the wonders recorded by these hiftorians. But even allowing all that incredulity can urgethat in the great calamities of war, and famin, and peftilence, the people always grow fuperftitious, and are ftruck with religious panics;that they fee nothing then but prodigies and portents, which in happier feafons are overlooked; -that fome of these appear to be formed in imitation of the Greek and Roman hiftorians, as particularly the cow's bringing forth a lamb ;that armies fighting in the clouds, feen in calamitous times in all ages and countries, are nothing more than meteors, fuch as the aurora borealis ;-in short, allowing that fome of these prodigies were feigned, and others were exaggerated, yet the prediction of them is not the lefs divine on that account. Whether they were fupernatural, or the fictions only of a difordered imagination, yet they were believed as realities, and had all the effects of realities, and were equally worthy to be made the objects of prophecy. Fearful fights and great figns from heaven they certainly were, as much as if they had been created on purpose to astonish the earth.

But notwithstanding all these terrible calamities our Saviour exhorts his difciples not to be troubled. The Jews may be under dreadful apprehenfions, as they were particularly in the cafe

ye

cafe of Caligula above mentioned; but be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but`. the end is not yet, but the destruction of Jerusalem is not yet. All these are only the beginning of forrows (ver. 8.) agn w.vwv. જા ωδίνων. Great troubles and calamities are often expreffed in fcripturelanguage metaphorically by the pains of traveling women. All these are only the first pangs and throws, and are nothing to that hard labor which fhall follow.

From the calamities of the nation in general, he paffeth to those of the Chriftians in particular: and indeed the former were in great measure the occafion of the latter; famins, peftilences, éarthquakes, and the like calamities being reckoned judgments for the fins of the Chriftians, and the poor Chriftians being often maltreated and perfecuted on that account, as we learn from fome of the earliest apologifts for the Christian religion. Now the calamities which were to befall the Chriftians were cruel perfecutions, (ver. 9.) Then fhall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and fhall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations, not only of the Jews but likewise of the Gentiles, for my name's fake. St. Mark and St. Luke are rather more particular. St. Mark faith (XIII. 9, 11.) They fhall deliver you up to councils; and in the fynagogues ye shall

be beaten, and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my fake, for a teftimony against them. But when they shall lead you, and deliver 'you up," take no thought beforehand what ye fhall Speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that fpeak, but the holy Ghost. St. Luke faith (XXI. 12, 13, 14, 15.) But before all these they fball lay their hands on you, and perfecute you, delivering you up to the fynagogues, and into prifons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's fake. And it fhall turn to you for a teftimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before, what ye fhall answer. For I will give you à mouth and wifdom, which all your adverfaries fhall not be able to gainsay, nor refift. We need look no farther than the Acts of the apostles for the completion of these particulars. There are instances enow of the sufferings of some Christians, and of the deaths of others. Some are delivered to councils, as Peter and John. (IV. 5, &c.) Some are brought before rulers, and kings, as Paul before Gallio, (XVIII. 12.) Felix, (XXIV.) Feftus and Agrippa. (XXV.) Some have a mouth and wisdom which all their adverfaries were not able to gainsay nor refift, as it is faid of Stephen, (VI.

(1) Eufeb. Eccles. Hist. Lib. 2. Cap. 25.

(2) Tertull.

(VI. 10.) that they were not able to refift the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake, and Paul made even Felix to tremble, (XXIV. 25.) and the gospel still prevailed against all oppofition and perfecution whatever. Some are imprisoned, as Peter and John. (IV. 3.) Some are beaten, as Paul and Silas. (XVI. 23.) Some are put to death, as Stephen, (VII. 59.) and James the brother of John. (XII. 2.) But if we would look farther, we have a more melancholy proof of the truth of this prediction, in the perfecutions under Nero, in which (befides numberless other Chriftians) fell thofe (1) two great champions of our faith, St. Peter and St. Paul. And it was nominis prælium, as (2) Tertullian calleth it; it was a war against the very name. Though a man was poffeffed of every human virtue, yet it was crime enough if he was a Chriftian; so true were our Saviour's words, that they should be hated of all nations for his name's fake.

But they were not only to be hated of all nations, but were alfo to be betrayed by apoftates and traitors of their own brethren, (ver. 10.) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. By reafon of perfecution many shall be offended, and apofta

tize

(2) Tertull. Apol. Cap. 2. p. 4. Edit. Rigaltii. Paris. 1675. (3) Primà

tize from the faith; as particularly those mentioned by St. Paul in his fecond Epiftle to Timothy, (I. 15.) Phrgellus and Hermogenes, who with many others in Aha turned away from him, and (VI. 10.) Demas who forfook him, having loved this prefent world. But they fhall not only apoftatize from the faith, but also shall betray one another, and fhall hate one another. To illuftrate this point we need only cite a sentence out of Tacitus fpeaking of the perfecution under Nero. At first, fays (3) he, feveral were feifed. who confeffed, and then by their difcovery a great multitude of others were convicted and barbarously executed.

False teachers too and falfe prophets were to infeft the church, (ver. 11.) And many false prophets fall rife, and shall deceive many. Such particularly was Simon Magus, and his followers the Gnoftics were very numerous. Such alfo were the Judaizing teachers, falfe apoftles, as they are called by St. Paul, (2 Cor. XI. 13.) deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Chrift. Such alfo were Hymeneus and Philetus, of whom the apoftle complains (2 Tim. II. 17, 18.) that they affirmed the refurrection to be paft already, and overthrew the faith of fome.

The

(3) Primò correpti qui fate- multitudo ingens-convicti funt, bantur, deinde indicio eorum Et pereuntibus addita ludibria.

&c.