164 Mat. He drives out them that bought and sold there. of them that sold 13 And said unto SECT. sold and bought in the outer-court of the temple, [LUKE, them that] cxlvii. which was appointed for the Gentile proselytes and overthrew the ta bought in the temple, to worship in, but was made use of by the Jews bles of the moneyXXI. 12. as if it were a common market-place; and with changers, and the seats an irresistible authority he overthrew the tables doves: [MARK XI.of the exchangers of foreign money into the cur- 11.-LUKE XIX. 45.] rent coin, which those that came from distant parts might want to offer for the service of the sanctuary (see Exod. xxx. 13, 14.) and likewise overturned the seats of them that sold doves for 13 sacrifices. And he said to them as he turned them out, Such practices as these profane the them, It is written, My house [is, and] house of God, and shamefully pervert the use shall be called the for which it was designed; for it is written (Isa. house of prayer; but lvi. 7.) My house shall be called an house of prayer ye have made it a den for all people, to which they shall resort for the XIX. 46] performance of religious worship: but you have turned it into an house of merchandise, and made it (as the prophet speaks, Jer. vii. 11.) a den of robbers, a place where traffic is carried on by persons of the most infamous character, who live by deceit and oppression, and practise the vilest extortion, even in the house of the righteous and blessed God. (Compare John ii. 14-16, sect. xxi. and Mark xi. 15, 17, sect. cl.) 14 15 And there were many of the blind and lame, who had no sooner heard of his arrival in the city but they immediately desired to be led to the place where he was; and they came to him in the temple, and he graciously healed them in the presence of all the people. of thieves. [LUKE 15 And when the saw the wonderful But when the chief priests and scribes beheld the wonders he performed, and observed how the chief priests and scribes very children were crying out in the temple, and things that he did, and continued the song which the multitude had the children crying in begun, saying, "Hosannah to the Son of David! the temple, and saying, with joyful acclamations we congratulate his David; they were sore coming, and bid him welcome into the city displeased, of his royal father!" instead of being open to e A den of robbers.] Bishop Small brooke well observes (in his Answer to Woolston, Vol. I. p. 168.) that our Lord in this expression seems to allude to the custom which robbers in those parts had of sheltering themselves in dens and caves in the wilderness, where great multitudes of them often joined in sharing their plunder. f The blind and lame.] Many such would, no doubt, be waiting in the seve conviction, Hosanna to the Son of ral avenues of the temple, to ask alms at a time when there would be such a vast concourse of people: and there seems a peculiar propriety in our Lord's multiplying these astonishing miracles, both to vindicate the extraordinary act of authority he had just been performing, and to make this his last visit to Jerusalem as convincing as possible, that those who would not submit to him might be left so much the more inexcusable. & Out He vindicates the children in their hosannahs. what these say? And 165 conviction, they were filled with indignation and SECT. 16 And said unto resentment, And they said to him, Dost thou cxlvii. him, Hearest thou hear what these children say? and judge it pro- Mat. Jesus saith unto them, per to encourage these unthinking creatures in XXI. 16, Yea; have ye never such language as this? And Jesus says unto them, read, Out of the mouth Yes, I am sensible enough of what they say, nor of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected is it needful or fit that I should reprove them for praise? it. Are you unacquainted with the scriptures; you that would have the people to regard you as the great teachers of the law? or have you never read what David says, (Psal. viii. 2.) "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained that strength whereby thou hast perfected thine own praise, by the weakness of the instruments made use of in thy service & ?” You cannot but have read it, and I assure you, that as God in many instances has used, and in a little while will eminently use, some of the weakest and meanest of mankind to accomplish his great and glorious purposes; so this event is a most signal illustration of those words; and it is by a secret influence of God on the minds of these little ones that they are led, as it were, to upbraid your silence and insensibility by so remarkable and suitable an exclamation. LUKE XIX. 47. in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes, and the chief of the people, sought to destroy him; XIX. 47. And thus he was till the time of the passover, Luke And he taught daily which was celebrated within five days after thish, teaching daily in the temple: but the chief priests, and the scribes, and others of the rulers of the people, who had before decreed his death, according to the resolution which the sanhedrim had come to by the advice of Caiaphas (John xi. 53, sect. exli.) were still contriving how they might execute their horrid design, and diligently 48 And could not sought an opportunity to destroy him: find what they might they knew not how to effect it, and could not were very attentive to immmediately find out what they might do for that purpose, or what safe method they might take to seize him; for all the common people listened to him with so great attention and plea do: for all the people hear him. Out of the mouth of babes, &c.] To ordain strength, which is the phrase the Psalmist uses in the passage here referred to, was in effect (as the seventy render it) to perfect praise; so that there is no need to be solicitous about that little variation in the quotation. This general observation of David was greatly illustrated by the Hosannahs of these children; and yet much more by the triumph of the apostles, weak as in many respects they were, over all The opposition of Jews and Gentiles. But 48 sure, h Celebrated within five days after this.] This was the first day of the week, or our Lord's-day; in commemoration of which Palm-sunday was long ago denominated, and as ceremonies increased was particularly observed. The passover was celebrated by Christ on the Thursday night following, and he was crucified on Friday. Some transactions of each intervening day are marked in the following history. i They 166 Reflections on Christ's weeping over Jerusalem, &c. SECT. Sure, that they hung as it were on his lips while exlvii. he spake, and pressed upon each other for an Luke opportunity of hearing him. The magistrates XIX. 48. therefore feared lest the populace should tumultuously rise in his defence, if they offered any public violence to him, and that thus they might endanger themselves while they sought to destroy Jesus. Luke XIX. 41. IMPROVEMENT. NEXT to the sight of a bleeding and dying Redeemer there can surely be none in the whole world more affecting than this which is here represented; even the Son of God weeping over perishing sinners; yea, over the sinners of Jerusalem. We might, perhaps, have been ready to think that, foreseeing so circumstantially, as we know he did, all the ungrateful and inhuman treatment he was to meet with in this nest of murderers, with the scene of his sufferings, and the very house of Caiaphas in his full view *, he should rather have taken up a proverb against it, and have anticipated the triumphs of that awful day when God would plead his cause with irresistible terror, and avenge the quarrel of his sacred blood. But behold, he seems to forget himself, and all his wrongs, great and cruel as they were; and in the midst of a procession intended for his honour, he melts into tears, as if it were for the calamity of a friend, or a brother; and says in the most genuine 42 language of undissembled grief, Oh that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace! Behold, O our souls, with wonder and with awe, at once the goodness and severity of God: (Rom. xi. 22.) The sinners of 43, 44 Jerusalem wept over, and yet abandoned to ruin! We have our part 42 in all this: the tidings of the gospel are the things which belong to our peace, the things on which our everlasting happiness depends. Let us remember that the time will come in which, if we do not attend to them, they will be hid from our eyes. There is a limited day of mercy and grace; and therefore to-day, while it is called to-day, let us hear his voice, and not harden our hearts (Heb. iii. 15.) lest slighted mercy at length retire, and vengeance i They hung as it were on his lips while he spake.] This is the literal import of εξεκρέματο αυτό αγγων. To render it, (as in a late version) The populace were strongly attached to his doctrine, is far from expressing the full sense. House of Caiaphas in his full view.] If we may credit the best accounts of Jerusalem which remain, this was exactly take the case.-I cannot forbcar referring my reader to Mr. Howe's excellent treatise, entitled, The Redeemer's Tears wept over lost Souls; in which, as in most of his practical works, there are such sublime and pathetic strokes of true, manly, and Christian eloquence, as do a great honour to the language and age in which they were written. a Some Reflections on the conversion of Zaccheus. 143 What cannot the grace of God effect? This publican was in the SECT. morning contriving only how he might increase his estate by all exliii. possible methods of gain; and, before evening, he cries out, Lord Ver. the half of my goods I give to the poor. Thus does the Spirit of g Christ operate on the soul, producing in it the fruits of righteousness and charity to our fellow-creatures, as well as of love to God and faith in the Redeemer. And surely the miracle by which the walls of Jericho were many ages before thrown down by the sound of rams-horns, was not greater in its kind than that which now triumphed over the heart of Zaccheus, and threw down all the obstacles which corrupt nature had formed against the entrance of Christ into it. Now were his eyes opened, and he saw in a moment how much more valuable the pearl of price was than all the riches he could part with to procure it. And he judged rightly of religion when he saw the necessity not only of faith, but of charity too; and not only of charity, but of restitution also to those whom he had injur ed, without which the highest pretences to charity are but presenting to God robbery for a burnt-offering. X. 46. & seq. Our Lord's progress is marked with another work of Divine Mark power and beneficence in opening the eyes of the blind. With what importunity was the cure desired! And when the petitioner was for a while discouraged, with what eagerness was that importunity repeated, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me! Thus will the 48 sinner cry to Jesus when he sees how much he needs him. But, alas! men are not aware of their spiritual indigence and distress: they say they are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that they are wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. (Rev. iii. 17.) When once they come to be awakened to a just sense of their case, there is then room for hope, and great encouragement for their address. We may in such circumstances say to them, as was 49 said to Bartimeus, Be of good courage, rise, he calleth thee. With pleasure should we deliver such a message; with pleasure should we lead on the lame and the blind, the weak and the trembling, in their application to Christ; and in all the instances, in which his victorious grace is exercised, should join with those who have received it in glorifying God, and in celebrating the Luke praise of this Deliverer, whom he has mercifully raised up for his people. xviii. 43 SECT. 144 The parable of the ten pounds, SECT. cxliv. Luke SECT. CXLIV. Christ delivers the parable of the ten pounds committed by a prince to his servants, and represents the vengeance taken by him on his rebellious subjects. Luke XIX. 11-28. LUKE XIX. 11. LUKE XIX. 11. these things, he NOW Jesus, on occasion of Zaccheus's con- AND as they heard version, having expressly said that he was added and spake a paXIX. 11 come to be a Saviour, the people, as they heard rable, because he was these things, were ready to conclude that at his nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought coming to Jerusalem be would openly declare that the kingdom of himself to be the promised Messiah; but he con- God should immedi tinued [his discourse] and spake a very useful and ately appear. instructive parable, because he was now drawing near to Jerusalem, and he perceived they thought that the kingdom of God would immediately be revealed among them, and that he, as the Messiah, would assume the government, and not only free Israel from the Roman yoke, but 12 spread his triumphs over all the heathen nations. In order therefore to rectify their notions on this head, and to warn them of the danger they would incur by rejecting him when they saw those secular views disappointed, he offered to their consideration this similitude; and said, A certain person of a noble birth went to a distant country in order to receive, from a superior prince there, an investiture to a kingdom, which was then fallen to himself, and of which the place where he dwelt made a part, intending afterwards to return, and fix his residence in 12 He said there fore, A certain noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 his own country. And before he set out on 13 And he called his journey, having called ten of his servants, he his ten servants, and delivered delivered a Because he was near to Jerusalem.] The kings of Judea, and other neighbouring following parable considered in this view, states, frequently were by the Romans: as suited to the circumstance of time, and (see Joseph. Antiq. lib. xiv. cap. 14, (al. 26) to the case of those to whom it was deliver-94, 5, & lib. xvii. cap. 9, al. 11.) He is ed, will appear a most wise and seasonable admonition; and by neglecting the instruc-, tion it was designed to give them, the Jews deservedly brought ruin on themselves. b Went to a distant country to receive a kingdom, &c.] The parable seems to suppose this noble person to be the son of a prince, who, on some domestic or public revolution, was to enter upon the possession of his dominions, and to be confirmed in the government of them by the approbation of some more potent state; as the therefore described as setting out with the view of being owned at his return as their undoubted sovereign. (See Le Clerc's Harmony, p. 397.) This representation of the matter is so natural, that one would wonder what room there could be for the controversy between Mallemansius and Athanasius de Paris about it. It is quite needless to pretend that this is an historical narration, that Archelaus is the nobleman referred to, &c. с Не |