AN EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM. 67
may hare peace; but in the world ye shallhave tribulation:
but be of good confidence,for I have overcome the world."1
And when He was interrogatedby His disciplesconcerning
the sign of His coming, and of the consummation of the
world,He answered and said: " Take care lestany deceive
you : formany shallcome in my name, saying,I am Christ;
and shalldeceivemany. And ye shallbegin tohearof wars,
and rumours of wars ; seethatye be not troubled: forthese
thingsmust needs come to pass,but the end is not yet. For
nation shallriseagainstnation,and kingdom againstking
dom : and thereshallbe famines,and earthquakes,and pesti
lences,ineveryplace. But allthesethingsare the beginnings
of travailings.Then they shalldeliveryou up intoaffliction,
and shallkillyou : and ye shallbe hatefulto allnationsfor
my name's sake. And then shallmany be offended,and
shallbetrayone another,and shallhate one another. And
many falseprophetsshallarise,and shallseducemany ; and
because wickednessshallabound, the loveof many shallwax
cold. But he who shallendure to the end, the same shallbe
saved. And thisgospel of the kingdom shallbe preached
through allthe world,for a testimonyto allnations;and
then shallcome the end. When, therefore,ye shallsee the
abomination of desolationwhich is spoken of by Daniel the
prophet,standingin the holy place (lethim who readeth
understand),then letthem which are in Judea fleeto the
mountains ; and lethim which is on the house-roofnot go
down to take anything from the house; and lethim who is
in the fieldnot return back to carryaway his clothes.But
woe to them that are pregnant,and to thosethatare giving
suck in thosedays1 But pray ye that your flightbe not in
the winter,nor on the Sabbath-day: forthereshallbe great
tribulation,such as has not arisenfrom the beginningof the
•worlduntilnow, neithershallarise. And unlessthosedays
should be shortened,no fleshshould be saved; but for the
elect'ssakethosedays shallbe shortened. Then if any one
shallsay unto you, Lo, here isChrist,or,Lo, there; believe
him not. For there shallarisefalseChrists,and falsepro-
1Johnxvi.38.