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Thus also was fulfilled the prediction, that "False prophets―(i. e. false teachers among Christians themselves, as distinguished from pretended Messiahs)should arise and deceive many." Such were the Judaizing teachers, "false apostles," as St. Paul calls them (2 Cor. xi. 13; 2 Tim. ii. 17, 18.), that taught erroneous doctrine, and "overthrew the faith of some." And hence, from these various evils, "the love of many waxed cold." (Matt. xxiv. 12.)

"But he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved." (verse 13.) By a most signal act of divine providence, none of the faithful Christians perished in the destruction of Jerusalem: so that, as was predicted, "not a hair of their head perished!" (Luke xxi. 18.)

However, before the destruction of Jerusalem, "this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end (of Jerusalem) come ;" and the Jewish polity shall be terminated. (Matt. xxiv. 14.) The Acts of the Apostles give us some striking instances of the rapid growth and spread of Christianity1. And from the ancient writers of Church history it appears, that before the destruction of Jerusalem the Gospel was preached, not only in Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy,

As early as the reign of Nero, about thirty years after Christ's death, the Christians were grown so numerous at Rome, as to raise the jealousy of the government. (See Tacitus, Annals, Book XV.)

-the three most celebrated portions of the world-but that it had reached Scythia to the north; Ethiopia, to the south; Parthia and India, to the east; and Spain and our British Isles, to the west.

Thus splendidly was exhibited the mighty power of God, in prospering the labours of twelve poor fishermen, or mechanics, so as to establish, through them, the religion of Jesus Christ, thus far and wide, among the various nations of the earth. Both the work and the prophecy were indeed from Him. They conjointly tend to establish the divine mission of Christ, on firm and unassailable foundations, beyond the art of man to controvert or gainsay. And viewing the whole circumstances together, we may well adopt the Psalmist's language, and exclaim, "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” (Psalm cxviii. 23.)

DISSERTATION XIX.

Of the SIGNS which were to happen during the Siege.

SECTION II.

THE Signs which were to precede the Siege of Jerusalem were thus verified; but speaking of those that were to attend and follow it, our Saviour proceeds to

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"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place, then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains." (Matt. xxiv. 15, 16.) From a parallel passage in Luke (chap. xxi. 20, 21), it is at once evident, that by the "abomination of desolation" the Roman army is meant; and it was so called, because of its idolatrous ensigns and images, wherewith

it was accompanied, and which were an abomination to the Jews; and from the desolating results that it was to produce. When, therefore, the Roman army approached to the siege of Jerusalem, and came within a short distance of its walls, the ground whereof within a certain compass was esteemed "holy ground," then were the faithful believers to "flee to the mountains;" and this advice was so well remembered and followed, that (as we learn from ecclesiastical writers) all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem, removed to Pella, and to various places on the other side Jordan ; and all marvellously escaped the shipwreck of their country ; so that we do not hear of so much as of one of them perishing in its destruction!

Our Saviour adds, "Let him that is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house.” (Matt. xxiv. 17.) As the houses of the Jews were flat-roofed, and served as terraces to walk upon, having stairs also on the outside, this passage merely implies, that each person was to escape as quickly as possible, not troubling himself to preserve his property within the house. And Christ's apostrophe, "Woe to them that be with child, and to them which give suck in those days" (verse 19), was, indeed, well called for, inasmuch as the horrible sufferings, and cruel slaughters, and sad famines that took place,-were such as the weak and tender ones were not calculated to en

dure. We read of mothers even snatching the morsels out of their children's mouths, from hunger; and of one woman (and she, too, of rank and character) actually devouring her own child, and filling the whole city with awe and dread at such a horrible tragedy1!

These cautions for His disciples to flee as soon as Jerusalem was encompassed by the Roman armies were most providentially seconded by circumstances. In Nero's twelfth year, Gallus, with a powerful army, came against it, and might have taken it; but, apparently without any reason, he raised the siege. And various civil disturbances in Rome prevented any vigorous proceedings, till Vespasian was made emperor, and Titus was sent to attack Jerusalem. Thus time was afforded the Christians for escape; of which afterwards there was scarcely any possibility, from the close siege wherewith the Roman general invested it; compassing it round with a wall, so that no provisions could be carried in, and no individual could pass out. And then, according to the prediction, began "tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the

1 Josephus, in his Jewish Wars, Book VI. Chap. III. has given all the particulars of this horrid deed, committed by Mary, the daughter of Eleazar, illustrious for her family and riches. When the famished Jewish soldiers, allured by the smell of victuals, came and insisted upon her producing what she had dressed, the wretched woman uncovered the remains of her half-devoured infant before them, and invited them to eat of that whereof she had partaken!

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