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of professing Christians in the present day. If they see a fellowcreature in earnest respecting the attainment of salvation,-if they see a man attempting to make use of the day of grace, while the blessed Redeemer, full of mercy, love, and power, is passing by,-a man seriously endeavouring to become a partaker of those spiritual blessings which the son of David is ready to dispense, -then surely it is their duty, a duty which ought to be most welcome to their hearts,-not to throw a stumblingblock in the way of such an one, not to hinder him in making choice of that good part which may never be taken from him,-but rather to assist him in that choice, to encourage him, to lead him on his road to heaven, and to commend him in their prayers to the grace of God.-But, alas, how often is the opposite course pursued! In how many cases does the conduct of the baptized world towards humble Christians resemble that of the multitude towards the two blind men at Jericho !

But they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. Here again is the Christian's pattern. Let the scorn and contempt of the world incite him to redouble his diligence in seeking after the Lord. Let him study, in all things, to give no offence; let him invariably mingle good will to men with his love to God;-and when the world rebukes him, let him cry so much the more, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David.

And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. -How lovely and delightful is the compassion of Christ, in contrast with the rebuke and despitefulness of the world! The merciful Redeemer, far from joining with the multitude in commanding the blind men to hold their peace, took notice of their application, and spoke to them in a tone of kindness and encouragement. And thus it continues to be. If any man, with humble boldness and a lively faith, sends up from his heart that prayer, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me;-if any man, convinced of his spiritual blindness and poverty and need, seeks the supply of his wants from the good Physician of the soul,—that man shall in nowise be cast off or sent empty away. The world may rebuke him and command him to hold his peace; but Jesus will give him encouragement, and command him to tell forth all his wants. And he will make it appear, that, while as the Saviour of the world, he passes before all and is accessible to all alike, he has also for those who faithfully apply to him, an especial inquiry,-involving a peculiar offer of kindness,-What will ye that I shall do unto you?-Again and again, by emblems the most significant, and by declarations the most solemn and explicit, the Scriptures make known to us the readiness of the Redeemer to receive and to bless all those who come to him in faith.

some suppose, to the seats of honour in the Sanhedrim.

Our translators have not been happy in their rendering of part of the 23rd verse. Indeed, the words which they have inserted in italics, without authority or any good reason, appear to give even a false complexion to the sense; as though our Saviour were here asserting that it is not his office to distribute rewards and honours in his kingdom! The simple translation of the Greek is this;-"To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, except to them for whom it is prepared of my father,"

or we may retain the word but in this sense, "is not mine to give but, &c." Our blessed Lord merely affirms that he will not make any arbitrary or capricious choice of favourites ;-and that, in dispensing his blessings and rewards, he will act, as in all other cases, in accordance with the will and ordinance of the Father who sent him. As God, his will is one with the Father; as man, it is in complete subordination and submission. Therefore as Mediator, God and man, Christ will give rewards only according to the wise and holy purpose of the Father; and we know that it is his purpose to give them, not to persons who may possess certain privileges, or stand in a certain visible connection with the Redeemer or his church, but to those who shall be fitted to receive them,-to those who shall be (so to speak) entitled to them, according to the covenant of grace.

READER.-Our blessed Lord's prophetic declaration of his sufferings and death is here repeated for the third time, (see chap. xvi. 21; xvii. 22, 23). It sounds like a knell ringing at solemn intervals in the Gospel, preparatory to the closing scene of our Saviour's deep humiliation.-Our minds may well be affected with a sense of the voluntary character of our great sacrifice, from the deliberate manner in which Jesus faced and met his sufferings. Let the eye of our faith contemplate the picture which these few verses exhibit ;-the man of sorrows, not only accompanying his disciples, but heading them, leading the way, in this most eventful journey towards Jerusalem.-St. Mark, in the parallel passage, (chap. x. 3234,) sets this circumstance in a strik ing point of view. He says, "They were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them; and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him."-May we bear upon our hearts a devout and affectionate remembrance of this mournful journey! As disciples of the blessed Saviour, may we see him going before us in our journey, through life and death, to the heavenly Jerusalem!

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children, &c.-There are many points in this narrative from which we may derive instruction.

Here we perceive undue solicitude on the part of a parent, and its failure. Doubtless it is one part of a parent's happy duty to offer up prayers on be

half of their children. They should, as it were, go with them to Jesus. But they should remember that their prayers for their children, as well as for themselves, ought to be "according to the will of God." And they may learn, from this history, not to be supremely anxious for their obtaining earthly dignity or power.

How fondly

Here also we fear that we discover a worldly spirit and an ambitious turn of mind, on the part of James and John. Alas! they do not appear to have rightly understood the nature of our Saviour's kingdom, and they were disposed to mix up with it their favourite ideas of earthly pomp and power, even after having witnessed on the mount of transfiguration that exhibition of our Saviour's glory which might well have cast all worldly splendour for ever into the shade! man's heart cleaves to things present and temporal! How earnestly should we pray that God would continually make us to love that which he promises, as well as enable us to perform that which he commands. But here we have, more particularly, a specimen and type of ambition, ecclesiastical ambition, -a love of preeminence and power in the church. Sad, pestilential spirit-which, although solemnly denounced by Christ, has existed, to the present day, with lamentable consequences, among Christian

churches!

These Apostles were ignorant of the true nature of their request (ye know not what ye ask), and of their own weakness and inability to

do and suffer all that the grant of it would involve (We are able).—When we read of the life and sufferings of our holy and blessed Lord, let us think of him as addressing to ourselves that inquiry-Are ye able to drink of my cup? And then let us remember, for our comfort and direction, that although we are not able to do this of ourselves, yet we can do all things through Christ, by his Spirit, strengthening us. The Lord Jesus gave strength to these weak disciples to do and suffer much for his sake. St. James was put to death by Herod, Acts xii. 2; and St. John was banished to Patmos, Rev. i. 9.

The extravagant and ambitious views of these disciples gave occasion to great discontent and jealousy among their brethren. When the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. They ought, perhaps, to have pitied them ;-but one evil often leads to another. And not a few of the animosities, heart burnings, and divisions which have arisen in Christian churches, may be traced to some aspiring and ambitious pretensions on the part of spiritual rulers,-to some acts of aggression or usurpation, which have aroused the indignation of men, and excited them to acts of severe and uncharitable recrimination. -- How plain and pointed is our Saviour's rebuke of this ambitious and domineering spirit! How solemnly does he assure us that this worldly desire of rule, distinction, and preeminence is totally inconsistent with

It was in faith that these blind men | work, will follow the blessed steps

made their application to Jesus; which appears from their addressing him as the son of David, and thus acknowledging him as the Messiah; and also from the Saviour's reply to Bartimæus,-Thy faith hath saved thee. Let us thankfully accept the Redeemer's invitations, and faithfully apply to him in the spirit and with the prayer of Bartimæus and his companion, in the full assurance that our prayers will be favourably heard, and our wants abundantly supplied. Let us place our whole trust and confidence in Him as being both willing and able to save to the uttermost. And let us resign ourselves wholly into his hands to be saved in the way of Divine appointment,-submitting to his teaching, as our Prophet,-relying entirely on his atonement and intercession, as our Priest,-and studying diligently, through grace given, to obey his laws as our King. So shall we receive a blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of our salvation.

of his most holy life, and will glorify God in his body and in his spirit, which are God's. And all the people,-all those, at least, who know how to estimate the work which has been wrought in the case of such a man, will be affected by it as the people of Jericho were affected by the sight of our Saviour's miracle, who, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

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HYMN.

Author of faith, to thee I cry,

To thee who wouldst not have me die
But know the truth and live;

Open my eyes to see thy face,
Work in my heart thy saving grace,
And life eternal give.

Shut up in unbelief I groan,
And blindly serve a God unknown,
Till thou the veil remove;
Thy gift unspeakable impart,
And write my name upon my heart,
And manifest thy love.

I know the work is only thine,
The gift of faith is all divine;

But if on thee we call,
Thou wilt the benefit bestow,
And give us hearts to feel and know
That thou hast died for all.

§ LXVI.

C. WESLEY.

So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. The Lord Jesus not only took notice of these afflicted men, and offered them his aid, but he actually conferred on them the blessing they desired. St. Luke says concerning Bartimæus, that he followed Him, glorifying God. Thus also every disciple of Jesus, who has become sensible of the AND when they drew nigh value of salvation, and enjoys a per- unto Jerusalem, and were come sonal interest in the Redeemer's to Bethphage, unto the mount

CHAP. XXI. 1—11.

Christ's entry into Jerusalem.

a

of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them unto

me.

10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

k

11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

e Isaiah lxii. 11. Zech. ix. 9. John xii. 15.-d Mark xi. 4.-e 2 Kings ix. 13.-ƒ See Lev. xxiii. 40. 1 Mac. xiii. 51, &c. 2 Mac. x. 7. John xii. 13.-g Psalm cxviii. 25.- Psalm cxviii. 26. ch. xxiii. 39.- Mark xi. 15. 16. John vi. 14; & vii. 40; & ix. 17.

3 And if any man say ought Luke xix. 45. John ii. 13, 15.- ch. ii. 23. Luke vil.

unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them: and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

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5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal

Reader. We find the substance of this narrative again in Mark xi. 1-11, Luke xix. 29-44, and John xii. 12-15. St. Matthew is the

only Evangelist who mentions both the ass and the colt; the others speak of the colt only, probably because it was this on which our Saviour rode.-The actions of the multitude were designed as tokens of respect and rejoicing, according to oriental custom. See 2 Kings 6 And the disciples went, ix. 13. Lev. xxiii. 40. Hosanna and did as Jesus commanded is a Syriac word, used as a form of them, acclamation; it means, Save now, or Save, I beseech thee!

of an ass.

7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set set him thereon.

8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in

the
way; others cut down
branches from the trees, and
strawed them in the way.

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9 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.

READER. The holy Evangelist supplies us with a most emphatic commentary upon the transaction here recorded, by referring us to a prediction of the prophet Zechariah (xi. 9), and leading us to meditate upon its fulfilment. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell

ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and (or rather, yea even) a colt the foal of an ass. By

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