enormous stones, which had mocked the fury of Nebuchadnezzar's army, and survived the destructive hand of time, was to be left one upon another, they perceived that the whole temple was to be demolished, but did not suspect that the sacrifices were to be taken away, and a new religion introduced, which rendered the temple unnecessary. They, therefore, flattered themselves, that the fabric then standing, however glorious it might appear, was too small for the numerous worshippers who would frequent it, when all the nations of the world were subject to the Messiah's kingdom, and was therefore to be pulled down in order to be erected on a more magnificent plan, suitable to the idea they had conceived of his future empire. Filled with these pleasing imaginations they received the news with pleasure, meditating, as they walked to the mountain, on the glorious things which were shortly to come to pass. They, therefore, meant, by the end of the world (or, as the words should have been translated) the end of the ages," the period of the political government then executed by heathen procurators; and considered their Master's coming to destroy the constitution then subsisting, as a very desirable event. They also thought the demolition of the temple proper, as they expected a large and more superb building, proportioned to the number of the Messiah's subjects, would be erected in its stead. That this is the real sense of the disciples' question, will sufficiently appear, if we consider that the disciples were delighted with the prospect; whereas, if they had meant by the end of the world, the final period of all things, the destruction of the temple would have exhibited to them, in their present temper of mind, a melancholy prospect, which they could not have beheld, without a deep concern. Our blessed Saviour, therefore, was care ful to convince them of their mistake, by telling them that he was not come to rule a secular empire, as they supposed, but to punish the Jews for their perfidy and re When they arrived on the mount of Olives, and their Master had taken his seat on some eminence, from whence they had a prospect of the temple and part of the city, his disciples drew near, to know when the demolition of the old structure was to hap-bellion, by destroying both their temple pen, and what were to be the signs of his coming and of the end of the world. as he sat upon the mount of Olives the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Matt. xxiv. 3. "And and nation. "Take heed (said he) that no man decive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." This caution was far from being unnecessary, because though the disciples were to see their Master ascend into heaven, they might take occasion from the prophecy, to think that he would appear again on earth, and therefore be in danger of seduction by the false christs that should arise. "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, see that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass; but the end is not yet." Before this nation and temple are destroyed, terrible wars will happen in the land: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against king 30 dom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." Matt. xxiv. 6, 7. These are the preludes of the important event, forerunners of the evils which shall befal this nation and people. At the same time you shall meet with hot persecutions: walk, therefore, circumspectly, and arm yourselves both with patience and fortitude, that ye may be able to perform your duty, through the whole course of these persecutions; for ye shall be brought before the great men of the earth, for my sake. "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought before-hand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." Mark xiii. 11. During this time of trouble and confusion, he told them the perfidy of mankind should be so great towards one another, that "brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death." The unbelieving Jews, and apostate Christians, shall commit the most enormous and inhuman crimes. It is, therefore, no wonder that the perfidy and wickedness of such pretended christians, shall discourage many disciples, and greatly hinder the propagation of the gospel. But he who supports his faith, during these persecutions, and is not led astray by the seduction of false christians, shall escape that terrible destruction, which, like a deluge, will overflow the land. And when Jerusalem shall be surrounded with armies, Pagan armies, bearing in their standards the images of their gods, the "abomination of desolation," mentioned by the prophet Daniel; then let him who readeth the predictions of that prophet understand, that the end of the city and sanctuary, together with the ceasing of sacrifices and oblations there predicted, is come, and consequently the final period of the Jewish polity. "Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out." Luke xxi. 21. "Let him which is on the house-top not come down to take any thing out of his house. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes." Matt. xxiv. 17, 18. Then shall be fulfilled the awful predictions of the prophet Daniel, and the dreadful judgments denounced against the impenitent and unbelieving. In those days of vengeance, the women who are with child, and those who have infants hanging at their breasts, shall be particularly unhappy, because they cannot flee from the impending destruction. "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, when the badness of the roads, and the rigour of the season, will render speedy travelling very troublesome, if not impossible; neither on the sabbath-day," when you shall think it unlawful. "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." This is confirmed by what Josephus tells us, that no less than eleven hundred thousand perished in the siege. The heavenly Prophet added, that except the days of tribulation should be shortened, none of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, of whom he was speaking, should escape destruction; in confirmation of which Josephus tells us, that the quarrels which raged during the siege, were so fierce and obstinate, that both within the walls of Jerusalem, and without in the neighbouring country, the whole land was one continued scene of horror and desolation; and had the siege continued much longer, the whole nation of the Jews had been totally destroyed, according to our Lord's prediction. But (added our blessed Saviour) for the elect's sake, whom he bath chosen, he hath shortened the days." By the elect By the elect are meant, such of the Jews as had embraced the doctrines of the gospel, and particularly those who were brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles. As it is natural, in time of trouble, to look with eager expectation for a deliverer, our blessed Saviour cautioned his disciples not to listen to any pretences of that kind, as many false christs would arise, and de ceive great numbers of the people. A prediction that was fully accomplished, during the terrible siege of Jerusalem by the Romans; so Josephus tells us that many arose, pretending to be the Messiah, boasting that they would deliver the nation from all its enemies. And the multitude, always too prone to listen to deceivers, who promise temporal advantages, giving credit to those deceivers, became more obstinate in their opposition to the Romans, and thereby rendered their destruction more severe. and inevitable. And what still increased the infatuation of the people, was their performing wonderful things, during the war; and accordingly Josephus calls them magicians and sorcerers. Hence we see the propriety of the caution given by the Son of God, who foretold that "they should shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. But take heed; behold, I have foretold you all things." And as the partizans of the false christs might pretend that the Messiah was concealed awhile, for fear of the Romans : and the weaker sort of Christians, without this warning, have imagined that Christ was actually returned to deliver the nation in its extremity, and to punish their enemies, who now so cruelly oppressed them, and that he would shew himself as soon as it was proper, the blessed Jesus thought it right to caution them against this particular; "Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desart, go not forth: behold he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. xxiv. 26, &c. The coming of the Son of man shall be like lightning, swift and destructive. But he will not come personally, his servants only shall come, the Roman armies, who, by his command, shall destroy this nation, as eagles devour their prey. Having thus given them a particular account of the various circumstances which should precede the destruction of Jerusalem, he next described that catastrophe itself, in all the pomp of language and imagery made use of by the ancient prophets, when they foretold the destruction of cities and kingdoms. "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light: and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken." Mark xiii. 24, &c. "And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke xxi. 25, &c. By these lofty and figurative expressions, the decaying of all the glory, excellency and prosperity of the nation, and the introduction of universal sadness, misery and confusion, are beautifully described. The roaring of the sea and the waves may justly be considered as metaphorical, as the signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars are plainly so, and by the powers of heaven are meant the whole Jewish polity, government, laws and religion, which were the work of heaven: these, our Lord tells us, should be shaken, or rather utterly dissolved. As the disciples had, in conformity to the repeated questions of the Pharisees, during his muiistry, asked what should be the sign of his coming; our blessed Saviour told them, that after the tribulation of those days, when the sun should be darkened, and all the enemies of the Messiah should mourn, they should see the accomplishment of what Daniel foretold, by the figurative expression of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven: for they should behold the signal punishment executed on the Jewish nation by the Roman armies sent for that purpose, and by the decree and permission of heaven. "Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." Matt. xxiv. 30. Then were the followers of Christ to be delivered from the oppression under which they had long groaned, and openly honoured, before the whole earth; and on this may true believers rest; because it is found ed on eternal truth. "Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Matt. xxiv. 34, 35. Whoever shall compare the prediction of our Saviour, with the history Josephus wrote of the war, cannot fail of being struck with the wisdom of Christ, and acknowledging that his prediction was truly divine; for as the Jewish nation was at this time in the most flourishing state, the event there fore. told appeared altogether improbable. Besides the circumstances of the destruction are very numerous and surprisingly great: and the whole delivered without any ambiguity. It is therefore a prophecy of such a kind, as could never have been uttered by any impostor, and consequently the person who delivered it was acquainted with the secret counsels of heaven, and was truly divine. Many cavillers against the Christian religion have asked, why Christ should order his disciples not to flee from Jerusalem, till they saw it encompassed with the Roman army, when it would, then be impossible for them to make their escape? But persons, before they propose such questions, would do well to read attentively the history Josephus has given us of these terrible calamities: because they would there find a solution to the difficulty. That historian tells us, That Cestius Gallus surrounded the city with his army, and, at the. time when he could easily have taken the city, suddenly withdrew his forces without any apparent reason. He adds, that as soon as the siege was raised, many eminent persons filed from it, as from a sinking ship. In all probability many of these Christians, who being warned by this prophecy of their great Master, saved themselves by flight, as be had directed. Thus we see what frivolous objections are made by the free-thinkers of our age against the truth of the sacred writings, and how easily they are answered. were Having thus beautifully, but awfully, described this important and striking event, the blessed Jesus assured his disciples, that, it would be very unexpected, and thence, urged the necessity of a watchful vigilance, lest they should be surprised, and have a share in those calamities. "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of Matt. xxvi. 37. the Son of man be." ،، Watch ye, therefore, (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) lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping." Mark xiii. 35, 36. It was natural, as men were to undergo, at the destruction of Jerusalem, nearly the same miseries, and as the passions which its approach would raise in their minds were similar to those which will happen at the destruction of the world and the general judgment; it was natural, I say, for our blessed Saviour, on this occasion, to put his looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of: and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion, with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnash disciples in mind of that judgment, and to Having thus generally prescribed the fu- ture state of retribution, our Lord passed to the consideration of the general judg ment, when those rewards and punishments should be distributed in their utmost extent. This could not fail of animating his disci ples to a vigorous discharge of their duty; and by the striking representation of the last judgment he has here given, must greatly tend to rouse the consciences of men from their lethargy, and consider, be fore it be too late, the things which belong to their peace.". I But, on the other hand, if you are not true to the trust reposed in you; if you pervert your office, and watch not over the souls committed to your care, I will come unto you, unexpectedly, and make you dreadful examples of mine anger, by the severe punishments which I will inflict upon you. "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to'smite his fellow servants, and to eat and driuk with the drunken: the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he No. 13. Then shall the kingdom of heaven, the gospel-kingdom, in the last dispensation of it, when the kingdom of grace is going to be swallowed up in the kingdom of glory, be likened unto ten virgins who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegrovin. And five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. They that were foolish took, indeed, their lamps, but put no oil in their vessels, while the wise, as an instance of their prudence and foresight, took both their lamps, and oil in their vessels, knowing that it was uncertain when the bridegroom would arrive, and that they might, in all probability, wait long for his coming. Nor were they mistaken; for the bridegroom did not come so soon as they expected. And while he tarried, they all slumbered and slept, and at midnight there was a great cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him; upon which all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, say-. ing, not so, lest there is not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and 3 D |