was foretold by the Prophets: This opened the Way for the Reception of his Perfon and Doctrine in Judea; and having once got footing there, it was gradually diffused and propagated among the neighbouring Gentiles. Thefe Opportunities must all have been loft by the Destruction, or Difperfion of the Jewish Nation; and therefore it was wifely ordered by the Providence of God, that our Saviour should appear at that happy Juncture, when the Jews were conquered, and made a Colony of Rome, but yet remained a national and collective Body.

2dly, The peaceable Settlement of the chief Kingdoms of the World, fo as to compose one mighty Monarchy under the Obedience of Auguftus, made it a very fit Period for the coming of Chrift. For it gave a Notoriety to his Crucifixion, by means of the neceffary Correfpondence and Intercourse that was established between Judea and Rome, and from thence, with all the known World; it could not be done without the Authority of a Roman Governor, who reported all remarkable Occurrences to the Imperial Court; whereas, if the Jews had been an independent Nation,

the

the Crucifixion of Chrift had been a private Tragedy, acted in a Corner, without Notoriety to the rest of the World.

And this univerfal Peace opened likewife a free Paffage to the Apoftles, and firft Preachers of the Gofpel, thorough the whole Extent of that vaft Empire. So that they were not stopt, and queftioned, and imprifoned, and treated as Spies or Incendiaries upon all Frontiers, which is the common Cafe of all Strangers, in Times of War. Obftructions of this Kind must have been fatal to the Propagation of the Gospel, by fmothering the Chriftian Religion in its Birth.

3dly, As Learning and Knowledge were carried to a very great Heighth in that Age, it was a most happy Period for the opening and fpreading of the Chriftian Doctrine. Men are always inquifitive in Proportion to their Knowledge; and as Christianity brought with it Revelations and Facts that were new and wonderful, and improved and refined Morality to a Degree not known, either to the Jews, or the Philofophers; and above all, as it shewed the Way to everlasting Happiness in the next Life, it could

not

S

ate not fail of drawing the Attention of the Curious, the Learned, and the Religious. This particular Circumftance of the Meffiah's coming in a learned and inquifitive Age, was exprefly pointed out in Daniel's Prophefy, as being of great Confequence to the Propagation of his Doctrine, which could not fo eafily have made its Way in an Age of Ignorance and Barbatifm. Many, fays he, shall run to and fro, and Know ledge fhall be encreased.

There was therefore a most happy Combination of Circumftances at this Period of the World, for the Reception of Chrift and his Gofpel; for which Reason, we may humbly conjecture, that the Providence of God chofe this as a fit Season, preferably to all others, for his Advent.

Having thus fhewn you the Preparations, which God in his Providence had made in the general State of the World for the coming of the Meffiah, I come in the 3d Place, to prove, that this was the fpecifick Period of Time prefixed for the coming of the Meffiah. And this is evident from thofe Words in my Text, And I will fill this Houfe with Glory. The Temple of Solomon was much Superior to the fecond Temple,

in the Magnificence of its Building, and Richness of its Furniture, and had moreover five several Preheminences of Glory, that were peculiar to it, as I before obferved ; and yet this latter was to exceed it in Glory; the Expreffion of being filled with Glory, plainly imports thus much, and in the Verfe below the Text, it is clearly expreffed, The Glory of this latter Houfe fhall be greater than of the former, and in this Place will I give Peace, faith the Lord of Hofts. This greater Glory, and this giving of Peace, could never be made out any other Way, than by the perfonal Appearance of the Meffiah in the fecond Temple, who was ftiled, the Glory of the People of Ifrael; and who came to be a Mediator and Peacemaker between God and Men.

The Jews, before the Destruction of their Temple, muft, and did understand the Words in this Senfe, for the Prophet Malachy clearly foretels, that the Meffiah should honour the fecond Temple with his Prefence; Behold I will fend my Messenger, and be fhall prepare the Way before me. Which was exactly verified in John the Baptift, Malach.3.7.and the Lord whom ye Jeek, the Meffiah, who is fo ardently expected by you, shall Juddenly come into his Temple.

But

But when that proud and perverse Nation faw their Temple utterly destroyed, and their Common-wealth entirely ruined by the Romans,and therefore could not, with any Face, deny that the Meffiah was actually come, they had Recourse to a thousand pitiful Shifts and Evafions, rather than own that our crucified Jefus was that Meffiah, whom they vainly expected to come in all the Pomp and Splendor of a worldly Prince.

And if there could be any room left for Doubt, yet the Prophefy of Daniel has perfectly cleared it up. For he exprefly foretells, that after threescore and two Weeks, or 434 Years, Shall Meffiah be cut off, but not for himself, and the People of the Prince that fhall come, fhall deftroy the City, and the Sanctuary — and he shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease, 9 Dan. at the End. It is not of great Moment in this Question, to enquire when this Term precisely began and ended, for it is fufficient to overthrow Judaism, that the Temple was utterly defroyed, and a final End put to the Sacrifice and Oblation foon after our Saviour's Paffion; these are Facts not to be denied, and therefore according to Daniel, the Meffiah was come, and was cut off before that Period.