was fo ftruck, as to declare, that the Jews must be under the avenging hand of God. All the preceding and attendant circumftances, alfo, fell out as Jefus had deferibed; fuch as feditions, fimines, earthquakes, eclipfes, meteors, a comet which refembled a flaming fword hanging over Jerufalemn, and contending armies in the air: fuch alio, were the immenfe flaughter of the Jew, and the entire fubjection of thofe, who furvived the maffacre. The bare relation of the extreme diftrefs and anguish, generally felt on that melancholy occafion, would be enough to draw tears of compaffion from the most obdurate enemy.

The remarkable deliverance of the Chriftians, likewife, fulfilled our Lord's words. For many of them, obferving the appointed fignal, fled from the devoted city, and were refcued from deftruction. Thus they were feparated, as the Ifraelites from the midft of the Egyptians; and "their lives were given unto them for a prey.'

The very rapid propagation of the Gospel, which was preached in all the principal nations of the known world before Jerufalem was taken, is another ftriking fact, which proves that Jefus is a true prophet. Chriftian churches were very early planted in various kingdoms upon the ruins of idolatry; which must have previously appeared utterly improbable, and can be afcribed only to the divine interpofition. A doctrine, very oppofite to men's carnal affections, and ftriking at the root of all the religions then eftablished, made its way with furprifing energy, in fpite of all. human wisdom and power, which were employed to oppofe it. The inftruments, alfo, of accomplishing this work, were in themselves fo weak and contemptible, as to fhew that their fuccefs was miraculous. They were indeed, as their Lord foretold, univerfally hated and perfecuted, beyond any other people, for their fyftem of faith; yet they prevailed. Now this, being the completion of an exprefs prophecy, furnishes a ftrong argument for the authenticity of the Gofpel.

In

In the fame view, we appeal to the difperfion of the Jews. Their city and temple were laid in ruins, and their frequent attempts to rebuild them have turned to their greater confufion. Julian, the Roman Emperor, encouraging them to it, was feveral times baffled in his profane purpofe by the eruption of balls of fire from the earth, which confumed the artificers and their materials. No other reason can be given than this, that God will not fuffer the declaration of his Son to fail," Jerufalem fhall be trodden down of the Gentiles," for a determined feafon. The Jews, therefore, cannot recover the holy land: they are scattered over the face of the earth, and for above feventeen hundred years have not been able either to exercife their religion, or to maintain any civil government. They are wonderfully preferved as a feparate people. All other ancient nations are long fince extinct, their pofterity being mixed and loft in the general mais of mankind. But the Jews incorporate with no others; they remain perfectly unconnected with the various communities, where they are permitted to dwell, and are as fo many witneffes of the truth both of the old and new Teftament, for they have fulfilled the prophecies in both.

From thefe fcriptures we are likewife led to expect their future restoration, which is as clearly foretold as their difperfion. We have every reafon, therefore, to believe, that it fhall certainly be accomplished, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Indeed, the Jews feem to be preserved in their present distinct ftate, for that very end: and, whenever their return fhall take place, it will introduce a greater enlargement of the Church, than has ever yet been known. "For if the calling away of them be the reconciling of the world; what all the receiving of them be, but life from the dead * ?”

*Rom. xi. 15.

Yet,

Yet, while we mourn for the prefent blindness of Ifrael, let us be folicitous for ourselves, that we may not defpife and reject the Saviour, as they have done. We trace the whole of their unparalleled calamities to that one fin and is it not as offenfive to God in us, as in the Jews? Will it not infallibly bring down upon us his fierce indignation? Can we be so infatuated, as to fhew a contempt for the Gofpel, while we behold that devoted nation marked out by the curfe of God for this very reason? And may we not fear, that many readers, with an external profeffion of Christianity, do not pay a serious regard to the great Prophet of our God, but make light of all his gracious propofals? Shall you, then, efcape for your iniquity? He, "whom man defpifeth, whom the nation abhorreth,' cometh to devour his adverfaries, by a destruction infinitely more tremendous than that of Jerufalem. And, if you continue to refift him, how will you "abide the day of his coming? how will you ftand, when he appeareth?"

Of that his final advent, and the awful folemnities attending it, our Lord proceeded to warn his disciples, after having defcribed his appearance to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, He was evidently led from the confideration of one event to that of the other: and, many of the concomitant circumstances being exactly fimilar, we may be the less surprised at the difficulty of deciding, to which of the events fome of his expreffions are to be referred. They may be true of both; or they may be applicable to one in a lower fenfe, and to the other in a more exalted meaning. Nor fhould this be objected to, as it is perfectly agreeable to the language of prophecy, especially when any occurrence is reprefented as the fign or earneft of fomething more remote*. In fuch

"Una eademque oratio, difpari fenfu accepta, plures fimul
disjunctos tempore, natura diffimiles, defignat."
Lowth De facra poefi Hebr. Prælect. xi.

eventus,

VOL. IV.

C

cafes

cases the transition is frequently made, before we are aware; and the former subject resumed, which seemed for awhile to be dropped.

The destruction of Jerusalem is a pledge to us of the future judgment. As the Jewish polity was totally subverted immediately after the calamities men. tioned above, so Jesus reminds us, that he will come quickly, to put an end to the present frame and system of things. When all those preceding dispensations, which are predicted, shall be fully accomplished, the whole fabric of this visible creation shall be shaken, and He will appear in the clouds of heaven with glorious majesty. While every eye shall see him, an inexpreflible confternation shall take place among all the families of the earth, and ten thousand times ten thousand shall be confounded at his presence. A separation thall then be inade. As he rescued his faithful disciples from the Jewish devaftation, so he will be mindful of all his chosen people, and preserve them amidit the terrors of the last day. He will commission his Angels to gather them together, and conduct them to glory. joyful hour to them, who are redeemed to God from the earth! You, who have fled for refuge to the Saviour, may welcome his approach, and rejoice at those awful events, which will hasten the consum mation of your bliss. In the prospect of it, you may look up with triumphant exultation, for it will not be long delayed.

Jesus observed to his disciples, that, as they confidered the first budding of the trees as intimations of the return of summer, so they might judge from the bints which he gave them, when the important change was drawing nigh. He assured them, that the holy city should be destroyed, before that generation was extinct; and accordingly, it happened in about forty years from that time.

He declared, also, that, though the whole frame of the material world shall perim, not one particle of his prophecies shall fail.

The

The final diffolution of the present system of things, then, will certainly take place; but the precise time is not revealed, for it remains a secret, not to be difclosed, in the mind of the eternal Father. Yet, if no such previous warnings be afforded us of the last day, as of the desolation of Judea, we should be continually looking forwards to it, with the utmost solemnity of mind.

According to our Lord's admonitions, his appearance, whenfoever it shall be, will be sudden and terrible: as the Aood swept away the generation of Noah, he will surprise and destroy many in the midst of their worldly occupations and sensual enjoyments. The finners, who are at ease, shall instantly be overwhelmed with confusion and horror; and an awful distinction shall be made between many of those, who may then be in the same house or field, engaged together in the fame employment. They, who are most intimately united upon earth, may hereafter be parted asunder, and unalterably appointed to different states, as they may differ in their characters. “ One shall

« be taken” to the prefence, the glory, and the throne of God; " and the other left” to receive the due reward of his deeds, and endure the fierceness of divine wrath.

What a tremendous subject is this ! Can we forget it, or treat it with levity? Why are we not more affected by the thought, that “the Judge ftandeth “ before the door?” He will summon us to his bar;

; and we must " give account of ourselves to him.” How shall we abide the scrutiny of that strict and impartial trial? We hear that some shall be feparated from their dearest connections in life, and consigned to a place of misery. Does not this excite in us a holy jealousy for ourselves, and rouse us to enquire, what is to be done? Let us listen to our Lord's application, in which he exhorts us to a serious and continual preparation for his coming.