And upon the earth, or rather, upon the land, distress of nations, with perplexity: the Jewish tetrarchies shall be distressed and perplexed: the sea and the waves roaring. The roaring of the sea and the waves may be metaphorical; for in the first clause of this verse, the signs in the sun, and the moon, and the stars, are plainly so, answering to what is thus expressed by Mark, The sun shall be darkened, and the moon, &c. For though the darkening of the sun and the moon may be interpreted literally of eclipses, no reader can understand the falling of the stars literally. Matt. xxiv. 29. And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken : The whole Jewish polity, government, laws, and religion, which were the work of heaven, or which, containing in them the light of truth, were figured by the sun, and moon, and stars, in the preceding verse, and consequently might in this be called the powers of heaven, shall be utterly dissolved. Moreover, because the disciples had asked what should be the sign of his coming, and because the Pharisees had often, in the course of his ministry, demanded the sign from heaven, he told them, that after the tribu lation of those days, when the sun should be darkened, they should see the sign from heaven. Matt. xxiv. 30. And then shall ap pear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; all the enemies of the Son of man shall be in great distress, when he comes to put down their authority, and erect his kingdom; because heavy destruction will fall upon them. And (Luke, Then) they shall see the Son of man + coming in the clouds of heaven, (Luke, in a cloud) with power and great glory: They shall see the accomplishment of what Daniel foretold, by the figurative expression of "the Son of man

coming

Matt. 30. The sign of the Son of man, &c.] The sign from heaven, which both the disciples and the Pharisees expected, was some visible ap pearance of Messiah in the clouds, and some miraculous interposition of his power, by which the Romans, the masters of the world, were to be de stroyed, and an universal empire over all nations erected in behalf of the Jews. This sign they were led to expect, because Daniel had said prophetically of the Son of man, (chap. vii. 13.) that he saw him coming in the clouds of heaven, and that there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all nations and languages should serve him. Nevertheless, by the coming of the Son of man in the clouds, Daniel meant his interposing for the erection of the kingdom, and for the destruction of his enemies, particularly the unbelieving Jews: and by the kingdom over all nations he meant a spiritual kingdom, a new dispensation of religion, the gospel, which should comprehend the whole world within its pale. Therefore, to shew the discipies that they had mistaken the prophecy, which referred wholly to the destruction of Jerusalem, and to the conversion of the Gentiles, he adopted it into his prediction of these events, and thereby settled its true meaning.

+ ibid. Coming in the clouds of heaven.] This figurative expression, in several other passages of Scripture, signifies God's interposing evidently and irresistibly, to execute vengeance on a wicked generation, and to assert his own government over the world. See 2 Sam. xxii. 10,-12. Psal xcvii. 2. Isa. xix. I.

coming in the clouds of heaven;" for the destruction of the nation by the Roman armies, and the spreading of the gospel in consequence thereof, according to this my prediction, shall demonstrate to all the unprejudiced among them, that I am the Son of man prophesied of by Daniel, and that the conversion of the world to Christianity, is the glorious universal kingdom which Daniel foretold was to be given to the Son of man; and this is the true sign from heaven about which the nation has been so solicitous. 3). And he shall * send his angels with a great sound of a trum pet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Mark, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven.) See on Mark xiii. 20. p. 652. where the elect are mentioned in this prophecy once before, and where the name denotes such of the Jews as were to be converted to Christianity, and who, for that reason, were suffered to escape the general calamity. Here therefore their conversion is described as happening more especially after the destruction of Jerusalem, and as becoming the foundation of that great universal spiritual empire, which the Son of man appeared on earth to erect. Moreover, as this part of the prophecy is a repetition of the prophecy of Daniel above mentioned, in which the erection of Messiah's kingdom over all nations, kindreds and languages, is described, the elect must here signify likewise all such of the Gentiles of that age, as were to be converted. The truth is, no event whatever could so effectually contribute to the conversion both of Jews and Gentiles as the downfal of the Jewish religious institutions, which all along this people opposed to Christianity. For it is a known fact, that while the Jewish constitution subsisted, the spreading of the gospel was hindered, both by the believing and unbelieving Jews; the former disgusting the Gentiles, by endeavouring to subject them to the law of Moses; and the latter terrifying them by the persecutions which they raised against the disciples, even in heathen countries. But the abolition of the Mosaical institutions confuted the error of the one, and the destruction of the nation brake the power of the other. The success therefore of the gospel, depending in a

great

Matt. 31. Send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.] The true meaning of the clause, they shall gather together his elect, &c. being as in the paraphrase, it will easily be allowed, that by the angels in this clause are to be understood the ministers of the gospel; and by the great sound of a trumpet, wherewith they were to be sent forth, is meant their powerful preaching of the gospel. Agreeably to this interpretation, we find the name ayyidor, angel, given to common mestengers, James ii. 25. and to the ministers of the Asian churches, Rev. ii. and to prophets, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16. and to priests. Mal. ii. 7. And the preaching of the messengers of God is compared to the sound of a trumpet, Isa. lviii. 1. Jer. vi. 17. Ezek. xxxiii. 3,-6. VOL. II.

3 I

great measure upon the downfal of the Jewish state, was very properly predicted as the natural consequence thereof. Moreover, as this prophecy described so minutely the catastrophe of the Jewish state, its accomplishment could not but make a strong impression upon the minds of the Gentiles, as we know in fact it did, bringing over many of them to Christianity. Accordingly it follows, Luke xxi. 28. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. As soon as you see the things I have been predicting begin to come to pass, rejoice at the prospect of your de liverance from the Jews, your greatest persecutors, for that deli

verance is at hand.

Matt. xxiv. 32. Now learn a parable of the fig-tree (Luke, and all the trees): When his branch is yet tender, and patteth forth leaves, ye know (Luke, of your own selves) that summer is near. 33. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near; the end of the world or age, the end of the Jew. ish dispensation is near, even at the doors. Accordingly, Luke expresses it thus, xxi. 31. Know ye that the kingdom of God, the full establishment of the gospel-dispensation, called in Scripture the kingdom of God and of heaven, is nigh at hand, Matt. xxiv. 34. Verily I say unto you, that * this_generation shall not pass (Luke, away, see on Matt. xxiv. 3. p. 637.) till all these things be fulfilled. 35. † Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away: The present generation shall not die,

till

• Matt. 34. This generation shall not pass, &c.] Accordingly our Lord, en other occasions, spake of his own coming, as to happen in that age. Thus, Mark ix. 1. "There be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God." Matt. xxvi. 64." Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

+ Matt. 35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, &c.) The observation of Eusebius deserves a place here. "Whosoever (says he) shall compare the words of our Saviour with the history which Josephus has wrote of the war, cannot but admire the wisdom of Christ, and acknowledge his prediction to be divine." For as the Jewish nation was at this time in the most flourishing state, the event here foretold was altogether improbable. Besides, the circumstances of the destruction mentioned in the prophecy, are very numerous, and surprisingly particular. The time when it was to be accomplished is expressly determined, being to happen before that generation died, and yet not till the gospel was preached to all nations, and the Jews had persecuted its preachers in the most violent manner. The language also in which the whole is conceived, is without the least ambiguity. It is therefore a prophecy of such a kind as could not possi bly be forged by an impostor. Nevertheless, the disciples did not then understand any part of it; which is the more to be wondered at, as it was both plain and particular, and had been delivered once before, Luke xvii. 20. 01. Probably they applied all the dreadful passages of it to the heathen nations, especially the Romans, whose ambition they thought would lead them to oppose the erection of their Master's kingdom with all the forces of their empire.

till every article of this prophecy is accomplished. And you máy expect the dissolution of the frame of nature sooner than the least iota of this prophecy to fail of being fulfilled, within the time I have just now mentioned. This is the most astonishing part of the whole; for it determines the time of the completion of all the particulars mentioned, to the lives of the men of the age then in being; and it determines this not simply, but with an asseveration, both to make the disciples attentive, and to strike future ages with admiration when they should read this prophecy, and see every circumstance of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the Jewish state, with its consequences, even in the remotest ages, clearly foretold, and the time in which it was to happen precisely marked. Moreover, thus our Lord, in the fullest manner, shewed the greatness of his own fore-knowledge, and by consequence demonstrated the divinity of his mission. Every thinking person therefore, who compares the events with this prediction, must do violence to his conscience, if he does not acknowledge Jesus to be a prophet commissioned of God. Mark xiii. 32. * But of that day, and that hour, knoweth no man: I

have

Mark 32. But of that day, &c.] It may seem strange, that the Son, who declared that he would come before the generation then in being, went off the stage, and who in the prophecy had been pointing out the va rious signs by which the disciples might foresee his approach, should not have known the day and the hour, or the particular time of his own coming. This difficulty some endeavour to obviate, by supposing that our. Lord spake of himself here only as a man. But the name Father following that of Son, shews that he spake of himself as the Son of God, and not as the Son of man. Besides, the gradation in the sentence seems to forbid this solution. For the Son being mentioned after the angels, and immediately before the Father, is thereby declared to be more excellent than they, which he is not in respect of his human nature; and therefore he cannot be supoosed to speak of himself in that nature. The proper translation of the passage, I think, affords a better solution. The word de here seems to have the force of the Hebrew conjugation biphil, which in verbs denoting action, makes that action, whatever it is, pass to another. Wherefore daw, which properly signifies, I know, used in the sense of the conjugation hiphil, signifies, I make another to know, I declare. The word has this meaning without dispute, 1 Cor. ii. 2. "I determined (side) to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ, and him crucified,” i. e. I determined to make known, to preach nothing among you, but Jesus Christ. So likewise in the text, "But of that day, and that hour, none maketh you to know," none hath power to make you know it; just as the phrase, Matt. xx. 23. “ is not mine to give,” signifies, “is not in my power to give :”— no, not the angels, neither the Son, but the Father." Neither man nor angel, nor even the Son himself, can reveal the day and hour of the destruction of Jerusalem to you; because the Father hath determined that it should not be revealed. The Divine wisdom saw fit to conceal from the apostles the precise period of the destruction of Je rusalem, in order that they might be laid under a necessity of watching continually. And this vigilance was especially proper at that time, be

Cause

have told you, that all the things I have been predicting shalt happen before this generation dies. Nevertheless, to point out the time to you more particularly, by shewing you the precise year, and month, and day of the several events, is not in the power of any man; no man hath it in his power to make you know this, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father (Matt. only). In particular, concerning himself, Jesus declared that he could not make them know the day and hour of his coming to destroy Jerusalem, not because he was ignorant of that event, but because the Father, as governor of the world, had put the times and seasons in his own power, Acts i. 7. in order that, from the uncertainty of the thing, the disciples might be always kept upon their guard; for which reason, he had given his Son no commission to reveal it more particularly than he has done in this celebrated prediction. Thus Jesus de scribed the destruction of the Jewish nation, marked a variety of particulars which were to accompany or precede it, and assured his disciples that the day and hour thereof was not to be discovered to them. He only told them, that it would be very unexpected, and urged the necessity of watchfulness from that consideration. They were to be continually looking out, that when they discerned the signs he had been describing, they might foresee their danger and fly. Matt. xxiv. 37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be, &c. See on Luke xvii. 26. § 101. Mark xiii. 35. Watch ye there fore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh; * at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: 36. Lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

But as the miseries which men were to undergo at the destruction of Jerusalem, the reasons of that destruction, the passions which

cause the success of the gospel depended, in a great measure, upon the activity and exemplary lives of those who first published it.

And now, I appeal to every unprejudiced person who reads this prophecy, whether after the most accurate examination thereof it does not ap pear, that every expression in it, may, without the least straining, be ap plied to the destruction of Jerusalem, and the Jewish nation. In this light, therefore, let us view that notable stroke of wit, by which a modern infidel would turn it into ridicule. "The prophecy of Christ (says he】 about his coming again, which he expressly limits to the life of some of his auditors, and to the present generation, is wholly mystical. For it is evident that the apostles, who understood him literally, were all mistaken, and should have understood him mystically, as they did at length, when they came to understand, that a thousand years were with the Lord as one day, and one day as a thousand years."

Mark 35. At even, &c.] Dr, evening, answers to the first watch of the night, which began at sun-setting, and ended at nine. Micoruktio answers to the second watch, which ended at twelve. Argopwvix answers to the third watch, which ended at three in the morning. est answers to the fourth watch, which ended at six. There is mention made of this watch, Mark xiv. 25. See also the third paragraph of § 149.