vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. These be the days of vengeance, wherein the calamities foretold by Mofes, Joel, Daniel and other prophets, as well as thofe predicted by our Saviour fhall all meet as in one. Common center, and be fulfilled with aggravation on this generation. These by the days of vengeance too in another fenfe, as if God's vengeance had certain periods and revolutions, and the fame days were fatal to the Jews, and def-. tinated to their deftruction. For it is very memorable, and matter of juft admiration accord-. ing to (2) Jofephus, that the temple was burnt by the Romans in the fame month, and on the fame day of the month, as it was before by the Babylonians. Nothing fo violent can be of long continuance. These calamities were fo fevere, that. like fire, they must in time have consumed all, and have left nothing for themselves to prey upon. 1 And except thofe days fhould be shortened, there should no flesh be faved. (ver, 22.) If these Wars and defolations were to continue, none of the Jews would efcape deftruction, they would all be cut off root and branch. I think (3) Jofephus computes the number of those who perished in the fiege at eleven hundred thousand, befides those who were flain in other places: and if the Romans had gone on destroying in this manner, the whole nation of the Jews would certainly in a little time have been extirpated. But for the elects fake, but for the fake of the Chriftian Jews, thofe day's fhall be shortened. But for the elects fake, whom he bath chofen, the Lord hath Jhortened the days, as it is expreffed in St. Mark. (XIII. 20.) The elect is a well known appellation in scripture and antiquity for the Christians: and the Christian Jews, partly thro' the fury of the Zelots on one hand, and the hatred of the Romans on the other, and partly thro' the difficulty of subsisting in the mountains without houfes or provifions, would in all probability (3) Lib. 6. Cap. 9. Sect. 3. (4) Ipfi Tito Roma, et opes, voluptatefque ante oculos; ac ni ftatim Hierofolyma conciderent, morari videbantur. Tacit. Hift. Lib. 5. P. 217. Edit. Lipfii. have 5. Cap. 12. Sect. 1. ALTN DE TO μεν αργείν καθολα μετα τοσαυτης δυνάμεως εκ εδόκει πρέπειν. Ιρά autem Tito ceffare quidem pror fus tanto cum exercitu honeftum non videbatur. dedieval Te fo την δόξαν το κατορθωματος αυτή το μήκος ελάτίωση τα χρόνια τότε (5) Jofeph. de Bell. Jud. Lib. μ yag na war arvatuor, męs have been almost all deftroyed either by the sword or by famin, if the days had not been fhortened. But providentially the days were shortened. Titus himself (4) was defirous of putting a speedy end to the fiege, having Rome and the riches and the pleasures there before his eyes. Some of his officers (5) propofed to him to turn the fiege into a blockade, and fince they could not take the city by ftorm, to starve it into a furrender but he thought it not becoming to fit ftill with fo great an army; and he feared left the length of the time fhould diminish the glory of his fuccefs; every thing indeed may be effected in time, but celerity contributes much to the fame and fplendor of actions. The befieged, too helped to fhorten the days by (6) their divifions and mutual flaughters; by (7) burning their provifions, which would have fufficed for many years; and by (8) fatally deferting their strongest holds, where they could never have been taken by force, but by famin alone. By these means the days were shortened; δε της ευκλείας το ταχος. metu- (6) Ibid. Cap. 1. &c. and ολίγα διηρκεσεν έτη πολιορκόμενοι.. quod non paucis annis illis fufficere potuiffet obfeffis.p. 1213. (8) Lib. 6. Cap. 8. Sect. 4. εφ' ὧν βία μεν εδιπο άλωναν, μόνῳ εδύναντο λιμῳ. in quibus vi quidem nunquam, fola vero fame expugnari poterant. P. 1289. (9) Ibid. T 3 and indeed otherwife Jerufalem could never have been taken in fo fhort a time, fo well fortified as it was, and fo well fitted to fuftain a longer fiege. The enemy without could hardly ever have prevailed but for the factions and feditions within. Titus himfelf could not but afcribe his fuccefs to God, as he was viewing the fortifications, after the city was taken. His words to his friends were very remarkable. We have fought, (9) faid he, with God on our fide; and it is God who hath pulled the Jews out of these ftrong holds; for what could the hands of men or machines against these towers?" God therefore, in the opinion of Titus as well as of St. Mark, fhortened the days. After the deftruction of Jerufalem too, God inclined the heart of Titus to take fome pity upon the remnant of the Jews, and to reftrain the nations from exercifing the cruelty that they would have exercifed towards them. At Antioch particularly (where the difciples were firft called Chriftians) (i) the fenate and people earneftly importuned him to expel mentis detraxit; nam humanæ manus et machinæ quid contra tales turres valeant ? p. 1290. (1) Jofeph. ibid. Lib. 7. Cap. 5. Sed. 2. (9) Ibid. Cap. 9. Sect. 1. συν Θεώ γ. επολεμήσαμεν, έφη, και Θεος ἣν ὁ τωνδε των ερυμαίων Πεδαιες καθελών, επει χειρες τε ανθρώπων η μηχαναι τι προς τέλες τις πυργος δύνανται; Deo, in(2) πολλοί δ' ησαν εγκάθετοι quit, favente bellavimus, Deus wafa Toy Togaviar cols weos tor et qui Judzos ex iftis maui- - δημον προφήται, προσμένεις την απο expel the Jews out of the city; but he prudently anfwered, that their country whither they should return being laid wafte, there was no place that could receive them. Then they requested him to deprive the Jews of their former privileges, but those he permitted them to enjoy as before. Thus for the elects fake thofe days of perfecution were shortened. Our bleffed Lord had cautioned his difciples against falfe Chrifts and false prophets before, but he giveth a more particular caution against them about the time of the fiege and destruction of Jerufalem. (ver. 23 and 24.) Then if any man fhall fay unto you, Lo here is Chrift or there, believe it not For there shall arife falfe Chrifts and falfe prophets, and fall fhow great figns and wonders, infomuch that (if it were poffible) they shall deceive the very elect. And in fact many fuch impoftors did arife about that time, as we learn from (2) Jofephus, and promifed deliverance from God, being fuborned by the tyrants or governors to prevent the people and foldiers from deferting to THE BONDELA xaTayyorles, auxilium a Deo exfpectandum, ως ήτον αυτομολοίεν, και 785 ut populus minus transfugeret, επάνω δέος και φυλακής γινομενες et eos, qui fupra metum erant ελπις παρακραίων. dela de & cuftodes, fpes retineret. Cito ταχέως ανθρωπος εν συμφοραίς. autem in adverfis homini per→ Multi autem tunc a tyrannis fuadetur. Lib. 6. Cap. 5. Sect. fubornati erant ad populum 2. p. 1281. Edit. Hudfon. prophetæ, denunciantes effe Ꭲ 4 (3) Eufeb. |