5l2 Vol; iI. SN;R IVI ON The Evidences of the Truth of the Chriflian Religion. z C 0 R. IV. 3, g. 33ut if our Gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft : In whom the SeTheh God of this World bath blinded the Minds of them which believe not, Seem. on left the light of the glorious Gofpel of (brill, who is the image of this Tex'. ó God, Should pine unto them. IN Difcourfing on the fourth Evidence which chore who liv'd in Our Savi- our's time had of his Divine Authority, viz. The Spirit of Prophecy prov'd to be in him, and made good by the accotnplifhment of his Predi&i- ens, I came to confider that remarkable Prediétion of the Dettruetion of jerufalem. In doing this, i propofed Three things. Firft, To explain the Series and Order of this Predi&ion. Secondly, To confider the Particulars of ir, -as we had them in the agth of St. Matthew, compar'd with the other two Evangelifts. Thirdly, To make Tome Rcflcftions upon this Predition, and its pun&ual accomplilhment. The two former of there I have difpatch'd, and now pro. ceed to what remains, viz. The Third Thing I propounded, which was ro make fome Refletlions upon this Predi&ion of our Saviour's, concerning the Deftrui ion of j,ruiealem, and the pun&ual accomplifbment of ir. And now that i have been lo large in the explication of this Prophecy, I !hall make ofe of this Argument far- ther than I intended, not only to(hew that thofe who lived in that Age, and faw our Saviour's Predi&ions, fo pun&ualiy anfwer'd by the Event, might from hence be fatisfied of the Prophetick Spirit of our Saviour, and confe- quently of his Divine Authórity 5 but likewife CO flew of what force 'o the convi&ton of the yews this Confederation is, of the DeftruEtion et I.rerfa. lem, and that long train of miferable confequences which followed upon ir, and have lafted.to this day. And the Refle&ions i Hall make upon this !hall be thefe. I. That nothing lefs than a Prophetick Spirit could fo punctually have foretold fo many Contingents, and improbable things, as this Peedil °n of our Saviour's does contain in it. Such were forne of thofe Signs which did forerun the Deflru&ion of yerufalesn ; as the great Famine which happened under Claudius the Several great Earthquakes under Claudius. and Nero; the univerfal Publication of the Gofpel all over the Roman Empire iu fo Short a fpace ; thofe wonderful Sights, and prodigious Signs from Heaven, fo (grange as are-not to be parallel'd in any Hiilory. ;And fuch likewife were the Circumftances of theDeftruftion of the City and the T<mp!s' : os that it Should be an utter Detolation, which was flrangc:y acconapldh'4s when, as 5oJephus tells us, the very Mountain upon which the Temple flood,
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