scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint Mich. v. 6-8. and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.* Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, † and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son xxiv. 20-22. of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the

2 Chron.

*The Israelites were required by the law of Moses to devote a tenth part of their income to religious purposes. The Pharisees, desirous of distinguishing themselves by a most scrupulous and literal observance of the law, paid tithes even of the smallest kind of herbs. They carefully avoided the slightest transgressions of the ceremonial part of religion, but without scruple or remorse they committed the grossest offences against the moral and spiritual part of the law.

Extraordinary honours, we are told, were paid to the sepulchres of Mordecai and Joseph, and by Herod the sepulchre of David was splendidly repaired. It was the eulogy passed upon a certain rabbi by one of his disciples that he had adorned the sepulchres of Adam and of Abraham. Yet the "hypocrites" lacked the doctrines and precepts which the prophets taught, and rejected with scorn the Messiah whom they predicted!

altar.* Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

SECT. VII. THE WIDOW'S MITE.-GREEKS DESIRE TO SEE JESUS.

(MARK xii. LUKE xxi. JOHN Xii.)

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and he looked up, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, of 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.

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: the same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.† Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should

* There is considerable difficulty in regard to the Zacharias here referred to, the person of that name mentioned in Chronicles being styled the son of Jehoiada. Barachias, however, may have been another name for Jehoiada. The murder of Zacharias was the last example mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures, as then arranged.

†The visit of the Greeks is inserted here instead of at an earlier date, because in John xii. 36 it is implied that Jesus no more taught in public. These Greeks, convinced of the superiority of the Jewish religion, had probably renounced idolatry, and become worshippers of the true God. They may perhaps have been inhabitants of Bethsaida of Galilee, in the extreme north of Palestine, and so have been acquainted with Philip previously. Jesus looked upon them as representatives of the vast community outside the pale of Judaism, and as the first fruits of the great harvest he yet would reap.

Isa. liii. I.

Isa. vi. 10.

be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.

Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered : others said, An angel spake to him.* Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.

The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

But though Jesus had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him : that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted,

Thrice during Christ's ministry did a voice from heaven attest the divinity of his mission-when he entered on his public ministry, when he was transfigured, and when his public ministry drew to a close. The grand results of Christ's crucifixion are here pointed out: the world judged and condemned, Satan conquered and cast out, and sinners attracted and saved.

and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

ject of his

Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in Christ dedarkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe clares the ohnot, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, mission. but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

SECT. VIII. JESUS FORETELLS THE DESTRUCTION OF
JERUSALEM.

(MATT. xxiv. MARK xiii. LUKE xxi.)

And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and as he went out his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple, and how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts. And one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here. And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and

what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?* And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought 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 wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But there shall not an hair of your head perish, and he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. In your patience possess ye your souls. And this gospel of the kingdom must first be published for a witness among all nations, and then shall the end come.

*Christ, being seated on the mount of Olives, over against the temple, foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, of his coming to judgment, and the end of the world with which his coming would be accompanied. The three subjects become gradually blended. The writings of Josephus inform us how truly the prophecies that refer to Jerusalem have been fulfilled.