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things, viz. all the things which he had before been describing know that it-or as it is in St. Luke, that the kingdom of God-or of the Messiah, is near, even at the doors. This, it must be particularly observed, is an explicit answer to the question of the Disciples-What shall be the sign of thy coming, i. e. of the coming of the Messiah-or of the coming of the kingdom of God? Then follows the solemn asseveration in question, which clearly appears to be a direct and explicit answer to their other question-When shall these things be-Verily I say unto you―This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Here it seems to be evident, that these things, in the question of the Disciples, have a direct and exclusive reference to their Master's prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem-the seeing all these things, in the 33d verse, appears to have as direct a reference to the question of the Disciples-When shall these things be? and consequently. all these things, having a distinct and unambiguous reference to the things which had before been described-the term Generation must necessarily have been used to signify-the people of that age.

But there is still farther evidence that our Lord used the term Generation in the common acceptation; for when he says, ver. 37. As the days of Noah were,&c.—is there not the strongest reason for thinking that he referred to this important piece of History, to point out to them, that the destruction of Jerusalem would be equally sudden and unexpected with the destruction of Sodom. * The ablest Commentators appear

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*The learned person last referred to, as well as Mr. Mede, intimates "that the coming of Christ, and of the kingdom of God, sometimes signify "Christ's appearing in the way of providential judgments on the Jews, "and the establishment of the Christian dispensation, cannot be doubted, "and in this sense, Jesus Christ did come more 1700 years ago---but this "his coming is not," he says, "what is more eminently meant by this "phrase in general; and that order of things, or age, or dispensation, which "we still look for, is, in Scripture, more especially, called the kingdom of "God---of Christ---and of the Saints. And this is that coming of the Son of "Man which Daniel saw and prophesied of, and not his coming 1700 years ago. The coming of the Son of Man, which Daniel prophesies of, is to "destroy the beast---the little horn, &c. and which is to be in the latter days, when the kingdom of the Saints is to commence. Of the same "coming our Lord appears here to speak, in his prophetic discourse, when "he borrows the language of Prophecy to represent that event.

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In the preceding pages, this opinion has been controverted, (see p. 114, &c.) and it is unnecessary to make any additions to what was there advanced, except

to be agreed, that this and what follows is spoken of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Son of Man, mentioned in the 37th and 39th verses, and that it has a plain reference to the manner of the coming of the Messiah, viz. as in the days of Noah, in opposition to the manner in which the Jews expected him to come, can hardly be doubted.

But 3dly, If the meaning of the word Generation, in other passages of the Sacred Writings, be examined with attention, the evidence of its true meaning, in the passage under con sideration, will probably be much increased, even though it should appear that it is sometimes used, in a different sense.

Nothing can be more to the purpose than what Dr. G. Benson has said upon this subject, and therefore no apo, logy will be necessary for presenting it to the Reader.

"The

"word translated Generation," he says, " signifies an Age, " in very many places of the Septuagint. So one Generation "signifies one Age. Psalm, cix. 13. Eccles i. 4. Isaiah ❝ xxxiv. 17. Another Generation signifies another Age, or "the children that should rise up after them, Deut. xxix, 22. Jud. ii. 10. Psalm xlviii. 13. and lxxviii. 4, 6. and cii. 18. and cxlv, 4. From Generation to Generation sig"nifies from Age to Age, Isaiah li. 8. Lam. v. 19. Dan. iv, < 34. Joel iii. 20. All the Generation signifies all the Men

of that Age. Numb. xxxii. 13. Deut ii. 14. The fourth "Generation signifies the fourth Race, or succession of Men, "from the time then present. Gen. xv. 16. Job xlii. 16. "The tenth Generation signifies the tenth Age, or race of Men, from the time then spoken of. Deut. xxiii. 3. A thou"sand Generations signifies one thousand Ages. Psalm cxv. 8. Many Generations signifies many Ages. Psalm lxi. 6. "Isaiah lviii. 12. and lx. 15. Joel ii. 2. All Generations "signifies every Age. Psalm xlv. 17, &c. And this Genera"tion signifies this Age, or this present Race of Men. "Gen. vii. 5.”

In the New Testament, a Generation signifies one age. Matt. i. 17. Luke i. 48, 50. Acts xiii. 36. and xiv. 16. and xv. 21. Eph. iii. 15. Col. i. 26. And this Generation signifies this age. Matt. xi, 16. and xii. 41, 42, 45. and xxiii. 36.

cept that when men differ so widely as to the general object of the xxivth of Matthew and the parallel chapters, they should interpret the word Generation in such opposite senses. Let the Reader judge for himself, which is, in this instance, the true one.

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Mark viii. 12, 38. Luke vii. 31. and xi, 29, 30, 31, 32, 50, 51. and xvii. 25.

To the like purpose Dr. Whitby, speaking of Matt. xxiv. 34. says," These words-this age, or generation, shall not "pass away, afford a full demonstration that all which Christ

had mentioned, hitherto, was to be accomplished, not at "the time of the conversion of the Jews-or at the final judg "ment--but in that very age or whilst some of that gene"ration of men lived; for," the words translated, "this "Generation, never bear any other sense in the New Testa❝ment than the Men of this Age. So Matt. xi. 16. To "whom shall I liken the Men of this Age? xii. 42. The "Queen of the South shall rise up in judgment with the Men

of this Age, and ver. 45. So shall it be with the wicked of "this Age. xxiii. 36. All these things shall come upon the Men of this Age. Mark viii. 12. Why do the Men of this "Age seek a sign? No sign shall be given to the Men of this "Age. Luke vii. 31. To whom shall I liken the Men of this "Age? xi. 29. The Son of Man shall be a sign to the Men "of this Age. And Acts ii. 40. Save yourselves from this fro"ward Generation."

But perhaps there cannot be a more decisive and satisfactory method of ascertaining the true meaning of the word Generation, as made use of by our Lord, than by considering what was his design in making such frequent use of the term. Mr. Mede has said, "That his design was to assert the con❝tinuance of the Jewish Nation. Verily I say unto you"the Jewish Nation, even to the wonder and astonishment ❝of all who consider it, remains a distinct people in so long " and tedious a captivity, and after so many wonderful "changes as have befallen the Nations where they live." This is, doubtless, a most wonderful circumstance, in the history of mankind.-But is it probable that, in a chapter, the principal object of which, most unquestionably was, to pronounce the most tremendous woes on the Jewish nation for their crying iniquities, he should tell them that they should still continue to be a nation. His object seems rather to have been, to stigmatize the Jews who lived in his own time, as more wicked than any of their ancestors, since they had been a nation, in order, as it should seem, to vindicate the providence of God, in the remarkable judgments which were coming upon them.

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When John the Baptist called the Jews a generation of Vipers; it can hardly be imagined that he had any view, but to the flagitious character of the people of that Age. And, it is remarkable, that when Jesus afterwards adopted the same language; it was, in one instance, in consequence of the Pharisees having, most wickedly and maliciously accused. him of being in league with Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons, because he had wrought a most astonishing miracle of beneficence in their presence: And, in another, when having at considerable length, drawn the character of the Scribes and Pharisees, he says,-Ye Serpents-Ye Generation of Vipers,— how can ye escape the damnation of Hell? Could he mean any thing more than that the Jews of that Age were of that Cha.. racter, and would suffer that punisment? And, if not, what other meaning can be put upon his words, in this connection, in the 36th verse, than that by the phrase this Generation he meant the Men of the Age in which he lived? With a like view, our Lord seems to have termed those who sought after a sign, and those who rejected a greater than Solomon an evil and adulterous Generation. And it was of those who stiled him a Glutton and a Drunkard-a friend of Publicans and Sinners, that he said-To whom shall I liken this Generation? Nor is it less natural to suppose, that when the Apostle Peter said

Save yourselves from this untoward Generation, he is to be understood rather, of the Men of that Age, than of that Nation.

Mr. King, the Author of Morsels of Criticisms, has objected to the common interpretation of the word Generation upon a different ground, viz.-"That if the words must "really be taken as usually understood by Commentators, to "signify the aggregate of the persons then living; it is dif "ficult, and almost impossible to say what could be deemed, "the Generation then existing, considering the constant succession that there is of the human species, in every, even "the shortest period of years. Who were the persons, and "at what Age of Life are we to begin to reckon with regard to "those who were to form the Generation that was not to pass away till the destruction of Jerusalem ?"

The good intentions of Mr. King will not be disputed, and his piety is said to be exemplary;-but without detracting from his merit as a worthy and respectable character, it may be said that, if he had really determined to play the sophist,

and

and to throw obscurity upon what every man of common understanding has a sufficiently clear idea of, he could not have said any thing more to the purpose; for who does not perceive that this generation means the aggregate of the people who are now living, in opposition to those who have lived, and are now no more, and to those who shall succeed them, and who are therefore very properly termed the past and the future Generations? Besides, from the examples which have been produced, particularly from Dr. Benson; it was evidently the common language of Scripture, in passages which are perfectly free from ambiguity, and it is in fact the common language of Mankind,

The judicious and attentive Reader is now, it may be presumed, in possession of materials sufficient to enable him to determine whether Mr. Mede's sense of the word Gene-. ration or the common one, is the most proper. The learned Dr. Benson, after having collected the numerous passages here cited, and having observed that more such Authorities might be collected from the New Testament, very properly asks-" Why the word Generation should not be taken in "its usual signification in this place? Especially as, in that sense, it contains a plane answer to the question of the "Disciples. But, if it be interpreted of the Jewish Nation, "it is no answer at all.” And a little lower, having cited "the question of the Disciples, viz." When shall these

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things be? i. e. When shall the temple be destroyed, so "that one stone shall not be left upon another? When shall "such a desolation come," he says, "To that our Lord answers, by setting before them several of the signs and "tokens of its approach; and by describing the desolation

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itself. And then he adds, This Generation shall not pass 66 away, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and Earth "shall sooner pass away, than any of my words fail of being "accomplished. But what answer to that question would it "be to say, The Jews shall continue a distinct people, down "to the Day of Judgment, or to the End of the World? "Or according to Dr. Mede, The Nation of the Jews "shall not perish till all these things be fulfilled?' What 66 answer (I say) would that be, to the question put by the Disciples? Or how would such a declaration connect with "the preceding, or following context,

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