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153

cxlvi.

Mat.

John

Much people from the city come to meet him:

and a coit the foal of

JOHN XII. 16. These

things understood not

his disciples at the first:

SECT. triarchs or judges, in the earliest and best ages sitting upon an ass, of thy commonwealth, sitting upon an ass; yea an ass. [JOHN XII. 15.] he shall come upon a colt, the foal of an ass, XXI. 5 which though it had never been backed before, shall in his miraculous hands be tractable and gentle." Now it is to be observed that his apostles and XII. 16 other disciples did not understand these things at first, nor recollect the correspondence between the preceding prophecy and the event: but when Jesus was raised from the dead, and glorified at the right-hand of the Father, from whence he sent down his Spirit to instruct them in the mysteries of his word and kingdom, then they remembered that these things were written concerning him as the Messiah; and [that] they had done these things unto him, without any designed reference to the prophecy, which at the time of its accomplishment they did not so much as think of.

Luke

XII. 12

but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these of him, and that they had done these things

things were written

unto him.

LUKE XIX. 87.

And when he was come descent of the mount

nigh, even now at the

JOHN XII.12.

come to the feast, when

And when he was come nigh to the city, [and XIX. 37 was] now at the lower part of the descent of the mount of Olives, which lay, as was said before, to the east of Jerusalem, and was but a few furlongs of Olives, John from it, A great multitude of people, who were come from Galilee and other parts to celebrate Much people that were the feast of the passover, having heard, by some they heard that Jesus who had run before the rest of the company, was coming to Jeruthat Jesus was coming in this solemn pomp to salem, Jerusalem, immediately resolved to go and 13 usher him in with all possible respect: And accordingly they took branches of palm-trees, which were commonly carried before those who rode in public triumph, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosannah! May God save and prosper him! Blessed [be] the King of Israel, who comes in the name, and by the authority, of the Lord our God, to redeem us, and to rule over us. (Compare Psal. cxviii. 25, 26.)

17

13 Took branches of palm-trees, and went

forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna, Blessed is the king of Israel,

that cometh in the name of the Lord.

17 The people there. fore that was with him

Now as he rode along in all this pomp, the people who were with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and by that almighty out of his grave, and voice raised him from the dead, among whom he

i Hosannah! May God save and prosper him!] I suppose few readers need to be informed that the Hebrew word Hosannah, signifies Save we beseech thee.

Now the people who were with him.] It is impossible that their not understand ing the prophecy of Zechariah now, or recollecting it afterwards (which are the

had

when he called Lazarus

raised

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dead, bare record.

18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done

And cry, Hosannah to the Son of David.

159

cxlvi.

John

raised him from the had lain part of four days, testified [it] to the SECT. strangers who were come up out of the country, and told them what a glorious miracle they had been eye-witnesses to. [And] for this cause, XII. 18. among others, and indeed with a peculiar regard to this, the people also met him from the city in the manner which has been described above; because they heard that he had done this astonishing miracle, which, in some circumstances, exceeded any which he had wrought before.

this miracle.

LUKE XIX. - 37.

God with a loud voice,

-MARK XI. 9.-]

[is he, even] the king

XIX. 37

And the whole multitude of the disciples that Luke [And] the whole mul- had attended him from Bethany, both they that titude of the disciples [that went before, and went before him, and they that followed after, in that followed,] began his triumphant procession, began greatly to reto rejoice and praise joice, and to praise God with a loud voice for all for all the mighty the mighty works and glorious miracles which works that they had they had seen performed by him on a great variety seen: [MAT. XXI. 9. of occasions, and which they now particularly 38 [And cried,] saycalled to mind. [And] as they now were met 38 ing, Hosanna to the by a vast concourse of people from Jerusalem, Son of David;] blessed they joined together in their triumphs and conthat cometh in the gratulations; and cried with all their might, name of the Lord: saying, " Hosannah to the great illustrious Son peace in heaven, and of David, who now vouchsafes to make his pubglory in the highest. lic appearance among us; blessed be he, [even] the long-expected King and Sovereign of God's people, who now comes to us in the name of the Lord! May the most exalted honours be paid him! May continued prosperty attend him! Let there be peace in heaven, and a rich variety of Divine favours be dispensed from thence; and, in return for them, let glory be given to God in the most exalted strains, and let all the highest orders of angels join in his praises! MARK XI. 10. Bless- Blessed and prosperous be the sacred kingdom of Mark ed be the kingdom of our father David! May it speedily be establish- XI. 10 cometh in the name ed, and may it long flourish; even that kingof the Lord: Hosanna dom which is not gained by the alarms of war in the highest. [MAT. and garments rolled in blood, but which comes XXI.-9.]

[MAT. XXI.-9. MARK XI.-9.]

our father David, that

in the name of the Lord, and renders itself, by
that powerful influence on men's spirits which
we now feel, victorious over whatsoever would
oppose it! Hosannah therefore in the highest
strains! Repeat again and again your songs and
your congratulations." Thus they expressed
their joyful and rapturous expectations of his
assuming the royal dignity, and vindicating
Israel from the Roman oppression; and, em-
boldened by the display of his power in the re-
surrection of Lazarus, they feared not the re

sentment

160

Reflections on Christ's riding in triumph to Jerusalem.

SECT. sentment of their present masters for declaring themselves thus openly in his favour.

cxlvi.

Luke

LUKE XIX. 39. And

And some of the proud and envious Pharisees, XIX, 39 who were among the multitude as spies rather some of the Pharisees from among the mul than friends, were much offended at the high titude said unto him, honours that were paid to Jesus, and maliciously Master, rebuke thy said to him, with an intent to embarrass and ex- disciples. pose him, Master, canst thou be pleased with all this noise? or can it be consistent with thy great humility to suffer it? Why dost thou not rebuke thy disciples for such dangerous acclamations as these? Dost thou intend to give encouragement to such seditious speeches, and to stand by the consequences which may follow them?

40 And Jesus, who was now determined to lay aside that reserve which for wise reasons he had formerly used, answered and said unto them, I tell you, that the reason for these acclamations is so plain, and the evidences of it so strong, that it must be great stupidity not to see, and great obstinacy not to own it: so that if these should be silent, one might almost expect that the very stones should immediately cry out, to proclaim my kingdom: yea, God would even animate the stones on such an occasion, rather than he would suffer me to want this triumph, so evidently marked out by his prophets,

John

The Pharisees then, turning from him with said to each other, Perceive ye XII. 19 envy and rage, said to each other, Perceive ye not that you gain no manner of advantage by all your consultations, and the decrees of your sandhedrim? Behold, the whole world is gone after him, till he has now thrown off the mask, and taken upon him to declare his pretences; which, if the people thus fall in with them, must necessarily end in our ruin, and perhaps in that of the whole nation.

40 And he answer,

ed and said unto them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would im mediately cry out,

JOHN XII. 19. The Pharisees therefore said

among themselves, Perceive yehow ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him,

John xii. 14

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us behold this meek triumph of the great Redeemer with pleasure! He entered the capital of his kingdom riding upon an ass; a circumstance in which he made, though by no means a ridiculous, yet to be sure a very humble figure: yea, he Mat. appeared exactly as the prophet described him, upon a colt, the foal of an ass; not yet grown up to its best form, nor adorned with any sumptuous or elegant furniture, but only covered with i.4,7 the mantles of his poor attendants, and perhaps with nothing

xxi. 4, 5

Mark

better

When he came near the city, Jesus weeps over it.

161

better for a bridle than a cord, which might have tied the foal SECT. at the door.

cxlvi.

Let us imagine that we saw the Son of God, and the King of John Israel, thus proceeding towards Jerusalem, and the people meeting xii. 13. him, and surrounding him with their acclamations: Hosannah! Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord! Do not our hearts spring at the sound? Do we not, as it were in spirit, go forth with them, and join in their sublime, though simple song? Thus let us welcome him into our hearts! Let us echo it back! Blessed be Mark he that cometh in the name of the Lord, with Divine authority, and xi. 10 Divine blessings in his hands! And blessed be the kingdom he hath erected! May perpetual prosperity attend it! May the north give up a swarm of subjects to it; and may not the south keep back her swarthy sons! May nations be born at once, and thousands together made willing in the day of his power! Surely if these are not our affectionate wishes, the warm and zealous sentiments of our very hearts, it may almost be expected that the very stones should cry Luke out, to accuse and condemn our ungrateful stupidity.

xix. 40

xii. 19

Unhappy Pharisees, who looked on these triumphs with envy and rage, and grieved that the world was gone after him! Yet less John unhappy had they not renewed their attempts against him, those fatal attempts which ended in their ruin! But who, that had seen the procession, and heard the shouts of the transported multitude, could have imagined or believed, that before the end of the week they should have turned their voices against him, and instead of Hosannah, should have cried out, Crucify him? Yet so it was, and Christ knew it would be so. Such is the uncertainty of popular applause! Who would then purchase it at the expence of his con science, or even of his ease?

xi. 10

These transports were raised by the hopes of a temporal king- Mark dom; and when those hopes were disappointed, these transports were turned into rage. Oh that there may be none, under all the engagements of a Christian, and even of a ministerial profession, who proclaim Christ with great appearances of zeal, only that they may exalt themselves; and wish prosperity to his kingdom, only as it may promote their own interest in a world from which it was the great design of his death to redeem his servants.

SECT. CXLVII.

Christ having wept over Jerusalem, enters into it, and vindicates the temple a second time from the profanation of the traders. Mat. XXI. 10-16. Mark XI. 11.-Luke XIX. 41, to the end.

LUKE XIX. 41.

AND when he was

come near, he be

held

THUS

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HUS our Lord went on in his triumphant cxlvii. progress toward Jerusalem; and when he

was

Luke XIX. 41

162

exlvii.

He foretells the ruin that was coming upon it.

SECT. was come near it, and had now the view of it held the city, and wept
before him (the place where he was command- over it.
Luke ing an extensive prospect of it), beholding the
XIX. 41 city in all its present beauty and glory, and con-

hadst known, ever

are hid from thine

eyes.

sidering the calamities which would shortly be 42 its ruin, he tenderly wept over it, Saying, Oh 42 Saying, If thou that thou hadst known, even thou unhappy city, thou, at least in this which art now on the very point of being devo- thy day, the things ted to final destruction! Oh that at length, which belong unto thy though with the greatest obstinacy thou hast peace! but now they despised the messages of all thy prophets, thou hadst but known and seriously regarded, at least in this thy latest day and opportunity of grace, the important things which belong to thy peace, and on which thy final happiness depends! But now, alas, they are hid from thine eyes, and God will leave thee in his righteous judgment to this affected ignorance and obstinate perverseness, 43 till it end in thine utter ruin. For the time hastens on, and in a little while the days shall come upon thee, when thou shalt suffer all the cast a trench about hardships of the closest siege, and thine enemies thee, and compass thee shall draw a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, round, and press thee in on every side, so that with all thy numerous inhabitants thou neither 44 shalt be able to resist nor to escape them: And they shall level thee with the ground on which thou standest, and crush thy children within thee

O that thou hadst known.] It is certain (as we have observed elsewhere, note a, on Luke xii. 50. Vol. VI. p. 586) that the particle is sometimes used to express an ardent wish (compare Numb. xxii. 29. and Josh. vii. 7. Septuag.) and the connection here will very well bear it. If our translation be retained, it must be acknowledged that the broken manner of speaking is very emphatical: our Lord will then seem to pause in a silent reflection on the happy consequences that would have attended their obedient regard to his invitations and addresses.-But to add the words [it had been well], which some have proposed, would rather enervate than help the sense; as I think it would do in most of the passages which learned critics bave produced from the Greek writers as instances of a like figure of speech. See Mr. Hallet on Script. Vol. I. p. 11.

b Thine enemies shall—compass thee round, &c.] Josephus says expressly, that though it was thought a great and almost impracticable work to encompass the city with a wall, yet Titus animating his soldiers to attempt

under

43 For the days shall come upon thee, that

thine enemies shall

44 And shall lay thee even with the ground,

it, they in three days surrounded it with a wall of thirty-nine furlongs in circumfer ence, with thirteen castles in its circuit; and by this means all hope was cut off that any of the Jews within the city should escape. (Bell. Jud. lib. v. cap. 12 [al. 13], § 1, 2.)-He also tells us, that when Titus had taken the city, and contrary to his will the temple was consumed with fite, he caused the foundations both of the temple and the city to be dug up and levelled with the ground, leaving only three towers and part of the wall to be a specimen of its former strength and grandeur: (Bell. Jud. lib. vii. cap. 1 [al. 18], § 1.) And afterwards the whole was so entirely destroyed that not one stone was left upon another; as Socrates relates, Hist. Eccl. lib. iii. cap. 20.-In short, the accomplishment of every part of this prediction is recorded by Josephus in so affecting and particular a manner, especially in the Sixth Book of his Jewish War, that I cannot but recommend the perusal of it to every Christian who has an opportunity of reading it.

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