most satisfactory interpretation to my mind is that of Bishop Porteus, that the whole twenty-fourth chapter in its primary acceptation relates to the destruction of Jerusalem, but that the images are for the most part applicable also to the day of judgment, and that an allusion to that great event, as a kind of secondary object, runs through almost every part of the prophecy. In Isaiah, he continues, there are no less than three subjects, the restoration of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, the call of the Gentiles to the Christian covenant, and the redemption by the Messiah, so blended together, that it is extremely difficult to separate them; and in the same manner our Saviour seems to hold out the destruction of Jerusalem his principal subject as a type of the dissolution of the world, which is the under part of the representation. By thus judiciously mingling together these two important catastrophes, he gives at the same time a most interesting admonition to his immediate hearers, and a most awful lesson to all his future disciples; and the benefit of his predictions, instead of being confined to a few believers of his age, is by this admirable management extended to every subsequent period of time. It is certain that the Jews, and even the early Christians, believed that the destruction of Jerusalem and the general judgment, if not cotemporaneous, would only be separated by a very small interval, and this idea led the Apostles to put the questions together. Our Lord, after answering the first, avails himself of it to prepare them for his final judgment; and this transition, about which commentators are so much divided, and so generally mistaken, I humbly conceive, says Doddridge, commences with, Therefore be ye also ready. Matt.xxiv. 44. The prophecy was of peculiar importance

darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine; therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place:" and chap. xxiv. 23. xxxiv. 3. Joel says, (ii. 31.) that before the great and terrible day of the Lord, the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. Coming in the clouds sometimes means not the personal appearance of the Deity, but his manifestation, by some signal act of providence. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt." Isaiah xiv. 2 Sam. xxii.

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to believers of that generation, since their own preservation from death, and the miseries of a protracted siege, depended upon their observing the signs of the times, and acting on the Saviour's advice, to escape with the least possible delay. It is therefore recorded by the first three Evangelists; and attention to Daniel's corresponding prediction is called for by two of them, “Whoso readeth, let him understand." As John wrote after the event, he has no allusion to it. By the special providence of God, when the Romans first advanced against Jerusalem under Cestius Gallus, they suddenly retired again, at which Josephus expresses his surprise, as the place might have been taken immediately; but there was a purpose to be answered by his irresolution, unknown to the Jewish historian; for the Christians, mindful of their Lord's admonition, withdrew to Pella, and other places beyond the Jordan; so, as ecclesiastical history informs us, not a Christian perished in the siege.

He begins with naming the signs that should precede his coming to take vengeance upon Jerusalem, and which we know were also all fulfilled;-false messiahs, who deluded many to their destruction; wars, rumours of wars, famine, pestilences, and earthquakes; but these were only (ågxaì wivwv) the preludes to the national misery, like the pangs and throes of a woman in labour before her time is come. He then passes on to the calamities that awaited themselves, persecution, the treachery of some of their own body, and the abounding of false teachers, the effect of which would be to cool the love of Christians both to Christ and to one another; and he adds, that notwithstanding opposition and apostacy, the Gospel will be first proclaimed throughout the world, or empire. The signal for their flight was to be the appearance of the Roman standards within sight of the holy city, the desolating abomination, as they are called by Daniel with the strictest propriety, for the eagles, being an object of worship, were in Hebrew phraseology an abomination, that is, an idol; and none could be more destructive, for the Roman armies plundered and devastated without mercy, and, to use

the indignant expression which one of their historians puts into the mouth of a hostile chieftain", "where they have made a desert they call it peace." This was fulfilled to the letter, for the Romans, on the capture of the town, brought the eagles into the temple, and sacrificed to them there. Before, the governors used to respect their scruples, and when they came up to Jerusalem, left the eagles behind at Cæsarea". He informs them that there never had been, and never should be again, so great tribulation. He himself had wept upon the foresight of these scenes of horror, and the reader of Josephus, who will find in that historian a similar remark, will allow that it is fully borne out by the event. Eleven hundred thousand persons are computed by Josephus to have perished in the siege; so that even allowing his numbers to be overstated, and considering how many must have died during the war, the expression is amply justified, that unless a limited season had been assigned, no flesh could have been saved, that is, the whole nation would have been exterminated; but those days were shortened as he promised, for the sake of the elect, or of those Jews that should hereafter be converted. Luke adds the remarkable fact, that Jerusalem should remain trodden down by the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled; that is, it should seem, till the celebrated period of 1260 years, announced by Daniel and St. John, which is to usher in the universal prevalence of Christianity, is completed. This also has been accomplished; the town, with the exception of part of the wall,

P Speech of Galgacus in Tacitus's Life of Agricola, 30.

9 How strange and offensive a spectacle the approach of these “abominations" must have been to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, will appear from the following incident: Pilate was the first governor that introduced them into the city; and he did it privately, the army making their entry in the night time. But as soon as the people knew it, they went in a vast body to Cæsarea, making earnest supplications that the images might be removed. He surrounded them with his guards, and threatened them with immediate death if they did not return home; but they threw themselves on the ground, and offered their necks to the sword, saying they could more easily die than act contrary to their laws. Upon which Pilate, surprised at their firmness, immediately complied with their request. Josephus, Ant. xviii. 4.

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and three towers which were kept for a garrison, was demolished, and when restored by Hadrian, with the name of Ælia in honour of himself, no Jew was permitted even to enter it. The Apostate Julian commanded in vain that the temple should be rebuilt; and since the fall of the eastern empire, Jerusalem, except during eighty years after the first crusade, has been under the government of Mahomedans.

He then, from the fate of the antediluvians and of the Jews, exhorts them not to be taken by surprise, but to watch, and be ready for their Lord's coming, which he will to each individual at his death; and the ensuing parable of the faithful steward, which, though a warning to all believers, is more especially addressed to the ministers of religion, has clearly no reference to the fall of Jerusalem, for there is no reward to be bestowed after that event. That subject, therefore, is now altogether dismissed, and the transition to the final judgment begins verse 45. The time cannot be defined; I shall return suddenly, therefore watch, and discharge your respective duties. Peter, fervid in his disposition, and full of affection to Jesus, breaks out into this question, Sayest thou these words unto us, that is, dost thou exhort only us thy Apostles to vigilance, or does the caution concern all thy followers? The answer shows that it was designed for every generation, What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch. And certainly it concerns us as much as the believers of past ages, and equally whether we shall be found by him alive at his second advent on earth, or go unto him by death.

The same lesson is presented in another form in the parable of the prudent and foolish virgins. Even the former had fallen asleep, for the best have sins of infirmity and omission; but when aroused by the midnight cry, they had only to trim their lamps, for their oil or stock of grace, though not in use as it ought to have been, was not exhausted. The foolish ones had, when it was wanted, no oil, no principle of holiness and virtuous conduct; they discovered their deficiency, but too late; and while they went in search of some, the others had entered with the bridegroom, the palace door

was fastened, and they were shut out for ever.

We learn

from the answer of the prudent ones, that the best of Christians have no superfluous works of merit, the benefits of which can be made over to others".

Sudden unexpected arrival after long delay is implied in both parables, and still more plainly in that of the talents, which a king delivered to his servants to trade with, in which it is positively stated, that he did not return to reckon with them till after a long time. Luke omits it, because it is substantially the same as that of the pounds. The moral is the same in both; in that the deposits were the same, in this different, but to save the justice of the owner it is stated, that both pounds and talents were intrusted to every man, according to his ability.

117. Description of the day of judgment. Matt. xxv.

OUR Lord, having made this gradual transition from the destruction of the Jewish city and polity to his personal coming to judgment, describes the ultimate lot of genuine and hypocritical disciples at the day of final retribution; for though the whole race of mankind must then stand at his judgmentseat to give an account of the things done in the body, this parable of sheep and goats only comprehends the professors of his religion. The former are invited into everlasting happiness, the latter are sent into everlasting misery; but there is a remarkable variation in the language: the kingdom is said to have been prepared for the righteous from the foundation of the world; but hell, though it will be the habitation of impenitent sinners, is said to have been prepared, not for them, but for the devil and his angels. The evidence here given of the

Voluntary works besides over and above God's commandments, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogance and impiety; for by them men do declare, that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required." XIVth Article of our Church.