These men pro

sion, which might be made the ground of a criminal charge, either to the Roman government or the Jewish people. The Jews bore the Roman yoke with great impatience; a few only were contented with the foreign rule, and these were called Herodians, from their attachment to Herod, the first stranger who had taken the title of king of the Jews. posed to him the artful question, whether it was lawful to pay tribute? supposing that if he answered in the negative, he might be accused as a traitor to the Roman government; but if in the affirmative, that he might be represented to the people as an enemy of their independence. They worded their question with great ceremony, "Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?" Jesus easily defeated their malicious intent by calling for a piece of Cæsar's coin, and exposing their hypocrisy in making use of the Emperor's money and protection, while refusing to pay taxes for the support of the state, and affecting to consider tribute inconsistent with their duty to God.

The Herodians were scarcely gone, when the Sad

ducees, who denied the doctrine of the Resurrection, came to him with a puzzling question, respecting the future state, which they fondly hoped he would be unable to solve. It was of a woman who, having been married, according to the Mosaic law, to seven brethren in succession, had died without having issue by any of them; they therefore asked, if there were a resurrection, whose wife she must be, since they all had her to wife. Jesus replied, "Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God. For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. And as touching the dead, that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living; ye therefore do greatly err."

A Scribe who was present, delighted at the wisdom with which our Lord had put the Sadducees to silence, came and asked him, Which was the greatest commandment of the Law? Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." The Scribe replied, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God; and there is none other but he. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God."

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Jesus, in his turn, proposed a question to the Pharisees, concerning the Messiah, namely, Whose son was he? They answered with one accord, "The son of David." Jesus then asked, "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 'the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies my footstoo!?" If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" This was a difficulty they were unable to solve, and from thenceforth they ceased to trouble him with their captious questions.

As they went out of the Temple, one of the disci

ples, admiring the magnificence of the building, directed our Lord's attention to its beauty, saying, "Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" Jesus replied, "Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Several of the disciples were astonished at this prophecy, and, when they reached the Mount of Olives, opposite the Temple, some of them asked him "when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?" Jesus in reply foretold the future destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies. He informed them that this dreadful event would be preceded by great tumults throughout western Asia. "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." He also declared that about the time of this calamity "false Christs should appear and deceive many," and that the true Christians should be cruelly persecuted, especially by the Jews; "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." But the most certain sign of approaching danger was to be the introduction of the idolatrous ensigns of the Roman soldiers into the Holy City, and when this occurred he advised them to seek safety by immediate flight. "When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to the mountains: and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein to take any thing out of his house and let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment."

We know from ecclesiastical history that, in consequence of this prophetic warning, the Christians of Palestine escaped from the country when the Roman armies crossed the frontiers, and thus avoided the dreadful evils which overwhelmed the entire Jewish nation.

In the evening, another dispute about precedency arose among the disciples; Jesus therefore, to give a check to their unreasonable ambition, and at the same time to leave them a remarkable example of humility, rose from the table, girded himself with a napkin like a servant, brought water, and began to