Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-09-06
Sunday School lesson Notes,
BY REV j. o sHLRBURN.

After the sCrvicCs ut the day IN thelom
ple had closed. and Jesus ha for tim
watched the crowd rs they cast their gifts
into % treasury, he goes out with his
disciples about to return to Bethany for
lodging. Ills disciples had heard before
Of the coming destruction of the temple,
and they take occasion to call his attention
10 the strength and beauty of the building
.Ioscphus give IN almost fabulous account
Of the sjk, of stones oat of which the
"SlnctnaryN WIS built; he slys they
were u cubits long and 10 high and y
broad. Well might every Jew look with
confidence an pride upon such a struc-
ture! Jesus an swers simply and briefly.
There shall n OF be left one stone upon
another that shall not be thrown down.
These words point to complete destruc.
ton of the building. if not to literal
displacement of every stone. Christ and
his followers then withdrew from the city
and the next incidents given in the lesson
trauspircd upon the mount of Olives,
where they seem to have halted, for
= little, to rest and view the temple and
the city A group of his most favored
disciples are about Our Lord, and private
" they ask him when the events he had
predicted should take place, and what
should be the sign of their coming. As
preface to his answer Jesus gives them
a warning lest they be deceived in these
matters. From the account that Matthew
gives of this conversation we learn that
the disciples connected the coming of Christ
with the events connected with the destruc-
lion of Jerusalem; SO in his answer he
warns them against imposition in this
matter. He says many shall come saying
| am Christ; and shall deceive many.
neither were they to think that wars and
politics and revolutions were sure signs
of his coming, and of the end of the world.
These things he declares are II necessary
part of the present system of things,
wherein human passions and personal
aspirations exert so much influence. But
such connections arc not necessarily
connected at all with the coming Of Christ,
or the end of the present dispensation.
How pcrsistently men have forgotten
these words of the Master! Hardly a war
of any magnitude has arisen but class Of
e1positors and teachers have been ready
to declare that the word of God and all
the signs of the times pointed to the i'm
mediate end OF the world, So of another
class of pLenomeni, civil commotons,
earthquakes, bad seasons, causing famnes.
These are not necessarily connected with
the immediate coming of the end, but may
be considered as the beginnings of sor.
rows. A matter IF much Hr mOmen'
should, however, engage .he i lention o
the disciples They 5nou d take heed un;c
( tlemselvcs, TO be rILnt, IN psrs ,ntIiv
ready for the GDurts )t GhrtS : nt V Is ly
greater importance than to know the signs
the event. II AdvenLi3ts Of tho prcscn
wouly only observe this injunction of the
Master, and put the emphasis where he
puts it, i. c., upon personal godlincss
rather than upon y pseudo-knowledge
OF the time Of his coming, they might b(
vastly more scrvicablo to their generation
There was the more need of the disciples
seeking well established Christian char.
actcr on account of the trials and persecu
tions they would be called to endure.
All these suifering5 Christ clearly Sc
before them, that they may ho fully
apprised Of their coming trials and thus
moved to greater cAre for themselves
Thev were to be prepared to witness fol
Christ before rulers and kings, and thu
fact that they had thus borne testimony
they refused Christ. Before the enc
he declares the gospel must be publ shet
among all nations. lie next enjoins then
to depend upon the Holy Ghost to guide
them when they were called to witnes
thus before kings and rulers We shoulC
notice here that this speaking before king:
was to be in no sense personal defence
of themselves when thus arraigned, bu
rather defence or statement of thei
faith and the basis on which it rested
Any studied plan of defence would almos
inevitably run in'o IN eff)rt to clea
themselves; but God would have then
leave themselve and his truth with him
self for vindication, that all might realiz
the divine hand in the deliveranc
wrought. He proceeds to tell them c
the bitter personal hatred which woul
follow with their adherence to Christianity
so bitter that the dearest natural tie
would be no bond to prevent brothers o
parents, or children from delivering up
the rulers their friends who refused t
deny Christ. But those who, in the mids
of these trials, endured unto the en-
would secure salvation.
The next declaration of Christ seems t
refer wholly to theIdestruction of Jeruss
lem; and concerning this Jesus gives u
definite sign. 1t msy be hard to dete
minejust what was intended by the abon
lnation Of desolation, but it was doubles
better understood by those who heard h
words than by US. 1t has usually bee
understood to m9an some profanition
the temple or the setting up of idolatrou
worship of jehovah. But as there is n
proof that such an event did take plac
tHe words of Christ have been suppose
to refer to the enClmping of the Roma
armies about Jerusalem. and, as the con
mon view was That the territory about u
temple for some f1rloag5 was all hallowe
ground, tho desccratiJn of this groun
would be virtually II dcsecration of Il
temple. This "Abpmi nation" whatcv
it might be, was to be II signal to Il
Christians to make the quickest OK
possible from the doomed city.