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Our Saviour therefore might well caution his difciples both against the former and the latter fort of thefe deceivers. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and fhineth even unto the weft fo fhall alfo 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 fudden and univerfal. The appearance of the true Christ will be as distinguishable from that of the falfe Chrifts, as lightning which fhineth all round the hemifphere is from a blaze of straw. What a learned (4) Prelate obferves from Jofephus is very memorable, that "the Roman

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army entered into Judea on the east side of it,

"and carried on their conquefts weftward, as "if not only the extenfiveness 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." For wherefoever the carcafe is, there will the eagles be gathered together. (ver. 28.) By the word carcafe, as the fame excellent

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(4) Bishop Pearce's Differtation on the deftruction of Jerufalem inferted in Dr. Jortin's Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hif tory. Vol. 1. p. 27,

(5) Ditto

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(5) Prelate justly remarks, is meant the Jewish nation, which was morally and judicially dead,> and whose destruction was pronounced in the decrees of heaven. Our Saviour, after his usual manner, applieth a proverbial expreffion with a particular meaning. For as, according to the old proverb, wherefoever the carcafe is, there will the eagles be gathered together; fo wherefoever the Jews are, there will Chrift be taking vengeance upon them by the Romans, who are properly compared to eagles as the fierceft birds of prey, and whofe enfign was an eagle, to which also probably our Saviour in this paffage alluded. And as it was faid, fo 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. Jofephus faith that (6) there was no part of Judea, which did not partake of the calamities of the capital city.At Antioch, (7) the Jews being falfly accused of a defign to burn the city, many of them were burnt in the theatre, and others were flain. The Romans purfued, and took, and flew them every where, as particularly (8) at the fiege of Macharus';

(5) Ditto, p. 22.
(δ) δεν δε μέρος ην της Ιεδαίας,
un in on whovia
Nulla autem pars

πολλυτο.

Judææ erat quæ fimul com urbe eminentifima non interibat. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 4. Cap. 7. Sect. 2. p. 1190. Edit."

Hudfon.

chærus; at (9) the wood Jardes, where the Jews were furrounded, and none of them efcaped, but being not fewer than three thousand were all flain; and (1) at Mafada, where being closely befieged, and upon the point of being taken, they first murdered their wives and children, and then themselves to the number of nine hundred and fixty, to prevent their falling into the enemies hands. When (2) Judea was totally fubdued, the danger extended to those who dwelt at a diftance. Many (3) were flain in Egypt, and their temple there was shut up: and (4) in Cyrene the followers of Jonathan, a weaver, and author of new difturbances, were most of them flain; he himself was taken prisoner, and by his falfe accufation three thoufand of the richest Jews were condemned and put to death: and with this account Jofephus concludes his history of the Jewish war.

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There was fomething fo very extraordinary in the conduct of thefe falfe Chrifts and falfe prophets, and in their appearance at that time particularly, that it may not be improper to bestow fome confiderations, upon this subject, especially

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especially as these confiderations may tend to confirm and ftrengthen us in our most holy religion.

1. It is obvious to obferve from hence, that in all probability there hath been a true prophet, à true Chrift, otherwise there would hardly have been fo many cheats and counterfeits. Fictions' are ufually formed upon realities; and there would be nothing fpurious, but for the fake of something true and genuin. There would be no bad money, if there was none current and good. There would be no quacks and empirics, if there were no physicians able to perform real cures. In like manner there would be no pretenders to divine infpiration, were none truly and divinely inspired. There would not (we may reasonably prefume) have been fo many falfe Meffiah's, had not a true Meffiah been promised by God, and expected by men. And if a Meffiah hath come from God, whom can we fo properly pitch upon for the perfon, as the man Christ Jefus? If there were also fome mock prophets in imitation of Mohammed, yet their number was nothing near fo considerable, and his fuccefs was fufficient to excite and encourage them; whereas the fate and condition of Jefus would rather have deterred any impostors from following his example.

2. Another

2. Another natural observation from hence is, that the Meffiah was particularly expected about the time of our Saviour, and confequently that the prophets had beforehand marked out that very time for his coming. For we read not of any false Meffiahs before the age of our Saviour, nor of fo many in any age after; and why did they rife at that time particularly, if the Meffiah was not at that time particularly: expected? and why did the Jews expect their Meffiah 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, (IX. 25, &c.) that Meffiah the prince: should come towards the end of seventy weeks. of years, or 490 years, from the going forth of the decree to reftore and rebuild Jerufalem. Before these weeks of years were, by one account or other, near expiring, history faith nothing of the falfe Meffiahs; but when the prophetic weeks drew towards a conclufion, then these impoftors arofe frequent, like so many meteors to dazzle the eyes, and mislead the wandring fleps of Jews and Samaritans. Nothing can be a more evident and convincing proof, that the Jews then understood the prophecy in the fame fenfe as the Chriftians, however they may endevor to evade the force of it now. They VOL. II. pretend

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