standard of modern prejudices, they see, or think they see, something quite inconsistent with the gravity and dignity of the person, pretending to be 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 Deborah, as "riding on white asses." Judges v. 10. And the thirty sons of Jair, who was judge and prince over Israel twenty-two years, are said to ride on thirty ass-colts. Judges x. 4. And another Judge is recorded to have had forty sons, and thirty nephews, that rode on seventy asscolts. Judges xii. 14. It may, however, be asked, supposing it was an usual thing to ride upon an ass, why should this 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 Zachariab, 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 back of an ass that is peculiar to a King, to a just King, and to one who was to bring salvation and deliverance to his people? These questions, however difficult they may at first sight appear, are easily answered, not by considering the state and condition of kings in general, but that peculiar to a King of Israel, on which the propriety of this character is founded.. If we look into the history of the rise and fall of nations, we shall generally find, that their prosperity and success were proporNo. 11. - tioned to the force and ability of their When we read these and other similar passages, we are apt to ascribe them 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 contain. It is true, indeed, that all success in the strictest sense, should be ascribed to God; that it is he who giveth victory unto kings: but hegenerally makes 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. But 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 had taken the defence of Israel upon himself; and whenever the people took it out of his hands, to place it in their own, they were sure to be undone. Nay, so tender was God 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 X X of war for their defence. Not because they were thought, useless in war, for it is well known they were the strength of the ancient kingdoms, but because God himself had undertaken their defence, and he wanted nei ther horse nor foot to fight their battles. This law, as is evident from the Jewish history, was observed for near four hundred years, namely, till about the middle of Solomon's reign. And while David swayed the sceptre of Israel, when the kingdom was carried to its utmost height, he himself rode upon a mule, and provided no better equipage for his Son, on the day of bis coronation. Cause Solomon, my Son, (said David) to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gihou. And let Zadock the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anoint him there King over Israel." 1 Kings i. 33, 34. And when that pious Prince looked back, and contemplated this state of things, he might well say, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Psal. xx. 7. In the reign of Solomon things quickly changed their aspect. He married the daughter of the king of Egypt, and opened a commerce between that country and his own, by which means he soon acquired an immense number of horses and chariots; and all his successors, when they had it in their power, followed his example: But what did the kingdom gain by this change? They were before, a rich and flourishing people; but after breaking this law of the Most High, their wealth and power gradually decayed, till at last their habitations were laid waste, their temples and cities burnt with fire, and they themselves carried captives into a strange land. It may perhaps he asked, wherein the guilt of having a country full of horses consisted? There is certainly no moral crime in purchasing and keeping these creatures; but the kings of Israel were exalted to the throne, on condition that they should re nounce the assistance of chariots and horse, and depend upon God for success in the day of battle. Having thus considered this law, and the consequence that resulted from the breach of it, let us now look back to the prophecy relating to the Messiah. "Rejoice greatly,O daughter of Zion, shout, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem." Zach. ix. 9, &c. Such is the King who was to save the descendants of Jacob; and what sort of a king could be expected? Is it possible to imagine that God would send a king to save them who would be like the kings which had undone them? Is it not more reasonable to think, that he would resemble those who had been deliverers of their country? Kings who feared God, and therefore feared no enemy; who, though mounted on asses, and colts the foals of asses, were able to put to flight the thousands and ten thousands of chariots and horses that came against them. The King, foretold by the prophet, was also to be just, meek, and lowly; but how could he have deserved that character, had he appeared in the pride and pomp of war, surrounded with horses and chariots, in direct opposition to the law of God? or, as he was to bring salvation to the people, could he make use of those means which God never had prospered, and which he declared he never would? It appears then, that it was essential to the character of a King of Israel, who was to be just and lowly, and to bring salvation with him, that he should come riding on an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass; but if any doubt can yet remain, let the prophet himself explain it, who immediately after the description of the promised King, adds, and I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem :" plainly intimating, that the character given of the Messiah, that he should ride on an ass, was in opposition to the pride of their warlike kings, who, by their great strength, in chariots and horses, had ruined themselves and their people. Thus have we undeniably shewn the intention of the prophet, when he foretold, that the Messiah should ride on an ass; and from hence it appears, that the enemies of revelation have not the least reason for turning this transaction into ridicule. Was it any reproach to Christ to ride into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass, when David, the greatest of his ancestors, and Solomon, the wisest, as long as he was wise, rode in the same manner? Can the Jews object to this eircumstance, and yet talk of the glories of David, and the magnificence of Solomon, who, in the midst of all that glory and magnificence, did the very same thing? Or ean they stun.ble at this character of the Messiah, without forgetting by what princes their ancestors were saved, and by what undone ? But to leave this digression. The prodi gious multitude that now accompanied Jesus, filled the Pharisees and great men with malice and envy, because every method they had taken to hinder the people from following Jesus had proved ineffectual. "The Pharisees, therefore, said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him.” John xi. 19. But when our blessed Saviour drew near the city of Jerusalem, surrounded by the rejoicing multitude, notwithstanding the many affronts he had there received, he bebeld the city, and with a divine generosity and benevolence, which nothing can equal, wept over it, and in the most pathetic manner, lamented the calamities which he fore saw were coming upon it, because its inhabitants were ignorant of the time of their visitation. "If (said he) thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the day shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side. And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation." Luke xix. 42, &c. x Behold here, ye wandering mortals, be hold an example and generosity infinitely superior to any furnished by the heathen world! An example highly worthy for them to imitate and admire! tude, entered Jerusalem, the whole city was When Jesus, surrounded by the multimoved on account of the prodigious concourse of people that accompanied him, and their continual acclamations. Jesus rode immediately to the temple; but it being evening, he soon left the city, to the great discouragement of the people, who expected he was immediately to have taken into his hands the reins of government. "And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve." Mark xi. 11. he saw at a distance a fig-tree, which from its fulness of leaves promised abundance of fruit. This inviting object induced him to approach it, in expectation of finding figs, for he was hungry, and the season for gathering them was not yet arrived; but on his coming to the tree, he found it to be really barren; upon which the blessed Jesus said to it, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever." Matt. xxi. 19. This action which was purely emblematical, and prefigured the speedy ruin of the Jewish nation, on account of its unfruitfulness, under all the advantages it then enjoyed, has by the enemies of revelation, been represented as an action unbecoming the Redeemer of mankind. But if they had fully considered its intention, they would have been convinced, that, like the rest of his miracles, it was done with a gracious intention; to weaken his countrymen from their lethargy, and, by repentance, prevent the total ruin of their church and nation. Being disappointed in not finding fruit on the fig-tree, our blessed Saviour pursued his journey to Jerusalem; and, on his arrival, went straightway to the temple, the outer court of which he found full of merchandize. A sight like this vexed his meek and righteous soul, so that he drove them all out of the temple, overturned the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and would not suffer any vessel to be carried through the temple, saying unto them, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves." Matt. xxii. 13. St. Jerome considers this as one of the greatest of all our Saviour's miracles. And must be owned that the circumstances are very extraordinary: that one man should undertake so bold, and execute so hazardous a task.One man without a commission from Cæsar; without any countenance from the Jewish rulers; without any arms. either to terrify the multitude, or defend himself that he should cast out the whole tribe of mercenary traffickers, wrest from those worshippers of wealth their darling idol; and trampling under foot their great Diana-And all this without tumult or opposition; not one of the sacrilegious rabble daring to move the hand, or open the mouth. Whosoever, I say, reflects on the fierce and ungovernable nature of an enraged populace, or considers the outrageous zeal of Demetrius, and the craftmen, on a less irritating occasion, may possibly find himself almost, if not altogether, of the Latin father's opinion. There is a tradition, that a certain bright and dazzling lustre flamed from his eyes, which they were unable to bear, as the people could not behold the face of Moses, for the glory that surrounded him. But as the scriptures take no notice of this transcendant lustre, we must only adore the greatness of the fact, and, at the same time, so improve this miracle to our spiritual advantage, as to secure, by accepting his grace and power of this mighty Reformer on our sides, that when he shall come in glory, we may be safe under the shadow of his Almighty wings, white he takes fearful vengeance on those, who prostitute the most sacred places to mercenary purposes. Having dispersed this venal tribe, the people brought unto him the blind, the lame, and the diseased, who were all healed by the Son of God; so that the very children, when they saw the many miracu lous cures he performed, proclaimed him to be the great Son of David, the long-expected Messiah. Such behaviour not a little incensed the Pharisees; but they feared the people, and therefore only asked him, if he heard what the children said? insinuating, that he ought to rebuke them, and not suffer them thus to load him with the highest praises. But Jesus, instead of giving a direct answer to their question, repeated a passage out of the eighth Psalm; "Have ye never read (said the blessed Jesus) out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength ? Giving them to understand, that the meanest of God's works have been made instrumental in spreading his praise." The evening being now come, Jesus with his disciples, left the city, and retired to Bethany, where his benevolent miracle in raising Lazarus from the dead, had procured procured him many friends, among whom he was always in safety. The next morning, as they were returning to Jerusalem, the disciples were astonished at beholding the fig-tree that had been, but the morning before, declared barren, "dried up from the roots;" they had in all probability, forgotten what our Saviour had said to this fig tree, till its dry and withered aspect brought it again to their memory. Peter, on seeing this astonishing phænomenon, said unto Jesus, "Master, behold the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away?" To which Jesus answered, that whoever had faith in the Almighty, or thoroughly believed in his miracles, should be able to do much greater things than the withering of the fig-tree. "And Jesus answering, saith unto them, have faith in God, For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed; and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith." Mark xi. 22, 23. Our Lord added, that whatsoever they should ask by faith, they should receive; and concluded by giving them directions concerning prayer, which was necessary to increase the faith he mentioned. "And when ye stand, praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any that your Father also No. 12. During the time the blessed Jesus remained in the temple, certain proselyted Greeks, who came up to worship at Jerusalem, desired to see him, having long cherished expectations of beholding the promised Messiah. Accordingly they applied to Philip, a native of Bethsaida, who mentioned it to Andrew, and he told it to Jesus. Upon which our blessed Saviour told his disciples, that he should soon be honoured with the conversion of the Gentiles: "The hour is come (said he) that the Son of man should be glorified." But declared, that before this glorious event happened, he must suffer death; illustrating the necessity there was of his dying, by the similitude of casting grain into the earth. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John xii. 24. Adding, that since it was absolutely necessary for him, Their Lord and Master, to suffer the pains of death before he ascended the throne of his glory; so they, as his followers, must also expect to be persecuted and spitefully used for his name sake; but if they persevered, and even resolved to lose their lives in his service, he would reward their constancy with a crown of glory. At the same time he intimated that the strangers, if their desire of conversing with him proceeded from a hope of obtaining from him temporal preferments, would find thmselves sadly disappointed. "If any man serve me, let him follow me: and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honour." John xii. 26. This mournful scene so greatly moved him, that he uttered, in a very pathetic manner, his grief, and addressed his heavenly Father for succour in his distress. "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this, Y y |