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the Old Teftament, relating to the Perfon of the Meffias, and the time in which he lived upon Earth, and which were remarkably ful filled in their feafon; because, though this be a good argument for the truth of the Chriftian Religion, and has accordingly been infifted upon by divers good Authors, yet it does not fo properly come under the point which I am now upon. My defign is only to mention fome of thofe predictions which had their completion afterwards, and which are a fort of lafting miracle to fucceeding ages, and a monument of Divine Power and Wildom manifefting itself in the Gofpel. For it must be own'd, that the certain foretelling of future contingent events, especially at a great distance, and fuch as have no antecedent probability, is an inftance of Divine Wisdom. And in this fenfe, the Teftimony of Jefus is the Spirit of Prophecy. I fhall inftance in fuch as thefe which follow.

1. He told his Difciples what fhould befal them after his Afcenfion into Heaven, as, That they should be endued with power from on high, after that the Holy Ghost was come upon them; That they fhould work great Miracles in his Name, fuch as healing the fick, cafting out Devils, and fpeaking with

new

new Tongues; That they should be brought before Kings and Rulers for his Name's fake; that they should be delivered up to be afflicted, and perfecuted, and put to death, and fhould be hated of men for his fake; and yet notwithstanding all this oppofition and ill treatment, which they were to meet with, he likewife foretold them what progress they should make, and that they fhould be witneffes unto him, not only in Judea and Samaria, but even to the uttermoft parts of the earth; and that for this purpose he would give them a mouth and wifdom, which all their adverfaries fhould not be able to gainfay or refift. Now whoever reads the Acts of the Apostles, and other genuine Remains of Antiquity, will find all these things eminently fulfilled.

2. The Deftruction of Jerufalem was very particularly foretold by our Saviour, with abundance of very remarkable circumstances which were to attend it; as to the time, that it fhould be before that generation was all dead, but yet not till the Gofpel was first published into all parts of the world; as to the figns foregoing it, that there fhould be wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes, famines and peftilences, that there fhould alfo arife falfe Chrifts and falfe Prophets, who Hh 4

fhould

should deceive many; that there should be fearful fights and great figns in the Heavens attending it; and by particular marks and tokens of approaching vengeance his true Disciples had warning given, by flight, to escape that dreadful calamity. As to the Deftruction itself, he foretold that it fhould be the most terrible and amazing of all that ever befel any City, or People, infomuch that of their famous Temple, which had been fo long in building, there should not be left one ftone upon another, which fhould not be thrown down. The circumftances of this Prophecy are so particular, and the fulfilling all of them fo remarkable, that whoever reads the History of this great calamity in Jofephus, and compares it with our Saviour's Prediction in the Evangelists, cannot fail of acknowledging the juft vengeance of God upon that obftinate generation, for rejecting and crucifying their Meffias, and must at the same time own it for a fignal evidence of that Divine Spirit by which he spake, and of the truth of his Doctrine.

3. The dispersion of that people after the ruin of their City and Government, was likewife plainly foretold, (Luke xxi. 24.) There fhall be great diftress in the land, and wrath

upon

upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the fword, and fhall be led captive into all nations. And Jerufalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentile be fulfilled. Now the state of the Jews is, to this day, a standing evidence of the Truth of this Prophecy: They being by the Providence of God kept a distinct people, from all those among whom they are disperfed, which cannot be faid of any other ancient nation; and yet they have been often oppreffed and perfecuted, hated and despised wherever they came; but not yet suffered to return to their own land, to fet up their ancient worship in it, though they have feveral times attempted it. Julian himself (perhaps out of fpite to this Prophecy, or at leaft out of hatred to the Chriftians) promised them in a letter, to reftore their Holy City and Worship: And we are told, that he fent Alypius with a commiffion to fee this defign executed, and to lay out a prodigious fum upon rebuilding the Temple, but that, when

r

r Vide Juliani. Ep. 25. Ed. Spanheim.

S

be

Cùm itaque rei idem fortiter inftaret Alypius, juvaretque provinciæ rector, metuendi globi flammarum prope fundamenta crebris affultibus erumpentes, fecere locum, exuftis aliquoties operantibus, inacceffum; hocque modo, ele

mento

be fet about the work in earnest, terrible balls of fire broke out about the foundation, which feveral times deftroyed the workmen, and made the place inacceffible, fo that the defign was forced to be entirely laid afide. This account we have not only from Chriftian Writers and enemies of Julian, but from Ammianus Marcellinus, one of his great admirers. Jerufalem ftill continues trodden down of the Gentiles; that is, in fubjection and bondage to fuch as are not Jews by profeffion or extraction; and so it is likely to continue, fill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled, or till the Gofpel has had its full courfe among them. And thus, as the Gofpel was first published among all nations before this wonderful difperfion of the Jews, as it were for a Testimony against them wherever they should be fcattered; fo they were foon fent after it, to be a continual and living monument of the Truth of it, among all people where they dwell.

4. The progrefs of Chriftianity, and the ftate of the Chriftian Church, was likewife foretold, both by our Saviour in divers of his parables, and in other exprefs declarations

and

mento deftinatius repellente, ceffavit inceptum. Vide Ammiani Marcell. lib. 23. cap. 1.

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