Printed for C. Hitch and L. Hawes, 7. Hodges, A. Millar, J. and
R. Tonfon, G. Woodfall, J. Rivington, 7. Rivington and
7. Fletcher, 7. Ward, R. Baldwin, W. Johnston,
S. Crowder and H. Woodgate, M. and T. Longman,
P. Davey and B. Law, A. and C: Corbeti

R. Ware, and M. Cooper,

MDCCLVII.

3

The uncertainty of the day of judg

ment, consider'd and improv’d.

M A R K XIII. 32, 33.
But of that day, and that hour knoweth no man, no not

the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but
the FATHER. Take ye heed, watch and pray; for
ye know 'not when the time is.

T

HESE words are spoken by our SA-SERM. viour of the day of judgment; for tho' CLXXXIII.

in this chapter, as likewise in the xxivth of St. Matthew, and the xxist of St. Luke, which are parallel to it, our Saviour discourseth very particularly and largely concerning the eminent appearance of his power and justice in the destruction of Jerusalem, which may perhaps sometimes in scripture be called his coming; yet it is plain likewise, that he discourseth there concerning his coming to judgment at the end of the world. For we find in the xxivth of St. Matthew, that after our SAVIour had foretold his disciples of the utter ruin of Jerusalem, they came afterwards to him, to enquire more particularly about it; ver. 3. 66 And as he fat

upon the mount of olives, the disciples came unto “ him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these

things be? and what shall be the sign of thy “ coming, and of the end of the world ?” Where there are two several questions, to which our Savi

A 2

OUR

SERM.Our returns a distinct answer. The first, when ELXXXIII, those things he had been speaking of before should

be; that is, the things which related to the destruction of Jerusalem, for of that only he had been speaking of before. The other question was “ concerning " the sign of his coming, and of the end of the cworld."

The reason of their joining these two questions cogether, seems to be this, (as is very probable from many texts of the new testament) viz. that the apoftles did think (and our Saviour permitted them for a long time to remain under this mistake) that the end of the world, and the general judgment, would be presently after the destruction of Jerufalem.

Now to this second question of theirs, concerning the end of the world, and our Saviour's coming to judgment, he gives an answer in the latter part of that chapter, ver. 29. '“ But immediately s after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall s be darkned, and the moon shall not give her * light; and then shall appear the sign of the Son 56 of man in heaven.” Not that the general judgment of the world was immediately to follow the destruction of Jerusalem ; for there were many other things to intervene, as is manifeft from St. Luke, chap. xxi. 24. " That the Jews should be led cap6 tive into all nations, and Jerusalem should be * troden down of the gentiles, until the times of the * gentiles were fulfilled.” And tho' these things be expreft in a few words, yet they comprehend a long tract of time; for the captivity of the Jews hath continued for above 1600 years, and is not yet at an end. And then after the accomplish

ment

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