Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 24:2

2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there sha[illegible: 1 letter]l not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Mark saith, Ch. 13.1, 2. One of his Disciples, Luke saith come, Luk. 21.5. Mark saith, the Disciple said, Master what manner of Stones, and Buildings are here? Luke saith, they spake how the Temple was adorned with divers Stones and Gifts. All three Evangelists agree in the Substance of our Saviour's reply. Christ had now done his Work in the Temple, where he never came more, and was going toward the Mount of Olives, where we shall find him in the next Verse: His Disciples, either one of them or more, Probably one in the presence of the rest, either doubting (considering the structure of the Temple) whether it could be destroyed, or at least thinking it Pity that so Famous a structure should come to Ruin, come to him, admiring the Stones and Buildings. Most think this was the Temple builded by Zorobabel, almost six hundred years before, though it received great Additions by Herod (for we have no Record, that that Temple was ever destroyed.) Incredible stories are related about the Dimensions of the Stones, and the Ornaments of it. Our Saviour saith unto them. Verily I say unto you, there shall not be one Stone left upon another, that is, This brave goodly Temple shall be utterly Ruin'd: Nor, (if we may believe other Histories) did this Prophecy fail as to the letter of it. Titus the Roman Emperor taking Ierusalem, about forty years after this, Commanded his Soldiers to spare the Temple, when they entred the City, but they in their Rage burnt of it, what was of a Combustible Nature, and Turnus Rufus left General of his Army, when he went away, drew a Plow over it, as God had said, Ier. 26.18. Micah 3.12. Zion shall be plowed like a Fre[illegible: 1 letter]d, and when after this Alippius by the command of I[illegible: 1 letter]lian the Ap[illegible: 1 letter]state attempted the rebuilding of it, with the help of the Jews▪ it is reported by divers, that Balls or [illegible: 1 word] of fire rose up from the Foundations, destroyed many of the Work-men, and made the place inaccedible for any further such [illegible: 1 letter]ttempts. So justly are the Divine Threatnings to be fe[illegible: 1 letter]re[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ wh[illegible: 1 letter]tever improbability of the contrary, appeareth to us. We are very apt to be taken with the Gli[illegible: 1 letter]tering Prosperity of Sinners, but we ought to measure the Duration of it from the Revelations of the Divine Will, not from our own Re[illegible: 3 letters]n or Fa[illegible: 1 letter]cy ▪ to Remember the Temple of Ierusalem, T[illegible: 1 letter]ere are no places so strong, but an Almighty God is able to destroy, and Sin is enough to blow up. We may also obs[illegible: 1 letter]rve, ho[illegible: 1 letter] little God values Splendid Houses of Pr[illegible: 1 letter]yer, when they are made Dens of Thieves.

Marginal references: Luk. 19.44.