« rather drove them who were already difpofed to it, and wanted no "incitement to rebel against the Romans."

I would now take farther notice of the paffage above cited, wherein our Jewish hiftorian fays, "what principally encouraged them to the "war was an ambiguous oracle, found in their facred writings, that "about that time fome one from their country fhould obtain the "empire of the world."

FALSE PROPHETS AND FALSE CHRISTS IN JUDEA, AS OUR LORD

HAD FORETOLD.

The truth and importance of that obfervation, as I apprehend, may be confirmed and illuftrated by the accounts which Jofephus has given of numerous impoftors, or false prophets, which arofe among them about this time, agreeably to our Lord's predictions, as I shall now fhew.

"Whilft Fadus was Procurator of Judea, a certain impoftor, "called + Theudas, perfuaded a very great multitude, taking their "effects with them, to follow him to the river Jordan: affuring "them, that he was a Prophet, and that causing the river to divide "at his command, he would give them an eafy paffage over: by "fuch speeches he deceived many. But Fadus was far from fuffer"ing them to go on in their madness; for he fent out a troop of

horfe, who coming upon them unexpectedly, flew many, and "took many prifoners. Theudas himself was among the laft " mentioned; they cut off his head, and brought it to Jerufalem. "These things happened in Judea, whilft Cufpius Fadus was Pro"curator."

Fadus was fent into Judea by the Emperor Claudius, after the death of Herod Agrippa. This affair of Theudas therefore must be rightly placed in the year of Chrift 45, or 46.

That is transcribed from the 20th and laft book of the Antiquities. In the fame book, afterwards, in another chapter, in the hiftory of tranfactions in the time of Nero, Jofephus fays, "But I affairs in

Judea went on continually growing worfe and worfe. The country "was again filled with robbers and impoftors, who deceived the peo"ple. But Felix, time after time, apprehended, and put to death many "of them." A little lower: "And § indeed, by means of the crimes "committed by the robbers, the city was filled with all forts of im"piety. And impoftors and deceivers perfuaded the people to follow "them into the wilderness; where, as they faid, they should fee ma"nifest wonders and figns performed by the providence of God. "And many hearkening unto them at length fuffered the punishment "of their folly; for Felix fetched them back, and punished them. "About the fame time there came a man out of Egypt to Jerufalem, ❝ who

* Ant. 1. 20. cap. v. I.

That Theudas is different from him, mentioned by Gamaliel, A£ts v. 36, as was shews formerly. Credib. p. i. B. 2, ch. vii, p. 921, &c.

Antiq. 1. 20. cap. viii. 5.

Ib. § 6.

"who faid he was a Prophet: and having perfuaded a good number "of the meaner fort of people to follow him to the mount of Olives, " he told them, that thence they should fee the walls of Jerufalem "fall down at his command, and promised through them to give "them entrance into the city. But Felix, being informed of thefe things, ordered his foldiers to their arms; and marching out of "Jerufalem with a large body of horfe and foot, he fell upon the "Egyptian, and killed four hundred of them, and took two hun"dred prifoners. But the Egyptian, getting out of the fight, efcaped." This fame ftory is alfo in the War, with fome differences in the numbers, which were confidered formerly.

There the account concludes in this manner. "When † they came "to engage, the Egyptian fled, followed by a few only. Á large part of those who were with him were either flain, or taken pri"foners. The reft of the multitude being scattered, fhifted for "themselves as they could."

This is fuppofed to have happened in the year of Chrift 55.

In the War, in the paragraph preceding his account of the Egyptian impoftor, having juft before related, how Judea then abounded with robbers, called Sicarii, he fays, "Befide them, there was "another body of wicked men, whofe hands indeed were clearer, "but their intentions were as impious, who disturbed the happy ftate of the city no lefs than thofe murderers; for deceivers and impoftors, under a pretence of divine infpiration, aiming at changes "and innovations, made the people mad, and induced them to fol"low them into the wilderness, pretending that God would there give them figns and wonders. Felix, judging thefe proceedings to "be no lefs than the beginning of a revolt, fent out his foldiers, both "horfe and foot, and deftroyed great numbers of them."

་

In the forecited chapter of the 20th book of the Antiquities, fpeaking of the robbers in the time of Porcius Feftus, about the year of Chrift 60, he fays, that § he alfo fent out both horfe and foot to "fall upon thofe who had been feduced by a certain impoftor, who ❝had promised them deliverance, and freedom from the miferies un"der which they laboured, if they would but follow him into the "wilderness. The forces deftroyed both him that had deceived them, "and those that followed him."

Jofephus fpeaks of fix thousand who perished in the outer courts of the temple, after it had been fet on fire. "The foldiers, "fays he, fet fire to the portico; whereupon fome threw them"felves headlong down the precipice, others perifted in the flames; and not one out of fo great a number efcaped. A falfe prophet "was the occafion of the ruin of thofe people, who on that very day had made proclamation in the city, affuring them that God "commanded them to go up to the temple, where they would re"ceive figns of deliverance. And indeed there were then many "prophets,

Credib. Part i. B. 2. ch. viii.
Ant. 1. 20. cap. viii. § 10.

+ De B. J. 1. 2. c. xiii. 5.
De B. J. 1. 6. cap. v. § 2.

I bid. §4.

"prophets, fuborned by the tyrants, to impofe upon the people, and "telling them, that they ought to wait for help from God."

And, prefently after, proceeding to relate the omens and prodigies forefignifying the calamities coming upon the Jewish people, and the city of Jerufalem, which fhall be recited by and by, he fays, " Im"poftors, who fpake lies in the name of God, deceived this mife"rable people. They neither attended to, nor believed the manifeft figns, forefignifying the coming defolation. But, like infatuated "men, who have neither eyes to fee, nor minds to perceive, they "neglected the divine denunciations."

So truly did our Lord fay, "I am come in my Father's name, "and ye receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, "him ye will receive." John v. 43.

Our blessed Lord fays, Matt. xxiv. 24. "For there will arife false "Chrifts, and falfe prophets, and will fhew great figns and wonders, "infomuch that (if it were poffible) they will deceive the very elect.” But our Lord does not intend to fay, that any of thofe falfe prophets would exhibit or perform great wonders. The original word is "Swao, they will give:" the fame word that is in the Septuagint verfion of Deut. xiii. 1. "If there arife among you a prophet, or a "dreamer of dreams, and he giveth thee a fign, or a wonder," xai dú cos anusov ǹ régas, that is, fhall propofe, or promife fome fign or wonder, as the fequel fhews. Parallel with the text juft cited from St. Matthew is Mark xiii. 22. "For falfe Chrifts, and falfe prophets, "will arife, and will fhew figns and wonders," the fame word again, xai dwoso onpira nai répata, "in order to feduce, if it were pof fible, even the elect."

The accounts which Jofephus has given of the impoftors in his time, fhew the exact accomplishment of these predictions of our Lord, "They perfuaded the people to follow them into the wilderness, "where, as they faid, they would fee manifeft figns and wonders "performed by the power of God:" or, affuring them, " that God "would there give them figns and wonders:" or, that "they fhould "there receive figns of deliverance, and the like."

The paffages of Jofephus bear witness to the fulfilment of our Lord's prediction," that many falfe prophets would arife, and de"ceive many." Matt. xxiv. II.

Our Lord does alfo fay there, at ver. 5. "And many will come "in my name, faying, I am Chrift; and will deceive many." And it is eafy to believe, that † fome of the many falfe prophets did exprefsly take to themselves that title, though Jofephus does not fay it. But whether they did, or not, our Saviour's predictions are verified in the appearance of thofe falfe prophets." Jofephus, fays t "Abp. Tillotfon, mentions feveral of thefe: of whom, though he "does not exprefsly fay that they called themselves the Meffias, "yet

te yet he fays that which is equivalent, that they undertook to rescue "the people from the Roman yoke. Which was the thing which "the Jews expected the Meffias would do for them. And therefore "we find, that the difciples who were going to Emmaus, and knew tr not that Chrift was rifen, and were doubtful what to think of him, 66 fay: 'We hoped, this had been he that fhould have redeemed "Ifrael; that is, they hoped, this had been the Meffias, that being, "it feems, a common periphrafis of the Meffias, that he was he that was to deliver Ifrael." Which is agreeable to a note of Grotius upon the place. All they, therefore, who pretended that they were infpired, and fent by God to deliver the Jewish people, were indeed falfe Chrifts. They took upon themselves the character of the Mesfiah.

We may now readily admit the truth of what Jofephus fays in the paffage tranfcribed not long ago: "That what principally ex"cited the Jewish people, the wife men, as he calls them, as well 66 as others, to the war with the Romans, was the expectation of a great deliverer to arife among them, who fhould obtain the empire of the world." This great deliverer was the Meffiah. The numerous falfe prophets and falfe Chrifts, of whom Jofephus speaks fo frequently, and fo diftinctly, are full proofs of it.

tr

The expectation of the coming of the Meffiah, about the time of the appearance of Jefus, was univerfal, and had been fo for fome while. But with the idea of a prophet, or extraordinary teacher of religion, they had joined alfo that of a worldly king and conqueror, who fhould deliver the Jewish people from the burdens under which they laboured, raise them to a ftate of independence, and bring the nations of the earth into fubjection to them, to be ruled and tyrannised over by them. And because our Lord did not perform, nor attempt this, they rejected and crucified him. If he would but have affumed the ftate and character of an earthly prince, Scribes and Pharifees, Priests and People, would all have joined themselves to him, and have put themselves under his banner. Of this we fee many proofs in the Gofpels. This difpofition prevailed to the laft. The people, therefore, though they had already met with many disappointments, when our Lord entered into Jerufalem, in no greater ftate than riding upon an afs, accompanied him with loud acclamations, and other tokens of refpect, faying: "Hofanna to the "Son of David. Bleffed is the King, that cometh in the name of the "Lord." And Jefus, our Lord, not affuming then the character of an earthly prince, was a fresh difappointment, and left deep refentments; which rendered them fufceptible of the worst impreffions from the chief priests, and their other rulers. And at their inftigation they defired Pilate, the Roman governor, to fet Barabbas at liberty, VOL. V.

K

and

"Chrifti nomine populus Judaicus intelligebat vindicem libertatis. Nam illud, μes σε δὲ ἐλπίζομεν, ὅτι ἀυτός ἔσιν ὁ μέλλων λυτρᾶσθαι τὸν Ισραήλ, defcriptio eft nominis Chrifti.

"Quare quicumque fe miffos divinitus liberatores populi Judaici dicebant, eo ipfo Chriftos fe profitebantur, et erant feudoxes," &c. Grot. in Matt. xxiv. 5.

66

Proofs of this, together with divers remarks, may be feen in Credib. Parti. B. i. ch. v. P. 289, &c.

and crucify Jefus. With which clamorous and importunate demand, he at length complied, ftill bearing teftimony to the innocence of him whom he unwillingly condemned. The account of St. Matthew alone, without any other, will fuffice for fhewing this amazing tranfaction. "Pilate faith unto them, What fhall I do then with Jefus, "who is called Chrift? They all fay unto him, Let him be cruci"fied. The Governor faid, Why! what evil has he done? But "they cried out the more, faying, Let him be crucified. When "Pilate faw that he prevailed nothing, and that rather a tumult 66 was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, faying, I am innocent from the blood of this juft perfon. "See ye to it. Then anfwered all the people: His blood be upon us, and upon our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them. "And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” Matt. xxvi. 22, 26.

The continued expectation of the Meffiah, as a worldly King and Conqueror, as we have juft feen in Jofephus, and their uneafiness under the Roman yoke, were the immediate occafions of their rebelling against the authority to which they were then fubject. And the fame principles that induced them to reject and crucify Jesus, brought upon them their utter and final ruin."

As the fin of the Jewish people in rejecting and crucifying Jefus, after a life of perfect innocence and confummate virtue, after speaking as no man had done before, and doing works which no other man had done, at Jerufalem, and in every part of the land of Ifrael, after fuch preparations as had been made for his reception by the Prophets, and by the teftimony of John the Baptift, his forerunner, was * very great and aggravated and as they rejected the renewed offers of mercy, and repeated and earnest calls to repentance, made by Chrift's Apoftles, and went on increafing in wickednefs; God at length fuffered the Romans to come upon them with an armed force, demolished their temple, and made defolate their city, and their whole country, with many circumftances of uncommon and even unparalleled diftrefs. All which having been foreseen, and often foretold, by the Lord Jefus, in his public difcourfes; the accomplishment of thefe predictions, in the event, is an argument of great force in favour of his divine miffion, and of his being indeed the Meffiah, additional to the excellent doctrine, and wonderful works of his ministry.

VIII. THE HISTORY OF THE JEWISH WAR, AND OF THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM, FROM JOSEPHUS.

Having fhewn the occafion and caufes of the war, and having alfo obferved the feveral things foretold by the Lord Jefus, as preceding

If ye were blind, ye fhould have no fin. But now you fay, We fee: therefore your fin “remaineth.” John ix. 41. "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had fin. "But now they have no cloak for their fin. If I had not done among them the works which "no other man did, they had not had fin. But now have they both feen, and hated, both me " and my Father." John xv. 22--24.