are opposed to the idolizers of that temple, and of the fervice that belonged, and was confined to it.

Though it is foretold, in If. xxix. that the chief fcope of the prophecies fhould be to the Jews as the words of a fealed book, it is not faid, that they should be permitted to go fo far aftray as to give up wholly with thofe facred writings; but, on the contrary, these writings are fuppofed to continue ftill in their hands. At the fame time, various ftrong expreffions in this chapter appear peculiarly applicable to the amazing delufions and fables for which that people have been fo remarkable for many ages. And whereas the name of that people was formerly the name of God's church, from whom, through his mercy, the Gentiles received the knowledge of his will; this makes it the more obfervable, that it fhould be foretold, as it is in If. lxv. 14. that the name of that people fhould be one day the object of the particular averfion of the true people of God.

In collecting and comparing the chief predictions of the final defolation and difperfion of the Jews, it will be fufficient to mention more briefly fuch of these predictions as were formerly explained under other heads, that we may confider fome other predictions of the fame event more particularly.

I. One of the most remarkable and moft decifive predictions on this fubject is that in the forecited 9th of Daniel, which at the fame time fpeaks of the rebuilding of the Jewith city, after the return from Babylon, and of a fecond deftruction, both of the city and fanctuary, after the cutting off of the Mef

fiah.

II. That deftruction is alfo foretold in feveral of the forecited predictions of that people's unbelief; as particularly in If. xlii. which speaks fo much both of the enlightening of the Gentiles, and of the blindness of the Jews; and foretells, that Ifrael hould be given for a prey to the robbers, that the.

X 2

trength

ftrength of battle fhould be poured upon him, and confume him. In If. lvi. which peaks of the blindness of the Jewish watchmen and fhepherds, all the beafts of the field are reprefented as gathered together to devour them. in If. viii. where it is foretold, that the Lord would be a fanctuary to the Gentiles, and a ftone of ftumbling to the Jews, among various other expreffions about the future defolation of that people, it is foretold that they fhould be driven to darkness. In If. xliii. which speaks of the Gentile wilderness as honouring God, and of Ifrael as weary of him, and their teachers as tranfgreffing against him, it is foretold, that the princes of the fanctuary fhould be profaned, Jacob given to the curfe, and Ifrael to reproaches: and in If. lxv. where it is faid, that the Jews fhould leave their name for a curfe to God's chofen, it is foretold, that that nation fhould be flain; which muft be meant of the diffolution of their civil polity, because it is foretold in other paffages, that they fhould never be wholly extinguished.

HI. The 28th of Deuteronomy and 29th of Ifaiah contain circumftantial defcriptions, the first of fieges of all the Jewish cities, the fecond of a fiege of Jerufalem, ending in extraordinary defolation: and in both thefe prophecies there are feveral characters which fhew, that it is the defolation by the Romans that is chiefly intended. In Deut. xxviii. it is foretold, that God would bring a nation from far, from the end of the earth, against the Jews, y 49.; who would befiege them in all their gates, until their high and fenced walls fhould come down through all the land, y 52.; fo that they fhould be plucked out of the land, y 63. and feattered among all people from one end of the earth to the other, y 64. Among various arguments for applying this prediction to the deftruction of Judea by the Romans, it is remarkable, that in y 68. it is foretold, that, after the fieges and difperfion abovementioned,

mentioned, the Jews fhould be fent in fhips to Egypt, to be fold to their enemies for flaves; which was literally fulfilled by the Romans; whereas, at the time of the Babylonifh captivity, the Jews went to Egypt, not in fhips, but on horfes; not to be fold to enemies, but to feek fhelter from the Egyptians as their friends and allies: which is much taken notice of, and much blamed in various places of fcripture. Whereas it is faid, y 49. that the enemy there mentioned fhould come from far, even from the end of the earth; this is evidently much more applicable to the Romans than to the Chaldeans; and the words in that verfe, about that enemy's coming as an eagle, may reafonably be confidered, according to the ftyle of prophetic writings, as an allufion to the Roman enfign; feeing it is twice repeated, y 59. that the judgements threatened in this chapter would be of long continuance; and feeing it is foretold, that the Jews would be left small in number, y 62. and that they would find no eafe nor reft for the fole of their foot on their difperfion: all thefe things are arguments for understanding the difperfion by the Romans, rather than that by the Babylonians, which continued but about feventy years, was not attended with fo much flaughter, and did not put the Jews into fo unfettled and wandering a condition, confidering the favours they met with after that captivity from their conquerors. The Chriftian interpretation of this chapter may be farther confirmed by feveral things in the following chapters of this book; feeing chap. 29. 24. fpeaks of the future defolation of the Jews as exceeding fingular, raifing the aftonishment of all nations, and making them inquifitive about the caufes of it and whereas the fong of Mofes, in chap. 32. which was mentioned before as foretelling the enlightening of the Gentiles, and the unbelief of the Jews, foretells alfo the defolation of that people, it is obfervable, that that fong is men

tioned no less than three or four times, as a fong that fhould be left for a witnefs against that people, in the event of their apoftafy from God, chap. xxxi. 19. 21. 26. 28.

The 29th of Ifaiah, in defcribing a fiege of Jerufalem, gives fuch an account of the multitude of nations fighting against it, of their fingular eagernefs to destroy it, and of the low condition to which they would reduce that people, as is manifeftly more applicable to the fecond deftruction of that place by the Romans, than to the first by the Babylonians; but, which is ftill more decifive, the latter part of the chapter contains various characters of the times of the enlightening of the Gentiles, and of the blindness of the Jews.

IV. Whereas there are feveral predictions of the defolation of Judea, concerning which it is not fo eafy to determine, at firft view, whether they are meant of the firft or the fecond defolation of that country; there are other predictions, where there is no room for that difficulty, namely, the predictions that were delivered after the Babylonifh captivity; of which that in the forecited 9th of Daniel may be reckoned the chief; but there are feveral others in Zechariah and Malachi.

In the 11th of Zechariah, which was proved be.. fore to treat of the times and of the fufferings of the Meffiah, there is a remarkable prediction of a fecond defolation of Judea, that fhould be of long continuance, y 6. attended with the breaking of the covenant between God and that people, y 10. and of their union with one another, y 14.; fo that they are faid to be delivered every one into his neighbour's hand. All which things, taken complexly, are not applicable to any difafter that intervened between the Babylonifh captivity and the final deftruction of Jerufalem by Titus.

In Zechariah xiii. after a remarkable prediction of the Meffiah's fufferings, there is a prediction of

a

a defolation of Judea that would be very fingular and extensive, y 8.9.: and whatever difficulty * there may be about two different interpretations of the clofe of chap. 13. according as the cutting off there mentioned may be fuppofed to relate to a fpiritual or temporal difafter, each of which interpretations favour the main argument in view; it is evident, that the beginning of the 14th chapter fpeaks literally of enemies gathered from all nations, befieging and facking Jerufalem, and carrying the half (or a vast number) of its inhabitants into captivity. Whereas the following 3d verfe fpeaks of the Lord's fighting against thofe nations that had fought against Jerufalem, feeing it is not at all faid, that this fhould be in order to a speedy reftoration, or any restoration at all, of that city; this prediction may be explained by various others, which fpeak of the righteous judgements to be inflicted on the incorrigible among other nations as well as the Jews; and by what is foretold, y 16. of this fame chapter, which thews, that they who were left of the nations which came againft Jerufalem, would be brought to worship the Lord of hofts.

That

this chapter treats of the times of the Meffiah, and contains very remarkable predictions relating to thofe times, is not only evident from its being a continuation of the important prophecies in the two preceding chapters, formerly confidered, and from the laft-cited prediction, y 16. of the enlightening of the Gentile nations, but alfo from what is farther foretold on that fubject in y 8. 9.; which fpeak of living waters going out from Jerufalem at the time in view, towards the different parts of the world; and thew, that at that time, "The Lord

A chief caufe of the difficulty hinted at, is the good account given in the last verse of chap. 13. of those that should efcape the cut. ting off mentioned in ver. 8. If that good account be fuppofed to relate to the most diftant good effects of the calamities of the Jews, the difficulty feems to be in a good measure removed.

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