and drives out them that bought and fold there.

about upon all Things,
[LUK. began to] caft out
[LUK. them that] bought
in the Temple, and over-
threw the Tables of the Mo-
ney-changers, and the Seats

all them that fold, and

of them that fold Doves: [MARK XI.—11.—LUKE XIX. 45.]

13 And faid unto them, It is written, My House [is, and] fhall be called the Houfe of Prayer; but ye have

Mat. XXI.

299
vation upon all Things there (e), as he perceived Sect. 147.
thofe Prophanations were again renewed, which
he had formerly fo folemnly chaftifed foon after 12.
he entered on his publick Miniftry, he began with
a holy Indignation to animadvert upon them, as
he had done Three Years before (d), and to drive
out all them that fold and bought in the Outer Court
of the Temple, which was appointed for the Gen-
tile Profelytes to worship in, but was made use of
by the Jews as if it were a common Market-
place; and with an irresistible Authority he over-
threw the Tables of the Exchangers of foreign Mo-
ney into the current Coin, which thofe that came
from diftant Parts might want to offer for the
Service of the Sanctuary; (fee Exod. xxx. 13,
14.) and likewife overturned the Seats of them
that fold Doves for Sacrifices. And he faid to 13

them as he turned them out, Such Practices as
thefe profane the Houfe of GOD, and shame-
fully pervert the Ufe for which it was defigned;
for it is written, (Ifa. lvi. 7.) " My House hall
"be called an House of Prayer," and shall be fet
apart for the Performance of Religious Worship:
But you have turned it into an House of Mer-
chandife, and made it (as the Prophet fpeaks,

Jer.

(c) When he had looked round about upon all Things.] It is plain from this Expreffion of St. Mark, that Jefus, when he went into the Temple on the Day of his publick Entry, took particular Notice of all Things there; which it is hardly probable that he would do, without reforming the Abuses with which the Jews fo fhamefully profaned it; and Matthew fo exprefsly joins his driving out the Traders with the Tranfactions of this Day, that how foever it appears from feveral Inftances, that the Evangelifts are not always exact in obferving the Order of Time, it is highly reasonable to fuppofe, that Jefus purged the Temple on this Day. Yet it appears fo evident from Mark's Account, (ver. 12,—17.) that the Traders were driven out on the next Day, when Chrift returned from Bethany to the Temple, after he had curfed the Fig-tree, that I cannot but fuppofe with Mr. Whifton (in his View of the Harmony, pag. 130, 131.) that this Occurrence happened twice: And therefore I have only given here what Matthew and Luke relate of this Matter, referving Mark's Account to the next Day: (See Sect. 150. Note (a) on Mark xi. 15.) Tho', after all, I dare not be confident in a Cafe, where the greatest Criticks are fo much divided in their Sentiments.

(d) As he had done Three Years before.] I fee no Reason to wonder at the Repetition of fuch an Action as this, or to imagine that John would have placed this Story fo early in his Hiftory, as he does, if it had not happened then, as well as now. (See John ii. 12,-16. Vol. i. pag. 140, 141.)-Some have obferved a greater Severity in our Lord's Treatment of thofe that fold Doves now than before, as he now overthrew their Seats, whereas he formerly contented himself with ordering the Owners to take them away: (John ii. 16.) But 1 will not answer for the Solidity of the Remark.

13.

300

The Blind and Lame come to him, and are healed.

Sect. 147. Jer. vii. 11.) a Den of Robbers (e), a Place where have made it a Den of Traffick is carried on by Perfons of the most in- Thieves. [LUKE XIX. 46.] Mat. XXI. famous Character, who live by Deceit and Oppreffion, and practise the vilest Extortion, even in the House of the Righteous and Bleffed Go D. (Compare John ii. 14, 16. Sect. 21. and Mark xi. 15, 17. Sect. 150.)

14

35

And there were many of the Blind and Lame (f),
who had no fooner heard of his Arrival in the
City, but they immediately defired to be led to
the Place where he was; and they came to him in
the Temple, and be graciously healed them in the
Prefence of all the People.

But when the Chief Priefs and Scribes beheld
the Wonders be performed, and obferved how the
very Children were crying out in the Temple, and
continued the Song which the Multitude had be-
gun, Jaying, Hofannab to the Son of David!
"With joyful Acclamations we congratulate his
"Coming, and bid him welcome into the City
"of his Royal Father!" inftead of being open
to Conviction, they were filled with Indignation
16 and Refentment. And they faid to him, Doft
thou hear what these Children Jay? and judge it
proper to encourage thefe unthinking Creatures in
fuch Language as this? And Jefus fays unto them,
Yes, I am fenfible enough of what they fay, nor
is it needful, or fit, that I fhould reprove them
for it. Are you unacquainted with the Scriptures,
you that would have the People to regard you as
the
great Teachers of the Law? or have you never
read what David says, (Pfal. viii. 2.) "Out of the
"Mouth of Babes and Sucklings thou haft or-
"dained that Strength, whereby thou hast per-

fected thine own Praife, by the Weakness of

the

14 And the Blind and the Lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed:

(e) A Den of Robbers.] Bishop Smallbrooke well obferves, (in his Answer to Woolfton, Vol. i. pag. 168.) that our Lord in this Expreffion feems to allude to the Cuftom, which Robbers in thofe Parts had of sheltering themselves in Dens and Caves in the Wilderness, where great Multitudes of them often joined in fharing their Plunder.

(f) The Blind and Lame.] Many fuch would, no doubt, be waiting in the feveral Avenues of the Temple, to afk Alms at a Time when there would be fuch a vaft Concourfe of People And there feems a peculiar Propriety in our Lord's multiplying thefe aftonifhing Miracles, both to vindicate the extraordinary Act of Authority he had juft been performing, and to make this his laft Vifit to Jerufalem as convincing as poffible, that thofe who would not submit to him might be left fo much the more inexcufable.

(8) Out

The Priefts would deftroy him, but are afraid of the People. 301

LUKE XIX. 47. And he taught daily in the Temple. But the Chief Priefts and the Scribes, and the Chief of the People, fought to destroy him;

48. And could not find what they might do: for all the People were very attentive to hear him.

ཀ Mat. XXI..

"the Inftruments made use of in thy Service (g)?" Sect. 147.
You cannot but have read it, and I affure you,
that as GoD in many Inftances has used, and in 16
a little while will eminently ufe, fome of the
weakest and meaneft of Mankind to accomplish
his great and glorious Purpofes; fo this Event is
a moft fignal Illuftration of those Words; and it
is by a fecret Influence of GOD on the Minds
of thefe Little ones, that they are led, as it were,
to upbraid your Silence and Infenfibility, by fo
remarkable and suitable an Exclamation.

And thus he was till the Time of the Paffover, Luke XIX..
which was celebrated within Five Days after 47.
this (b), teaching daily in the Temple: But the
Chief Priefts and the Scribes, and others of the
Rulers of the People, who had before decreed his-
Death, were still contriving how they might ex-
ecute their horrid Defign, and diligently fought
an Opportunity to destroy him : But they knew 48
not how to effect it, and could not immediately
find out what they might do for that Purpose, or
what fafe Method they might take to feize him;
for all the common People listened to him with fo
great Attention and Pleasure, that they hung as
it were on his Lips while he spake (i), and preffed
upon each other for an Opportunity of hearing
him. The Magiftrates therefore feared, left the
Populace fhould tumultuously rife in his Defence,.
if they offered any publick Violence to him, and
that thus they might endanger themselves, while
they fought to destroy Jefus.

IMPROVE

(s) Out of the Mouth of Babes, &c.] To ordain Strength, which is the Phrafe the Pfal mift ufes in the Paffage here referred to, was in effect (as the Seventy render it,) to perfect Praife; fo that there is no need to be folicitous about that little Variation in the Quotation.

This general Obfervation of David was greatly illuftrated, by the Hofannahs of these Children; and yet much more, by the Triumph of the Apostles, weak as in many Refpects. they were, over all the Oppofition of Jews and Gentiles.

(b) Celebrated within Five Days after this.] This was the First Day of the Week, or our Lord's-Day; in Commemoration of which Palm-Sunday was long ago denominated, and as Ceremonies increased, was particularly obferved. The Paffover was celebrated by Chrift on the Thursday-Night following, and he was crucified on Friday. Some Tranfactions of each intervening Day, are marked in the following History.

(i) They hung as it were on his Lips while he fpake.] This is the literal Import of εexpeμalo, aulx axsav. To render it, (as in a late Verfion,) The Populace were strongly attacheď to his Doctrine, is far from expreffing the full Sense..

(k) House

302

Sect. 147. Luke xix. 41.

Ver. 42.

Ver. 42.

Reflections on CHRIST's weeping over Jerufalem, &c.

N

IMPROVEMENT.

EXT to the Sight of a bleeding and dying Redeemer, there can furely be none in the whole World more affecting than this, which is here represented; even the Son of GOD weeping over perishing Sinners, yea, over the Sinners of Jerufalem. We might, perhaps, have been ready to think, that foreseeing fo circumftantially, as we know he did, all the ungrateful and inhumane Treatment he was to meet with in this Nest of Murtherers, with the Scene of his Sufferings, and the very House of Caiaphas in his full View (k), he should rather have taken up a Proverb against it, and have anticipated the Triumphs of that awful Day, when GOD would plead his Caufe with irrefiftible Terror, and avenge the Quarrel of his Sacred Blood. But behold, he seems to forget himself, and all his Wrongs, great and cruel as they were; and in the midst of a Proceffion intended for his Honour, he melts into Tears, as if it were for the Calamity of a Friend, or a Brother; and fays in the most genuine Language of undiffembled Grief, Oh that thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy Day, the Things that belong to thy Peace!

Behold, oh our Souls, with Wonder, and with Awe, at once the GoodVer. 43, 44. ness, and Severity of GOD: (Rom. xi. 22.) The Sinners of Jerufalem wept over, and yet abandoned to Ruin. We have our Part in all this: The Tidings of the Gofpel are the Things which belong to our Peace, the Things on which our everlasting Happiness depends. Let us remember, that the Time will come, in which, if we do not attend to them, they will be hid from our Eyes. There is a limited Day of Mercy and Grace; and therefore To-day, while it is called To-day, let us hear his Voice, and not harden our Hearts; (Heb. iii. 15.) left flighted Mercy at length retire, and Vengeance take its Turn; a Vengeance which will fall the heavier, and pierce the deeper, in Proportion to all the Long-fuffering, and Goodness, which have been exercised towards us in vain. Let all, and efpecially the Minifters of Christ, learn Compaffion to Souls by fuch an Example; and when the strongest Efforts of Love prove ineffectual for their Recovery, let us at least be mourning for them before the Lord, and weeping over the Ruin which we cannot prevent.

Mat.xxi.12.

Tho' Chrift had cleared the Temple from the Prophanations of these Traders at the Beginning of his Miniftry, he found the fame Pollutions

returned

(k) Houfe of Caiaphas in his full View.] If we may credit the best Accounts of Jerufalem which remain, this was exactly the Cafe.-I cannot forbear referring my Reader to Mr. Howe's excellent Treatife, entitled, The Redeemer's Tears wept over loft Souls; in which, as in most of his practical Works, there are fuch fublime and pathetic Strokes of true, manly, and Chriftian Eloquence, as do a great Honour to the Language and Age in which they were written.

Some Greeks defire to fee JESUS.

303

returned at the Close of it. And, alas, how often do we find it thus, Sect. 147. with refpect to our Hearts! How foon do thofe Weeds fpring up again, which we had been endeavouring with a refolute Hand to root up; and how often are Efforts for Reformation forgotten, even when the Attempt appeared at first to be moft neceffary! Let us learn of Chrift, not to be weary of well-doing, but with continued Zeal renew our Endeavours again and again.

The Scribes and Pharifees envied Chrift; but the Children furround Ver. 15. him with their Hofannahs; and he graciously accepts their feeble Accents of Praife, as ordained by GoD out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings. Ver. 16. Nor will he now defpife the Day of Small Things. Oh that we might have the Pleasure to fee little Children pronouncing the Name of Chrift with Reverence and Love! And furely we who are Parents must add, with a peculiar Accent, Oh that our own may join in the Choir! May they learn the Song from our Lips; and may our whole Lives be one continued, visible Proof of the Devotion and Affection, with which we prefent it! Amen..

Some Greeks, that came to celebrate the Passover at Jerusalem, are introduced to CHRIST, who enters on an excellent Difcourfe particularly fuited to their Circumftances ; and retires in the Evening to Bethany.

20,---36. Mat. XXI. 17. Mark XI. —11.

JOHN XII. 20. AND there were certain Greeks, among them that came up to worship at the Feast:

AND

JOHN XII. 20.

John XII.

20.

ND among thofe that came up to Jerufalem Sect. 148.. from different Countries to worship at the Feaft, there were fome Greeks, or Perfons who John XII.. were defcended from Grecian Parents, and used that Language, but had forfaken the Idolatry of their Ancestors, and devoted themselves to the 21 The fame came there- GOD of Ifrael (a). These therefore came to 21 Philip,

fore

(a) Some Greeks, who had devoted themfelves to the GoD of Ifrael.], It is ftrange, that fuch learned Criticks, as Ijaac Voffius and Salmafius, fhould imagine thefe Worshippers to have been Idolatrous Gentiles. Dr. Whitby and feveral other confiderable Writers have indeed thought, that they were fuch as are commonly called Profelytes of the Gate, that is, (as moft Readers well know,) Perfons who having renounced Idolatry, and being Worshippers of the GOD of Ifrael, might, according to the Law of Mofes, be permitted to dwell in. Judea, and to converfe among the Jews, tho' not with entire Freedom. And it has like