79 ,...~ their Power to workMiracles, nei~Il~! js Futurity 912en ro their View, to compofe a~n Hifi:.;H~Y C .'" P· 4· of things to co~e . The Death ofCl/r!ft dq~ende:\ o,n feveral Caufes .; Men, Devilf., and Coli ~ himfelf concurr d for dtvers Entis m the fame Event. The two pnme Confpirators agamft his Life, L.teifor and Caiapha;, \V<; r'e p'*l~ed bot.h from Reafons of State to fe,ure thfir ow,n, The Dml to mamtam hts cruel ·E~pm! whtch.for fo many Ages he had pfurp'd in .rh~ W<:rld. For our SaviOur hay,_prr w1th Au(honty ca(l out Legwns of;,hi1, Miniflring Spmts from thofe who were m,r,li~lJiy pore(\ 1 by them, he 'fas m fear qf lofing his Power. Befides, he forefaw that tf Chnfl' \vere the Son of God, the k1llmg of him would bring fuch a crimfon Gu\lt" J!pon the'. Jews, that no Iefs punifhm•nt . than their RejeCl:ion would follow : And fo God lhoulcliofe his p :culiar People. Caiaphas excite,! the Council to Devote h.im ~s a Sacrifice ~o ;Pfcterve their Nation from Ru~n : Fort~1,Cir Safety' depending on thetr Homage·to t)le J/o!Jians, to prevent the Jealoufies that tl1lgpl arife by the fame of his Mighty Works, and by the Peopl es attendance on him, th:it were fed by his Miracles, rhey concluded on it. as a necefi:1ry expedient, that Chrifi fhould Dye, and all fufpicions be removeq,with him. Thus Men and Devils wece the infiruments, but God appointed that great Evenr. The Storm fell from Heaven upon Him for our Sins. 'T1s therefore expref]y faid, He was delivered by the deternri1Mte Counfel and Fore/eurwledge of God; who over-rllled the train of Diforders, the Work of their Cruel Malice, for contrary ends than we.c rlefign 'd by them: For <he DevJls were ca(l out of tlmr Kmgdo?', the Jews depnveu of their Liberty, and the Kingclom .of Chn(l e(labhlh d for ever. Now who could read il\ the Mind of God hiS free Dec~ees? Even the Angels of Ltght that always fe~ his Face cannot wnhollt a R.eve1atton of them. None but the Spirit that fearches the d_n:p tl>i11gs of God, could make the Difcovery? And who could forefee that the Mefijal\ f9 often Promifed to the Jews, [o impatiently expelted, and ardently defir'd, fitoqld ,~e fo ~~,~~1 ih~r~e~~~re~? tl~~n: ~;;·~~is t~~;~~~'~W~h~ep~~i~J:'~ ~:n~~;~is,~;'a7~~~~;.:~ fent, and whoJS more. IO~JI11ate \Vtth t4e ~ounfels and Pafhons or Men than ,. tPei r..,q~V:_ll Souls are, could pred1Et 1t. He commnmcated fome rays of h1s Pre(cienre to Holy Men, who foretold that obfcureft Conti ngency: From hence it follow~; that the c(e'>!: Te(limonies of the Prophets exaCl:ly fulfill'd m Jefrn Chrifl, are an unanfwerable demonfiration that He was the expeCl:ed Deliverer to re(lore theWor!d. 2. The Univerfal and irreparable De(lrutl:ion of the State of the Jews,- foretold as the juft Puoilhment of their rejeCl:ing the Meffi•h, is another illu(lrious , proof of the . Divinity of his Perfon and DoCl:rine. To reprefent all theCharaCl:ers ?f that Vengeance as they are fet down by, Jofep/zrn, an Eye-Wnnefs and HI(lonan of tt, would lengthen tlus Dtfcourfe beyond the limits intended. It is fufficientto obferve, . 1. That all the fevere Scourges of God met in a direful conjuntlion againfi them. The mort affrighting Prodigies were his forerunners ; a Fl aming-Sword brandifh'd iu the Htavens, and Monfter:; Born on the Earth: And War, Famine, Penil lnce and Fire were his Attendants. Thofe who efcap't the Sword, were confum'd by Famine; and thofe who were preferv 'd from Cruel War and Famine, were fwept away by the Pe(li. Jence, or devour'd by the Mercilefs Flames. Where-ever they turn'd their Eyes,. Death in terrible fiupes appear'd. 2 . All thefe Judgments were inAiCl:ed at once upon them in the heavi efidegrees. The Sword never made a greatei Defrrntl:ion of Men than in Jemfolem: Here were Rivers of Blood, there Mounta ins of Carcalfes,. In fome places nothi ng. but Silence and Horrour amongfl: the Dead, in others theCnes and Groans of the Dvmg. Innu111erable were Malfacred by the rage of Sed ition amongft themfelves. And when the mild Conqueror would have fpared them, yet by an unparallell'd fiercenefs they would rather peri fh in an obftinate refifrance. The Famine was fo extream, as compell'd even tenderMothers to Eat the Flefh of their Miferable Children. The Fire confum'd the City from one end to rhe other, without ~leav ing any part entire. The Temple, the SanCtuary of Religion and Image of Heaven where God fo long had dwelt, had been ferv'd and prais 'd, and ~end red his Oracles, was not exempted from the fury of the Fire. 3· Their Cabmity was extreamand irreparable. The fir(l Defolation by the Chaldell.Jt.T, fo compafiionarcly recorded by Jeremiah, was not comparable in ~h e degrees and continuance to this fecond by the Romans, of which CH E\. IS T lum[clf was the Chief Mourner, and made lamentation. Then they were tranfponed together, and not to a very rigorous nor perpetual fervitude in Babyloll. After Seventy years they reccver'd their Liberty, and were reflored to their Nativ(: Land. But in the lafl, the Captives were difpers'd among divers People; a fad ho~no(lick that they fhoul d never be joined again in one Society. The Ruins of the Nation were fo grea t, that the pieces
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