20 the Frefence ofthe Megas, Vol. I. by as fudden a Change as was ever perhaps made in the World, poffeflìng them- felves by fo fwift and fpeedy a Conqueft of a great Part ofthe then known World, as ifto pafs through it, and to conquer it, had been all one. After the Death of Alexander, the Empire of the Grecians was (hared among his great, Captains, whom the Romans by degrees conquered, befides a great many other Kingdoms which Alexander never faw, and fame of them perhaps had ne- ver hèard of. At lait the Empire of the World, in all its *Greatnefs and Glory, was poffefs'd by Auguflus, in whofe Time our Bleffed Saviour was born. So that here were mighty Commotions in the World, wonderful Changes of Kingdoms and Empires, before the Coming of the Me¡7as ; far greater, and of much larger Extent, than thofe that were in Egypt and Palefline, at the bringing of the Children of Ifrael out of Egypt, and the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai. And thefe did not only go before the Coming of the Me.fflas, but they made way for the more eafy propagating of his Do&rine and Religion ; for the Grecians, and efpecially the Romans, fettled their Conquefts in fuch a manner, as in a good meafure to propagate their Language among the Nations which they conquered ; and particularly the Romans did make the Ways for Travel and Com- merce much more eafy and commodious than ever they were before, by employ- ing their Armies, when they had no other Work, to make High-ways, for the Convenience of Paffage from the Station of one Legiop to another ; the Benefit and Effeft whereof, we in England enjoy tothis Day ; (a Pattern to all Princes and States that have neceffary Occafion for Armies, how to employ them :) And this very thing proved afterwards a mighty Advantage for the more eafy and fpeedy fpreading of Chriftianity in the World. II. Another Part of this Prophecy is, That about the Time of the coming of the Me7as, the World fhould be in a general Expectation of him ; and the Ex- peEtation of all Nations (hall come : And I doubt not but this Character of the Meflas is taken out of that famous Prophecy concerning him, Gen. 49. io. The Scepter (hall not depart from Judah, till Shiloh come, (and by Shiloh, the Ancient yews generally underftood the Mefflas) and to him fhall the Gathering of the People be ; or as it is render'd by the Septuagint, and feveral other Tranflations, and he (hall be the Expectation of the Nations. In Allufion to which Ancient Prophecy concerning him, he is here in the Text called, The Expectation ofall Nations; and fo by the Prophet Malachi, Chap. 3. Verfe r. And the Lordwhom ye expeft, or look for, (hall fuddenly come into his Temple. Now this Part of the Predidion in the Text, was molt eminently fulfilled in our Bleffed Saviour. For about the Time of his coming, the Jews were in a general Expeftation of him, as appears not only from that ancient and general Tradition of Theirs, from the School of . Elias, , That at the End of the fecond Two thoufand Tears of the World, the Me/Jas fbould come; (and our Bleffed Saviour's Coining did accordingly .happen at that Time;) but likewife from that particular Computation of the jeivifh Doftors, not long before our Saviour's Coming, who, upon a folemn De- bate of the Matter , did determine that the McJas would come within Fifty Years. And this is farther confirmed, from the great Jealoufy which Herod had concerninga King of the Jews, that was expefted to be born about that Time; and from that remarkable Teftimony in Jofephus, wh'o tells us, That the Jews rebelled againfi the Romans, being encouraged thereto by a famous Prophecy in their Scriptures, That about that Time a great Prince fbould be born among them, that fhould rule the World: And Jofephus flattered Vefpafian fo far, as to make him believe that he was the Man ; and thereupon perfwaded him to deftroy the Line ofDavid, out of which. the Tradition was, that the Mefflas fhould fpring ; as if the Accomplifhment of a Divine Predidion could be hinder'd by any Hu- man Endeavour. And this was not only the general Expeftation of the Jews about that Time but ofa great Part ofthe World; as appears, from thofe two famous Teftimonies of two ofthe molt eminent Roman Hiftorians, Suetonius and Tacitus.. The Words of Suetonius are thefe; PercrebueratOriente toto vetus & conffans opinio, efe in fads, ut Judeaprofecri rerumpotirentur : There was an ancient and general Op- . nian,
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