called the Talmud, in twelve folio volumes: the collection of all the writings of the most eminent Rabbins, or doctors among the Jews, from the end of the second century, to the close of the sixth or seventh. It forms the entire body of the Jewish traditions and doctrine. From this huge and chaotic mass, Christian commentators and critics, have taken far the greater part of those examples of Jewish phraseology, which they adduce for the purpose of elucidating the language of the New Testament. The illustrations, however, drawn from this source, unless plainly countenanced by other circumstances, or by better authorities, are certainly but of a doubtful character; since most of the Talmud was written at a period so late, that we must not take it for certainty, that its phrases were derived without perversion, from the apostolic age. Indeed, it is evident, that on the complete ruin of their nation, the Jews, crushed to powder, and scattered like dust in the four winds of heaven, absolutely run mad with fable and all kinds of visionary extravagance.

Excepting the sacred writings, the original Jewish productions now described, though somewhat deficient as we have shown, still afford the best means which we posses, of discovering what were the peculiar usages in Palestine, during the ministry of our Saviour and of his apostles. It will seldom, indeed, be sufficient for such a purpose, to find barely an example or two, in only one of these works; but when we see traces of any singular usage, running through all or most of them, the circumstantial evidence becomes so full, as to leave little room for doubt. Thus, if we perceive

certain expressions often applied, in the Old Testament, to a particular subject, it may lead us to conjecture, that a similar phraseology existed among the Jews of our Saviour's day; since they formed much of their religious language on the style of their scriptures, which they read to the exclusion of almost every other book. This uncertain conjecture grows into strong probability, if we then find that their own approved interpreters, Onkelos and Jonathan, who lived near the time in view, did actually apply those expressions to the same subjects. And finally, descending to a later period, if we ascertain that the Talmud abounds with similar instances, we may rest satisfied with the accumulated proof; especially if, in addition to these circumstances, the phaseology of the New Testament seems to have been affected by such an usage. We thus have a chain of evidence, running, with sufficient clearness, from the time of the old prophets, down through that of Christ, to the sixth or seventh century.

This method, so little liable to mislead, we shall carefully follow, in attempting to show that when the New Testament was written, it was customary to denominate the expected era of the establishment of Messiah's kingdom, by such appellations as the last days, the end of the age, &c. We shall show that corresponding phrases are applied to that period, in the Old Testament; that they were so understood and employed, by the Jewish interpreters, Onkelos and Jonathan, not far from the apostolic age; that the Talmudic writers, at a later day, still retained the usage; and that we find in the New Testament several

traces of that peculiar phraseology. Now, let us proceed, but with a good stock of patience; for the task of investigation must not be attempted with a very rapid step. We shall bring forward little that is new in point of fact; but only collect in regular order, what is scattered through the works of the most approved biblical critics.

V. We will, in the first place, adduce the language of the Old Testament. Isaiah says, 'It shall come to pass, in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." That this prediction of the last days, referrek to the time of the Messiah, and to the establishment of his kingdom, is evident from what immediately succeeds: And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.' It is worthy of remark, that this passage, together with its context, is repeated by the prophet Micah.2 Another instance of the phrase in question, we find in Daniel at the conclusion of his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he says, In the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand Micah iv. 1, 2,

6

1 Isa. ii. 2, &c.

forever. For as much as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.' It cannot be doubt. ed, that this refers to the setting up of Christ's kingom upon earth. Now, Daniel introduced his interpretation by the following address to the monarch: There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these,' &c. Accordingly, the time of that kingdom was, in the prophet's language, the latter days. Again: the last vision which was manifested to Daniel, and which extends from the eleventh verse of his tenth chapter to the end of his book, appears to embrace a series of events from his own age, down to the destruction of Jerusalem; for it concludes at a time of trouble, such as there never was since there was a nation, even to that same time,' when it should have been accomplished, ‘to scatter the power of the holy people,' and when the daily sacrifice should be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate be set up:'4 expressions which plainly point out the overthrow of the Jewish state. Now, let it be observed that the angel who showed this comprehensive vision to Daniel, apprised him of its purpose, in these words: Now I am come to make

8 Dan. ii. 28—44, 45.

4 Dan. xii. 1, 7, 11.

thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days; for yet the vision is for many days. Here again we find the phrase, the latter days, applied to the same period as in the former instance.

To pevent misapprehension, we must remark once for all, that by adducing these examples, we do not mean that the last days,' or the latter days,' always refer, in the Old Testament, to the time of the Messiah. On the contrary, they generally signify in that part of the scriptures, nothing more perhaps, than the simple term hereafter.' All we wish to show, is, that in several striking prophecies of Christ's coming and reign, the phrases in question are applied to that pe

riod.

We may now observe, that Daniel repeatedly spoke of the time of Messiah's coming, and of the destruction of Jerusalem, under terms tantamount to the end, or consummation.

Seventy weeks,' said the angel to him, are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin and, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to annoint the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for him

1 Dan. x. 14; xii. 13.