The Parable of the Kingdom of Heaven, Treatise · Verse 13
Vers. 13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
This Verse contains the use that Christ would have his Disciples make of this Parable and of his Doctrine therein contained, and that is to watch, Watch ye therefore, which exhortation he urgeth from their ignorance of the time when Christ, the Churches Bridegroom, will come, For ye know neither the day, nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
From whence two propositions, do arise, viz. 1. That the time of Christ his coming as the Bridegroom is not known to any Saint or Angel, but to the Father only.
2. That it's the Duty of all Christs Disciples, to be watching and waiting daily for the glorious appearance of Christ, who will come as the Bridegroom of his Church.
Touching the first Proposition, read Mat. 24.36. Mark 13.32. But of that day, and that hour knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son but the Father— Though God the Father hath reserved the knowledge of the day and hour of Christ, the Bridegrooms coming in his own secret decree, yet hath he given forth and revealed some signs of his coming which are recorded in the holy Scriptures of truth, which his Disciples being desirous to know, asked him saying, And what shall be the sign of thy coming? Matth. 24.3. Unto which question Christ answered many things, but more particularly he told them, 1. That his Saints and Servants should suffer great persecutions, Matth. 24.9. & Luk. 21.12, 16, 17. 2. That Iniquity shall abound, and the Love of many will wax cold, Matth. 24.12. 3. That the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be Preached in all the World, for a Witness unto all Nations, Matth. 24.14. 4. That then shall be great Tribulation, such as never was, no nor ever shall be, Matth. 24.21. And immediately after the tribulation of those dayes the powers of Heaven shall be shaken, and then the shall appear the sign of Son of man in Heaven, Matth. 24.29, 30.
Touching the second Proposition, read, Matth. 24.42. & 25.13. Luk. 21.36. Watch ye therefore, and pray alwayes that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man. They that would be accounted worthy to stand before Christ the Bridegroom, when he comes, must watch and pray continually.
Watching impli…s, 1. That Professors, Christs Disciples ought to be awake, Rom. 13.11. And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 1 Thes. 5.2, 6. For your selves know perfectly, That the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
2. That Professors are to be in a continual expectation of Christ his glorious appearance as they that watch for the morning, Psal. 130.5, 6. I wait for the Lord: my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning, I say, more than they that watch for the morning. And Luk. 12.35, 36, 37, 38. Let your Loins be girded about, and your Lamps burning. — And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the Wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those Servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching. Verily, I say unto you that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
3. That Professors be looking out, desirous of and longing for the coming and Kingdom of Christ, 2 Pet. 3.11, 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.
Watching is a necessary Duty incumbent upon Christians at all times, Luk. 21.36. in all things, 2 Tim. 4.5. It's our duty in every duty; We ought to watch and pray, Matth. 26.41. to watch unto prayer, 1 Pet. 4.7. and to watch after prayer, and wait for the return and answer of our prayers. Christians ought to watch their hearts, thoughts and affections; they ought to set a watch before the door of their Lips, that their Tongues do not offend, and they ought to watch their lives and conversations in their callings and imployments in the World. But especially Christians ought to watch for the glorious appearance of the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, Matth. 24.42. And they ought to be in a watching posture, and upon watching work or duty, especially, when they hear of his near approach. Yea, and it is the Duty of Believers, to be upon their watch all the Mystical night, until the Bridegroom come.
The word, Watch, is borrowed from Shepheards, or Souldiers, or Sea-men, or Porters, or Citizens, who use, to watch in the night season. The Jews divided the night into 3 Watches, whereof the first began at Twilight, and continued till Midnight, called the Beginning of the watches, Lam. 2.19. the second watch began at midnight, and continued until the Cock-crowing, called the middle watch, Judg. 7.19. and the third watch was from the Cock-crowing till Sun-rising, called the Morning watch, Exod. 14.24. And according to this Hebrew Dialect and Division of the Mystical Night in this Parable, the Time of this Duty to be attended was the Morning watch, for midnight was past, and the Day of Christ was dawning, or near approaching, Behold the Bridegroom comes; wath ye therefore, &c. as they, Psal. 130.5, 6.
Querie. Watchmen, What of the Night?
Answer. The Morning cometh, and also the Night, Isa. 21.12. If ye will enquire, enquire ye, &c. viz. That Morning when the Righteous shall have the Dominion, Psal. 49.14 And also the Night, even that Night of Mystical Babylons Destruction, foretold Rev. 18.8, 10, 19, 21, 22, 23.
But more particularly, That we may the better understand, what Time of the mystical Night it is with us in our Land-Horison, it may be considered, That after that fair Sunshine DAY of the Gospel, in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles h…d continued for some Years, a Night of great Darkness and bloody Persecution began, which continued to the Reign of Constantine the great; And that was the first Watch of our mystical Night. And after the Moonshine Reformation during Constantines time, the Arian Clouds of mystical Darkness, overspread the face of the Ecclesiastical Heavens, and at last the Beast opened the Bottomless pit, and there arose a smoak out of the pit, as the smoak of a great furnace, and the Sun and the Aire were darkened, by reason of the smoak of the Pit, Rev. 9.1, 2, 3. and this dark midnight dispensation, will continue till within 3 or 4 Hours of the Sun-rising: And this is the second watch of the Mystical Night of Popery, and Persecution. So that the Morning watch is the third and next, which will continue till the Sun of Righteousness arise; which watch will begin at, or about the time of the Beasts killing Christs witnesses, and will continue about 3 ½ prophetical dayes, of years,, Rev. 11.7, 11, 15. During that time of the Witnesses lying dead, Rev. 11.8, 9. the wise Virgins are commanded to Watch, Matth. 25.13.
And they ought to be in a watching Posture, that is to say, waking, waiting, looking, longing for and believing the near approach and suddain coming of the Bridegroom, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ. And also about watching work; to wit, doing the work of their Generation; in bearing their witness for Christ, against Anti-Christ his Ministry, Magistracy, Churches, Worship, Ordinances and Discipline, and in finishing their Testimony of the Kingdom and Dominion of Christ, against the Kingdom and Dominion of Anti-christ. That when Christ comes and finds them so doing, he may say, Well done good and faithful Servants, enter ye into the joyes of your Master. So the wise Virgins being thus prepared and ready, they may enter into the Marriage Chamber with the Bridegroom when he comes.
FINIS.
End of the text · Hanserd Knollys, The Parable of the Kingdom of Heaven (1674)