things that are written by the prophets concerning 32 the Son of man, shall be accomplished. For he

shall be delivered unto the Gentiles (1), and shall be

mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on; 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death : 34 and the third day he shall rise again. And they un

derstood none of these things : and this faying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which

were spoken (m). 35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh

unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way36 fide begging. And hearing the multitude pass by, 37 he asked what it meant. And they told him, that 38 Jesus of Nazareth paileth by. And he cried, faying, 39 Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And

they which went before, rebuked him, that he should hold his peace : but he cried so much the

more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought

unto him : and when he was come near, he asked 41 him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto

thee? And he faid, Lord, that I may receive my 42 fight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy fight": 43 thy faith (n) hath saved. thee. And immediately he

received his fight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God,

I

2

AN ND Jesus entered and paffed through Jericho.

And behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he

(1) Into the power of the Romaas.

(m) Plain as our blessed Lord's words were, so strong were their prejudices in favour of his temporal kingdom, that they could not conceive his meaning. (n) Thy belief that I had power to do this is the occasion of thy

Matt. ix. 22. Mark v. 34. Chap. xvii. 29.

cure.

3 was rich.

And he fought to see Jesus, who he was, and could not for the press, because he was little of ftature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a

fycamore-tree to see him : for he was to pais that 5. way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked

up and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus,

make hafte, and come down ; for to day I muit 6 abide at thy house. And he made hafte, and came 7 down, and received him joyfully. And when they

saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was 8 gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner (a). And

Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, (6) Behold,
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor : and

if I have taken any thing from any man by false ac9 cufation, I restore him four-fold (c). And Jesus said

unto him (d), This day is falvation come to this house,

for as much as he also is the son of Abraham, 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

And as they heard these things, he added, and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Je

rusalem, and because they thought that the king12 dom of God should immediately appear. He said

therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and

II

(a) The Jews held the tax-gatherers in such abhorrence, that they usually

spoke of them as the wickedest of men. (6). This declaration of Zaccheus was made, not from vain-glory, like that of the Pharisee in the foregoing chapter, but probably to fatisfy the people, that he was not so unworthy to entertain Chrift as they imagined.

(c) 'If I find that I have at any time happened to overcharge any man in the duties payable to government, or if, by mistake, I have given wrong information against any man in that matter, I make him amends fourfold.

(d) He acts like a true son of faithful Abraham, and ought to be regarded as one of God's chosen fervants.

13 to return (e). And he called his ten servants, and

delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, 14 Occupy till I come f). But his citizens hated

'him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will 15 not have this man to reign over us (8). And it came

to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money,

that he might know how much every man had gain16 ed by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, 17 thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said

unto him, Well, thou good servant:- because thou

hast heen faithful in a very little, have thou autho18 rity over ten cities. And the second came, saying, 19 Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he

said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying, Lord, Behold, here is

thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man:

thou takelt up that thou laidst not down, and reapest 22 that thou didst not fow. And he saith unto him,

Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou
wicked servant (h). Thou knewest that I was an aus-

tere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reap23 ing that I did not low : Wherefore then gavest not

thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I 24 might have required mine own with usury (i)? And

he said unto them that stood by, Také from him (e) This alludes to the custom of tributary Kings going to Rome to be confirmed by the Emperor in their kingdoms, and afterwards returning to take the government upon them.

(f) See Matt. xxv. 14, 24. i ling) This is a description of the behaviour of the Jews in rejecting our blessed Saviour.

(h) Your own assertion will condemn you; for if that was your opinion, you ought to have been the more careful to fatisfy me. See Matt. xxv. 24. Note, (2) With intereft.

the

the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you (k), That unto every one which

hath, shall be given : and from him that hath not,

even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies which would not that I

fhould reign over them, bring hither, and lay them

before me. 28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, af29 cending up to Jerusalem (1). And it came to pass, when

he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the

mount called the mount of Olives, he fent two of his 30 disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against

you; in the which, at your entering, ye shall find a

colt tied, whereon yet never man sat : loose him, 31 and bring him hither (m). And if any man ask

you, Why do ye loose him ; thus fhall ye say unto 32 him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And

they that were sent, went their way, and found even 33 as he had faid unto them. And as they were loosing

the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why 34 loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath 35

need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and

they caft their garments upon the colt, and they set 36 Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their 37 clothes in the

way.

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began tỞ rejoice,

and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty 38 works that they had seen, Saying, Blessed be the

king that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace 39 in heaven, and glory in the highest (n). And some

(k) See Matt. xxv. 29.
(1) He went before his disciples.

my Peace, that is, forgiveness, is secured for us through Christin heaven. Glory, therefore, be to God most high. See Matt. xxi.9.

of

of the Pharisees from among the multitude, faid 40 unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he

answered, and faid unto them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones (0) would

immediately cry out. 41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, 42 and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even

thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong

unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine ene

mies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass 44 thee round, and keep thee in on every fide, And

shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another : because thou knewest not

the time of thy visitation (p). 45

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out 46 them that sold therein, and them that bought, Saying

unto them, It is written, My house is the house of pray47 er, but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he

taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the

fcribes, and the chief of the people fought to destroy 48 him, And could not find what they might do (a):

for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

1

AND it came to pass, that on one of those days, as

he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came

(o) The people must have been, as it were, insensible as hones, not to have given glory to God on so important and joyful an occafion.

(p) Because thou wouldst not attend to the gracious design of God at this time, when he hath visited and redeemed his people by fending the expected Messiah. Chap. i. 68.

(9) They could not resolve what method to take, for fear of the people,