denunciation, the attention of his disciples appears to have been wandering to the splendor of the surrounding edifices: so that, unconscious of what he had recently said, they idly called upon him to join in their own ill-timed admiration. This produced a second assertion on his part, still more pointed and definite than the first. Instead of acknowledging the accuracy of their taste, he abruptly declared to them, that the building, which had so distracted their attention from his monitory discourse, should be subverted to the very foundations; and that, massy as were the stones which composed it, not one should be left upon another that should not be thrown down *. With these words he quitted the temple: and his disciples silently followed him, wrapped in solemn musings on the awful denunciation which they had just heard. From the temple he led the way to mount Olivet, whence there was a full prospect of the whole edifice: and there he took his seat apart from the multitude. The anxious curiosity of his disciplés would now be no longer restrained. Coming to him privately, they eagerly requested a further explanation of the alarming words which he had recently uttered. This produced the remarkable prophecy; which, with some variations, has been handed down to us by three of the evangelists, and which in part at least had already (according to St. Luke) been delivered upon a prior occasion t. Matt. xxiv. 1, 2. Luke xvii. 22-37. I. Now, I. Now, as our Lord's prediction has been handed down to us with certain variations by three different writers; and as those variations consist, not in any contradictory statements, but in an occasionally greater or less degree of copiousness; it will be necessary, before any attempt is made in the way of explanation, to harmonize the three several accounts of it and to exhibit them jointly in one single discourse. By this plan, we shall bring together immediately under our eyes the whole, which Christ is recorded to have uttered, 1. "And Jesus went out, and departed from the "temple and his disciples came to him for to shew "him the buildings of the temple, how it was adorned "with goodly stones and gifts and one of his "disciples saith unto him, See, what manner of "stones and what buildings are here *. : 2. "And Jesus answering said unto them: See ye not all these great buildings? Verily I say "unto you, the days will come, in the which there "shall not be left here one stone upon another that "shall not be thrown down †, 3. "And, as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, the disciples, Peter and "James and John and Andrew, came unto him pri"vately, saying; Master, tell us, when shall these things be; and what shall be the sign, when all "these things shall be fulfilled; and what shall be * Matt. xxiv. 1. Mark xiii. 1. Luke xxi. 5. "the "the sign of thy coming and of the end of the "world *. 4. "And Jesus answered, and said unto them: "Take heed, that no man deceive you. For many "shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and "The time draweth near; and shall deceive many: go not ye therefore after them t. 5. "But, when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars and commotions, be ye not trou"bled: for all these things must come to pass; but "the end is not yet ‡. 6. "For nation shall rise against nation, and king"dom against kingdom: and there shall be great earthquakes in diverse places, and famines, and "< pestilences, and troubles, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven: all these 66 are the beginning of sorrows §. 7. "But take heed to yourselves: for then, before "all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, and shall deliver you up to be "afflicted, and shall kill you, and shall deliver you up to councils and into prisons; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten; and ye shall be brought "before rulers and kings for my name's sake for a "testimony against them: and it shall turn unto you "for a testimony ||. * Matt. xxiv. 3, Mark xiii. 3, 4. Luke xxi. 7. § Matt. xxiv. 7, 8. Mark xiii. 8. Luke xxi. 10, 11. 8. "Settle it therefore in your hearts not to mé"ditate before what ye, shall answer. But, when “ 66 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; it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries "shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And this σε Gospel of the kingdom shall first be preached in "all the world, for a witness unto all nations: and "then shall the end come *. 9. "And then shall many be offended, and betray cr one another, and shall hate one another. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren "and kinsfolk and friends; and some of you shall "they cause to be put to death. For 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 t. 10. "And ye shall be hated of all nations for my "name's sake. And many false prophets shall "arise, and shall deceive many. And, because t iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax "cold. But there shall not an hair of your head perish but he, that shall endure unto the end, * Matt. xxiv. 14. Mark xiii. 10, 11. Luke xxi. 14, 15. "the "the same shall be saved. In your patience possess ye your souls *. 11. "When therefore ye shall see the abomina"tion of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place where it ought not (let him that readeth understand); and when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies: "then know, that the desolation thereof is nigh; "then let them, which are in Judèa, 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; and let him, that is on "the house-top, not come down to take any thing "out of his house; and let him, that is in the field, "not not turn back again to take up his garment t. 12. "For these be the days of vengeance, that' "all things which are written may be fulfilled. 13. "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. But pray ye, that your flight be not "in the winter neither on the sabbath-day: for then "shall be great tribulation, such as was not since "the beginning of the world, no, nor ever shall be§. * Matt. xxiv. 9, 11, 12, 13. Mark xiii. 13. Luke xxi. 17, 18, 19. + Matt. xxiv. 15, 16, 17, 18. Mark xiii. 14, 15, 16. Luke xxi. 20, 21. Luke xxi. 22. § Matt. xxiv. 19, 20, 21. Mark xiii. 17, 18, 19. Luke xxi, 23. 9 14. "And, |