of the Apostles his Mystical Angels; fo likewife at the end of the World, he will fend his Angels to raise his Elect from the Duft and Obfcurity of the Grave. For the Lord bimself shall defcend from Heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the Archangel, and the Dead in Chrift fhall rise. 1 Theff. 4. 16. As there were seen several Comets and terrible Signs that foretold the Destruction of Jerufalem; as thè Smoak of the City and Flaming Temple hid the light of the day, and darkned the Sun and Stars; fo without doubt the end of the World will be alfo attended with Signs and Prodigies much more terrible. St. Peter faith, the Earth shall be burnt up, and the Elements fhall melt with fervent heat, &c. 2 Epistle 3. 10. As the Destruction of the Jews happened after an unexpected manner; fo alfo fhall the last day come as a thief in the night. As Fernfalem and the Temple were utterly destroyed as foon as the Jews had compleated the measure of their fins: fo this World which we inhabit muft perifh as foon as the end or Calling of all Nations fhall be fulfilled, as Jefus Chrift himself fays in that Prophecy we now have under Confideration.

Besides, one may reasonably imagin the Disciples to be always prepoffeffed with this Opinion, that the End of the World would immediately follow the destruction of Jerufalem. For when it was reported among the Difciples that St. John fhould not die, because Chrift had faid to one of them speaking of him,If I will that he tarries till I come,what John 21.22. is that to thee? They stretch'd that till I come, as far as the end of the World: but they might have confined it to the Destruction of Jerusa lem, a time which the Apostles in reality faw, and in which Jefus Chrift vifited the Jews in his juftice. Further, this Tradition being spread abroad, that the day of the Lord drew nigh, the Theffalonians

were

were so terrifi'd at it that St. Paul to comfort them, again fent them the following affurances to the Contrary. Now we beseech you, Brethren, that ye bë not foon fhaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by Spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Chrst is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day fhall not come, except first, &c. 2 Thell.

2.2, 3.

In a word, there is no reason to wonder that that Prophecy of Jefus Chrift fo faithfully related by his Difciples, fhould have left this Impreffion in their minds. For Jefus Chrift on the one hand had given fuch marks and figns of his coming, that it seemed as if the last judgment was immediately to follow it; faying, that he fhould appear as the lightning that cometh out of the East; and fhineth even unto the Weft: and on the other hand he had declared several times that all those things fhould happen to that generation, that many of those who were present with him, fhould not tafte of Death until they had feen all those things.

Since then Jefus Chrift united thus two feveral Events in one and the fame Description, but two fubordinate Events, às like unto one another as the Copy and the Original may be, it follows thence that his Prophecy must have had two accomplishments, the one very nigh, and the other remote. This in my opinion is the true way of unravelling all thofe Difficulties. The Difciples con> founded together two very remote Events, and Jesus Chrift fuffered them to continue in that Opinion.' Tis necessary that the Event should justifie the Prophecies, but not that the Prophecies fhould be contrary to their Event. It is neceffary therefore they should be obfcure before their Completion, but clear and eafy when once accomplish'd.

But however probable what I've laid down may feem to be, I fhould be very forry any one should

think I lay the ftrefs of my argument upon it. I make a distinction between bare Conjectures, and true and certain Principles; and I leave all the Explanations I have juft now given to the Readers judgment, to use according to his Difcretion. I am indifferent whether he uses my Notions, or those of any other Man, to folve certain difficulties which may occur therein: I fhall only infilt upon two certain Truths, which in my opinion admit of no Difficulty. The firft is, that this Prophecy is fo circumftantially related, that it is abfurd to imagin it composed after the event: or that a man took occasion from the Destruction of Jerufalem (at which none but Titus and his Army were feen) to make Jefus Christ say, when he foretold that Devastation, that he would come in the Clouds of heaven; that he would fend his Angels to gather his Elect from the four winds; that they would fee him coming with power and great glory; as the lightning that cometh out of the Eaft, and fhineth even unto the Weft; that all the Tribes of the Earth fhonld mourn at his coming; and that day should come as fuddenly as the fire of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The fecond Truth which feems to me altogether unquestionable, is, that notwithstanding that little darkness with which the Wisdom of God thought fit to overshadow this prophecy, it was nevertheless in all Refpects fo very exactly related in all its Cir. cumstances, and fo clearly fulfilled, that fuppofing it composed before the Event, we cannot but acknowledge it to proceed from a Prophetical Spirit. For what can we Read in the Hiftory of the Jews, but what is included in this Prophecy? The beginning, the continuation and ending of the Misfortunes of the Jews are all to be found in it. It does not foretel a particular Captivity of that people, but a general dispersion of the whole Nation: and they shall be led Captives into all Nations, Luk. 21. 24. Jefus Chrift

wept

wept over Ferufalem on another occafion at his entring into it, and uttered thefe Compaffionate Words, O that thou hadst known, even thon, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are bid from thine eyes. For the days fhall come, that thine Enemies fhall caft a Trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep the in on every fide, and shall lay thee even with the ground,and thy Children within thee, and they fhall not leave in thee one ftone upon another: because thou kneweft not the time of thy Vifitation. Luke 19. 42,43,44.

And can any one believe that this passage of our Saviours weeping over Jerusalem was also inserted in the Gospel? Were all those Prophetical Parables inferted too, in which Jefus Christ threatned the Jews with their approaching Destruction, telling them one while, that the Lord would let his Vineyard to other Hufbandmen, after having destroyed them as fo many unfaithful servants; another while that the King who had invited them to the Marriage of his Son, would fend his Soldiers to deftroy them, and burn up their City?

But not to go so far off, one of the Marks whereby they ought to have known that the Event which Jefus Chrift had foretold drew nigh, was that the Gentiles were to be called to the knowledge of the true God. This is exprefly delivered in the places we have already quoted. He therefore that inferted this Prophecy in the Gospel, must have imagined that in his time, the Gentiles had already been called to the knowledge of Jefus Chrift. But fince there were then an infinite number of Chriftians,difperfed throughout World, fince an infinite number of Perfons had the Writings of the Apostles in their poffeffion; How was it poflible either to alter or add thereto several Parables and Chapters, nay to corrupt three Gospels in three Effential places? If fuch a thing had been done in Afia, how could it

G

after

afterwards have been received in Europe, where there must necessarily have been an infinite number of Copies of that Gofpel? Forof all the Books of the New Testament, the Gospels were first compofed. And now do not the Incredulous as yet perceive that Truth overthrows more fcruples than they are able to raise against it. That they continually offer Violence to their Reafon, by refifting the Truth which appears fo strong and invincible on all hands; and that tho' their Reason is fometime perverted and blinded by their Paffions, fo that they cannot fee things in their due light; yet the Objects, the Nature of things, and the Truth which is immutable, never fhift or turn a fide to follow the foolish fancies of their Understanding, or the perverse Inclinations of their Heart?

CHAP. IX.

Wherein we fball examine the matters contained in the Book of Acts.

TH

He matter of this Book may be reduced to these three heads, viz. the Ascension of Jesus Chrift, the coming down of the Holy Goft upon the Apostles, and the Establishment of the Chriftian Churches by the fuccefsful preaching of the Apostles. All these things are of fuch a nature as could not poffibly be forg❜d.

The Afcenfion of Jefus Chrift is related with too many Circumstances to leave us any reason to believe that the Disciples themselves were deceived therein. The Author exprefly affirms that Jefus converfed the space of forty days with his Difciples after his Refurrection; that he promised them they

should