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man has that son born to him.* This
under usual circumstances and in
settled countries has been found to
be about 30 years.
And hence, in
the want of more accurate chrono-
logical data, use has been made of
genealogical tables of this kind, and
the length of an historical period ap-
proximated to by the multiplication
of the number of yɛvea into 30
years. For instance, in Matt. 1.
17 we read that there were from
David to the Babylonish captivity
14 generations. As this was in the
succession of eldest sons† the rule of
calculation is applicable; and, sup-
posing all the generations to have
been specified by the Evangelist,
we might consider 14 × 30 or 420
years as an approximation to the
true term of years included. In ef-
fect three generations (viz. of Azar-
iah, Joash, Amaziah,) are omitted by
him in his brief summary. The true
number, therefore, is 17; giving 17
× 30 or 510 as the term of years
from David to Jehoiakim,-
-a term
differing but a little from the true.

But when the chronological term
to be inquired into is defined, not
by a succession of generations, but
by the passing away of any particular
generation, then the question will be,
not at what time the generation spo-
ken of may have given birth to a ge-
neration of sons to succeed them,
but (just as in a tontine of cotem-
poraries) at what time they will all
themselves have died off;-when, as
the wise man says,
"One genera-

tion shall have passed away, and another come." (Eccl. 1. 4.)

How soon this passing away of a generation shall take place must depend on two things,-the length of human life (which from soon after Joshua's time has been pretty much the same as now) and the actual age of the generation at the time when the question is taken up concerning it.

Take first the case of that generation of Israelites on which the sentence was pronounced at Kadesh Barnea, that they should all perish in the wilderness. The age of man might be thought from Moses' Psalm to have been then, for the most part, nearly the same as now. If so, in about 80 or 90 years (say 85) from birth, or 65 from the passing of the sentence on them,-the generation then twenty years old might (together with those older than themselves) have been expected, in the natural course of things, to pass away. was by the direct intervention of a judicial providence that that period was shortened from 65 to 38 years.

It

Again, take that passage from Judges 11. 7-10, on which depends the contested chronology of the interregnum between Joshua's death and Israel's first apostasy and servitude. "Israel served the Lord all 'the days of Joshua, and all the 'the days of the elders that overlived Joshua who had seen all the great 'works of the Lord which he did for Israel. But Joshua died, and also all that generation were gather

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* i.e. The γενεα " à sementi in sementem." | Censorinus apud Larcher, Herod. vol. vii. In the two other fourteens mentioned in this verse of St. Matthew the rule is not applicable, because neither in the one nor the other, the line from Abraham to David, nor the line from the Captivity to Christ, is the succession that of eldest sons. In no less than four cases of the first fourteen (Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David,) the sons specified were the sons of their fathers' extreme old age. (See Whitby.) Hence a vastly greater length to the chronological period than 14 × 30 years.-The tables chiefly applied in this way in early profane history are tables of kings, and consequently, for the most part, of eldest sons.

This is, however, doubtful. It seems most probable to me that the statement at v. 10 of this Psalm has reference to the premature old age of the Israelites then living under the withering influence of God's anger. Soon after Joshua's time life seems to have been generally abbreviated.

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ed to their fathers, and there arose another generation." Comparing the first verse of this passage with Deut. xI. 3, 4, it would seem that the miracles in Egypt and against Pharaoh were comprehended in "all the great works" spoken of as witnessed and to be testified to by these elders. Now, in order to their being competent witnesses on the subject, we cannot suppose them of less than 12 or 15 years old at the time of those miracles. Consequent ly, the natural time of that generation passing away would be in about (85 -15) or 70 years from the Exodus, i. e. 30 from Moses' death and the entrance into the land of Canaan. Mr. Clinton, by approximation, makes it 27 from the death of Moses.

N. B. May I be allowed to mention two misprints of consequence in the paper alluded to, both of them at p. 335.—At line 15 there should be read 6th, 8th, and 9th.for 5th, 7th, and 9th: also in the Table of post-diluvian patriarchs, the LXX should head the third column of figures, Josephus the fourth.

A Correspondent has also in a private communication favoured us with " a hint" comfirmatory of the above view of our Correspondent E: it having always (he says) appeared to him, that the true meaning of

Yevɛa avτŋ (Luke xxI. 22,) was— "This generation, of which I am speaking; not in which I am living.” We shall give it in his words.

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As regards the under conpassage sideration it will be observed that the avrni yevɛa of the Evangelist is designated simply as the generation in existence at the commencement of the shaking of the nations, not as being then of competent age (as in the last example) to witness to the shaking. We may therefore suppose it at the time of the French Revolution to have but recently come into existence; and, consequently, that in about 85 years from that time, i.e. in 1875 or thereabout, it would be likely in the course of nature to have passed away. This seems the chronological limit given us. As was observed in my former paper, it is before that generation shall have passed away, and while there are still a few septuagenarian and octogenarian survivors from it, that the consummation of the prophecy is to be ex- be most valuable." pected.

In Luke xvII. 34, we read ravτῇ τῇ νυκτι, K. T. X. Here it is so evident that the words relate to some future night of which our Lord was speaking, and not to the night which was to commence at the close of the day in which these words were spoken, that our Translators have properly rendered the passage "In that night." No change of accents even is therefore necessary to justify— "that generation shall not pass away &c :" i. e. the generation of men, whenever it be, that sees the commencement of the signs, will assuredly see the end of them. Individuals may die in the midst of their generation: but some of those then living shall be also among the quick at the Second Advent. If that time be, as many suppose, one of unparalleled tribulation, the consideration that the time is short will

E.

ED.

Reprints and Extracts.

SIX PROPHETICAL SERMONS-BY J. GILL, D.D.

Preached in Great Eastcheap, 1750-5.

Under this head we purpose to bring forward interesting passages from the works of scarce and approved authors, and sometimes (as in the present instance) to give a condensed summary of an entire work.

We begin with the Six Prophetical Sermons of the eminent Dr. Gill. Some things therein would now be placed by us in a somewhat different position; and frequently we think he takes in a mystical sense passages which will ultimately have a literal fulfilment; but they contain nevertheless much which we are persuaded will be read with interest in the present day; especially when it is remembered, that he wrote of France prior to the bursting out of the Revolution, and of the Turk when he was in the zenith of his power. At the same time we must be understood as placing these, and other things to be brought forward, before the Reader, not as concurring in all that an author may state, but because we think the sentiments of the earlier eminent Expositors ought to be known.

The circumstance which gave rise to them was an annual Sermon, appointed by Dissenters of different denominations to be preached at Eastcheap, in order to revive the attention of Christians toward Prophecy; and some prophetical subject was consequently taken by the minister on these occasions.

SERMON I. ISAIAH, XXI. 11, 12. The burden of Dumah. He called to me out of Seir, 'Watchman, what of the night ?' -The Watchman said, 'The morning cometh, and also the night: If ye will enquire, enquire ye-returncome.'

First he notices the context: that the chapter begins with "The Burden [or Oracle] of the desert of the sea, or plain of the sea." This describes Babylon, as named in v. 9. It was built on a plain, and in a watery place by the river Euphrates; and the Jewish writers call any confluence of waters a sea. Its destruction by the Medes and Persians is foretold; (v. 2.) who are signified also by a couple of horsemen. (v. 7.) The whole may be accommodated to mystical Babylon; who is repre

No. 2 New Series. (Vol. v. No. 44.)

sented as in a wilderness sitting upon many waters; whose destruction will be by the lion of the tribe of Judah, and is expressed in the self same words. Compare vv. 1, 8, 9, 10, with Rev. xvII. 1, 3, 5; xix. 11— 20; and xvi. 2, 4.

The Burden, DUMAH, some think respects the Dumean Arabians, and others the Idumeans or Edomites.Dr. Gill decidedly thinks the latter are intended;-1st because the Septuagint renders it-"The vision of Idumea." 2nd. The Arabic version calls it-"A prophecy concerning Edom and Seir. 3rd. Because the cry is out of Seir which was the mount of the Edomites. (Gen. xxxvI. 8.) 4th. Because the next verses contain a distinct burden concerning Arabia. The prophecy may refer therefore to the time when Edom and Seir should April, 1836.

H

be a possession for his enemies; (Numb. XXIV. 18) which was fulfilled before the coming of Christ, when the Jews and Idumeans were mixed together, and many of the latter embraced the Jewish religion,* and thus had knowledge of the Messiah and his coming; and perhaps some did savingly believe in him. Some one of these, or of the other Jews in Idumea, may be thought to be here enquiring after him, When he would come and put an end to the night of darkness. Edom may also be considered as a type of Antichrist. And Jerom says,† that some of the Hebrews read Roma for Dumah in this place, and suppose the Roman empire to be designed: and certainly nothing is more common with the Jews than to call the Roman empire, and Rome itself, Edom, and the Romans or Papists Edomites. And as in the darkest times of popery some have risen up within her as witnesses of the truth, and have inquired, When the night of popish darkness would be over; so a little before the destruction of mystic Babylon, God will have a people, whom he will call out of the midst of her; (Rev. xvIII. 4;) and these, sensible of the darkness they are in, may be supposed to be enquiring after the latter day light and glory.

He then discusses the subject under the following heads: I. Who is the Watchman; II.-The question twice put to him; III. The direct reply; IV. The exhortation added.

I. By the term Watchman Dr. Gill supposes a prophet or minister of the word to be signified; for Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel are each of them called Watchmen-and ministers in general are so called in Cant. III. 3, 7; Isa. LII. 8; LXII. 6. He conceives the four living creatures in Rev. Iv. 6, 8, who are full of eyes, to be emblems of the gospel minis

ters. Moreover he considers it the special office of such watchmen not only to be on the look out in the night against dangers and enemies, but to inform their people of the time of night: (1 Pet. 1. 10, 11,) "In order to which, it is necessary 'to study the prophetic part of the

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New Testament, particularly the 'book of the Revelation; and which, according to its name, is a revelation, and not a secret ;-an open and not a sealed book; and blessed is he that READETH this book, not only privately, but in public, in ' order to explain it to others; and ' blessed are they that HEAR the words of this prophecy explained by their minister so the one will be ready to ask, and the other to answer, 'the question here proposed."

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II. The question, What of the night ?"-It is repeated, as if there were panic or anxiety; and may signify, what from the night; what sayest thou concerning the nightthe night of darkness and affliction in which we now are? what time of night is it? when will it be over?

This he thinks may refer to the night before the coming of Messiah, which existed, not only in the Gentile world, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death; (Matt. iv. 16.) but also under the Jewish dispensation, which consisted in obscure shadows and types. (Cant. iv. 6,) There were indeed stars to give light, viz. the prophets and ministers of the word; and the word itself was a lamp for the feet; yet 'the day spring from on high,' the bright and morning star,' of righteousness,' had not yet risen ; and the church was looking for him to come as a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of his people Israel."

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the sun

He considers, that it might respect this night; and states that there + In Loco.

*Josephus, Lib. XIII. Chap. IX. sect. 1.

were several prophecies which pointed to the time of Christ's coming, and served to direct the answer: e. g. Judah was not to cease to be a tribe, and the second temple was not to be destroyed, till Messiah should come (Gen. XLIX. 10; Mal. III. 1.) Hints were given by the prophets, that he was coming (Isa. xxxv. 4; Hab. II. 1, 3; Zech. Ix. 9.) And Daniel fixes the very time of his coming-viz. seventy prophetical weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, from a date which he gives. By these hints of the watchmen, ' and especially the last, the people 'knew what time of night it was, ' and how long it would be to the coming of the Messiah, and lived ⚫ in expectation of it. R. Nehumiah, that lived about fifty years before the coming of Christ, gave out that 'the time of the Messiah signified by Daniel could not be protracted longer than those fifty years; and about the time he did come we find that 'there was, among the people of the Jews, a general expectation of him: good old Simeon was waiting for ⚫ the consolation of Israel; and Anna the prophetess spoke of him to 'them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem; and when John the Baptist his forerunner appeared, all the people were in expectation, and mused in their hearts whether he were the Christ or no." (Luke II. 25, 28; and 111. 15.)

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III. In treating the watchman's answer to the question-The morning cometh, and also the night—he asserts, that there will be a constant revolution of night (or seasons of adversity and darkness) with morning (or prosperity and light) unto the end of time.

The first coming of Christ he considers to be the morning principally intended in the text: which he maintains from 2 Sam. xxIII. 4; and Hos. vi. 3, and shews the progress

But

of the light which then arose. night followed very quickly to the Jews, who loved darkness rather than light, and with whom the night has therefore judicially remained ever since. And after the time of Constantine night came upon the Gentile world. being led on by Mahomet in the east, and by the man of sin (whon he considers to be the Romish Antichrist,) in the west. This state of things he thinks is represented by the Church of Thyatira. (Rev. 11. 20-24.) But with the Reformation another morning appeared, expressed by the morning star' (v. 29,) promised to those in Thyatira who overcame; and this, brought on the Sardian church state. In process of time however the Reformation went backwards instead of forwards; things had been declining down to his own times, at which period he considered that a night was coming; for a sleepy spirit had seized ministers and churches, which he anticipated would end in a general forsaking of God's house, and of Gospel ministers; so that even professors would be shy of truly devoted ministers, neither hearing them, nor receiving them into their houses: and this he thinks is one part of the meaning of the dead bodies of the witnesses not being suffered to be put into graves :—viz. that the light of the gospel will be thus wholly withdrawn; and the witnesses will cease prophesying, their testimony being finished.

If asked the question, (he continues,) Watchman, what of the night? he would fix the time to be the end of the Sardian church state; the reformed churches having then only a name to live, and being dead in regard to the life and power of true religion; though there were a few among them, who had not defiled their garments. Their times he thinks described by Zechariah XIV.

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