But a part of the words of Jefus fhall again be cited. When ye fee and know these things come to pafs, hnow ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Of these words the full import appears to be; when ye perceive that the antichriftian monarchies and ariftocracies of the world are falling to pieces, be affured, that what is the proper Meffiah's kingdom is then approaching. Hitherto the way has only been prepared for this kingdom 42. Hitherto has been the reign, not of genuine Christianity, but of antichristianism. This paffage ought not lightly to be paffed over, for, if duly considered, it will be fufficient to evince, that Chrift could be fpeaking of the commencement of no other period, than that happy state of the world, which is fo largely described by his beloved difciple, as certainly to be established, and certainly to continue for a very long duration.

Verily Ifay unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. This clause of the prediction has, I conceive, not merely been generally misapprehended, but moreover falfely tranflated; and this is the opinion of men, who hold the firft rank in fcriptural criticism, namely of Mede and Wolfius and Dr. Sykes 43. To the deftruction of Jerufalem a Mr. Hayne had applied this part of our Lord's prophecy. Hear a part of Mr. Mede's reply. I anfwer, first, while you endeavour in this manner to establish a ground for the

42 6

That is, fays Mede, that the millennium is at hand. p. 934.

By Chrift's kingdom,' fays Dr. J. Edwards, is fometimes meant that peculiar, and special time of his reigning,-when Chriftianity shall 'arrive at its height, when the Church fhall be in its meridian.-It may be this is that kingdom of God, of which, and the things appertaining to it, ' our Saviour difcourfed to his apostles before he left the world, Acts i. 3.' Hift. of all the Difpenfations of Religion, vol. H. p. 649.

43 Other refpectable critics, who have maintained the fame opinion, it is alfo eafy to name, as Brenius (in loc.) and Markius (in Exercit. Exegeticis P. 560).

• first

'firft coming of Chrift, you bereave the church of those principal paffages of the fcripture, whereon fhe hath always grounded her faith of the fecond coming. Secondly, you ground all this upon the ambiguity of the word generation, whereas yva fignifies not only ætas, 'but gens, natio, progenies, and fo ought to be here 'taken; viz. the nation of the Jews fhould not perish, 'till all these things were fulfilled. For fo fignifies ape in the Hebrew notion, as you may fee even in 'the verfe following.-Chryfoftom among the ancients, and Flacius Illyricus (a man well skilled in the 'ftyle of fcripture) among the moderns, and those who follow them, might have admonished others to take 'the word yeye in this acceptation, rather than by turning it atas or feculum, to put this prophecy in littleeafe, and the whole harmony of fcripture out of frame, by I know not what confufed interpretation 46. I only add, that Dr. Sykes declares himself the more confirmed in this tranflation from the remarkable, and indeed, un'paralleled, prefervation of the Jews in the midst of 'hatred and continual perfecutions 47.' The meaning then is, the Jewish nation fhall affuredly fubfift as a diftinct people, till all that has been previoufly mentioned fhall have been fulfilled, not only during the moft corrupt period of the church, but until the antichriftian governments of the world fhall have been diffolved, and the religion of Jesus shall have begun to fhine with its natural luftre. And what is there in the exifting circum

44 Accordingly Beza, in the Gofpels, repeatedly renders YEVER by the word gens. Vorftius (in his Philol. Sacr. c. 12) fays, yɛvɛx PROPRIE genus, progeniem, familiam fignificat. Deinde et Thy Yevσiv generationem." 45 Indeed by the fathers in general, who must be admitted to have been competent judges of the meaning of the word, yevɛa was not understood as fignifying the generation then living. Some perfons, however, there were, who held this opinion; but fays Maldonatus, Origen entitles them fimplices.

46 P. 919.

47 On the Tr. of the Chr. Rel. p. 61.

Nn

ftances

ftances of the world, or of the Jews, which contradicts this affertion, or renders it incapable of being verified ?

The language of Chrift is expreffed with all poffible ftrength. Heaven and earth fhall pass away: but my word fhall not pass away. That is, fays bp Newton, 'Heaven and earth fhall fooner or more eafily pafs away; the frame of the universe fhall fooner or more ́ ́ easily be dissolved, than my words not be fulfilled 48.’ And furely the prediction of the Jews remaining as a separate people was a fact of sufficient importance, and fufficiently interefting to the perfons whom our Lord was addreffing, to account why he annexed to it an affirmation thus ftriking and folemn.

And take heed to yourfelves, 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. To excite an habitual vigilance in Chriftians of every age appears to have been the primary aim of this admonition. From the manner in which our Lord introduces the expreffion, that day, it is, however, evident, that he is fill speaking of the fame period, of which he had been treating in the preceding verses. The verse, then, must be explained fo as to harmonize with the reft, and accordingly may, in this manner, be paraphrased. Be. ware of falling into habits of intemperance and extravagance. Be cautious of being so befotted by fordid intereft and the cares of this life; that you fhould in confequence engage in criminal purfuits and criminal com

48 It is a common figure of speech in the oriental languages, to say of 6 two things that the one fhall be and the other fhall not be, when the 'meaning is only, the one fhall happen fooner or more eafily than the other. As in this inftance of our Saviour.' Bp. Newton, vol. II. p. 318. But St. Luke expreffes himself, on a like occafion, without a figure (xvi. 17), it is cafoer for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail

binations,

binations, adverse to the general happiness of mankind, and to the practice of Chriftianity, and thus fhould not difcern the Signs of the Times, nor perceive the approach of that momentous period, when the way fhall be prepared for the establishment of that religion in fpirit and in truth, and those, who uphold what is antichriftian and oppreffive, fhall be fubjected to the heaviest and most unlooked for calamities. For as a frare fhall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the earth. When that period arrives, and unexpectedly will it arrive, those, who obftinately cling to antichriftian abuses, fhall be deftined to fall a fnare to the devices themselves have planned.

In the parallel chapter of Matthew (xxiv), in v. 41, 42, and

43 it is faid, Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the houfe had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have fuffered his houfe to be broken up. Therefore be ye alfo ready: for, in fuch an hour as ye think not, the son of man cometh. Bp Newton obferves, that Chrift is faid to come upon any notable and illuftrious manifestation ' of his providence 49;' and accordingly the context here directs us to understand his coming of that fplendid difplay of juftice, when, as we are told in this chapter, the fymbolic fun, and moon, and ftars will all be darkened.

Strongly is this interpretation of these three verfes confirmed by the manner in which a parallel paffage is applied by St. John. In the war of Armageddon, the antichriftian kings are to experience an irreparable defeat; and, in the account of this war, the following caution is inferted; Behold, I come as a thief. Bleffed is he that watcheth. Here, fays Daubuz, Chrift himself is plainly represented as fpeaking. With a reference to the

49 Vol. III.

P. 346.

Nn 2

50 XVI. 15.

exhortation

exhortation of Chrift, which has just been quoted from Matthew, I cite alfo the following paffage from Dr. Hartley. How near the diffolution of the prefent governments, generally or particularly, may be, would be great rashness to affirm. Chrift will come in this fenfe alfo, as a thief in the night 5'

On the order of time, in which the events predicted by our Lord are to follow each other, fomewhat may be. farther noted. The powers of heaven shall be shaken. The antichriftian powers fhall be removed from the political universe. And THEN fhall they fee the fon of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And quickly afterwards the religion of Jesus shall have a glorious prevalence. AND WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS; when a part of the oppreffive governments of the world fhall be destroyed (probably thofe of this character in Europe), and the Christian religion is in confequence beginning to produce its natural effects; THEN look up, and lift up your heads; for your deliverance draweth nigh. But Matthew fays, that the fun shall be darkened AFTER the tribulation of those days. What then is the conclufion we draw from the comparison of the two paffages? Since from Matthew we gather, that the tribulation and perfecution of the Jews. are entirely to ceafe, before the antichriftian governments of the world fhall be completely darkened; and fince from Luke we learn, that what is called their deliverance is an event fubfequent to the commencement of the deftruction of thefe governments; it is probable, that an interval of time will elapfe, between their being tolerated and freed from all confiderable oppreffions, and their return to their own land and acceptance of the gospel of

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5 On Man, vol. II. p. 368.

Jefus,