Chap.24. according to s t M A T T ;a E vv. time were nothing elfe but affliftion it felt. He that can read the hiforyofit without tears, bath hardly the heart ofa man in hire. Betides thofe many that perifhcd within the wals, Iofephw tell usof a thoufand thoufandofthemClain by the Romans, and 97oao carriedcaptive. Oh fee the feverityofGod, and tremble, Rom. fluor. 11.22. J perditioetrafit catstio. Scipiowept whenhe law Carthageon fire.And when Sagarxtomwas taken,thcRomans were as much affeeted,as ifHannibalfuiJret adperm,the enemy had been beating upon the walls ofthe Capitoli. Verte 22. There fhoaldnofie!, beflayed] That is, No Zero left alive; the Roman fouldiers had been fo often beaten by them,that peps vfnuitf r theydefred nothingmore then to rid the world of them. But gtadium oleo God, for his Covenant fake, preferved a remnant of them, as he miferationis ever fofteneth the fword ofhis juaice in the oil ofhis mercy, as temper emollit, Nicepharus bath it. lofephus attributeth it to Titus his clemency butour Saviour here better, to Gods infinitemercy tohis elea. Thefeare the fait ofthe earth, that fprinkled here and there, pre ferveit from putrifying andperithing. God gaveall the fouls that were in the (hip toPahl,and all that were in Zoar to Lot. If it were not for his ele& in the world, he would makeabort worlds: the earth, Rom.9.2 8. Verle 23. Then if any man fhal!fay] Here again our Saviour returns to thedefcription ofthe lack times, containing the rife, raign and ruineof Antichri, whole chief engine (hall be toper fwadearias corporall prefence hereand there incertain places, and totie his wor(hip and fer.vicetofuch or filcha City,Countrey, Temple, &c. where he maybe feen, touched, eaten, eec. as they feign in the Fuchari(f.. Verfe24. Ifit werepofble, &c.] Fundamentally and finally the deli cannot pofiibly be deceived : becaufe both the deceived; and thedeceiver are With theLord, Job 12.13,16. In the Primi- tive Church, thofe capitali here(ies concerning the Trinity and the incarnationofour Saviour did fo prevail, Vt ingeniofa resfie. rit ejfe Chrifia,mm, faith .Erafmus, that it was a witty thingtobe . atrue Chriltian. Arrianifme had fo overfpread the world, that Athanaflue féemed tobealone, as did Elias before him,. and Laa- therafter him. But God in the wort` times, referved a remnant, and at alltimes,will not fee nor fiuffer anyofhis to mifcarry : but will reduce them from their cut-ttraies, as he did Latimer, who Aft;a,uA`ors was (.as hicmfelfconfcffe,th ), asobstinate a Papa as any was in ;0/.91 9, England, 551
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=