look at the next verse in the connexion, which is only the verse but one before the question, viz.

Mat. 24: 1. "And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came unto him for to show him the buildings of the temple."

Thus on coming out of the house of worship, and hearing their Master preach so rousingly of the awful destruction and events of his “coming in the name of the Lord," they seemingly desire to know particularly what will become of the stone buildings, &c., or other mighty human works about the temple, at his "coming," of which they had just been hearing him speak. Without waiting to have their apparent question more definitely stated, Christ, as his manner was, answered immediately, as follows, in the next verse, which also is next before the question of the text. 24:2. "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Considering that this subject was introduced, and rousingly discussed in the discourse just heard, so as deeply to impress the disciples' feelings in regard to it, it must appear that both he and his disciples had rather in view the events of his final coming, than the momentary events of thousands of years before, and that his answer concerning the destruction of buildings, &c., was given to show the devastation, and utter throwing down and destruction, not only of the buildings of one city, but of the world, and all things which are therein. This would make the prophecy harmonize with many others on the subject. (See Isa. 13:9-11. Mal. 4: 1,3. 2 Pet. 3: 7, 10.)

3. In CHRIST'S ANSWER to this question of the disciples, there is much proof that he considered the whole burden of it, as an inquiry for his coming finally to judgment, in

stead of things comparatively trifling, to come thousands of years before. Some of this proof may here be briefly stated before particularly looking at the signs to be examined in the same answer.

(1.) From Mat. 24: 27-51, and thus through chapter 25th, to the close of Christ's long answer to this question, he discourses wholly and most solemnly on the great things of his coming to judgment, together with the ways, means, and vast importance of our all being immediately, continually, and altogether ready to meet its solemn events. All this looks as though he had no thought on a subject so foreign as that of a mere fight of flesh and blood, and that, too, of sinners against sinners, which he would rather consider as Satan's casting out Satan.

(4.) Christ begins his answer to this question with a solemn charge, in the first sentence, to his saints not to "be deceived" by any man on the subject. (24: 4.) If this charge were only against the disciples being deceived about the day of a temporal city's overthrow, and they, of course, were to remain in it, till seeing it "compassed with" literal" armies," (Luke, 21: 20,) it would seem that their faithfully regarding the charge would not benefit them, even in a temporal point of view, inasmuch as then it would be too late to escape out, except with their mere bodies, their stuff, of course, being made spoil in the siege.

(5.) Were Christ then counselling his disciples only how to make most of their life in this world, contrary to the object of his coming "into the world to save sinners," (1 Tim. 1: 15,)" to seek and to save that which was lost," (Luke, 19: 10,) it might represent him as deficient in the wisdom of this world in not advising them, so that they might have seasonably escaped with all their goods to some comfortable place of abode, without the distressing

necessity of fleeing, destitute and desolate, with their families, for a shelter to the bleak mountains of the country, "to Pella," &c.

(6.) In the very second verse of Christ's answer, (24 : 5,) he speaks, not of an earthly siege, but of his own coming, or of individuals who would deceive others about the subject and time of his coming; so that the question must be about his own coming, or he is discoursing upon a subject very foreign to it, under the pretence of answering it.

(7.) Three times, in the first part of his answer, now generally understood of a literal city to be overthrown, Christ uses the word "END," (24: 6, 13, 14,) as though meaning by it the same as expressed in the question, viz. "The end of the world," not of the Jewish dispensation. But if he did mean by it only the end of a dispensation, must not his disciples, inquiring for "the end of the world," have been deceived by his using their words in his answer in such a contrary sense?

If these considerations shall be admitted as proof that the inquiry of the disciples in the text, was for the time and signs of Christ's "coming," and the literal" end of the world," we are prepared next to examine, as proposed:

II. CHRIST'S ANSWER TO THE DISCIPLES' QUESTION: Giving the SIGNS understood to show that now his final coming and kingdom are "NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOORS." The several items of this answer may now be taken up by course, as generally the most profitable way of expounding or studying a passage.

Mat. 24: 4, 6. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive

many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; [or not deceived and turned away from the truth;] for all these things must come to pass, but the end [or Christ's coming] is not yet," or "is not by and by, (Luke, 21:9,) i. e. not passed "by, and" passed "by."

Christ here begins his answer by foretelling great latter day deceptions, by many in his name, called by himself "false Christs," and "false prophets," and in Revelation, "the false prophet." (Rev. 16: 13. 19:20. 20: 10.) Paul foretold the same deceptions as understood in speaking of the "god of this world" blinding the "minds” of individuals, (2 Cor. 4: 4,) and of their receiving "strong delusion that they should believe a lie," &c., and apparently speaks of the arch deceiver and his adherents, as "the man of sin―son of perdition," &c. (2 Thess. 2: 3, 11, 12.) In Revelation, the same apparent deception is mentioned under the figure of " the beast" deceiving "them that dwell on the earth'-causing all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." (Rev. 13: 11, 14, 16.)

Here Christ most solemnly warns his people as a genealogy, or race, to the end of time, against being "deceived" by these infernal powers of deception. Take heed that no man deceive you"-" See that ye be not troubled," &c. It is most evident that Satan, who "is a liar, and the father of it," (John, 8: 44,) is not willing that men should believe, and practice according to the great truths of "the Gospel of the kingdom”—“ at hand," and would, if possible, turn their minds to any thing else rather than their solemnly believing Christ's coming and kingdom near, and this very appropriate work of his, Christ and all the prophets have abundantly foretold. By various "devices"

and wiles," (2 Cor. 2:11. Eph. 6:11,) he naturally prosecutes this work, against which Christ thus warns his people.

The

In the 6th verse of this answer, as we see, Jesus has particularly foretold one of these “devices" of the false prophet to deceive his people, if possible, to make them all believe a lie in relation to the prophecies of the Lord's "coming and kingdom-at hand," viz. "Ye shall HEAR of wars, and rumors of wars." Take notice; Christ does not say, in this prediction of Satan's device, that wars, and rumors of wars, would come to pass, as a sign of his coming; but " ye shall HEAR" of them; i. e. hear of them as a sign to you, of the day of the Lord "at hand." mere coming to pass of wars, and rumors of wars, surely could be no more special sign of any great day near at one time more than at another, for they have been common ever since Cain's day, and will be, as long as the enemies of God shall remain on the earth, to contend for this world's goods. Yet there may be a way of hearing of them, which shall be a sign of the Lord "nigh at hand." I mean when we hear of wars, and rumors of wars, as an argument against the doctrine of the kingdom at hand."

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May it not be said, then, that now, and for a long time past, this prophecy of deception on the subject of Christ's coming, by HEARING of wars and rumors of wars," is remarkably fulfilling? Is it not true that almost the whole christian world have been made to disbelieve in the coming of Christ nigh, by the HEARING of just such things? And what is now more common every day, and from every direction, than our HEARING of these very arguments, to prove that Christ's coming to judgment is not " at hand;" but rather that the various prophecies of it are fulfilled