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man could afford to our blessed Lord, who in return gives him this gracious reward, "This day are the mercies of the gospel dispensed to thee, Zaccheus, as being a believ er, who, though a publican, art one to whom the promises made to Abraham appertain."

About this time, our Saviour being not far* from Jerusalem, upon occasion of his disciples apprehending that he would shortly take upon him the regal authority there, he spake this parable to them: "A certain man, heir to a great kingdom, took a long journey to possess† himself of it, and then to return again to the country where he was born, and over which he was to reign. And having many servants, he entrusted each of them with a sum of money to be employed in trade during his absence, commanding them to improve it to the best advantage against his return. The reason of his journey to this distant country was, because his countrymen, over whom he was to reign, opposed themselves contumaciously against him, and disclaimed him for their king. At his return, he first examined his servants with whom he had entrusted his talents; he rewarded those who had improved their stock, and had been faithful in their trust, with gifts proportioned to their capacities and improvements; but the negligent servant, who had slothfully spent his time without any advantage, was condemned to perpetual confinement and darkness, and his talent transferred to him who had most advanced the interest of his prince during his absence." From whence arose that

* Far. See Luke xix. 11, 12, &c.

Possess. By this the blessed Jesus intimated that he was to suffer, and rise, and go to heaven to be installed in his kingdom there.

Sum. By this he intimated that the apostles were, after his departure, to preach to the Jews, in order to gain them to Christ; and to visit all their cities before he should himself appear in his regal dignity: and thus also were all inferior christians, as well as the apostles, to employ their diligence and industry, and according to their talents to bring in some increase to God.

Disclaimed. This intimates the Jews standing out against the faith, as it was preached to them by the apostles after the resurrection.

christian axiom, "To him that hath shall be given, and from him that hath not, shall be taken away even what he hath." His servants having thus accounted with him, he proceeds to take cognizance of those rebellious countrymen (whose king he was by right) who, when he went to be inthroned in another kingdom, refused obedience to him. These therefore he called to a severe account, and commanding them to be put to the sword,* they were executed as so many rebels.

After this, going from Jericho, he cured two blind men on the way. And six days before the passover, he proceeded to Bethany, where he was liberally entertained by Simon the leper, being accompanied by Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, who sat at the table with Jesus. Mary, to add to the grandeur of the entertainment, having a vial or vase of very costly ointment, poured it on Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The** odour of the perfume soon diffused itself through every part of

Sword. This was the fate that soon befel the Jews after our blessed Saviour's inauguration in his kingdom in heaven.

Leper. It is not probable that Simon was a leper at this time, but having been so at a former period, retained the name, by which he was distinguished from many others who bore the name of Simon, which was common among the Jews.

Mary. This was Mary the sister of Lazarus, not Mary Magdalen.

Ointment. This is by the best interpreters called " Nard-pistick, or genuine Nard, free from all mixture or adulteration, which was a very great rarity, by reason of the nine sorts of herbs which (according to Pliny) imitate the true Nard.

Poured. The word in St. Mark, ch. xiv. v. 3, which in our translation is rendered "brake the box," is improperly applied, and remote from the meaning of the original Syntripsasa; as also is the word Alabastron unjustly rendered a Box: for it is very improbable that Mary should break a box or vessel of alabaster or marble, which all know to be hard; nor is it likely it was in the form of a box, but rather of a vial, which Mary shaking (for that is the proper signification of the word Syntripsasa) in order to break the coagulated parts of the rich balsam, and bring it into a liquid state; she then poured it out, and so anointed Jesus's feet with it. This I take to be the most proper way of rendering to these words, both according to the present occasion, and the genuine sense of them.

** The. See Matt. xxvi. 6. Mark xiv. 3. John xii. 4.

the house, which denoted its great worth. But malice, which never long wants an opportunity of shewing itself, instructs the thief and traitor Judas, how to lay hold on any occasion, who repines at the vanity of this expence, (as he pretended,) because it might have been sold for three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. But Jesus, who knew the malice of Judas, and the wickedness he was afterwards to perpetrate, in a very mild reply, tells them all, that this was an act of religion in Mary, who performed this as a fit ceremony to solemnize his approaching death, after which men used to be embalmed with perfumes and spices: This, therefore, as an act of religion was at this time more seasonable than an act of charity; for of the poor, said he, you have many and daily objects: but this is the last opportunity she could have of expressing her love to me, who am suddenly to be taken from you.

It being presently known that Lazarus, whom Jesus had lately raised from the dead, was one of the company that was treated by Simon the leper, the Jews flocked in great numbers to see him on whom the miracle was wrought, as well as the illustrious person who performed it. This excited much uneasiness in the jealous Sanhedrim, who having heard that the resurrection of Lazarus, gave occasion to a number of the Jews to believe on Jesus, they immediately consult upon the destructionf of Lazarus, as they had previously done concerning that of Christ. I

* Toree Hundred Pence. That is about Ten Pounds.

Destruction. The Jews, enraged to perceive many converts made to Christ by the miracle of his raising Lazarus, determined to put him to death: but Epipharius reports that God, in his providence, was pleased to preserve him as a monument of his glorieș, and a testimony of the miracle which Jesus performed on him, thirty years after the death of Jesus. Epipham. contra Manich.

Christ. What a mixture of cruelty and folly was the conspiracy of the Pharisees to kill Lazarus? 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 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. Doddridge on John xii. 10.

The next day, being the fifth before the passover, Jesus came to the foot of the mount of Olives, and sent his disciples to Bethphage, a little village in the neighbourhood, commanding them to unloose an ass* and a colt, and to bring them to him, and to tell the owners it was done for the Master's service; and they did so. And when they brought the ass to Jesus, he rides † on him to Jerusalem; and the people having notice all the way he passed of his approach, took palm-branches in their hands, and went out to meet him, strewing boughs of trees and their garments in the road, crying out, "Hosannah to the Son of David:" which was a form of acclamation used to the honour of God in great assemblies and solemnities, and signifies adoration to the Son of David by the right of carrying branches. But this honour was so great and unusual to be rendered even to kings, that the Pharisees, knowing this to be an appropriate manner of address to God, said one to another, "Hear ye what these men say?" For they were troubled to hear the people pay such reverence to Jesus, being alarmed at this appearance of his growing reputation.

* Ass. See Matt. xxi. 2, Mark xi. 2, Luke xix. 30, 31. The asses used in the east are far superior to ours, so that there was nothing mean or ridiculous in his riding on that animal. We read of Abraham, the family of Jair, and magistrates riding upon them. Gen. xxii. 3. Judge. v. 10. and x. 4, &c. We should also recollect that God, to keep the people of Israel in a more sensible dependence on himself forbade the use of horses; our Lord therefore, with a pro. priety worthy of himself, chose to make his humble, though public triumph, riding on an ass.

+ Rides. Jesus rode not on account of any weariness, having formerly travelled through all Palestine on foot; but thereby, using that privilege which belonged to Judges," Speak you that ride on white Asses," to signify his approbation of those due acclamations which he knew would that day be given him, v.8, as to the Messiah; that so the prophecy, Isai. Ixii. 11, and Zech. ix. 9, might be accomplished, wherein it is said, "That the king of the Jews, the Messiah, should come riding on an ass's foal," which though it were a meek, was yet also a royal gesture and ceremony.

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Hosannab. The Hebrew word signifies, "Save, we their application of the term to Jesus, they meant to say, prosper him!"

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When the Holy Jesus had thus entered Jerusalem in triumph, he went up to the mount of Olives, and from thence beholding Jerusalem, and foreseeing the dreadful and unparallelled calamities which were to befal it, he wept over it, saying, "O that thou also wouldst yet consider, and lay to heart, before it be too late, even in this critical juncture, those things which concern thy future tranquillity! but now thou shuttest thine eyes against them, and wilt not consider. But thy punishment for this shall be, that shortly thine enemies shall closely besiege * thee, and famish thee: they shall take thy city, destroy all that are in it, and utterly demolish the temple; and all this shall befal thee for not considering what I have, by way of message, delivered from God to thee." All which literally came to pass, and was verified in the most minute circumstances and particulars.

Jesus descending from the mount of Olives to the city, (which was still but part of his cavalcade) he went into the temple, purifying it from all uncleanness and profanation, and not suffering so much as the least vessel to be carried through or into it which did not appertain to the service of God. Thither also the acclamations of the people fol lowed him, which was no small mortification to the Pharisees, who, with the noises abroad, and the restless tumults of envy and hatred within their own breasts, are ready to burst and that which adds to their vexation the more is, that notwithstanding all their endeavours to suppress his glories, in despite of all their stratagems, the whole nation was become, as it were, one disciple to the glorious Nazarene. To confirm them in which opinion, he continues to cure the blind and lame, and others of infirmities under which they laboured.

But notwithstanding the Pharisees and other grandees among the Jews were so malevolent to the Holy Jesus, who had done so much good among them; yet there were others of as much consideration, and who were

* Besiege thee. In the Mount of Olives, where Jesus shed tears over perishing Jerusalem, the Romans first pitched their tents, when they came to its final

overthrow.

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