gave out, that they might expect help from God; that the people might be the less disposed to desert, and that hope might detain them, who were above fear, and were the guards of the city. In the time of adversity, adds the historian, a man is quickly persuaded." But as it was to little purpose, for a man to take upon him the character of the Messiah, or even of a prophet, without miracles to prove his divine mission; so it was the common artifice, of these impostors, to show " signs and wonders." And Josephus testifies, that they were so dexterous, in imitating miraculous works, that they deceived many of the Jews; and such were their works, that if" the elect," that is, the Christians, had not had the fullest evidence, of the truth of Christ's mission, and miracles, it is most probable, that they likewise would have been deceived: but having had these proofs, and being sensible of the miraculous powers they themselves possessed, it was next to impossible, that they should be deceived by these impostors. Behold," adds our Saviour, "I have told you before:" that is, I have forewarned you: "Wherefore if they

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shall say unto you, behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not." It is remarkable, that our Saviour should not only foretel the appearance of these impostors, but also the manner, and circumstances of their conduct. Some he mentions as appearing "in the desert," and some, in the secret chambers;" and the event, in all points, answered to the prediction. Several of the false Christs, and false prophets, conducted their followers into "the desert." Josephus says expressly, that " many impostors, and cheats, persuaded the people to follow them into the desert, where they promised to show manifest wonders, and signs, done by the providence of God; and many being persuaded, suffered the punishment of their folly." Other impostors, conducted their followers into "secret places," particularly the false prophet, mentioned by Josephus, who declared to the people in the city, that God commanded them to go up into the temple, and there they should receive the signs of deliverance. A multitude went up accordingly, but instead of deliverance, the place was set on fire by the Romans, and

six thousand perished miserably in the flames, or by endeavouring to escape them. Our Lord, therefore, might well caution his disciples, both against the former, and the latter sort of these deceivers. "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." It is worthy of remark, that our Lord here points out, the very march of the Roman army. We learn from history that they entered Judea on the east, and carried on their conquests westward; so that not only the extensiveness of the ruin, but the very route the army would take, was implied in the comparison of the lightning issuing from the east, and shining to the west. "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." Our Saviour here, after his usual manner, applies a proverbial expression, with a particular meaning. For as according to the proverb, "wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together," so, wheresoever the Jews are, who were morally and judicially dead, and therefore are here described by "the carcase;" there

will the Roman armies "be gathered together;" who are properly compared to eagles, as the strongest, and fiercest birds of prey; whose ensign also was an eagle, and to which, likewise, our Saviour probably alludes. In reviewing this subject, we cannot but observe, how wonderfully persons were raised up, and preserved, for the completion of these prophecies. Vespasian was promoted from obscurity; and though feared, and hated by Nero, was yet preferred, and singled out, as the only general among the Romans, who was equal to such a war. Titus was wonderfully preserved,

in some of the most critical circumstances of danger; and Josephus, himself, was no less wonderfully preserved than Titus: the one to destroy the city; and the other, to record its destruction. As a general in the wars, Josephus must have had an accurate knowledge of all transactions; and as a Jewish priest, we cannot suppose, he would relate them with any favour, or partiality to the Christian cause. His history was approved of by Vespasian and Titus, who ordered it to be published; and by king Agrippa, and many others, both Jews and

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Romans, who were present in those wars. had many enemies who would gladly have convicted him of falsehood, had he been guilty. He certainly designed nothing less, and yet his history of the Jewish wars, will for ever remain a comment on our Saviour's prophecies; and no one who compares his history with the words of our Saviour can help acknowledging that the predictions of our Lord were not only wonderful, but above nature and truly divine. The predictions were the clearest as the calamities were the greatest, that the world had ever seen. The sin which brought down upon the Jewish nation this heavy judgment, was their having crucified the Lord of glory and upon reflection, we shall find a striking correspondence between their crime and their punishment. They put our Saviour

to death when the nation was assembled to celebrate the passover; and when the nation was assembled for the same purpose, Titus shut them up within the walls of Jerusalem. The rejection of the true Messiah was their crime; and the following of false Messiahs to their own destruction was their punishment.