not taste of death" before a certain time; which time is described as that when." the Son of Man should be seen coming in his kingdom.". Observe, it is not simply the time when the Son of Man should come, but the time when he should come in his kingdom, and when he should be seen so coming. In order to ascertain the meaning of this assertion, the first point must be, to determine, if possible, what may be the particular time which is thus described. From the resolution of this question, it will probably appear in what sense, figurative or literal, it might be affirmed of any who were present at this discourse, that they should not taste of death before that time; also, who they might be at whom the words "some. standing here," may be supposed to have been pointed. And when we shall have discovered who they were of whom our Lord spake, and what it was he spake concerning them, it is likely we shall then discern for what purpose of general edification the particular destiny of those persons was thus publicly declared.

Many expositors, both ancient and mo

dern, by "the coming of the Son of Man," in this text, have understood the transfiguration. This notion probably takes its rise from the manner in which St. Peter mentions that memorable transaction, in the first chapter of his second catholic epistle; where, speaking of himself as present upon that occasion in the holy mountain, he says that he was then an eye-witness of the Majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, perhaps, the hint was taken, that the transfiguration might be considered as the first manifestation of our Lord in glory to the sons of men; and that the apostles, who were permitted to be present, might be said to have seen the Son of Man at that time coming in his kingdom. And it must be confessed, that no violence is done to the phrase of "the coming of the Son of Man," considered by itself, in this interpretation. But, if it be admitted, if the time described as that when the Son of Man should be seen coming in his kingdom be understood to have been the time of the transfiguration,what will be the amount of the solemn asseveration in the text? Nothing more than this, that in the numerous assembly

to which our Lord was speaking, composed perhaps of persons of all ages, there were some, -the expressions certainly intimate no great number, but some few of this great multitude there were who were not to die within a week; for so much was the utmost interval of time between this discourse and the transfiguration. Our great Lord and Master was not accustomed to amuse his followers with any such nugatory predictions.

The like argument sets aside another interpretation, in which our Lord's ascension and the mission of the Holy Ghost are considered as the "coming in his kingdom" intended in the text. Of what importance was it to tell a numerous assembly, (for it was not to the disciples in particular, but to the whole multitude, as we learn from St. Mark, that this discourse was addressed,) to what purpose, I say, could it be, to tell them that there were some among them who were destined to live half a year?

Both these interpretations have given way to a third, in which "the coming of

our Lord in his kingdom" is supposed to denote the epoch of the destruction of Jerusalem. This exposition is perhaps not so well warranted as hath been generally imagined, by the usual import of the phrase of "the coming of the Son of Man,” in other passages of holy writ. There is no question but that "the coming of our Lord," taken literally, signifies his coming in person to the general judgment; and, if the time permitted me to enter upon a minute examination of the several texts wherein the phrase occurs, it might perhaps appear, that, except in the book of Revelations, the figurative sense is exceedingly rare in the Scriptures of the New Testament, if not altogether unexampled. Be that as it may, there is no question but that the coming of our Lord, taken literally, signifies his coming in person to the general judgment; and the close connexion of the words of the text with what immediately precedes, in our Lord's discourse, makes it unreasonable, in my judgment, to look for any thing here but the literal meaning. In the verse next before the text, our Lord speaks of the coming of the Son of Man in terms that

necessarily limit the notion of his coming to that of his last coming to the general judgment. "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." And then he

adds-" Verily, I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming. in his kingdom. First, it is said the Son of Man shall come; it is immediately added, that some then present should see him coming. To what purpose is this second declaration, but as a repetition of the first, with the addition of a circumstance which might interest the audience in the event, and awaken their serious attention to it? "I will come; and some of you shall see me coming." Can it be supposed, that in such an asseveration, the word "to come" may bear two different senses; and that the coming, of which it was said that it should be seen, should not be visible? But what then did our Lord actually aver?-- that any of those who upon this occasion were his hearers should live to the day of the general judgment?