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A. The land about Sodom and Gomorah; where were 13 cities built on a fruitful ſoil, a ſecond paradiſe; but they ſinned greatly, for which God rained down brimiſtone and fire from heaven, which deſtroyed their land. leaving not one ſtone upon another, nor any witneſs of their former ſplendor or glory, but a poiſonous ſmell of fire and brimiſtone; which, by its vapours ſtiffles the birds that fly over this ſtinking lake, that they fall down dead and the fiſh that are carried into it out of the river Jordan are choaked with it. Inſtead of pulpy vine, there are now ſome apples of a glorious appearance, but within are full of ſulphurous aſhes.
Q. What became of the Jewiſh nation, after that wicked act of crucifying the Lord of life?
A, God’s judgments according to their deſerts, and our Saviour’s prophecy overtook them: for the Romans with a great army beſieg’d, plunder’d, and burnt the city and temple. There periſh'd by famine, fire, ſword and quarrels, 110000 people; the ſiege beginning at the time of the paſſover, in a manner when all the Jews in Palaſtine were encloſed in that city, ſo that there were in it more ſtrangers than inhabitants. The paſſover that was firſt inſtituted by God in mercy, to ſave the Iſraelites from death in Egypt, was now uſed by him in juſtice to haſten their deſtruction, and conſumed them in the fire of his anger. And thoſe that eſcaped, became a ſcattered people over the whole earth.
Q What became of the remainder?
A Beſides theſe that were ſlain 07, 000 were taken captives, and they who had bought our Saviour’s blood off Judas for 30 pieces of ſilver, were themſelves ſold for thirty a penny. The chriſtians that were in the city being forewarned of our Saviour’s predictions, and many other prodigies, fled betimes out of Jeruſalem to Pella, a town beyond Jordan, which ſerved inſtead of a little Zoar, to ſave them from imminent deſtruction.
Q. Was there ever any attempt made to rebuild the temple of Jeruſalem?
A. Yes: Julian the apoſtate, emperor of Rome, reſolved to build it in oppoſition to Chriſt’s prophecy, “that one ſtone ſhould not be left upon another,” but when the workmen were laying the foundation a dreadful earthquake happened, ſo that the work and workmen were deſtroyed.
Q. What did they diſcover at laying the foundation?
A. There was a ſone which ſlipt from its place, and diſcover’d the mouih of a cave, wherein was found a book very freſh, wrapt in linen cloth, which the Jews and Grecians opened, and therein found written. IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE
