JESUS comes to Bethphage near Jerufalem. 289 what Tomb could he not again have recalled him? Yet fomething like Sect. 145. this, is the Madness of all who hate and perfecute others, for being the Trophies of the Redeemer's Victory and Grace. But let not his Servants fear: Their Redeemer is ftrong, the Lord of Hofts is his Name. (Jer. 1. 34.) His Work is perfect; and the Day and Hour is approaching, in which his Triumph over all his Enemies fhall be fo compleat, that his Friends shall be for ever fecure, not only from being deftroyed, but from being alarmed by them. SECT. CXLVI. CHRIST rides in Triumph to Jerufalem, on an Affes Colt. Mat. XXI. 1,---9. Mark XI. 1,--10. Luke XIX. 29,---40. John XII. 12, 12,----19. MA T. XXI. 1. AND after Jefus had been anointed by Mary, Sect. 146. in the Manner related above, it came to pafs on the next Day, which was the First Day of the Mat. XXI. 1. Week, that he proceeded on his Journey with his Difciples; and when they drew nigh to ferufalem, and were come to Bethphage and Bethany, or to the outward Boundaries of these Two Places (a), at the Foot of the Mount of Olives, which lay to the Eaft of the City, then Jefus, as the Time appointed for his Sufferings was just at hand, being refolved that he would make a publick Entry into Jerufalem, fent out Two of his Difciples, Saying to them, Go your Way into 2 the Village which lies yonder over-against you; and immediately, as foon as you enter into it, you Shall (a) Were come to Bethphage and Bethany.] As Bethany was the Town, from which our Lord fet out, fome have fuppofed there were Two Places of this Name; of which the one was Fifteen Furlongs from Jerufalem, (as it is faid, John xi. 18.) and the other, that he now was come to, joined to the Mount of Olives, and was but a Sabbath-Day's Journey, or but Eight Furlongs diftant from the City. (Compare Luke xxiv. 50. and Acts i. 12.) But it is hardly probable, there were Two Places of the fame Name within a Mile of each other; and it is much more natural to fuppofe, that the Limits of Bethany might extend to the Mount of Olives, and be contiguous to the Boundaries of Bethphage, which was Part of the Suburbs of Jerufalem, and reached from the Mount of Olives to the Walls of the City. See Lightfoot, Harmon, N. T. §. 72. and Whitby on Mark xi. 1. VOL. II. (b) Fust Mat, XXI.2. 290 He fends Two of bis Difciples for Sect. 146. hall there find a She-Afs tied at a Door, and a young Foal tied with her, on which no Man ever yet fate; lay hold of the Foal, and untie him directly without any farther Scruple, and bring 3 [him] hither to me: And if any Man fhould take Notice of what you are doing, and say to you, Why do you offer thus to untie the Foal, and lead [him] away? you shall reply and fay thus to bim, Becaufe Jefus the Lord has need of him: And I know the Owner will not at all fcruple to lend him, upon the Authority of my Name and Character; but he will immediately fend him bither with the Dam, that I may ufe either of them as I fhall chufe, to ride into the City: So that you may bring them both hither, without any Apprehenfion of Accufation or Scandal. Mark XI. 4. Luke XIX. 33. And the Two Difciples that were fent on this Errand, prefumed not to debate the Reafonablenefs of the Orders he had given them; but prefently went their Way, and found, just as he had faid unto them (b), the Colt with its Dam tied abroad at the Door of a Houfe, which stood in a very open Place at the Entrance of the Village, where two Roads met: And, as Jefus commanded them, they immediately began to untie the Colt, that they might lead him away. an Asses Colt. entred into it,] ye fhall find her, [whereon never Man an Afs tied, and a Colt with [LUK. yet] fat:] loofe [him,] and bring [LUK. him hither] unto me. [MARK XI, 2. LUKE XIX. 30.] 3 And if any Man fay unto you, [LUK. Why do ye loofe him?] ye fhall fay caufe the Lord hath need of him and ftraightway he will fend him hither. ] [MARK XI. 3. LUKE XIX. 31.1 (b) Just as he had faid unto them.] The exact Knowledge, which our Lord fhewed, of fo many minute and most fortuitous Particulars, muft furely imprefs the Minds of these Meffengers greatly, and eftablifh the Faith of his Followers. It is obfervable, that many fuch Things occurred a little before his Death, which confidered in this View have a peculiar Beauty. Compare Mat. xxvi. 31,-35. Mark xiv. 15, 16. and Luke xxii. 10,-13. (c) Effectually to prevent any Clamour or Reflection.] Perhaps had not the Owners of the Beasts happened to be by, and had not Luke exprefsly mentioned them, the Malice of antient or modern Infidels would have found fome Occafion for raifing an Outcry, on the Ambiguity of the Words, The Lord has need of him. Its being a weak and contemptible Cavil, would not have prevented their ufing it, as we learn by abundant Experience. (d) They They fet him on it, MARK XI. 6. And they faid unto them, even as Jefus had commanded; [The Lord hath need of him:] and they let them go. [LUKE XIX. 34.] 7 And they brought the Colt [and the Af] to Jefus, and caft their Garments [on them;] [LUK. and they fet Jefus thereon. ][MAT. XXI. 7. LUKE XIX. 35.] 8 And many [even a very great Multitude,] [LUK. as he [JOH. fat on the young Afs, and] went on,] fpread their Garments in the Way: and others cut down Branches ftrawed them in the Way. [MAT. XXI. 8. LUKE XIX. 36. JOHNXII. 14.-] [from] off the Trees, and 291 Mark XI. 6. and the People frew the Way before him. And thus they brought the Colt to Jefus, and the 7 And many, [even] a very great Multitude, who 8 now furrounded him, as he fate on the young Afs (e), [and] went on to the City, in Token of their Refpect to him, fpread their Mantles in the Way, that he might ride as upon one continued Carpet; and others cut down little Branches from the Trees, that stood by the Side of the Road, and gathered Flowers which grew near it, and frewed them in the Way; according to the usual Cuftom of expreffing the publick Joy on the Arrival of any illuftrious Prince. (Compare 1 Mac. xiii. 51. and 2 Mac. x. 7.) Now (d) They let them go.] If thefe People were not (as they poffibly might be,) the Acquaintance of Chrift, they might eafily meet with him at Jerufalem, if they had a mind to enquire after the Afs and Colt; or they might be left according to their Direction at fome House in the City, or be fent back by fome of our Lord's Attendants; tho' the Evangelifts do not defcend to fuch minute Particulars. There is no Appearance of Chrift's intending to fhew his Sovereignty in transferring the Property of thefe Creatures; and tho', no doubt, he had a Power to do it, his ufual Prudence would probably direct him to wave it at a Time, when fo many Eyes were upon him for Evil. (e) As he fate on the young Afs.] John fays, that Jefus, when he had found a young Afs, fate thereon: But as the larger Accounts given by the other Evangelifts in a great measure fuperfede this, I could only bring in a Part of that Claufe here; tho' in the whole of this Work I am as careful as poffible, to omit no one Circumstance, that any of the Sacred Writers mention. 292 Sect. 146. Now all this was done, and permitted by Jefus, that what was prophefied of old concerning the Mat,XXI.4. Meffiah might be fulfilled in him; and that by this Occurrence it might be literally accomplished which was spoken by the Prophet Zechariah (f), What Zechariah prophefied was now fulfilled. MAT. XXI. 4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, faying, [as it is written,] [JOHN XÌI. -14.] meek, 5 faying, (as it is written, Zech. ix. 9.) Say 5 Tell ye the Daughter meek, and having Salvation; and in Token of "the Gentleness of his Adminiftration, and his "strict Obfervance of the Divine Law (g), he "fhall make his publick Entrance into thy City, not, as other Princes affect to appear, in a "proud triumphal Chariot, or riding on a stately managed Horse, decked with a Variety of "fplendid Ornaments, and attended with a pompous Cavalcade; but he fhall appear, like one "of thine antient Patriarchs or Judges, in the "earliest and best Ages of thy Commonwealth, fitting (f) It might be literally accomplished which was spoken &c.] I shall not enter on a parti çular Detail of the Reasons, which induce me to believe, that the Prophecy of Zechariah is here quoted according to its primary and literal Sense; but content myself with referring the Reader to Bishop Chandler's Defence of Chriftianity, pag. 102,-107. and Mr. Bullock's Vindication, pag. 175, 176. (g) His ftrict Obfervance of the Divine Law.] The learned and ingenious Bishop Sherlock has fet this Fact in a moft juft and beautiful Light, in his Fourth Differtation annexed to the haft Edition of his Difcourfe on Prophecy. GoD, that he might keep the People of Ifrael in a more fenfible Dependance on himself, forbad the Ufe of that ftrong, generous, and majestic Animal the Horfe (Job xxxix. 19,-25.) in their Armies, as alfo of Chariots. Deut. xvii. 16. (Compare Joh. xi. 6. Judg. v. 15.) David therefore, who rode himself on a Mule, and ordered Solomon to do fo on his Coronation-Day, (1 Kings i. 33, 34.) burnt the Chariots he took from the Enemies, and hamftrung their Horfes, to make them unfit for War. (2 Sam. viii. 4.) And afterwards when Solomon, (1 Kings iv. 26.) and fucceeding Princes, multiplied Horfes, they were rebuked by the Prophets, and chaftifed by GOD for it. (See Ifa. ii. 6, 7. xxxi. 1. and Hof. xiv. 3.) And the Removal of them is fpoken of, as Matter of Promife in the Days of the Meffiah. Hof. i. 7. Mic. v. 10, 11. and Zech. ix. 10. It is therefore with great Propriety, that Chrift in his moft publick Triumph chofe, acccording to the Prophecy before us, to ride on an Afs. Nor are we to imagine, there was any Thing mean and ridiculous it it; for the Eastern Affes are a much larger and more beautiful Animal than ours; and it plainly appears, the Patriarchs and Judges of the Jewish Nation thought it no Difgrace to ride upon them; of which Abraham, (Gen. xxii. 3.) Mojes, (Exod. iv. 20.) and fair's Family, (Judg. x. 4.) are Inftances. Nay, Magiftrates are spoken of by the general Defcription, of thofe that rode on white Alles. Judg. v. 10. (Compare Numb. xxii. 21. 2 Sam. xvi. 2. xvii. 23. xix. 26.) So that all the Ridicule which has fallen on this Paffage, muft, to speak with all poffible Charity, be retorted on the Ignorance of thofe, who have taken upon them to cenfure what they did not understand. (b) Ho The People come in Crouds to meet him. meek, and fitting upon an Afs, and a Colt the Fole of an Als. [JOHN XII. 15.] JOHN XII. 16. These Things understood not his when Jefus was glorified, then remembred they that thefe Things were written of him, and that they had done thefe Things unto him. And LUKE XIX. 37.when he was come nigh, even now at the Descent of the Mount of Olives, JOHN XII.-12. Much People that were come to the Feaft, when they heard Jerufalem, 13 Took Branches of Palm-trees, and went forth fanna, bleffed is the King of Ifrael, that cometh in the to meet him, and cried, Ho fitting upon an Afs; yea, he fhall come upon Sect. 146. a Colt the Foal of an Afs, which, tho' it had never been backed before, fhall in his miracu"lous Hands be tractable and gentle." 16. Now it is to be observed, that his Apoftles and John XII. other Difciples did not understand thefe Things at first, nor recollect the Correfpondence between the preceding Prophecy and the Event: But when Jefus was raifed from the Dead, and glorified at the Right Hand of the Father, from whence he fent down his Spirit to inftruct them in the Myfteries of his Word and Kingdom, then they remembered that thefe Things were written concerning him as the Meffrah; and [that] they had done thefe Things unto him, without any defigned Reference to the Prophecy, which at the Time of its Accomplishment they did not fo much as think of. And when he was come nigh to the City, [and Luke XIX, was] now at the lower Part of the Defcent of the 37. Mount of Olives, which lay, as was faid before, to the Eaft of Jerufalem, and was but a few Furlongs from A great Multitude of People, who John XII. were come from Galilee and other Parts to celebrate 12. that Jefus was coming to the Feast of the Paffover, having heard by fome Name of the Lord. 14.p.291. 157 16 p.293.sup. 17 The People therefore Now as he rode along in all this Pomp, the that was with him when he People who were with him (i), when he called Laza called rus (b) Hofannah! May GOD fave and profper him!] I.fuppofe few Readers need to be informed, that the Hebrew Word Hofannah fignifies, Save we beseech thee. (i) Now the People who were with him.] It is impoffible, that their not understanding the Prophecy of Zechariah now, or recollecting it afterwards, (which are the Things mentioned in the preceding Verse, John xii. 16.) fhould be the Reafan of what follows here. It appears there 17 |