Mark ſaith, Peter, Fames, 74hn, and Andrew asbed him privately. Matthew brings two things more within the compaſs of their Queſti- on, vit- What ſhall be the fign of thy coming, and of the end of the Warld 2 Our Saviour anfwereth this Queſtion from v. 8. to v. 32. The moſt of what he ſaith, we have betore met with in Matthew and Marh, It is the harder to diſtinguiſh betwixt the ſigns Chriſt giveth of the Deſtruction of Feruſalem, and. of the dayof Fudgment, becauſe the Signs of both, are generally the ſame 3 and moſt Divines think, that God in the Deſiruttion of Feruſulem, intended to give a Speci-
- men of the general Contlagration, and ruin of the World at the laſt Day : fo as Signs of the ſame kind with thoſe ſecn before Feruſalem was deſtroyed, ſhall be ſeen before the great and terrible day of onr Lords coming to judge the World.
ſy". $ And he ſaid, * Take heed that ye be not de- Me-2-3* ceived : for many ſhall come in my name, ſaying, I am
Chriſt ; and the time draweth near : Go ye not therefore
after them. |
See the Notes on Matth. 24.4, 5s. and on Hark 13. 5, 6, This hap- pened, and was abundantly fulfilled betore tne deſtrution of Feru- falem, and probably will receive a further fulfilling, in the latterend of the World. But before the deſtrution of Feruſalem, 1t was, as Toſephis aſſurerh us, fulfilied in many, particularly in one Thenudas, (whether the ſame mentioned by Gamaliel, As 5.35. or ſome other of that Name 15 uncertain.) 2. An Ezyptian Sorcerer, mentioned, Affs 21. 38. 3. One Doſitheus a Samaritan?, 4. Another in the time of Feſtus his Governwent. «. Simon Mazus is alſo reckoned for one, As 8. 9. He boaſted he was the Great Power of God: Others alſo reckon one Menander, a Diſciple to Simon Magus. . Tt 1s certain there were many who arrogated to themſelves the Name of the Meſſiah, to countenance the heading of a FaQtion, There have alſo been many ſince the Deſtruttion of Feruſalem, and probably will be many more bcfore the en4 of the World, 2 Tim. 4. 3. 2 Pet. 2. 1- 1 John 2. 12,
9 But when you ſhall hear of wars, and commotions, be not terrified. : for theſe things muſt firſt come to pals, but the end & not by and by.
10 Then faid he unto them, Nation ſhall riſe againſt nation, and kingdom againſt Kingdom : ;
11 And great earthquakes ſhall] be in divers places, and famines, and peſtilences, and fearful fights, and great
ſigns (hal there be from heaven.
See the Notes on Matth. 24.6, 5. and Mark 13. 8. Time is the beſt Interpreter of Prophecies : what ſhall be ſeen of theſe before the end of thz World, weare yet to obſcrve, but the DeſtruRion of Feruſa- {mis paſt many hundrecs of years fince. What Commotions were before that, we muſt learn out of Civil Hiſtorians, who tell us of divers, Foſephus telleth us of an Inſurre&ion made by thoſe of Fu- dea againſt the Sumaritans, Romans and Syrians. And of the Romans azainſt the Fews, to the Deſtruttion of Twenty theuſand Jews, asalſo of thoſe of Scythopalis, who deſtroyed of the Jews Thirteen thouſand. Of the Aſcalonites who deſtroyed of them Two thouſand Five hundred, Of thoſe of 4/exandria who deſtroyed of them Fiſty thouſand. Of thoſe of Damaſcus, who flew of them Ten thouſand, They tell us alſo of many more Seditions, during the Government of Feliz, Feſtus, Al- bing and Flcrus, &c. The Text ſpeaks further of Earthquakes, the Greeb word fignificth no more than Concuſſions and Shakings, but Hiſtorians tell us of ſeveral Earthquakes that happened (tho' not in Fadea } before the Deſtruftion of Feruſalem. One at Rome in Neyo's time; another in Aſia which deſtroyed three Cities, 7c. For Fa- mmes, we read of one in Scripture propheſied of by Agabus, Affts 11.29, Twelve Years after Chriſt's Death there was another 1n Greece, and four Years after at Rome. For the fearful Srzhts, and great Sizns from Heaven 3 Joſephus tells us of a Comet, which for a Year together in the form of a Sword, pointcd over the City. A L',ht that ſhined in the Night in the Temple, and made it as bright 5 1f it had been Noon-day. He teljs us alſo of a Neat-Beast bringing torth a Lamb jn the midſt of the Temple. Of the firange opening 0! the Gates of the Temp/e. Of Viſions of Chariots, and Armed men. Ot a Voice heard in the Temple, inviting thoſe who were there to be gone. As alſo of a man C"vhom he names) who for feven years and hve months together hefore the Siege, went about crying, Wh, R0, *o Ferr/alem, and could with no puniſhments (which they thought t to inflict) be reſtrained, &c. Theſe we:e great Signs both from licaven and Earth. $24.9 . 5 .
5.2. 12. * But before all theſe, they ſhall lay their hands 1c, M you, and perſecute you, delivering you up to the ſy- 25, Ngopues, and into priſons, * being brougtit before kings and rulers for my names fake,
We hive all this juiiicd from Holy Writ, Ads qe 3. OF. 5. 18: T 12. 4. C7 16. 24. -What of this ſhail be ſeen before the end of the World, time muft howz” tho! the Prophecies of Holy Writ ſpeak
>. Soy - ad. A an 19U2"n ot that aifo,
S. L U K $-- | Chat
ay and ſtately things, propheſicth the utter ruin of the Temple,to that
| 13 And it ſhall curn to you for a teſtimony. Ss That is, your Perſecution ſhall turn to you for a Teſtimony; for a Ti/ti- beg again your Adverſaries ; ſo as they themſelves thall be brought. y your Confetlion of me, to own me as the true Meffiah, and their ory which they mask under the Vizor of Religion, ſhall be open- y detetted, and it ſhall at laſt appear to all the Worid , that the Judg- ments of God are juſt, for the cruelty they have exerciſed upon you ; And to you it ſhall be for a Tefimony, you ſhall have an ampler OCca- ſton of teſtifying, both before Kings and Great Men, that 1 am the true Meſſiah. Your Faith, Patience and Conſtancy, [hall be made more manifeſt : you ſhall alſo teſtifie that my Kingdom 15 rot of this World, and that my Diſciples care not to.expet a Terrene Felicity ; It ſhall alſo bea Teſtimony to you, That you expet not your Por- tion and Felicity in this, but in another life, 14 Settle zr therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before, what ye ſhall anſwer.
15 For I will give you a mouth and wiſdom, which all your adverſaries ſhall not be able to gainlay, nor refiſt.