a great found of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 Now learn a parable of the figtree : when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that fummer is nigh. 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall fee all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I fay unto you, This generation shall pass, till all these things be fulfilled. not 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heawen, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall forth his Angels through the World, and gather together bis Elect; that is, all good Men who bave believed and obeyed God; and reward them with Eternal Life.) 32 & 33. Now observe and hearken to this Similitude, which I am about to tell you. In the fame manner as when ye see the Leaves and tender Buds of a Fig-tree begin to sprout forth, ye know certainly that Summer is coming on: Even so, when ye fee these Signs, which I have foretold you, come to pass; ye may know certainly, that the Deftruction of Jerufalem, and of the Nation of the Jews, is just at hand. 34. Affuredly I tell you, all the things that I have now declared to you concerning this great Desolation, shall be fulfilled in this present Generation, in the Age of some that are now alive. 35. And fooner shall Heaven and Earth be destroyed, than one Word of what I have foretold you, fall short of being fully accomplished. 36. Only as to the exact + Day and Hour, when this final Desolation shall be compleated, God has revealed that neither to Man nor Angel. (And in like manner the Time, when the End of the World and the Last Judgment shall be, God has referved as a Secret known only to himself.) 37. But this I may tell you, that all these things, which I have now fore 1 It is an extraordinary ingenious Conjecture of Grotius, to Inake ἡμέρα ἐκείνη here, opposed το ταῦτα πάντα in v. 34. So that the Sense may be, ταῦτα πάντα, the Destruction of the Jews, shall be presently; but ἡμερα ἐκεινη, the last day of Judgment, is known to none. Yet the Sense may be carried on entire, without this opfitions as in the Paraphrase. M 3 warned 38 & 39. For as in the Days of Noah, Men went on fecure and intent upon their worldly Business, and had no regard to the Preaching of that good Man, till the very Day that the Flood furprized and destroyed them all: So in this Generation the Jews shall go on obstinately in their own Ways, unconcerned at the Warnings which I and my Disciples give them, till the Romans shall come upon them and destroy them utterly: (And in like manner at the end of the World, Men will be wholly taken up about their Business and their Pleasures, till the Appearance of Christ, and the last Judgment furprize them.) 40 & 41. Yet at these Times God will make very great and remarkable Diftinctions of Men. For at the general Defolation of Judaa, among Men employ'd about the fame Business and seemingly equal in all worldly Concerns, God will by strange Acts of Providence rescue some from this Calamity, wherein the rest shall be left to perish: (And in like manner at the Day of Judgment, there shall be an infinite difference made between Men, whom the World diftinguished not at all.) 42. Since therefore these things will certainly be thus, and yet ye know not the time when they will be; it highly concerns you to be very vigilant and • watchful, that when these terrible Calamities, (or when Death and Judgment) Shall come upon you, ye may be found in the Number of those, whom God shall think worthy to be rescued or faved. also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entred into the ark. 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall twa be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women pall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the good-man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have fuffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready for in fuch an hour as you think not, the fon of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wife fervant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his koushold, to give them meat in due feafon ? 46 Bleffed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh, shall find so doing. 47 Verily I fay unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, 49 And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken: 43. Ye know in other Cases, if a Housholder, for instance, had notice given him that his House was in danger to be robbed in such or such a Night, he would be sure to watch and prevent the Thieves from breaking in. 44. How much more ought ye to be always ready and provided, fince ye know not at what time these terrible Calamities, (or when Death and fudgment) will come ? 45. And now who is that faithful and wife Disciple, who being intrusted with the Knowledge of God's Will, or being appointed by him to preach the Gospel and reform others; shall heartily and fincerely make use of all his Gifts and Opportunities, to the Service of God, and to the best Improvement of himself and others? 46. Blessed is that Disciple, whom Chrift at his Coming shall find thus employed. 47. Afsuredly I tell you; as an earthly Master rewards such a faithful Servant with great Honour and Preferment in his Family; fo God will reward the Fidelity of fuch a Disciple with the greatest Degree of Glory, in his Eternal Kingdom. 48 & 49. But if on the contrary, such a Difciple as God has entrusted with great Talents, and many Opportunities of doing Good, shall begin to think with himself that God's Judgments are far off, and shall neglect his Duty, and give himself up to Cruelty, 50 & 51. God will surprize such a one in his Security, and unexpectedly cut him off in the midst of his Wick edness; overwhelming him with strange and sudden Judgments here, and affigning him a Portion in Eternal Misery hereafter. 50 The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of; 51. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. CHAP. XXV. The Parable of the wife and foolish Virgins, ver. 1. The Parable of the Talents, ver. 14. A Description of the Laft Judgment, ver. 31. 1. AT that Time the State of the Gospel, and the Method of God's dealing with Men, will be such, as may fitly be reprefented to you by this Similitude. There were ten Virgins, who being invited to a Wedding, took their Lamps in the Night, and went to meet the Bridegroom. Thus the Jews were invited to receive the Gofpel, and they all pretended to expect the Meffias: And thus those that profess the Name of Chrift, make all of them a show of attending upon him, and expecting his Coming, 2. Now five of these Virgins were wife, and five were foolish: Thus some of the Jews embrac'd the Offers of the Gospel, and others rejected them: And thus fome of those, who profess themselves Christians, are fincere and hearty; others are merely formal, and Chriftians only in show. 1 THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wife, and five were foolish: 3 They 3 & 4. The foolish Virgins took their Lamps, without any supply of Oil to maintain them; But the wife took Veffels of Oil with them, to feed their Lamps: Thus those Jews who embraced the Gospel, took the Warning which Chrift gave them to provide for their Escape at the Destruction of Jerufalem; but the others neglected it: And thus wife and fincere Men live according to their Profeffion, and by Habits of Piety and Virtue lay up in store for themselves a good Foundation of Happiness against the Time to come; But others who are merely formal, content themselves with a bare external Profeffion, and make no Provision of good Works against the Day of Accounts. 5. Now while the Bridegroom tarried, they all flumbered and flept: Thus in the Interval before the Destruction of Jerufalem, both the Christians as well as the Jews were somewhat secure: And thus in the time of Life, while Chrift delays his Coming, all both fincere Chriftians, as well as those who are merely formal, remit more or less of that exact Diligence and Watchfulness, wherewith they ought to prepare and wait for the Appearance of their Lord. 6 & 7. But at Midnight, there being a sudden Cry that the Bridegroom was coming, they all trimmed up their Lamps, to make the best appearance they could: Thus when Jerusalem was about to be besieged, all both Christians and Jews were allarm'd to provide for their Efcape: And thus, when by any fudden Warning Men are made apprehenfive of the Approach of Death and Judgment, all both formal and fincere Christians are roused up to make the best Preparation for it they can, 8. At |