Serah CLXXXV. of the Chrifliwa `Religion. 5 57 Andthen fball the end come ; 'liar is, the final Deliru&ion of the Jews, the tool Ddòlauonof.,the Jeuifh Church and Commonwealih, according to the Prophecy of Jacob, Gen. 49. ro. which puts thefe two Signs together, that the Scepter (hall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet; until Slploh came ; and.unto himJhall the gathering of the people be. Righthly, Thedaft and moft immediate Sign and Forerunner which he gave of their Deftruc`tion, is theHanding of the abominati n of Defolation in the holy place. ver. 15. When ye fhall fee the abomination of definition fpoken of by the Prophet Daniel, Jlanding in the holyplace 5 they let themwhich be in Judea fire into the Mountains. There is a great difference among Expofitors, what is here meant by the abomination of defolation Handing in the holy place. Some refer it to the Statue of Adrian the Emperor, placed where the Temple was at I-erafalen% But that cannot be, becaufe that was a long time after the Deflruftion of 7erufalem, and therefore could not be given by our Saviour. for a Sign and Forerunner of it. Others (as Capellus) refer it to the Faltion of the Zealots, which before Titus came to befiege Jerufalem, feized upon the Temple, and prophaned it by Bloodthed and Slaughter, and made fo horrible a Devaflation in the City. And this would not be improbable, if St. Lake had not given us fo clear an Interpretation of ir, Luke z t. zo, a r, who inflead of the abomination of deflation, mention'd by St. Matthew and St. Mark, puts the Roman Armies. Andwhen ye Jhall fee Jerufalem compaf= fedwith Armies, then know that the defolation thereof is nigh. Then let them that are in Judea, flee to the Mountains. So that according to St. Luke, the abomination of defolation fïanding in the holy place, is the Roman Armies coin- p4ing Jerufalem ; which therefore is calla the abomination of defolation, be- caufe it would caufe fogreat a Defolation among them. When ye fee Jerufa- lem compaJfed with Armies, then know that the defolation thereof is nigh : and it is laid to ¡land in the holy place, becaufe yerafälem was the holy City, and fo many furlongs about it were accounted Holy. Now when the Roman Army fltould approach within the limits of the Holy ground, then the abomi- nation of dcf latian might be Paid to (land in the holy place : but the word Abomination feems particularly to refer to the Rotrian Enfgns, upon which were the Images of their Emperors, which the Romans worfhip'd, as Suetonitts exprefly tells us ; and Tacitus calls them their Bellorum dii, their God. of War. Now it was an abomination to the Yews to fee thefe Idols fer up within the limits of the Holy City. To which I may add what yofephus tells us afterward, that the Romans after they had conquer'd the City, fet up thefe Enfigns in the Ruins of the Temple, and Sacrificed to them. Yer. 15. Then let them that be in Judea, flee unto the Mountains 5 and let him which is on thehoof top, not come down to take any thing out of his houf ; neither let him which is in the field, return back to take his cloaths, which are leverai expreffions to lignifie what hafte the Chriftians would make, when they law the Romans making fo near approaches to Jerufalem. Let them which are in Judea, flee to the Mountains. Some refer this to the lall Siege by Titus : but I fee no probability for that 5 for the Jews did not permit any to go out of the City; Others refer it to Vefpatian's drawing his Forces toward yen/le/cm fometime before the Siege, but hearing of the Death of Nero the Emperor, he forbore to befiege it, 'till he had received orders from the new Emperor ; and that this wasa warning to the Chriflians, and they took their opportunity then to flee to the Mountains. But this could not be neither, becaufe for a good while before, the Fa&ion of the Zealots under John, and Simon's Fa&ion who lay without the City, did flay all who endeavour'd to efcape out of the City. If we limit thefewords to Jerufalem; (which the Text does not) the moft probable time was when Jerufalem was firft compalt by the Roman Army under Ce/lius Gallus, who afterward with- drew
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