was most fully accomplished (b) the latter folemn Express Cha racter (b) Even in this immediate Matter of Fact, as now our bleffed Saviour's predicted Confequence in the accomplishment of this SIGN giv'n to his Difciples, as the immediate fore-runner, and fure fign concomitant of the final Deftruction of the Jewish Church and Common-Wealth fell out accordingly.--- -- Tell us when shall these things be? was the Queftion put to our Lord by his Difciples, Mat. xxiv. 5. What things? ---- the (v. 1, 2, 3.] that is, the Deftruction of the Temple, and the END of the World,-end of the fewish Difpenfation. Inanfwer Our Lord told them, (v. 14.) that these shings fhould not be 'till the Gospel was first preached unto All the World. See the laft Note ] But if they would be more particular, Our Lord bid them to think of what Daniel the Prophet faith, viz. that the ABOMINATION of DESOLATION fhould ftand in the HOLY PLACE, (v. 15.) - Whenever they should fee that come to pass; they were of a certainty to conclude that then Conclamatum erat de Urbe, & Republica Judæorum. ------- The Matter of Fact fell out accordingly, and shews us evidently, that this is the interpretation, and accomplishment of what Chrift here quoted from the Prophet Daniel.----- Therefore not so, Firft, Pilate's Attempt to fet up the image of Tiberius in the Temple, as fome have imagined; nor Secondly, That of Caius to fet up his own there, as others, particularly. Mr. Lydiat,Can. Chron. p. 105; Nor Thirdly, the Prophanation of the Temple by the Zealots in the bloodshed, and flaughter occafioned by that Faction who had feized upon the Temple, as Capellus; Nor Fourthly, the coming of Ceftius with the Roman Army before Jerufalem in Chrifti 66; [See the laft Note 1.] for the HOLY CITY ftill remained for fome years after all these imagined Accomplishments of this Sign, and the TEMPLE yez ftanding in which the SIGN was to be accomplished; Nor Fifthly, Titus his commanding his Image to be fetup in the defolated Temple; Much less the placing of the Statue of Ha drian on Horfeback in the ruins of the Temple long after, even because the Accomplishment of the Sign, is evidently conjoined with the deftruction of the Temple; Nor Sixthly, as Dr Prideaux, and Mr Lancafter, even Titus his ARMY ftanding in the HOLY LAND, and attacking, and taking alfo the HOLY CITY, because Ceftins had in fome measure done fo before; and yet the Temple, and City remained: and however they were finally deftroyed by Titus, and this was the immediate Confequence of the Roman Army their standing in the Holy Land, and even in the Holy City; yet fuch general Expofition comes not up to the true, and proper interpretation, and accomplishment of what Chrift quotes from Daniel: forafmuch as the word in the Prophecy, and the HOLY PLACE spoken of by our Lord, [Mat. xxiv. 15. do certainly import fome more folemn, and particular place than barely the Holy Land, or even the Holy City. They doubtless import the TEMPLE, as therein immediately with the diffolution thereof this Exprefs Character was to have its accomplishment, and had it accordingly. And herein the the following Reafons may fully confirm us, כנף 1001 First, The Interpreters of this Express Character in the large fenfe thereof as above giv'n, in order to give it its accomplishment therein are forced to render the Prophetick Word Canaph by the Latin ALA, and thereby they understand an ARMY, whereas there is no manner of ground for it here. For though the Latin ALA be put for EXERCITUS, and ALE, faith Janius, pro COPIIS metaphorice, ut Ifaiah viii. 8, to yet this it is replied by One here [Graferus. Vide Pole Synopf. in Dan. p. 1535.4LAM Latinis eo fenfu fumi concedo, Canaph Hebræis pernego. Difpar eft Loews, Ifaiah viii. 8. Ibi enim (they are the words of Graferus) Vox eft in plurali, vel duali, Que de Exercitibus Imperatorum circumcingentibus recte, & eleganter dicitur. Non item in Singulari. Deinde ibi additur vox in qua maximam metaphora parsem farinet. EXPANSIONES, inquit, ALARUM ejus replebant. I add, Secondly, By way of confirming this Affertion, and in favour of the Prophetick word its fignifying the Temple, and the reftriction of the accomplishment of this Sign to the TEMPLE, that We have the authority of the following Verfions for it, viz. that of the lxx, as we read ἐπὶ τὸ ΙΕΡΟΝ Βδ. τῶν Ερημι. [Ex. Vat.] and ἕως πτερυγίου, [Al. MS.] So that however they underflood thofe words of Ifaiah above quoted as truly denoting the ARMY there meant,and accordingly rendred thofe words by ivre, yet here they understood the word quite otherwife, evidently understanding it of the Temple, and fo limiting the accomplishment of the EXPRESS CHARACTER to the Temple. And fo alfo the V. L. exprefly, Erit in TEMPLO Abom. Defol.And fo likewife the Arabick Verfion, Super SANCTUARIUM, ---- I add Thirdly Thirdly, The Occafion, and Situation of our Lord when he referr'd his Difciples to the accomplishment of this Sign, limits it plainly to the Temple. ----The occafion, as the Tem ple was then the immediate Subject of their Difcourfe. Mat. xxiv. 1, 2. Mark xiii. 11 2.The Situation, as our Lord was then together with his Difciples in the Mount of Olives, in the taireft view of the Temple. [Grot. on Mat. xxiv. 1, and alfo Ludov. de Dien on Mark xiii. 3.] And as the Roman ENSIGNS, by reafon of the IMAGES of their GODS, painted on them were an ABOMINATION to the Jews, 'tis out of doubt that they could be never more fo, than now when they were triumphan ly fer up on the TEMPLE. As the Jews could not bear the Sight of thofe I MAGE S, only as paffing through their Land. [See the laft Note y.] much lefs could they bear the fight of them, when they now faw thofe BELLORUM DII, (as Tacitus ca is them,] thofe GODS of WAR standing on the Temple of the GOD of ISRAEL: Efpecially as they now faw them SACRIFICING to them there,as they stood on the HOLY PLACE, [Mat. xxiv. 15.] and therefore the PLACE wherein of all others those IDOLS OUGHT NOT to have stood. [Mark xiii. 14.] And now the SURE SIGN of the downfall, or utter ruin of the Jewish Oeconomy being thus accomplished in, and with the Destruction of the TEMPLE, our Lord's Difciples who were doubtless many of them yet in Judea, were without delay to take warning, and be gone away, as faft as they could out of that Country: as the Roman Fire and Sword was not to ftop at Jerufalem, but to ravage throughout that WHOLE COUNTRY, either to the murdering, or captivating, even to the making a FULL END of that Nation. For the SIGN giv'n being accomplished, the Sentence was irreverfible.---[Signum Hoc & proprium erat rei Signata,& CERTITUDINEM habebat non ex naturali confequentia, fed ex divino Decreto. Grot. in Mat. xxiv, 15.]-- Therefore did our Lord fay to his Difciples, [Mat. xxiv. 16. Mark xiii. 14. THEN, (viz. when they fhould fee this SIGN accomplished, Then] Let them which are in Judæa flee unto the mountains. St. Luke adds [ch. xxi. 21.] And let them which are in the midst of it depart ent; [vix. They that were any where in that Country, not in the midft of Jerufalem, for it was now impoffible for them to get out, and our Lord's Difciples had been all providentially gone out before. [See the laft Note 4] And Finally our Lord's WARNING to flee in all these Places, is by no means limitable to Jerufalem, but is giv'n at large, and plainly intimates that no One that would now be fafe, fhould abide any where in fudaa All that follows thereunto relating are no other than proverbial Speeches applicable to Cafes of great Defolation, and fignifie as much as this, viz. Let every One at that time in Judæa shift for himself for a place of relief, and make the fecureft retreat that he can. ---- Fugiant ad MONTES - -- non ad Montes fudee qui a Romanis quoq; expugnati funt, tefte Jofepho [bel. Jud. I. 3, 12; & iv. 2.] Sed (loquitur Chriftus) ex vulgari more fugientium ad Montes, tanquam LOCA TUTA. [Lucas Brugqnfis apud. Pale in Synopf, in Mat. xxiv. 16, p. 578.] Roman Years of the VESPASIANI zdo. racter of the HALF Part of this Single Week, VII. 70s it was the SIGN immediately fore-running, and accompanying the utter diffolution of the Jewish Church, and State: even as now the END (c) of them was certainly come in the Deftruction of the TEMPLE. Accordingly foon after the lower City was burnt (d). Sept. 8. following the upper City was ta ken (e). Then All was thrown down to the Ground, excepting only a part of the western Wall, and two or three Towers referv'd as Monuments of Victory (f). And the Plough was drawn over the Ground (g) on which the City, and Temple had ftood, to fhew that the Romans meant this to be a FINAL DESTRUCTION, fuch as was foretold in this Prophecy (b): and to fhew alfo, and more particularly that there was not now ONE STONE left upon another, according to our bleffed Saviour's Prophecies of the City (i), and of the Tem ple (k) as before noted. INDEX. A. C. Bydenus, His antient Measure Cadytis, a City in Syria, taken A of Time, p. 236. Explain- by Pb. Necho, 145 -- this ed by Langius, ib. in not.---- in not. Alexander M. His Favour to the City, not the City Jerufa- ria 196 31 Calippus, his Cycle when publish- to Ezra, in favour of the Jews Carchemifh, See Cadytis. 274- be closely adher'd to, in the 13 Commandment, or Grant to Ne- Characters Express in the Text to B. Charon of Lampfacus,-- His Te- Bel, His Temple deck'd with to 210 to for the proof of his Miffi- His WARNING to his Dif- 279 him. A - - fore could not be the Command D Darius, (the Mede) made King 174 of the Jews confidered, 118. DAYS き |