awaited all the Jews who rejected Jesus Christ. (Matt. viii. 12; Luke xiii. 28.) It was the fate of those represented by the tares, in the parable of the Tares of the Field (Matt. xiii. 42); of the wicked, represented by the bad fish, which were taken in the net (xiii. 50); of the Unfaithful Servant (xxiv. 51); and of the Unprofitable Servant (xxv. 30).

.

Previously to bringing our remarks on this passage to a close, we wish to offer a few observations in illustration of the phrases "outer darkness," and "weeping and gnashing of teeth." These expressions are found in the following passages; Matt. viii. 12; xiii. 42, 50; xxii. 13; xxiv. 61; xxv. 30; Luke xiii. 28. The expression, "outer darkness," is derived from the circumstances of Jewish weddings. The nuptial ceremonies took place at night. "Hence at those suppers, the house of reception was filled with lights, called torches, lamps, candles, and lanterns, by Athenæus and Plutarch; so they who were admitted to the banquet, had the benefit of the light; but they who were shut out were in därkness; that is, the darkness on the outside of the house, in which the guests were; which must have appeared more abundantly gloomy, when compared with the profusion of light within the guest chamber." The phrase, "outer. darkness," was derived from these circumstances; and as those who were thrust out were exposed to shame and disappointment, it is said they wept and gnashed their teeth; a proverbial expression to describe their extreme anguish. These expressions have long been applied to the imagined misery of the damned, in the future world. We have endeavoured to give their primitive sense. They are a part of the parable, and are to be understood as representing the extreme misery of the Jews, excluded from the kingdom of the gospel, shut out from the light of truth, enveloped in the darkness of error, and suffering the tremendous misery brought upon them at the destruction of their city and nation. This is not only their primitive, but their only application. If this was the sense Jesus affixed to them, what right have

the doctors of the church to give them any other sense? The parable now under consideration was completely. fulfilled within fifty years after the Saviour's.death; and there is no reason that any part of it should be supposed to refer to the events of the future existence.. The words of the Great Teacher should be interpreted with the greatest caution; their original meaning should be sought; and when this is ascertained, it should not be put aside, or caused to share credence with any secondary sense whatsoever.

XXIV. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell." Matt. xxiii. 33.

In this place Jesus was discoursing of the judgments which were then impending over the Jews'; and he says, verse 34, "all these things shall come upon this · generation." On this Dr. Whitby remarks, that it signifies "in that very age, or whilst some of that genera-* tion of men lived; for the phrase, this generation, never bears any other sense in the New Testament, than the men of this age." Com. on Matt. xxiv. 34. Let it be -particularly remembered, that the calamity which was described here by the word Gehenna, was a temporal calamity, and was to come on the generation which was on the earth at the time of the Saviour's ministry. If it be asked, what calamity it was, we reply, the same calamity that Jeremiah (Jer. chap. vii. 29-34, and xix. 1-15) had described under the figure of Gehenna, viz. the destruction of the city and nation of the Jews, which is described (Matt. xxiv. 21) as a "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

XXV. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Matt. xxiii. 37. Luke xiii.. 34, 35.

This passage is very frequently used to sustain the doctrine of endless misery, but we think such a use

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 doc-. trine 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 shall be 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..

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." To 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 cònsulting 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 indulg-. ing, may be designed to express the deep and deplora

*Expos. on the place.

+ Comm. on Matt. xxv. 1, 13.