thought proper to repeat the prophecies concerning his suffering, in order to show his disciples that they were entirely voluntary adding that th though the Jews should put him to death, yet instead of weakening it should increase their faith, especially as he would rise again the third day from the dead: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and all things that are written by the prophets, concerning the Son of man, shall be accomplished; for he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully treated, and 'spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again," Luke xviii. 31, 32, 33.

It must have given the greatest encouragement to our Lord's disciples had they understood and applied this prediction which was built upon the ancient prophecies, in in a proper manner; but they were so ignorant in in the Scriptures, that they had no idea of what he meant: "And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken."

But the sons of Zebedee were so ignorant, that they thought their Master, by his telling them he would rise again from the dead, meant that he would then erect his empire; and, accordingly, begged that he would confer on them the chief posts in his kingdom, which they expressed, by desiring to be seated, the one on his right hand, and the other on his' left, in allusion to his placing the twelve apostles upon twelve thrones, judging

the tribes of Israel.

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Ever since our Saviour's transfiguration, the sons of Zebedee had conceived very high notions of his kingdom, and possibly of their own merit also, because they had been admitted to behold that miracle; but Jesus told them, they were ignorant of the nature of the honour they requested: and since they desired to share with him in his glory, asked them, if they were willing to share with him also in his sufferings : " Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? Matt. xx. 22. The disciples, ravished with the prospect of the dignity they were aspiring after, replied without hesitation, that they were both able and willing to share any hardship their Master might meet with in the way to his kingdom. To which he answered, that they should certainly share with him his troubles and afflictions; but that they had asked a favour which was not his to give: "Ye shall drink, indeed, of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right-hand, and on my Jeft, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

The indignation of the rest of the disciples being raised by this ambitious request of the two brothers, they thinking themselves equally deserving the principal posts in the Messiah's kingdom, where highly offended at the arrogance of the sons of Zebedee. JESUS, therefore, in order to restore harmony amongst his disciples, told them, that his kingdom was very different from those of the present world; and that the greatness of his disciples did not, like that of secular princes, consist in reigning over others in an absolute and despotic manner: Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great, exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be administered unto, but to minister, and to give his life & ransom for many.

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CHAPTER XXVII.

Jesus, being arrived at Jericho, gives sight to two blind men near that Place: He visiteth Zaccheus the Publican, and delivers the Parable of a Nobleman who left Money with his Serpants to trade with in his Absence: The Rulers give Orders to apprehend him: Being arrived at Bethany, Mary anointeth his Feet: Judas murmureth, at the cost. CHRIST rideth into Jerusalem upon an Ass, amidst the Accla mations of the multitude, and weeping over the City.

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OUR Lord with his disciples and the multitude that accompanied him, being now arrived at Jericho, in their way to Jerusalem, a famous city of Palestine, and the second in the kingdom. Near this town JESUS cured two blind men, who sat by the road begging, and expressed their be lief in him, as the Messiah: "And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 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. And the multitude rebuked tbem, because they should hold their peace; but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord thou Son of David." Matt. xx. 29, 30, 31.

The Son of God stood still at this importunate request of the two men, and called them to him, that by their manner of walking, spectators might be convinced that they were really blind. As soon as they approached him, he asked them, what they requested with such earnestness? To which the beggars answered, that they might receive sight: "What will ye, that I shall do unto you ? They say, Lord, that our eyes may be opened." This request was not made in vain: their compassionate Saviour touched their eyes, and immediately they received sight, and followed him, glorifying and praising God. After conferring sight on these beggars, Zaccheus chief of the publicans, having often heard the fame of our Lord's miracles, was desirous of seeing his person; but the lowness of his stature prevented him from satisfying his curiosity, " he ran before, and climbed up a sycamore-tree to see him; for he was to pass that way." As Jesus approached the place where he was," he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house." Luke xix. 5.

At which condescension of our Lord, the publican expressed his joy, carried him to his house, and shewed him all the marks of civility in his power. But the people when they saw he was going to the house of the publican, condemned his conduct, as not conformable to the character of a prophet. Zaccheus seems to have heard these unjust reflections; and, therefore, was willing to justify himself before Jesus and his attendants: "And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man, by false accusation, I restore him four fold. And Jesus said unto him, This day has salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Further to convince the people that he acted agreeable to his character, in keeping company with publicans and sinners, our Lord told them that the true intention of his coming was to recover those who had wandered from the paths of virtue, and restore them to God the rightful owner: "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." While JEsus continued in the house of Zaccheus the publican, he spake a parable to his followers, who supposed, at his arrival at the royal city, he would erect the long expected kingdom of the Messiah: A certain nobleman, said he, went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and

sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 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 gained by trading. Then came the first saying, Lord thy pound, hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well thou good servant; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ave pounds. And he said likwise to him, be thou over five cities. And another came saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin; for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man; thou takest up that thou laidest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he he saith unto him, out of thine own mouth will 1 judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: wherefore then gavest not thou my money into thee bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by. Take from him the pound and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, 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. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

We have the character of three sorts of men in this parable delineated by the blessed Saviour himself; namely, the true disciples of the Messiah, the hypocrites, and the openly prophane; and the torment these sevants, znet with, represents the final sentences that will be passed upon them by the awful judge of the whole earth. The true disciples shall be rewarded with the honours and pleasures of immortality, the hypocrites stripped of all the advantage they so often boasted, and loaded with eternal infamy, and the open enemies of CHRIST, in proportion to their guilt, shall suffer severe punishment.

Although this be the general sense of the parable, yet it has also a parLicular relation to the time when it was spoken; and was intended to teach the disciples, that though they might imagine that the Messiah's kingdom was speedily to be erected, and they were soon to partake of its happiness, yet this was not to happen before the death of their Master; that they themselves must perform a long and laborious course af services, before they receive their eternal reward. That after his resurrection, when he had obtained the kingdom, he would return from his seat of majesty, and reckon with all his servants, and reward them according to the improvements they had made in the trust committed to theie care & that he would execute, in an exemplary manner, his vengeance on those who refused to let him reign over them, and did all in their power to hinder the erection of his kingdom amongst others. After speaking this parable Jesus left the house of Zaccheus the publican, and continued his journey towards Jerusalem, where he proposed to celebrate the passover; and was earnestly expected by the people, who came up to purify themselves, and who began to doubt whether he would venture to come to the feast. This delay however, was occasioned by the proclamation issued by the high priests, prom ising a reward to any one who would discover the place of his retirement: "Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him." John xi. 57.

Jesus arrived at Bethany six days before the passover, and repaired to the house of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead: "There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of thens that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment,

of spinkenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot Simon's son, which would betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor? but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.. Then said Jesus let her alone; against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always."

Bethany being not above two miles from Jerusalem, the news of our Lord's arrival was soon spread through the capital, and great numbers of the citizens came to see Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead, together with the great prophet who had wrought so stupenduous a miracle; and many of them were convinced both of the resurrection of the former. and the divinity of the latter: but the news of their coversion, together with the reason of it, being currently reported in Jerusalem, the chief priests were soon sensible of the weight so great a miracle must have on the minds of the people; and therefore determined to put both Lazarus and JESUS to death, if possible.

Our dear Lord was not ignorant of what the chief priests and elders had against him, but was so far from declining to visit Jerusalem, that he even entered it in a public manner. "When they were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, & straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them and bring them to me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straight way he shall send them. All this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 'Tell the daughter of Sion, Behold thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitteth, upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way, others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way. 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. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Matt. xxi. 1.11.

This circumstance of our Lord has given more occasion for profane wit & ridicule, than any before; we reckon an ass to be a contemptible creature, and a man of character, riding upon an ass, a ridiculous figure. These are prejudices of our own times and country. And when they, who look no further than the manners and customs before them, examine this part of the sacred story by the standard of modern prejudices, they see, or think they see, something quite inconsistent with the gravity and dignity of the person, pretended to be the king of the Jews, when Christ is represented entering in triumph into Jerusalem, sitting on an ass. But however contemptible an ass, or a man riding on that creature may be at present, it was not so from the beginning. In many countries and particularly in Judea, persons of the highest distinction usually rode upon asses. The governors of Israel are described in the song of Debora, as riding on white asses, Judg. v. 10. and the thirty sons of Jair, who was judge and prince over Israel twenty-two years, are said to ride on thirty asses, ch. x. 4. And another judge is recorded to have had forty sons, and thirty nephews, that rode on seventy ass colts, ch. xii. 14.

However, it may be asked, that supposing it was an usual thing to ride en an ass, why should this common practice be mentioned in relation to

the Messiah, as a mark of distinction? Might not the prophet, upon this supposition, as well have said, he shall come walking on foot? And would he not have been as well known by one character as by the other? Besides, if we turn to the book of Zachariah, where this prophecy is to be found, we shall see the person, there described, to be a king, a just king, and one having salvation: and what is there in this character, of riding on the foal of an ass, that is peculiar to a king, to a just king, and to one who was to bring salvation and deliveranice to his people?

However difficult these questions may at first sight appear, they are easily answered; not by considering the state and condition of kings in general, but that peculiar to a king of Israel, on which is founded the propriety of this character.

We shall generally find, if we look into the history of the rise and fall of nations, that their prosperity & success were proportionable to their force and power, and to the conduct and ability of their leaders. But with the Jews, who from slaves in Egypt became a powerful people, the case was very different. The best and gre greatest test of their kings, and he who carried their empire to it's greatest height, has left us another account of their affairs: The people," says he, " got not the land in possession by their own sword, niether did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and tifine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. Psalm xliv. 3.

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We are apt to ascribe these and other similar passages, to the piety and devotion of the Psalmist; to consider them only as acknowledgments of God's general providence in the affairs of the world; and hence are apt to overlook, or not sufficiently consider, the historical truth they contained. It is true, indeed, that all success, in the strictest sense, may be ascribed to God; that it is he who giveth victory unto kings; but he generally maketh use of natural means, and it is no offence to his providence that kings list their thousands of horse and foot to secure themselves and their dominions. Bat with the Jews it was very different; they were never so weak as when they made themselves strong; never so certainly ruined as when their force was great enough to create a confidence in themselves. For God hath taken the defence of Israel upon himself and the people were sure to be undone whenever they took it out of his hands to place it in their

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God was so tender of his honour in this respect, and so concerned to justify his promise to protect Israel in the eyes of the world, that he would not always permit natural causes to interfere in their deliverance, lest the people should grow doubtful to whom they ought to ascribe their victories. And for the same reason it was that he commanded the people to have neither horses nor chariots of war for their defence: Hot because they were thought useless in war; for it was well known that they were the strength of the ancient kingdom; but because God himself had undertaken their defence, and he wanted neither horse nor foot to fight their battles.

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It is evident from the Jewish history, that this law was observed for near four hundred years; namely, till about the middle of Solomon's reign. And when David swayed the sceptre of Israel, when the kingdom was carried to it's ütmost height, he himself rode on a mule, and provided no better equipage for his son, on the day of his coronation: "Cause Solomon my son," said David, " to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him dowh to Gihon; and let Zadock the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel," 1. Kings i. 33, 34. And when that pious prince Jooked back, and contemplated this state of things, he might well say, Some trust in chariots and some in horses; bat we will remember the name of the Lord our God," Pslam xx. 7.

But things quickly changed their aspect in the reign of Solomon he married the daughter of the king of Egypt, and opened a commerce