and the deplorable condition of fuch as apoftatize. In his fecond Epiftle to Timothy, ch. i. 15. "This thou knoweft," fays he, "that "all they which are of Afia (probably meaning fuch as were then at "Rome) are turned away from me: of whom are Phygellus and Her"mogenes." And afterwards, ch. iv. 16. he complains of other Chrif tians at Rome, who deferted him, when he made his appearance there before Nero." At my first answer," or apology, "no man stood "with me, but all men forfook me." And again, in the fame Epiftle, ch. ii. 17. he speaks of Hymeneus and Philetus: "who con"cerning the truth have erred, faying that the refurrection is past, and "overthrow the faith of fome." And fee 1 Tim. i. 19, 20. I alledge nothing more from the books of the New Teftament.

Tacitus, in his account of Nero's perfecution of the Chriftians, already quoted more than once, does alfo confirm the truth of this prediction of our Lord; who fays, "that at firft they only were "apprehended, who confeffed themfeves to be of that fect. After"wards, many more were taken up, whom they difcovered to be of "their number."

Nor ought this to be thought exceeding ftrange, notwithstanding the perfection of the Chriftian doctrine, and the evidences of its truth. For in a great number of men it is very likely that fome fhould be overcome by the difficulties and dangers attending the profeffion of it. So fays the chief fower of his heavenly doctrine. "Some "feed fell in ftony places. The fame is he that heareth the word, "and anon with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not root in himself, "but endureth for a while. For when tribulation or perfecution "arifeth because of the word, by and by he is offended."

4. FAMINES IN DIVERS PLACES.

Our bleffed Lord faid, that before the great calamity predicted by him, there would be "famines, and peftilences, and earthquakes in divers places."

We know from the history in the Acts of the Apostles, that there was a famine in Judea in the time of the Emperor Claudius, ch. xi. 25, 30. It was not an accidental scarcity at Jerufalem only, but it was a famine all over that country. It began in the fourth year of that Emperor, and lafted feveral years. We have a particular account of it in † Jofephus. He alfo fays, it was a very fevere † famine. And in another place he mentions the high price of corn at that feafon and fays, that this famine happened in the reign of Claudius, not long before the war,

:

That famine is alfo taken notice of by Eufebius in his Chronicle, and ** in his history, and by ++ Orofius.

"Igitur primo correpti, qui fatebantur: deinde indicio eorum multitudo ingens, &c," Ann. 15. c. 44.

Ant. 1. 20. ii. 6.

† ̓ ἐπὶ τέτοις δὴ καὶ μέγαν λιμὸν κατὰ τὴν Ἰσδάιαν συνέβη γενέσθαι. Ib. cap. iv. 2.

δ ὲ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ δὲ τῷ πολέμε μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν, Κλαυδίς Ῥωμάτων ἄρχοντος, καὶ λιμε τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν καταλαβόντος, ὡς τεσσάρων δραχμῶν πωλεῖσθαι τὸν ἀσσαςῶνα. Ant. l. 3. xv. 3. Chr. p. 160.

** H. E. 1. 2. cap. xii.

tt Or. l. 7. cap. 6.

There was also a famine at Rome, and in Italy, mentioned by Dion Caffius, which began in the first year of Claudius, and continued in the next year.

There was another famine in the fame reign, mentioned + by Tacitus, and Eufebius; which feems to have been chiefly in the tenth or eleventh year of that Emperor.

To all these § Suetonius feems to refer, though he does not mention the years in which they happened.

PESTILENCES.

Concerning the famines in the reign of the Emperor Claudius, fome modern hiftorians and chronologers might be confulted.

Our Lord fpeaks alfo of peftilences. By Jofephus we are informed, that about the year of Chrift 40, there was ** a peftilence at Babylon, in which the Jews fuffered.

In the ++ 65th year of the Chriftian æra there was a great mor tality at Rome. At the fame time there were other calamities in divers parts of the Roman empire, as we learn from Tacitus ‡‡, and Suetonius SS, as well as from Orofius ||||, who might tranfcribe from

them.

EARTHQUAKES.

Tacitus *** fpeaks of an earthquake at Rome in the time of Claudius, and of another +++ at Apamea in the fame reign.

* Dio. 1. 1. 60. p. 671. al. 949.

In

Frugum quoque egeftas, et orta ex eo fames, in prodigium accipiebatur." Tac. Ann,

1. 12. c. 43.

Fames facta in Græcia. Modius fex drachmis venundatus eft. <mæ. Chr. p. 160. infr. m.

K

Magna fames RoArctiore autem annona propter affiduas fterilitates," &c. Suet. Claud. cap. 18. Vid. et cap. 19. et 20.

Vid. Pagi, A. D. 72. n. vii. Reimariann. ad Dion Caff. p. 948. See alfo Credib P. 1. B. i. ch. x.

**

φθορὰ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι ἐγένετο ἀυτῶν. Ant. l. 18. x. 8.

tt Vid. Pagi. A. D. 67. n. iii.

"Tot facinoribus fœdum annum etiam Dii tempeftatibus et morbis infignivere. Vaftatą "Campania turbine ventorum, qui villas, arbufta, fruges paffim disjecit, pertulitque violen"tiam ad vicina Urbi. In qua omne mortalium genus vis peftilentiæ depopulabatur, nulla cœli intemperie, quæ occurreret oculis. Sed domus corporibus exanimis, itinera funeribus "complebantur. Non fexus, non ætas periculo vacua. Servitia perinde ac ingenua plebes raptim exstingui, inter conjugum et liberorum lamenta : qui dum affident, dum deflent, "fæpe eodem rogo cremabantur. Equitum, Senatorumque interitus, quamvis promifcui, "minius flebiles erant, tanquam communi mortalitate fævitiam principis prævenirent.” Tacit. Ann. 16. cap. 13.

§§"Accefferunt tantis ex principe malis, probrifque, quædam et fortuita: peftilentia unius autumni, quo triginta funerum millia in rationem Libitina venerunt: clades Bri"tannica, qua duo præcipua oppida, magna civium fociorumque cæde direpta funt: igno minia ad Orientem, legionibus in Armenia fub jugum miffis, ægreque Syria retenta." Sueton. Nero. cap. 39.

Orof. 1. 7. cap. vii.

***Multa eo anno prodigia evenere. Infeffum diris avibus Capitolium: crebris terræ "motibus prorutæ domus." Ann. 12. cap. 43.

tt" Tributumque Apamienfibus terræ motu convulfis, in quinquennium remiffum." Id, 1. 12. cap. 58.

In the reign of Nero there was an earthquake at Laodicea, mentioned by Tacitus and likewife by + Eufebius in his Chronicle; who fays, that in Afia three cities, namely Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Coloffe, were overturned by an earthquake. And in like manner Orofius. Poffibly, the earthquake, which was most violent at Laodicea, was felt in the other cities likewife.

In the fame reign there was an earthquake in Campania, mentioned by Tacitus and | Seneca. By the former it feems to be placed in the year of Chrift 62; by the latter, in the year 63.

And there may have been other earthquakes in the time of the just mentioned Emperors.

WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS.

5. Our Lord foretells" wars and commotions," preceding the final ruin; Matt. xxiv. 6. Mark xiii. 7. Luke xxi. 9.

Jofephus ** has a long ftory of a difturbance in Mefopotamia, occafioned by the ambition and indifcretion of two Jews, who were brothers. It seems to have happened ++ about the year of Chrift 40. Jofephus fays, it was not inferior to any calamity which the Jews had fuffered hitherto, and that §§ it occafioned the death of more than fifty thousand people.

When Cufpius Fadus came Procurator into Judea, in the reign of Claudius, in the year of Chrift 44 or 45, as Jofephus fays, "he found the Jews in Peréa in a riot, fighting with the Philadel"phians about the limits of the village Mia. And, indeed, the people of Peréa had taken up arms without the confent of their "chief men, and had killed a good number of the Philadelphians. "When Fadus heard of it, he was much difpleafed, that they had "taken up arms, and had not left the decifion of the difpute to "him, if they thought the Philadelphians had done them any in66 jury.

"Eodem anno ex illuftribus Afiæ urbibus Laodicea, tremore prolapfa, nullo a nobis re"medio, propriis viribus revaluit." Ib. 1. 14. c. 27.

"In Afia tres urbes terræ motu conciderunt; Laodicea, Hierapolis, Coloffa." Euf. Chr. P. 161.

Orof. 1. 7. cap. vii.

Slifdemque Confulibus gymnafium ictu fulminis conflagravit, effigiefque in eo Neronis "ad informe as liquefacta. Et motu terræ celebre Campaniæ oppidum Pompeii magna ex 56 parte proruit." Ann. l. 15. c. 22.

"Pompeios, celebrem Campaniæ urbem... defediffe terræ motu, vexatis quacumque adjacentibus regionibus, Lucili virorum optime, audivimus: et quidem diebus hibernis, quos vacare a tali periculo majores noftri folebant promittere. Nonis Febr. fuit motus hic, "Regulo et Virginio Confulibus, qui Campaniam nunquam fecuram hujus mali, indemnem "tamen, et totiens defunétam motu, magna ftrage vaftavit. Nam et Herculenfis oppidi pars ruit, dubieque ftant etiam quæ relicta funt. Et Nucirinorum colonia, ut fine clade, ita

non fine querela eft. Neapolis quoque privatim multa, publice nihil amifit, leviter ingenti "malo perstricta. Villæ vero præruptæ paffim fine injuria tremuere. Adjiciunt his fexcen"tarum ovium gregem exanimatum, et divifas ftatuas," &c. Sen. Nat. Qu. 1. 6. c. 1. ** Antiq. 1. 18. cap. ix.

tt Vid. Uffer. A. P. J. 4753. p. 864. Bafnag. ann. 40. n. xiii. Tillem. Ruine des Juifs, art. xxviii.

† Γίνεται δὲ καὶ περὶ τὰς ἐν τῆ Μεσοποταμίᾳ, καὶ μάλιςα τὴν Βαβυλῶνα ο κῶντας Ἰεδάιες σύμφορα δεινή, ἢ ἐδεμιᾶς ἧς τίνος ἑλάσσων, φόνος τε ἀυτῶν πολὺς, καὶ ὁπόσος εχ ιςορημένες πρότερον. Ib. § 1. §§ Ib. § 9.

Ant. 1. 20. cap. i. I.

jury. Three of the principal men who were the causes of the fe"dition, were apprehended, and put in prifon; one of whom was "afterwards put to death, and the two others banished."

*

Afterwards, in the year of our Lord, 49, whilft Cumanus was Procurator of Judea, there happened a tumult at Jerufalem, at the time of the Paflover. The number of Jews that perifhed in it, was not lefs than twenty thousand; as it is in his Antiquities: but in the Jewish War, the number is more than ten thousand.

+

Whilft Cumanus was yet in Judea, there † happened a disturbance between the Jews and the Samaritans, in which many were killed on both fides.

Jofephus alfo fays, that under Cumanus the troubles of the Jewish people began, and that in his time they fuffered very much.

Thefe disturbances went on increafing. At Cefarea there had long been contentions between the Jewish people and the other inhabitants. "And," as Jofephus fays, " in one hour's time more "than twenty thoufand Jews were deftroyed, and all Cefarea was "at once emptied of its Jewish inhabitants. Some fled, whom

Florus caught, and fent them bound to the gallies. At which the "whole nation was enraged. They therefore divided themselves into "feveral parties, and laid waste the villages of the Syrians, and their

neighbouring cities, Philadelphia, Sebonitis, Gerafa, Pella, and "Scythopolis: and after them Gadara and Hippos. And falling ἐσ upon Gaulanitis, fome cities they demolished there, others they <fet on fire. Then they went to Kedafa, belonging to the Syrians, "and to Ptolemais, and Gaba, and Cefarea. Nor was Sebafte, or "Ashkalan, able to withstand the violence with which they were at

tacked. When they had burnt these to the ground, they demolished "Anthedon and Gaza. Many alfo of the villages round about these "cities were plundered; and an immenfe flaughter was made of the "men found in them."

"The Syrians destroyed not a lefs number of the Jews; fo that "the diforders all over Syria were terrible. For every city was divided "into parties, armed against each other; and the fafety of the one "depended upon the deftruction of the other. The days were spent

in flaughter, and the nights in terrors, which were the worst of the two. It was common to fee cities filled with dead bodies lying "unburied, thofe of old men mixed with infants, all dead, and fcat"tered about promifcuously, and women without covering for their "nakedness."

"At Scythopolis the contention was carried fo far, that above "thirteen thousand Jews were killed."

Antiq. 20. cap. v. 3. Dc B. J. 1. 2. cap. xii. 1.

Antiq. 1. 20. vi. 1. De B. J. 1. 2. xii. 3.

ἐφ' ἡ θορυβός τε ἤρξαντο, καὶ φθορὰ πάλιν Ἰυδάιων ἐγένετο. De B. J. 1. 2. c. xii. 1.

"After

Τῆς δὲ αὐτῆς ἡμέρας καὶ ὥρας, ὥσπερ ἐν δαιμονία προνοίας, ἀνήρων οἱ Καισαρεῖς τὰς παρ αυτῆς Ξυδάτες· ὡς ὑπὸ μίαν ὥραν ἀποσφαγῆναι μὲν ὑπὲρ δισμυρίας, κενωθῆναι οἱ πᾶσαν τῶν Ἰεδάιων Καισάρειας. De B. J. 1. 2. cap. xviii. 1.

Ibid. §2.

** Ibid. § 3.

"After that, * other cities alfo rose up against the Jews that were " among them. They of Afhkalon flew two thoufand, and five "hundred, they of Ptolemais two thoufand, and put many others "into prifon. The Tyrians acted in the like manner as did alfo "Hippos and Gadara, and divers other cities of Syria."

“At ↑ Alexandria fifty thousand lay dead in heaps. Nor would "the remainder have been fpared, if they had not petitioned for "mercy."

Not long after that, the men of Damafcus having got the Jewish inhabitants into the place of exercise, iv ryuuvasia, they came upon them unarmed, and flew ten thousand in an hour's time.

These are what our Lord calls " the beginning of forrows:" when there were "wars and rumours of wars, one people and nation rifing up against another. The end was not yet." Jerufalem was not yet befieged, nor the people in it fhut up, for univerfal deftruction. But that period was nigh. See Matt. xxiv. 6, 8. Mark xiii. 7, 8. Luke xxi. 9, 10.

THE OCCASION OF THE JEWISH WAR, FROM JOSEPHUS.

VII. And now, I think, it may not be improper for us to take notice of Jofephus's accounts of the occafion of the war.

1

Giving an account of the contentions between the Jews and Greeks, or Syrians, at Cefarea, where the latter obtained a decree from Nero, that the government of the city belonged to them, he fays: "And this occafioned the war, which began in the twelfth year of Nero." Soon after which, the Jews at Cefarea were treated very contemptuously and injuriously, till they were all deftroyed, as he there proceeds to relate; and we have already, in part, transcribed from him.

In the last chapter of the Jewish Antiquities, he complains much of Albinus, and ftill more of Florus, who fucceeded him, and exceeded him in avarice and cruelty: infomuch, that the Jews were ready to confider Albinus as a benefactor. "Finally," fays he, "without adding any thing more, it was Florus who compelled us "to take up arms against the Romans, thinking it better to be de"ftroyed all at once, than by little and little."

In his own Life he fays, "I** have mentioned all these things to "fhew that the Jews war with the Romans was not their own choice, "but rather that they were compelled by neceffity."

In another place he fays, "And †† at the temple of Eleazar,

Ibid. § 5.

De B. J. 1. 2. cap. 20. § 2.

+ Ibid. § 7, 8.

fon

Ἐν δὲ τέτῳ καὶ οἱ Καισαρέων Έλληνες, νικήσαντες παρὰ Νέρωνι τῆς πόλεως ἀρχὴν, τὰ τῆς κρίσεως ἐκομίσαν γράμματα. Καὶ προσελάμβανε τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ π.λεμος δωδεκάτῳ μὲν ἔτει τῆς Νέρωνος ἡγεμονίας. De B. J. 1. 2. c. xiv. 4.

|| Καὶ τί δεῖ πλείω λέγειν; Τὸν γὰρ πρὸς Ῥωμαιος πόλεμον ὁ κατεναγκάσας ἡμᾶς ἄρασθαι, Φλώρος ἦν, κρεῖττον ἡγεμενες ἀθρόες, ἢ κατ' ὀλίγον ἀπολέσθαι. Antig. 1. 20. x. Ι.

** ὅτι ἐ προαίρεσις ἐγένετο τῦ πολέμε πρὸς Ῥωμάτες Ιεδαίοις, ἀλλὰ τὸ πλέον ἀνάγκη. Vit. § 6. †† ἀναπείθει, μηδενὸς ἀλλοφύλε δῶρον ἢ θυσίαν προσδέχεσθαι. Τῦτο δὲ ἥν τῷ πρὸς Ῥωμάιος πολέμε καταβολή. Τὴν γὰρ ὑπὲς τέτων θυσίαν Καισαρος ἀπέρριψαν. De B. 1. 2. χνί. 2.