may be, let us see to it that they are real, genuine, and sincere. Let us abhor the very idea of part-acting and mask-wearing in our Christianity. At any rate let us be thorough. It is a striking fact that the very first piece of armour which St. Paul recommends to the Christian soldier is "truth." "Stand therefore," he says, "Having your loins girt about with truth." (Eph. vi. 10.)

Let us observe, lastly, in this passage, that there will be degrees of condemnation and misery in hell. The words of our Lord are distinct and express. He says of those who live and die hypocrites, "the same shall receive greater damnation."

The subject opened up in these words is a deeply painful one. The reality and eternity of future punishment are among the great foundation truths of revealed religion, which it is hard to think upon without a shudder. But it is well to have all that the Bible teaches about heaven and hell firmly fixed on our minds. The Bible teaches distinctly that there will be degrees of glory in heaven. It teaches with no less distinctness both here and elsewhere, that there will be degrees of misery in hell.

Who, after all, are they who will finally receive condemnation? This is the practical point that concerns us most. All who will not come to Christ,—all who know not God and obey not the Gospel,-all who refuse to repent and go on still in wickedness, all such will be finally condemned. They will reap according as they have

sown.

God willeth not their eternal ruin. But if they will not hear His voice, they must die in their sins.

But who among those who are condemned will receive the heaviest condemnation ? It will not fall on heathens

who never heard the truth. It will not fall on ignorant and neglected Englishmen, for whose souls, however sunk in profligacy, no man cared. It will fall on those who had great light and knowledge, but made no proper use of it. It will fall on those who professed great sanctity and religiousness, but in reality clung to their sins. In one word, the hypocrite will have the lowest place in hell. These are awful things. But they are true.

NOTES. LUKE XX. 41-47.

41. [He saith unto them.] The connection between this verse and the two preceding ones should not be overlooked. It seems clear that it is "the Scribes" to whom our Lord now addresses Himself. They were ready enough to approve of His answer to the Sadducees. But did they themselves understand the Scriptures? Our Lord shows them that they did not.

[How say they.] This expression implies that it was a common saying among Jewish theologians,-an acknowledged and received opinion.

[Christ is David's son.] Let it be noted, that this expression shows us, that when sick persons and others who applied to our Lord called Him, "Thou son of David," they meant more than at first sight perhaps appears. The expression was tantamount to a confession that our Lord was the Messiah.

42.-[David himself saith, &c.] Let it be noted, that the very Psalm which our Lord here brings forward is the one which the apostle Peter presses on the Jews, in the first public sermon he addresses to them on the day of Pentecost. (Acts ii. 34.) It is interesting to reflect, that on that day Peter probably remembered his Master's use of the Psalm, and wisely walked in His steps by quoting it to the Jews.

44.-[How is he then his son?] This was a question concerning Messiah's person, which could only be answered by admitting that He was God as well as man, and man as well as God. This the Scribes and Pharisees did not understand.

Our Lord had probably a double object in view in the question which he put to the Scribes.

For one thing, He desired to convince them of their own ignorance of the Scriptures, which they proudly supposed they understood.

For another thing, He desired to teach them higher and more exalted views of the true nature of the Messiah. One grand error of the Scribes and Pharisees, and indeed of most Jews, during our Lord's earthly ministry, was the low, carnal view which they held of Messiah's nature and person. They expected one who would be a prophet and a king, one greater than Moses and David, undoubtedly, but still not One who would be at the same time very God. To correct this error, and show the inconsistency of it with Scripture, appears to have been one part of our Lord's intention in this last public conversation which He held with His enemies.

Those who secretly wonder that our Lord did not fulfil pro phecies, and apply them publicly to Himself, in such a plain way that there could be no room left for any one to doubt, would do well to remember that this is not God's way of dealing with man. God never forces conviction on man's mind. If men are not willing to believe, there is always room left for unbelief. This is a most important principle and one which we shall do well to remember in the interpretation of unfulfilled prophecy. To expect the book of Revelation, for instance, to be fulfilled so clearly that there shall be no possibility of dispute or doubt as to its fulfilment, is expecting that which is entirely contrary to the analogy of all God's dealings with man.

46.-[Walk in long robes.] This expression either refers to garments of an extravagantly large size on which the Scribes prided themselves, or else to the fringes and borders to their garments which they put on, in obedience to the law. (Numb. xv. 38.) These fringes they made excessively large in order to impress on the minds of the common people an opinion of their own holiness, and their great reverence for the law.

[Love greetings.] This expression is explained in the Gospel of St. Matthew. (Matt. xxiii. 7-10.) They loved appellations of honour and respect, such as "Rabbi, Father, Master, Teacher," to be given to them in public places. Men often profess a desire to magnify their office, when in truth they want to magnify themselves.

[Highest seats...chief rooms.] The grand characteristic of hypocritical and formal religion, is love of man's praise, and the honour that comes from man. True grace can wait for honour, and cares little what it has upon earth.

The Greek word which we have rendered" chief rooms," means literally," the chief or uppermost reclining places" round a table at a feast. It does not mean the principal apartment out of several chambers.

47.—[Devour widows' houses.] The most probable explanation of this phrase is, that the Scribes, under pretence of charity, took

Y

charge of the property of widows, and pretended to manage it for them. But instead of managing it honestly and faithfully, they embezzled it, and privately used it for their own interests.

LUKE XXI. 1-4.

1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

3 And he said, Of a truth I say

unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4 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.

WE learn, for one thing, from these verses, how keenly our Lord Jesus Christ observes the things that are done upon earth. We read that "he looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites." We might well suppose that our Lord's mind at this season would have been wholly occupied with the things immediately before Him. His betrayal, His unjust judgment, His cross, His passion, His death, were all close at hand; and He knew it. The approaching destruction of the temple, the scattering of the Jews, the long period of time before His second advent, were all things which were spread before His mind like a picture. It was but a few moments and He spoke of them.-And yet at a time like this we find Him taking note of all that is going on around Him! He thinks it not beneath Him to observe the conduct of a "certain poor widow."

Let us remember, that the Lord Jesus never changes. The thing that we read of in the passage before us is the thing that is going on all over the world. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place." (Prov. xv. 3.) Nothing

No act is too

is too little to escape His observation. trifling to be noted down in the book of His remembrance. The same hand that formed the sun, moon, and stars, was the hand that formed the tongue of the gnat and the wing of the fly with perfect wisdom. The same eye that sees the council-chambers of kings and emperors, is the eye that notices all that goes on in the labourer's cottage. "All things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." (Heb. iv. 13.) He measures littleness and greatness by a very different measure from the measure of man.

Events in

our own daily life to which we attach no importance, are often very grave and serious matters in Christ's sight. Actions and deeds in the weekly history of a poor man, which the great of this world think trivial and contemptible, are often registered as weighty and important in Christ's books. He lives who marked the gift of one "poor widow" as attentively as the gifts of many "rich men."

Let the believer of low degree take comfort in this mighty truth. Let him remember daily that his Master in heaven takes account of everything that is done on earth, and that the lives of cottagers are noticed by Him as much as the lives of kings. The acts of a poor believer have as much dignity about them as the acts of a prince. The little contributions to religious objects which the labourer makes out of his scanty earnings, are as much valued in God's sight as a ten thousand pound note from a peer. To know this thoroughly is one great secret of contentment. To feel that Christ looks at what a man is, and not at what a man has, will help to preserve us from envious and murmuring thoughts. Happy is he who has