that the word does not, in both places, carry a uniformity of import. In the original, Karns yns on EDY EX aπopic, a comma ought, I think, to be placed after on, and the right rendering of the words will then be, and upon the earth diftrefs, with perplexity of the Gentiles. As the fun, and the moon, the ftars, and the fea, are fymbolic expreffions, to annex a diffimilar interpretation to the word earth would be to incur the charge of inconfiftency. Dr. Lancaster, indeed, obferves, that it is the usual style of the fcriptures to re⚫ present such men as are finners, idolaters, out of the covenant of grace, or at least apoftates from it, by the • names of earth, inhabitants of the earth, and the like.' The clause, then, imports, that upon the antichristian part of the world there will be great diftrefs, and that these heathens, as they may deservedly be styled, shall be perplexed, and thrown into the most nice and critical fituations.

But our Lord does not merely apprize us of the fact, that, immediately previous to the downfal of oppreffive government, the antichriftian inhabitants of the world will be involved in fingular diftrefs; but he also acquaints us how this diftrefs fhall be caufed. And upon the earth diftrefs, with perplexity of the Gentiles; the fea and the waves roaring; which latter clause, as Dr. Priestley on the paffage remarks, is 'a figurative de

6

fcription of convulfions among nations by war, &c. 26° Wars fhall happen, which fhall fhatter the power of aristocracy and of defpotifm. Nor is the information the less fure and lefs to be depended upon, on account of its being figuratively expreffed; for these symbols carry along with them a fixed and determinate meaning. Many waters, fays Dr. Lancaster, in his dictionary,

6 Priestley's Harmony. See the fame observations in Wolzogenius. See pages 55 and 56,

◄ upon

upon the account of their noife, number, and dif

order, and confufion of their waves are the symbols of nations; and fea troubled and tumultuous denotes a collection of men in motion and war.' It is added, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those . things which are coming on the earth. Fear fhall feize upon the hearts of many men. All thofe whofe claims are at variance with the welfare and the rights of mankind (and, alas, they are a numerous body) fhall tremble at thofe events which are tranfacting in the European world28, and behold their approaching downfal with the moft timorous folicitude.

We learn, then, that the calamities which are to be looked for with fo much anxiety are to be inflicted upon the worldly-minded and the enemies of Chrift's kingdom; and therefore the men, whofe hearts are faid to fail them for fear, appear not to be mankind in general, but those in particular, who stand in the different ranks of the antichriftian party 29.

The recently illuftrated paffages are completely in unifon with the more detailed accounts of the apocalypse.

28 The reader will here be ready to exclaim, why do you interpret the earth, the European world; in the last verse annexing to it a symbolic, and in this a literal, sense? But this difficulty will vanish, when it is replied, that the word tranflated earth, in the former verse, is in the yn; latter me. Of these the one easily admits an emblematic meaning; whilft the other is altogether a stranger to it,. That ox fignifies the countries of the Roman empire, and the principal part of Europe which are included under it, is plain from ch. ii. v. 1 of our evangelift, there went out a decree from Cæfar Auguftus, that all the world (aaa ar asemr) fhould be taxed.

29 Should the earth, however, be thought to denote in v. 25 mankind without distinction, ftill will the paffage admit of an easy interpretation. In the conflict between many of the kings, and between the people, of the world, not a few of the latter will naturally be awake to uneafy apprehenfions, left untoward events fhould arife, and lead to the firmer rivetting of their chains, instead of their being broken upon the heads of their oppreffors.

By

By our Lord, and by his favourite apoftle, the fame events are represented as antecedent to the proper eftablishment of his kingdom,-general wars among the nations, and the overthrow. of the antichriftian monarchies. Thofe of his future difciples, who fhall be witneffes of thofe occurrences, he has accordingly inftructed, that they should pay a marked attention to them,

as to THE SIGNS AND FORERUNNERS OF THE COMING OF HIS KINGDOM.

Having declared that the hearts of many fhall fail them for fear, the founder of our divine religion immediately adds the reason: for, says he, the powers of heaven 3• Shall be fhaken. The fcorching luminaries of the political universe 22 will be violently agitated, and at length removed out of their places; or, to quit the figures of the prophet, all the oppreffive governments and ariftocracies of the world will be fhaken to their foundations and abolished. And THEN will the religion of Jefus operate with its full power, and have a glorious spread.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh, or, as Mr. Wakefield tranflates, for your deliverance is at hand. Seeing Chriftianity, ftripped of all falfe appendages, and producing its proper effects, you will be converted to it, and will no longer be a people, oppreffed and despised. And it is not thofe only of your nation, but those also of your faith (i. e. the Chriftian), whose deliverance will be accomplished". From

30 To shake the heavens, fays Daubuz, fignifies to overthrow the throne of kingdoms.' On the Apoc. p. 291.

31 In the commentary of Wolzogenius it may be seen, that the true interpretation of this passage had not entirely escaped him.

Heaven and earth fignify a Political Universe.' Dr. Lancaster. 83 The restoration of the Jews, and the fall of Antichrift, fhall happer about the fame time.' Bp. Newton, vol. III. p. 391.

that

that preffure of evil, which they are to fuffer during the ascendancy of Antichrift, Christians as well as Jews will be liberated.

Since the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of Heaven, are expreffions, which have been uniformly employed by modern writers to defignate a future world, the paffage which follows has, by the unlettered reader, been generally misapprehended. I copy it, as explained by Dr. Sykes. As when trees fhoot forth, ye fee and know of your own felves that fummer is now nigh at hand; fo likewife, when ye fee thefe things come to pass 34.” know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand: that it will then be at its full growth and ftate of perfection 35.' This judicious divine has accordingly proved at length, that those Jewish phrases, THE KINGDON OF GOD 36, and THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN", which fo often occur in the evangelifts, are equivalent to the kingdom of the Meffiah, and fignify the dispensation of the gospel as preached and practifed upon earth, and not a state of future existence, nor were ever thought to do so by the difciples of our Lord 38. To a Jew, indeed, these phrases

were

34 As if he had faid, as of your felves you are apprized, that the 'unfolding of the leaves in trees is the forerunner of summer; fo also know, that these signs are the forerunners of your deliverance.' Wolzo genius.

35 Eff. on the Truth of the Chr. Rel. p. 56.

36 e. a kingdom or difpenfation fet up by God.

It is called, fays bifhop Kidder, the kingdom of heaven, it being fet up, as Daniel expreffeth it, by the God of heaven.' Demonftr. of the Meffiah, vol. III. p. 388.

38 P. 29-78. That they bear this sense may be seen in the works of Mede (vol. I. p. 134), in bifhop Chandler's Defence of Chriftianity from the Prophecies (p. 101), and in the commentaries of Macknight, bp. Pearce, and Wolzogenius; and will undeniably appear from the allegation of two ⚫r three inftances. Addreffing himself as to the fcribes and pharifees, Jefus

were familiar. Thus op Kidder affures us, that the Chaldee paraphraft, like the writers of the New Teftament, fometimes denominated the kingdom of the Meffiah, the kingdom of God". Accordingly, fays Dr. Sykes, the Jews were fo well acquainted with the meaning of this expreffion, and were fo well apprized ' of a kingdom which God had refolved in his due time to fet up, that as often as Jefus talked of the kingdom of Heaven, or, of God; neither the people, nor their rulers, ever offered to ask him the meaning of that ' phrafe 4°.'

Jefus faid (Mat. xxiii. 13), ye shut up THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither fuffer ye them that are entering to go in. That their power reached to a future world, that the virtuous they could exclude from being admitted into the manfions of eternity, cannot for a moment be fuppofed. The meaning, then, plainly is: you will not your felves enter into the gospel-difpenfation, nor will you omit to practise various expedients to preclude others from the participation of its privileges. That Chrift did not caft out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils, was objected against him by his inveterate enemies, the pharifees (Mat. xii. 24, 28); and a part of his reply was, but if I caft out devils by the Spirit of God, then THE KINGDOM OF GOD is come unto you. The interpretation is obvious, and is partly given in the words of Dr. Sykes: but if I perform miraculous works by the divine affiftance, it is evident then, that the kingdom of the Meffiah is come in your times: and the miracles • done by me confirm that I am no impoftor.' One other inftance shall be alleged, as it is a famous text, which has, by the advocates of the Roman fee, been greatly perverted. When Jefus faid unto Peter (Mat. xvi. 9), I will give unto thee the keys of THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; his meaning was, fays Dr. Sykes, I will caufe that you, the first of all the apostles, fhall. by preaching, open the gospel dispensation both to the Gentiles and to the Jews. Within the narrow pale of the Jewish church religious privileges were no longer to be fhut up and confined. They were to be unlocked to mankind in general. Accordingly we read in the Acts of the extraordinary fuccefs of Peter's preaching; and that he did, in fact, bring into the church of Christ the first converts, and great numbers of them, as well from the Gentile world, as from the Jews.

39 Dem. of the Meff. vol. III. p. 388.

4. On the Tr. of the Chr. Rel. p. 23.

But