his refurrection, Chrift faid, Go YE, therefore, and teach all nations,-teaching them to obferve whatfoever I have commanded YOU: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world". Here it is evident, that a promise is made which was to extend to the end of the world18; and fince the apoftles have 'been long fince dead, it is evident, that, under the terms YE and you, must be contained all, at all times, in like circumftances 19' In the xiiith ch. of Mark (v. 37) our Lord has, indeed, himself in fome degree given us intimation of this. And what I fay unto you, I fay unto all, Watch. This Doddridge thus paraphrafes: what I fay to you in public characters, I fay to all my difciples, in every ftation of life, and in every age, watch.'

Parallel to the xxivth chapter of Matthew and the xiiith of Mark, is the xxift chapter of Luke. In that chapter from v. 8 to v. 24 is a prediction 20, eminently minute and circumftantial, of the deftruction of Jerufalem, and of the fufferings of Christ's followers. To his disciples it accordingly appears to have been addreffed by him, as sustaining the character both of Christians and of Jews; and it must be remembered, in the explication of the fubfequent part of the prophecy, that he still purfues the fame courfe, and that his auditors are viewed in this

17 Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.

18 It may, however, be proper to remark, that the word employed is

19 Sykes on the Tr. of the Chr. Rel. p. 88. To the fame purpose speaks bp. Newcome (Obf, on our Lord's Conduct as a Div. Instr. p. 263). 'What ' our Lord faid to his immediate followers may well be confidered as ad 'dreffed to all mankind.'

20 On this prophecy and the evidences of its fulfilment, Whitby and Jortin, Lardner, Macknight, and bp. Newton, have all treated at great length. See alfo the briefer but valuable obfervations of bishop Hurd (vol. I. p. 163–178), and archdeacon Paley (Evid, of Chr. 2ded. vol. II. 7. 1Q-23).

double

1

double light. In v. 24 he does, however, fpeak in the third perfon and of the Jews alone: they fhall fall by the edge of the fword; and fhall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerufalem fhall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Most commentators agree, that he speaks here of two distinct periods. The first principally refpected the great flaughter of the Jews under the Romans, and the calamities they were to incur from the destruction of their city: the fecond extended to the whole period of their difperfion in the nations of the world. Here then it is that he makes his transition, in the very place where we should expect it; and commences his reply to the fecond question of his disciples.

It is this fecond grand division of the prophecy which is now to be confidered. As it proceeds from the very highest authority; as it refpects the most important events, and events which are all yet unfulfilled, though some of them probably may not be far diftant; as it opens to our view a new order of things, when the world shall be as it were renovated, and true religion fhall reign upon the earth; it surely deferves our most careful inspection. Any paffage of the fame length, having stronger claims on our attention, it would in truth be impoffible to allege. The whole of it ought, therefore, to be viewed together; and accordingly it fhall be first transcribed, without omiffion, and without comment. Luke's account, on several important points, is more full and complete than the parallel place in Matthew and in Mark. From him, therefore, it fhall be taken. It reaches from the beginning of v. 25 to v. 35.

As our Lord had predicted, at the clofe of v. 24, that Jerufalem fhould be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled; it feems natural to conclude, and the contents of the prophecy itself will

warrant the conclufion, that, in the verses which follow, he was going to point out thofe momentous events, which are to take place, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled; or, in other words, when the long æra of fpurious Chriftians, of adulterated religion, and of corrupt government, which have now fubfifted during the revolution of fo many centuries, fhall be destined to terminate 21. In truth, had an important particle which immediately follows been correctly rendered in our common verfion, it would have ftruck the reader at the first fight, as a matter not difputable, but clear and decided, that this most illuftrious of the prophets has, in the fucceeding paffage, predicted the changes, which are to be accomplished WHEN the times of the Gentiles fhall expire.

Jerufalem fhall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until

The former part of the prophecy, in the opinion of Dr. Clarke, as well as of Vitringa, is not confined to the sufferings of the Jews and the destruction of their capital, but has an express reference to the fubfequent fpread of antichriftianism, and to the heavy calamities which should afflict the Chriftian world. In the xxivth ch. of Matthew, fays this diftinguished English divine, our Lord, in answer to the question put to him by his difciples, gives them a large prophetic defcription of the deftruc-. tion of the city and nation of the Jews, by the power of the Romans: and a long feries of other events.-Our Lord tells them, that not only the city and temple of Jerusalem` should be destroyed, and the Jewish nation 'dispersed; but that, after this, there should still fucceed a long train of ' calamities, and the end should not be yet. For Jerusalem should be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And during that long period of time, in other parts of the world likewise, nation 'fhould rife against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there should be famines and peftilences and earthquakes in divers places, and that even all 'these calamities, comparatively speaking, should be but the beginning of forrows. For a deluge of corruption and iniquity fhould overspread the world, And there fhould be very great and very long perfecutions: * and a time of tribulation, such as had not been fince the beginning of the world.' See Mat. xxiv. 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 21. Seventeen Sermons on See peral Occafions, by Dr. S. Clarke, 1724, p. 378, 382. On this subject the reader alfo may look back to p. 393 of the present work.

the

the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. THEN fhall there be figns in the fun, and in the moon, and in the ftars; and upon the earth diftrefs of nations, with perplexity; the fea and the waves roaring: mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven fhall be fhaken. And then22 shall they fee the fon of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things BEGIN to come to pass, THEN look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he fpake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye fee and know of your ownfelves that fummer is now at hand. So likewife ye, when ye fee thefe things come to pafs, that the kingdom of God is now nigh at hand. fay unto you, this generation fhall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth fhall pass away: but my word fhall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, left at any time your hearts be overcharged with furfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and fo THAT DAY Come upon you unawares. For as a fnare Shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

know ye

Verily I

In this long paffage I have, in a fingle inftance, deviated from the English verfion. An alteration, introduced by Mr. Wakefield into his valuable tranflation, I have adopted as clearly a right one; fubftituting the words then fhall there be figns23, instead of and there fhall be figns.

Then

"TOTE, then, i. e. after the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Grotius in loc.

23 There seems little reafon for doubting, that our Lord in speaking ufed vau, which correfponds to xa in the Greek. Now fuch is the fre quency with which vau fignifies then in the Hebrew bible, that no lefs than two or three hundred instances of it are specified in the concordance of Noldius.

After

Then fhall there be figns in the fun, and in the moon, and in the ftars. Already has the parallel verfe in Matthew been carefully confidered 24; and, being larger and more diftinct, it throws a light upon the import of this briefer paffage. The meaning of the Greek word, translated figns, no fingle word in our language is capable of conveying. Enov fignifies any thing which happens contrary to the ufual courfe of events 25: accordingly the claufe may be thus rendered, and then that which is extraordinary fhall be in the fun, and in the moon, and in the ftars. When the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, great and extraordinary wants shall take place in the antichriftian monarchies and ariftocracies of the world; or, in other words, they fhall be overturned.

Then will there be upon the earth diftrefs of nations, with perplexity. Since av is ufed both here and in the laft verfe, why in one inftance it has been tranflated gentiles, and in the other nations, it were difficult to fay. But whatever arbitrary diftinction the translator might intend to introduce, it is unreasonable to suppose,

After this note was written, I was gratified by meeting with a coincidence of opinion in the works of Mede. This paffage he twice quotes (p. 910, 920) in the fame manner as tranflated by Mr. Wakefield; and in one of his letters fays, the copulative nas verse 25 nai sai onuria &c.) is to be taken after the Hebrew manner ordinative, for tum, deinde, ⚫ which you know is frequent in fcripture, then fhall be figns.'

It is in conformity to this tranflation, that St. Mark fays, in the parallel place (xiii. 24), in those days, after that tribulation, the fun shall be darkened, &c.

24 See ch. xxii.

5 This is the proper fense of any in the New Testament. Accordingly between σημείον and Tepas, lexicographers, with Theophylact and Ammonius of Alexandria at their head, point out the following diftinction: the former expreffes an event, which is extraordinary and unusual, but agreeable to the order of nature; the latter fignifies that which is fupernatural and miraculous. It is perhaps fuperfluous for me to add, that in the lexicons onμsion is rendered oftentum, and (as the reader may find by turning to Littleton) oftentum fignifies that, which is extraordinary, and which betokens fomething to come. The latter idea, however, is not always attached to the ward,

that