"lem as a holy place; and therefore there are a great many Santons and devout Muffulmen, "who have taken up their abode there, who are perfecutors of the Jews as well as of the "Chriftians, fo that they have lefs tranquility " and liberty at Jerufalem than in other places: "and as there is very little trade, there is not "much to be got, and this want of gain drives "them away, " By thus tracing the history of Jerufalem from the deftruction by Titus to the prefent time, it appears evidently, that as the Jews have been led away captive into all nations, fo Jerufalem hath been troden down of the Gentiles. There are now almost 1700 years, in which the Jewish nation have been a ftanding monument of the truth of Chrift's predictions, themselves difperfed over the face of the whole earth, and their land groaning under the yoke of foreign lords and conquerors: And at this day there is no reason to doubt but they will continue in the fame state, nor ever recover their native country, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Our Saviour's words are very memorable, Jerufalem fhall be troden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. It is still troden down tres. Herbelot, p. 270. B 7. Chap. 24. Sect. 10. by (1) Ωραν by the Gentiles, and confequently the times of the Gentiles are not yet fulfilled. When the times of the Gentiles fhall be fulfilled, then the expreffion implies that the Jews fhall be restored: And for what reafon, can we believe, that tho' they are difperfed among all nations, yet by a conftant miracle they are kept diftinct from all, but for the farther manifeftation of God's purposes towards them? The prophecies have been accomplished to the greatest exactness in the deftruction of their city, and its continuing still fubject to strangers, in the difperfion of their people, and their living ftill feparate from all people: and why should not the remaining parts of the fame prophecies be as fully accomplished too in their reftoration, at the proper season, when the times of the Gentiles fhall be fulfilled? The times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled, when the times of the four great kingdoms of the Gentiles according to Daniel's prophecies fhall be expired, and the fifth kingdom or the kingdom of Chrift fhall be fet up in their place, and the faints of the most High fhall take the kingdom, and poffefs the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Jerufalem, as it hath hitherto remained, fo probably will remain in fubjection to the Gentiles, until thele times of the Gentiles be fulfilled; or as St. Paul expreffeth it, (Rom. XI, 25, 26.) until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Ifrael fhall be faved, and become again the people of God. The fulness of the Jews will come in as well as the fulness of Gentiles. For (ver. 12, &c.) if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I would not, brethren, that ye fhould be ignorant of this mystery, that blindness in part is happened to Ifrael, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in: And fo all Ifrael fhall be faved. ) VOL. II. Z XXI, XXI. The fame fubject continued. WHE PART. IV. 1 HEN we firft entered on an explanation of our Saviour's prophecies relating to the deftruction of Jerufalem, comprised chiefly in this 24th chapter of St. Matthew, it was observed that the difciples in their question propose two things to our Saviour, firft when fhould be the time of his coming or the deftruction of Jerufalem, and secondly what fhould be the figns of it, (ver. 3.) Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the fign of thy coming, and of the conclufion of the age. The latter part of the queftion our Saviour anfwereth first, and treateth at large of the figns of the destruction of Jerufalem from the 4th verfe of the chapter to the 31ft inclufive. He toucheth upon the most material paffages and accidents, not only of those which were to forerun this great event, but likewife of those which were to attend, and immediately to follow upon it: and having thus anfwered the latter part of the queftion, he proceeds 4 ceeds now in verse 32d to answer the former part of the question, as to the time of his coming and the deftruction of Jerufalem. He begins with obferving that the figns which he had given would be as certain an indication of the time of his coming, as the fig-tree's putting forth its leaves is of the approach of summer; (ver. 32, 33.) Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that fummer is nigh: So likewife ye, when ye fhall fee all these things, know that it is near, or he is near, even at the doors. He proceeds to declare that the time of his coming was at no very great distance; and to show that he hath been speaking all this while of the destruction of Jerufalem, he affirms with his ufual affirmation, (ver. 34.) Verily I fay unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. It is to me a wonder how any man can refer part of the foregoing difcourse to the deftruction of Jerufalem, and part to the end of the world, or any other diftant event, when it is faid fo pofitively here in the conclufion, All these things fhall be fulfilled in this generation. It feemeth as if our Saviour had been aware of fome fuch mifapplication of his words, by adding yet greater force and emphasis to his affirmation, (ver. 35.) Heaven and Z 2 earth |