• Dissertation XVIII - Part I
• Dissertation XVIII - Part II
• Dissertation XVIII - Part III
• Dissertation XVIII - Part IV

Our Saviour's Prophecies Relating to the Destruction of Jerusalem

Which Have Remarkably Been Fulfilled

Grk/Heb Fonts

PDF

Over 75 Free Online Bible Commentaries

By Thomas Newton D.D.

Late Lord Bishop of Bristol (London 1700)

Dissertation XIX - Part II

THE preceding discourse was concerning the ’signs’ of the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, the circumstances and accidents which were to be the forerunners and attendants of this great event. Those are already specified which passed before the siege and now we proceed to treat of those which happened during the siege, and after it. Never was prophecy more punctually fulfilled, and it will be very well worth our time and attention to trace the particulars.

’When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth let him understand,). Then let them which be in Judea, flee into the mountains,’ - - ver. 15 and 16. Whatever difficulty there is in these words, it may be cleared up by the parallel place in St. Luke, ’And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains,’-21 - 20, 2 1. So that,’the abomination of desolation’ is the Roman army, and ’the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place’ is the Roman army besieging Jerusalem. This, saith our Saviour, is ’the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,’ in the ninth and eleventh chapters ; and so let every one who readeth those prophecies, understand them. The Roman army is called ’the abomination,’ for its ensigns and images, which were so to the Jews. As Chrysostom a affirms; “every idol, and every image of a man, was called an abomination’ among the Jews.” ¹ For this reason, as Josephus informs us, the principal Jews earnestly entreated Vitellius, governor of Syria, when he was conducting his army through Judea against Aretas, king of the Arabians, to lead it another way; ² and be greatly obliged them by complying with their request. We farther learn from Josephus, that after the city was taken, the Romans ” brought their ensigns into the temple, and placed them over against the eastern gate, and sacrificed to them there.” ³ The Roman army is therefore fitly called ’the abomination’ and ’the abomination of desolation,’ as it was to desolate and lay waste Jerusalem : and this army’s besieging Jerusalem is called ’standing where it ought not,’ as it is in St. Mark, 13:14; or ’standing in the holy place,’ as it is in St. Matthew; the city, and such a compass of ground about it, being accounted holy. When therefore the Roman army shall advance to besiege Jerusalem, then let them who are in Judea consult their own safety, and flee into the mountains. His counsel was wisely remembered, and put in practice, by the Christians afterwards. Josephus informs us, that when Cestius Gallus came with his army against Jerusalem, “many fled from the city, as if it would be taken presently :” ⁴ and after his retreat, “many of the noble Jews departed out of the city, as out of a sinking ship :” ⁵ and a few years afterwards, when Vespasian was drawing, his forces towards Jerusalem, a great multitude fled from Jericho aij thn opeinhn — into the mountainous country, for their security. ⁶ It is probable that there were some Christians among these, but we learn more certainly from ecclesiastical historians, ⁷ that at this is juncture all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem, and removed to Pella, and other places beyond the river Jordan: so that they all marvellously escaped the general shipwreck of their country, and we do not read any where that so much as one of them perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Of such signal service was this caution of our Saviour to the believers.

He prosecutes the same subject in the following verses, ’Let him which is on the house-top, not come down to take any thing out of his house;’—ver. 17. The houses of the Jews, as well as those of the ancient Greeks and Romans, were flat on the top, for them to walk upon, and had usually stairs on the outside, by which they might ascend and descend without coming into the house.⁸ In the eastern walled cities, these flat-roofed houses usually formed continued terraces from one end of the city to the other, which terraces terminated at the gates. He therefore who is walking and regaling himself upon the house-top, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house; but let him instantly pursue his course along the tops of the houses, and escape out at the city as fast as he possibly can. ’Neither let him which is in the field, return back to take his clothes,’— ver. 18. Our Saviour maketh use of these expressions to intimate, that their flight must be as sudden and hasty as Lot’s was out of Sodom. And the Christians escaping just as they did was the more providential, because afterwards all egress out of the city was prevented.⁹

’And woe unto them that are with child, and unto them that give suck in those days,’— ver. 19. For neither will such persons be in a condition to fly, neither will they be well able to endure the distress and hardships of a siege. This woe was sufficiently fulfilled in the cruel slaughters which were made both of the women and children, and particularly in that grievous famine, which so miserably afflicted Jerusalem during the siege. For, as Josephus reports, “mothers snatched the food from their infants out of their very mouths :” ¹⁰ and again, in another place, “the houses were full of women and children, who perished by famine.” ¹¹ But Josephus still relates a more horrid story; and I make no question that our Saviour, with his spirit of prophecy had this particular incident in view. There was one Mary, the daughter of Eleazar, illustrious for her family and riches. She having been stripped and plundered of all her substance and provisions by the soldiers, out of necessity and fury, killed her own sucking child, and, having boiled him, devoured half of him, and, covering up the rest, preserved it for another time. ¹² The soldiers soon came, allured by the smell of victuals, and threatened to kill her immediately, if she would not produce what she had dressed. But she replied that she bad reserved a good part for them, and uncovered the relics of her son. Dread and astonishment seized them, and they stood stupified at the sight. “But this,” said she, “is my own son, and this my work. Eat, for even I have eaten. Be not you more tender than a woman, nor more compassionate than a mother. But if you have a religious abhorrence of my victim, I truly have eaten half, and let the rest remain for me.” They went away trembling, fearful to do this one thing; and hardly left this food for the mother. The whole city was struck with horror, says the historian, at this wickedness: and they were pronounced blessed, who died before they had heard or seen such great evils. So true also was what our Saviour declared on another occasion, when the women were bewailing and lamenting him, as he was led to execution: ’Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us ; and to the hills, Cover us,’ Luke 23:29, 29, 30. Proverbial expressions, to signify their desire of any shelter or refuge; and so very desirous were they of hiding themselves, that some thousands of them crept even into the common sewers, and there miserably perished, or were dragged out to slaughter. ¹³

’But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath-day,’— ver. 20. Pray that these evils be not further aggravated by the concurrence of other natural and moral evils, such as the inclemencies of the seasons and your own superstitions. ’Pray that your flight be not in the winter; for the hardness of the season., the badness of the roads, the shortness of the days, will all be great impediments to your flight: ’neither on the sabbath-day ;’ that you may not raise the indignation of the Jews by travelling on that day, nor be hindered from doing it by your own superstition. It seemeth to be spoken a good deal in condescension to the Jewish, prejudices, a sabbath-day’s journey, among the Jews, being but about a mile. In the parallel place of St. Mark, it is observable, that the evangelist saith only, ’And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,’ — 13:18, without any mention of the sabbath-day.

As our Saviour cautioned his disciples to fly, when they should see Jerusalem compassed with armies; so it was very providentially ordered, that Jerusalem should be compassed with armies, and yet that they should have such favourable opportunities of making their escape. In the twelfth year of Nero, Cestius Gallus the president of Syria, came against Jerusalem with a powerful army. “He might,” as Josephus affirms, “if he would have assaulted the city, have presently taken it, and thereby have put an end to the war.” ¹⁴ But without any just reason, and contrary to the expectation of all, he raised the siege, and departed. Vespasian was deputed in his room, to govern Syria, and to carry on the war against the Jews. This great general, having subdued all the country, prepared to besiege Jerusalem, and invested the city on every side. ¹⁵ But the news of Nero’s death, and soon afterwards of Galba’s, and the disturbances which thereupon ensued in the Roman empire, and the civil wars between Otho and Vitellius, held Vespasian and Titus in suspense ; and they thought it unseasonable to engage in a foreign war, while they were anxious for the safety of their own country. By these means the expedition against Jerusalem was deferred for some time; and the city was not actually besieged in form, till after Vespasian was confirmed in the empire, and Titus was sent to command the forces in Judea. These incidental delays were very opportune for the Christians, and for those who had any thoughts of retreating and providing for their own safety. Afterwards there was hardly any possibility of escaping; for, as our Saviour said in St. Luke’s Gospel, ’The days shall come upon thee, that. thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,’ -19. 43. Accordingly, the Romans having begirt Jerusalem with their forces, and having made several assaults, without the desired success, Titus resolved to surround the city with a wall; ¹⁶ and by the diligence and emulation of the soldiers, animated by the presence, and acting under the continual inspection of the general, this work, which was worthy of months, was, with incredible speed, completed in three days. The wall was of the dimensions of thirty-nine furlongs, and was strengthened with thirteen forts at proper distances: so that, as the historian saith, “all hope of safety was cut off from the Jews, together with all the means of escaping out of the city.” ¹⁷ No provisions could be carried in, and no person could come out unknown to the enemy. But, to return to St. Matthew.

In the preceding verses, our Saviour had warned his disciples to fly, as soon as ever they saw Jerusalem besieged by the Romans; and now he assigns the reason of his giving them this caution and ’For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be,’— ver. 21. St. Mark expresseth it much in the same manner: ’For in those, lays shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created, unto this time, neither shall be,’— 13 19. This seemeth to be a proverbial form of expression, as in Exodus, ’And the locusts were very grievous, before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such,’ — 10:14: and again in Joel, ’A great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations,’ — 2:2. Of the same kind is that in Daniel, ’There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time,’— 12:1 : and that in the first book of Maccabees, ’There was great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time that a prophet was not seen amongst them,’— 9:27. Our Saviour therefore might fitly apply the same manner of speaking upon the present occasion : but he doth not make use of proverbial expressions without a proper meaning, and this may be understood even literally. For indeed all history cannot furnish us with a parallel to the calamities and miseries of the Jews ; rapine and murder, famine and pestilence within ; fire and sword, and all the terrors of war without. Our Saviour wept at the foresight of these calamities, and it is almost impossible for persons of any humanity to read the relation of them in Josephus without weeping too. That historian might therefore well say, as he doth in the preface to his history, “Our city, of all those which have been subjected to the Romans, was advanced to the highest felicity, and was thrust down again to the extremest misery : for if the misfortunes of all, from the beginning of the world, were compared with those of the Jews, they would appear much inferior upon the comparison:” ¹⁸ and again, in another place, he saith, “To speak in brief, no other city ever suffered such things, as no other generation from the beginning of the world was even more fruitful of wickedness.” ¹⁹ St. Luke expresseth the reason thus, ’For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written maybe fulfilled,’ -21. 22. ’These be the days of vengeance,’ wherein the calamities foretold by Moses, Joel. Daniel, and other prophets, as well as those predicted by our Saviour, shall all meet as in one common centre, and be fulfilled with aggravation on this generation. ’These be the days of vengeance,’ too, in another sense, as if God’s vengeance had certain periods and revolutions, and the same days were fatal to the Jews, and destinated to their destruction. “For it is very memorable, and matter of just admiration,” according to Josephus, “that the temple was burnt by the Romans in the same month, and on the same day of the month, as it was before by the Babylonians.” ²⁰

Nothing so violent can be of long continuance. These calamities were so severe, that, like fire, they must in time have consumed all, and have left nothing for themselves to prey upon.. ’And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved,’ ver. 22. If these wars and desolations were to continue, none of the Jews would escape destruction, they would all be cut off, root and branch. I think Josephus computes the number of those who perished in the siege at eleven hundred thousand, besides those who were slain in other places : ²¹ and if the Romans had gone on destroying in this manner the whole nation of the Jews would certainly, in a little time, have been extirpated. ’But for the elect’s sake,’ but for the sake of the Christian Jews, ’those days shall be shortened.’ - But for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, the Lord hath shortened the days,’ as it is expressed in St. Mark, 13:20. The elect is a well known appellation in scripture and antiquity for the Christians : and the Christian Jews, partly through the fury of the zealots on one hand, and the hatred of the Romans on the other, and partly through the difficulty of subsisting in the mountains without houses or provisions, would in all probability have been almost all destroyed either by the sword or by famine, if the days had not been shortened. But providentially, the days were shortened. “Titus himself was desirous of putting a speedy end to the siege, having Rome, and the riches and the pleasures there, before his eyes.” ²² Some of his officers proposed to him to turn the siege into a blockade, and since they could not take the city by storm, to starve it into a surrender : but he thought it not becoming to sit still with so great an army” and he feared lest the length of the time should diminish the glory of his success; every thing indeed may be effected in time, but celerity contributes much to the fame and splendor of actions.” ²³ The besieged, too, helped to shorten the days, by their divisions and mutual slaughters; ²⁴ by burning their provisions, “which would have sufficed for many years ;” ²⁵ and by fatally deserting their strongest holds, “where they could never have been taken by force, but by famine alone.” ²⁶ By these means, ’the days were shortened;’ and, indeed. otherwise Jerusalem could never have been taken in so short a time, so well fortified as it was, and so well fitted to sustain a longer siege. The enemy without could hardly ever have prevailed but for the factions and seditions within. Titus himself could not but ascribe his success to God, as he was viewing the fortifications, after the city was taken. His words to his friends were very remarkable: “We have fought,” said he, “with God on our aide; and it is God who hath pulled the Jews out of these strong holds; for what could the hands of men or machines avail against these towers ?” ²⁷ God, therefore in the opinion of Titus, as well as of St. Mark, ’shortened the days.’ After the destruction of Jerusalem too, God inclined the heart of Titus to take some pity upon the remnant of the Jews, and to restrain the nations from exercising the cruelty that the would have exercised towards them. At Antioch particularly, where the disciples were first called Christians, the senate and the people earnestly importuned him to expel the Jews out of the city: ²⁸ but he prudently answered, that their country, whither they should return, being laid waste, there was no place that could receive them. Then they requested him to deprive the Jews of their former privileges, but those he permitted them to enjoy as before. Thus, ’for the elect’s sake, those ’days of persecution’ were shortened!

Our blessed Lord had cautioned his disciples against false Christs and false prophets before, but he giveth a more particular caution against them about the time of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. ’Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ or there, believe it not ; for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very elect,’-ver. 23 and 24. And in fact many such impostors did arise about that time, as we learn from Josephus, and promised deliverance from God, being suborned by the tyrants or governors to prevent the people and soldiers from deserting to the Romans ; and the lower the Jews were reduced, the more disposed would they be to listen to these deceptions, and the more ready to follow the deceivers. ²⁹ Hegesippus, too, in Eusebius mentions the coming of false Christs and false prophets about the same time.³⁰ But as it was to little purpose for a man to take upon him the character of the Christ, or even of a prophet, without miracles to vouch his divine mission : so it was the common artifice and pretence of these impostors to show ’signs and wonders,’ dhmeia kai terata the very words used by Christ in his prophecy, and by Josephus in his history. ³¹ Simon Magus performed great wonders according to the account that is given of him in the Acts of the Apostles, 8:9, 10, 11.- There was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one : To whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God : And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.’ Dositheus likewise was reputed to work wonders according to Origen : ³² Barchoebebas too, who Jerome saith pretended to vomit flames. ³³ Such also were the Jews, of whom St. Paul speaketh, 2 Tim. 3:8, 13, comparing them to ’Jannes and Jambres,’ famous magicians of Egypt, who ’withstood Moses, as these also resisted the truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith, ponhjoi anqrwpoi kai gohtej wicked men and impostors.’ There is a strange propensity in mankind to believe things marvellous and astonishing:.and no wonder, that weak and wicked men, Jews and Samaritans, were deceived by such impostors; when, if had been possible, they would have deceived the very elect,’ the Christian themselves.

But ’behold,’ saith our Saviour, ’I have told you before,’ —ver. 25. Behold I have given you sufficient warning. ’Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; behold he is in the secret chambers, believe it not,’— ver. 26. It is surprising that our Saviour should not only foretel the appearance of these impostors, but also the manner and circumstances of their conduct. For some be mentions as appearing in ’the desert,’ and some in ’the secret chambers ;’ and the event hath in all points answered to the prediction. Several of the false Christs and false prophets conducted their followers ’into the desert.’ Josephus in his Antiquities saith expressly, that “many impostors and cheats persuaded the people to follow them into the desert,” where they promised to show manifest wonders and signs done by the providence of God ; and many being persuaded suffered the punishment of their folly; for Felix brought them back, and chastised them.” ³⁴ Again in his history of the Jewish war, speaking of the same persons, he saith, that “these impostors, under a pretence of divine inspiration, affecting innovations and changes, persuaded the multitude to grow mad, and led them forth ’into the desert,’ as if God would there show them the signs of liberty. Against these Felix, for it seemed to be the foundation of a revolt, sent horse and foot soldiers, and slew a great number of them.” ³⁵ The Egyptian false prophets, mentioned by Josephus, and in the Acts of the Apostles, 21:39,— ’led out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers:’ but Felix marching with his forces, and “coming to an engagement with him, the Egyptian himself with a few others fled away, and most of those who had been with him were slain or taken prisoners.” ³⁶ There was likewise “another impostor” mentioned by Josephus, “who promised salvation to the people, and a cessation of all evils, if they would follow him ’into the desert;’ but Festus sent horse and foot against him, and destroyed the deceiver himself, and those who followed him.” ³⁷ These things happened before the destruction of Jerusalem; and, a little after, Jonathan a weaver persuaded not a few indigent fellows to adhere to him, and led them forth ’into the desert,’ promising there to show signs and apparitions;” ³⁸ but of his followers most were slain, some were made prisoners, and he himself was afterwards taken, and burnt alive by order of Vespasian. As several of these impostors thus conducted their followers into ’the desert,’ so did others into the secret chambers’ or places of security : as particularly the pseudo-prophet mentioned by Josephus, who declared to the people in the city, that God commanded them to go up into the temple, and there they should receive the signs of deliverance.” ³⁹ A multitude of men, women, and children, went up accordingly; but instead of deliverance, the place was set on fire by the Romans, and six thousand perished miserably in the flames, or by throwing themselves down to escape them.

Our Saviour therefore might well caution his disciples both against the former and the latter sort of these deceivers. ’For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be,’ —ver. 27. His coming will not be in this or that particular place, but like the lightning will be sudden and universal. The appearance of the true Christ will be as distinguishable from that of the false Christ, as lightning which shineth all around the hemisphere is from a blaze of straw, What a learned prelate observes from Josephus is very memorable, that “the Roman army entered into Judea on the east side of it, and carried on their conquest westward, as if not only the extensiveness of the ruin, but the very route, which the army would take, was intended in the comparison of the lightning coming out of the east, and shining even unto the west.” ⁴⁰ ’For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together,’ -ver. 28. By the word carcase, as the same excellent prelate justly remarks, is meant the Jewish nation, which was morally and judicially dead, and whose destruction was pronounced in the decree of heaven. ⁴¹ Our Saviour, after his usual manner applied a proverbial expression with a particular meaning. For as, according to the old proverb, ’wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together;’ so wheresoever the Jews are, there will Christ be taking vengeance upon them by the Romans, who are properly compared to eagles as the fiercest birds of prey, and whose ensign was an eagle, to which also probably our Saviour, in this passage alluded. And as it was said, so was it done ; for the victories of the Romans were not confined to this or that place, but like a flood overran the whole land. Josephus saith that “there was no part of Judea, which did not partake of the calamities of the capital city.” ⁴² At Antioch, the Jews being falsely accused of a design to burn the city, many of them were burnt in the theatre, and others were slain. ⁴³ The Romans pursued, and took, and slew them every where, as particularly at the siege of Machaerus; ⁴⁴ at the wood Jardes, where the Jews were surrounded, and none of them escaped, but, being not fewer than three thousand, were all slain ; ⁴⁵ and at Masada, where being closely besieged, and upon the point of being taken, they first murdered their wives and children, and then themselves to the number of nine hundred and sixty, to prevent their failing into the enemies’ hands.” ⁴⁶ When Judea was totally subdued, the danger extended to those who dwelt at a distance. ⁴⁷ Many were slain in Egypt, and their temple there was shut up: ⁴⁸ and in Cyrene the followers of Jonathan, a weaver, and author of new disturbances, were most of them slain; he himself was taken prisoner, and by his false accusation three thousand of the richest Jews were condemned and put to death ; ⁴⁹ and with this account Josephus concludes his history of the Jewish war.

There was something so very extraordinary in the conduct of these false Christs and false prophets, and in their appearance at that time particularly, that it may not be improper to bestow some considerations upon this subject, especially as these considerations may tend to confirm and strengthen us in our most holy religion.

1. It is obvious to observe from hence, that, in all probability, there hath been a true prophet, a true Christ, otherwise there would hardly have been so many cheats and counterfeits. Fictions are usually formed upon realities ; and there would be nothing spurious, but for the sake of something true and genuine. There would be no bad money, if there was none current and good. There would be no quacks and empirics, if their were no physicians able to perform real cures. In like manner there should be no pretenders to divine inspiration, were none truly and divinely inspired. There would not (we may reasonably presume) have been so many false Messiahs, had not a true Messiah been promised by God, and expected by men. And if a Messiah hath come from God, whom can we so properly pitch upon for the person, as the man Christ Jesus ? If there were also some mock prophets in imitation of Mohammed, yet their number was nothing near so considerable, and his success was sufficient to excite and encourage them ; whereas the fate and condition of Jesus would rather have deterred any impostors from following his example.

2. Another natural observation from hence is, that the Messiah was particularly expected about the time of our Saviour, and consequently that the prophets had beforehand marked out that very time for his coming. For we read not of any false Messiahs before the age of our Saviour, nor of so many in any age after; and why did they rise at that time particularly, if the Messiah was not at that time particularly expected ? and why did the Jews expect their Messiah at that time more than at any other, if that was not the time before appointed for his coming? The prophet Daniel in particular had foretold, 9:25, &100. that Messiah the prince should come towards the end of seventy weeks of years, or 490 years, from the going forth of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Before these weeks of years were, by one account or other, near expiring, history saith nothing of the false Messiahs ; but when the prophetic weeks drew towards a conclusion, then these impostors arose frequent, like so many meteors to dazzle the eyes, and mislead the wandering steps of Jews and Samaritans. Nothing can be a more evident and convincing proof, that the Jews then understood the prophecy in the same sense as the Christians, how ever they may endeavour to evade the force of it now. They pretend that the coming of the Messiah was delayed for the sins of the people, and therefore they still live in expectation of him, though they know neither the time nor the place of his appearing. Strange! that he who was to come for the sins of the people, should delay his coming for their sins: and more strange still! that God should falsify so many of his promises made by the mouths of his holy prophets. Numb. 23:19,— ’ God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and would he not do it? or hath he spoken, and would be not make it good?’

3. It may be farther observed from hence, that the Messiah was expected to work miracles. Miracles are the credentials of a messenger from God : and it was foretold particularly of the Messiah, that he should work miracles. There was no pretending therefore to the character of the Messiah without the necessary qualifications. Had not the power of working miracles been esteemed an essential ingredient in the character of the Messiah, these impostors would never have had the assurance to pretend to it, or been so foolish as to hazard their reputation, and venture their whole success upon such an experiment: but all of them to a man drew the people after them with a pretence of working miracles, of showing signs, and wonders, and apparitions. Now the very miracles which the Messiah was to perform, Jesus hath performed, and none other besides Jesus. The prophet Isaiah foretold, that the Messiah should cure the lame and the blind, the deaf and the dumb; and accordingly these very persons were cured in great numbers by Jesus. The prophet Isaiah foretold likewise, that these miracles should be wrought in the desert; and accordingly in the desert Jesus wrought them: and by the way I suppose this prophecy was one principal reason why most of the false Christs and false prophets led their followers into solitudes and deserts, promising there to show signs and wonders. The prophet Isaiah foretold, 35:1, &,100.-, The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. - They shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.-The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, The lame man shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing! The apostle and evangelist St. Matthew relates, 15:29, &100. that ’Jesus departed from thence (from the coast of Tyre and Sidon) ’and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them : insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see - and they glorified the God of Israel.’ Since then the miracles of the Messiah were wrought by Jesus alone; Jesus alone can have any just claim to he the Messiah; and from his works we may conclude, John 6:14,— ’This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.’

4. Very observable is the difference between the conduct and success of these deceivers and of Jesus Christ: for in him we have all the marks and characters of simplicity and truth, in them fraud and imposture. They were men of debauched lives and vicious principles: he ’did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,’ -1 Pet. 2:22; even Pilate his Judge declared, John 19:6, that he could ’find no fault in him.’ They lived by rapine and spoil, by plunder and murder : He, Luke 9:56,— ’came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them ;’ He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and went from place to place doing good, Their conduct breathes nothing but ambition and pride, cruelty and revenge his behaviour was all humility and meekness, charity and love, of mankind. They were actuated by worldly motives, and proposed to themselves secular ends and interests : Jesus was the farthest removed from any suspicion of that kind, and when tire people would have taken him, John 6:15,— ’to make him a king,’ he withdrew Himself from them,’ and departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Their pretensions were accommodated to the carnal expectations of the Jews, and withal were backed by force and violence, and yet could not succeed and prosper : on the contrary, the religion of Jesus was spiritual, disclaimed all force, and took the way (humanly speaking) not to prevail, and yet prevailed against all the power and opposition of the world. Now of these who were the deceivers think you, who was the true Christ ? Had Jesus been an impostor, he would have lived and acted like an impostor. Had his design been any thing like theirs, it would have been discovered and brought to nought. Nothing could make his religion stand, but its coming from God. This is the reasoning of one who cannot be suspected to favour the cause of Christianity, the learned Gamaliel in the Jewish Sanhedrim ; and to him that great council agreed, - Acts 5:36, &.100.-’Before these days rose up Theudas boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves ; who was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him ; he also perished, and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let them alone ; for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to nought : but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. And to him they agreed.’

5. But though the truth will at last prevail over error and imposture, yet it is a melancholy proof of the weakness, and superstition, and enthusiasm of mankind, that these false Christs and false prophets should delude such numbers as they did to their destruction. The false Messiahs had for a time many more disciples and followers than the true Messiah. The Christians were once ’a little flock,’ — Luke 12:32. ’The number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty,’-Acts 1:15. Whereas these impostors attracted and drew away great multitudes, one of them six thousand, ⁵⁰ another even thirty thousand. ⁵¹"With a pretence of divine inspiration, they taught the people,"; as Josephus expresseth it, daimonan, ’to grow enthusiastically mad’,⁵² "as if they were possessed and actuated by some spirit or demon : and indeed no plague or epidemical distemper is more catching and contagious than enthusiasm. It passeth ’from man to manlike wild-fire. The imagination is soon heated, and there is rarely judgment enough to cool it again. ’The very elect,’ even good Christians themselves, if they attend to enthusiasts, will be in danger of taken the infection, and be continually liable to be ’tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,’ — Ephes. 4:14. if they have not (as all have not) a sufficient ballast of discretion to keep them steady. In reality enthusiasts know as little of the revelation given us by Christ, as of the reason given us by God. They are blind leaders of the blind. ’Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, behold his power is experienced in field-preaching, ’go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers,’ behold his presence is conspicuous in the tabernacles or conventicles, ’believe it not.’ He is best sought in his word, and in his works; and he will certainly be found by those, and those alone, who love him, not with fanaticism and enthusiasm, but in truth and soberness, so as to keep his commandments, which is the only infallible proof and legitimate issue of love. For as our Saviour himself saith, John 14:23,— ’If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abide with him.’

6. Once more it is to be observed, that we must not credit every one, who cometh to us with a pretence of working miracles. For the false Christs and false prophets pretended to show great signs and wonders; and yet notwithstanding all their miraculous pretensions, our blessed Lord cautions his disciples not to believe or follow them. But then the question will be naturally asked, If we must not believe those who work miracles, whom must we believe ? how shall we know whether a person doth or doth not act by commission from heaven ? how shall we distinguish whether the doctrine is of God or of men ? Indeed, if miracles were not possible to be wrought at all, as some have pretended; or could be wrought, only by God, or those who are commissioned by him, as others have argued ; the reply would be obvious and easy: but that miracles are possible to be wrought is a truth agreeable to reason, and that they may be wrought by evil spirits is a supposition agreeable to scripture : and therefore the best answer is, that reason must judge in this case as in every other, and determine of the miracles by the doctrines which they are alleged to confirm. If a doctrine is evil, no miracles can be wrought by a divine power in its behalf ; for God can never set his hand and seal to a lie. If a doctrine is good, then we may be certain, that the miracles vouched for it were not wrought by the power of evil spirits; for at that rate, according to our Saviour’s argument, Luke 11:18,— ’ Satan would be divided against himself, and his kingdom could not stand.’ Good spirits can never confirm and establish what is evil, neither can evil spirits be supposed to promote what is good. Supposing that the miracles pretended in favour of Paganism were all real miracles, yet as they lead men to a corrupt religion and idolatrous worship, no reverence, no regard is to be paid to them, according, to the command of Moses, Deut. 13:1, &10.- ’If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, let us go after other gods (which thou hast not known) and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.’ In like manner we must not admit any thing contrary to the doctrines of Christ and his apostles, whatever miracles are boasted to recommend and authorize it. For the doctrines of the Christian religion are not only perfectly agreeable to reason, but moreover God hath confirmed it, amply confirmed it by miracles, and hath enjoined us strictly to adhere to it : and God can never be supposed to work miracles to confirm contradictions: and therefore allowing (what we cannot reasonably allow) that the miracles of Apollonius and other impostors were true and well attested, yet the foundation of Christ standeth firm, and cannot at all be shaken by them. Should any man, or number of men, with ever so great and confident a pretence to infallibility assert — that it is our duty implicitly to believe and obey the church: when Christ commands us, Matt. 23:9,— ’to call no man father upon earth, for one is our father which is in heaven; that the service of God is to be performed in an unknown tongue; when St. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians hath written a whole chapter, 14, expressly against it - that the sacrament of the Lord’s supper is to be administered only in one kind ; when Christ instituted it, Matt. 26:and his apostles ordered it, I Cor. 11:to be celebrated in both - that the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ is to be repeated in the mass; when the divine author of the Epistle to the Hebrews teacheth us, 10:10, that ’the body of Jesus Christ was offered once for all,’ and ver. 14, that ’by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified,’ —that men may arrive at such heights of virtue as to perform works of merit and supererogation ; when our Saviour orders us, Luke 17:10,—’after we have done all those things which are commanded us, to say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done but that which was our duty to &’- that attrition and confession, together with the absolution of a priest, will put a dying sinner into a state of grace and salvation when the scripture again and again declares, Heb. 12:14, ’that without holiness no man shall see the Lord,’ and, I Cor. 6:9 ’the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God’ -that the souls of men, even of good men. immediately after death pass into purgatory; when St. John is commanded from heaven to write, Rev. 14:13,— ’Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them,’ —that we must worship images, and the relies of the saints; when our Saviour teacheth us, Matt. 4:10,— ’that we must worship the Lord God, and him only we must serve’-that we must invocate and adore saints and angels ; when the apostle chargeth us, Col. 2:18, to ’let no man beguile us of our reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels’ - that we must pray to the virgin Mary and all saints to intercede for us; when St. Paul affirms, I Tim. 2:5, that as there is only ’one God,’ so there is only ’one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’ - that it is lawful to fill the world with rebellions and treasons, with persecutions and massacres, for the sake of religion and the church; when St. James assures us. 1:20, that ’the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God;’ and when Christ maketh universal love and charity the distinguishing mark and badge of his disciples, John 13:35, ’By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another’- I say, should any man assert these things so directly contrary to reason and to the word of God, and vouch ever so many miracles in confirmation of them, yet we should make no scruple to reject and renounce them all. Nay we are obliged to denounce anathema against the teacher of such doctrines, though he were an apostle, though be were an angel from heaven ; and for this we have the warrant and authority of St. Paul, and to show that he laid particular stress upon it, he repeats it twice with great vehemence, Gal. 1:8, 9,— ’Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we Raid before, so say I now again, If any one preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed.’ Indeed, the miracles alleged in support of these doctrines are such ridiculous, incredible things, that a man must have faith, I do not say to remove mountains, but to swallow mountains, who can receive for truth the legends of the church of Rome. But admitting that any of the Romish miracles were undeniable matters of fact, and were attested by the best and most authentic records of time, yet I know not what the Bishop of Rome would gain by it, but a better title to be thought Antichrist ’For we know that the coming of Antichrist,’ as St. Paul declares, ’is after the working of Satan with all power and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness,’— 2 Thess 2:9, 10 : ’and he doeth great wonders in the sight of men,’ according to the prophecy of St. John, Rev. 13:13, 14, ’and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he hath power to do.’ Nor indeed is anything more congruous and reasonable, than that, ’God should send men strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,’— 2 Thess. 2:10, 11.

But to return from this digression, though I hope neither an improper nor unedifying digression, to our main subject.