154 Jesus, being come to Bethphage near Jerusalem, SECT. than ointment poured forth. (Cant. i. 3.) How does her generous cxlv. 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, 12-19. MAT. XXI. 1. MAT. XXI. 1. SECT. cxlvi. Mat. and were come to Beth A ND after Jesus had been anointed by Mary AND [LUKE, it came to pass,] 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 They resolve on his death, and Jesus retires to Ephraim. 54 Jesus therefore For this reason Jesus, who knew the secret rewalked no more openly solution they had formed to take away his life, among the Jews; but called Ephraim, and his disciples. 129 SECT. cxli. John went thence into a walked no more openly among the Jews in those country near to the parts till the appointed hour for his suffering XI. 54. wilderness, into a a city was come; but, instead of visiting Jerusalem, there continued with he went away from thence, even from Bethany where he now was, into the country near the wil derness of Judea, to a little city called Ephraim, which lay not far from Bethel on the confines of the tribe of Benjamin; and there he continued a while with a few of his select disciples, and af, terwards took a little journey eastward, towards the banks of the river Jordan, from whence he had lately come to Bethany on account of Lazarus's death. 55 And the Jews' hand and many went themselves. 56 Then spake among them not come to the feast? And soon after this the Jewish passover drex 55 passover was nigh at near; and many went up from all parts of the out of the country up country to Jerusalem, some little time before the to Jerusalem before passover, that they might purify themselves by the passover to purify some preparatory sacrifices, in order to be ready for the celebration of that solemn festival. sought (Compare 2 Chron. xxx. 17.) Then, as the 56 they for Jesus, and people came together, they diligently sought for scives as they stood Jesus there, some of them being desirous to see in the temple, What and hear him, and others wanting to discover think ye, that he will him to his avowed enemies the Pharisees: and as it could not but be generally known that the surprising miracle which he had lately wrought had very much inflamed the rage and envy of his persecutors, they were suspicious whether be would venture to appear in public, and said one to another, as they stood in the temple, What think ye of his coming to the passover? Do you suppose that, after this alarm, he will not have 57 Now both the the courage to come to the feast? But both the 57 chief priests and the chief priests and the Pharisees, concluding that commandment, that if he would not fail to come according to his usual any man knew where custom, no longer dissembled their malice, but be were, he should published a mandate, by which they had given an express command, that if any one knew where he was, he should immediately declare [it] to he a shew To a city called Ephraim.] This city (which is mentioned with Bethel, 2 Chron. xii. 19.) is by some called Ephrem, and is generally supposed to have lain in the north-east part of the lot of Benjamin. See Reland's Palestin. p. 376, and com. pare note a on Luke xiii. 23, p. 15. d Took a little journey eastward, &c.] This we have reason to suppose, or Jericho would not have lain in his way to Jerusa. them, lem, which yet we find that Jesus passed sect. cxliii. e That they might purify themselves by some preparatory sacrifices.] Dr. Lightfoot (in his Hor. Heb. on this place) has shewn, that as a variety of circumstances might happen to multitudes which would require purification, so some sort of cleansing required no less than seven days. 132 SECT. cxlii. unto the chief priests, -31.] 31 And shall deliver and they shall mock By the way he foretells his death and resurrection. betrayed by one of his own company, who has trayed and] delivered greatest duty and affection to him, and unto the scribes: professed the Mark [and] shall be ungratefully delivered to the chief and they shall condemn X. 33. priests and the scribes, particularly to those him to death, [Mat. who constitute the sanhedrim, and who have XX. 18. LUKE XVIII. already published so severe an edict against him (John xi. 57, sect. cxli.); and, when they have him thus in their power, they shall with great formality condemn him to death, as a public 34 enemy and disturber: and, as they have not now the power of capital executions in their him to the Gentiles; own hands, they shall deliver him up to the [LUKE, and spiteful y Gentiles, even to the Roman governor and his entreat ] him, and soldiers; and they, instigated by the malice of shall scourge him, shall spit upon him, the Jews, and utterly ignorant of the dignity and shall kill him, and glory of his person, shall mock and spite- [and crucify him:] fully entreat him in the most contumelious and and the third day he reproachful manner, and shall cruelly scourge XX. 19. LUKEXVIII. him, and carry their rude outrage to such a height, that they shall even spit upon him; and, when this scene of mockery is over, they shall put him to a most ignominious and painful death; and, as if he was a common slave, shall even crucify him, and leave him to expire in the gradual agonies of the cross: and yet all their malice shall not be able to triumph over him; for on the third day he shall rise again, victorious over the powers of darkness, and take possession of that glorious and universal kingdom which the prophets assign to the Messiah. (Compare Mat. xvi. 21, sect. lxxxix. and Mat. xvii. 22, sect. xcii.) Lukc XVIII. 34 their pre shall rise again. [MAT. 32, 33. LUKE XVIII 34. none of these things: and And, plain as this declaration was, their judices were so great, that they did not under- And they understood stand any of these things thoroughly, being at a loss to reconcile his being slain with the possession of that kingdom which he was to inherit: a Shall be betrayed and delivered, &c.] different words by which our translators b They shall-scourge him, and spit upon and zealous transport of popular fury, than that he should have been thus solemnly coudemned, and delivered up to crucifixion; a Roman punishment with which we do not find he had ever been threatened. Indeed when the Jews condemned him for blasphemy, for which the punishment appointed in the law was stoning, and Pilate at last gave them a general permission to take him and judge him according to their own law (Mat. xxvi. 65, 66. John xvii. 31. and xix. 7.) it is wonderful they did not choose to stone him but all this was done that the scriptures might be fulfilled. (Compare Mat. xxvi. 56. and John xix. 36.) < We What Zechariah prophesied was thus fulfilled. 157 cxlvi. branches [from] off the trees, that stood by the side of the road, and ga- 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 30. JOHN XII. 14.-] of expressing the public joy on the arrival of any XI. s. illustrious prince. (Compare 1 Mac, xiii. 51. and 2 Mac. x. 7) MAT. XXI. 4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled wh which was spoken by the prophet, saving, [as it is -14.] Now all this was done, and permitted by Je- Mat. sus, that what was prophesied of old concerning XXI. 4 the Messiah might be fulfilled in him; and that by this occurrence it might be literally accomwritten,] [JOHN XI. plished which was spoken by the prophet Zecha riah, saying, (as it is written, Zech. ix. 9), 5 Tell ye the daughter "Say ye to the daughter of Sion, rejoice greatly, 5 of Sion, [Fear not;] be- and shout, O daughter, or inhabitant, of Jeruhold, thy king cometh pato thee, meek, and salem; and fear not any of thine enemies: for sitting 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 indace me to believe that the prophecy of Zechariah is here quoted according to its primary and literal sense; but content my self with referring the reader to Bishop Chandler's Defence of Christianity, p. 102107, 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 153 cxlvi. Mat. Much people from the city come to meet him: and a colt the foal of 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." John Now it is to be observed that his apostles and Xil. 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 XIX. 37 XII. 12 And when he was come nigh to the city, [and 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 John from it, A great multitude of people, who were come from Galilee and other parts to celebrate the feast of the passover, having heard, by some who had run before the rest of the company, that Jesus was coming in this solemn pomp to 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 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 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 JOHN XII. 16. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus wase glorified, then remem bered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. things mentioned in the preceding verse, John xii. 16), should be the reason of what follows here. It appears then from hence (and it is very material to observe it), that By [therefore] is sometimes used in a looser sense, so as to answer to [and] or [now] in our language. |