CHAP. XIII.
1. AND as he went out of the Temple one of his disciples saith unto him, Ma∣ster, see what manner of stones, and what buildings are here.
2. And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be* thrown down.
[Paraphrase] 2. See Note on Mat. 24. a.
3. And as he sate upon the mount of olives, over against the Temple, Peter and James and Andrew asked him privately,
4. Tell us [when shall these things be? and what shall be the signe when [note a] all these things shall be fulfilled.]
[Paraphrase] 4. When shall this utter destruction of the Temple be, and consequently of the Jewish nation, and what prognosticks or forerunners of it shall be observable: (see Note on Matth. 24. b. c.
5. And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you.]
[Paraphrase] 5. And Jesus answer∣ed them, the forerunners that you are most concern'd to know, are the great dangers that ye shall be in, if ye be not very wary of being seduced and drawn off from the truth.
6. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.]
[Paraphrase] 6. For before that time, many false prophets and false Christs pretending to deliver the nation from the Roman subjection, shall appear among you, and draw many followers after them.
7. And when ye shall hear of warres and rumours of warres, be ye not trou∣bled, for such things must needs be, but the end shall not be yet.
8. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdome against kingdome, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles, these are the beginnings of* sorrows.]
[Paraphrase] 8. For there shall be civil warres among you (see Note on Mat. 24. c.) and earth∣quakes in several parts of your countrey, and famines and tumults, these are as the first grudging of those great pangs of travail which shall after some time come suddenly upon your nation.
Page 171 9. But take heed to your selves, for they shall deliver you up [to† councels, and in the Synagogues ye shall be beaten, and •e shall be brought before Rulers and Kings for my sake, for a testimony* against them.]
[Paraphrase] 9. to the great Consistory in Jerusalem, and the lesser in other cities where you shall be scourged, and delivered to the Roman powers, that they may put you to death (because the Jewes cannot) and this shall be a means of making known to them the Christian religion (as it was in S. Peter and Paul)
10. And the Gospel must first be published among all nations.]
[Paraphrase] 10. But before this de∣struction come on the Jewes, the disciples shall have preacht through all the cities of Jewry, and from them depart to the Gentiles.
11. But when they shall [lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought before hand what ye shall speake, neither doe ye premeditate, but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye that speake, but the holy Ghost.]
[Paraphrase] 11. carry you before those tribunals, be not solicitous be∣forehand (see Mat. 10. 19.) what answers or pleas to make, for at that time ye shall be by the Spirit of God extraordinarily instructed what apologies or answers to make, and what shall then come into your hearts; remember 'tis an effect of this speciall promise of mine, and so to be lookt on by you, as the dictate of Gods Spirit, and not as any invention of your own, and so without feare or diffidence to be delivered by you.
12. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son, and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death,]
[Paraphrase] 12. And these prosecuti∣ons, and bringing you before tribunals yee must look for from those that are nearest to you, from Jewes of your closest alliances.
13. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name sake, but he that shall en∣dure to the end, the same shall be saved.]
[Paraphrase] 13. And indeed from all sorts of men the true Christ∣ian Professors must look for very sharp opposition, All which must not be matter of discouragement to you, for it will be so ordered by the providence of God, that the adhering constantly to Christ will be of all other things the most probable way to deliver you from the present dangers that shall overwhelme the unbelievers and Apostates, and the onely sure way of making you eternally happy, (see Mat. 10. 22. note h.) whatsoever your sufferings be
14. But when ye shall see [the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand) then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains]
[Paraphrase] 14. the Roman army (see note on Mat. 24. f.) like that which Daniel spake of, besie∣ging Jerusalem, that holy city, towards which the Gentiles ought not to be suffered to approach, &c. (what ye read in Daniel of other times, have here a farther completion) then be sure ye get you out of Judea. see Mat. 24. g.
15. And let him that is on the house top, not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of the house,
16. And let him that is in the field [not turn back again to take up his gar∣ment.]
[Paraphrase] 16. get away with as much speed as possibly he can, and not venture the hazard of his life, to save any thing that he hath.
17. But wo to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days.
18. And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.]
[Paraphrase] 17, 18. And the hast will be so great which will be neces∣sary in this conjuncture of time, that they that have encumbrances about them to stop that haste, as for example, women with child, or that give suck, or any else, in case it happen to be in the winter, will be much endangered by it.
19. For in those days shall be affliction such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created, unto this time, neither shall be.]
[Paraphrase] 19. For they shall be days of most heavy affliction and pressure, such as never were, and never shall be parallel'd in any time.
20. And except that the Lord had shortned those days, [no flesh should* be saved, but for the elects sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortned the days,]
[Paraphrase] 20. Such fury of the ze∣lots, such intestine tumults and horrid cruelties, and such forein close sieges from the Romans, and from thence miserable famines and plagues, that it will be imputable as an especiall act of Gods over-ruling providence, if there be one Jew left undestroyed. But tis foretold by the Pro∣phets that a few shall escape, and that all the Jews should not be utterly cut off, (see Mat. 24. 22. and note k) and for the fulfilling that prophecy care shall be taken for the preserving of some, those especially who shall adhere constantly to the obedience and faith of Christ.
21. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or, Lo he is there, believe him not,]
[Paraphrase] 21. And so ye are neerly concerned to be carefull, that ye run not out after any deceivers.
22, For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signes and won∣ders, [to] seduce, if it were possible, even the very elect.
[Paraphrase] 22. that they may, or such as may
23. But take ye heed, [behold I have foretold you all things.]
[Paraphrase] 23. Remember I have for∣warned you.
24. But in those days, after that tribulation, the Sun shall be darkned, and the Moon shall not give her light.
[Paraphrase] 24. Mat. 24. 29.
25. And the starres of heaven shall fall, and [the† powers that are in heaven] shall be shaken.
[Paraphrase] 25. the hosts of heaven, see Mat. 24. 29.
26. And then shall they see the son of man [coming in the clouds with great power and glory.]
[Paraphrase] 26. See note a. and on Mat. 24. 6. and v. 30. note 0. and Mat. 26. 64. and Praemon. to Revel.
27. And then shall he send his angels and gather together his elect from the four winds, [from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.]
[Paraphrase] 27. from one end of the world to another. See Mat. 24. 31.
28. Now learn a parable of the figtree, When* her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.
29. So ye in like manner when ye shall see these things come to passe, know that it is nigh, even at the doores.]
[Paraphrase] 29. The like judgment may ye make by these signes and prognosticks to discern when this vengeance comes near.
30. Verily I say unto you, That this generation shall not passe, till all these things be done.]
[Paraphrase] 30. To which I farther adde, that it shall be within the life time of some now living, and here present, within thirty or forty years, this is sufficient warning for you, and answer to your question, v. 4.
Page 172 31. Heaven and earth shall passe away, but my words shall not passe away.]
[Paraphrase] 31. (And do not ye doubt of the truth of it, for it is irreversibly set.)
32. But of that day and that houre knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heaven, neither [note b] the Son, but the Father.]
[Paraphrase] 32. But of the point of time when this shall be, no cre∣ated understanding knowes, no not Christ himself according to his humane nature.
33. Take ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is.
[Paraphrase] 33. And this on purpose thus concealed, to lay the greater obligation on all to be perpetually watchfull, and diligent to behave themselves like Christians.
34. For the son of man is as a man taking a farre journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35. Watch ye therefore, for ye know not, when the master of the house com∣eth, [at even, or at midnight, or at the [note c] cock crowing, or in the morning)]
[Paraphrase] 35. at nine at night, or at twelve, or at three, or at six in the morning)
36. Lest coming suddainly he find you sleeping.]
[Paraphrase] 36. Lest he come at a time, when ye least expect him, and find you in a posture uncapable of mercy from him, unqualified to receive benefit by his coming.
37. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.
Annotations on Chap. XIII.
[ a] * V. 4. All these] That the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here, these things, and all these things signifie that which had been by this Evangelist mention'd in the words immediately precedent, there is no question, And consequently that thereby is signified the De∣struction of the Temple, and what was implyed and contained in that, the City, and nation of the Jews, their whole Government, Civil and Ecclesiastical. Which being the words, in which S. Mark expresses that, which S. Matthew expresses in other words, (here, what shall be the signe when all these things shall be fulfilled? there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; what is the signe of thy coming, and of the consummation of the age? it irrefragably followes from hence (what hath been insisted on at large in the Annotations on Mat. 24. b. c.) that the coming of Christ, and consummation of the age signifies the de∣struction of the Jewish Temple, and nation; Of which onely, and not of the day of last Judgment, the signes are here demanded by the Disciples, and given by Christ; Which I here adde ex abundanti, for the remo∣ving all scruple in this matter. To the same purpose 'tis again observable, that though here, at the beginning, S. Mark doe not at all use the phrase of Christs com∣ing in this manner, yet v. 26. instead of that which is in another phrase in S. Matthew, c. 24. 30. then shall ap∣pear, or be seen, the signe of the son of man in heaven, this signall punishment and revenge on the crucifyers from Christ now reigning in heaven he hath these plain words, Then shall they see the son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
[ b] * V. 32. The son] That this whole discourse belongs to the destruction of Jerusalem there can be no doubt to him that compares it with Mat. 24. and Lu. 21. and what hath been said in the Annotations for the evincing of it. Which having been the matter of Dani∣els predictions, and afterwards of some of Johns visions in the Revelation, and here of Christs, It is most cer∣tain, that the time of it was revealed by God to this son of man, and other his servants, and therefore of that, and of the particular circumstances connecting to the last point of that, it cannot be understood, that of that knoweth no man,* &c. That day and hour therefore, of which the words are to be understood, must be more nicely interpreted, to signifie not the time more loosely but more strictly that very point of time, where∣in this fatal blow was to be struck; And of this, to pre∣clude the curiosity of men, and to ingage their vigi∣lance, Christ is pleased to tell them, that no dispensa∣tion of Gods, either by man viz. Daniel, or any other Prophet, or by Angel, or (which is highest) by the son of man, had ordered us thus to know the times or the seasons, this being no part of the Prophetick of∣fice of any man, or within the commission of Christ himself, to reveale this secret to them. What the Ag∣noetae taught in this matter, and wherein their supposed mistake consisted, is not obvious to define. They were thus called, saith*Leontius, because they defined from this text, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that Christ as man was ignorant of some things,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉in the same manner as we say he suffered grief, &c. For this, saith he, Theodosius Bishop of Alex∣andria wrote against them, but his authority is not great, being himself tainted, and deemed as an Here∣tick, as there appears, and so accounted by*Baronius, and his followers Theodosiani or Jacobitae. But Eulo∣gius Bishop of Alexandria also wrote against them, and the Epitome of his arguments and answers we have in *Photius, and the summe of them is, that what is here said of Christ, was said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, secundùm respectum,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,*in that his body, viz. the humane nature, of which he was the head was not without ignorance, as, saith he, he is said to be made sin and a curse for us, because the head appropria∣ting to it self the things of the body, he thus took upon him the things of the body, viz. of us sinfull men. Yet * after this, though he much dislike, that either accor∣ding to his Divinity or Humanity, ignorance should be attributed to him, he cannot but* acknowledge with Gregorie Nazianzen,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that he knowes indeed as God, but is igno∣rant as man, onely adding, that the Fathers that ac∣knowledged, or admitted ignorance in our Saviour, in respect of his humanity, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, did not produce this, as a doctrine, but to repress the Arians, made use of it. Now of this discourse of Eulo∣gius*Pope Gregorie gives his opinion in his Epistles, that he admires much in it, but dislikes nothing, that he had written a great deal to Anatolius the Deacon to the same sense, that what he said of Christs words, that they were to be referred to him juxta corpus ejus, not quod sumus, in respect of his body, which we are, is most true, and that S. Augustine had oft expressed himself to the same sense, adding also another interpretation of the words, not that the son of man was ignorant of that day, Sed quia hunc sciri minimè permittat, but that he would by no means permit it to be known.* After this, another subtilty, as he styles it, he proposeth, that the onely son being incarnate, and made for us perfect man, in natura quidem humanitatis novit diem— Sed hunc non ex natura humanitatis novit, knew the day in his humane nature, but not from his humane na∣ture, because being made God-man, he knew it onely per Deitatis suae potentiam, by the power of his deity. This certainly hath truth in it, but will not easily be discer∣ned how it opposeth them, who acknowledging Christ God-man to know all things in this hypostatical union, do yet affirme him, in respect of his Humanity, to be ignorant of some things; For 'tis not necessary, they Page [unnumbered]Page [unnumbered]Page 173 should mean any more in thus affirming, then that he hath not this knowledge of all things from his Huma∣nity, but from his Divinity only. In that Epistle of Gregories, one thing is resolved, which may possibly give some light to this whole matter, viz.*that he that is no Nestorian, cannot be an Agnoeta. If this be true, then we have a competent cause of the Agnoetae being reckoned up for Hereticks, for such the Nestorians doubtless were, denying the union of the Divine and Humane nature in Christ. But the history rather inclines us to beleeve, that the Agnoetae were Eutychians than Nestorians, for Theodosius was one of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that opposed the Councel of Calcedon, and those that brake off from him (about this point of Christs being ignorant of some things, in respect of his Humanity) had been, till then, of his communion, and so opposers of that Councel, see Leontius, p. 514. A. These Eu∣tychians heresie consisted in this, that they affirmed so close an union betwixt the Word and the humane nature, that they became but one nature, and this was refuted in that Councel of Calcedon, and the Agnoetae being op∣posers of that Councel, must be supposed to adhere to this Heresie, and then indeed it must be acknowledged they were Heretickes, and their Heresie, so much worse than bare Eutychianisme as it is blasphemie to impute nescience or ignorance to God. For supposing, as an Eutychian supposeth that the divinity and humanity were by union*become one and the same nature, 'twere prodigious to beleeve, that this nature were ignorant of any thing. This therefore I suppose to be the ground of defining these Agnoetae to be Heretickes; for such they were, if they thus taught. But for the doctrine of those, which hold firmly the decrees of all the four first General Councels, and so condemne all the Here∣sies there condemned, particularly that of Nestorius, dividing the Persons, and of Eutychus confounding the Natures in Christ, and onely affirme, that though as God, he knew all, yet as man, he was ignorant of some things, just in the same manner, as he was passible and subject to all humane infirmities, which had not sin in them, and that this is his owne expresse affirmation, that the son of man knew not that day and hour, this sure is so far from Heresie, that, as the same Leontius elsewhere tels us, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. p. 531. B. it is the unanimous assertion of all the Fathers, to which neither the Councel of Calcedon, nor any other hath taught any thing contrarie. For so in his tenth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, resuming this business of the Agnoetae, and recounting the answer that some gave, that those words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, neither the son] were spoken by Christ,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉—by way of prudential oe∣conomie, to avert the disciples from their inquirie— he addes, as* his owne affirmation, that it is not fit to speak over subtily in this matter, and that therefore the Synod did not make any decree in it.
V.* 35. Cock-crowing] The gallicinium or cock-crowing is here set to note the middle time betwixt midnight and and morning. For there were two cock-crowings in the night, as appears c. 14. 30. and the se∣cond is here spoaken of, and call'd simply 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as also Mat. 26 75. and Lu. 22. 34, and Joh. 13. 39. there is only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉the cock shall crow, where yet the meaning is clearly this, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the second crowing as appears by this Evangelist, ch. 14. 30. See Censorinus.
