Page:The New Testament of Iesvs Christ faithfvlly translated into English, ovt of the authentical Latin, diligently conferred with the Greek, & other Editions in diuers languages.pdf/136

Rh created until now, neither shal be. And unles the Lord had shortned the dayes, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect which he hath elected, he hath shortened the daies. And then if any man shal say unto you, Loe, here is Christ; loe, there: doe not beleeve. For there shal rise up false-Christs and false-Prophets, and they shal shew ″ signes and wonders, to seduce (if it be possible) the elect also. You therfore take heed; behold I have foretold you al things.

But in those daies after that tribulation * the sunne shal be darkned, and the moone shal not give her light, and the starres of Heaven shal be falling downe, and the powers that are in Heaven, shal be moved. And then they shal see the * Sonne of man comming in the clouds, with much power and glorie. And then shal he send his Angels, and shal gather togeather his elect from the foure winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of Heaven. And of the figtree learne ye a parable. When now the bough thereof is tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that sommer is very nigh. So you also when you shal see these things come to passe, know ye that it is very nigh, at the doors. Amen I say to you, that this Generation shal not passe, until al these things be done. Heaven & earth shal passe, but my words shal not passe.

But of that day or houre no man knoweth, neither the Angels in Heaven, nor the Sonne, but the Father. Take heed, watch, and pray. For you know not when the time is. Even as a man who being gone into a strange countrie, left his house: and gave his servants authoritie over each worke, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therfore (for you know not when the Lord of the house commeth: at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning) lest comming upon a soden, he find you sleeping. And that which I say to you, I say to al, Watch.✠

ANNOTATIONS. XIII.

4. When shal these things be?) The miseries which did fal before the destruction of the Temple and citie of Hierusalem, were a resemblance of the extreme calamitie that shal befal before the later day at the time of Antichrist: whereupon Christ speaketh indifferently of both.

6. I am he.) As before the destruction of Hierusalem, divers Seducers arose, and called themselves Christes, promising the People deliverance from the feares and dangers, they were in of forraine souldiars; so shal there come many towards the end of the world and make themselves Christs & Authours of Sects, and shal gaine many Disciples; as in plaine words foloweth in this chapter v. 22. There shal rise up False-Christs, and False-Prophets &c.

14. The abomination of desolation.) No heresie doth so properly and purposely tend to this abomination of desolation * which by Antichrist shal be archieved, as this Calvinisme: which taketh away with other Sacraments and external worship of God, the very sacrifice of Christes Body and bloud, which being taken away (as S. Cyprian saith) no religion can remaine.

22. Signes and wonders.) False-Christes and False-Prophets be seducers, who in the later day by the power of the Divel shal seeme to worke wonders, and yet men must not beleeve them; Much lesse these, which for their false faith can not shew so much as one false miracle. Rh