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internal proof, of the genuine integrity and prudence of their conduct; for as Jews-as good men and as men who had every thing to fear, from the malevolence of their adversaries-they could not, with so much propriety, have adopted any other language they could not have given a more effectual proof of their attention to their divine Master's precept-to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves!

As it appears from the examples alledged, and for the rea sons which have been thus particularly stated, that the Apos tles made use of the above phrases, in conformity to the common practice of the antient Prophets, in describing temporal calamities; so it likewise appears, that for the like purpose they adopted the phrase the coming of Christ, as the Prophet Daniel had, particularly, foretold that the coming of the Messiah would be, in clouds, or in the clouds of Heaven; and more particularly as Jesus himself had constantly connected his coming as the Messiah, with the awful calamity of the destruction of Jerusalem. Hence it became, a significant expression, to denote that awful event, and perhaps it will not be saying too much to state that it was used, in its stead, by the Apostles, as a much more convenient and less offensive method of expressing themselves, upon so very delicate and disagreeable a subject, than any other which could have been adopted. *

That the phrase the coming of Christ, was used in this sense, by the Apostles, in their Epistles, seems to have been acknowledged, by Commentators of all descriptions, however much they may have differed from each other, with respect to the passages to be so applied. Bishop Hallifax, of whose Sermon on the Man of Sin, particular notice will be taken hereafter, admits, without hesitation, that "the coming and "the day of Christ, are sometimes used to denote nothing "more than the final demolition of the Jewish polity." Dr.

* Our own times have furnished a very striking instance of the propriety of the Apostles conduct. The noted Mr. Brothers, whether from Political views, or from a mental derangement is immaterial, predicted great calamities, as about to happen to this country. When his predictions became the object of much attention, it is obvious that they very properly attracted the attention of Governmemt, and indeed no Government can with safety, be inattentive to matters of this nature It seems, therefore, impossible not to admit the propriety of the conduct of the Apostles, in using a language, which though sufficiently expressive, was not capable of being laid hold of to their detri

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Benson

Benson says, "The coming of Christ does sometimes signify

his coming to the destruction of Jerusalem;"-and he adds, "the Apostle very justly declared, the coming of the Lord, "to be then just at hand." But Dr. Macknight, in his account of the different comings of Christ, which are spoken of in, the New Testament, is very particular, upon this head, And though his account appears, in some respects, to be objectionable, yet it will not be unworthy of the Reader's attention, as it will, in the main, be found to corroborate what has been advanced, upon the subject, in the preceding part of this Work. "In the Prophetic Writings of the "Jews (2 Sam. xxii. 10, 12. Psalm xcvii. 2-5. Isaiah xix. 1.)" he says, great exertions of the divine power, "whether for the Salvation or destruction of nations, are "called the coming-the appearing, and the presence of God. "Hence it was natural for the Apostles, who were Jews, to call any signal and evident interposition of Christ, as "Governor of the world, for the accomplishment of his

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purposes, his coming, and his day. Accordingly, those "exertions of his power and providence, whereby he de"stroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, abrogated the Mosaic "institutions, and established the Gospel, are called by his "Apostles his coming and day; not only in allusion to the "antient prophetic language-but because Christ himself, in "his prophecy concerning the events, recorded Matt. xxiv. hath termed them the coming of the Son of Man, in allusion to the following phophecy of Daniel, of which his own prophecy is an explication, Dan. vii. 13. I saw in the "night visions, and behold one like the Son of Man, came with

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the clouds of heaven, and came to the Antient of Days, and "they brought him near before him. Ver. 14. And there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that "all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. This prophecy, the Jewish Doctors, with one consent, in"terpreted of their Messiah, and of that temporal kingdom "which they expected was to be given to him. Farther, "they supposed he would erect that temporal kingdom by great "visible exertions of his power, for the destruction of his "enemies. But they little suspected that themselves were "of the number of those enemies whom he was to destroy,

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and that his kingdom was to be established upon the ruin of their state. Yet that was the true meaning of the coming "of Son of Man in the clouds of heaven. For while the "Jewish nation continued in Judea, and observed the in

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stitutions of Moses, they violently opposed the preaching "of the gospel by which Messiah was to reign over all "people, nations, and languages. That the everlasting king"dom therefore might be effectually established, it was necessary that Jerusalem and the Jewish state should be destroyed "by the Roman armies. Now, seeing our Lord foretold this

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sad catastrophe, in the words of the Prophet Daniel, (Matt. "xxiv. 30.) And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the "clouds of heaven, with power and great glory; and after "describing every particular of it, with the greatest exactness, "seeing he told his disciples, ver. 34. This generation shall "not pass till all these things be fulfilled; can there be any.

doubt that the Apostles, (who, when they wrote their "Epistles, certainly understood the true import of this "Prophecy), by their Master's coming, and by the end of all things, which they represent as at hand, meant his coming "to destroy Jerusalem, and to put an end to the institution "of Moses?"

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And a little lower the Doctor makes this remarkable assertion, "That every passage of their Epistles, in which the Apostles "have spoken of these things as at hand, may, with the greatest propriety, be interpreted of Christ's coming to "establish his everlasting kingdom over all people, nations, " and languages, by destroying Jerusalem, putting an end to the law of Moses, and spreading the Gospel through the "world." See Dr. Macknight on the Two Epistles to the Thessalonians, pages 67, 68,*

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The fact being thus fully acknowledged, that the phrase the coming of Christ, as well as the expressions the coming of the Lord, and of the day of the Lord, are sometimes used by the Apostles to signify the destruction of Jerusalem; it will be necessary to enter into a critical examination of some of those passages, upon which the Historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and others, have founded their opinion,

It is very extraordinary that Dr. Macknight, after such an assertion, should have interpreted 1 Thess. v. of the end of the world---for the near approach of some awful event is there, most clearly, described.

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that the Apostles predicted the near approach of the end of the world, that it may be clearly ascertained, to the Satisfaction. of the judicious Reader, that they have been improperly ap plied to

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As the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, are the first, in point of difficulty, and as the former of them has been particularly singled out, by the Historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, as asserting the near approach of the End of the world; they, of course, will demand the Reader's first attention.

To ascertain, with all possible precision, the meaning of the Apostle, in these two Epistles, so far at least as this enquiry is concerned; it will be necessary to attend to the nature of Epistolary Writing. Bishop Newton has very properly observed upon this subject, that "there are difficulties

in the Epistles of the New Testament, which are common "to all Epistolary Writings. Letters," he observes, "can seldom be understood but by those who write them, or by "those to whom they are written. And the reason hereof is "evident, because other people, perhaps, know little of the "parties concerned their dispositions their circumstances,

and what have been transacted between them. In letters, "many things are only hinted at, which, to present and describe at large would be tedious, or perhaps offensive, "Many things are said in anwer to letters sent, and questions proposed; which things may be open and easy enough to the persons to whom the letters are addressed, but will "want explanation to strangers, These difficulties," the Bishop very properly adds, " are to be found, not only in the

Epistles of the New Testament, but are common to them "with all other Epistolary Writings,"** And Mr. Locke, tó whom these remarks appear to have been originally due, has very judiciously observed, that if we had those letters addressed

to the Apostles, and questions proposed to them-they ** would much better clear those passages that relate to them, than all the learned notes of Critics and Commentators who, in after times, fill us with their conjectures; for very often, as to the matter in hand, they are nothing * else," †

See Bishop Newton's Dissertation on the Difficulties of Scripture, Vol. VI. page 214.

+ See Mr. Locke's preface to his Commentary upon the Epistles.

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It is happy for the Christian Enquirer, who lives in these distant times, that these deficiences are, in a considerable degree, and, perhaps, much beyond what has hitherto been imagined, supplied, by the connection of the Epistles of the New Testament, with the Evangelical History, and particularly, with the important doctrine or controversy concerning the nature and manner of THE COMING OF CHRIST. Whatever might have been doubtful or obscure, in the Epistles, when taken by themselves, may, in many cases, at least, be rendered perfectly clear and intelligible, by a careful attention to the Gospel History. Nor will the judicious and intelligent Reader, think it reasonable to reject any collateral evidence, which may be drawn from the history of those times, though not communicated immediately through the Channel of the sacred Historians.

With these observations in view the fourth and fifth chapters of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians must be examined with the utmost attention, in order, if possible, to ascertain, with critical accuracy and precision, what is their true and genuine meaning.

Now, the first thing which is particularly worthy of notice, in these chapters, with relation to the present enquiry is, that the Apostle states, three distinct cases, which have all the appearance, from the abrupt and unconnected manner in which they are introduced, of being answers to as many distinct questions. These are the matter concerning brotherly love, in the ninth verse of the fourth chapter,-the matter concerning the situation of those of the Thessalonians, who had departed this life, in the thirteenth verse, and the matter concerning the times and the seasons, in the beginning of the following chapter.

If the former part of the ivth chapter of this Epistle, be examined with attention, there is nothing which appears to have any particular relation to the case concerning brotherly love, mentioned in the 9th verse, and as has just been observed, from the manner in which it is introduced; it seems highly propable that it was suggested to the Apostle's mind, by something which had passed between him and the Thessa lonians, either in conversation, or in writing. But, be this as it may the subject is so completely different from that which immediately follows it, that it cannot admit of a doubt, that it is entirely finished,

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