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fome Galileans going up to the feaft at Jerufalem while Cumanus was procurator; and "that of the whole nation of the Jews against the Romans and Agrippa and other allies of the Roman empire, which began while Geffius Florus was procurator. But as Jofephus faith, there was not only fedition and civil war throughout Judea, but likewife in Italy, Otho and Vitellius contending for the empire.

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It is farther added, and there fhall be famines, and peftilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.' There were famines, as particularly that prophefied of by Agabus, and mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, xi. 28. and by Suetonius and other profane historians referred to by Eufebius, which came to pass in the days of Clau dius Cæfar,' and was fo fevere at Jerufalem, that, as * Jofephus faith, many perished for want of victuals. And peftilences, for thefe are the ufual attendants upon famines. Scarcity and badness of provifions almoft always end in fome epidemical diftemper. We fee many died by reafon of the famine in the reign of Claudius: and Jofephus farther informs us, that when Niger was killed by the Jewish zealots, he imprecated befides other calamities famine and peftilence upon them, (i, 221 201

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the very words ufed by the evangelift), all which, faith he, God ratified and brought to pafs against the ungod-fy, And earthquakes in divers places,' as particularly that bin Crete in the reign of Claudius, mentioned by Philoftratus in the life of Apollonius, and those alfo menB.2 tioned

u Ibid. Cap. 17.

* Ου μόνον δε κατα την Ιεδαίαν ταις ην και πολέμης εμφυλίες, αλλά και επι της Ιταλίας. Verum non folum per Judæam erat feditio et bellum civile, fed etiam in Italia. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 4. Cap. 9. Sect. 9. p. 1200.

Suetonius in Claudio 18. Taciti Annal. Lib. 12. Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 2. Cap. 8.

και πολλων ὑπ' εκείας αναλωμάτων φθειρομένων, multis alimentorum ino a pereuntibus. Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 20. Cap. 2. Sect. 6. p. 881. bid. Cap. 4. Sect. 2. Edit. Hudson.

2 ὁ δη παντα κατα τον ασεβεν εκύρωσεν ὁ Θεός. Quæ fane univerfa contra improbes rata habuit Deus. Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. Lib. 4. Cap. 6. Sect. 1. p. 1186. Edit. Hudfon.

b Gravis terrae motus qui in Creta accidit Claudio imperante meminit Philoftratus in vita Apollonii. Item terrae motuum Smyrnae, Mileti, Chii, Sami paulo ante tempora excifae urbis Hierofolymorum, Grot. in locum.

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tioned by Philoftratus at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, in all which places fome Jews inhabited; and those at Rome mentioned by Tacitus; and that at Laodicea in the reign of Nero, mentioned by Tacitus, which city was overthrown, as were likewife Hierapolis and Coloffe; and that in Campania, mentioned by Seneca; and that at f Rome in the reign of Galba mentioned by Suetonius; and that in Judea, mentioned by Jofephus. For by night there broke out a moft dreadful tempeft, and violent strong winds with the most vehement showers, and continual lightnings, and horrid thunderings, and prodigious bellowings of the fhaken earth: and it was manifeft, as he faith, that the conflitution of the univerfe was confounded for the deftruction of men; and any one might eafily conjecture, that these things pertended no common calamity.

To thefe St Luke addeth, xxi. 11. that there should be fearful fights and great figns from heaven. Jofephus in the preface to the hiftory of the Jewish war, undertakes to relate the figns and prodigies, which preceded the taking of the city: and he relates accordingly, that i a ftar hung over the city like a word, and the comet continued for a whole year; that the people being af fembled

Tacit. Annal. Lib. 12. p. 91. Edit. Lipfii.

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d Tacit. Annal. Lib. 14. p. 113. Edit. Lipfi. Orofius, Lib. 74 Cap. 7. p. 473. Edit. Havercamp. eNat. Quaeft. Lib. 6. Cap. 1.

f Suet. Galb. Cap. 18.

Jofeph. de Bell Jud: L. 4. C. 4. S. 5. dia yag ons vUxtos aμnxavos εκρήγνυται χειμών, ανέμοι σε βίαιοι συν εμβροις λαβροτάτοις, και συνέχεις απρα παι, βρονται σε φρικώδεις, και μυκήματα σειομένης της γης εξαισία, προδήλον

99, επ' ανθρώπων ολείξω, το κατάτημα των όλων συγκεχυμένον και έχε μικρά τις αν είκεσαι συμπτωματις τα τέρατα Nocte enim graviffima erumpit tempeftas, ventufque violeutus cum imbre vehementi con junctus, et crebra fulgura, horrendaque tonitrua, et ingentes terræ concufle mugitus: manifeftumque erat, hominum in exitium, mundi ftatum fuiffe conturbatum: eratque ut quis conjiceret ea non vulgares portendere calamitates, p. 1181. Edit. Hudfon.

Η και τα προ ταύτης σημεία και τέρατα. quaeque praccefferant figna et prodigia. Sect. 11. p. 957.

1 ύπερ την πολιν ασρον ετη ρομφαια φαραπλήσιον, και παρατείνας επ' ενικ To mourns. fupra civitatem ftetit fidus fimile gladio, et anni fpatio ardere perfeverabat cometes. Lib. 6. Cap. 5. Sect. 3. p. 1281. κ αβροιζόμενο το λαό προ την των Αζύμων εορτην, - κατά ευκτος εννατην ώραν, τότε τον φως περιέλαμψε τον βωμον και τον ναον, ὡς δικειν ἡμέραν είναι apor XI TUTO wagszervey if' huirea gay, populo ad feftum diem Azymorum

fembled to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, at the ninth hour of the night there thene fo great a light about the altar and the temple, that it seemed to be bright day, and this continued for half an hour; that at the fame feaft a cow, led by the prieft to facrifice, brought forth a lamb in the middle of the temple; that m the eastern gate of the temple which was of folid brass and very heavy, and was fcarcely fhut in an evening by twenty men, and was faftened by strong bars and bolts, was feen at the fixth hour of the night opened of its own accord, and could hardly be fhut again; that " before the fetting of the fun there were feen over all the country chariots and armies fighting in the clouds, and befieging cities; that at the feaft of Pentecoft, as the priests were going into the inner temple by night as ufual to attend their fervice, they heard firft a motion and noise, and then a voice as of a multitude faying, Let us depart hence; and what he reckons as the most terrible of all, that one Jefus, an ordinary coun*-try fellow, four years before the war began, and when the city was in peace and plenty, came to the feast of tabernacles, and ran crying up and down the streets day and night, "A voice from the east, a voice from the weft, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerufalem and the temple, a voice against the bridegrooms

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and Azymorum congregato,-hora noctis nona, tanta lux circa altare templumque circumfufa eft, ut dies clarus effe videretur, atque hoc horae dimidiae fpatio duravit. Ibid.

1 και κατά την αυτην εορτην βες μεν, αχθείσα απο το αρχιερέως προς την θύσιαν, ετέκεν αρνα εν τω ιερω μετά. in eadem quoque folennitate, vacca, cum a pontifice ad facrificium adduceretur, agnum in medio templo enixa eft. Ibid.

Η ή δε ανατολικη πυλη κ. τ. λ. fed et janua, &c. Ibid.

0 προ ήλις δύσεως ώφθη μετεωρα περι πασαν την χώραν άρματα και φά λαγγες ενοπλοι διατήεσαι των νεφών, και κυκλωμέναι τας πολεις. ante folis occafum per univerfam regionem currus in aere fublimes ferri, et armatæ phalanges per nubes difcurrere, urbefque circumvallare funt vifae. Ibid. p. 1282.

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κατα δε την εορτην, ἡ Πεντέκοςη καλείται, νυκτωρ οἱ ἱέρεις παρελθόντες εις το ενδον ἱερον, ώσπερ αυτοις εθος ην προς τας λειτοργίας, πρωτον μεν κινη σεως αντιλαβέσθαι εφασαν και κτυπε μετα ταυτα και φωνής αέριας, μεταβαι vaμer Evrsude. Fefto autem die qui Pentecofte appellatur, facerdotes. noctu templum ingreffi ad obeunda ex more ministeria primum quidem motum ac ftrepitum fe exaudiffe dixerunt, tum deinde vocem quafi conferta multitudinis fimul clamantis, Migremus hinc. Ibid. Ρ το δε τε των φοβερώτερον Ιησες γαρ τις. κ. τ. λ. Quod vero his omni bus terribilius eft,Jefus quidam, &c. Ibid.

and the brides, a voice against all the people." The magiftrates endeavoured, by stripes and torture, to restrain him; but he still cried, with a mournful voice, “Woe woe to Jerufalem !" This he continued to do for seven years and five months together, and efpecially at the great festivals; and he neither grew hoarfe nor was tired: but went about the walls, and cried with a loud voice, "Woe woe to the city, and to the people, and to the temple ;" and as he added at laft, "Woe woe alfo to myself;" it happened that a stone from fome fling or engine immediately ftruck him dead. Thefe were indeed fearful figns and great fights from heaven:' and there is not a more creditable hiftorian than the author who relates them, and who appeals to the teftimony of those who saw and heard them. But it may add fome weight to his relation, that Tacitus, the Roman hiftorian, alfo gives us a fummary account of the fame occurrences. He faith that 9 there happened feveral prodigies, armies were feen engaging in the heavens, arms were feen glittering, and the temple fhone with the fudden fire of the clouds, the doors of the temple opened fuddenly, and a voice greater than human was heard, that the gods were departing, and likewife a great motion of their departing. Dr Jortin's remark is very pertinent, " If Chrift had not exprefsly foretold this, many, who gave little heed to portents, and who know that hiftorians have been too credulous in that point, would have fufpected that Jofephus exaggerated, and that Tacitus was mifinformed; but as the teftimonies of Jofephus and Tacitus confirm the predictions of Chrift, fo the predictions of Chrift confirm the wonders. recorded" by these hiftorians,"-But even allowing all that incredulity can urge-that in the great calamities of war, and famine, and peftilence, the people always grow fuperftitious, and are ftruck with religious panics; that they fee nothing but prodigies and portents, which in happier feafons are overlooked;-that fome of these appear to be formed in imitation of the Greek and Roman hiftorians, as particularly the cow's bringing forth a lamb

4 Evenerunt prodigia-Vife per cœlum concurrere acies, ruti fantia arma, et fubito nubium igne collucere templum. Expaffæ repente delubri fores, et audita major humana vox, Excedere deos. Simul ingens motus excedentium. Tacit. Hift. Lib. 5. p. 217. Edit. Lipfii.

Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, Vol. I p. 41..

lamb ;-that armies fighting in the clouds, feen in calamitous times in all ages and countries, are nothing more than meteors, fuch as the aurora borealis ;-in fhort, allowing that fome of these prodigies were feigned, and others were egaggerated, yet the prediction of them is not the lefs divine on that account. Whether they were fupernatural, or the fictions only of a difordered imagination, yet they were believed as realities, and had all the effects of realities, and were equally worthy to be made the objects of prophecy. Fearful fights and great figns from heaven' they certainly were, as much as if they had been created on purpose to astonish the earth.

But notwithstanding all these terrible calamities our Saviour exhorts his difciples not to be troubled. The Jews may be under dreadful apprehenfions, as they were particularly in the cafe of Caligula above-mentioned; but

be not ye troubled, for all these things must come to pafs, but the end is not yet,' but the destruction of Jerufalem is not yet. All these are only the beginning of forrows, ver. 8. αρχή ωδινών. Great troubles and calamities are often expreffed in fcripture-language metaphorically by the pains of travailing women. All these aré only the firft pangs and throws, and are nothing to that hard labour which fhall follow.

From the calamities of the nation in general, he paffeth. to thofe of the Chriftians in particular: and indeed the former were in great measure the occafion of the latter ; famines, peftilences, earthquakes and the like calamities being reckoned judgments for the fins of the Chriftians, and the poor Christians being often maltreated and per ́fecuted on that account, as we learn from fome of the earliest apologists for the Chriftian religion. Now the calamities which were. to befal the Chriftians were cruel perfecutions, ver. 9. • Then fhall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and fhall kill you; and ye fhall be hated of all nations,' not only of the Jews but likewife of the Gentiles, for my name's fake.' St Mark and St Luke are rather more particular. St Mark faith, xiii. 9, 11. They fhall deliver you up to councils; and in the fynagogues ye fhall be beaten, and ye fhall be brought before rulers and kings for my fake, for a teftimony against them. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take

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