The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 465

~rn their rela.tion to the whole course of God's dealing with his ancient people, and trace his direct working In them. All the events connected with the history of the Jewish nation are designedly revelational; and it is their revelational value which disciples must be helped to discern. But when once we see that this is true for the Jewish nation, we begin to see that it is true for all nations. Men make much now of the" philosophy of history." They never can read history aright until they begin to study the "religion of history." Wars, migrations, changing dynasties, are not understood till they are seen to be "sky-signs." n. SKY-SIGNS THAT TEACH GoD'S REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE FOR THE WORLD, Ohrist's way of referring to the overthrow of organized Judaism by the destruction of the sacred city fitted that historical fact into the Divine redemptive plan. It was the removing of the scaffolding, that the complet.e building might come into view. It was the withdrawal of dependence on material forms, in order that the spiritual reality might fully occupy men's minds and hea.rts.-R. T. Ver. 34.-...4. lrey to our Lora's meaning. "This generation shall not pass till all these th1~s be fulfilled." The position in which these words stand is significant. Many writers see references to the commonly called "end of the world" in vers. 29- 31 because the imagery is so large as to seem unsuitable for e. mere national desolation. Our Lord meets that difficulty, a.nd distinctly declares that the figures picture events which belong to that generation. What needs to be clearly seen is, that this discourso of our Lord's is not a general discourse on the "last things," but a precise anticipation of the experiences through which his disciples were about to pass, and a gracious preparation for them. He was leaving those disciples to themselves, He had indica- tions to the very last of their unfitness to be left. They were still so hami,ered by their notions of a material kingdom. They were Jews, full of Jewish ideas, It would be a distress to them that the Jewish system was to be put away, as having fulfilled its mission. It might even be overwhelming to them that the very city and temple were destroyed. Our Lord would forewarn them. Their knowledge of the fact would help them t.o think aright, and to act a.right, when the time came, This is the key to our Lord's meaning. L ~ DIRCIPLES HELPED TO TIIINX A.BIGHT. We know bow great a strain on them was the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles. St. Peter bad to explain hi.s conduct in ba.ptizing Cornelius. St. Paul had to give account of his teachings of the Gentiles. And we can understand how much greater must have been the strain, when not only were Gentile Churches formed, but the Jewish Church was broken up. Suppose that our Lord bad never spoken of this removing of organized Judaism, We can quite see that the Jewish Christians would have been altogether alarmed and over- whelmed. They could think aright, and realize the permanency of the Church as a spiritual institution., independent of, if related to, any material forms. IL THE DISCIPLES HELPED TO Arn ARIGHT, Explain that, from a Jewish point of view, the centre for the new Christian mission must be Jerusalem. Those disciples would be likely to cling to Jerusalem in away that would involve their personal safety. Our Lord therefore forewarned them. When certain events happened, they must finally and quickly forsake the sacred city. That there might be no self-delusions, no procrastinations, he made his meaning plain by the words of the text.-R. T. "Ver. 40.-Tl,e talcen and the left. ThiBBuggests suitable instruction for a time when sudden death visits a family or a Church. At such times there is gracious work to,be done, in sympathizing with the smitten and bereaved, and in teaching solemn lessons, I. illustrate the text in cases of PBEBEBVATION FROM DANGER, Help toward the nourishing of devout gratitude. Take cases of the few spared from a shipwreck,or recovered from a mine accident. Or case of Luther's friend Alexis, who wae smitten by lightning at his side. All of us can think of friends of our sc_ho?l-time or our youth who have been called away. Wherefore a.re we spared? What 1s 1t that God has for us to do? Are we doing it? IL Illustrate the text in cases of RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE Help 'toward nourishing. religious anxiety. Take times of mission and revival; tht saved and unsaved work together, sit together. OH, xxv.1-46.] THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. MA.TTFIEW. 471