God.

How happy to be in such a state !

"But the end is not yet." The final destruction of Jerusalem, and end of the Jewish polity.

We learn from history how exactly the several particulars here mentioned came to pass. See Hammond and Whitby, and especially Bishop Newton.

7. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

:

8. All these are the beginning of sorrows,

9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

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They shall kill you;" as if you were the causes of all the miseries that are coming upon the earth. This was exactly verified in the heathen persecutions.

If you are a Christian, you shall be hated; and have some of this hard measure even in a Christian country.

10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Many professing Christ, would be carried away with the general corruption, fall from the faith, desert and persecute their brethren. These two mutually produce and follow each other; the abounding of iniquity is the extinction of love, and in proportion as love decreases, iniquity abounds.

13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

As the Christians were remarkably saved from the common destruction. But it is a warning to men at all times of the necessity of perseverance.

14. And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the

world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end

come.

The preaching of the gospel in all the world, was then, and for some time after, a mystery to the disciples. But, doubtless, this saying would be remembered by them, and operate in its season for a full conviction in this point. Christ's seed may lie hid for a long time, and spring up at last. Sow it, thou whose concern it is, and leave the event to him. "For a testimony unto them." Of God's will to save them, if they receive it, and of their doom, if they reject it. You have had your call from it, let it not appear as a witness against you.

"And then shall the end come;" which is spoken of in verse 6.

15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand :)

The desolating Roman army, abominable for its idol standards, is "the abomination of desolation;" which should stand in the holy place: round about Jerusalem ; called the holy city.

"Whoso readeth, let him understand:" so doubtless he says to us, concerning all scripture. Not the outward meaning only, but spiritual intent, and saving sense of it. Would you know how? Receive it as the word and will of God for your salvation, and pray it into your hearts. But, my friends, how can those understand who are able to read and do not?

16. Then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains :

17. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house :

Such would not have a moment to lose. Their houses were flat-roofed, with stairs on the outside.

18. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

As being more incapable than others of saving themselves by flight.

20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

In the winter, when they could not fly so fast as would be necessary. "Neither on the sabbath-day; " when they were not allowed to go above two miles from home: meaning, that in such a time of danger, it would be necessary to take a much longer journey.

21. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The miseries they underwent during the siege were exceedingly great; and Josephus, who was present at it, says, that the number of the slain exceeded all that ever perished either by famine, plague, or sword, in any part of the world.

22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

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All would be swept away in one common destruction ; except the days should be shortened." And those who were preserved from it, would, or might be saved eternally, by having longer time granted them to repent and believe. "But for the elect's sake." Little does the world think that they are indebted to those whom they hate and persecute, for signal mercies.

23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

The meaning is, that they should not be deceived. And

this shows the power of truth in them, and the great blessing of being established in it.

25. Behold, I have told you before.

26. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth : Behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming (of the Son of man be.

When Christ shall come to judge the Jews: it will be in vain to look out for a deliverer in this or that place.

28. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Wherever, and whenever, men are dead to God, and finally remain so, destruction will seize them, as the eagles, and other birds of prey, fly to the carcase.

29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.

30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.*

The Jews in Judæa and those scattered in the Roman provinces. The tribulation reached all ranks, ages and conditions. The sufferings of the Jews from wars civil and foreign, from famine and the pestilence, were such as cannot find a parallel in history. It is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Let us de

* Mr. Adam's interpretations of these verses, seem to the editor mistaken: he has therefore omitted them; and has altered one or two of his prophetical sentiments in the comment on the chapter.

precate his wrath, and entreat his mercy. The Jews would fearfully imprecate the blood of Christ, or the guilt of his murder upon themselves and their children; and now Christ tells them it should come.-Edit.

32. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

It is plain from hence that Christ is now speaking of his first coming; which as it was not above thirty or forty years after, many of that generation might live to the time.

35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

We know how dreadfully this was fulfilled in the case of the Jews; and in vain do we pretend to believe in Christ, if we can entertain a thought that his words will not be as exactly verified in every other part.

36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

The precise time of Christ's coming to the judgment above referred to, was not unknown to him, but not to be revealed by him. Acts i. 7.

37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

It would find the generality as worldly, as unbelieving, and thoughtless of their eternal state, as they were then.

38. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

Given up to earthly, sensual enjoyments, and thinking of