Page:Historical catechism.pdf/4

 A. The land about Sodom and Gomorah; where were 13 cities built on a fruitful oil, a econd paradie; but they inned greatly, for which God rained down brimitone and fire from heaven, which detroyed their land. leaving not one tone upon another, nor any witnes of their former plendor or glory, but a poionous mell of fire and brimitone; which, by its vapours tiffles the birds that fly over this tinking lake, that they fall down dead and the fih that are carried into it out of the river Jordan are choaked with it. Intead of pulpy vine, there are now ome apples of a glorious appearance, but within are full of ulphurous ahes.

Q. What became of the Jewih nation, after that wicked act of crucifying the Lord of life?

A, God’s judgments according to their deerts, and our Saviour’s prophecy overtook them: for the Romans with a great army beieg’d, plunder’d, and burnt the city and temple. There perih'd by famine, fire, word and quarrels, 110000 people; the iege beginning at the time of the paover, in a manner when all the Jews in Palatine were encloed in that city, o that there were in it more trangers than inhabitants. The paover that was firt intituted by God in mercy, to ave the Iraelites from death in Egypt, was now ued by him in jutice to haten their detruction, and conumed them in the fire of his anger. And thoe that ecaped, became a cattered people over the whole earth.

Q What became of the remainder?

A Beides thee that were lain 07, 000 were taken captives, and they who had bought our Saviour’s blood off Judas for 30 pieces of ilver, were themelves old for thirty a penny. The chritians that were in the city being forewarned of our Saviour’s predictions, and many other prodigies, fled betimes out of Jerualem to Pella, a town beyond Jordan, which erved intead of a little Zoar, to ave them from imminent detruction.

Q. Was there ever any attempt made to rebuild the temple of Jerualem?

A. Yes: Julian the apotate, emperor of Rome, reolved to build it in oppoition to Chrit’s prophecy, “that one tone hould not be left upon another,” but when the workmen were laying the foundation a dreadful earthquake happened, o that the work and workmen were detroyed.

Q. What did they dicover at laying the foundation?

A. There was a one which lipt from its place, and dicover’d the mouih of a cave, wherein was found a book very freh, wrapt in linen cloth, which the Jews and Grecians opened, and therein found written.