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and believers; and that by the very destruction of these their brethren, who were their chiefest persecutors, (ver. 16.) This sense will be the more unquestioned, if it be observed that, when Christ himself begins to preach, he used the same words, (Matt. iv. 17;) by which it is clear that Christ's preaching the gospel was not the only thing meant by this kingdom, (as it is generally supposed,) because that was then actually present, when Christ saith only, it is nigh approaching.

And as by Christ, so, when the apostles are sent out by him, the same style is still prescribed them, (Matt. x. 7:) As you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. And it is to the same sense affirmed by Christ that he came to send a sword, i. e. a slaughter on the land of Judea, (Matt. x. 34:) so, when this commission of the apostles is set down by St. Luke, (x. 11,) to those that receive them not, they are appointed to use a direful ceremony, shaking off the dust from their feet against them, and telling them the importance of it, that the kingdom of GOD is nigh upon them, (ver. 11;) and upon the back of that, (ver. 12,) Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom in that day, (i. e. not in the day of judgment to come, for that belongs to each particular person; not whole cities together, but) in that day of the kingdom of God, than for that refractory city. God's dealing with Sodom, in the day of their destruction with fire and brimstone, shall be acknowledged to have been more supportable than his dealing with such contumacious, impenitent cities of Judea.

'So Matt. xvi. 28: The Son of man coming in his kingdom belongs not to the transfiguration, as it is by many mistaken, but to a coming in the glory of his Father to reward and punish, (ver. 27,) and is called the kingdom of God coming with power, (Mark ix. 1;) and that belongs clearly to the scope of the place, viz. to arm his followers, that they should not be terrified with the malice of the Jews, (ver. 25,) or tempted to deny Christ, (Luke ix. 26.) So Luke ix. 11, when it is said they thought the kingdom of God should presently appear, Christ's parable, concluding with the bringing forth and slaying his enemies before him, applies it directly to this

purpose, (ver. 27,) and to what he adds (ver. 43) at his entrance into Jerusalem. So Luke xvii. 20, when he answers that the kingdom of God cometh not with observation, i. e. in a pompous, remarkable manner, so as kings were wont to come with their court and train attending, which all men come out to look after, and cry, lo here, i. e. it is come, &c. it is clear, by the consequents, that it belongs to this matter; first, the preaching of the gospel among them, then already begun, (ver. 21,) and then the destroying of unbelievers, (vs. 22, 24, &c.)

The way by which this phrase comes thus to signify is this, because there be several offices of a king, the exercise of the power of the sword, as well as of making laws; of punishing and rewarding, as well as of reigning: he is ekdikos eis orgen, (Rom. xiii. 4,) an avenger to inflict punishment; and so he is expressed at his ekdikesis, vengeance, (Luke xviii. 7, speaking of this matter.) In this respect it is, that the governors of the Jews were called judges; inflicting of punishments or judgments, which is one part, giving demonstration to the whole regal office; and so (Luke x.) these three phrases, the kingdom of God, (ver. 11,) and that day, i. e. the time of his exercising that regal power, (ver. 12,) (or, as St. Mark reads it, hemera kriseos, (vi. 11,) the day of executing judgment,) and in the same matter krisis, (ver. 14,) judgment simply, are all phrases of the same significancy to denote the destruction here threatened, with which there was also mercy mingled, and preservation to some. (See Luke xvii. 34; xxi. 28.) The same thing is expressed by other phrases, the coming of Christ, the end, the end of all things, the conclusion of this age, which in their due places shall be observed.' Annot. in loc.

To this very full note I only add, that, among others, the Compilers of the Dutch Annotations, Poole's Continuators, Lightfoot, Doddridge, Whitby, Knatchbull, Wynne, and Heylin, concur in opinion, that the kingdom of heaven, in this passage, denotes a state of things on the earth, under the gospel dispensation, and that it has no direct

reference to the kingdom of glory, to which men shall be admitted in another life.* If this be the

meaning of the phrase, then, although some failed to enter this kingdom, it by no means follows that they must be excluded from a state of happiness after the resurrection. Of course, the text affords no proof of the doctrine of endless misery.

SECTION II.

'But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?' MATT. iii. 7.

THE parallel place is Luke iii. 7. These words of the Baptist have evident reference to a tremendous temporal calamity, about to be experienced by the Jewish nation. This fact is so very obvious, that almost all the reputable commentators have admitted it. The phrase 'wrath to come' has been of much service to certain zealous preachers, who have thought men might be more easily persuaded to embrace their faith by means of terror than otherwise. Such have unhesitatingly used this phrase, and even quoted this text, as descriptive of torments after death. the passage is unauthorized, writers being judges, may be seen from the following quotations:

But that this use of their own standard

PEARCE. 'The wrath to come; i. e. the punishment to come in the destruction of the Jewish state." Com. in loc. HAMMOND. O ye that are more like to broods of

* See, particularly, Lightfoot, quoted in section xxviii.

venomous creatures than to the progeny of Abraham, who hath admonished you to make use of this means to escape the destruction approaching?' Para. in loc.

See

also Hammond's note on Matt. iii. 2, already quoted. CLARKE. 'The wrath to come. The desolation which 'was about to fall on the Jewish nation for their wickedness, and threatened them in the last words of their own Scriptures. (See Mal. iv. 6.) This wrath or curse was coming: they did not prevent it by turning to God, and receiving the Messiah, and therefore the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost. Let him that readeth, understand.' Com. in loc.

These

LIGHTFOOT. To fly from the wrath to come. words respect the very last words in the Old Testament, lest I come, and smite the earth with a curse, (Mal. iv. 6,) and denote the most miserable destruction of the nation, and now almost ready to fall upon them. The receiving of John's baptism signed, and fenced those that received it from the ruin that was just coming. To this belongs that of St. Peter, (1 Epis. iii. 20, 21,) in that manner as Noah and his sons were by water delivered from the flood, so also baptism now, the antitype of that type, saveth us from the deluge of divine indignation, which in a short time is to overthrow the Jewish nation. Those that are baptized are said to fly from the wrath to come; i. e. the wrath of God, that was not long hence to destroy the nation by a most sad overthrow.' Heb. et Talm. Exerc. in loc.

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Baptism was, besides other tendencies of it, as a badge, whereby those that received it and stuck to it were marked out for safety and preservation against that destruction that was to come upon that nation for unbelief. Therefore John construes their coming to be baptized their "fleeing from the wrath to come;" and Peter, (1 Epis. iii. 21,) in the same sense, doth say that" baptism doth now save: as the ark had done in the destruction of the old world, so this from the destruction now coming and to his admonition to "repent, and be baptized," he addeth, "save yourselves from this untoward generation." (Acts ii. 40.) Harm. Evan. sec. ix. KENRICK. These sects (the Pharisees and Sadducees)

John compares to broods of vipers; a subtle and malicious creature,- -a character which, it appears from history, was extremely well suited to them. He also expresses his surprise that they should do a thing corresponding so little with their temper and inclinations, as to come to his baptism, in order to avoid the impending punishment in the destruction of the Jewish state, which I suppose to be referred to by "the wrath to come. Expos. in loc.

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WETSTEIN. By the wrath to come, I understand the overthrow of the Jewish republic, which is called "wrath upon this people," (Luke xxi. 23.)' Com. in loc.

Such are some of the testimonies in relation to the phrase 'wrath to come,' furnished by commentators who were most undoubting believers in a state of misery after death. If divines at the present day would thus explain this and the kindred phrases which occur in the Scriptures, they might as effectually advance the cause of truth, and fewer weak minds would become delirious, through fear of endless misery.

SECTION III.

"And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.' MATT. iii. 10.

THE parallel place is Luke iii. 9. Under the figure of cutting down trees and casting them into the fire, the Baptist represents the severe judgment about to be executed on the Jewish nation, which he had before denominated the 'wrath to come.' This figure had in ancient times been used by the prophets, (see Isa. x. 33, 34; Jer. xlvi. 22, 23; Ezek. xxxi. 3, 10-12,) and was therefore very

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