by the prophet Haggai, in this manner; ch. ii. 3. "Who is left among you, that faw this houfe in its firft glory? and how do ye "fee it now? is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it, as nothing? "Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, faith the Lord... and be ftrong, "all ye people of the land, and work: for I am with you, faith the "Lord of Hofts. . . For thus faith the Lord of Hofts,.. I will "shake all nations. And the defire of all nations fhall come. "I will fill this house with glory, faith the Lord of Hofts. The "filver is mine, and the gold is mine, faith the Lord of Hofts. The glory of this latter houfe fhall be greater than that of the for"mer, faith the Lord of Hofts. And in this place will I give peace, "faith the Lord of Hofts."

And

Here is, undoubtedly, a renewal of the great promise concerning the coming of the Meffiah, the true Shechinah, whofe prefence would make this fecond temple more glorious than the firft. But here is also a gracious affurance of external grandeur and fplendor. " Silver "and gold, and all the riches of the world, fays God, are mine, to "bestow on whom I pleafe. And notwithstanding the prefent mean "and defpicable appearance of the building before your eyes, I "will fill it with glory, and will caufe it to equal, or even fur"pafs, the former in fplendor and magnificence. . . For in this place "will I give peace. My purpofe is to blefs you abundantly, and to give you great profperity." Which gracious declaration was fulfilled.

*

That they were in flourishing circumftances at the time of our Lord's preaching among them, is apparent: though they were uneafy under fubjection to the Romans. Jofephus continually speaks of the temple, as very grand and magnificent. And it appears to be fo, from his large and particular defcription of it in the fifth chapter of the fifth book of the Jewish War, juft before its final ruin. And when Titus, upon the fire having feized the temple, entered it, with fome of his officers, he fays," that Titus faw it to be far fupe"rior to the report of ftrangers, and not inferior to our boastings "concerning it." And, having related how it was burnt, he fays, it might be juftly lamented: " fince † it was the most admirable "of all the works which we have feen, or heard of, for its curious "structure and magnitude, and for all the wealth bestowed upon it, well as for the reputation of its fanctity." And he expressly calls it the temple that was built, or begun to be built, in the fecond year of Cyrus, under the direction of the prophet Haggai. And our Lord's difciples bear witness to the fame in fome paflages that will come before us in reciting his predictions, of which we are now to take notice, and then obferve the fulfilment of them.

as

III. OUR

· παρελθὼν μετὰ τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἔνδεν ἐθεάσατο το ναῦ τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ πολὺ μὲν τῆς παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις φήμης ἀμείνω, τῶ δὲ κόμπα καὶ τῆς παρὰ οἰκείοις δόξης ἐκ ἐλάττω. De B. J. 1. 6. cap. iv. 7.

† L. 6. iv. 8. Conf. 1. 6. x. fin.

† ἀπὸ δέ τῆς ὕσερον, ἣν ἔτει δευτέρῳ Κύρω βασιλεύοντος ἐποιήσατο Αίγαῖος. L. 6. c. iv. 8.

III. OUR LORD'S PREDICTIONS CONCERNING THE CALAMITIES COMING UPON THE JEWISH NATION.

We find our Lord's difciples fpeaking of the magnificence of the temple with admiration. So in Mark xiii. 1-10. "And as he "went out of the temple, one of his disciples faith unto him: Master, "fee what manner of ftones, and what buildings are here! And "Jefus anfwering faid unto him: Seeft thou thefe great buildings? "There fhall not be left one ftone upon another, that fhall not be "thrown down. And as he fat upon the Mount of Olives over "against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew,

afked him privately: Tell us when these things fhall be; and what "fhall be the fign, when all these things fhall be fulfilled? And Jefus "anfwering them began to fay: Take heed, left any man deceive i you for many will come in my name, and fay, I am Chrift; and "will deceive many. And when ye fhall hear of wars, and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled; for fuch things muft needs be.

But

the end fhall not be yet: for nation fhall rife against nation, and "kingdom againft kingdom; and there fhall be earthquakes in di"vers places; and there fhall be famines, and troubles. Thefe are "the beginnings of forrows... And the Gofpel must first be published 66 among all nations." And ver. 14-20." But when ye fhall fee "the abomination of defolation fpoken of by Daniel the Prophet, ftanding where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains. And let him "that is on the house-top, not go down into the houfe, neither enter "therein, or take any thing out of his houfe. And let him that is "in the field not turn back again, for to take up his garment. But 66 wo to them that are with child, and to them that give fuck in those ❝days. And pray ye, that your flight be not in the winter; for in

thofe days fhall be affliction, fuch as was not from the begin"ning of the creation, which God created, unto this time, neither "fhall be."

The like things are in St. Matthew xxiv. 1-35. "And Jefus went out, and departed from the temple. And his difciples came "to him, for to fhew him the buildings of the temple. And Jefus faid unto them: See ye not all these things? Verily I fay unto you, there fhall not be left here.one ftone upon another, that fhall not be thrown down. And as he fat upon the Mount of Olives, the difciples came unto him privately, faying: Tell us when thefe things fhall be, and what fhall be the fign of thy coming, and of "the end of the world? And Jefus anfwered, and said unto them : « Take heed, that no man deceive you for many will come in my name, faying, I am Chrift; and will deceive many. And ye will "hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. "For all these things must come to pafs. But the end is not yet: "for nation will rife against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

66

and there will be famines and peftilences, and earthquakes in "divers places. All these are the beginnings of forrows. Then fhall

3

"they

And ye

they deliver you up to be afflicted, and fhall kill you. "will be hated of all nations for my name fake. And then will many be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one "another; and many falfe prophets will arife, and will deceive "many. And becaufe iniquity fhall abound, the love of many will wax cold. But he that fhall endure to the end, fhall be faved. "And this Gospel of the kingdom fhall be preached in all the world, "for a witnefs unto all nations. And then fhall the end come. "When ye therefore fhall fee the abomination of defolation, spoken "of by Daniel the prophet, ftand in the holy place, (whofo readeth, "let him underftand) then let them which are in Judea flee to "the mountains. Let him which is on the houfe-top, not come "down to take any thing out of his houfe. Neither let him that is "in the field return back, to take his cloaths. And wo unto them which are with child, and to them that give fuck in those days. "But pray ye, that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the "fabbath-day. For then fhall be great tribulation, fuch as was not "from the beginning of the world to this time: no, nor ever shall "be. And except thofe days fhould be shortened, there fhould no "Alefh be faved. But for the elects fake thofe days fhall be fhort"ened. Then, if any fay unto you, Lo, here is Chrift, or there; "believe it not. For there will arife falfe Chrifts, and falfe Prophets, and fhall fhew great figns and wonders, infomuch that (if "it were poffible) they fhould deceive the very elect. Behold, I "have told you before. Wherefore, if they fhall fay unto you, "Behold, he is in the defert, go not forth: Behold, he is in the "fecret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out "of the east, and shineth even unto the weft, fo fhall alfo the coming of the Son of man be. For wherefoever the carcass is, there "will the eagles be gathered together... Verily, I fay unto you, "This generation fhall not pafs, till all these things be fulfilled. "Heaven and earth fhall pafs away; but my words fhall not pafs away."

Thofe inquiries of the difciples, and our Lord's anfwers to them, are made in private. But they plainly refer to things faid by our Lord publicly in the courts of the temple. We may do well, therefore, to look back to what precedes, as related in St. Matthew's Gofpel efpecially; where are recorded the many woes pronounced by our Lord upon the Scribes and Pharifees, and the people in general, who were under their influence and direction. Matt. xxiii. 29-39. "Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; becaufe ye "build the tombs of the Prophets, and garnish the fepulchres of the righteous. And ye fay, if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the "Prophets. Wherefore* ye be witneffes unto yourselves, that ye are "the children of them that killed the Prophets. Fill ye up then the "measure of your fathers. Ye ferpents, ye generation of vipers, "how can ye escape the damnation of hell! Wherefore, behold Í

Compare Luke xi. 47, 51.

"fend

"fend unto you prophets, and wife men, and feribes. And fome of "them ye will kill and crucify: and fome of them ye will fcourge "in your fynagogues, and perfecute from city to city that upon you "may come all the righteous blood, red upon the earth, from the "blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, fon of "Barachias, whom ye flew between the temple and the altar. Verily "I fay unto you, All these things fhall come upon this generation. "O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that killeft the Prophets, and stoneft "them that are fent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy "children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her "wings! and ye would not! Behold, your houfe is left unto you "defolate. For I fay unto you, ye fhall not fee me henceforth, "till ye fhall fay, Bleffed is he that cometh in the name of the "Lord."

The like things are recorded by St. Luke, ch. xxi. 5-28. a part of which I fhall alfo transcribe here. "And as fome fpake of the "temple, how it was adorned with goodly ftones, and gifts, he said: "As for thefe things, which ye behold,, the days will come, in the "which fhall not be left one ftone upon another, that fhall not be "thrown down. And they afked him, faying, Mafter, but when "fhall these things be? and what figns will there be when these "things fhall come to pafs? And he faid: Take heed, that ye be not "deceived. For many will come in my name, faying, I am Chrift, "and the time draws near. Go ye not therefore after them. But << when ye fhall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified; for thefe things must come to pafs. But the end is not by and by. "Then faid he unto them: Nation fhall rife against nation, and king"dom against kingdom; and great earthquakes fhall be in divers "places; and famines, and peftilences, and fearful fights, and great "figns fhall there be from heaven. But before all these things they fhall lay their hands upon you, and perfecute you, delivering you up to the fynagogues, and into prifons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name fake. And it hall turn to you "for a teftimony....And ye fhall be betrayed both by parents, and "brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends. And fome of you fhall they "caufe to be put to death. And ye fhall be hated of all men for my name fake. But there fhall not an hair of your head perifh. In your patience poffefs ye your fouls. And when ye fhall fee Jeru"lem compaffed with armies; then know, that the defolation thereof

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66

is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains: " and let them which are in the midft of it, depart out. And let "not them which are in the country, enter thereinto. For these "are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be "fulfilled. But wo unto them that are with child, and to them "that give fuck in thofe days. For there will be great distress in "the land, and wrath upon this people. And they fhall fall by the "edge of the fword, and fhall be led away captive into all nations. "And Jerufalem fhall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the "times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."

And

And before this, when he was making his public entrance into Jerufalem, fays St. Luke, xix. 41–44. "And when he was come near, "he beheld the city, and wept over it, faying: If thou hadst known, << even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace! But now they are d from thy eyes; for the days will come upon thee, that thy enemies fhall caft a trench about thee, and com"pass thee round, and keep thee in on every fide, and will lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee. And they "will not leave in thee one ftone upon another, because thou knewest "not the time of thy vifitation."

And afterwards, when they were leading him away to be crucified, Luke xxiii. 25-31. "And there followed him a great company of "people, and of women; which also bewailed, and lamented him. "But Jefus turning unto them faid: Daughters of Jerufalem, weep "not for me, but weep for your felves, and for your children. "For behold the days are coming, in the which they will fay: "Bleffed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave fuck. Then shall they begin to fay to the "mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us. For if "they do fuch things in a green tree, what fhall be done in the "dry!"

Our Lord delivers these predictions, of which he had the forefight, with marks of great and undiffembled compaffion and tenderness. If all these defolations and calamities had been now prefent, and before his eyes, and if they had been the calamities of his best friends, he could not have been more affected. He is particularly touched with the forefight of the difficulties of fuch as are most helpless, the diftreffes of women with child, or who have infants at their breasts. This is true compaffion, the effect of the fenfibility of the human nature; which he is not ashamed of, and does not diffemble. And that the apprehenfion of thefe calamities impending on the Jewish people lay much upon his mind, is manifeft from his so often speaking of them.

And there are references likewife to the calamities coming upon the Jewish people in divers parables. Luke xiii. 6-9. Matt. xxii. 1-12. Luke xiv. 17-24. Matt. xxi. 33-46. Mark xii. 1-12. Luke xx. 9-19. Luke xix. 11-27. Compare Matt. xxv. 14-30. and alfo in the miracle upon the barren fig-tree. Matt. xxi. 18, 19. Mark xi. 12, 13, and 20, 21.

In what has been tranfcribed from the Evangelifts, are obfervable these several things.

1. Our Lord foretells the deftruction of the temple and city of Jes rufalem,

2. He fpeaks of great and extraordinary afflictions and diftreffes, which the Jewish people would fuffer at that time.

3. He fays, that the doctrine of the Gofpel fhould be preached in all the world, or all over the Roman empire, before the final ruin and overthrow of the Jewish nation.

VOL. V.

I

4. He