The Deliverance of Judah, at Jehoshaphat's Prayer, was foretold by Jahaziel, in the midst of the Congregation; and was accomplish'd accordingly, by their Enemies destroying one another, 2 Chron. xx.

Elijah foretold, that the Dogs-fhould lick Ahab's Blood in Jezreel, where they had lick'd the Blood of Nabo b Which, as b Jofephus fays, was objected by Zedechiah, one of the Falfe Prophets, againft Micaiah, who foretold, that Ahab fhould be flain at Ramoth gilead; but he was brought Home in his Chariot from Ramoth-gilead to Samaria, and there the Dogs lick'd his Blood in Jezreel, 1 Kings xxii. 38. fo that both the Prophecy of Elijah and Micaiah was fulfill'd. And when one Prophet feems contrary to another, one foretelling the principal Thing, and another fome accidental Circumftance, which thofe that were prèfent, and moft concern'd in the Action, could not imagine, 'till it happen'd; and Falfe Prophets, in the mean time, watch the Event, to take all Advantages from it, against the True Prophets, and can find none: nothing more can be defired, to affure us of the Truth of any Prophecy. The fame Prophet foretold the like Judgment upon Jezebel, and that the Houfe of Ahab fhould be like the Houfe of Jerobam, and like the Houfe of Baaba; the Deftruction of both which had been foretold by other Prophets, and their Prophecies fulfill'd, as this of Elijah's alfo was.

Elijah, by a Writing fent to Jehoram King of Judah, foretold his Death, and the ftrange manner of it, viz. That after the Lofs of his Children, and his Wives, and all his Goods, he fhould be afflicted in his Bowels, and that his Bowels fhould fall out by degrees, 2.Chron. xxi. 12. The fame Prophet not only foretold the Death of Ahaziah, but caus'd Fire twice to come down from Heaven, upon those who were fent to apprehend him, 2 Kings i. And at his Prayer,

2

a Jofeph. Antiq. I. 8. c. 1o.

P 2

Fire

Fire defcended from Heaven, and confumed the Sacrifice, in the fight of Baal's Prophets, being four hundred and fifty; to whom Elijah, who was the only Prophet of the Lord there prefent, had made this Propofal, The God that anfwereth by fire, let him be God: And when Baal, notwithstanding all their hideous Cries, and the cutting themselves, did not hear them; then, upon Elijah's Prayer, the fire of the Lord fell, and confumed the burnt-facrifice, and the wood, and the ftones, and the duft, and licked up the water that was in the trench, 1 Kings xviii. 38. which was the fame Miracle, repeated in the midst of Idolaters who were fo provoked and enraged against the Prophet Elijah, that had been before wrought in the fight of the People of Ifrael, in the time of Mofes, Lev. ix. 24. and of David, 1 Chron. xxi. 26. and at the Dedication of Solomon's Temple, 2 Chron. vii. 1. c And this Miracle of Elijah, in bringing down Fire from Heaven, to confume the Sacrifice, and that of Mofes in like manner, were both confefs'd to be true, by Julian the Apoftate himself.

I

The miraculous Cure of Naaman's Leprofie, muft be notorious throughout the Kingdoms both of Syria and Ifrael, 2 Kings v. The wonderful Deliveranceof the Ifraelites, when the Syrians heard a Noife of Horfes and Chariots, and therefore rais'd the Siege of Samaria, and the Plenty which follow'd, was foretold by Elifba, with a Judgment upon that Lord who -doubted of the Truth of his Prediction. The fame Prophet foretold the Death of Benhadad King of Syria, and that he fhould neither recover of his Sicknefs, nor die a Natural Death. And the Reign of Hazael, who fucceeded him, is defcrib'd in fuch true and dreadful Characters, that Hazael thought it impoffible for him to be guilty of fo much Cruelty, 2 Kings vii, viii.

Cyril. contra Julian. 1. 10. p. 343. Edit. Lipf.

The

The Leprofie inflicted upon Uzziah, for prefuming to burn Incense unto the Lord, which it was lawful for the Priests only to do, was a permanent Miracle; for his Leprofie continued till his Death; and for that reafon, he liv'd feparately, and his Son, from that time, had the Administration of Affairs, 2 Kings xv. 5. and this Miracle of the Leprofie was accompanied with a terrible Earthquake, mention'd Zech. xiv. 5. Ames i. 1. and the Ruins which were caus'd by the Earthquake, remain'd as a perpetual Memorial of the Judgment.

d

An hundred fourfcore and five thousand of the Affyrians were flain by an Angel of the Lord, in one Night, 2 Kings xix. 35. and this Deliverance was foretold by Isaiah, when the Affyrians were in the Height of their Pride and Blasphemy, and the People of Judah in the Extremity of Danger and Defpair, Ifai. xxxvii. It happening likewife, that this Invafion of the Affyrian Army was in the Year of Jubilee, the Enemy had ravaged and confum'd the Corn of the laft Year, and by the Law concerning the Years of Jubilee, the Jews were commanded not to fow in those Years, (Lev. xxv. 11.) fo that there was a miraculous Provifion promised, and accordingly made them, of two Years Suftenance, without their own Care or Labour, 2 Kings xix. 29. At the Prayer of Isaiah, the Sun went back ten Degrees, for a Sign to King Hezekiah of his Recovery: and the Princes of Babylon fent Embaffadors to enquire of this f Wonder, 2 Kings xx, 11. 2 Chron. xxxii. 31.

d Hieron. in Efai. c. vii. & in Zech. c. xiv.

e Jofeph. Antiq. 1. 9. c. 11.

fQuia apud eos (Chaldaos) aftrorum obfervantia eft, ftellarumq; curfus longo ufu exercitatione cognitus intellexerunt folem reverfum, Diei fpatia duplicata, fervire ei, quem folum Deum putabant. Cumq; caufas hujus miraculi, rationemq; perquirerent, famâ per omnes Gentes volitante, didicerunt propter agrotationem Regis Jude etiam curfum figni clariffimi mutatum. Hieronym. in Ifai. xxxix. I.

It was impoffible there fhould be any Miftake in Miracles of this nature, which have the fame Evidence that thofe of Mofes himself had, having the joint Teftimony of a whole People to prove the Truth of them.

Ifaiah foretold the Destruction of the Kingdom of Ifrael, with the fet time of it; Within threefcore and five years fhall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people, Ifai. vii. 8. 8 The exact fulfilling whereof the Jews prove, by computing from the twenty fifth Year of Uzziah's Reign, which was the Year of the Earthquake, mentioned Amos i. 1. which they fay attended the Judgment inflicted upon Uzziah, for ufurping the Prieft's Office. The Defolation foretold by him of Babylon is attested by *Eye-witneffes to be fulfill'd in all Particulars, chap. xiii. 19. "All the ground on "which Babylon was spread, is left now defolate, no

thing ftanding in that Peninfula, between the Eu "phrates and the Tigris, but only part, and that a "fmall part of the great Towre, which God hath "fuffer'd to ftand (if Man may speak fo confidently "of his great impenetrable Counfels) for an Eternal Teftimony of his great work in the confufion of "Man's pride; and that Ark of Nebuchadnezzar, for as perpetual a Memory of his great Idolatry, and ❝ condign Punishment; nothing else fhewing the Figure of any thing, which hath been either of Orna¬ ment or of Greatnefs, or of Place inhabited. So "truly doth God judge the huge Sins of the World, " and maintaineth fo juftly the Credit of his Meffengers, that tho' they speak great things, they never "Ipeak vain things.

After the Death of Alexander, Babylon was little regarded, but fell to decay, 'till it became quite defolate. Strabo applies to Babylon, what had been said

g Eufeb. & Hieron. in Efai. vii. 8. Ifai. xiii. 19. Rauwolf's Travels, c. 7. Travels into Perfia, p. 21,

* Hieron. comment. in

Sir Ant. Sherley's

of

h

of Megalapolis in Arcadia The Great City is a great Ruine. And with him agree, Diodorus Siculus, Paufanias, and Pliny.

k

Ifaiah prophefied of Cyrus by Name two hundred and ten Years before the Accomplishment of his Prophecy; and foretold the Rebuilding of the Temple, an hundred and forty Years before it was demolifhed. The expreffions defcribing hisConquefts are fo plain and full, that as St. Jerom obferves, the Hiftory of Cyrus, by Xenophon, is an admirable Comment upon this Prophecy of Ifaiah, That faith of Cyrus, He is my Shepherd, and fhall perf rm all my pleasure, even saying to Jerufalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy founda tion fhall be laid. Thus faith the Lord, to his anointed, to Cyrus, whofe right hand I have holden, to fubdue nations before him: And I will loofe the loins of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates, and the gates shall not be fbut. I will go before thee, and make the crooked places ftraight. I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in funder the bars of Iron; and I will give thee the treafures of darkness, and hidden riches of Jecret places. He fball build my city, and be fhall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, faith the Lord of hofts. Ifa. xliv. 28. and xlv. 1, 2, 3, 13. And this Cyrus himself, tho' an Heathen Prince, was fo fenfible of, that he acknowleged it in his Proclamation which he put forth for the Building the Temple: Thus faith Cyrus king of Perfia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me, and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerufalem, which is in Judah, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 23. Ezra i. 2. And the circumftances of the Birth, Edu

16. p. 1073. πλεῖσον ἐντὸς Οὐδὲν ἔτι ἦν

Η Ερημία μεγάλη ἔσιν ἡ μαγάλη πολις. Strabo, lib. Αὐτῆς - Βαβυλῶνος νῦν βραχύ τι μέρΘ οἰκεῖν· τὸ ἢ THXUS YEWRYA. Diodor. Sic. lib. 2. initio, p. 70. is un Tax. Paufan. in Arcad. p. 264. leg. Es vv. In folitudinem rediit. Plin. Hift. 1.6. c. 26.

i Jofeph. Antiq. 1. 11. c. 1. Hieron. ad Ifai. c. 44.

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cation