Serra. CLXXXIV. of tie Chri%fian 7 e1gion. 553 If theÿ Acid fad to you, he is in the defart, go not forth anfwerable to what Jofephus Pays, that they drew many after them into the Wildernef. Such an one likewife was the Egyptian Prophet, who, as yofephus tells, came to Jerufa/em much about the fame time, and perfwaded the People to follow him to Mount Olivet, perfwading them, that from thence they Mould fee the Walls of ferufalem fall, and fo might enter the City. Which Felix underftanding, rent Soldiers, and flew, and took feveral of them, but the Egyptian Impoftour himfelf madean Efcape ; which is the reafon of that laying of the chief Captain to Paul, Ads at. 38. Art not thou the Egyptian, which before thefe days madeJi an aproar 1 &c. Such another was that Impoftor (if he be diftin& from the former) who, as 3'ofèphus tells us, about three Years after, under FeJias Portia: the Pro- curator, deceived the People with vain promifes of Deliverance, and cafe from their Oppreffions, if they would follow him into the Wildernefs : but Felix; fent Soldiers, and deftroyed him, and his Company. And fhall deceive many, that is, by railing falfe Expe&ations in the People, !ball draw them into Ruin, as 3ofephus tells us they did many of the 'ews. And this our Saviour elfewhere foretold as a jut} Judgment of God upon them, for reje&ing of him who was the true Mugs. john ï. 43. 1 am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not : if another (hall come in his own name, him ye will receive. Secondly, The next Sign our Saviour gives, is Wars and rumours of Wars, Famines, Peililences, Earthquakes, &c. ver. 6, 7. And re had hear of Wars and rumours of Wars. About this time the yews began to be let upon in fe- veral places, by the Command of the Emperor, and many thoufands of chew were Hain at Alexandria, and Babylon, as jofephus tells us. And there was a fear, and rumour of a general War denounced againft them by Cairo Ca- tignla the Emperor, unlefs they would receive his Statue into their Temples Upon this rumour the whole Nation was in great aftonifhmenr, in Co much that the 7ews left their bufinefs, and negle&cd to till their Grounds, expeíting the Romans would have fallen upon them ; of which coafternation, both ofephus and Philo give us a particular account. Our Saviour adds, See that ye be not troubled : for thefe things muff come to pafl, but the. end is not yet 5 that is, When youhe the Nation in this dan- ger from the Romans, be not ye troubled, as the Yews will be, thinking now will be the ruin of the Nation. This and many ocher things will happen, before the final End come. And accordingly it fell out. For fo Jofephus. and Tacitas tell us, that this norm was blown over by the fudden Death of the Emperor. Per. 7. Nation (hall rife up againfl Nation. Which happened under Clair. thus and Nero, the two next Roman Emperors, when in fvcral Cities, as Cefarea, Ptolemais, and many others, the 7cws and thofe of other Nations that inhabited thofe Cities, fell upon and deflroyed one another, as may be . read at large in 7ofophur. AndKingdom again/! Kingdom. This Teems to refer ro the leverai Provin- ces, or Tetrarchies in Pale /tine, which were alto caiI'd Kingdoms, which at this time had cruel Wars againft one another; as the Jews and the Galilean againft the Samaritans, and level-al others that 7ofephus (peaks of. And there (ball be Famines and Pefiilences. Accordingly fofephus tells us, that under Claudius Cefar there was a great Famine in Judea, namely, that which was Prophefied of by Agabus, Ails ci. 28. And this Grotius very probably fuppofeth to be the reafon, why Sc. Paul in his Epiftles, written about that time, is fo earneft with the Chriftians to fend relief to the Saints at Jerufalem. Fe/lilencer, they ufually follow Famine, and Earthquakes in divers places g which happened in the times of Claudius and Nero. Philo- B b b b //ratas
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