granted them to come into being again, and in the revolution of things, to receive a better life.' 25

All the notices which Josephus has left us on our subject, and indeed all the testimonies of competent witnesses of this age, have now been produced. It is unnecessary to sum up the account of the sects in Palestine, since their respective opinions have been so carefully exhibited. A distinction will be readily perceived between them and the Jews of Egypt: among the former, the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, seems to have been of very recent introduction; among the latter, of longer standing. It is important to observe, however, that in neither country do we find it connected with the peculiar representations, or expressed in the peculiar phraseology, which distinguishes the controverted texts in the New Testament. With many of these passages, it has no coincidence; so that it would not be suggested by their language. On the contrary, we have seen in a former period, that the larger part of the expressions in question, were then habitually applied, by the Jews, to the judgments and afflictions of this world. What we have said of Philo, may be repeated of Josephus: we discover in him no traces of belief in a general judgment-day, hereafter, nor in a future hell of fire. He does not use the word Gehenna. The fire which burned on the altar of the temple at Jerusalem, he calls unquencha

Josephus against Apion, B. ii. 31.

ble, [asbestos.] 26 He frequently speaks of the appearing and presence [epiphaneia and parousia,] of God, on remarkable manifestations of the divine agency. 27 Aidios is the word which he commonly uses for eternal. Aionios frequently occurs; and he generally applies it to the affairs of the present life. Thus, he speaks of the everlasting [aionios,] name which the patriarchs left behind them; of the everlasting [aionios,] glory of the Jewish nation and heroes; of the everlasting [aionios,] reputation of Herod; of the everlasting [aionios,] memorial which he erected; of the everlasting [aionios,] worship in the temple of Jerusalem; of the everlasting [aionios,] imprisonment to which John, the tyrant, was condemned by the Romans, &c. 28

We intended to advert to the progress of the doctrine among the Jews, during the two next centuries; but we have already protracted this article to an extraordinary length, and overpassed the bounds allotted to the present volume of our work. Suffice it to say, that after the ruin of their city and nation, their views and their usages seem to have undergone an immediate and rapid innovation; and that as early, at least, as the beginning of the third century, their doctrine of future retribution had become developed in a different form than we have hitherto discovered.

26 Jewish War, B. ii. ch. xvii. 6.

27 Antiq. B. i. ch. xvi. 3, B. ii. ch. xvi. 2, B. viii. ch. iv. 4, B. xviii. ch. viii, 6.

28 Antiq. B. i. ch. xiii. 4, B. iv. ch. vi. 5, B. xii. ch. vii 3,

B. xv. ch. xv. 5, and ch. xi. 1.

B. vi.ch. ix. 4.

Jewish War, B. vi. ch. ii. 1.

ART. II.

A Dissertation on the Phrases, End of the World, Last Days, Last Time, &c. as used in the New Testament.

I. THERE are many passages in the New Testament, which seem plainly to intimate, and indeed expressly to assert, that the age in which the apostles lived, was the last time, or the end of the world. How difficult soever it may be, to account for the circumstance, the fact itself is unquestionable, as the reader will perceive by the following instances.

St. Paul tells his brethren at Corinth, that certain events which he had just adduced from the ancient Jewish history, happened for examples; and they were written,' adds he, ' for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the world are come: "1 an expression which shows that, in his view, they were then living under what he termed the end of the world. That this was not an inconsiderate remark, on his part, and that it was a truth familiar to his mind, is evident from the easy and unsuspecting manner, in which he reminds the Hebrews, that now, once in the end of the world, hath he [Christ] appeared, to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself. Here he was speaking of our Saviour's life and crucifixion; and of course, he took it for granted, that the time of his minis

1 1st. Cor. x. 11.

2

2 Heb. ix. 26.

try upon earth was near the end of the world, so called. Accordingly, in another place, he refers to that time, by the corresponding term of the last days: God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past, unto the fathers by the prophets, hath, in these last days, spoken unto us by his son.'3 Lest it should be supposed, that the apostle here used the expression merely as a truism, meaning only that those days were among the last which had as yet appeared, we must remark, that St. Peter represents the ancient prophets to have spoken of that period, ages beforehand, under the same appellation, of the last days; so that the phraseology in question, was appropriated on some other ground than that just suggested: 'This' says St. Peter, concerning the gift of the holy spirit, on the day of Pentecost, this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh,' &c.1 To the same point again, St. Peter, speaking in his own person, tells his brethren that Christ was indeed' ordained before the foundation of the world; but was manifest in these last days for you.' He warns the Christians of that age, in the following remarkable words: the end of all things is at hand,' 3 or, draws nigh. St. John likewise assures his brethren, 'it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.'4 Jude

1

2 Heb. i. 1, 2. 1 Acts ii. 16, 1.

3 1 Pet. iv. 7.

2

21 Pet. i. 20.

4 1 John ii. 18.