Reflections on CHRIST's Readiness to meet his Sufferings. 269 the meanest and worst of Men, fo far as to be Sect. 142. And wonder not, that this fhould be required Mark X. 45. And quickly after this, they came to Jericho, 46 IMPROVEMENT. STONISHING Grace, and Compaffion of the Son of GOD, in Mark x. 33, going up to Jerufalem at this Paffover, when he fo circumftantially 34. knew all the Things which were to befal him there! not only that he fhould be put to Death, but in what Manner he should fuffer; and what Cruelty, and what Scorn, fhould introduce the laft Scene of his Agonies! Yet, with fo fad a Profpect in his Eye, he marched on with diftinguished Alacrity, leading the Company, as if he longed to encounter what they Ver. 32. could not bear to fee, or even to hear of. Glorious Captain of our Salvation, give us the like Alacrity, in all the Sufferings we are to bear for thee! Who would not grieve to fee thefe good Apoftles ftill fo much poffeffed Ver. 35,-37with the Spirit of this World, and ftill dreaming of Preferment in a Temporal Kingdom? Who would not especially lament it, that his most inti mate 270 Ver. 38. JESUS paffes thro' Jericho, and many follow him... Sect. 142. mate Friends, James, and John the beloved Difciple, should be the Perfons who fhould come to him with this ftrange Requeft? Juftly did our Lord answer them, You know not what you afk. And may not the fame Answer often be made to us? When therefore he denies us the great Things that we are seeking for ourselves, let us be satisfied with the Denial he fees fit to give us, believing that it is Wisdom and Love, and not Unkindness, that produces it. Ver. -38. Let us often afk ourselves, Can we share the Sufferings which our Lord endured? If we do not defire to do it, fo far as he fhall appoint, we are not worthy to be called his Difciples. Let us then gird up the Loins of our Minds, and wait our Mafter's Signal to go forth to any Suffering, or Service, that he shall require; ever ready to make ourselves Ver. 44, 45. the Servants of all, and therein to imitate the Humility of the Son of Man, who came not to be miniftered unto, but to minifter: Yet after all we can do, or bear for him, let our Truft ftill be in the Merits of his Righteousness and Blood, who gave his Life a Ransom for many. So shall we be fitted for those distinguished Honours in the Heavenly World, in Comparison with which Thrones and Sceptres on Earth are but empty Pageants, and childish Toys. Sect. 143. SECT. CXLIII. Our LORD paffing thro' Jericho in his Way to Jerufalem, cures Two Blind Men as he came out from thence, and converts Zaccheus the Publican. Mat. XX. 29, to the End. Mark X. -46, to the End. Luke XVIII. 35, to the End. XIX. 1,—-10. Α MARK X. 46. ND Jefus, being come to Jericho, proceeded on his Journey towards Jerufalem; Mark X. 46. and being obferved by many, as he was paffing thro' the City, they were all ready to run after him: And accordingly, as he went out of Jericho with his Difciples in his Train, a great Multitude of other People followed him. Mat. XX. 30. And behold, an Occafion offered for a remarkable Display of his Power and Grace at his Departure thence; for it came to pass, as he was yet nigh Blind Bartimeus and his Companion beg to be cured. per 30. 271 nigh unto Jericho (a), that Two Blind Men fate Sec. 143. And fome of the Multitude, who went before Mat. XX. ing (a) As he was yet nigh unto Jericho.] In our Tranflation it is rendered, as he was come nigh unto Jericho; but the Original, To eye, only fignifies, when, or while he was near it; (compare Luke xix. 29.) and it is neceffary to underftand it thus, in order to reconcile Luke's Account of this Miracle, with that of Matthew and Mark, who both exprefsly fay, it was performed, as he departed, or went out of Jericho. Some have indeed fancied, that he restored Sight to one Blind Man, as he entered in, and to another, as he came out (fee Lightfoot's Harmony, §. 69.) but this is improbable, efpecially confidering how the Multitude rebuked Bartimeus for his Importunity, which furely they would never have done, if fuch a Cure as this had but just now been wrought at the other End of the fame Town. (b) The Son of Timeus.] It is very probable, Timeus might have been a Perfon of fomeNote, whofe Son, by a Complication of Calamities, fell both into Poverty and Blindness. (c) Rem Mat. XX. 31. 272 Sect. 143. ing that if fuch an Opportunity as this was loft, it might never return, regarded nothing but the Success of their Petition, and therefore cried out a great deal the more earnestly, faying, as before, Have Mercy on us, oh Lord, thou Son of David! and Bartimeus efpecially repeated it again and again, faying, Thou Son of David, have Mercy on me, and help me. JESUS orders them to be brought to him. Mark X. 49. And fefus, as he was advancing forwards in his Way, obferved how earnestly they cried; and as they ftill repeated their Requeft, he graciously food still, and ordered them both to be called [and] brought to him, that they might tell him what it was they fo earnestly defired. And upon this, the People had their Expectations raifed; and as they now concluded that they fhould fee him, work a Miracle, they ran immediately to call the Blind Man and his Companion, faying to him, as alfo to the other, Be of good Courage, and rife up, for he calleth thee to him; and you may therefore hope that And but they cried the more [a great deal, 1. faying, Have Mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David: [Thou Son of David, have Mercy on me.] [MARK X. 48. LUKE XVIII. 29.] MARK X. 49. And Jefus ftood still, and com manded [them] to be called, [Lux, and brought unto him:] and they call the him, Be of good Comfort, Blind Man, faying unto rife, he calleth thee. [MAT XX. 32.- LUKE XVIII. 40.-] 50 And he cafting away meus joyfully received the Meffage, Bart his Garment, rofe, and came and throwing Request ; to Jesus. 51 And [LUK. when he was come near,] Jefus anWhat wilt thou that 1 fhould fwered and faid unto him, do unto thee? The Blind Man faid unto him, Lord, Sight: [They say, Lord, that I might receive my that our Eyes may be opened.] [Maт. XX. —32, 33. LUKE XVIII. 40, 41.] (c) Recover my Sight.] This the Word aracas exactly fignifies, and feems to import, that he was not born blind, but loft his Sight by fome Difeafe or Accident, which made him fo much the more fenfible of the Calamity. Yet I acknowledge, it appears from Jobn ix. 11, 18. that the Word is fometimes used in a greater Latitude. (d) He They have their Sight reftored, and follow him. MAT. XX. 34.-So Jefus had Compaffion on them, and touched their Eyes; [LUK. and faid unto him, Receive thy Sight,] [and go thy Way; thy Faith hath made the whole.] [MARK X. 52. LUKE XVIII. 42.] LUKE XVIII. 43. And immediately [their Eyes received Sight, and they] followed [MAR. Jefus in the Way, glorifying GOD: and all the People, when they faw it, gave Praife unto GOD. [MAT. XX.-34. MARK X.-52.] LUKE XIX. 1. And 273 Requeft; and they both joined to fay, Lord, we Sect. 143. befeech thee, that our Eyes might be opened. Then Jefus had Compassion on them both, and Mat. XX. touched their Eyes; and as a Testimony of his Ap- 34. probation of that eminent Degree of Faith, which they had each of them expreffed, and Bartimeus in particular in the strongest Terms, he said to him, and his Companion, Be it unto thee as thou haft defired; receive thy Sight, [and] go thy Way; thy Faith has faved thee from the fad Condition thou waft in, and if thou continueft to exercise it in a Reliance upon me, thy Salvation and Happiness will be fecure. And immediately their Eyes were opened, and Luk. XVIII. received Sight, fo that they now could fee di- 43. ftinctly; and with a grateful Sense of their Deliverance they joined the Company, and followed Jefus in the Way to Jerufalem, glorifying GOD for this amazing Inftance of his Goodness to them: And all the People likewife, when they faw [it,] gave Praife unto GOD, who in Remembrance of his Mercy had fent them fo great a Prophet, to appear and act among them under the Character of the Son of David. And presently the News of this furprizing Mi- Luke XIX. Jefus entred and paffed racle was fpread abroad; and [Jefus] having enthro' Jericho. 2 And behold, there was a Man named Zaccheus, the Publicans, and he was which was the Chief among zich. tered (as was faid before,) into the City, and I. And as he thus proceeded on his Journey, be- 2 3 And he fought to fee M m informed |