came, if haply he might find any thing thereon; and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves: *for the time of figs was not yet; the unfruitfulness of the tree at this season shewing it to be absolutely barren. 14. Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever; (Matt. 19. Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever) and his disciples heard it (Matt. and presently the fig-tree withered away.) This, like some other of our Lord's actions, was emblematical. Its meaning was the same with the parable of the barren fig-tree, § 89.; for, properly speaking, it was that parable represented in action. See on Mark xi. 21. p. 595.

Jesus having doomed the fig-tree to destruction, continued his journey to the city. When he arrived, he went straightway to the temple, and drove the buyers and sellers out of it, overturned the tables of the money changers, (see on John ii. 14. § 20.) and the stalls of them that sold doves, and would not suffer any vessel to be carried through the sacred edifice. Mark xi. 15. And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, (Matt. of God) and began to cast out them (Matt. all them) that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves. 16. And

would

cumstance of the fig-tree's having leaves at this season, (See Matt. xxiv. 32.) it would seem to have been of the kind which Pliny has described as a native of Syria, Nat. Hist. lib. xiii. cap. 8. " Ob id quidam Ægyptiam ficum dixere, errore manifesto. Non enim in Ægypto nascitur, sed in Syria loniaque, et circa Gnidum, atque in Rhodis, semper comantibus foliis, flore candido, cum vehementia odoris plantigera imis partibus, et ideo superficie flavescens, succum auferente sobole. Pomo antecedentis anni circa canis ortus retracto, statim alterum parit: postea florem, per arcturum hyeme fœtus enutriente." See Jewish Antiq. Disc. viii. concerning the Boccore.

* Mark 13. For the time of figs was not yet.] Kaigos ovxwv properly sig fies, the season of gathering figs, as zuigo; TWI nagtar, Matt. xxi. 54. signifies, the season of gathering the fruits. In construing this passage, the latter clause must be joined with the words, he came if haply he might find any thing thereon; thus, he came if haply he might find any thing thereon, for the season of gathering figs was not yet. That this is the true construction of the passage is plain, because the evangelist is not giving the reason why there were no figs on the tree, but the reason why Jesus expected to find some on it. He tells us the season of gathering figs was not yet come, to shew that none had been taken off the tree; and consequently, that having its whole produce upon it, there was nothing improper in Christ's expecting frint on it then Whereas, if we shall think the reason why he did not find any figs. was, that the time of them was not come, we must acknowledge that the tree was cursed very improperly for having none. It is true this interpretation makes a trajection ecessary; yet it is not more extraordinary, than that which is found in Mark xvi. 3, 4 where the clause for it was very great, viz the stone at the hoor of the sepulchre, does not relate to what immediately precedes it, viz. and when they looked they saw the stone rol ed away, but to the remote member, they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre for it was very great.

would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. The Jews reckoning the lower and outer court of the temple a place of no sanctity, because it was designed for aécom modating the Gentile proselytes in their worship, not only kept a daily market there of such things as were necessary in offering sacrifices, bur suffered the common porters, in going from one part of the city to another, with their burdens, to pass through it, for the sake of shortening their way. But as these abuses occasioned great disturbance to the proselytes, Jesus reformed them a second time, telling the people around him, that the Gentiles worshipped there by Divine appointment as well as to the Jews, the temple being ordained of God to be the house of prayer for all nations; and to prove this, he cited Isa, lvi. 7. from which the inference was plain, that they were guilty of a gross profa nation of the temple, who carried on any traffic even in the court of the Gentiles, much more they who, to make gain, committedfrauds and extortions in the prosecution of their traffic, because thus they turned God's house of prayer into a den of thieves. Mark xi. 17. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. The offenders did not make the least resistance. Probably they were struck with a panic by the secret energy of Christ's omnipotence; as was the case formerly, when he made the like reformation at the first passover after his ministry commenced. To this purpose Jerom in lo cum. "Igneum enim quiddam, atque sydereum radiebat ex occulis ejus, et divinitatis majestas lucebat in facie." Or, with out having recourse to any thing supernatural, the sellers and buyers may have been intimidated by our Lord's numerous train of attendants, who were ready to support him in whatever reformation he thought proper to make, believing him to be the Messiah.

It seems the opinion that Jesus was Messiah prevailed general ly now; for while he was in the temple, the blind, and the lame, and other diseased persons, were brought to him in great numbers, from all quarters, to be healed; and the very children, when they saw the cures which he performed, proclaimed him the Son of David, so wonderfully were they struck with his miracles Indeed the chief priests and doctors, finding him thus universally acknowledged, were highly displeased; yet they durst not do any thing to put a stop to it, standing in awe of the multitude. They only asked him, if he heard what the children said; insinuating that it was his duty to stop their mouths, by refusing the praises which they offered without understanding what they said. 14. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed' them. 15. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the tem

ple,

ple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were sore. displeased, 16. And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? Jesus answered them out of the eighth Psalm, where David observes, that though all should be silent, God has no need of other heralds to proclaim his praise, than infants who hang at their. mothers breast; because, notwithstanding they be dumb, the admirable providence of God conspicuous in their preservation is equal to the loudest and sublimest eloquence. And Jesus saith unto them, Yea, have ye never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? By applying the Psalmist's words to the case in hand, Jesus signified, that the meanest of God's works are so formed as to declare the greatness of his perfections; and that as the Father does not refuse the praise which arises from the least of his creatures, so the Son did not disdain the praise that was offered him by children. In the present instance their praise was peculiarly acceptable, because it implied that his miracles were exceedingly illustrious, in as much as they led minds, wherein there was nothing but the dawnings of rea son, to acknowledge his mission. The Messiah's praise therefore. might with remarkable propriety be said on this occaion, to have been perfected out of the mouths of babes and sucklings. Mark xi. 18. And the Scribes and Pharisees heard it: they heard the rebuke which he had given them for allowing the temple to be profaned; they heard likewise the application which he had made of the eighth Psalm, to the case of the children in the tem ple wishing him all manner of prosperity. And sought how they might destroy him; for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. The authority which Jesus now assumed, and the honours which were paid to him, galled the Scribes and Pharisees; for they began to be afraid of him, suspecting that he might raise some popular commotion; and the rather, that all the common people were wonderfully struck with his doctrine. They durst not however attempt any thing against him openly; they only consulted among themselves how they might destroy him with as little noise as possible. When the evening

was

Matt. 16. Hast perfected praise.] In Psal. viii from which this is taken, the words are: "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast founded strength, because of the enemy. To found is to establish and make firm. The strength here said to be founded, denotes the perfections of God, but es pecially his power, wisdom and goodness, very emblematically termed the Divine strength. These God hath founded or established, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings. In the providence which he exercises towards Infants, he has given incontestible evidence of his infinite perfections, which are his strength, and the ground of all the praise that is offered to him by his creatures, and thereby he hath established them in opposition to all the frivolous arguments made use of by his enemies to overthrow them. Thus the Psalm and the citation agree perfectly in sense, thougà they be different in words.

was come, Jesus left the city and went to Bethany, the resurrec tion of Lazarus having procured him many friends in that village, among whom he was always in safety. 19. And when event was come, he went out of the city (Matt. 17. into Bethany, and he lodged there).

Next morning, as they were returning to Jerusalem, it astonished the disciples not a little when they looked on the fig-tree * that had been pronounced barren the night before, and found it * dried

* Our Lord cursed the fig tree in the morning of the day, on which he cast the buyers and sellers out of the temple. And though the tree began at that instant to wither, the disciples did not take notice of its withers ing, because they left the spot just as Jesus was pronouncing the curse. Neither did they observe it in the evening, as they returned to Bethany; probably because it was dark when they passed by, and the tree was at a little distance from the road. They observed it only as they were going into the town next morning, when it gave occasion to the conversation concerning the efficacy of faith. But the withering of the fig-tree, and the conversation occasioned thereby, having a connection, might either he related among the transactions of the day on which the curse was pronounced, or among the transactions of the day whereon the conversation occasioned by its withering happened; or they might be related separately, each in its own day. This suggests an easy reconciliation of the seem. ingly different times that are assigned to this miracle by Matthew and Mark. Matthew, in the beginning of his account, is still describing the transactions of the day on which Jesus cursed the fig-tree, as he went to purge the temple. Matt xxi. 18. Πρωίας δε, επαναγών εις την πολιν, επείνασε. But in the morning, viz. of the day, the transactions of which the evange list had been relating, not the morning of the day following, as is com monly supposed: "In the morning, as he returned into the city, he had hungered (act, Acrist.) 19. And seeing (unny puur) a single, fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever; and (Engarde wagaxgrua, exaruit illico --Beza.) it withered forthwith;" that is, began to wither from that time forth, though the disciples did not thea observe it, because they passed by while Jesus was pronouncing the curse; neither did they observe it as they came out in the evening, because in all probability it was dark. "And when the disciples saw it," saw the fig tree withered from the roots, viz. next morning, as they were returning to the city from Bethany; for so we are told expressly in the more particular account which Mark has given of this miracle: "When the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!" See many examples of the like transition and connection, in the illustration of the third Preliminary Observation.

If the reader does not approve of this solution, he must suppose, either that two fig-trees were cursed, or that the temple was twice purged. The latter, though it is not without its difficulties, is the easier supposition of the two. But the solution, arising from the translation of the passage, of fered above, seems more natural than either of them. For, as Matthew chose to relate the cursing of the fig-tree, and the effect of the curse to gether, it was proper to speak of the curse, after relating the other transar. tions of the day whereon it happened, though it was pronounced in the morning. The reason was, hy narrating it last, he of course connected it with its effect, which was the first transaction of the next day to be mentioned in the history. The sacred volume furnishes several examples

of

tree.

dried up from the roots," that is, quite withered down to the ground and shrunk. Peter in particular expressed great surprise at it. Mark xi. 20. And in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots. 21. And Peter calling to 'remem brance, saith unto him, Master, behold the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away. We have seen already, that Jesus said to the tree, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever." This Peter, according to the Jewish manner of speaking concerning things that are barren, (Heb. vi. 8.) called a cursing of the figAnd some ill-disposed readers, not apprehending the proper force of the words, are apt to form a very unbecoming notion of Jesus from this action. But they do so without the least cause. Every thing he said on the occasion was decent. More over the transaction itself was emblematical and prophetical, prefiguring the speedy ruin of the Jewish nation, on account of its unfruitfulness under greater advantages than any other people en joyed at that day; and like all the rest of his miracles was done with a gracious intention, namely, to alarm his countrymen, and to induce them to repent. See the Harmony at Mark xi. 19. Matt. xxi. 20. And when the disciples saw it, viz. the day after it was cursed, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered away! they were astonished to see it withered down to the roots, in the space of one day. In answer therefore to Peter's remark, and to the astonishment which the rest had expressed, Jesus spake to them concerning the efficacy of faith, telling them that if they had faith in God, or the faith of miracles, they should be able to do much greater things than the withering of the fig-tree. Mark xi. 22. And Jesus answering saith un to them, Have faith in God. 23. For verily I say unto you, (Matt. Ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain) that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, the mount of Olives on which they were walking, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shali not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith, (Matt. it shall be done.) Matt. xxi. 22. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Whatsoever mirayou shall ask by faith, ye shall receive. See what is meant by the faith of miracles on Matt. xvii. 20. § 73 To conclude, by giving them direction concerning prayer on this occasion, he insinuated

cle

of incidental histories introduced in this manner; for instance, the history of John Baptist's death, which is thus brought in, Matt xiv. 3 Ο γαρ Ηρώδης κρατήσας τον Ιωάννην, έδησεν : "For Herod having laid hold on Jehn, had hound him, and put him in prison," See Mark xvi. 7. Luke ix 46. Evonate de dialogiopos: "Now there had arisen a dispute among them," viz. on the road to Capernaum; fo- Mark says expressly that the dispute happened there. See on Luke ix. 46. § 74.