time; but those commentators have not attached to the Jewish polity and government but one heaven, which they say was darkened when it was destroyed; but the Saviour has certainly spoken of more heavens than one, which he said should be shaken after those days of Jewish tribulation; therefore, he does not mean the Jewish government.

That the firmament, or atmosphere, which surrounds this globe, is but one heaven, is proven Gen. 1, 8. And God called the firmament heaven. That most learned man, Dr. Clark, has, in his conimentary upon that very word, heavens, contended that it relates to each heaven, or firmament, which surrounds each world of the solar system, and that in that word is really embraced the whole solar fabric. The first place where it occurs in the sacred volume, is the second chapter of Genesis, first verse. "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished." And upon this word, heavens, Mr. Clark builds his belief, that it embraces the whole system to which opinion it is judicious to subscribe. I will give his words upon it, contained in his comment: The heavens and the earth. "As the word (heavens) is plural, we may rest assured that it means more than the atmosphere. The word heavens must, there.. fore, comprehend the whole solar system, as it is very likely the whole of this was created in six days: for unless the earth had been the centre of a system, the reverse of which is sufficiently demonstrated, it would be unphilosophic to suppose it was created independently of the other parts of the system. But as the design of the inspired penman was to relate what es

pecially belonged to our world and its inhabitants, therefore he passes by the rest of the planetary system, leaving it simply included in the plural word hea

the

I therefore conclude, that the view of those commentators who affix it to the Jewish heaven, is wrong, because Christ said in the same verse, where he says sun shall be darkened, that the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, which is the plural, as Clark contends, and cannot be the Jewish heaven, which is in the singular.

A third argument which goes to disprove that our Lord meant the Jewish government, or heaven, when he said the sun shall be darkened, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, is, that at that time they had no government of their own, but were then under the Roman yoke.

Sixty-six years before the time when our Lord spoke those words to his disciples, the Romans had ta... ken away their government, and created a king of their Herod was his name, an Idumean by nativity, who conspired against the infant life of Jesus Christ; but he died that same year.

own.

This dominion the Romans continued to hold, till, being provoked by the Jewish contentions and seditions, they came under Titus, and cut them off. If, therefore, the Jews had no political heaven, as is by some supposed, our Lord, therefore, could not mean them in his answer to disciples, when they asked him of his coming, and of the end of the world.

But here may arise a query with the reader, who may.

wish to know how these words can refer to the judg ment day; because our Lord said the sun should be darkened immediately after those days of Jewish tribulation.

To which I reply, it should be remembered, that the tribulations of the Jews is not yet passed by ; for they are a people scattered over the whole earth, and have never recovered their manner of government since the Romans put their first king over them. Taking this view of the subject, much of the seeming difficulty disappears, for the Jews will never recover their peculiar laws nor mode of government again.

But relative to the accomplishment of both predictions contained in this chapter, first, to the destruction of Jerusalem, and second, to the end of the world, the Saviour has clearly stated in verse 34, that the generation of the Jews should not pass till all his word should be fulfilled. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. The meaning of which, I apprehend, is, that the very generation of Jews then living at the time of the Saviour, should not pass, i. e. should not die till Jerusalem should be destroyed, which was realized about forty years after his crucifixion; consequently a great part of that generation lived to experience a literal fulfilment. But respecting that part of the prediction which relates to the end of the world, it may with equal propriety apply; because the generation of Jews, as a nation, will not pass, i. e. become extinct, but shall remain a people, and a distinct people, till the end of the world-till all these things be fulfilled..

We see, therefore, with great propriety, the Lord could say immediately after those days of tribulation, passing over the interim of the Millennium as but a day. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the ¿earth mourn when they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The circumstance connected with the darkening of the sun, &c. as mentioned above, viz. that all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, accords but poorly with the time of the destruction of Jerusalem; because we cannot suppose but all the nations (and they were many) in the interest of Titus; and the Roman empire rejoiced, instead of mourning, when the Jews were de-, stroyed. Therefore, if the Saviour did not refer to that time, it follows, that he spoke in reply to his disciple's question of the end of the world, the general judgment.

1

But in this place I will just remark, that the darkening of the sun in Matth. 24, 29, and the darkening of the sun in Rev. 6, 12, are by no means coincident, and the reason is plain. At the time when the Saviour's prediction shall be fulfilled, it is said the Son of Man "shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect (living saints) from the four winds, (the whole earth) from one end of heaven to the other." And why shall this be done at any period previous to the end of time. But in Rev. 6, 12, it is not stated, nor even intimated, that it should be a time of gathering the saints, but refers exclusively to the subversion of the Roman pagan cm

But

pire by Christianity, through Constantine as an instrument. The sun, which was then darkened, and the moon, which became as blood, and the stars, which fell from heaven, and the great earthquake mentioned, were, first, the sun, the secular government-second, the moon, their ecclesiastical government, or idolatrous priesthood-and third, their "gods, goddesses, demigods, and deified heroes, of the poetical and mytholoThe whole of which, when gical heaven." Clark. considered together, are majestically signified by the word earthquake, as a figure of that revolution. neither St. Matthew nor St. Mark give any account of the Saviour's saying that there should be an earthquake at the time when the sun should be darkened immediately after the tribulation of the Jews. In the same chapter, however, there is mention made that there should be earthquakes, meaning, doubtless, as is meant in Rev. 6, 12, to signify commotions and revolutions of kingdoms and states, &c.; but is exclusively connected with the signs of the coming destruction of the Jews, and not with the judgment or end of the world. The things foretold to take place at those times of darkening the sun, are totally dissimilar, and therefore allude to different periods, viz. the time of Constantine, and the judgment day.

The latitude of the language in St. Matthew is too great and general, to be restricted to that small portion of the globe called Palestine, and evidently refers to the time when the saints are to be changed in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump. At which time the wicked shall stand to be judged, every man