But their request excited in his mind a strong image of the glory to which he was appointed, and the sufferings through which he must reach it. The hour is come, said he, that the Son of man should be glorified. Not, however, by such glory as these Greeks expect, and which they desire to share. It is only through death that he is to obtain it, as the grain must perish in the earth, before it can bear fruit. And those who would share it must be ready like him to give up life.

As he thus spoke, he became agitated with the thoughts of dreadful suffering which rushed upon his mind. The Evangelist has not concealed it, for he would have the disciples in all ages know that their Master felt his own trials, and could therefore sympathize with them in theirs. He gave utterance to his feelings. "Now is my soul troubled; - and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour!" It is uncertain whether these last words are to be considered as actually expressing a prayer, or whether they are simply a question; Shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? In either case they strongly indicate the trouble of his soul. It was but momentary. He immediately checked it, and added, "But for this cause came I to this hour. Father, glorify thy name!" A voice from heaven immediately replied, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." The by-standers were struck with sur

prise. Some thought it the voice of an angel, some said it only thundered. Jesus warned them that it was a voice intended for them; that now all unbelief was inexcusable, and judgment would overtake those who should reject him. He was about to triumph over the powers of the world, and his very death should give him universal dominion. So naturally did his mind rise to magnificent thoughts, even when the image of his sufferings pressed upon him most heavily! But the people, who were wedded to their old notions and would not open their minds to any change, asked him how he could talk of dying if he were the Messiah; for they had been taught to believe that that person would abide forever. Jesus replied, that this was no moment for captious cavilling; they yet had the light and might use it; it would soon be withdrawn, and darkness and ruin might overtake them. He entreated them to walk by it while they possessed it.

Thus passed the first day of his final visit to Jerusalem. It began in acclamation and triumph. It saw him hailed by the multitudes of the people, and led in honor to the city and the temple. To the hopes of his followers, all was bright and prosperous. His enemies were silenced, the people were full of enthusiasm in his favor, the temple was ringing with their hosannas, and even the Gentiles were crowding to do him homage.

Whatever then he might have meant when he talked of suffering and death, it was plain to his friends now that no such evils were to be feared; and they were ready to congratulate themselves on the close of their toils and the fulfilment of their hopes. But the Messiah himself knew better. He saw that all this show of honor was founded in mistake, and that as soon as the actual truth should be known, it would be withdrawn. There was very little faith among the people, which would survive the disappointment of their present excited expectations. Many, it is true, even among the chief priests, secretly believed in him; but they would not acknowledge it, because they would then be excommunicated. All this he knew; therefore the delusive promises of the day did not move him. Above all, he knew that the great work of benevolence which he was sent by the Father to perform could be accomplished only through his death. He had neither the thought nor the wish to shun it.

When the evening approached, he withdrew from the city with his disciples, and retired to Bethany. John says, "he did hide himself from them"; and we may suppose that his object was to escape, for the present, both the pursuit of his enemies, and the unreasonable excitement of the people. He continued to seek this retirement every evening to the close of his life.

John xii. 37.

HIS

DISCOURSES OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE. PROPHECY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

THE next day was Monday, and our Lord returned in the morning to Jerusalem. On his way thither occurred one of the striking incidents which contributed to give the present week so fearful a solemnity. Seeing a fig-tree at some distance, which had an appearance of bearing fruit, he went to it, but found none. In the hearing of his disciples, he commanded it to continue barren forever; and it withered away, so that the next morning it was observed by those who passed by it. This was a significant act, like some of those of the ancient prophets, designed as an emblematical representation of the decay which awaited the Jewish state in consequence of its unfaithfulness. It was putting in a visible form, if we may so say, the parable which he had before spoken, of the husbandman who had long looked in vain for fruit upon his tree, and therefore commanded it to be cut down.

Matthew xxi. 18.

Mark xi. 12.

On reaching the. temple, he now, as he had done at the last Passover, cleared its courts of the buyers and sellers, and reproved those who thus turned the house of prayer into a den of thieves. At the intermediate festivals, he had left them undisturbed; probably because his enemies were too active and powerful, and he could scarcely, with all his caution, escape them. But now his time was come, he was ready to end his work, and the present feeling of the people was such as to screen him from all ill consequences. So that although, when the rulers heard of this act, they thought to seize him, they found the state of the popular mind such that they dared not attempt it. They could not find what they might do, says Luke, for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

At evening he again left the city, and spent the night at some retired place in the neighborhood.

On Tuesday morning he returned to Jerusalem. On the way they passed by the withered fig-tree; and our Lord took the opportunity of impressing the twelve with the importance and worth of that undoubting faith, on which the power of working miracles depended. No work, he assured them, would be impossible to them who would ask in faith, and nothing would be denied them;-an assurance of great importance to them in the arduous and discouraging labors on which they were