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Reflections on Mary's anointing the feet of Christ.

JOHN XII. 9. Much

people of the Jews

they might see Laza

153

SECT.

exlv.

Mat.

action also which this pious and affectionate wo-
man has now performed, shall be inserted in the
history of my life, and be spoken of with honour
for a memorial of her friendship and affection XIV. 8.
to me so that her name shall be embalmed
in such a manner, as to be far more fragrant
than the perfume which she has poured forth
on my head and my feet. (Compare Eccles.
vii. 1.)

Now these things passed at a public entertain- John ment: a great multitude of the Jews therefore, who XII. 9. therefore knew that he had been dubious whether Jesus would come was there and they came, not for Jesus' up to the passover or not (compare John xi. 56, sake only, but that sect cxli.), quickly got intelligence of it, and rus also, whom he had knew that he was there in Bethany; and they came thither in crowds from Jerusalem, and that indeed not only on account of Jesus, who had been retired for some time, but also out of curiosity, that they might see Lazarus, whom he had lately raised from the dead, who now appeared publicly with him.

raised from the dead.

10 But the chief priests consulted, that

rus also to death;

11

But the chief priests, and other members of 10 they might put Laza- the sanhedrim, were filled on this occasion with such rage and envy, that, as they had already resolved on the death of Jesus, they consulted also how they might find some method to kill Lazarus, either by public prosecution or private 11 Because that by assassination: For they well knew that many reason of him many of of the Jews deserted them, and went away to and believed on Jesus. Bethany on his account, and were so powerfully struck with the convincing evidence of so astonishing a miracle, that they believed on Jesus; and while such a monument of his power and goodness continued they were afraid lest more should revolt to him.

the Jews went away,

IMPROVEMENT.

John

WE see how happily Mary improved by sitting at the feet of Jesus, and what evidence she gave of her having chosen the better part. (Compare Luke x. 39, 42) Like her, let us with humble thankfulness bestow our very best on him, who has given us that XII. 3. and every thing else. She gladly poured out her choicest ointment on him, whose name is to every true believer far more fragrant

Who now appeared publicly with him.] Perhaps, after so extraordinary a series of providences as Lazarus had passed through, he might choose to spend some time in retirement and extraordinary de

than

votion; and it is natural to suppose he
would endeavour to avoid the importunity
of crowds, who out of curiosity would be
pressing in upon him, perhaps with some
impertinent inquiries.
a Were

154

SECT.

cxlv.

Jesus, being come to Bethphage near Jerusalem,

than ointment poured forth. (Cant. i. 3.) How does her generous love shame those who grudge every expence in the cause of Christ!

When we are relieving the pious poor, we are, as it were, anointing the feet of Jesus: we are indeed performing a service far more acceptable than any thing of this kind could in itself be. Ver. Let us remember that we have the poor always with us; and that g they are permitted to continue among us that we may do them good whenever we please. Far be it from us to imagine that what 4-6 we so spend is waste. Let all who would not share in the guilt and punishment of Judas abhor the vile hypocrisy of making a pretended concern for the poor a cloak for an opportunity of enriching themselves with their spoils; than which nothing can be more infamous, or can have a directer tendency to mingle the consuming curse of a righteous and almighty God with all that a man possesses,

10 The Pharisees conspired to kill Lazarus. What a mixture was this of cruelty and folly! What was his crime? or what could their hope be? From what death could not Christ have delivered him? or from what tomb could he not again have recalled him? Yet something like this is the madness of all who hate and persecute others for being the trophies of the Redeemer's victory and grace.

But let not his servants fear; their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is his name. (Jer. 1. 34.) His work is perfect; and the day and hour is approaching in which his triumph over all his enemies shall be so complete, that his friends shall be for ever secure, not only from being destroyed, but from being alarmed by them.

SECT. CXLVI.

Christ rides in triumph to Jerusalem on an asses colt. Mat. XXI. 1-9; Mark XI. 1-10; Luke XIX. 29-40; John XII.

12-19.

MAT. XXI. 1.

MAT. XXI. 1.

SECT.

Mat.

AN

it came to pass,]

AND [LUKE,

and were come to Beth

ND after Jesus had been anointed by Mary cxlvi. in the manner related in the preceding sec- [JOHN, on the next tion, it came to pass on the next day, which was day,] when they drew XXI. 1.the first day of the week, that he proceeded on nigh unto Jerusalem, his journey with his disciples; and when they phage [and Bethany,] drew nigh to Jerusalem, and were come to Beth- unto the mount of phage and Bethany, or to the outward boundaries Olives, then sent Jesus of these two places, at the foot of the mount of

a Were come to Bethphage and Bethany.] As Bethany was the town from which our

Olives

two

Lord set out, some have supposed there were two places of this name; of which the one

the village over-against

find an ass tied, and a

Sends two of his disciples for an asses colt.

155

cxlvi.

two [of his] disciples. Olives, which lay to the east of the city, then SECT. [MARK XI. 1. JAKE Jesus, as the time appointed for his sufferings XIX. 29. JOHN XII. 12.-] was just at hand, being resolved that he would Mat. make a public entry into Jerusalem, sent out XXI. 1. 2 Saying unto them, two of his disciples, Saying, to them, Go your 2 Go [your way] into way into the village which lies yonder overyou; and straightway against you; and immediately, as soon as you enter [as soon as ye be en- into it, you shall there find a she-ass standing tied tered into it,} ye shall at a door, and a young foal tied also with her, colt [tied] with her, on which no man ever yet sate; lay hold of the [whereon never man foal, and untie him directly, without any scruple [LUKE, yet] sat;] or concern about the owner's leave, and bring loose [him,] and bring [him] hither to me: And if any man should 3 take notice of what you are doing, and say to you, Why do you offer to untie the foal, and lead [him] away? you in reply shall say thus to him, Because Jesus the Lord has need of him: and, in regard to the authority of my name and characcause the Lord hath ter, he will immediately send him hither with the need of him and dam, that I may use either of them as I shall straightway he will choose, to ride into the city: so that you may send [him hither.] [MARK XI. 5. LUKE bring them both hither, without any apprehen

[LUKE, hum hither] unto me. [MARK XI. 2. LUKE XIX. 30.]

3 And if any man

say unto you, LUKE, Why do ye loose him? ye shall say [LURE,

thus unto him, Be

XIX. 31.]

sion of accusation or scandal.

XI. 4

MARK XI. 4. And And the two disciples that were sent on this Mark [the disciples] [LUKE, errand presumed not to debate the reasonablethat were sent] went their way, and found ness of the orders he had given them; but pre[LUKE, even as he had sently went their way, and found, just as he had said unto them,] the said unto them, the colt with its dam tied abroad colt tied by the door without, in a place at the door of a house, which stood in a very where two ways met: open place at the entrance of the village, where and they loose him, two roads met: and, as Jesus commanded them, them.] [MAT. XXI. 6. they immediately began to untie the colt, that LUKE XIX. 32.] they might lead him away.

[as Jesus commanded

LUKE XIX. 33. And

XIX. 33

But as they were thus untying the colt, provi- Luke as they were loosing dence so ordered it, effectually to prevent any the colt, [certain of them clamour or reflection, that the owners of it were

near

was fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem (as it is said, John xi. 18), and the other, that he now was come to, joined to the mount of Olives, and was but a sabbath-day's journey, or but eight furlongs distant from the city. (Compare Luke xxiv. 50. and Acts i. 12). But it is hardly probable there were two places of the same name within a mile of each other; and it is much more natural to suppose that the limits of Bethany might extend to the mount of Olives, and be contiguous to the boundaries of Bethphage, which was part of the suburbs of Jerusalem, and reached from the mount of Olives to the walls of the city. See VOL. VII.

U

Lightfoot, Harmon. N. T. § 72, and Whitby
on Mark xi. 1.

b Just as he had said unto them.] The
exact knowledge which our Lord shewed of
so many minute and most fortuitous parti-
culars must surely impress the minds of
these messengers greatly, and establish the
faith of his followers. It is observable that
many such things occurred a little before
his death, which, considered in this view,
have a peculiar beauty. Compare Mat.
xxvi. 31-35. Mark xiv. 15, 16. and Luke
xxii. 10-13.

c Effectually to prevent any clamour or reflection.] Perhaps had not the owners of the

156

SECT.

cxivi.

Luke

The colt is brought, and Jesus rides in triumph to the city.

them that stood there,]

the owners thereof said unto them, [What do ye?] Why loose ye the colt? [MARK XI. 5.}

MARK XI. 6. And

even as Jesus had com

near at hand, with several other persons. And some of them that stood by there, and particularly the owners of it, said unto them, What are you do XIX. 33 ing there? Why do you offer to untie the coll, which Mark you know is none of your own? And they said XI. 6 to them, even as Jesus had ordered, We mean they said unto them, no injury to you, or to the colt; but Jesus, the manded; [The Lord Messenger of the blessed God, the great Lord hath need of him:] and Proprietor of all, has need of him, and would and they let them go. borrow him for a little while, to ride into the [LUKE XIX. 34. city; and his character is too well known to give you any reason to fear shall lose any you thing by your readiness to accommodate him in this little instance. And on this they were thoroughly satisfied, and let them go away with it d.

8

And thus they brought the colt to Jesus, and the ass its dam went with it: and, as they had nei. ther of them any saddle, they threw their loose mantles upon the backs of them both, that Jesus might take his choice which he would ride, and might sit the more easily and decently on either: and as he chose the colt, though (as was just now said) it had never been broke or backed before, they set Jesus thereon.

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And many, [even] a very great multitude, who 8 And many, [even now surrounded him, as he sate on the young ass f a very great multi'tude,] [LUKE, as he [and] went on to the city, in token of their re- [JOHN, sat on the spect to him, spread their mantles in the way, young ass, and] went that he might ride as upon one continued car- on,] spread their garpet; and others cut down little branches from the and others cut down

the beasts happened to be by, and had not
Luke expressly mentioned them, the ma-
lice of ancient or modern infidels would
have found some occasion for raising an
outcry on the ambiguity of the words, The
Lord has need of him. Its being a weak
and contemptible cavil would not have
prevented their using it, as we learn by
abundant experience.

d They let them go.] If these people were
not (as they possibly might be) the ac-
quaintance of Christ, they might easily
meet with him at Jerusalem, if they had
a mind to inquire after the ass and colt; or
they might be left according to their di-
rection at some house in the city, or be
sent back by some of our Lord's attend-
ants; though the evangelists do not descend
to such minute particulars.-There is no
appearance of Christ's intending to shew
his sovereignty in transferring the property
of these creatures; and though, no doubt,
he had a power to do it, his usual prudence

trees,

ments in the way:

branches

would probably direct him to wave it at a time when so many eyes were upon him for evil.

e They set Jesus thereon.] As all the evangelists but Matthew speak expressly of his riding on the coll, what Matthew says of bringing them both to Jesus, and putting on them their clothes, and setting him thereon (though it be spoken in the plural number), implies no more than setting him upon the mantles thrown on that which he made choice of, and is no intimation of his riding upon both.

fAs he sate on the young ass.] John says that Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sate thereon: but as the larger accounts given by the other evangelists in a great measure supersede this, I could only bring in a part of that clause here; though in the whole of this work I am as careful as possible to omit no one circumstance that any of the sacred writers mention.

What Zechariah prophesied was thus fulfilled.

ga

157

cxlvi.

branches [from] off the trees, that stood by the side of the road, and SECT. trees, and strewed them thered flowers which grew near it, and strewed in the way. [MAT. XXI. 8. LUKE XIX. them in the way; according to the usual custom Mark 36. JOHN XII. 14.-] of expressing the public joy on the arrival of any XI.8. illustrious prince. (Compare 1 Mac. xiii. 51, and 2 Mac. x. 7.)

MAT. XXI. 4. All

this was done, that it

-14.]

5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, [Fear not;] bebold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting

Now all this was done, and permitted by Je- Mat. sus, that what was prophesied of old concerning XXI. 4 might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prothe Messiah might be fulfilled in him; and that phet, saying, [as it is by this occurrence it might be literally accomwritten,] [JOHN XII. plished which was spoken by the prophet Zechariah, saying, (as it is written, Zech. ix. 9), "Say ye to the daughter of Sion, rejoice greatly, 5 and shout, O daughter, or inhabitant, of Jerusalem; and fear not any of thine enemies: for behold, with pleasing amazement, thy King, the great expected Messiah, cometh unto thee, meek, and having salvation; and, in token of the gentleness of his administration, and his strict observance of the Divine law, he shall make his public entrance into thy city, not as other princes affect to appear, in a proud triumphal chariot, or riding on a stately managed horse, decked with a variety of splendid ornaments, and attended with a pompous cavalcade; but he shall appear like one of thine ancient patriarchs

It might be literally accomplished which was spoken, &c.] I shall not enter on a particular detail of the reasons which induce me to believe that the prophecy of Zechariah is here quoted according to its primary and literal sense; but content myself with referring the reader to Bishop Chandler's Defence of Christianity, p. 102 107, and Mr. Bullock's Vindication, p. 175, 176.

h His strict observance of the Divine law.] The learned and ingenious Bishop Sherlock has set this fact in a most just and beautiful light, in his Fourth Dissertation annexed to the last edition of his Discourse on Prophecy. God, that he might keep the people of Israel in a more sensible dependance on himself, forbade the use of that strong, generous, and majestic animal the horse (Job xxxix. 19—25) in their armies, as also of chariots, Deut. xvii. 16. (Compare Josh. xi. 6. Judges v. 15.) David therefore, who rode himself on a mule, and ordered Solomon to do so on his coronation-day (1 Kings i. 33, 34), burnt the chariots he took from the enemies, and hamstrung their horses, to make them unfit for war. (2 Sam. viii. 4.) And afterwards, when Solomon (1 Kings

iv. 26.) and succeeding princes multiplied
horses, they were rebuked by the prophets,
and chastised by God for it. (See Isa. ii.
6, 7. xxxi. 1. and Hos. xiv. 3.) And the
removal of them is spoken of as matter of
promise in the days of the Messiah, Hos. i.
7. Mic. v. 10, 11. and Zech. ix. 10.—It
is therefore with great propriety that Christ
in his most public triumph chose, accord-
ing to the prophecy before us, to ride on
an ass.-Nor are we to imagine there was
any thing mean and ridiculous in it; for
the eastern asses are a much larger and
more beautiful animal than ours; and it
plainly appears the patriarchs and judges
of the Jewish nation thought it no dis-
grace to ride upon them; of which Abra-
ham (Gen. xxii. 3), Moses (Exod. iv.
20), and Jair's family (Judges x. 4), are
instances. Nay, magistrates are spoken of
by the general description of those that
rode on white asses. Judges v. 10. (Compare
Numb. xxii. 21. 2 Sam. xvi. 2. xvii. 23.
xix. 26.) So that all the ridicule which has
fallen on this passage must, to speak with
all possible charity, be retorted on the igno-
rance of those who have taken upon
them to censure what they did not under-
stand.

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