THOUGHTS ON MATTHEW XXIV. 14-41. In the former part of the chapter our Lord appears to have been speaking in a more general way, in answer to the three questions of the disciples in the third verse, "Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming? and of the end of the world (or age)? which may have had a partial fulfilment at, and prior to, the destruction of Jerusalem. And then at the 14th verse he begins to speak more particularly, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Now the preaching of the gospel to the heathen by missionaries, I think is not a fulfilment of this Scripture; for I take the gospel here to be a different thing from the gospel of the grace of God. It is the gospel of the kingdom, which was the gospel preached by our Lord and His disciples up to His rejection by the Jewish nation (see Matt. iv. 23; and ix. 35; also Luke x. 7). دو The gospel of the grace of God commenced on the day of Pentecost; but this gospel of the kingdom in this 14th verse will be as it is said "for a witness in the last days, and is the same as is recorded in Rev. xiv. 6 and 7, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come, and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." : Ver. 15. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place (whoso readeth let him understand) then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains." I take this to be future, and not a matter of history, as some suppose. Luke has it, "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains," &c. (Luke xxi. 20-24), which was fulfilled at the invasion by Titus Vespasian, and is of course a matter of history. The abomination of desolation was not set up at the destruction of Jerusalem, and has yet to be set up by the Antichrist (I believe) during the last or seventieth week of Daniel (see ch. ix. 27). It may have had a partial fulfilment by Antiochus, but that that could not have been its accomplishment is evident, because our Lord speaks of it as future. Moreover, by Antiochus and Vespasian the Jews were oppressed and scattered; but when this verse is fulfilled Daniel's people, that is, the Jews, will be delivered (see Dan. xii. 1). 33 Ver. 21. "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Luke writes thus, "For these be the days of vengeance,' &c. (see ch. xxi. 22-24), and alludes only to the destruction of Jerusalem; and from verse 25 to 33 the Scripture by Luke runs parallel with Matt. xxiv. 29-41). But Luke's 22nd verse does not convey the same truth as Matthew's 21st verse. Luke refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, and Matthew to the time of "Jacob's trouble (see Jer. xxx. 7; Joel ii. 11; and Dan. xii. 1). Ver. 22. "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." The elect here I understand not to be the mystical body of Christ, but the elect remnant of the Jews who shall escape that terrible time of judgment, the third part mentioned in Zech. xiii. 8, 9. The elect are here spoken of three times. In ver. 22, as the objects of His care in the great tribulation; in ver. 24 they are preserved amidst the deceits and corruption of false Christs and false prophets; and again in ver. 24, as gathered into His kingdom, and to Zion, from all places of their dispersion, when Christ their king shall have returned from heaven with power and great glory (as in ver. 30). Ver. 26, 27, contains a caution or warning, that if it should be said Christ is in the desert, or in the secret chambers, not to believe the report; for His appearing would be visible and manifest to all. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. This Scripture (ver. 20— 27) I take to be in its application entirely Jewish, and not Christian; for no intelligent Christian expects or is looking for Christ to come in judgment or in glory first, but to be caught up to meet Him in the air, in order to return with Him in judgment and in glory (see 1 Thess. iv. 16-18). Ver. 29, 30, refer to the signs and precursors of His coming, and His appearing in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Ver. 31. "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." There is no thought here of resurrection, nor the rapture of the living saints at the Lord's coming. At the first resurrection the just will hear His voice and come forth (John v. 28-see a sample in John xi. 43, "Lazarus, come forth "); and they, with the living saints, will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. iv. 16, 17). But here, in this 31st verse, the sounding of the trumpets is for the gathering of the scattered election of Israel home to the land; see the well-known Scripture Isa. xxvii. 12, 13, "And ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem." Also Zech. ii. 6, which is almost the exact language of our Lord in ver. 31 of Matthew, Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of heaven, saith the Lord." Moses had spoken of the dispersion of Israel (Deut. xxviii. 64); and our Lord here speaks of their restoration (see also Isa. xi. 12), "And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah, from the four corners of the earth." The elect here, then, I take to be Israel, as in ver. 22 and 24. That the elect here mentioned are not the saints is evident, from the preceding verse 30, because when the Lord comes with power and great glory, His saints will come with Him (see Zech. xiv. 5). And that the Scripture is Jewish is evident from the following verse, for the fig-tree is always emblematical of the Jewish nation (see Joel i. 7; Luke xiii. 6). Ver. 34. " Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled;" that is, this race shall not pass away, not what is commonly understood by generation, because the things foretold have not yet transpired. Ver. 36-44. Such will be the suddenness and uncertainty of the event, that of the day or hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only. As it was in the days of Noe, so it will be when the Son of Man appears; men will be going on in unbelief, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until overtaken by sudden judgment. The flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. The taking away here mentioned, I believe, is not the taking away for blessing, but for judgment; as in the case of Noah and his family, they were preserved, whilst the wicked were all taken away by the flood. Luke (xvii. 37), speaking of this same time, says, (and also Matt. xxiv. 26), "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." Eagles being birds of prey, the passage evidently refers to judgment. Some have said that this was accomplished when the Roman eagles were before Jerusalem at the destruction of that city by Titus; but then some fled, and the rest were either destroyed or led away captive, and none were left: so that I consider it to be still future, and not a matter of history. And that all from ver. 14 to 41 is yet a subject of prophecy, and concerns principally the Jewish nation, when they will be again restored to the promised land in unbelief. The remnant which will be saved, or preserved as Noah was, amidst the terrible tribulation that awaits the Jews, will believe on the Lord Jesus when they see Him come a second time, and say, "Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him; we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation." Islington. T. A. THE SECRET. BY JAMES SMITH, CHELTENHAM. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.” -1 Sam. xx. 39. DAVID was in great danger from the soul. As David afterward sung, his jealousy and enmity of Saul. Jonathan love was wonderful, passing the love of had no suspicion of his father's design, women. But the love of Jesus was more but he agrees with David to endeavour wonderful, for He loved us more than to ascertain it, and to let him know. His own soul, and therefore He laid The plan was laid; Jonathan went to down His life for us. court; Saul manifested his murderous intention. Jonathan was grieved, and came out into the field with his armourbearer, to warn David by shooting an arrow. The lad was sent to gather up the arrows, and carry his master's instruments into the city; then David came forth, and Jonathan proved the depth of his friendship, and the constancy of his love. The lad knew not anything; only David and Jonathan knew the matter." Jonathan was David's superior, being the king's son. His name signifies "given of God," or "the gift of the Lord." He was heir-apparent to the throne. He may represent Jesus, who is the Son of God, the brightness of His glory, and heir of all things. He is also God's unspeakable gift. And what a gift! A gift that comprehends every other gift, and comprehends every good thing. Its greatness is unsearchable. We are therefore warranted to conclude, that as God has given it, He will now freely give us all things. And it was given freely, without solicitation, and without deserts. Given to be our Saviour, our portion, and our everlasting all. Given absolutely, to be for our good, and to be ours for ever. David was the son of Jesse, comparatively a poor man. His father was a farmer or grazier, and David had kept his sheep. He was now driven out from home, and sentenced to death by the king; but he was greatly beloved by the king's son. He may represent the sinner, quickened by the Spirit, but still under the law, and therefore condemned already. He is indeed poor, yet he is beloved; and beloved, not by Jonathan, but by Jesus. Loved with a love more strong, more tender, and more lasting; and yet Jonathan loved David s his own The secret between David and Jonathan consisted in a covenant of salvation, a plan to save David's life, an agreement to devise means that he may not die; and there is such a secret between Jesus and us, and we may trace out an analogy too. Jonathan stood up before his father to plead for David; and Jesus stood up in the everlasting covenant to plead for us: therefore it is said, "He made intercession for the transgressors." Jonathan shot the arrow from his bow to arouse, alarm, and inform David of his danger; and Jesus sent the arrow of conviction right home to our hearts, arousing, alarming, and informing us of our danger. We were alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and we died. Then all hope of salvation by works was given up, and the sentence of death was felt in all its dreadful power. The arrow of Jonathan brought David out of his hiding-place, to bow and weep before him; so the arrow of conviction brought us out of our false refuges, and brought us to the feet of Jesus. There we confessed our sins, there we wept and deplored our lost condition, and there we sought for pardon. Only David and Jonathan were present, while Jonathan manifested his sympathy, and displayed the greatness of his love. So, only Jesus and the sinner were together, when pardon was proclaimed, reconciliation was effected, and salvation was brought home. The sympathy of Jesus excited the strongest hopes; but the love of Jesus brought assurance and peace to the soul. Oh, how sweet was this first secret interview between Jesus and the soul! How sweet, how pleasant the tears we shed! How humbling, how elevating the joys we feel! Jonathan sent David away in peace, with his blessing, to enjoy safety. perfection and perpetuation of the same. Jesus never, strictly speaking, sends us | We can only conceive of heaven as the away; and yet we leave his presence with the peace of God in our hearts, with the Divine blessing resting upon our souls, and saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. Beloved, is there any secret in your religion? Anything that you cannot put into words, or make intelligible to the carnal man? Or does your religion There is a secret in religion which no consist merely in ceremonies, services, one knows, which no one can know, but and the performance of religious duties? the believer. It is made up of con- If the latter, it is sad, legal drudgery; fidence in God, grace flowing from God, and you are only in the position of a power imparted by God, and joy akin to servant working for life, which you will the joy of God. Alas! how many pro- never obtain by working. If the former, fessors are like Jonathan's lad, of this your religion is pleasant, attractive, and divine secret they know not anything. delightful; and you are no more a serThey never felt their danger, were never vant, but a son and if a son, then an drawn to the feet of Jesus, never wit- heir of God through Christ. You have nessed His sympathy or felt His love. the spirit of adoption within you, the They pick up the precept as the boy presence of Jesus with you, and the picked up the arrow, and go away into prospect of glory before you. Your the city; while the believer comes forth sweetest seasons are often when alone to enjoy soul-humbling, soul-saving com- with God; your highest joys flow from munion with Jesus. The best part of a sense of union with Christ, and perfect religion is realized and enjoyed by the acceptance with God; and you serve the soul when it is alone with God. Then Lord without fear, in holiness and righour pardon is sealed; then our fears are teousness before Him. You have Christ scattered; then our hopes are confirmed; formed in the heart, you hold the prothen our hearts are broken with a sense mise of eternal life in the hand, and you of his love; then we rejoice with joy rejoice in hope of the glory of God. unspeakable and full of glory; then Reader, rest not in a common-place the soul seems to flow into the bosom of religion; be not satisfied without heartGod, and the love of God flows into the work. See to it that you have the grand heart, under the operation and direction secret, as it is written, "The secret of of the Holy Ghost. Oh, sacred seasons! the Lord is with them that fear Him, oh, delightful manifestations! Oh, what and He will show them His covenant.” elevating emotions are then enjoyed! ALL FOR OUR GOOD. CHILD of God, your fears dispel, Clouds and darkness all around, May hide your God from view; And to His covenant true; Though His frown may now attend, "Tis there His wisdom shines; Faith can see it euding well; God shall work out His design, In a stream of love unite; "Till the stream is at its height. AT REST. By their fruits ye shall know them.”—Matt. vii. 20. ANOTHER friend to the Gospel Magazine, | which is, after all, only "as the soundanother sincere, humble-minded believer in the truths advocated in its pages, has been called away to his eternal rest. Death has of late been busy in the wide world around us. Among those who have yielded to the sway of this, man's last enemy, though not necessarily the "king of terrors," are some of the readers and supporters of this Magazine, and of the various objects for which it so earnestly pleads from time to time. ing brass and the tinkling cymbal.” Always of a thoughtful, retiring disposition, he was early a student of God's Word, obtaining therefrom, by the teaching of the Spirit, a knowledge of himself and his own heart, seeing himself to be a sinner, in need of salvation from the wrath to come. And if we may judge from the life, of the nature and progress of the work within, we may well believe that he was taught of God the Holy Ghost to "repent and believe,' Of this number there was not one to "lay his sins at Jesus' feet;" placing who was wont to read with a greater his whole trust and confidence in the desire to profit; not one who took more work and merits of the crucified Reinterest in the progress of a good work deemer, in that "eternal redemption and undertaking, than the late Mr. John wrought out on Calvary for all true Ashworth, of Richmond Grove, Long- believers. Diligently and prayerfully right, Manchester, who was called away did he study that Word, the entrance of from earth, and earthly things (some- which giveth light; and the influence what suddenly at the last), in the early that Word possessed over him was duly part of the past month. He "came to evidenced, of late more especially, in his his grave," however, "in a full age, daily life and conversation. "By their like as a shock of corn cometh in in fruits ye shall know them." his season" (Job v. 26). Of him it might with truth be said, he was, according to his ability, and the opportunities afforded him, a "doer of the Word, and not a hearer only" (Jas. i. 22). Plain and unpretending in his general demeanour, he led a life of quiet usefulness, sounding no trumpet before him, letting not his left hand know what his right hand did; but seeking to "adorn the doctrine of God his Saviour in all things." None could be more conscious of his short-comings in endeavouring to run the race that was set before him ;" and, doubtless, he was often tempted, through constitutional ill health, and the infirmities resulting from it, to "write bitter things against himself." But none could be more desirous of living to the glory of Him who had called him "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Throughout the whole of his life, which was extended to the three score and ten of the Psalmist, there was a consistent avoiding, and inveterate dislike, of that noisy outside profession His was a character which, though known and read of all with whom, either in business or society, he came in contact, is yet difficult to describe, owing, in some measure, to the continued reserve which, to the last, formed part of his very nature. Not easy of access to strangers, and even to intimate friends not over communicative, he was liable, perhaps, sometimes to be mistaken for what he really was not, a person of morose disposition. Even to the members of his own family, little was said on any subject; and seldom was it that the workings of his mind were made visible to any of them. Yet not one of them doubted that “the one thing needful," was constantly in his thoughts, and the main subject of his later meditations. Averse to controversy in itself, but decided in his views of truth, he believed that what is brought forward in the Magazine is only a reflex of the great doctrines shadowed forth, and fully developed, in the Scriptures, from Gene sis to Revelation, Christ the beginning |