12. cap. 43.

+++ "Toboranque Apamienfibus terræ motu convulfis, in quinquennium remiffum.” Tu. 1. 12. cap/ 5