church, that before the deftruction of Jerufalem, the Gospel was not only preached in the leffer Afia, and Greece, and Italy, the great theatres of action then in the world; but was likewife propagated as far northward as Scythia, as far fouthward as Ethiopia, as far caftward as Parthia and India, as far weftward as Spain and Britain." Tacitus confirms this ftatement, by relating, a very ftrong and appofite fact. He mentions that "the Chriftian religion, which arofe in Judea, fpread over many parts of the world, and extended to Rome itself, where the profeffors of it, as early as the time of Nero, amounted to a vast multitude." These were the events predicted to happen before the deftruction of Jerufalem, and we fee they actually did take place within the time prefcribed. The burning of Rome, which gave occafion to Tacitus to mention the Chriftians, happened in the tenth year of the reign of Nero, in the fixtyfourth year of the Chriftian era, and Jerufalem was not deftroyed before the year of our Lord feventy.

If the swift propagation of the Gospel without the affistance of the established

powers

Annal. lib. xv.

of the world, without the countenance of the monarch, the approbation of the philofopher, or the prejudices of the vulgar, but in direct oppofition to them all, be evidence in favour of the Divine origin of Christianity, the argument which it furnishes is certainly more complete and more ftriking, as fuch a propagation was the fubject of Prophecy; and as that Prophecy was pronounced under the most unfavourable circumftances that can well be imagined.

But to return to the awful and inftructive narration-We come now to confider Jerufalem as in a state of actual fiege.

But when ye shall fee the abomination of defolation Spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, Stand in the holy place; or, when he shall fee Jerufalem compaffed with armies, then know that the defolation thereof is nigh.

The devoted place which was the immediate object of these formidable denunciations is thus clearly pointed out, and the armies

men

mentioned could be no other than those of the Romans. The images of the Emperor and the eagles that were carried in the front of the legions, were regarded with religious abhorrence by the Jews, as they were ranked among the Pagan deities, and reverenced with divine honours. During the time that Pilate was governor of Judea, the Jews were much offended at him for setting up the standards of the legions, and made earnest fupplications to have them removed. A fimilar request was made to Vitellius, Proconful of Syria, who had determined to march his army through Judea. Both these petitions were complied with, when the Roman generals understood that it was contrary to the Jewish laws to fuffer images, which were the objects of idolatrous worship, to be brought into their country. They were, therefore, called with the greatest and most striking propriety of language, the abomination of defolation; fince the erection of them within the limits of the holy place, as Jerufalem is emphatically called, marked the fatal defign of the enemy to lay waste the country, and expose it to all the ravages of war. The English tranflation, "And when ye fhall fee Jerufalem compaffed with armies," does not preserve the exact sense of the original Greek,

which may more literally be rendered, "And when ye fhall fee Jerufalem encircled with camps." The words thus tranflated correfpond exactly with the fact. Jofephus fays, that" the feditious parties in the city faw with aftonishment the Romans meafuring out the ground for their camps in three places."

For the days fhall come upon thee, that thine enemies fhall caft a trench about thee, and compass thee round about, and keep thee in on every fide.

The Roman army completely encompaffed the city, and enclosed the Jews on every fide; and although it was at first confidered as an impracticable project to furround the whole city with a wall, yet Titus animated his army to make the attempt. In three days they built a wall of thirty-nine furlongs in length, with thirteen towers erected at proper diftances, in which, as in garrifons, the Roman foldiers were placed.

Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them which are in the midft

De Bell. Jud. lib. v. c. 2.

Bell. Jud, 1. v. c. 12.

of

of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For thefe be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

We have seen that our Lord prepared his Difciples to expect perfecution as the trial of their faith, before the " abomination of defo lation" was fet up in Jerufalem. But to mark the more ftrongly the wrath of God against the Jews, and that these were the days of vengeance" predicted by Mofes and the Prophets, in case of their rejection of the Meffiah, the Chriftians, who endured to the end, were to be faved from the calamities denounced against Jerufalem. On this occa→ fion the difcriminating hand of Providence was to be unusually apparent. Then shall two taken, and the

be in the field, the one shall be other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, the other left. And the efpecial care of Chrift over his infant church is moft forcibly exemplified by the affurance, that for the elect's fake thefe • days of unprecedented affliction fhould be Shortened. Our Lord therefore gives his Dif ciples particular directions relative to the