SECT. CXIII. OUR LORD, ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, DISCOURSES ABOUT THE SIGNS OF HIS COMING AND OF THE END OF THE WORLD.*

Olives.

And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples saith to him, Master, behold what Mount of manner of stones and what buildings are here. And Jesus answered and said to him, Seest thou all these great buildings? There shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat on the mount of Olivet over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him apart, Tell us when shall these things be; and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world.

And Jesus answering, began to say to them, Take heed lest any man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and they shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, fear ye not. For such things must needs be; but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be pestilences and famines and terrors from heaven, and there shall be great signs. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

But before all these things they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors for my name's sake. And it shall happen unto you for a testimony; and the gospel must first be preached among all nations. But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, be not anxious

*

Prophecies in Scripture often comprise in one description many analogous events. The prophecy of this section refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, the Christian economy, and our Lord's coming at the last day, though parts of it do not apply equally to all these events.

beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. And I will give you a mouth and a wisdom that all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist. And the brother shall betray his brother unto death, and the father his son; and children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death. And ye shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall seduce many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold; but he that shall endure to the end shall be saved. But a hair of your head shall not perish. In your patience ye shall possess your souls. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all nations; and then shall the end come.

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand. And when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet,* standing where it ought not-he that readeth let him understand-then let them that are in Judea flee unto the mountains; and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter therein to take anything out of the house; and let him that shall be in the field not turn back to take up his garment. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things that are written may be fulfilled. And woe to them that are with child and that give suck in those days. But pray ye that these things happen not in winter nor on the Sabbath, 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 captives into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden *Dan. ix. 27.

down by the Gentiles, till the times of the nations be fulfilled.

For in those days shall be such tribulations as were not from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, neither shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh should be saved; but for the sake of the elect which he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or lo, there, do not believe it. For there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, and they shall show signs and wonders to seduce (if it were possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it to you beforehand. If therefore they shall say to you, Behold he is in the desert, go ye not out; Behold he is in the closets, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and appeareth even into the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.

And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. And he shall send his angels with a trumpet and a great voice; and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. And when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is at hand.

And learn a parable from the fig-tree: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, ye know that summer is nigh. So ye also, when ye shall see all these things, know ye that the kingdom of God is at hand, even at the doors. Amen

I say to you, that this generation shall not pass till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly for as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, praying at all times, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man.

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But of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. And as in the days of Noe, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even till the day that Noe entered into the ark; and they knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then two shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and one shall be left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall be left. Watch ye therefore, for ye know not at what hour your Lord will come. But this know ye, that if the good man of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Wherefore be ye also ready, for at what hour ye think not the Son of man will come.

Even as a man who, going into a far country, left his house, and gave authority to his servants over every work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh; at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming on a sudden he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.

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Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant whom his lord hath appointed over his household to give them meat in season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he will set him over all his goods.

But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord is long a-coming; and shall begin to strike his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he knoweth not; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

SECT. CXIV. THE PARABLES OF THE TEN VIRGINS, AND OF THE TALENTS.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, that took their lamps and went Mount of out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.

Olives.

And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five foolish, having taken their lamps, took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. And while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. The wise answered, Not so, lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you; go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. And at last came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Amen I say to you, I know you