salem, the next thing we read of is " we read of is "sending out the servants into the highways," which clearly proves, that although the gospel was preached very extensively before the destruction of Jerusalem (Col. i. 23; Rom. x. 18); yet, after that event, it was more widely spread than before, and became more especially identified with the Gentiles than it was while the Jews remained a nation in their own land. This is a very important point for the right understanding of the 14th verse.

It appears to me utterly impossible to limit ver. 4-14 to the events which occurred within forty years after the prophecy was uttered. Neither the history of the nation, the extent of persecution, the growth of apostasy, or the extension of the gospel, answer to the predictions in these verses. We must look further down the stream of time in order to see them fulfilling age after age; perhaps the 14th verse is fulfilling in our own times more fully than in any previous period. It may be that "the end" is not far off, even " the end of the age"-the time of terrible judgment-when the tares will be burned, the wheat be gathered, the faithful "stand in their lot,” and “the age to come" begin its blessed course. A very different affair this from the end of the Jewish state. That was only one among the many things which the Lord pointed out, and though an awful event to the Jews, yet not a time of awful crisis and of terrible judgments to the nations, such as both Matthew and Luke, in agreement with all the prophets, clearly describe. An able writer observes, on Matt. xxiv. 5-14, "Much as this passage has been neglected, I take it to be the grand CHRONOLOGICAL KEY to the whole remaining portion of this magnificent prediction." I would also ask especial attention to this fact, that in many prophecies, and especially those which are chronological, the same ground is frequently gone over again and again. A general outline is first given, and subsequently enlarged upon, or presented with fresh features, or under new aspects. Sometimes one point is taken up and dwelt upon in detail. This point is frequently the end or crisis. Thus, in Matt. xxiv. 15, after giving a general outline, our Lord refers to one feature in Jerusalem's future history, viz., "the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place," and calls especial attention to it, "Whoso readeth, let him understand." I do not think it can be proved that Matt. xxiv. 15, was fulfilled in the siege of Titus, especially when it is studied in connexion with Dan. vii. 11, viii. 13, ix. 27. The city and temple were burned by Titus, but no abomination (or idol) of desolation then stood in the holy place. But these passages will be noticed hereafter.

The 21st verse declares, "Then there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Those who assert that this great tribulation took place in the year 70, are bound to shew that Dan. xii. 1, 2, Jer. xxx. 4–12, 23, 24, were then fulfilled; whereas these passages, which speak so clearly of a time of unequalled trouble, speak also of the deliverance of Israel in connexion with it. There cannot be two or three different times of trouble, concerning each of which it can be truly and emphatically said, "None is like it." I entreat the reader to ponder this point, and compare the various passages referred to. The 22d verse states, that such will be the intensity of that time of trouble, "that, except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved." Do not the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah refer to this same time of trouble? "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it void, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof;" again, "the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left" (Isaiah xxiv. 1-5). "The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury on all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them; he hath delivered them to the slaughter" (Isaiah xxxv. 1). "The slain of the Lord shall be in that day from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth" (see Jer. xxv. 30-33, with Jer. XXX. 23, 24). All these passages refer to that crisis of the nations, "the great tribulation;" and in connexion with each, as in Dan. xii. 1, 2, and Jer. xxx. 6, 7, we have the deliverance of Israel. Therefore, I conclude that Matt. xxiv. 22 cannot be limited to the destruction of Jerusalem.

In verse 23, our Saviour says, "If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not." If these words are compared with Luke xvii. 23, 24, I think they will be found to point to the period immediately preceding the second advent. That somewhat similar things occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem may be true; for as one of God's judgments is frequently a type or foreshewing of another, so there may be a great similarity in the signs which precede these judgments, as also in the moral condition of the people, and in the delusions employed by Satan and his emissaries. I think that, between the moral condition and bitter sufferings of Israel in the days of Titus, and those characteristics and sorrows which will mark that nation at the "end of the indignation," there will be many points of similarity. Our Lord in this prophecy, even as the prophets generally, dealt with that which was ultimate and final, making use of that which was

proximate as a sign-the one being in the foreground of the prophetic picture, and the other, even the more vast and terrible, looming up in the distance. Illustrations of this occur in such passages as Isaiah xiii., Hab. i., Jer. 1., neither of which have yet been completely fulfilled in the past history of Nineveh and Babylon.

In 24th verse we read, "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." Whatever deceivers or miracle-workers might have appeared among the Jews, A.D. 68-70 (and I do not recollect reading of any of the latter), I can but think that when Rev. xiii. 13-15 shall be fulfilled, the words of this verse will be found true to the letter. All the world will wonder after, yea, worship the beast and his image, except "those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." It is worthy of observation, that our Lord speaks of false Christs in the 5th verse as the first thing that would occur; and then He speaks of them again more fully in immediate connexion with His second advent: thus distinguishing between what took place in a very early period of Christianity, and what shall occur at the close of the dispensation. It is at the latter period that "great signs and wonders" are done; agreeing, I think, with 2 Thess. ii." whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders," by which all "who receive not the truth in the love of it will be deceived;" "for this cause (even their hatred of truth) God shall send them strong delusions." God's elect will be preserved from soul-ruining error; all besides, of the Antichristian nations, will receive the mark of the beast (2 Thess. ii. 13), and sin beyond the hope of mercy.

29th verse-“ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened," &c. This tribulation is described in verses 21, 22, and must, of necessity, be the same as that in Dan. xii. 1, as before proved. In Luke xxi. 22–24, the period of this tribulation is called "the days of vengeance," that all things which are written may be fulfilled, including, of course for these are among the "all things written”—the desolation of Israel, the captivity of the Jews among all nations, the treading down of Jerusalem UNTIL the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There can be no doubt about this, if Matthew, Luke, and Daniel are compared. Now, immediately after this tribulation, when Jacob shall be "saved out of his trouble" (Jer. xxx. 7), the sun will be darkened, the heavens shaken, men's hearts fail, and, in close connexion

with all this, "the Son of man will appear." But how can the darkening of the sun and moon, the shaking of the heavens, the falling of the stars, be the figures "of the destruction of the Jewish theocracy," as Mr Lyon asserts? or how can the 29th and 30th verses be applied to the Jews as a nation, seeing that it is after their tribulation from man is finished, that these things take place? I should rather conclude, that in Luke xxi. 25, 26, we have that judgment on the enemies and oppressors of Israel, of which the Word of God speaks so much and so often. Deut. xxxii. 41-43, is a most striking parallel. Then the Lord will "take out of Israel's hands the cup of trembling, and put it into the hands of those that oppress them" (Isaiah li. 22, 23). Then will come that shaking of the heavens and the earth so often foretold (see Hag. ii., and which Heb. xii. 28, 29 shews is yet future), in order that God may "plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people" (Isaiah li. 16). Let it be particularly observed how precise our Lord's language is. He does not confuse or even identify "the tribulation," "the signs," and "the coming," but carefully distinguishes the first from the other two. IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation of these days (Matt. xxiv. 29)—" in those days after that tribulation" (Mark xiii. 24)-come those sights and sounds in heaven so much dwelt upon; and then, "the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory" is seen. Mr Lyon seems to confound these things together, whereas I think that a clear distinction is made by Christ, an order is carefully observed, and that, in so doing, He has respect to the question of His disciples, "What shall be the sign of thy coming?" In the former part of the prophecy he tells them, as we have seen, of certain events which are not the sign of His coming, "the end is not yet;" but, in the latter part, He speaks of the unequalled season of tribulation as being the great constituted sign. Immediately after the tribulation (immediately! no word can be more emphatic), the signs are seen in heaven; then the nations are cast into perplexity, "looking for the things coming on the earth;" and then "the Son of man comes."

The learned Bishop Horsley observes on the 29th verse: "These signs, therefore, are not to take place till the time comes for the fulfilling of the times of the Gentiles, not, therefore, till the restoration of the Jews. They cannot, therefore, be intended to denote the beginnings of that dispersion of the Jews, from which they are to be restored when these signs take place. Nor can the coming of the Son of man, which is still

to succeed these signs, be His coming figuratively to effect that dispersion by the arms of Vespasian. The dispersion, I say, of the Jewish people, which, by a considerable interval, was to precede these signs, cannot be the same thing with the coming of the Son of man, which is to follow them. Mr Lyon tries to escape from this inevitable conclusion, which is quite sufficient to crush his system, by asserting, "It is evident, however, from the reasons given above, that this allusion to them (the times of the Gentiles) is introduced incidentally." The very opposite, I think, is most evident. To put Luke xxi. 24— "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled"—in a parenthesis, or to make any part of it "incidental," would never have been thought of by any one, if a previous resolution had not been formed to force all the terrible and sublime predictions of Matt. xxiv. and Luke xxi. into the narrow compass of the destruction of Jerusalem. The necessities of the case required it; and it is an old saying, Necessity has no law." I hope to shew, when answering objections, that the reasons given for this singular procedure are utterly insufficient.

The 30th and 31st verses are next in order; and, though I have already examined these at some length, I must not now pass them over without a few remarks. "The Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory;" "the mourning of the tribes of the earth (or land); ""the sending forth of the angels;" and "the gathering together of the elect," are the glorious themes of these verses. Now, if "the tribulation takes in the sorrows of the Jews; if the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars, set forth the downfall and removal of the Jewish state and polity, what else occurred about the year 70, after these things, as asserted by Mr Lyon, to answer to the coming of the Son of man. He tells us that Jerusalem fell, and that the Jewish state and polity were removed, A.D. 70, by the fulfilment of Matt. xxiv. 29, how, then, can the coming of the Son of man in the next verses be also the same destruction of Jerusalem? Two things, also, should be observed in this expression, "the coming," &c., viz., that the definite article is used, we read not of a coming, but "the coming" (Matt. xxiv. 27). We are told by modern writers of a coming of Christ at death, a coming to destroy Jerusalem, and a coming in providential dispensations; now, suppose, for the sake of argument, we allow all this, still here is "THE coming" spoken of so constantly throughout the New Testament. Mark, also, it is the coming of "the SON OF MAN." "Is this term (it has been asked) at all applicable to Him, except as having the