Een the revealed will of God, otherwise, we ask and have not, if we ask to consume it upon our lusts, Jam. iv. 3. There was pride at the bottom of it, a proud conceit of their own merit, a proud contempt of the'r brethren, and a proud desire of honour and preferment; pride is a sin that most easily besets us, and which it is hard to get clear of. It is a holy ambition to strive to excel others in grace and holibut it is a sinful ambition to covet to exceed others in pomp and grandeur. hness; Christ, in answer to this address (ver. 22, 23), reproved the ignorance and error of their petition, Ye know not what ye ask. They were much in the dark concerning the kingdom they had tacir eye upon; they dreamed of a temporal kingdom, whereas Christ's kingdom is not of this world. They knew not what it was to sit on his right hand, and on his left; they talked of it as blind men do of colours. Our apprehensions of that glory which is yet to be revealed, are like the apprehensions which a child has of the preferments of grown men. They were much in the dark, also, concerning the way to that kingdom. They know not what they ask, who ask for the end, but overlook the means, and so put asunder what God has joined together. The disciples thought, when they had left what little all they had for Christ, and had gone about the country a while preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, all their service and sufferings were over, and it was now time to ask, What shall we have? As if nothing were now to be looked for but crowns and garlands; whereas there were far greater hardships and difficulties before them than they had yet met with. They imagined their warfare was accomplished when it was scarcely begun. Christ repressed the vanity and ambition of their request. They were pleasing themselves with the fancy of sitting on his right hand, and on his left, in great state; now, to check this, he leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings, and leaves them in the dark about their glory. He leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings, which they were not so mindful of as they ought to have been. Observe how fairly he puts the matter to them, concerning these difficulties (ver. 22); you would stand candidates for the first post of honour in the kingdom, but, are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? You talk of what great things you must have when you have done your work; but are you able to stand out to the end of it? Put the matter seriously to yourselves. The same two disciples once knew not what manner of spirit they were of, when they were disturbed with anger, Luke ix. 55; and now they were not aware what was amiss in their spirits when they lifted up with ambition. were To suffer for Christ is to drink of a cup, and to be baptized with a baptism. In this description of sufferings affliction doth abound. It is supposed to be a bitter cup that is drunk of-wormwood and gall, those waters of a full cup that are wrung out to God's people (Psal. Ixxiii. 10); a cup of trembling, indeed, but not of fire and brimstone, the portion of the cup of wicked men. Psal. xi. 6. It is supposed to be a baptism, a washing with the waters of affliction. Some are dipped in them, the waters compass them about even to the soul (Jonah ii. 5); others have but a sprinkling of them; both are baptisms. Some are overwhelmed in them, as in a deluge; others, ill wet, as in a sharp shower. But even in this, consolation doth more abound. It is but a cup, not an ocean; it is but a draught, bitter, perhaps, but we shall see the bottom of it; it is a cup in the hand of a Father (John xviii. 11); and it is full of mixture. Psal. lxxv. 8. It is but a baptism; if dipped, that is the worst of it, not drowned; perplexed, but not in despair. To suffer for Christ is to drink of the same cup that Christ drank of, and to be baptized with the same baptism that he was baptized with. Christ is beforehand with us in suffering; and in that, as in other things, left us an example. This bespeaks the condescension of a suffering Christ, that he would drink of such a cup (John xviii. 11), nay, and such a brook (Psal. cx. 7), and drink so deep, and yet so cheerfully; that he would be baptized with such a baptism, and was so forward to it. Luke xii. 50. It was much that he would be baptized with water, as a common sinner; much more with blood, as an uncommon malefactor. But in all this he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was made sin for us. It also bespeaks the consolation of suffering Christians,-that they do but pledge Christ in the bitter cup, are partakers of his sufferings, and fill up that which is behind of them. We must therefore arm ourselves with the same mind, and go to him without the camp. See how boldly they engage for themselves (ver. 22). They said, We are able-in hopes of sitting on his right and on his left; but at the same time, they fondly hoped that they should never be tried. As before they knew not what they asked, so now they knew not what they answered. We are able; they would have done well to put in,-Lord, by thy strength, and in thy grace, we are able; otherwise we are not. They knew not what Christ's cup was, nor what his baptism, and therefore they were thus bold in promising for themselves. But those are commonly most confident, that are least acquainted with the cross. Christ plainly and positively foretold their sufferings (ver. 23),-Ye shall drink of my cup. That is, Ye shall suffer. James drank the bloody cup first of all the apostles. Acts xii. 2. John, though at last he died in his bed, if we may credit the ecclesiastical historians, yet often drank of this bitter cup; as when he was banished into the isle of Patmos (Rev. i. 9); and when, as they say, at Ephesus he was put into a caldron of boiling oil, but was miraculously preserved. He was, as the rest of the apostles, in deaths often. He took the cup, offered himself to the baptism, and it was accepted. But whilst he foretells their sufferings, he leaves them in the dark about the degrees of their glory. Το carry them cheerfully through their sufferings, it was enough to be assured that they should have a place in his kingdom. The lowest seat in heaven is an abundant recompense for the greatest sufferings on earth. But as to the preferments there, it was not fit there should be any intimation given for whom they were intended; for the infirmity of their present state could not bear such a discovery with any evenness. To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, and therefore it is not for you to ask it, or to know it; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. The other disciples, when they heard the request of James and John (ver. 24), were moved with indignation against the two brethren; not because they were desirous to be preferred, which was their sin, but because they were desirous to be preferred before them-which was a reflection upon them. Many seem to have indignation at sin; but it is not because it is sin, but because it touches them. These disciples were angry at their brethren's ambition, though they themselves, nay, because they themselves, were as ambitious. It is common for people to be angry at those sins in others which they allow of and indulge in themselves. The check that Christ gave them (ver. 25) was very gentle; rather by way of instruction what they should be, than by way of reprehension for what they were. The princes of the Gentiles (ver. 25) exercise dominion and authority over their subjects; and, if they can but win the upper hand, over one another too. That which bears them up in it is, that they are great; and great men think that they may do any thing. Dominion and authority are the great things which the princes of the Gentiles pursue, and pride themselves in: they would bear sway, would carry all before them, have every body truckle to them, and every sheaf bow to theirs. It shall not be so among you (ver. 26). The constitution of the spiritual kingdom is quite different from this. You are to teach the subjects of this kingdom, to instruct and beseech them, to counsel and comfort them, to take pains with them, and suffer with them,-not to exercise dominion or authority over them. You are not to lord it over God's heritage (1 Pet. v. 3), but to labour in it. This forbids not only tyranny and abuse of power, but the claim or use of any such secular authority as the princes of the Gentiles lawfully exercise. So hard is it for vain men, even good men, to to have such authority and not to be puffed up with it, and do more hurt than good with it, that our Lord Jesus saw fit wholly to banish it out of his Church. Paul himself disowns dominion over the faith of any. 2 Cor. i. 24. Now, if there were no such power and honour intended to be in the Church, it was nonsense for 'them to be striving who should have it. They knew not what they asked. Our Lord Jesus here sets himself before his disciples (ver. 28) as a pattern of humility and usefulness. The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. When the Son of God came into the world, his ambassador to the children of men, one would think he should have been ministered to, should have appeared in an equipage agreeable to his person and character. But he did not so; he made no figure, had no pompous train of state-servants to attend him, nor was he clad in robes of honour, for he took upon him the form of a servant. He was indeed ministered to as a poor man, which was a part of his humiliation-there were those that ministered to him of their substance (Luke viii. 2, 3); but he was never ministered to as a great man -he never took state upon him. He came to minister help to all that were in distress; he made himself a servant to the sick and diseased; was as ready to their requests as ever any servant was at the beck of his master, and took as much pains to serve them; he attended continually to this very thing, and denied himself both food and rest to attend to it. Never was there such an example of beneficence and usefulness as there was in the death of Christ, who gave his life a ransom for Our lives were forfeited into the hands of divine justice by sin. Christ, by parting with his life, made atonement for sin, and so rescued ours. He was made sin, and a curse for us, and died not only for our good, but in our stead. Acts xx. 28; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. It was a ransom for many-sufficient for all effectual for many; and if for many, then, saith the poor doubting soul, Why not for me?" It was for many, that by him many may be made righteous. These many were his seed, for which his soul travailed (Isa. liii. 10, 11); for many-so they will be when they come all together, though now they appear but a little flock. many. 66 Now this is a good reason why we should not strive for precedency-because the cross is our banner, and our Master's death is our life. It is a good reason why we should study to do good, and, in consideration of the love of Christ in dying for us, not hesitate to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John iii. 16. Ministers should be more forward than others to serve and suffer for the I good of souls, as blessed Paul was. Acts xx. 24; Phil. ii. 17. The nearer we are all concerned in, and the more we are advantaged by, the humility and humiliation of Christ, the more ready and careful we should be to imitate it. 29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. a Mark x. 46; Luke xviii. 35. b Chap. ix. 27. These blind men had heard of Christ by the hearing of the ear, but they desired that their eyes might see him. When they heard that Jesus passed by, they asked no further questions, who were with him, or whether he was in haste, but immediately cried out. It is good to improve the present opportunity, to make the best of the price now in the hand, because, if once let slip, it may never return. These blind men did so, and did wisely; for we do not find that Christ ever came to Jericho again. Now is the accepted time. In the address of these blind men, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David, we have an example of importunity in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest; men in want are earnest, of course. Cold desires do but beg denials. Those that would prevail in prayer, must stir up them selves to take hold on God in the duty. When they were discountenanced in it, they cried the more. The stream of fervency, if it be stopped, will rise and swell the higher. This is wrestling with God in prayer, and makes us the fitter to receive mercy; for the more it is striven for, the more it will be prized and thankfully acknowledged. Of humility in prayer; in that word, Have mercy on us, not specifying the favour, or prescribing what, much less pleading merit, but casting themselves upon, and referring themselves cheerfully to the Mediator's mercy, in what way he pleases; "Only have mercy." Of faith in prayer; in the title they gave to Christ, which was in the nature of a plea, O Lord, thou Son of David, they confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and therefore had authority to command deliverance for them. Surely it was by the Holy Ghost that they called Christ Lord, 1 Cor. xii. 3. Thus they take their encouragement in prayer from his power, as in calling him the Son of David, they take encouragement from his goodness, as Messiah, of whom so many kind and tender things had been foretold, particularly his compassion to the poor and needy, Psal. lxxii. 12, 13. It is of excellent use in prayer, to eye Christ in the grace and glory of his Messiahship; to remember that he is the Son of David, whose office it is to help, and save, and to plead it with him. Of perseverance in prayer, notwithstanding discouragement. The multitude rebuked them, as noisy, clamorous, and impertinent, and bid them hold their peace, and not disturb the Master, who perhaps at first seemed not to regard them. In following Christ with our prayers, we must expect to meet with hindrances and manifold discouragements from within and from without, something or other that bids us hold our peace. Such rebukes are permitted, that faith and fervency, patience and perseverance, may be tried. The multitude rebuked them; but Christ encouraged them. He stood still and called them, ver. 32. He was now going up to Jerusalem, and was straitened till his work there was accomplished; and yet he stood still to cure these blind men. He called them, not because he could not cure them at a distance, but because he would do it in the most obliging and instructive way, and would countenance weak but willing patients and petitioners. Christ not only enjoins us to pray, but invites us; holds out the golden sceptre to us, and bids us come and touch the top of it. He inquired farther into their case: What will ye that I shall do unto you? This implies, 1. A very fair offer; "Here I am; let me know what you would have, and you shall have it." What would we more! He is able to do for us, and as willing as he is able: "Ask and it shall be given you. 2. A condition annexed to this offer, which is a very easy and reasonable one-that they should tell him what they would have him to do for them. One would think this a strange question, any one might tell what they would have. Christ knew well enough; but he would know it from them, whether they begged only for an alms, as from a common person, or for a cure, as from the Messiah. They soon made known their request to him, such a one as they never made to any one else; Lord, that our eyes may be opened. The wants and burthens of the body we are soon sensible of, and can readily relate. O that we were but as apprehensive of our spiritual maladies, and could as feelingly complain of them, especially our spiritual blindness! He cured them; when he encouraged them to seek him, he did not say, Seek in vain. What he did was an instance of his pity; He had compassion on them. Misery is the object of mercy. They that are poor and blind are wretched and miserable (Rev. iii. 17), and the objects of compassion. It was the tender mercy of our God that gave light and sight to them that sat in darkness, Luke i. 78, 79. We cannot help those that are under such calamities, as Christ did; but we may and must pity them, as Christ did, and draw out our soul to them. It was also an instance of his power: He that formed the eye, can he not heal it? Yes, he can, he did, he did it easily, he touched their eyes; he did it effectually, Immediately their eyes received sight. Thus he not only proved that he was sent of God, but showed on what errand he was sent -to give sight to those that are spiritually blind, to turn them from darkness to light. These blind men, when they had received sight, followed him. None follow Christ blindfold. He first by his grace opens men's eyes, and so draws their hearts after him. They followed Christ, as his disciples, to learn of him, and as his witnesses, eye-witnesses, to bear their testimony to him, and to his power and goodness. The best evidence of spiritual illumination is a constant inseparable adherence to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Leader. CHAPTER XXI. 1 Christ rideth into Jerusalem upon an ass, 12 driveth the buyers and sellers out of the temple, 17 curseth the fig-tree, 23 putteth to silence the priests and elders, 28 and rebuketh them by the similitude of the two sons, 33 and the husbandmen, who slew such as were sent unto them. A ND when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto "the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meck, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 d And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: fothers cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David: "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. k a Mark xi. 1; Luke xix. 29. b Zech. xiv. 4. c Isa. Ixii. 11; Zech. ix. 9; John xii. 15. d Mark xi. 4. e 2 Kings ix. 13. i Mark xi. 15; Luke xix. 45; All the four evangelists take notice of this passage of Christ's riding in triumph into Jerusalem, five days before his death. The passover was on the fourteenth day of the month, and this was the tenth; on which day the law appointed that the paschal lamb should be taken up (Exod. xii. 3), and set apart for that service; on that day, therefore, Christ, our Passover, who was to be sacrificed for us, was publicly showed. So that this was the prelude to his passion. He had lodged at Bethany, a village not far from Jerusalem, for some time; at a supper there, the night before, Mary had anointed his feet, John xii. 3. But, as is usual with ambassadors, he deferred his public entry till some time after his arrival. Our Lord Jesus travelled much, and his custom was to travel on foot from Galilee to Jerusalem, some scores of miles, which was both humbling and toilsome. Yet once in his life he rode in triumph; and it was now when he went into Jerusalem, to suffer and die, as if that were the pleasure and preferment he courted; and then he thought himself begin to look great. In this passage we have the provision that was made for this solemnity; and it was very poor and ordinary, and such as bespoke his kingdom to be not of this world. Here were no heralds at arms provided, no trumpet sounded before him, no chariots of state, no liveries; such things as these were not agreeable to his present state of humiliation, but will be far outdone at his second coming, to which his magnificent appearance is reserved, when the last trumpet shall sound, the glorious angels shall be his heralds and attendants, and the clouds his chariots. But in this public appearance, the preparation was sudden and off-hand. It was very mean. He sent only for an ass and her colt, ver. 2. Asses were much used in that country for travel; horses were kept only by great men, and for war. Yet some think that he had herein an eye to the custom in Israel for the judges to ride upon white asses (Judg. v. 10), and their sons on ass-colts, Judg. xii. 14. And Christ would thus enter, not as a Conqueror, but as the Judge of Israel, who for judgment came into this world. The disciples who were sent to borrow this ass, are directed to say, The Lord has need of him. In the borrowing of this ass, we have an instance of Christ's knowledge. Though the thing was altogether contingent, yet Christ could tell his disciples where they should find an ass tied, and a colt with her. We have an instance of his power over the spirits of men. The hearts of the meanest subjects, as well as of kings, are in the hand of the Lord. Christ asserts his right to use the ass, in bidding them bring it to him,-the fulness of the earth is the Lord Christ's; but he foresees some hindrance which the disciples might meet with in this service; they must not take them privily, but in the sight of the owner, much less with force and arms, but with the consent of the owner, which he undertakes they shall have, If any man say aught to you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of him. What Christ sets us to do, he will bear us out in the doing of, and furnish us with answers to the objections we may be assaulted with, and make them prevalent; as here, Straightway he will send them. We have an example of justice and honesty, in not using the ass, though for so small a piece of service as riding the length of a street or two, without the owner's consent. As some read the latter clause, it gives us a farther rule of justice: You shall say the Lord hath need of them, and he (that is, the Lord), will presently send them back, and take care that they may be safely delivered to the owner, as soon as he has done with them. What we borrow we must restore in due time, and in good order; for the wicked borrows, and pays not again. Care must be taken of borrowed goods, that they be not damaged. Alas, Master, for it was borrowed! A prediction was fulfilled in this, v. 4, 5. Our Lord Jesus, in all that he did and suffered, had very much his eye upon this, That the Scriptures might be fulfilled. As the prophets looked forward to him (to him they all bare witness), so he looked upon them, that all things which were written of the Messiah, might be punctually accomplished in him. This particularly which was written of him, Zech. ix. 9, where it ushers in a large prediction of the kingdom of the Messiah, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh, must be accomplished. The procession itself was answerable to the preparation, both being destitute of worldly pɔmp, and yet both accompanied with a spiritual power. There was nothing in Christ's retinue stately or magnificent. Sion's King comes to Sion, and the daughter of Sion was told of his coming long before; yet he is not attended by the gentlemen of the country, nor met by the magistrates of the city in their formalities, as one might have expected; he should have had the keys of the city presented to him, and should have been conducted with all possible convenience to the thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David; but here is nothing of all this; yet he has his attendants, a very great multitude; they were only the common people, the mob, (the rabble we should have been apt to call them), that graced the solemnity of Christ's triumph, and none but such. The chief priests and the elders afterward herded themselves with the multitude that abused him upon the Ye see cross; but we find none of them here joining with the multitude that did him honour. here your calling, brethren, not many mighty, or noble, attend on Christ, but the foolish things of this world, and base things, which are despised, 1 Cor. i. 26, 28. Christ is honoured by the multi,tude, more than by the magnificence of his followers; for he values men by their souls, not by their ; preferments, names, or titles of honour. Now, concerning this great multitude, we are here told what they did; according to the best of |