you would be glad of a deliverer, to whom you might say these words*. From this great tenderness with which our Saviour deplores the ruin of the Jews the inference is easily drawn, That God does all he can consistently with his own attributes and with the free agency of men, to effect their salvation; and that, if any of us perish, the fault will not be God's, but our own.

JESUS having ended his discourse to the scribes and Pharisees, and seeing a certain poor widow casting two mites into the treasury-chest, which contained the contributions of the people for the service of the temple, took the opportunity of commending her liberality in preference to the offerings of the rich, who cast in of their abundance, while she of her penury cast in all she had, even all her living thereby intimating to us, that the smallest services of the poor, when performed with a pious intention, are more acceptable to GOD than large and costly donations of the rich, when offered with ostentatious views; for an action is recommended by the principle and circumstances, not by the outward appearance of itf.

Thus did the blessed JESUS take occasion from every circumstance to recommend to his disciples the practice of one duty or other, and instruct them how to derive benefit from every occurrence, or to draw some useful inference from every observation.

He had, not long since, pathetically lamented the destruction, which he foresaw threatened the city of Jerusalem : an observation of his disciples presently after on the magnificence of the temple, led him to inform them in plain terms, that its destruction was near at hand; that not the least remains of its beauty, not so much as one stone upon another, should be preserved in the demolition of it.

Awful as this prophecy was, and improbable at the time of its delivery as was the event, yet we have very sufficient evidence to prove, that it was, not long after, exactly accomplished; and the splendid and magnificent temple, together with the whole city of Jerusalem, became an heap of ruins.

Here then was strongly marked the prophetic character of our LORD, and a powerful evidence of the Divinity of his mission was exhibited in striking colours. The curiosity of the disciples was raised

by their LORD's prophecy of the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem, the accomplishment of which they did not at all doubt: but when they had a convenient opportunity in private, they could not resist the desire they had of more particular information, and therefore intreated him to inform them, When those things should be? and what should be the sign of his coming, and of the end of the world? Whether by this question they meant, the period of the Jewish Church and Nation, which CHRIST himself had spoken of as his coming, Matt. chap. xvi. 28. or The end of the world to the day of judgment*, seems to be undetermined; but it appears that their Master took the question literally, as if including two inquiries; and here instructs his Church, not only concerning the great events of that age, the destruction of Jerusalem, but also concerning his second coming at the end of time: and gives them much pertinent instruction and seasonable exhortations relative to both, which he enforced by several apposite parables†.

Instead of satisfying their curiosity, as they perhaps thought he instantly would,

he chose rather to engage their caution, and began his answer to them by guarding them against deception, Take heed, said he, that no man deceive you; for many shall come in my name, saying, I am CHRIST, and shall deceive many : and indeed they shall not only assume my name, but the false Christs and false prophets which shall arise, shall shew such great signs and wonders, that even those who are established in the faith shall hardly escape being deluded by them. But take heed to yourselves; for many and grievous calamities shall befall you: Iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall war cold. But I will add this for your comfort, that he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall certainly be saved. And now that I have told you before, and have warned you against such pretenders, believe not any who shall say, Lo, here is Christ, or there for I am the Messiah, and there can be no other: and when I shall appear again, my coming will be like lightning, sudden and irresistible, and will pervade every part of the world, as that does: while the pretences of false Messiahs can only be partial and confined.

I fear to proceed with the wonderful events of which our LORD is here giving

a prophetic description, lest by the limited manner in which I must advert to them, I should prevent rather than advance your edification; let me therefore refer you to the 24th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, where you will read the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the signs of CHRIST'S Coming to judgment, with far greater advantage than you can possibly derive from the abridged relation of it, which alone my plan would allow me to give you.

But as our blessed LORD has added some apposite parables, those of the faithful and wise servant-of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise, and five foolish --and of the talents improved by the good and faithful, and neglected by the slothful and wicked servant-parables which represented the state of things, at the two grand periods descriptive of each other, viz. the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world; that he might enforce more particularly the duty of watchfulness, which the uncertainty of the latter time, and the certainty of the event would require On these parables we will make such observations, as the remainder of our time will permit; beginning with that which stands first, the faithful and wise servant, who is here supposed to be en