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rectitude of his sentiments-no blame can fairly attach to him. Besides, it should be remembered, that men of great note, when they commit mistakes, may, by the sanction of their names, stamp a degree of credit, even upon error, which may be of the most serious consequence to the Interests of Truth.

This seems, but too plainly, to have been the case, in the present instance, for, even Mr. Kett, one of the latest Writers, upon the subject of the Prophecy, contained in Matthew xxiv. and the parallel chapters, says "By the

parable of the Fig-tree, Our Lord assures his Disciples, "that the signs immediately preceding the destruction of "Jerusalem, should be so plain, that the most common "attention to passing events, would enable them to see, and

to avoid the impending evils which he had, as plainly "foretold; and immediately adds, Verily I say unto you, this "generation shall not pass away till all these things be ful"filled. These words therefore seem obviously restricted, "in their primary sense, to the numerous circumstances "which he had most accurately described as signs of that " event, in which his Disciples felt themselves peculiarly, "nay personally, interested." And yet Mr. Kett has asserted, after having quoted St. Mark's account, that "the parallel passages of St. Matthew and Luke plainly

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indicate that this enquiry (of the Disciples) respected the "destruction of Jerusalem, the second coming of our Lord, "and the end of the world-events," says he," which they possibly expected to happen together, and to which the reply of our Lord evidently refers." See p. 199.

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The earnestness with which a secondary sense of our Lord's Prophecy, under consideration, has been contended for, by these and other Writers, which might be mentioned, is somewhat extraordinary, as it seems to be productive of no one advantage to Christianity-but rather tends, on the contrary, to divest it of its simplicity and to incumber it, with insuperable difficulties. The doctrine of a future state, is so clearly and unequivocally taught, in other parts of the New Testament, that there appears to have been no necessity for having recourse to types and secondary senses, to prove

*See Kett's History the Interpreter of Prophecy, Vol. I. pages 247, 248. 3d Edition.

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it! Besides, as Mr. Richards, has most judiciously observed, in his admirable Bamptonian Lectures, "The Gospel dispensation was final. It prepared not the way, nor looked forward to any other. It was not necessary therefore to have recourse to typical ceremonies or secondary senses, either in the institutions or in the predictions delivered by its holy Founder and his inspired Apostles; consequently no traces of them will be found in the New Testament, if we except the remarkable instance of a double meaning, in the Prophecy of our Lord, in which he intermingles the "destruction of Jerusalem with the general judgment of the "world." 99*

The merits of this very superior Writer can scarcely be too highly appreciated-but from his manner of expressing himself, it must have struck him very forcibly that a single exception, was indeed a remarkable instance of a double meaning-but, perhaps, a reconsideration of this subject, will induce him to think that there is, in reality, no trace whatever, throughout the whole of the New Testament, of any secondary senses or typical representations.

If these remarks upon the impropriety of a double meaning, as contended for, by these Writers, shall be found, upon examination, to be just; it will follow that the assertion of our Lord, that all the things which he had been describing, in the preceeding part of the chapter, were to happen, in that generation which appears to have made such a forcible impression upon them, must necessarily include the coming of the kingdom of God, in the 38d verse, and consequently, that Mr. Mede, Dr. Sykes, and the University Preacher were mistaken when they asserted that it meant, its glorious state and perfection in a future world, +

But to proceed in the examination of the remaining part of of the chapter. Our Lord having, in the strongest and most. peremptory terms, in the 34th and 35th verses, asserted that the time was coming on, for the completion of his prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, and having, in the most express terms, told them that it would, most certainly happen, in that generation; goes on, in the 86th verse, to assure

* See Richards's Bampton Lectures, p. 224.

+ The only possible objection to this reasoning appears to be, that the word generation is capable of a very different meaning--but for this see the Appendix, No. II.

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them, that beyond that, he had no information to communicate to them, upon the subject. The exact moment, or

period when this judgment was to be executed-or when the dissolution of the Jewish government, should completely take place, and make way for the establishment of the kingdom of God-or of the Messiah, he tells them, lay hid in the bosom of the Father. Of that day and hour knoweth no man

no, not the Angels of Heaven, but my Father only. St. Mark's words are, chap. xiii. 32. neither the Son but the Father. St. Luke, it must be observed, hath nothing, which is exactly parallel-though, as will presently be seen-he has what, very sufficiently, expresses the sense of the former part

of the verse.

Dr. Benson, in his Essay on the Unity of the sense of Scripture, is of opinion that our Lord's answer to the question of the Disciples-What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world, begins here, and that all the preceding part of his discourse relates, solely, to the destruction of Jerusalem; and, so far, it appears, that his opinion is perfectly consistent with that unity of sense for which he, so strenuously and so justly contends. But there are some strong objections to this hypothesis, which it will be necessary to lay before the Reader.

Previous however to this, it will be proper to state this learned Writer's opinion at full length. Ver. 36, &c."Our Saviour proceeds to answer the other question of the "Disciples, viz. What shall be the sign of thy coming and of "the end of the world? And his answer, with respect to "the time of his second coming and of the end of the world, is

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But of that day and hour knoweth no person-no-not "the Angels-but my Father only. Dr. Clarke's note upon this 36th verse, is, It is an extraordinary ingenious conjecture of Grotius, to make (that day) here opposed to (all "these things) ver. 34, so that the sense may be, the destruction of Jerusalem shall be presently. But that day, the "last day of judgment is known to none.' *

Indeed, I would propose it, as a much more just division, that the xxyth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel should begin, at what is now the 36th verse of the xxivth chapter. "For that would preserve a proper connection, with what is,

*The Greek is here omitted.
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"at present, the beginning of the xxvth chapter; in which it is said, then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, &c. And yet no period of time is assigned, when "that shall be. Whereas; if, from Matt. xxiv. 36, &c. our Lord is speaking of the day of judgment, and of the end "of the world, it may very properly be said, then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, E3c.*

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In the

Such is Dr. Benson's view of the meaning of the 36th and following verses; upon which, the judicious Reader, is requested to attend to the following observations. first place, this learned Writer, takes it for granted, that when the Disciples asked their Lord what should be the sign of his coming, they meant his second coming to judge the world -but, the evidence which has been produced, that this enquiry related, not to his second, but to his first coming as the Messiah, seems to be, fully, sufficient to confute this opinion. See p. 86, 87. Secondly, it must be observed that, in St. Luke's account, the questions of the Disciples are con fined, entirely, to our Lord's prediction of the destruction of the Temple. Chap. xxi. 7. Master-but when shall these things be, and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? Now it is highly deserving of attention, that in verses 32 and 33, our Lord asserts, in the most solemn maner, that all these things were to happen in that generation; which Dr. Benson has, expressly, admitted to relate to the destruction of Jerusalem, in St. Matthew's account, and consequently, in that of St. Luke. And yet there is a continuation of the same subject, in the following verse. take heed to yourselves, lest, at any time, your heart be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so THAT DAY come upon you, unawares ; for, as a SNARE, shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole Earth-or rather, of the whole land, i. e. of the land of Judæa, as Bishop Pearce has paraphrased it.

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Here it must carefully be noted, is the same expression, that day, and in precisely the same connection, as in the xxivth of Matthew, and the same sentiment, likewise, though somewhat differently expressed; Of that day and hour knoweth no man, says St Matthew. As a snare, Says St. Luke, shall it come upon the land. Hence, it should appear, that the

* See Benson on the Unity of Sense of Scripture prefixed to his Paraphrase, p. xxx. and the Bishop of Landaff's Tracts, Vol. IV. pages 501, 502.

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conjecture of Grotius, which Dr. Clarke has called, an ex. traordinary ingenious one, and which Dr, Benson seems to have approved of as such, is deserving of no regard.

It is very remarkable that Bishop Newton, when speaking of the 36th verse of the chapter under consideration, in the most explicit terms, acknowledges that "the consistence and "connection of the discourse oblige us to understand it, as spoken of the time of the destruction of Jerusalem." This connection he states in the following very able and masterly manner. "The word in the Greek," says the Bishop,

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of a larger signification than hour; and besides, it seemeth somewhat improper to say; Of that day and hour knoweth no man; for if the day was not known, certainly the hour 66 was not, and it was superfluous to make such an addition. "I conceive therefore that the passage should be renderednot-Of that day and hour knoweth no man-but of that day "and season knoweth no man, as the word is frequently used in the best Authors, both sacred and prophane. It is true our Saviour declares-all these shall be fulfilled in this gene"ration. It is true the Prophet Daniel hath given some intimation of the time, in his famous Prophecy of the seventy weeks, but though this great revolution was to "happen towards the conclusion of seventy weeks-or four ❝ hundred and ninety years, to be computed from a certain date, that is not easy to be fixed, yet the particular day"the particular season, in which it was to happen might still remain a secret to men and angels: and our Saviour had before, verse 29. advised his Disciples to pray that their flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sab"bath day: the day not being known, they might pray that "their flight be not on the Sabbath day: the season not being "known, they might pray that their flight might not be in

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the winter. As it was in the days of Noah, saith our "Saviour, so shall it be now: as then they were eating and "drinking-marrying and giving in marriage, till they were "surprized by the flood, notwithstanding the frequent warnings and admonitions of that Preacher of righteousness; so "now, they shall be engaged in the business and pleasures of "the world, little expecting-little thinking of this universal ruin, till it come upon them, notwithstanding the "express predictions of Christ and his Disciples.

*

* See Newton on the Prophecies, Vol. II. p. 314.

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