3.

SIGNS AND APPEARANCES PRECEDING THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

After our Lord had foretold the ruin and desolation coming upon the Jewish people, their city and temple, his disciples came to him privately, saying, tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, &c. Our Lord then informs them of five signs which shall precede the destruction of Jerusalem. The first sign is false Christs, "for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many." The second, wars and commotions, "nation shall rise against nation."

The third, pestilence and famine, "there shall be famines and pestilences." The fourth is "earthquakes in divers places." All of which events took place according to our Lord's prediction, as may be fully seen in the history of the Jews by Josephus, (the Jewish historian,) and also by other writers who lived at the time. The fifth sign is, "there shall be fearful sights and great signs from heaven." (Luke, chap. xxi. 11.) Josephus, in his preface to the Jewish war, enumerates these,-1st. A star hung over

the city like a sword; and a comet continued a whole year. 2d. The people being assembled at the feast of unleavened bread, at the ninth hour of the night, a great light shone about the altar and the temple, and this continued for half an hour. 3d. At the same feast, a cow, led to the sacrifice, brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple! 4th. The eastern gate of the temple, which was of solid brass, and very heavy, and could hardly be shut by twenty men, and was fastened by strong bars and bolts, was seen at the sixth hour of the night, to open of its own accord ! 5th. Before sun-setting there was seen all over the country, chariots and armies fighting in the clouds, and besieging cities. 6th. At the feast of Pentecost, when the priests were going into the inner temple by night, to attend to their service, they heard first a motion and noise, and then a voice as of a multitude, saying, LET US DEPART HENCE. What Josephus reckons one of the most terrible signs of all was, that one Jesus, a country fellow, four years before the war began, and when the city was in peace and plenty, came to the feast of tabernacles, and ran up and down the streets day and night, crying, "a voice

7th.

from the east! a voice from the west! a voice from the four winds! a voice against Jerusalem and the temple! a voice against the bridegrooms and brides! and a voice against all the people!" Though the magistrates endeavoured by stripes and tortures to restrain him, yet he still cried with a mournful voice, “Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" for several years together, going about the walls and crying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe to the city, and to the people, and to the temple ;" and as he added woe, woe to myself!" a stone sent by the Romans from some sling or engine struck him dead upon the spot! It is worthy of remark that Josephus appeals to the testimony of others, who saw and heard these fearful things. Tacitus, a Roman historian gives nearly the same account with that of Josephus.-Clarke's Commentary.

And this he continued to do

4.

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

The siege and destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the subversion of the