whole Jewish church and nation, who have conftantly received it as canonical, but of Jofephus particularly, who commends Daniel as the greateft of prophets; of the Jewish Targums and Talmuds, which frequently cite and appeal to his authority; of St. Paul and St. John, who have copied many of his prophecies; of our Saviour himfelf, who cites his words, and ftiles him Daniel the Prophet; of antient hiftorians, who relate many of the fame tranfactions; of the mother of the feven fons, and of the father of the Maccabees, who both recommend the example of Daniel to their fons; of old Eleazar in Egypt, who praying for the Jews then fuffering under the perfecution of Ptolemy Philopater, mentions the deliverance of Daniel out of the lion's den, and of the three men out of the fiery furnace; of the Jewish high-prieft, who fhewed Daniel's prophecies to Alexander the Great, while he was at Jerufalem; and finally, of Ezekiel, a contemporary Writer, who greatly extols his piety and wisdom. Nor is the internal lefs powerful and convincing, we are told, than the external evidence; for the language, the ftile, the manner of writing, and all other internal, marks and characters, are perfectly agreeable to that age; and Daniel appears plainly and undeniably to have been a prophet by the exact accomplishment of his prophecies, as well thofe which have already been fulfilled, as thofe which are now fulfilling in the world.

Having thus endeavoured to eftablish the genuineness and authenticity of the book of Daniel, he proceeds to confider the vifion of the Ram and He goat, and the prophecy of the things noted in the Scripture of truth; but an abitract of what he has advanced on this part of his fubject, were it poffible for us to give a clear one within the limits to which we are confined, would afford but little entertainment to the generality of our Readers. There is, indeed, much obfcurity and difficulty in. feveral parts of the fubject, and commentators have purfued fo many different paths, that it is not always eafy, even for a difcerning Reader, to know whom it is beft and faieft to follow. In regard to this part of the work, therefore, we thall only obferve in general, that the learned Dector feems to have carefully confulted Greek and Roman, Jewish and Chriftian Authors; and, with great judgment, to have collected fomething from all, toward explaining and illuftrating the great variety of particulars contained in the prophecies under his present confideration.

From the prophecies of Daniel, he proceeds to thofe of our Saviour, relating to the deftruction of Jerufalem: and here he fets out with obferving, that the Jewith church, confifting only of a fingle nation, and living under a theocracy, or the

immediate government of God, experienced continual interpofitions of a particular Providence in its favour and protection, and was from time to time inftructed by prophets raifed up, and fent one after another, as occafions required. But the Chriftian. church, he fays, being defigned to comprehend the whole world, was like the world at first erected by miracle, and, like the world too, is fince governed by a general providence, by esta blifhed laws, and the mediation of fecond caufes. This difference in the nature and conftitution of the two churches, is the reafon, we are told, why prophecies and miracles, and other extraordinary powers, which were continued fo long, and repeated fo frequently, in the Jewish church, were in the Chriftian church confined to the firft ages, and limited chiefly to the perions of our bleffed Saviour, his difciples, and their companions.

Our Saviour, as he was the great fubject of prophecy, fo he was an illuftrious prophet himfelf; as he excelled in all other fpiritual gifts and graces, fo he was eminent in this alfo; and gave ample proofs of his divine commiffion by his prophecies as well as by his miracles. He foretold not only his own paffion, death, and refurrection, but also the manner and circumstances of them; he foretold that his apoftles fhould be enabled, of plain fifhers, to become fishers of men; that they fhould be endued with power from on high, to speak with new tongues, and to work miracles; that they fhould-go forth into all nations, and publish the glad tidings of the goipel unto the uttermoft parts of the earth. He foretold the perfecutions and fufferings which his difciples fhould undergo, and particularly by what manner of death Peter, in his old age, fhould glorify God, and that John fhould furvive till after the deftruction of Jerufalem. He foretold the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles; that the kingdom of Heaven fhould be taken away from the former, and be given to the latter, who fhould bring forth the fruits thereof; that the number of his difciples, from fmall beginnings, fhould increafe wonderfully, as a little feed groweth into a tree, and a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; that his church fhould be fo founded on a rock, that it should ftand for ever, and all the powers of Hell fhould not prevail against it. These things were most of them contrary to all human appearances, and impoffible to be forefeen by human prudence, or effected by human power; and he must be thoroughly acquainted with the hearts of men, and with the direction and difpofition of future events, who could foretell them with fuch certainty and exactnefs: and fome of them are actually accompjifhing in the world at this prefent time.

But none of our Saviour's prophecies, the Doctor obferves, are more remarkable than thofe relating to the deftruction. of

Jeru

Jerufalem; thefe he confiders as they are expreffed in the twentyfourth chapter of St. Matthew, taking in alfo what is fuperadded by the other evangelifts, upon parallel occafions. A particular account of what he has faid will not be expected from us; we shall therefore content ourselves with laying before our Readers what the Doctor has advanced towards the clofe of his differtations on this part of his fubject, and leave them to their own reflections upon it.

When we first entered,' fays he, on an explanation of our Saviour's prophecies, relating to the deftruction of Jerufalem, comprised chiefly in this twenty-fourth chapter of St. Matthew, it was obferved, that the difciples in their queftion propofe two things to our Saviour, firft when fhould be the time of his coming, or the deftruction of Jerusalem, and fecondly, what should be the figns of it, (ver. 3.) Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the fign of thy coming, and of the conclufion of the age. The latter part of the question our Saviour answered first, and treateth at large of the figns of the deftruction of Jerufalem from the fourth verfe of the chapter, to the 31ft inclutive. He toucheth upon the moft material paffages and accidents, not only of those which were to forerun this great event, but likewife of those which were to attend, and immediately to follow upon it: and having thus anfwered the latter part of the question, he proceeds now, in verfe thirty-fecond, to answer the former part of the queftion, as to the time of his coming, and the deftruction of Jerufalem.

He begins with obferving, that the figns which he had given would be as certain an indication of the time of his coming, as the fig-tree's putting forth its leaves is of the approach of fummer; (ver. 32, 33.) Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that fummer is nigh: fo likewife ye, when ye fball fee all these things, know that it is near, or he is near, even at the doors. He proceeds to declare, that the time of his coming was at no very great distance; and to fhew that he hath been speaking all this while of the deftruction of Jerufalem, he affirms with his ufual affirmation, (ver. 34.) Verily I fay unto you, This generation hall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. It is to me a wonder how any man can refer part of the foregoing difcourse to the deftruction of Jerufalem, and part to the end of the world, or any other diftant event, when it is faid fo pofitively here in the conclufion, All these things fhall be fulfilled in this generation. It seemeth as if our Saviour had been aware of fome fuch mifapplication of his words, by adding yet greater force and emphafis to his affirmation, (ver. 35.) Heaven and earth fhall pass away, but my words fhall not pass away. It is a common figure

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of speech in the oriental languages, to fay of two things, that the one thall be, and the other fhall not be, when the meaning is only, that the one fhall happen fooner, or more cafily than the other. As in this inftance of our Saviour, Heaven and earth fhall pass away, but my words shall not pass away, the meaning is, Heaven and earth fhall fooner, or more cafily, pafs away, than my words fhall país away; the frame of the univerfe fhall fooner or more eafily be diffolved, than my words fhall not be fulfilled: And thus it is expreffed by St. Luke upon a like occafion, (xvi. 17.) It is easier for heaven and earth to pafs, than one tittle of the law to fail.

In another place, he fays, (Matt. xvi. 28.) There are fome fanding here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom: intimating, that it would not fucceed immediately, and yet not at fuch a diftance of time, but that fome then living fhould be fpectators of the calamities coming upon the nation. In like manner he fays to the women, who bewailed and lamented him as he was going to be crucified, (Luke xxiii. 28.) Daughters of Jerufalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourjelves, and for your children: which fufficiently implied, that the days of diftrefs and mifery were coming, and would fall on them and their children. But at that time there was not any appearance of fuch immediate ruin. The wifeft politician could not have inferred it from the then prefent ftate of affairs. Nothing lefs than Divine prefcience could have certainly foreseen and foretold it.

But ftill the exact time of this judgment was unknown to all creatures, (ver. 36.) But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of Heaven, but my father only. The word wpz is of larger fignification than hour; and befides it feemeth fomewhat improper to fay, of that day and hour knoweth no man; for if the day was not known, certainly the hour was not, and it was fuperfluous to make fuch an addition. I conceive, therefore that the paffage fhould be rendered, not of that day and hour knoweth no man, but of that day and feafon knoweth no man, as the word is frequently used in the beft Authors, both facred and prophane. It is true our Saviour declares, all these things fhall be fulfilled in this generation; it is true, the prophet Daniel hath given fome intimation of the time in his famous prophecy of the feventy weeks: but though this great revolution was to happen in that generation; though it was to happen towards the conclufion of feventy weeks, or 490 years, to be computed from a certain date that is not eafy to be fixed; yet the parti cular day, the particular feafon, in which it was to happen, might yet remain a fecret to men and angels: and our Saviour had before (ver. 20) advifed his difciples to pray, that their

fight be not in the winter, neither on the fabbath-day. The day not being known, they might pray that their flight be not on the fabbath-day; the feafon not being known, they might pray that their flight be not in the winter. As it was in the days of Noah, faith our Saviour, (ver. 37, 38, 39,) fo fhall it be now. As then, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till they were furprized by the flood, notwithflanding the frequent warnings and admonitions of that preacher of righteoufnels: fo now, they fhall be engaged in the business and pleafures of the world, little expecting, little thinking, of this univerfal ruin, till it come upon them, notwithstanding the exprefs predictions and declarations of Chrift and his apostles. Then fhall two be in the field, the one fhall be taken, and the other left: Two women fhall be grinding at the mill, the one fhall be taken, and the other left. (ver. 40, 41.) That is, Providence will then make a diftinction between fuch, as are not at all diftinguished now. Some fhall be refcued from the deftruction of Jerufalem, like Lot out of the burning of Sodom; while others, no ways perhaps different in outward circumftances, fhall be left to perifh in it.

The matter is carried fomewhat farther in the parallel place of St. Mark; and it is faid not only, that the angels were excluded from the knowlege of the particular time, but that the Son himself alfo was ignorant of it. The thirteenth chapter of that evangelift anfwers to the twenty-fourth of St. Matthew. Our Saviour treateth there of the figns and circumftances of his coming, and the deftruction of Jerufalem, from the fifth to the twenty-feventh verfe inclufive; and then, at verfe 28, he proceeds to treat of the time of his coming, and the deftruction of Jerufalem. The text in St. Matthew is, Of that day and feafon knoweth no man, no not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only. The text in St. Mark is, Of that day and feafon knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. It is true, the words de o vios, neither the San, were omitted in fome copies of St. Mark, as they are inferted in fome copies of St. Matthew: but there is no fufficient authority for the omiffion in St. Mark, any more than for the insertion in St. Matthew. Erafmus and fome of the moderns are of opinion, that the words were omitted in the text of St. Matthew, left they should afford a handle to the Arians for proving the Son to be inferior to the Father: but it was to little purpose to erase them out of St. Matthew, and to leave them ftanding in St. Mark. On the contrary, St. Ambrofe and fome of the antients affert, that they were inferted in the text of St. Mark by the Arians: but there is as little foundation or pretence for this affertion, as there is for the other. It is much

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