Mark 13

Chap. XIII. Ver. 1—37. “Ere long ‘heaven and earth shall Judea flee to the mountains: a Mat. 24.1, 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 his house: c Je. 29.8, 16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. 32 | But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in hea- Re 16.15. 34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a pass away,’ and all the things which we behold will be dissolved; but ‘the words of Christ shall not pass away.’ A firm belief of his truth will be our only and our effectual preservative against those seducers, and our sure support under those trials which occasion the ruin of all, ‘but the elect, whom God hath chosen.’ At length we shall see ‘the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory,’ and then all his chosen people will be gathered from among the wicked into his heavenly kingdom.

Instead, therefore, of curiously inquiring into ‘the secret things, which belong to the Lord;’ let us carefully improve the revelation of his will, by ‘giving diligence to make our calling and election sure.’ We know that the hour of our death cannot be very distant: our Lord, though not present to our sight, beholds our whole conduct, and will shortly come to call us to an account for it. And to every one of us he gives his proper work, by attending to which we may approve ourselves true believers, and both honour our Lord colt serve our generation. Happy therefore is that servant, who continues sober, vigilant, and diligent in his place, without interfering with that of other men! He will be prepared for the coming of his Lord, whenever that may be: he will be found awake and employed in his service, according to the duty of his station; and his gracious recompense will be secure.

But it will be an awful surprise to a professed Christian or minister, should he be found sleeping, supine, self-indulgent, and unprepared, by his Lord at his coming. He therefore speaks to us and to all, charging and warning us to ‘take heed to ourselves,’ to our duty, or our ministry, and to watch and pray always, ‘lest coming suddenly he should find us sleeping.’ ’’— T. Scott.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XIII. Ver. 1—23. And as he went out of the temple, &c.—For the corresponding predictions of Matthew, see Chap. xxiv. 1—28. Ver. 1. See what manner.—| Tacitus applies to the temple the terms immense opulentia: and Josephus nr, “that it was, of all buildings he had seen or heard of, the most wonderful for its size, structure, and magnificence,” and states that the ‘‘stones were white and strong, fifty feet long, twenty-four broad, and sixteen in thickness.” ]—Bagster. Ver. 8. These are the beginnings of sorrows.—The margin of our Bibles remarks, that the original word for sorrows imports ‘‘the pains of a woman in travail.’’ See (Romans 8:22). Ver. 9. Councils.—|Sanhedrims, the grand national council, and smaller courts of judicature in each city: see on (Matthew 5:22).|—Bagster.——For a testimony against them.—So Doddridge. But Campbell renders it ‘to them;” referring to (Matthew 24:14). Both senses are just. The first preachers of the gospel were witnesses for Christ to ‘‘rulers and kings;” and when their witness was rejected, then they became witnesses against them. See (Mark 6)verse 12. Ver. 11. Take no thought beforehand.—See note on (Matthew 6:25). It would be a perversion of Scripture to apply this, as some have done, to ministerial studies, as an encouragement to prevent study, either by the opposition of their enemies, or by the multiplicity of the labours to which they have in providence been called, and still more under circumstances of persecution—these words have afforded rational support non careless to many, and have been, in some instances, remarkably fulfilled.

ae: 32. Of that day and that hour.— Campbell, “or hour:” which he does not hesitate to admit as the true reading, supported by the most and best MSS., and ancient versions. Hour being distinguished from day, marks the precise time.——Neither the Son.—This is parallel to Matthew’s expression, ‘* But the Father ONLY;” the only question is, can this be explained in consistency with the doctrine of Christ’s divinity? Many solutions of this difficulty have The more general, and, as we think, just interpretation is, that though the human nature of Christ was joined to the divine; yet, as infinite attributes could not be communicated to a finite mind, so the soul of Jesus could be no more omniscient than omnipresent; and therefore might not, at this period, know the precise day and hour here spoken of.

This sense is so ably defended by Dr. Pye Smith, that we shall present our readers with a short extract or two from his valuable work. After remarking that the “intellectual attainments of Jesus were partly acquired by diligence in the use of proper means,” but chiefly communicated by the Holy Spirit ((Isaiah 11:2-3).) he adds, “All the knowledge which his offices ness in preachers: but when pre required, or to the use of which his commission extended, he unquestionably enjoyed (on earth;) but beyond this sphere, there is an indefinite field for the acquisition of new knowledge, as well as of higher felicity in his glorified state. “The Scriptures appear to us, on the one hand, see the existence of such a union as produces a personal oneness; and on the other, to exclude the notion of transmutation, or confusion, of the essential properties of either nature with respect to the other.

It follows that, whatever communication of supernatural qualities, powers, or enjoyments, was made by the indwelling divinity to the man Christ Jesus,” it was made in various degrees, and on successive occasions, as the divine wisdom judged fit; and this necessary limitation would apply to times or seasons which the Father has put in his own power, ((Acts 1:7),) ‘‘as much as to any other conceivable class of objects.” Messiah, vol. ii. Ver. 35. At even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning.— These are the four night watches, answering with us to the hours of nine and twelve at night, and three and six in the morning.’—Campbell.