232 S H I. L O H. very celebrated Writer, was handed about among(} the Jews, which, whether human or divine, equally mili- tates againft them in their part and prefent RejeEtion of Chrift, from the avowed Hope that was then univerfally entertained of a fpeedy Deliverer. According to this Tradition, " the World was to lait fix thoufand Years, " of which two thoufand werevoid, two thoufand were " to be under the Law, and two thoufand under " the Wit;h." The Mejiah indeed did come nearly about that Period, but, coming unattendedwith earthly Pomp, they knew him not. By defpifing and relating him when he appeared, they undefignedly fulfilled the Scriptures that were written of him, and perfecuted him only to that Death, which it was foretold he fhould die. Equally marvellous with their grofs Blindnefs, in not recognizing him by the Works which he wrought, was their ha$y Reception of every Impoftor that flatted up (and fome did ftart up immediately) afterwards ; though he could bring no other Credentials, than thofe of the mott diabolical and infamous Audacity. Macias, Ju- das the Galilean or Gaulanite, Egyptius, and that vile Impoftor Bar-chocab (or the Son of a Star, after- wards rightly called by the Jews themfelves, Ben-cofba, the Son of a Lye), who occafioned infinite Confufion and Murder ; came in their own Name (as our Lord had pro- phefied) * and were received; but they were received, like Fire in their Dwellings, or Serpents in their Bofoms, to their own Mifery and Deftruaion. Numberlefs Im- poftors of this Complexion, by the juft Judgement of GOD, have been permitted to árife amongft them at various Times, and in different Countries. Thefe havedrawn away deluded Difciples after them, not to the Eftablithmentof any kind of Order civil or religious, but to Rapine and Plunder, Rebellion and Blood. No- thing, In thort, fince their Rejeftion of the true Mef- flab, has been too grofs for their Credulity ; nor, pro- "yided it oppofed the Nazarene (a contemptuous Name John v. 43. among
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