5.5 8 'Ibe Evidences of the Truth Vol, II, drew his Siege : and then indeed thofe that would, had liberty to flee away. And at this time foféphus doth fay, that many did flee forefeeing the app proachíng danger. But there is no reafon to confine it to 5eruJalem : for oltr Saviour's words are more large, Then let them that are.in JudeaEke the Mountains. And if fo, there is an exprefs paffàge in Nil* to this_pur: pofe, that when Titus was drawing up his Forces toward;erufalem, a great number of thofe who were at 7ertcho went from thence Hi 47 ópera, into the Mountainous places, and thereby confulted their own fafety. Per. 15. Let him that is on the houfe top not come to take any thing from thence. Our Saviour alludes to the fafhion of the yewifb Houles, which had plain hoofs, upon which they ufed to walk 5 and he bids them make fuch hafte, that when they faw this Sign, they fhould not think of faving any thing in their Houles, but betake themfelves prefently to the Mountains for fafety. her. 16. Neither let him that is in the field return back to take his clothes. Another expreflion to liignifie what hafte they thou!d make from the ap- yroaching danger. her. 17. But wo unto them that are with child, and to thofe that give fuck in chafe days 5 becaule of the impediment that this would be to their flight. Or poffibly it may refer to the dreadful flory, not parallel'd in any Place or Age, which f ofephus tells of one Mary, who in the time of the Siege,:.aout of very famine, boil'd her fucking Child, and cat it. And therefore St. Luke 21. 23. does mention this of the womens being with child, not as an impediment to flight, but as an inftance of the great Calamity that fhould befal them. Luke 21. 23. But no unte them that are with Child, and to them that give fuck in thofe days z for there /hall be great diflreß in the land, and wrath upon this People. Per. rß. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter 5 nor on the Sab- bath day. Not in winter, becaule of the hardnefs of the Seafon, and the difficulty of travelling and living upon the Mountains : nor on the Sabbath day. This concerned the Chrißian yews as well as others, molt of which obferved the yewifh Law and Rites after our Saviour's Death, till the Defolarion of the Ycwifb State and Temple, as appears out of the Hiltory of the Alls. For tho' St. Paul flood for the liberty of the Gentiles 5 yet it appears from Ads 2 I. 21. that he vindicated himfelf frcm the Calumny or Alperfion which was calf upon him, as if he taught the yews which were among the Gen- tiles, to forfake Moles, and that they ought not to Circumcife their Chil- dren, nor to walk after their Cufloms. So that the Chriftian yews retain- ing the obfervance of the fewifb Sabbath, upon which it was not lawful to go any farther than a Sabbath day's Journey, which was fcarce two Miles 5 if the danger Should happen at that time (as the Romans ufually took advan- tage to make all their wafers on that day, knowing the fuperltition of the yews in that point) they muff needs have been in great perplexity. Having thus particularly treated of the Signs which our Saviour foretold, as fore - runners of the DeftruEtion of gerufalem 5 I proceed, ;. To confider the Concomitant and Subfequent Circumtlances of ir. As, r. The unparallcl'd greatnefs of their Calamity. 2. The Arifing of falfe Chrifls. 3. Their being led into Captivity, and difperfed up and down the World. q.. Their continuance in this Captivity and difpers'd gate out of their Country, till the Gofpel had had its courfe among the Gentiles. r. The unparallel'd greatnefs of their Calamity and Deflruéfion, ver. na. For then (hall be great tribulation, fuck as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, neitherover 'hall be. This is a very material Chetah/fiance 2 ín
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