ent, the place so denounced would fare worse than wicked Sodom and
Gomorrha upon which fire from heaven had descended.

The apostles were told to be prudent, to give no needless offense, but
to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves; for they were sent forth
as sheep into the midst of wolves. They were not to recklessly entrust
themselves to the power of men; for wicked men would persecute them,
seek to arraign them before councils and courts, and to afflict them in
the synagogs. Moreover they might expect to be brought before governors
and kings, under which extreme conditions, they were to rely upon divine
inspiration as to what they should say, and not depend upon their own
wisdom in preparation and premeditation; "For," said the Master, "it is
not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in
you."[705]

They were not to trust even the claims of kinship for protection, for
families would be divided over the truth, brother against brother,
children against parents, and the resulting strife would be deadly.
These servants of Christ were told that they would be hated of all men,
but were assured that their sufferings were to be for His name's sake.
They were to withdraw from the cities that persecuted them, and go to
others; and the Lord would follow them, even before they would be able
to complete the circuit of the cities of Israel. They were admonished to
humility, and were always to remember that they were servants, who ought
not to expect to escape when even their Master was assailed.
Nevertheless they were to be fearless, hesitating not to preach the
gospel in plainness; for the most their persecutors could do was to kill
the body, which fate was as nothing compared to that of suffering
destruction of the soul in hell.

Assurance of the Father's watchful care was impressed upon them by the
simple reminder that though sparrows were sold two for a farthing, and
yet not a sparrow could be sacrificed without the Father's concern,
they, who were of more value than many sparrows, would not be forgotten.
They were solemnly warned that whosoever would freely confess the Christ
before men would be acknowledged by Him in the Father's presence, while
they who denied Him before men would be denied in heaven. And again they
were told that the gospel would bring strife, whereby households would
be disrupted; for the doctrine the Lord had taught would be as a sword
to cut and divide. The duties of their s