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Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be ful"filled."

The period when these events were to take place, is alfo clearly pointed out, and described as immediately approaching. " This generation fhall not pass ἐσ away till all these things be fulfilled; heaven and "earth fhall pass away, but my words fhall not pafs away.”—Finally, this prediction is accompanied with a warning to his difciples, to fly from these impending calamities." When ye shall see Jerusalem

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compaffed with armies, then know that the defolation "thereof is nigh; then let them which are in Judea flee unto the mountains, and let them which are in "the midst of it depart out, and let not those who are "in the countries enter therein."

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Now that this prediction should proceed from an enthusiastic mind, cannot furely be reasonably fupposed. The Jews had now been long in the habit of fubmitting peaceably to the Roman yoke; the polity of Rome at this period was remarkably difpofed to allow to its various subject nations, the undisturbed enjoyment of their religion and their laws, and to preferve, even in war, every distinguished city, and every magnificent ftructure, as ornaments of its dominion, and proofs of the greatness of its power; fuch an event therefore as the total deftruction of the

P Matt. xxiv. 34. Luke xxi. 22. Matt. xxiv. 15,

9 Luke xxi. 30.

F 2

city,

city, and the temple of Jerufalem, by the Romans, was most highly improbable within any period of time; but that it should happen at a precife and fhort distance, even " before that generation paffed away, furely no human ingenuity could forefee; yet it certainly took place with circumftances of ftrange and unexampled mifery.

If it be faid, that this prediction was falfely ascribed to our Lord by the evangelifts, this supposes them to have been, not wild enthusiasts, but artful and deliberate impoftors; a fuppofition utterly irreconcileable with the whole tenor of their writings and their lives, and which in this instance seems extremely improbable, from the 'internal ftructure of

the

Archdeacon Paley in his excellent view of the evidences, part 2d. ch. i. § 2. has adduced many ftrong arguments to confirm the existence of this prophecy before the event. Ift. From all antiquity concurring to affign the three firft gospels a date prior to the deftruction of Jerufalem. 2d. The apostles muft have been very far advanced in life at that time, and no reason can be given for their delaying fo long the publication of the gofpels. 3d. From there being no hint in either, that the prophecy was fulfilled. 4th. From the admonitions to the Chriftions. 5th. If the prophecies had been compofed after the event, there would have been more specification. That these prophecies could not have been interpolated, is ftrongly confirmed by Jortin, in his remarks on ecclefiaftical history, vol. 1. p. 72. edit. 1751, amongst his reafons are-ft. Because they are incidentally placed up and down the gofpels by way of parable, or in answer to questions, or on account of fome circumftances of time or place bringing on the discourse-he

quotes

the prediction itself, for it included a warning, to the Christians to flee from the ruin of Jerufalem, the approach of which it taught them to discover by certain figns. Suppofe then this prediction and this warning never to have been publifhed till after the event, how plainly would it have carried with it its own falfification? how naturally would the whole body of Jewish Chriftians have demanded of the apoftles, "why was this prophecy and this warning concealed "till after the calamity against which it was defigned "to guard us, had taken place? and why is it now first brought forward, when the time of its cc utility has paffed, and its divine origin can no longer be afcertained? And this when it did not "exift in any written record, which might be fup"posed to have lain till now undifcovered, but was "delivered (according to your own account) to you, "thea poftles, furely for the purpose of preferving, "by forewarning, your brethren."

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Again-with this prophecy our Lord unites a clear description of the perfecutions which his immediate followers should sustain :-" Before all these things

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quotes, the following texts :-Matt. x. 23.-xv. 13.—xvi. 28.— xxi. 29.-xxi. 41.-xxii. 7.-xxiii. 36. Luke xi. 50.-xiii. 5. xiii. 9.-xvii. 24.-xix. 27.-xix. 42.-xxiii. 28. John v. 21. xxi. 22. 2d. Because no Jews or Pagans ever reproached the Christians with inserting these prophecies. Other reasons of his I have adopted in the text, and endeavoured to confirm and improve.

• Luke xxi. 12-16-17.

"they

"they fhall lay their hands on you, and perfecute

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you, delivering you up to the fynagogues and

unto prisons, being brought before kings and "rulers for my name's fake; and ye fhall be be

trayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends, and fome of you fhall they "cause to be put to death, and ye fhall be hated by "all men for my name's fake." Now, if these perfecutions did not exift, would impoftors be mad enough to ascribe fuch predictions to their master, and without any conceivable motive make him a prophet of falsehoods, though the fuccefs of their own supposed schemes depended on the reception of his divine authority ?-If these perfecutions exifted, what could induce impoftors to sustain them? and impostors they must have been if they falsely ascribed these predictions to their Lord; or, what could enable them to maintain their cause against fuch perfecution? And was it not totally inconfiftent with the nature of fraud and imposture, to accompany the fuppofed prediction of these perfecutions with fuch advice, and fuch a promise as the following?" "When "they fhall lead you and deliver you up, take no "thought before hand what ye fhall fpeak, neither "do ye premeditate, but what shall be given you in "that hour, that fpeak ye; for it is not ye that fpeak, but the Holy Ghoft. And I will give you

Vid. Paley's Evidence, part ft. ch. iii. § 1.
Luke xxi. 14, 15 and 16.

a mouth,

your adverfaries

a mouth, and wifdom, which all "fhall not be able to gainfay, or resist."

The very obfcurity of fome parts of this prophecy feems as inconfiftent with fraud, as the plainness and exact accomplishment of others is unaccountable, on the supposition of fanaticifm. An impoftor writing after the event, would take care not to diminish the credit of his fuppofed prediction, by leaving its application doubtful or obfcure; yet it is certain many Christians did very early fo far mistake this prophecy, as to apply it not only to the deftruction of Jerufalem, but also to the end of the world; and to expect the immediate approach of the final judgment, an error which St. Peter and St. Paul in different paffages exprefsly and earnestly correct, and in a manner totally remote from every appearance of enthusiasm or imposture. Enthufiafts would more probably cherish than detect fuch a delufion, calculated as it was to make a deep religious impreffion on the minds of men; and impoftors, if they found it neceffary to correct an erroneous interpretation of any fuppofed prediction uttered by themselves, would naturally point out its exact accommodation to the event, which alone they had intended to mark out by it, and would be doubly cautious of expofing themselves to new difficulties, by uttering new predictions ;— whereas St. Paul, addreffing the Theffalonians, and warning them, "not to be troubled by word or by

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2 Theff. the entire 2d chap

"letter,

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