gether his elect from the four winds, from the uttermoft part of the earth to the uttermoft part of hea ven. 28 Now learn a parable of the figtree: When her branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that fummer is near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye fhall fee these things come to pafs, know that it is nigh, even at the door. 30 Verily I fay unto you, that this generation fhall not pafs, till all these things be done. the Greatnefs of their Works, and fhall gather together fincere and good Men not only of the Jews, but alfo out of all the Nations of the Gentiles, into the Communion and Profeffion of his true Religion. (And in like manner at the End of the World, of which the Destruction of Jerufalem is a proper Type; after many Strange Revolutions and great Calamities and Diftreffes, and almost univerfal corruptions of Religion, Chrift fhall appear in the Clouds of Heaven, with Power and great Glory, to judge Mankind; and he shall by the Ministry of his Angels gather out of all Parts of the World his true and fincere Servants, who have believed God and obeyed his Commandments, to fave and reward them; but the Wicked he fhall deftroy, finally and for ever.) 28 & 29. And now obferve this Similitude, which I am about to tell you. As, when you fee the Trees fhoot forth their tender Buds and begin to be covered with Leaves; ye know certainly that Summer is coming on: So, when ye fhall fee thefe many Signs, which I have foretold you, come to pass; know that That great Deftruction of the Jewish Nation, whereby the Kingdom of the Meffiah fhall be established upon Earth, approaches very near. 30. Affuredly I tell you, all thefe Things fhall be fulfilled in this prefent Age, even in the Sight of fome who are now alive, and fhall be Eye-witneffes of them. pun 31. + And doubt not but every Tittle of what I have told fhall you, Etually come to pafs: For God hath irreverfibly determined to do all these Things; and fooner may Heaven and Earth perifh, than any one of my Words fail of being accomplished. 32. Only as to the precife Time when this great Defolation fhall happen, [and in like manner, when the laft Judgment fhall be,] God has never revealed that, neither to Man nor Angel, nay, nor to me myself. But as Daniel prophefied of it at a Distance, without determining exactly when it fhould come to pafs; fo I, though I tell you more clearly and diftinctly the Fore-runners and Signs and Circumftances of it, yet neither have I commiffion to declare the exact Time when it fhall be. 33. Be careful therefore, and watchful, and diligent; that ye may be always ready, and in a holy and pious Difpofition worthy of Deliverance, when ever your Lord fhall appear: Because ye know not the Time when this great Deftruction [or when Death or Judgment] will come. 34. For as a Man travelling into a far Country, leaves his Goods in charge with his Servants, and appoints to every one his particular Bu 31 Heaven and earth fhall pass away but my words shall not pass away. + Some have conjectured, and indeed very ingeniously, that this Verfe is a Tranfition from the Defcription of the Deftruction of Jerufalem, to that of the Day of Judgment. And then it must be thus paraphrafed: What I have told you about the Deftruction of Jerufalem, hall all be fulfilled in the prefent Age: But I have a greater Thing to declare to you, and that is the End of the World and the General Judgment, which shall alfo as certainly came to pass; but the Time when it shall be, is not revealed. who finefs, wherein he expects to find them diligently employed at what time foever he hall think fit to return: So Christ revealing the Will of God to Men, has declared to every one his particular Duty, wherein he expects to find them exercised, whenever he fhall please to call them to an Account. 35 36. Wherefore as Servants thus entrusted with their Master's Bufinefs, ought to be very careful, that at what time foever their Master comes home, whether early or late, in the Morning or at Night, he may find them not lazy and negligent, but diligent and employed in their Bufiness: So ought ye to be careful, that whenfoever Chrift fhall come, either in any Temporal or in the Final Judgment, he may not furprize you viciously or foolishly employed, but wifely and patiently doing your Duty. 37. And what I now fay unto you my prefent Difciples, I would be understood to speak to all Men in all Ages: That they may prepare themfelves by a holy and pious Conversation, fo as never to be furprized in a finful State by Death and Judgment. * Matt. xxvi. 2. CHAP. XIV. The Occa Jefus eats The Jews confpire to apprehend Jefus, ver. 1. I. His Agony, ver. 32. He is betrayed by Judas, ver. 43. and apprehended, ver. 46. and tried by the High-Prieft, ver 53. and condemned, ver. 64. Peter's Denial, ver. 66. and Repentance, ver. 72. T * HESE Things Jefus fpake, Two Days before the Feaft of the Paffover. About which time the chief Priefts and Teachers of the Jews, having before refolved to deftroy Jefus, held a Confultation which way they might apprehend him privately, fo that the People, who admired his Doctrine and Miracles, might not have an Opportunity of refcuing him. 2. In this Confultation, there were feveral who advifed, not to apprehend Jefus at all at a Time of fuch general Concourfe as the Paffover; left, when they had feized him though never fo privately, the People fhould afterwards come together and refcue him. But Judas offering to betray him into their Hands, the Opinion of others to take that Opportunity of apprehending him forthwith, prevailed. Adays, was the 1 FTER two feast of the paffover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priefts and the fcribes fought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2 But they said, not on the feaft-day, left there be an uproar of the people. 3. Now the immediate Occafion of 3 And being in Judas's offering to betray him, was Bethany, in the houfe houfe of Simon the leper, as he fat at meat, there came a woman, having an alabafter-box of ointment of spike nard, very precious; and fhe brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 And there were fome that had indignation within themselves, and faid, Why was this wafte of ointment made? 5 For it might have been fold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured againft her. 7 a 6 And Jefus faid, Let her alone, why trouble ye her? fhe hath wrought good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whenfoever ye will ye may do them good but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could: fhe is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. this. Jefus having been fome Days 4 & 5. Whereupon Judas who +See Note was of a covetous Difpofition, and on Matt. thought this Prodigality of the Wo- xxvi. 8. man deserved a Rebuke, faid in difcontent; Wherefore was all this good Ointment fuffered to be wasted, which might have been fold for a great deal of Money, enough to have relieved feveral poor People? 6. But Jefus, knowing his Heart, and that he spake this not out of Charity, but Covetoufnefs, replyed: Nay, do not disturb the Woman, who has done a very good Work in teftifying her Refpect, and paying this laft Honour to me before my Death. 7. For, as to what you say about the Poor; you have them always with you, and you may relieve them whenever you please: But I have only a very little while to continue among you; so that you need not grudge what is fpent upon me in this short time. 8. 'Tis but a very little while, I For within Six or Seven Days I fhall Not, Two days before the Paffover, as if this were to be connected with ver. 1. but about a Week before, as in John xii. 1. And thus this Hiftory, (the Time whereof is much perplexed by Dr. Lightfoot and fome others,) may well be the fame with that in John xii, as the other Circumftances of it plainly fhow it to be. there |