see the Roman army, which will make such an horrid vastation, that you may resolve it the ultimate completion of that prophecy of Daniel, (which belonged primarily unto Antiochus, but secondarily also to 16 Then let them these Romans;) when, I say, ye shall see this army set which be in Judæa down in a siege, and begirting the holy city, (when [g] flee into the you read that place in Daniel remember what I now 17 Let him which say, and remember how pertinent it is to this puris on the [h] house- pose, though spoken also of another),

mountains:

out of his house:

top not come down 16-19. Then is the season for every one that is to take any thing in any part of the region of Judæa to get out of it, 18 Neither let him (as hastily as Lot was by the angel warned to get out which is in the field of Sodom, Gen. xix. 17.) and to fly to the mountreturn back to take ainous parts beyond Judæa, or else he must expect to be destroyed in it. For this will be a very sudden 19 And woe unto them that are with vengeance, such as on Sodom, and woful to them that child, and to them are not in condition to fly speedily out of it.

his clothes.

that give suck in 20. This will be a sad condition indeed if it chance those days! to fall out in the time of winter, when long and hasty 20 But pray ye that your flight be journeys are most miserable; or if on a sabbatic year, not in the winter, a time of the greatest scarcity, (for though there was neither on the sab- a promise in the law, on their obedience, that the rest bath day:

21 For then shall be great tribulation,

of the seventh year should bring no scarcity upon them, but that the year before should be blest with a double plenty, yet now that their disobediences had ripened them for their utter ruin the continuance of this miraculous mercy was not to be expected,) for in such a year it is to be expected that those by whom ye pass will have no more than they use for their own necessities, nothing to spare for you, (at least to provide for such multitudes flying all at once,) who yet must not stay to carry any thing with you, ver. 17. And yet these difficulties, whatsoever they are or can be, you must venture on, rather than stay in Jerusalem or thereabouts.

21. For on them that are left in Jerusalem shall such as was not fall a more miserable siege, and other consequent since the beginning pressures, than ever was or shall be heard or read of the world to this of in the world.

time, no, nor ever

shall be.

22. Such as if it should continue long it would 22 And except those destroy every Jew that is in the land, and in all other days should be short- places also. But that the prophecies might be fulened, there should filled which foretold that a remnant should survive [i] no flesh be saved: this destruction, the time of this heavy distress shall but for the [k] elect's sake those days shall not be long, but the city being besieged and taken, be shortened. the armies of the Romans shall be gone, and the

6

banished Jew Christians, those that fled from the siege, ver. 16, return quietly to their home again. 23 Then if any man 23. Then in the time of that distress and flight if shall say unto you, any shall persuade you that here is he that shall Lo, here is Christ, deliver you, (that is, the Messias, that shall free you or there; believe it from this distress,) if any shall put you in any hope of any deliverer, see that you do not heed or follow after any such.

not.

24 For there shall 24. For at this third season a third sort of false arise false Christs, Christs shall arise, (see note [d]) assuming to be sent and false prophets, by God to deliver you, and false prophets there shall and shall shew great be to persuade you to betake yourselves to these false insomuch that, if it Christs, and these betwixt them shall pretend workwere possible, they ing of miracles, and giving you signs to draw you shall deceive the after them, and (coming in a nick of time so advan

signs and wonders;

very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

it not.

tageous for that turn, when your danger appears to you so great and formidable, and so promise of deliverance so welcome) they will be likely to draw many after them, even the most sincere persevering Christians, if it were possible for any deceit to work upon them.

25. Therefore let this premonition of mine forearm and secure you against this danger.

26 Wherefore if 26. When therefore the news shall come that there they shall say unto is in the wilderness an eminent person, which will you, Behold, he is fight your battles, deliver you from the Roman yokein the desert; go not such was Simon, who had gathered an army of forty forth: behold, he is in the 7[7] secret thousand, and was in the desert country of Judæachambers; believe be sure you go not forth after him, give no ear to such rumours; or if they shall tell you that there is in such a frontier town, or place of defence, or in such a stronghold within the city of Jerusalem, (for there John with his zealots fortified himself,) this deliverer, or Messias, or leader for you; depend not on any such relief, nor forslow your flight, ver. 17, upon confidence that he shall do any thing for you.

so shall also the

for

27 For as the light27. All such deceits may prove ruinous to you; ning cometh out of this judgment and vengeance upon the Jews shall the east, and shineth come so as that it cannot be avoided; but it shall at even unto the west; the same time fall upon several parts of the land, or coming of the Son in a moment, like lightning, fly from one corner to another; this day a great slaughter of Jews in this place, to morrow in another a great way off. 28 For wheresoever 28. And there is no preventing of it by getting the carcase is, there into any place of appearing safety, for wheresoever will the [m] eagles the Jews are, there will the Roman armies (whose be gathered together. ensign is the eagle, and who will have a sagacity to

of man be.

7

* the Christ, & Xplorós. storehouses, cellars, places of strength, magazines, fortifications, &c.

29

Immediately find out Jews, as the eagle, Job xxxix. 30, hath to after the tribulation smell out carcases) find them out, and slaughter of those days shall them.

the sun be darkened,

shaken :

revenge

of

and the moon shall 29. This distress shall make short work with this not give her light, nation; for immediately upon this which I have now and the stars shall foretold you, the temple, the city of Jerusalem, and fall from heaven, and the rest of the cities of Judæa, and that whole peo[n] the powers of the heavens shall be ple, shall be shrewdly shaken, all the whole government, civil and ecclesiastical, shall be destroyed. 30 And then shall 30. And this shall appear to be a signal punishment appear the [o] sign the Jews, and they shall with sorrow (though of the Son of man upon in heaven: and then too late) take notice of it as a notable act of shall all the tribes of the crucified Christ upon those that were thus guilty the earth mourn, of his death: (see premonition to the Revelation.) and they shall see 31. And he shall, as with an herald and a loud coming in the clouds sounding trumpet, gather together all the persevering of heaven with power believers, that remnant whom he purposed to preand great glory. serve from this destruction, wheresoever they are in 31 And he shall any part of Judæa, (see Rev. vii. 12,) and rescue send his angels with them from this common calamity: see ver. 40, 41, a great sound of a trumpet, and they and Rev. vii. 3, 4, &c.

the Son of man

shall gather together 32. Now as by the sight of a fig tree, the softness his elect from the of the branch and budding out of leaves, ye know four winds, from one and discern that the winter is now past, and the sumend of heaven to the other9. mer is nigh approaching;

33: a

32 Now learn So in like manner resolve ye that these are most parable of the fig certain and infallible signs, by which, when you see tree; When his them, you may conclude that this coming of the Son branch 10 is yet ten- of man, for the destruction of the Jews and your der, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that rescue and deliverance, is near at hand.

summer is nigh:

at the doors.

34. Of both which I now assure you, that in the age 33 So likewise ye, of some that are now alive shall all that hath been when ye shall see said in this chapter be certainly fulfilled: (see note all these things, know that 11 it is near, even [7] on ch. xxiii., and note [c] on Luke xviii. 7.) 35. What I say is immutably firm and sure, the 34 Verily I say un- whole world shall be destroyed sooner than one word to you, This gene- that I have now delivered shall prove otherwise. till all these things 36. But of the point of time when this judgment shall come (see note [a] on Heb. x., and 2 Peter iii. 35 Heaven and earth 10.) none but God the Father knows that, (see note shall pass away, but [b] on Mark xiii.) and that must oblige you to vigilmy words shall not ancy, and may sustain you in your trials, (when you 36 But of that begin to faint by reason of persecutions from the day and hour know- Jews, ver. 12, which this is to set a period to,) by

ration shall not pass,

be fulfilled.

pass away.

8 land, τῆς γῆς. 9 Between this and the 32d ver. the Gr. and Lat. MS. inserts these words: 'Apxoμévwv de ToÚTwv yivéσla: ȧvaßλé↓αTE, &c., as it is in Luke xxi. 28, And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 10 is now become soft, and leaves sprout forth, dn yévntai åtaλds, kal тà púλra ἐκφύῃ. 11 he is near, YYÚS ÈOTI.

eth no man, no, not remembering that how far off soever your deliverthe angels of heaven, ance seems to be, it may and will come in a moment but my Father only. unexpectedly.

37.

But as the days 37. But this judgment on the Jews shall be like of Noe were, so shall that on the old world in respect of the unexpectedalso the coming_of the Son of man be, ness of it: see Luke xvii. 20.

were

drinking, marrying

39 And knew not until the flood came,

Son of man be.

38 For as in the 38, 39. For as in the age before the deluge the days that were be- judgment had been preached sixscore years together, fore the flood they and at last Noah, by building of an ark, did visibly eating and forewarn them of the flood approaching, yet the peoand giving in mar- ple went on secure and unmoved in their course, riage, until the day knew not so much as of his embarking till the very that Noe entered in- minute that the flood surprised them, and destroyed to the ark, every person but Noah's family, that made use of the means prescribed them by God; so shall it be in this and took them all approaching destruction on this nation. away; so shall also 40, 41. Then shall there be many acts of God's the coming of the providence discerned in rescuing one from that 40 Then shall two calamity wherein another is destroyed, especially be in the field; the that of departing out of Judæa, ver. 16, which the one shall be 12 taken, believers generally did at Gallus's raising the siege, and the other left. (see note [g]) the rest staying behind, and so being 41 Two women shall destroyed. Two be grinding at the in the same field together mill; the one shall shall be thus discriminated in their fate; two women be taken, and the grinding together, or turning of a handmill, one of them shall stay, and be destroyed, and the other that was in the same place and danger with her shall, as by the angel that hurried Lot out of Sodom, or otherwise by some invisible disposition of that Providence which waits on his faithful servants, be rescued from that destruction, ver. 31.

other left.

42

Watch therefore: for ye know

persons

42. This judgment then being so near, and yet so not what hour your uncertain when the time will be, it will become every Lord doth come. one to be vigilant every minute, that he may be of 43 But 13 know this, the number of those to whom those strange deliverthat if the goodman of the house had ances are promised, that is, a faithful, constant, obediknown in what watch ent servant of Christ's, not tempted from his service the thief would come, by any terrors: see ver. 13.

he would have watch- 43. For certainly any man that were thus foreed, and would not warned of a thief that would break into his house at house to be broken such a time is mad if he do not provide a guard to secure it against that time.

have suffered his

up.

44 Therefore be ye 44. And then by the same reason, when the time also ready for in is so uncertain, and the being ready at that time so such an hour as ye think not the Son of necessary, you are obliged to be alway on your guard, expecting every hour.

man cometh.

13 apprehended, and the other dismissed, παραλαμβάνεται, καὶ ὁ εἷς ἀφίεται. do know, ἐκεῖνο γινώσκετε.

13 this you

45 Who then is a

servant, whom his

45. Whosoever of you then shall be intrusted by faithful and wise God in any office of trust or stewardship, especially lord hath made ruler in that of getting believers to Christ, and shall disover his household, charge that trust faithfully and discreetly, do that to give them meat which is his duty in times of trial and persecution,

in due season?

servant, whom his

ver. 11, 12,

46 Blessed is that 46. Thrice happy shall he be, if, when his Master lord when he cometh comes to visit, he continue to be thus employed, and shall find so doing. so be found about the duties of his trust constant and 47 Verily I say un- persevering, ver. 13.

to you,

shall make him ruler

That he h His Lord, shall enlarge his trust, and make him over all his goods. steward of all, and not only of his household; either 48 But and if that preserve him to be a governor in his church, after evil servant shall say these sad times are over, or otherwise reward him as in his heart, My he seeth best.

coming;

lord delayeth his iif that servant shall prove dishonest, and say or 49 And shall begin think that Christ means not to come and visit as he to smite his fellow- said he would, 2 Peter iii. 4;

drunken;

servants, and to eat 49. And thereupon join in the persecuting of his and drink with the brethren, (as the Gnostics did with the Jews against 50 The lord of the Christians,) and indulge himself presumptuously that servant shall to licentious living, (see 2 Peter iii. 3, and Jude 18,) come in a day when 50. The time of visitation shall come on him when he looketh not for it is least looked for, when he is in the worst posture him, and in an hour that he is not aware to be surprised,

of,

51. And shall deal with him as a false debtor or 51 Andshall [p]cut deceitful steward, hew him asunder, and assign him him asunder, and the same lot which befalls the unbelieving Jews, appoint him his por- Luke xii. 46, bring the same destruction on the tion with the hypocrites: there shall Gnostic Christians and the Jews together, and that be weeping and shall be an irreversible and a most miserable destrucgnashing of teeth. tion.

virgins, which took

CHAP. XXV.

THEN shall the 1. At that point of time last spoken of, the heavy kingdom of heaven visitation on this people, the condition of Christians be likened unto ten will be fitly resembled by this parable of ten virgins, their lamps, and went which took hand-lamps, (then in use, and fit to carry forth to meet the abroad for night-lights,) and went out to fetch a bridegroom. bridegroom and the bride, and wait on them to the feast. See note [e] on ch. ix., and Rev. xviii. 23. a prudent, provident, and the other five improvi3 They that were dent.

2 And five of them were "wise, and five were foolish.

foolish took their b took with them their lamps, and oil in them, suflamps, and took no ficient to maintain them at present, but had no provi4 But the wise took sion or store for the future.

oil with them :

с

oil in their vessels a provision of oil in vessels which they had for with their lamps. that purpose, to replenish their lamps, when the oil which was in was spent.