altogether wrong. For how can it be thought, that Jesus, in these words, was referring to the things of eternity, when he had just declared, "All these things shall come upon this generation"? that is, in that very age, and whilst some of that generation of men lived. Dr. Adam Clarke, the Methodist, certainly does not seem to suppose, that the punishment spoken of was in the future state. He says, "The metaphor which our Lord uses here, is a very beautiful one. When the hen sees the bird of prey coming, she makes a noise to assemble her chickens, that she may cover them with her wings from the danger. The Roman eagle is about to fall upon the Jewish state, nothing can prevent this but their conversion to God through Christ,-Jesus cries throughout the land, publishing the Gospel of reconciliation, they would not assemble, and the Roman eagle came and destroyed them." Certainly, Dr. Clarke would not have used such terms, had he supposed the punishment to be in the immortal state.

-

But let it be remembered, that the Lord Jesus, on the very occasion when he uttered the words we are considering, stated that the very identical persons, to whom he was then speaking, should at some time come to him, and hail him as blessed. See the words: "I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," (verse 39.) Now the truth of this declaration of our Lord shall in the end be fully verified, if not in this world, then in some other. Those who once derided the Saviour, shall hail him as blessed: "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." "This shall be fulfilled," says Adam Clarke, "after the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, when the word of life shall again be sent unto you, then will ye rejoice, and bless, and praise him that cometh in the name of the Lord, with full and final salvation for the lost sheep of the house of Israel." So much for Clarke. He refers for a confirmation of his statement, to Rom. xi. 26,

27.

The words we are considering were addressed to

Jews That they were not intended to teach the doctrine of endless torment, is evident from the fact, that Paul assures us of the final salvation of the whole Jewish nation. See Heb. viii. 10-12.

XXVI. "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shail Le saved." Matt. xxiv. 13.

This passage is thought to teach the doctrine of endless misery by implication; for if he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved, then he that shall not endure unto the end, shall not be saved. The inference is very just; but we should inquire what the Saviour here intended by "the end"? and from what, men would be saved if they endured unto the end?

The end of which he spake was the end of the Jewish state, which was to take place during the lifetime of some of the persons whom he addressed. Matt. xvi. 27, 28; Mark viii. 38; ix. 1; Luke ix. 26, 27; John xxi. 22, 23. That the then present generation were to watch for the coming of "the end," is evident from Matt. xxiv. 15-21, 40-44. The particular day and hour when this should happen Jesus did not permit his disciples to know, verse 36; but he explicitly assured them it should take place during that generation. "Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it [the end] is near, even at the doors. Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Verse 32

34.

This settles the question, beyond all controversy, that the passage at the head of this section, has excluclusive reference to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, when the faithful disciples should be saved from the "great tribulation," which, came upon the Jewish nation.

XXVII. Matt. xxv. 1-13.

See Luke xii. 35-37, which is the parallel place. The passage now before us refers to the same time,

and the same events which are mentioned in Matt." xxiv. for the two chapters xxiv. and xxv. are one continued discourse, on the destruction of the Jewish state, and the circumstances then to transpire.

To

The remark of Kenrick is very just: "The word then, with which this parable begins, shows that our Lord is still speaking upon the same subject about which he had been discoursing in the last chapter, viz. the period of the destruction of Jerusalem." the same purport is the comment of Bishop Pearce. "Then shall the kingdom of heaven,' that is, at that time, and under those circumstances. This shows, that Jesus, in this chapter, is speaking on the same subject as in the foregoing one, viz. what was to happen at the destruction of the Jewish state. And again, on ver. 13, the Bishop says, "This plainly shows, that what was said before in this chapter, relates to the destruction of the Jewish state, expressed by the Son of man's coming, as in chap. xvi. 27, 28. †

It will be hardly possible for the careful reader to mistake the true application of this parable. By consulting ver. 13, he will perceive that Jesus himself made the application of it. In deducing the lesson he meant to enforce, he said, "WATCH, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." Compare this with ver. 42 of chap. xxiv. It is evident, that the design of the Saviour was to teach his followers watchfulness, in view of his coming to destroy the Jewish state. Dr. Proudfit, an orthodox writer of high repute, and who not very often departs from the common interpretation of the Scriptures, allows that this parable has primary reference to the Jews. We give his sentiments on the subject. "These words may be considered as referring, primarily and principally, to the people of the Jews. The slumber and sleep, which the virgins were indulging, may be designed to express the deep and deplora+ Comm. on Matt. xxv. 1, 13.

*

Expos. on the place.

ble infatuation of that nation; they remained unalarmed and unreclaimed, amidst the most pointed and repeated admonitions of our Lord and his apostles. By the coming of the bridegroom, mentioned in the sixth verse, is probably implied the appearance of the Son of God for the destruction of their city, the subversion of their temple, and utter overthrow and dispersion as a nation. This event occurred at midnight, that is, at a period altogether unexpected; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded, they were absorbed in their secular pursuits and gratifications, until sudden destruction came upon them, as travail upon a woman with child.'

The phrase "kingdom of heaven" should here be understood somewhat as the word "church" is now generally used, viz. to signify the professed followers of Christ. They were represented by the virgins, those who watched for their master's coming, by the wise virgins, and those who were regardless of that event by the foolish. Christians were too prone, like these virgins, to slumber. Paul, in writing to the Romans, endeavoured to awake them. "It is high time to awake out of sleep." Rom. xiii. 11. Addressing the Thessalonians, the same apostle said, "For your selves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. * * * * * Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober." 1 Thess. v. 2, 6. By the coming of the bridegroom in splendor, with his attendants, Jesus represented his own coming, in his glory, with his angels, or messengers, at the destruction of the Jews. As the wise virgins entered with the bridegroom to the marriage, so the watchful Christians entered into the enjoyment of all the blessings which accrued to the church from that signal destruction of its enemies, which took place at the coming of Christ; and, as the foolish virgins were excluded from the marriage, so the

* Lectures on the Parables, 1820, pp. 72, 73.

heedless, sleeping professors, who did not watch for their Lord, were excluded from the blessings which the watchful enjoyed, and were shut out in darkness and misery with the hypocritical Jews, the avowed enemies of Jesus Christ. Kenrick will be found to confirm the views here advanced. Remarking on ver. 13, he says, "These last words, as well as what the parable begins with, show that it refers to the coming of Christ, for the destruction of Jerusalem, and not to his coming at the general judgment; for he concludes with the same exhortation which he had subjoined to the account which he gave, in the former chapter, of the signs of his coming in that event; his language there was, (ver. 42,) Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.' The intention of the parable is to enforce the necessity of watchfulness, by showing the distinction which will be made, in that day, between those by whom it was practised, and those by whom it was neglected."

XXVIII. "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. xxv. 30. This is the closing portion of the parable of the Unfaithful Servant, embraced in vers. 14-30.

That the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is a continuation of the subject commenced in the twenty-fourth chapter, we have shown in the preceding section. We refer also to the very lucid remarks of Mr. Balfour on this subject, in his "Second Inquiry," pp. 311-315. See also the "Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures asserted," by Rev. S. Noble, Boston, 1828, pp. 217223. We think it impossible for any candid and considerate person to read the remarks of these two authors, without being convinced, that the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth chapters of Matthew both refer to the

same events.

The outer darkness," into which the unprofitable servant was cast, will be found to be fully explained in Section XXIII. of this chapter; and also the phrase