36.37.

fion amongst the Chriftians of thofe Times, that the World fhould not continue fo long as we who are now alive, fee it has done; but they expected that our Saviour Chrift would come fooner to Judgment, to refcue his Difciples, and Saints, from the Perfecutions under which they fuffered; And this is the lefs to be wondered at, when we confider that it is natural for Men, who are afflicted, to defire and hope for a fpeedy Deliverance; efpecially when they are afflicted for Truth, and Innocence, and Righteousness-Sake. But that was not all; the Expectation feemed to be favoured by many Texts and Promises of the Gofpel. As ye have Heb. 10. need of Patience, that after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the Promife. For yet a little while, and be that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Be ye alfo patient, St. James ftablish your Hearts; for the coming of the 5.8, 9. Lord draweth nigh. And again, Behold the Fudge ftandeth before the Door. Behold I come Rev. 22. 7. quickly: Bleffed is be that keepeth the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book, with many more of the like Importance. Now that they were mistaken in this Belief, and Expectation, is neither any Reflection at all upon their Piety, nor Difparagement to their Wifdom though we acknowledge them to be holy Men, yet we do not believe them to be Omnifcient, and Infallible; fince we are affured, that the Time of his coming was kept fecret from the Angels in Heaven, nay from Chrift himself, at least according to his human Nature, and

fince

Capa

32.

Mark 13. Capacity. But of that Day and Hour knoweth no Man, no not the Angels which are in Heaven, nor the Son but the Father. So that being the speedy coming of our Lord to Judgment, was a Thing pioufly credible to thofe early and perfecuted Saints; being it was an Innocent and Inculpable Piece of ignorance; being it was a very proper Confolation, to fupport their Conftancy, and to engage them to bear the Crofs with Patience; the Prolongation of their Deliverance might administer Occafion of Doubt and Queftion concerning Chrift's coming to Judgment; neither is that all.

2.3.

This Opinion of theirs had another Ground; it seems to have been propagated, and induftriously made ufe of by the Hereticks of those Times, to unfettle the Faith of Chriftians, as to the Doctrines of the Refurrection, and future Judgment. This St. Paul mentions, Now we beseech you Brethren, by the coming 2 Theff. 1. of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not foon fhaken in Mind, or be troubled; neither by Spirit, nor by Word, nor by Letter, as from us, as that the Day of Chrift is at Hand. Let no Man deceive you by any Means; for that Day fhall not come, except there come a falling away firft, and that Man of Sin be revealed the Son of Perdition; What that Apoftacy, or falling away is, and who that Man of Sin, and Son of Perdition, I profefs my felf to be ignorant; nor can I cer tainly learn it from any Expofitors. But this is

plain, that the Apostle cautions them against
the Opinion that the Day of Chrift is at hand,
as an Heretical Artifice to shake their Stedfaft-
nefs;
that they fhould not be moved by it,
though it was fet off with the fair Pretence of
having received it from the Spirit of Revelation
and Prophecy; be not troubled, neither by Spi-
rit, or by Oral Tradition from him, nor by
Word, as from us; for that Day fhall not come,
except there come a falling away firft. Which I
fuppofe muft mean fome very remarkable Sign
of his coming. This may be fufficient to fhew
what might give Occafion to fuch a Doubt and
Queftion amongst the Chriftians concerning
the coming of Chrift. I proceed now to the
Second Thing propofed under this Head, viz:

2. To fhew the Groundlefnefs of it, which I fhall endeavour to do in the following Particulars.

First, Because most of thofe Texts of Scripture which are applied that way, are fairly capable of another Senfe and Meaning, viz. to fignify the coming of Chrift, in the Destruction of Ferufalem and the Jewish Nation. In this Sense, I believe the greateft part of the Twenty Fourth Chapter of St. Matthew is to be underftood; for tho' both the Day of Judgment, and the Destruction of Jerufalem, are there described; yet the Destruction of Jerufalem is made the Type and Representation of the Day of Judgment. Know that it is near, even at the Doors.verfes 33、 Verily I say unto you this Generation fhall not

pass,

34.

pafs, till all thefe Things be fulfilled. i. e. till they are accomplished in the Deftruction of Ferufalem. Which (according to Eufebius) came to pass Forty Years after. In the fame Senfe, I prefume, these other Scriptures must be underftood, as in the 5th of St. James 5. 6. where fpeaking to the Jews, he fays, Te bave lived in Pleasure on the Earth, and been wanton; ye bave condemned, and killed the Juft. But fpeaking to the Chriftians, he fays; Be patient therefore, Brethren, unto the coming of the Lord; ftablish your Hearts, for the coming of the Lord I draweth nigh, and elsewhere. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men; the Lord is at band. The Meaning is, "Ye unbelieving 66 Jews, you have filled up the Measure of your "Iniquity, in killing the Prophets, and Saints 166 of God and Chrift is now coming to take "Vengeance of you. But ye Chriftians, let "all Men fee by your Meeknefs, and patient Suffering, that you believe thefe Predictions, which have been delivered to you from Christ, that he is nigh at hand; And tho' "properly the End of all Things will not be till the laft Day; yet this notable Providence "inthe fudden deftruction of Jerufalem, may "be a good Stay to your Minds, that he will "alfo appear a fecond time unto Salvation. I fhall fhut up this particular, with the Obfervation of Grotius in this Matter. Solent Sandi Scriptores eafdem firme Voces Ufurpare de univerfali judicio ac de judicio in Populum judaicum, quod boc illius fit Imago & Arrbabo. i.e.

The

The Holy Writers are wont to use the fame Words, to exprefs the general Judgment which they do to exprefs the Deftruction of the Jews, because that is the Image,and Pledge of the other.

Secondly, The Groundlefnefs of fuch a Doubt will further appear, if we consider that many of thofe Texts of Scripture do not exprefs the Suddennefs, but the Certainty of Chrift's coming. Thus in the Tenth to the Hebrews and 36 Verfe, Whereas it it faid, Te bave need of Patience, that ye may receive the Promife for be that fhall come, will come, and will not tarry; The Meaning is no more than this. You may depend upon his Promife, certainly, and without all doubt he will come. For the Words are taken out of the Serond Chapter of the Prophet Habakkuk, and there is a plain Hebraifm in them in which Language there is nothing more common than to ufe an Ingemination, or repeating the fame Word over a gain, when they would exprefs a Thing with the greater Vehemency and Affurance. Examples of this, are frequent in the Old-Teftament. Thus, when God told the Ifraelites that he had feen what they had done in Egypt, the Septuagint render it. Surely I have visited you. But Exod. 30. the Hebrew, Vifiting, I have vifited you; and in the 11th Pfalm, I have waited patiently for the Lord, it is, Waiting, I have waited: And in the 61 of Ifaiah, I have greatly rejoiced in God it is Rejoicing, I bave rejoiced: And in thefe Words of the Prophet Habakkuk; He