able to stir up against him the greater part of the Jews, who hated the Roman yoke; if He pronounced it unlawful, the Herodians would accuse Him to Herod as an enemy of Rome.

Whose, &c. By asking this question, Christ makes his tempters reply to themselves, for their acknowledging that they accepted and circulated Cæsar's money was to own their subjection to the Roman power.

Render- -God's. Christ here rebukes both Pharisees and Herodians, telling the former to render to Cæsar his dues, and the latter, (whose irreligion was noted), to render His to God.

The Sadducees Confuted.

(IN THE TEMPLE).

"Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.

And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels! and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. And after that they durst not ask him any questions at all.

NOTES.

Resurrection=future state.

Equal unto the angels,-i.e. free from bodily imperfections.

At the bush ;-should be, in the history of the bush.

He is not- -living. The Sadducees professed the greatest veneration for the Pentateuch. They founded their question upon one of the laws found in Deuteronomy. Christ meets them on their own ground, and proves from Exodus that there is a future state.

He shows that God, long years after the patriarchs had been dead, spoke of them in the present tense. "I am," (not "I was,") &c., when revealing Himself to Moses, and that they must, therefore, have been still in existence.

Christ confutes the Pharisees by a Question respecting Himself.

(IN THE TEMPLE).

"And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son? And David himself saith, in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son ?

Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation." NOTES.

Matthew tells us that our Lord asked the Pharisees whose son the Christ was to be, and that they said, “The Son of David."

The Lord said, &c. The passage quoted here is from a prophetical Psalm. The Jews regarded it as referring to the Messiah; but they did not understand that He was to be God-man;-David's Lord as God,-and David's son

as man.

Christ showed them here that they did not even understand the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, and that,

consequently, their rejection of Him was the result of ignorance and prejudice.

This quotation is slightly differently given by the three Evangelists who record the incident.

Matthew has, "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said,' &c."

Mark,-"David himself said by the Holy Ghost, 'The Lord,' &c."

Luke," David himself saith, in the Book of Psalms, 'The Lord,' &c."

The Widow's Mites.

(IN THE TEMPLE).

"And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Öf a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had."

NOTES.

Treasury;-a part of the Temple in the Court of the Women. The offerings were placed in thirteen trumpetshaped brazen vessels, close together.

Two mites. A mite a denarius.

=

Christ's Prophetical Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and His Second Coming, -delivered to Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

(ON MOUNT OF OLIVES).

"And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signsin the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a

cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall away; but my words shall not pass away.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him."

NOTES.

Matthew and Mark tell us this discourse was delivered on the Mount of Olives, and Mark mentions the Apostles to whom it was spoken.

While this discourse refers directly to the Destruction of Jerusalem, it also foreshadows the End of the World. It must be carefully studied in both aspects.

It would occupy too much space to detail minutely how this prophecy was fulfilled at the Siege of Jerusalem; but a careful perusal of some good narrative of that event will show how marvellously events coincided with these predictions.

When ye shall see, &c.

This warning was given by the Siege of Jerusalem by Cestius Gallus, A.D. 66, at the commencement of the Jewish War. He suddenly raised the siege; thus the promised sign was given, and opportunity afforded for escape to all who believed.

H