LECTURE VIII.

SIGNS OF THE KINGDOM, NOW SPECIALLY AT

HAND..

Mat. 32. 24, 3.

"The kingdom of heaven is at hand.". "Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

This is an important question concerning " the kingdom of heaven-at hand." In substance, as appears, it was occasionally proposed as long ago as when the writings of the Old and New Testaments were given. For a long time now it has been the case, that as soon as individuals have had their minds called to the subject, their first thoughts, and, many times, their first question concerning it, has been, when will it come? or, how many years first? As in the text now chosen, this question was proposed to our Saviour just before his crucifixion, together with an inquiry for" the sign" of his " coming, and of the end of the world." In his long and particular answer to these inquiries, though he told neither the "day" nor the "hour" of the event, he did tell quite a number of tho signs to be witnessed before its coming, by which it may be known when “it is near, even at the doors."

PROPOSITION.

In further vindication of the doctrine of " the kingdom

at hand," against the arguments of a temporal millennium, or long period of alleged foretold events first to come to pass, it is proposed to examine some of Christ's own prophecies of things first to be witnessed, comparing them with events now fulfilled and fulfilling before our eyes, and thus to show that the great day of his "second" appearing," with all the awful and glorious events of the final judgment, is now verily "nigh at hand," so that for aught mortals can know, all the prophecies of its coming may be fulfilled within a single year. This will be done:

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I. By examining into the precise meaning of the DISCIPLE'S QUESTION in the text, concerning the period and "sign" of Christ's "coming and the end of the world :"

II. The very full and solemn ANSWER OF OUR SAVIOUR to the same question.

If it can be proved that the inquiry of our text was exclusively for the period and signs of Christ's coming to judgment, in the destruction of all his enemies, and all material things, the answer of our Saviour which follows, must be understood as given to that same question, and not, as many have supposed, to an inquiry rather for the period and signs of Jerusalem's destruction by the Roman army forty years after the answer was given.

I. It is to be shown from the QUESTION in the text, and its connexion, that the inquiry of the disciples was exclusively for the period and signs of Christ's coming to judg ment, and not at all for the siege against a temporal city by a mere human army.

1. One part of the question itself, is too plain to be understood otherwise than as an express inquiry for the period and "sign of" Christ's "coming and of the end of the world." Christ's coming and the end of the world

are here placed together, which shows that the disciples understood them as coming together, at "the end of the world" and not before. At that time, of course, they considered, as we do, that all the great events of the final judgment will take place. From this part of the question suremore foreign than a supposed inquiry for the siege against Jerusalem, or "the end of the" Jewish dispensation.

ly nothing could be

2. In regard to the other part of the question, viz. "When shall these things be?" there is proof in the preceding connexion, that the words,-" these things," include Christ's coming to judgment and the other great events of his coming instead of being limited as many have said, to the destruction of the temple, buildings and single city of Jerusalem. In now proving that "these things" mean so much, we must examine the preceding connexion which prompted the question, viz. “when shall these things be?" There it will be seen that Christ was come into the temple," (Mat. 21: 23,) and that he continued teaching in the temple till "the Pharisees were gathered together," to tempt and question him about "the great commandment in the law?" (Mat. 22:34-36, 41.) Soon, upon this, Christ being still in the temple, commenced a discourse exclusively addressed to the "scribes and Pharisees, (Mat. 23: 13,) and continued it to the end of the chapter, (23: 39.)

In this discourse to the Pharisees, who apparently represent his opposers, or unbelievers generally, he calls them "hypocrites," no less than six times, (23: 13—16, 23, 25,)-"fools"-"blind"—"blind guides" repeatedly, (23: 16, 17, 19, 24, 26,)—“ serpents” and a “generation of vipers," (23:33,) also calling them, "Jerusalem, Jérusalem." (23:37.) In connexion with this, he charges them as a

generation of vipers," with the grossest of crimes, even with the blood of all the the prophets from Abel to Zacharias, (23: 35,) and foretels their continuing in such a course of martyring his people, &c. (23: 34.) In the same connexion and discourse, he continually denounced upon them “Wo”—“ Wo”—" Wo❞—with "the damnation of hell," in their finally being made to suffer for the blood of all the martyrs. Then he closes his discourse thus addressed to his enemies, or concerning them all from first to last, even from Abel's day, by an assurance of his long continued willingness to have safely "gathered" them, but they "would not," and threatening them with being left desolate as a “house," or "generation," or as a city having abused the privileges of “Jerusalem,” (his people) and with seeing him no more, to offer them life, till they shall ed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

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say Bless(23: 39.)

The enemies of God, abusing Jerusalem's or the saint's privileges, here threatened with destruction, and called, among other names, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem," are spoken of by another prophet and called by the same name, in foretelling their final destruction. "Behold the day cometh and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against JERUSALEM to battle," &c. "Then shall the Lord go forth and fight," &c. "And the Lord thy God shall come and all the saints with thee." (Zech. 14: 1-5.) Certainly "the day" has never yet come, when the Lord has gathered "ALL nations against JERUSALEM," nor against any other city in the flesh, nor gone "jorth" himself "to fight," neither in that "day" has he ever yet "come, and all his saints with" him. But in Christ's coming to judgment, as all the prophets have foretold, and as Christ declares, these great and awful things shall be fulfilled, in every "jot" and "tittle." (Mat.

5:17, 18. 24: 29-31,) and in a manner inconceivably more dreadful than these striking types of it can repre

sent.

The threatening and prediction of Christ against his enemies, of their seeing him no more till saying" Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," appears parallel to other prophecies of his finally putting all his "enemies under his feet'' when every "knee shall bow-and every tongue shall confess to God." (1 Cor. 15: 25. Rom. 14: 11.) When they shall call," and "seek" unto the Lord, but in vain. (Prov. 1:24, 28.)

Thus Christ closes that solemn discourse concerning the "generation"—"house," or city of his enemies; with warnings and threatenings of his coming "in the name of the Lord"-to require of them the blood of the prophets, and place them where they cannot "escape the damnation of hell." These things being found in the close of the 23d chapter of Matthew, introducing the 24th, which begins with the word "And"--shows that in the mind of the disciples, there was a close connexion between Christ's words in both these chapters, while it would appear that their question to him concerning his " coming," &c., was proposed but a very few minutes after hearing him preach so solemnly in the temple about his coming "in the name of the Lord," &c. In all that discourse of Mat. 23: 13 -39, they heard not a word about the passing away or coming of mere earthly dispensations, nor of any events to come, less important than those of the final coming of the Lord with "the end of the world," which they make so prominent in their question contained in the text.

In further proof of what the question really meant, by considering the circumstances which prompted it, let us