rendered the end of the world: but most improperly; for, first, alov does not mean world, but life or time: and, secondly, Scripture does not lead us to expect that the World will ever come to an end: but rather that it will endure for ever, Gen. viii. 21. There is no foundation in Scripture for the hypothesis that the Planet which we inhabit, will ever be destroyed. But ouvréλelα Toû alovos means the end of the age or time appointed by God for the fulfilment of the events which his Holy Spirit has foretold. The word alov in N.T. is often used indefinitely, e.g. Mat. xxi. 19, &c; but here it must be understood with reference to the words of Jesus immediately preceding: so that the whole question means, What will be the signs of the fulness of the time at which these events will take place? Thus the question of the disciples points to the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem, and apparently to that alone: but the words which they used are capable of a more extended meaning, and the answer of Jesus is framed accordingly. 4. μý Tis vμas Tλavýσn] To mislead the mass of mankind, has always been the study and practice of the Holy Catholic Church. In order to perpetuate error, she requires of every Churchman that he shall write or say nothing contrary to the faith of the Church so that if the Churchman is learned enough to see that his own Church is mistaken, he is not at liberty to say so; but in that case must dissemble his duty towards God, for fear of giving offence to the Church. Other Churchmen are so excessively ignorant as to suppose that it is a positive duty for man to believe whatever the Church teaches, and that her authority is not to be called in question by man. In the mean time errors gross as a mountain, open, palpable, are allowed to remain for ever in the Book of Common Prayer. 8. ȧpxǹ wdivwv] i.e. the beginning of the throes. The force of these words is entirely lost in E.V. But a time of sharp affliction is most aptly compared to the pains of childbirth, as in Ps. xlviii. 6, Isa. xiii. 8, &c. And so Homer: ὡς δ ̓ ὅταν ὠδίνουσαν ἔχῃ βέλος ὀξὺ γυναῖκα,— 11. πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται] These appeared early among the Jews, and are frequently mentioned in V.T. And they have never been wanting among Christians. The word yevdoπρopýrns is here used in its most extended sense of false teacher, or false professor a class of men who have always been active members of the Holy Catholic Church. 14. ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ] The word οἰκουμένη in N.T. is often said of the Roman Empire: but here it seems to have a more extended meaning; not to the exclusion of the other, but in addition to it. By Attic writers oikovμévŋ was said of that part of the world which was inhabited by Greeks: e.g. Antiphanes, Athen. 43. B. and 74. E. οἷα δ ̓ ἡ χώρα φέρει διαφέροντα τῆς ἁπάσης, Ιππόνικ ̓, οἰκουμένης. Demosthenes, p. 242. πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη μεστὴ γέγονε προδοτῶν. TO TEλos] i. e. of the age: referring to the question of the disciples, v. 3. But this expression, also, seems to have two meanings. One age would end with the destruction of Jerusalem : another age, with another signal judgment, which is not yet fully accomplished. 20. σaßßáry] This is by some understood of the Sabbath day, as in E.V. But others have explained it with reference to the Sabbath year, which being a time of scarcity, would cause their flight to be one of more hardship and difficulty. 24. ὥστε πλανῆσαι, εἰ δυνατὸν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς] It was said of the Vevdorpоonra, v. 11, that many would arise, and mislead many and one effect of their false teaching would be, that the love of the many would grow cold, v. 12. This prophecy was soon fulfilled. While the Christians were few in number, they were remarkable for the brotherly kindness and friendship of each for each among them: but as their numbers increased, false teachers appeared, who made it their business to do the work of Satan among the people of God; and under their ministration, the brotherly feeling of the early Christians entirely disappeared from among the mass of the people. Thus the moλλol were led astray by the vevdonрopĥral. But in the passage here before us, another effect is said to arise from their teaching, and which must not be confounded with the former. They would mislead not only the many, but also the chosen ones, if they could. This must be something new. For the ἐκλεκτοὶ are not πολλοὶ, but ὀλίγοι, Mat. xxii. 14. And this is said to be accomplished by mighty signs and wonders. In order therefore to understand this passage, we must enquire who are meant by the ἐκλεκτοί, who by the ψευδοπροpraι, and what are the signs and wonders which they would shew. And first with regard to the exλEKTOì, they can be no other than those who worship God in spirit and in truth: Joh. iv. 23, 4. Then again the Veudomрonraι can be no other than what their name implies, i. e. a false and dishonest Priesthood. But the Prophecy supposes that the KλEKTOì are within reach of the Vevdоrρоpiral. And this may be seen in England. God has his EKλEKTOÙS here. Man is free in England, and those who know God, are at liberty to worship him in spirit and in truth. But the Clergy are an exception to this rule. The minds of the Laity are free, but the minds of the Clergy are not free. The Clergyman is not at liberty to think, speak, or act, contrary to the faith of the Holy Catholic Church. Here then are to be found the ψευδοπροφῆται. But what are the mighty signs and wonders by which they would mislead the exλEKTOÙS, if they could? History has now unfolded to us the meaning of this prophecy. Under the Jewish dispensation, the Prophet who was commissioned by God to work an invisible miracle, as for instance to foretell a future event, was able to give a sign of his mission by a visible miracle accompanying his words: 1 Kings xiii. 3, Exod. iv. 8, 9; and this principle was clearly recognised by Jesus Christ: Mat. ix. 2. The Man who could forgive sins, could restore a cripple to the use of his limbs. But all power of working miracles, visible and invisible, seems to have come to an end soon after the death of Jesus Christ. But after all miracles had ceased in fact, they were revived in the fables of the Holy Catholic Church, and they are there to the present day. In the Church of Rome, miracles are continually wrought, ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Winking Madonnas, and weeping images of Saints, are there as plenty as blackberries. And a man who will go to Rome with money in his pocket, may obtain any quantity of the Virgin Mary's milk, or of the wine created by Jesus at the wedding in Cana: these he may obtain for a valuable consideration in money paid down to the Holy Catholic Church. However, all these grosser absurdities of the Church of Rome were exploded and rejected by Protestants at the time of the Reformation. But although the visible miracles of the Church of Rome were rejected by the Reformed Church, the invisible miracles were retained. These may be seen in the Church of England at the present day, but they are of so subtle a nature, that they may easily be overlooked, and do generally escape the observation of the Laity. The first of these occurs in the Communion Service. There, the Priest lays his hand upon the Bread and upon the Vessels of Wine, and pretends to consecrate them: just as if any virtue passed out of the Priest's hands, or as if the gifts of God required to be consecrated by the hand of man. The next occurs in the Baptism of Infants. There the Priest takes a child into his arms, sprinkles a little water upon it, and then pretends that the Child is regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God: just as if JEHOVAH waited upon the Minister, instead of the Minister waiting upon JEHOVAH. The third instance is to be seen in the Order for the Visitation of the Sick. There the Priest is directed to absolve the sick man after this sort: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offences: And by his Authority committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins, &c. Here, it may be observed, the Priest pretends to perform an invisible miracle of stupendous importance: and in support of this pretended miracle, he alleges, most falsely, that Jesus Christ hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners, &c: a power of which there is no mention in Scripture. Nothing like it is anywhere said. The Church may require absolution, but she has no power to confer it. The fourth and fifth instances are to be seen in the Ordering of Priests, and in the Consecration of Bishops. In these Services, the Bishop and Archbishop respectively lay their hands upon the head of the Priest or Bishop, and profess to confer upon him the Holy Spirit of God. Receive the Holy Ghost, says the Bishop: pretending to perform an invisible miracle of unknown and incomprehensible magnitude and importance. These are signs and wonders which would mislead the chosen people of God, if they could. The wonder of the present day, is, that such things are still allowed to remain in the Book of Common Prayer. 27. ώσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἀστραπή] Jesus had cautioned his disciples against false signs of his coming: he now gives them a true sign. His coming will be like lightning in the sky: sudden, brilliant, universally seen, and unmistakeable to all who see it. 28. ὅπου γὰρ ἐὰν ᾖ τὸ πτῶμα, ἐκεὶ συναχθήσονται οἱ ἀετοί] This is a difficult expression: but it seems to be said as a corollary to the preceding verse. The position of a carcase lying on a plain, may be discerned from a distance by the birds of prey flocking to it: so the coming of the Son of man will be attended with clear indications of his identity. But as this is an unfulfilled Prophecy, every solution of it must be offered with humility, and received with caution. The somnia of the Greek and Latin fathers of the Holy Catholic Church over this verse, may be seer. in Wordsworth's note. 32. Thν Tapaßoλny] i.e. this present parable. Jesus had been speaking in figurative language: and now he interrupts the Parable by an illustration, which perhaps was suggested by a figtree then in sight. It is supposed by many students of Prophecy that we may now see the Budding of the Fig-tree: and so far as the Church of Rome is concerned, there can be no doubt that judgment upon her has begun long ago, and is still in progress: nothing can be more degraded than her position at the present day. But other signs seem to be wanting, and to say οὔπω ἐστὶ τὸ τέλος. 34. Yeveà aurη] i. e. the Jewish race: a wonderful prophecy, which to this hour is fully and notoriously accomplished. So said Moses, Levit. xxvi. 44. 36. ovdels older, ovde oi äyyeλoi] This expression is not free from difficulty: but a careful examination of the words of Scrip ture may enable us to understand it. But before we enter upon this question, it may be well to premise what principles of interpretation ought to be excluded. The opinions of the Arians are nihil ad nos: our business is with the written Word of God. The Athanasian Creed is of no authority at all upon the matter: for that is a document drawn up in the very worst style of Eccle N siastical disputation: affecting to dispose of difficult theological questions by mere autocratic assertion, and damning every one who does not agree to what is there said. To such arguments, the simple answer is, Somnium. Our business is, not to pay compliments to the Holy Catholic Church, but to elucidate the meaning of the written Word of JEHOVAH. Matthew says, ovdeis oldev, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ μου μόνος. Each of these expressions seems to include Jesus Christ. Ovdeìs is obviously an unlimited expression. Then oi äyyedoi тŵv oúpavov must mean the messengers who are sent from heaven to earth; the greatest of whom was Jesus Christ himself. For ayyeλos in Scripture is sometimes said of a man, Mar. i. 2, sometimes of a created Angel, Mat. xxviii. 2, sometimes of JEHOVAH, Apoc. x. 1. And so it is said in V. T. that JEHOVAH sent JEHOVAH: Zech. ii. 9, and iv. 9, and vi. 15. Therefore if the sentence ended at oúpavov, it would affirm that Jesus did not know. But then come the words ei μnj ¿ τaτηρ μov μóvos' words, which are not an ordinary expression, and which must be explained by Scripture, and by that alone. The words of Mark xiii. 32, are οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι οἱ ἐν οὐρανῷ, οὐδὲ ὁ υἱὸς, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ. That is the common reading: but the Vatican MS, followed by Tischendorf, reads, ovde ayyedos év ovpava, which perhaps is better; but the comparison of those readings is beside the present question. The words of Mark are worthy of all attention: for he adds ovdè ó viòs, which is wanting in Matthew: a striking proof of the independence of Mark's narrative. But there is no discrepancy between Mark and Matthew for the words of Matthew, oi ayyedo Tov ovρavov, include the Son, as has been said. Thus the words of Mark appear to be of equal import, but of greater precision. Each historian confirms the other. And then it is most important to observe that Mark as well as Matthew, adds the remarkable expression ei un ó Taτhρ a wonderful proof, that both wrote under the guidance of one and the same Spirit. What then is the meaning of the expression, οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ ὁ υἱὸς, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ ; It is impossible to understand this as a simple affirmation that the Son is ignorant: for if that had been intended, nothing would have been easier than to say, περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ μου μόνος, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς οὐκ οἶδε. But that is not said : the words are otherwise arranged; and as they now stand, ei un must, according to all principles of sound criticism, be understood to qualify all and every part of the preceding proposition. So that the whole must be understood thus: οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ οὐδὲ ὁ υἱὸς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ. This is the legitimate expansion of the sentence. The phrase ei un is one of very frequent occurrence in N. T. and it is commonly used to qualify a negative preceding: but these passages of Matthew and Mark, although alike each to each, are not exactly like any other passage in N. T. They must therefore be interpreted by themselves. And they |