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confirmed, by so able a Critic as the learned University Preacher. * "The Disciples" says he, "astonished and con"cerned at the denunciation of that severe sentence which "involved, even the costly and magnificent structure of the "Temple, came privately unto Jesus, saying-Tell us when "shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy cam"ing and of the end of the World? (Matt. xxiv. 3.) In the parallel place of Mark, (xiii. 4.) the question is put thus "Tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the "sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And, in the "correspondent passage of St. Luke, (xxi. 7.) the question' "is still differently proposed. But when shall these things "be and what sign will there be, when these things shall come "to pass? By comparing St. Luke with St. Matthew, we "discover that the two questions of the latter relate entirely to one subject; the first to the time when the vengeance it was to be inflicted the second to the signs which were to "precede its execution. If again we compare St. Luke "with St, Mark, we perceive that the distinction which a "late Writer would introduce between these things, and alt these things, is utterly without foundation. (See Theolog. Repos. Vol. VI. p. 188.)" +

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The learned University Preacher, with great propriety and good sense, goes on and says, "We may reasonably expect that as the information solicited, is confined to one event, the "information communicated will be equally restricted. This "presumption," he adds, "will be confirmed, by a perusak "of the chapter, we are, at present considering; in which, "from the third to the twenty-ninth verse, Our Saviour re "plies to the second question, by pointing out the signs "which would enable the Disciples to prognosticate his "coming: He proceeds from the twenty-ninth verse, to an

swer the question, by defining the limits within which, both "the desolation and his own glorious advent would certainly "happen, and declaring, in the most solemn language, that "they should come to pass, in that generation; but, as the

Dr. Edwards's Sermon on the predictions of the Apostles, contains some strong marks of Critical Acumen, though mixed with a striking predilection, in favor of the sentiments of the Historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Sea Dr. Edwards's Sermon, pages 20, 81.

"precise time of their accomplishment was known only to "the Father, he concludes the chapter, by delivering an ex❝hortation to sobriety and vigilance." *

From this singularly accurate and judicious epitome of the xxivth Chapter of St. Matthew, it might naturally have been concluded that the whole of it, in his opinion, related to the advent of Jesus, as the Messiah. But no such thing; for in the true spirit of the Historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, he asserts that it was the advent of "the Son of "Man descending visibly from Heaven, before the generation "then existing was totally extinguished." And, in another place, he says, "Our Lord, in the xxivth of Matthew, de

cisively foretells, that the generation then existing should not "be totally extinguished till it had witnessed his second and "glorious appearance in the clouds of heaven." Ibid.p. 23.19. And from these premisses, he naturally enough concludes, that "the records of History do not authorize us to believe, "that this prediction was accomplished at the destruction of "Jerusalem." + And in another place, he asserts that “this "awful prediction is not recorded among the stupendous "prodigies of the Jewish war."‡

But, before a conclusion, so injurious to Christianity, should have been drawn, by the learned University Preacher, it should have been shewn, with, at least, some degree of probability, that the coming, mentioned in the questions of the Disciples or in Jesus's answer to those questions, was such, as he has represented it to be, and that it cannot possibly, according to the rules of sound reasoning and legitimate interpretation, admit of any other sense; for there seems to be no reason why the advocates of Christianity, who are called upon, and are bound to defend it, against any objections which may be brought against it, which appear to them unfounded, should acquiesce in assertions, without proof-or admit conclusions from premisses to which there are well-founded objections! Now, this is a question of fact. Did the Disciples of Jesus, at the time when they put these questions to him, believe that he was come, in the sense, in which they expected him to comeor did they not? If they did, the learned University Preacher

* See Dr. Edwards's Sermon, p. 22.

+ Ibid. pages 19, 20.

Ibid. p. 23.

was,

was, certainly justified in affixing another meaning to their question concerning his coming-or to our Lord's answer to that question, and to have drawn the conclusion from thence, which he has drawn, however injurious it may prove to the interests of Christianity. Most fortunately however for its credit-the evidence that the Messiah was not, in their estima tion, yet come-and that Jesus himself considered that he had not yet given them the necessary proofs of his being the Messiah, is as complete, as can be wished; for the former, after the Resurrection of Jesus,-after he had given them that astonishing proof that he was divinely commissioned by the Father, and had proved that he was the Son of God,-the Messiahthey doubted not that then was the time for his producing those proofs that he was the Messiah, which they themselves had affixed to that character. They therefore asked him, saying, Lord wilt thou at this time-now that we have before us such a remarkable attestation of thy being distinguished by the favor of Heaven, restore the kingdom to Israel? With respect to the latter, it must be repeated, that by his cautions not to listen to any who should pretend to the character of the Messiah-he very plainly shewed, what the nature of his coming was, which occupied both his and their attention. In a word; it may, without fear of contradiction, be asserted, that no man can read the Gospel History as an History, and as an History of Facts, with the attention and impartiality to which it is justly entitled, without being fully satisfied that, at the time when the Disciples put these questions, they continued to expect not the second coming of Jesus, in the character of the Judge of the World-but his first coming, as the Messiah. If then, the first coming of Jesus, as the Messiah, is a natural and probable solution of the meaning of the question of the Disciples, concerning his coming, and of the answer of Jesus to it-if it be perfectly consonant with the idea of the Gospels being Histories of this his FIRST COMING, -why seek for any other meaning-or, for a meaning which is justified, by no one circumstance, either in the charactersor in the sentiments of those who put them or in the reply of our Lord-but which, as will, hereafter, more fully appear, is contradicted by them all.

The conclusion of the learned University Preacher might now, it may be presumed, be very fairly supposed to be erroneous, but it will be of considerable importance, if not ab

solutely

solutely necessary, to proceed to a more critical and minute, examination, of our Lord's answer to the questions of the Disciples; for it appears, from what has been said, and par-, ticularly from the learned University Preacher's statement of the opinions of Divines, upon the meaning of the xxivth, of Matthew, and the parallel chapters, that there are very considerable difficulties in those chapters difficulties which the learned University Preacher himself, notwithstanding his excellent Epitome, of the former of these chapters, appears very forcibly to have felt-difficulties in short, which the most learned and inquisitive, and, in fact, almost all who have paid any attention to them, have felt, and still continue to feel, in their interpretations of them!

With the fullest persuasion that this examination will be most advantageous to the Christian cause the Reader is earnestly requested to give the closest attention to the following view of these chapters particularly of the xxivth of Matthew.

;

Our Lord having, as has already been stated at large, in a very particular and impressive manner, guarded his Disciples. against the arts of Deceivers, who might assume the character. of the Messiah, immediately connects with this caution, with a view to render it the more effectual, a particular description of the signs which would precede the grand catastrophe of the destruction, which he had predicted, ver. 6, 7, 8. Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: -See that ye be not troubled, in consequence of these presages-for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet for Nation shall rise against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places : all these are the beginning of sorrows, i. e. if there be any connection between the questions of the Disciples and the answer to them-of the troubles to which, in that calamitous time, they would themselves be exposed. But, to encourage them to perseverance, and to facilitate their escape; of which he gives them the strongest assurances, he points out to them, some farther signs of the approaching desolation, ver. 9-14 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill some of you, and ye shall be hated of all Nations for my name sake, i. e. for adherence to me as THE MESSIAH:-And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another, and many false Prophets shall rise and shall

deceive

deceive many, either by themselves pretending to the Character of the Messiah or by pointing out others to them as such. And because iniquity shall abound-the love of many shall wax Told: But he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved. He shall not only be thoroughly satisfied, from the awful desolations, which are coming upon the Jewish nation, that the Messiah's Kingdom is of a very different nature, from what he had imagined-but by taking the warning, which I have given him-he shall be saved from the calamities, in which others, who regard not these warnings, shall infallibly be overwhelmed.

It has, again and again, in the course of this work, been observed, that our Lord, with the most distinguished tenderness and humanity, sympathized in the distresses and anxieties which he knew such ungrateful tidings as he had, from time to time, to communicate to them, could not fail to produce, upon their minds, and that, therefore, he offered them such seasonable consolations, as had a natural tendency, both to keep them from despondency, and to support their hopes and expectations, under the exigencies of the moment. And, it will readily be allowed that, in no case, was this sympathy, with the peculiar difficulties of their situation, more necessary, than when he was describing, the approach of calamities, the

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The attentive Reader will observe that this is precisely the same language which our Lord made use of, in his discourse with his Disciples, when he gave them their commission to announce the appproach of the Messiah's Kingdom. Dr. Lardner says, "our blessed Lord, speaking of the difficulties of these times, and of the declensions of some of his followers, encourages faithfulness, in strong terms. Mark, xiii. 13. And ye shall be hated of all "Men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, shall be saved. And Luke, xxi. 17. 19. And ye shall be hated of all Men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess your souls. And compare Matt. x. 21, 22. These gracious assu rances were fulfilled at the destruction of Jérusalem. The difficulties "which the followers of Jesus met with, were very great. And the love of "many waxed cold, and some apostatized to Judaism, to avoid sufferings. 4 Nevertheless they gained nothing by it. They joined themselves to the "unbelieving part of the nation, and had part with them in the heavy calamities, which befel them. But the faithful followers of Jesus, who *** were steadie to their profession, and attended to his predictions concerning the coming calamities, and observed the signs of their near approach, escaped, and obtained safety, with only the lesser difficulties of a flight, which was necessary in the time of a general calamity." See Lardner's Jewish and Heathen Testimonies, Vol. I, p. 76.

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