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tors at least thought, that these verses, 30 and 34," relate to the final judgment of the world.-Secondly, He alleges, that the expressions in Matth. xxiv. 30, are not applicable to the destruction of Jerufalem; but fuch as are conftantly made use of in defcribing the judgment of the world; as in Matth xxv. 31, 32. and elsewhere: Viz. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall be fit upon the throne of bis glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a Shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. These are the only reasons which the Author alleges to fupport his charge.

To the first of them, That the tranflators at least thought, that Matth. xxiv. 30, 34. relate to the final judgment of the world; it is sufficient to say, that it is so utterly contemptible as to be beneath all notice.

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In answer to the second, that the expressions in Matth, xxiv. 30. are not applicable to the deftruction of Jerufalem; it has often been observed by writers on this subject, that God's coming in the clouds, is an expreffion used by the Prophets in foretelling the execution of fignal judgments upon particular nations; as for inftance in Ifai. xix. 1. But further, and what is even more'directly to the present question, the expression used in this place by our Saviour, is plainly borrowed from a passage in the Prophet Daniel*, where it is actually made use of by him, in describing the

* I saw in the night vifions; and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him Dominion, and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: bis Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, and his Kingdom that which hall not be destroyed. Dan. vii. 13, 146

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establishment of the Gospel Difpenfation, or kingdom of the MESSIAH; in the course of which establishment the power of God was so signally displayed, by the terrible punishment of the Jews as a nation, in the deftruction they fuffered, and the utter overthrow both of their religious and civil constitution. So that this affertion of the Author, concerning the expreffions in Matth. xxiv. 30. is absolutely and notoriously false.

To the remaining part of the objection, that the expressions in Matth. xxiv. 30. are such as are constantly made use of in defcribing the final judgment of the world; as appears in Matth, xxv. 31, 32, and other places; it must surely occur to the thoughts of every one, that the very fignal punishment of the Jews, as it took place within a few years after Jesus's death, was an event of so similar a nature to the final judgment of the world; that it might very naturally and properly be foretold by JESUS, and especially to the Jews themselves, in the same kind of expreffions. So that the fimilarity of these general descriptions in the places concerned, if they were indeed as similar as the Author supposes, would not prove the point for which he contends; that these expressions must always relate to the final judgment of the world only; but we must consider the different occasions on which JESUS delivered them, and what he faid besides at the fame time, to know when he meant to express One of these events by them, and when the Other. And if we do this, we shall immediately perceive, notwithstanding the general fimilarity of some expreffions, that in Matth. xxv. 31, 32, &C. JESUS is most evidently speaking of the final judgment of the world, without any reference whatever to the national punishment of the Jews; but in Matth. xxiv. 30. and xvi. 28, only of the national overthrow of the Jews, accompanied

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panied with the more complete establishment of the kingdom of the MESSIAH, or Gospel Difpenfation.

Nothing can be plainer upon inspection, than that in Matth. xxv. from ver. 31 to 46; the end OF JESUS'S discourse; JESUS is delivering a description of the final judgment of the world, without the least reference to any other event *. But in chap. xxiv. it is evident, that from ver. 1, to ver. 34, to go no further, he is delivering a continued description of the national punishment of the Jews; no part of which can be applied, without manifestly interrupting the thread of the difcourse, to the final judgment of the world. To break the thread of this narration therefore, by applying ver. 30 to the final judgment of the world; merely because some expreffions in it, are, singly confidered, capable of being used to describe One of these events as well as the Other; would be utterly unwarrantable, and opposite to every principle of just and rational interpretation. • But further, the very passages themselves differ so widely in several material particulars, notwithstanding some general likeness in others, as to shew undeniably that they could not be descriptions of the fame event.

In Matth. xxv. 31, JESUS says, -When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall be fit upon the throne of his glory. -Here we fee him described as attended by all the Host of Heaven, and as seated in the most proper place for the folemn judgment of all mankind.

Ver. 32. And before him shall be gathered all nations; (not the Jews only ;) And be shall separate them one from another (the virtuous from the wick

* See the whole passage.

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ed, as is expressly declared in the sequel, from ver. 34, to 46), as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: the very nature of the final judgment of the world.

Ver. 33. And be shall set the sheep on his rightband, but the goats on the left, &c. And at length ver. 46; These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. There is evidently no poffibility of applying this defcription to any event but the final judgment of the world.

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But Matth. xxiv. 30, JESUS says - And then (immediately after the deftruction of the Jewish state, described from ver, 15 to 29;) shall appear the fign of the Son of Man in heaven; (by this re markable Verification of the Prophecies in general; and of That delivered in this very chapter, of the deftruction of Jerufalem, in particular;) And then shall all the tribes of the land+ (of Judea) mourn; (not, And then shall all nations be gathered before him ;) And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (they shall fee the establishment of the Gofpel Difpenfation, on the abolition of the polity of the Jews; not, He shall fit on the throne of his glory, as in Matth. xxv. 31.).

Ver. 31. And he shall send bis Angels, or Meffengers, (the Apostles; not, and all the holy Angels with bim;) with a great found of a trumpet; (that is, in a customary prophetical phrase; preaching the glad Tidings of the Gofpel;) And they shall gather together bis Elet, (establish a church of those who believe in him; without a word of Separating one from another;) from the four winds, from the one end of beaven to the other: (i. e. from all nations where

† It has long been observed, that this is the proper tranf. lation here, inftead of the more general interpretation, the Earth,

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they shall preach the Gospel). - And here ends this description; without a single fyllable of fend ing fome into everlasting punishment, and others into life eternal, as in Matth. xxv. 46.

We may venture to affirm, that these two pafsages are so very different in the most material particulars, that they must unavoidably relate to quite diftinct events; and that it is evident from their contexts, that Matth. xxv. 31, &c. relates wholly to the final judgment of the world; and Matth. xxiv. 30, &c. to the national punishment of the Jews. And as the Author himself lays it down as a principle, in which he is certainly right, that chap. xvi. 28-Verily, I say unto you, there be Some standing bere, which shall not taste of death, till they fee the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom; relates to the fame event with chap. xxiv. 30-Ve rily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all these things are fulfilled; the consequence directly follows, that in Matth. xvi. 28, JESUS is not foretelling that he should come to judge the world;. but only that the Jews would be punished by a national deftruction, and their polity fubverted, while fome of those who then stood with him were yet alive.

And that this is the true meaning of the Coming of the Son of Man in bis Kingdom there foretold; as well as, that it did actually come to pass within the time foretold; is still further evident from hence, that JESUS moreover prophefied on another oc cafion, that John the Evangelist should tarry till be should come *; and that accordingly Jobn did live till Jerusalem was trodden down of the Gentiles +; and the Jewish polity utterly subverted, as JESUS had foretold it should be.

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* John xxi. 22.

† Luke xxi. 24.

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