took it by capitulation, and with them it has remained ever fince". Thus literally has this Prophecy been hitherto fulfilled !-Jerusalem has been thus conftantly trodden down of the Gentiles-the Romans, the Saracens, the Franks, and the Turks-Its antient inhabitants have been expelled, and perfecuted, and its holy places have been polluted. The eagles of idolatrous Rome, the crefcent of the impoftor Mahomet, and the banner of Popery carried by the Crufaders, have been fucceffively displayed amidst the ruins of the fanctuary of Jehovah, for nearly 1800 years. But the conclufion of this prediction, "till the times of the Gen tiles be fulfilled," indicates that it shall not be trodden down for ever. HITHERTO the language of this Prophecy has been found clear and explicit; and Hiftory has abundantly proved the literal accomplishment of all its parts in their first sense Newton, vol. ii. Diff. 20. and and reference to the deftruction of Jerufalem. We now come to the bold figures and ftriking images of oriental diction, fuited to the defigned obfcurity of a Prophecy, which, while it foretold the fignal events which were at once to prove the divinity and difplay the power of the Meffiah to Jews and Gentiles, on the first establishment of his kingdam, revealed in awful terms the figns which fhall precede the second coming of our Lord, at a then diftant period, and the manner, the purpofe, and the final confequences of His ap pearance. The confideration of this Prophecy, as it relates to events yet future, muft be referred to another part of this work: my present bufinefs is to prove the accurate fulfilment of the Prophecy, as it relates to events which are past. It has been proved by many learned men, that the language of Prophecy is not of that vague and uncertain fignification, which infidelity fo eagerly afferts it to be; but that certain symbols were the established signs of certain ideas; and that thus the Prophetic language may be clearly understood by those who are converfant in this species of writing. For For inftance, great and extraordinary political revolutions, fuch as the fall of kings and the overthrow of governments, are reprefented by the antient Prophets, by changes in the course of nature, and disorder among the heavenly bodies-extraordinary commotions among the lowest claffes of people, by the raging turbulence, and roaring of the fea. And our Lord in the following prophecy uses the fame metaphors with the fame meaning. Immediately after (or, as it may be tranflated, amidft) the tribulation of those days fhall the fun be darkened, and the moon fhall not give her light, and the stars fhall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens fhall be fhaken. And then fhall appear the fign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall fee the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with 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. These are the words of St. Matthew: St. Mark ufes nearly the fame expreffions; but as St. ℗ Matt. xxiv. 29, &c. Mark xiii. 24, &c. Luke Luke varies a little from both, I fhall infert his relation alfo. And there fhall be figns in the fun, and in the moon, and in the ftars; and upon the earth diftrefs of nations, with perplexity; the fea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven fhall be fhaken. And then shall they fee the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that fummer is nigh: fo likewife ye, when ye shall fee all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I fay unto you, This generation shall not pass till all thefe things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth Luke xxi. 25, &c. Shall * It has been objected, that the words "till all be fulfilled," must refer in their primary sense at least, to all the events predicted; and Christianity was not vifibly eftablished in peace, fecurity, and power, till Paganifm fell from Shall pass away; but my words fhall not pass away. But of that day and hour [when the heavens and earth fhall pafs away] knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, fo fhall alfo the coming of the Son of man be. For from the throne of the Roman world, in A. D. 312. The context will, I think, remove this difficulty. By the parable of the fig-tree our Lord affures his Difciples, that the figns immediately preceding the deftruction of Jerufalem fhould be so plain, that the most common attention to paffing events would enable them to fee and to avoid the impending evils, which he had as plainly foretold; and immediately adds, "Verily, I fay unto you, this generation fhall not pafs away till all these things be fulfilled.' These words therefore seem obviously restricted, in their primary sense, to the numerous circumftances which he had most accurately described as figns of that event in which his Difciples felt themfelves peculiarly, nay, perfonally, interested. Especially, as after the folemn affirmation of the truth of a prediction, which at that time must appear fo very improbable, and the declaration, that the time appointed for that diftant "day and hour, when the heavens and the earth fhall pafs away, was known to the Father only," our Lord returns to the figns of his coming to manifeft the power of his kingdom, and gives the command to watch. "But in their fecondary fenfe these words may mean this people (the Jewish nation) fhall not pafs away till all be fulfilled;" however difperfed, they fhall continue a diftinct people from the rest of the world, till the whole of this Prophecy fhall be accomplished by the fecond coming of the Son of Man in glory. |