LESSON XXII.

The question of the Sadducees concerning the resurrection-Christ's answer-and proofs of the resurrection-his observation on the Messiah's being the Son of David-his warning to his disciples to beware of the scribes the widow's mite—he foretells the destruction of the temple-and of Jerusalem-and the signs preceding-exhortation to watch and pray.

THEN came to him some of the Sadducees,* who 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 offspring 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 does she become? for the seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said to them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they that shall be accounted fit 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 to the an

*The Sadducees were so called after one Sadoc a Hebrew doctor, soon after the time of Ezra. We are told elsewhere that they denied the existence of angels or spirits as well as the doctrine of the resurrection.

gels; 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 calleth 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 some of the Scribest answering said, Master, thou hast spoken well. And after that they durst not ask him anything.

And he said to them, How say they that Christ is David's son? and David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said to 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 hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples, Beware of the Scribes,§ who choose to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the market-places, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the chief places at feasts; who devour widows' families, and for a show make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

And looking on he 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, Of a truth I say to you, that this

*The Sadducees having referred to Moses, our Lord confutes them from Moses.

The scribes being of the sect of the Pharisees, were pleased with our Lord's vindication of the doctrine of the resurrection in opposition to the Sadducees.

Having silenced the Herodians on the tribute money, and the Sadducees on the resurrection, our Lord silenced the Scribes and Pharisees by his question respecting the Messiah's being at once the son and the Lord of David.

Our Lord cautions his disciples against the hypocrisy, pride, and rapacity of the Scribes.

poor widow* hath cast in more than they all; for all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast int all the living that she had.

And as some spoke 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 which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone 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 are about to come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived;§ for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and the time draweth near; go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified; for these things must come to pass; but the end is not immediately. Then said he to them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and there shall be terrible sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, ye being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall happen to you for a testimony.|| Settle it

*The gift is accepted for the cheerfulness and love with which it is given, not for its greatness.

+ She had given all that she possessed.

Neither the strength nor beauty of the temple could save it when God doomed it to destruction.

§ We learn from Josephus, that many false Christs appeared shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem.

The Apostles by their Christian behaviour under persecution, bore honorable testimony to the truth and power of the Gospel.

therefore, in your hearts, not to meditate before what defence ye shall make: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom,* which all your adversaries shall not be able to contradict nor resist. And ye shall be delivered up both by parents, and brethren, and kinsmen, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. Yet a hair of your head shall not perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.‡

And when ye shall see Jerusalem surrounded with armies, then know that the desolation of it is nigh. Then let those that are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let those that are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the country places enter into it. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to 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 the nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the nations, till the times of the nations be fulfilled. And

*The Holy Spirit was to supply them with arguments against their adversaries.

+ The nearest relations betrayed each other to save themselves.

Or, by your perseverance preserve your lives.

The commencement of the siege is here recommended as the most proper time for escape, and accordingly the Christians in general actually profited by this admonition of our Lord, and were preserved. Had he spoken from human conjecture, he would have advised them to escape before they were surrounded; but it was so ordered that the Roman army very unexpectedly retreated, and then the Christians fled before its return.

The three words rendered nations in this sentence are

F

there shall be signs in 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 expectation of those things which are coming on the earth. For the powers of heaven shall be shaken: and then they shall 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 redemp›tion draweth nigh.

And he spoke 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 already near. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is near. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words cannot pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unexpectedly. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, praying always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come,† and to stand before the Son of

man.

the same in the Greek original. They may also be rendered Gentiles or Heathens, which are words of similar signification, derived from the Latin and Greek.

* Nations. The same word as above.

The whole of the preceding passage, besides predicting the destruction of Jerusalem, may also be considered as prophetical of the last day; the destruction of Jerusalem being a type or figure of the day of judgment.