Reflections on the happy fruits of the death of Christ. any] [MARK, with 173 SECT. John come, he went] [out thence to a retired place: and when now it was of the city unto Beth- late in the evening, he privately went out of the cxlviii. the twelve] [and he city to Bethany, with none to attend him but lodged there, and did the twelve apostles; and, knowing that his ene- XII. 36. mies were watching to destroy him, and might have attempted to seize him by night if he had tarried at Jerusalem, he lodged there at Bethany, and concealed himself from them, to avoid the assaults of their deliberate malice till his hour hide himself from them. [MAT. XXI. 17. MARK XI.-11.] was come. IMPROVEMENT. WHO can wonder at the desire these Greeks expressed to see so Ver. celebrated a Person as Jesus was! We hope there was something 20, 21 more than mere curiosity in it, and that at length they saw him with believing eyes, and, according to his prediction, glorified 23 him by a cordial acceptance of his gospel.-His disciples, we see 22 were ready to introduce them: and surely every faithful minister of Christ will undertake the task with pleasure when he sees souls awakened by Divine grace, and inquiring after Jesus with affectionate concern. Blessed be God, it has already, in many instances, been seen that by the death of Christ an immortal seed was sown, which has mul- 24 tiplied in all ages, and is still multiplying: Oh that it might have a greater increase! One would think that words so gracious as these should promote that increase, and operate upon every heart 25 to produce a love to him sufficient to conquer every danger and opposition which may be met with in his cause: behold the promise which he has left upon record; " If any man, be he ever so 26 mean and unworthy, will but faithfully serve and follow me, whatever his former wanderings and rebellions may have been, where I am, there shall also my servant be." Happy state indeed! not only, like these Grecks, to have a transient sight of Christ, but to be for ever with him! How admirable is the love and stedfastness of our Redeemer, who procured so great a happiness for us at so dear an expence ! and even when his innocent soul was troubled in the view of his 27 sufferings, instead of declining them, met them with joy! How should it animate us to renew that general comprehensive petition, than which none can be more suitable to us with regard to all the divine dispensations; Father, glorify thine own name! Glorify thy-28 self, O Lord! and to that great end dispose of us as thou pleasest; for we should abhor ourselves if we had any interest separate from thine! We may be assured, as certainly as by a voice from heaven, that this 174 cxlviii. The Jews are hardened and will not believe. SECT. this great end shall be answered; and in this we should rejoice. Behold, the prince of this world is cast out! Behold, Satan, is van31, 32 quished by Christ! and Jesus is lifted up on the cross for a standard to all the nations. Behold the attractive magnet by which all men are to be drawn, by which all his chosen people shall be brought to him, and so raised up to heaven itself! Let us look unto him from the ends of the earth, and labour with our cold hearts to awaken them to that lively and ardent affection which we owe to him who was crucified for us. 35, 36 SECT. cxlix. For ever adored be Divine grace for this gospel light which discovers to us so excellent an object! May we use it to saving purposes, and so walk in it, as that we may appear to be the children of light! Let us think of that last distribution of mankind, when the children and heirs of light and darkness are once for all to be separated. Let us think of the gloom of eternal night, which will shortly overtake those by whom the gospel is now despised; and remember how much it will be aggravated by the light we have so long seen. Do thou, O God, at whose word light arose out of darkness, send forth by thine influences on our hearts thy light and thy truth, that they may lead and bring us to thine holy hill, (Psal. xliii. 3.) and that we may have the satisfaction of knowing whither we go, even when we walk through the dark valley of the shadow of death. (Psal. xxiii. 4.) SECT. CXLIX. John's reflection on the infidelity of the Jews. As Christ was returning the next morning to Jerusalem, he curses the barren fig-tree. John XII. 37-43. Mat. XXI. 18, 19. Mark XI. 12-14. JOHN XII. 37. JOHN XII. 37. done so many mi NOW such was the perverseness of the Jews BUT though he had and such the prejudice they had conceived racles before them, yet against our Lord, that though he had sufficiently they believed not on XII. 37. declared himself to be the true Messiah, and him: though he had done so many undeniable and glorious miracles at this and other times before them, in their most public places and most numerous assemblies, yet the greater part of them were hardened in their infidelity, and, notwithstanding all that he had said and done, they were in general so obstinate, that they did not believe on 38 him as the Messiah. So that the saying of 38 That the saying Isaiah the prophet was plainly fulfilled and veri- of Esaias the prophet fied might The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in them. hath believed our re 175 cxlix. might be fulfilled which fied in them, which he spake in the name of SECT. he spake, Lord, who Christ and of his servants, referring expressly to port? and to whom the gospel times (Isa. liii. 1) "Lord, who hath John hath the arm of the believed our report? and to whom hath the arm XII. 38. of the Lord been so effectually revealed or made bare, as to conquer those strong prejudices which men have entertained against thine appointed method of salvation?" Lord been revealed? 59 Therefore they could not believe be again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and har dened their heart; that they should not see And, for this reason, they were now in a man- 39 cause that Esaias said her utterly incapable of believing, because many of them having long wilfully opposed the most sufficient and proper methods of conviction, were at length given up by God to a judicial hardness and blindness; [as] the same prophet Isaiah says elsewhere (Isa. vi. 10.) "Having 40 refused to hearken to the voice of God, he has in righteous judgment blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, lest they should (as he adds in the name of God) see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal and save them, which, after such obstinate perverseness, I am determined that I never will." (Compare Mat. xiii. 14, 15. Vol. VI. p. 343. and Acts xxviii. 27.) 41 These things said These things Isaiah spake when he saw his glory', 41 with their eyes, nor understand with their ed, and I should heal heart, and be convert them. Esaias a So that the saying of Isaiah was fulfil ed.] It is apparent (as the late judicious Mr. Jeffrey has observed in his True Grounds, &c. p. 110) that the accomplishment of this prophecy could not be the end they proposed to themselves in their unbelief; and consequently that the expression wa wanpun must be rendered as it is here: which may be applied to several other passages; and shews, by the way, how precarious that remark of Mr. Pierce is by which he would make that phrase an argument, that the scripture introduced by it is quoted, not in any instance by way of accommodation, but always according to its original design and literal meaning. b Hath the arm of the Lord been reveal ed?] I apprehend this phrase may allude to the habit generally worn by the easterns, and especially by persons of rank, which was a long robe without sleeves; so that when the arm was stretched out to perform any action which required strength,it would appear uncovered. (Compare Isa. lii. 10.) In this connection it seems strongly to imply, that whenever true faith is produced in the mind, it is to be considered as the effect of a Divine energy. See Eph. i. 19. and Col. ii. 12. He has blinded their eyes, and hardened even their heart.] As God is said to harden the d When he saw his glory.] These words learned 176 John 42 The rulers that believe, are afraid to confess him. bim. 42 Nevertheless, a mong the chief rulers, him: but because of the also, many believed on Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. SECT. even the glory of Christ, who was then the Me- Esaias when he saw exlix. dium of the Divine manifestation, and spake of his glory, aud spake of him and of his times in the awful words menXII. 41, tioned above, which had their terrible accomplishment in the men of this generation. Nevertheless, at this very time there were many even of the rulers themselves who were inwardly convinced that he was the Messiah, and believed on him as such, still expecting that he would by some surprising providence be raised to the throne of Israel; but they did not think it convenient as yet to confess the convictions of their own hearts concerning fhim,] on account of the declared enmity of the Pharisees against him, lest by them they should be cast out of the synagogue, and be exposed to the great ignominy and secular detriment which necessarily attended such a 43 sentence. For they were such thoughtless and mean-spirited creatures, that they loved the praise the praise of men more of men more than the praise of God; and durst not face the contempt of their fellow-mortals, even to secure the approbation of their Maker. (Compare John v. 44. Vol. VI. p. 265.) This was the state of things at Jerusalem, and this the effect of Christ's entrance into it, as related above. Mark But though the malice of his enemies was XI. 12 known to Jesus, and he was sensible they were contriving to destroy him, yet on the morrow morning he again set out with his disciples for Jerusalem: and when they were come from Bethany, as he returned into the city, he was very hungry; having come out early without eating, that he might neither incommode his friends, nor break in upon his secret or public devotions". learned Bishop Pearson draws from Isa. vi. e Might neither incommode his friends, And 43 For they loved than the praise of God. MARK XI. 12. And on the morrow [in the morning] when they were come from Bethany, [as he returned hungry. [MAT. XXI. into the city,] he was is.] the hospitable and most sensibly obliged family of Lazarus would otherwise have suffered Jesus to come out without eating; or that if he had eaten that morning he would have been so hungry, before he had walked two miles, as to go out of the way to gather figs. To me there appears an inexpressible charm in this oblique hint; it shews how little the evangelists were inclined to enter into panegyrics or reflections on the excellent character of their Master; and is a specimen of that simplicity and modesty which might, independent on other arguments, almost compel the assent of persons of a like temper to the wonderful story which they relate in so genuine and unaffected a manner, Jesus coming from Bethany, goes to a fig-tree for fruit. thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing [thereon] but leaves [only]; for the 177 cxlix. Mark 15 And seeing a fig- And as he was now on the way, seeing a single fig- CT. tree [in the way] afar treef at a considerable distance, which had a fine off, having leaves, he came [to it], if haply spread of leaves upon it, and therefore appeared he might find any thing to be one of the earlier kind, he went up to it, XI. 13. [to see] if he could find any thing upon it to satisfy his hunger; and when he came to it, he found nothing thereon but leaves only; for there was not so much as any fruit in the bud; by which it plainly appeared that, though it looked so beautiful, it was a barren tree. Now it is to be observed that our Lord turned out of the way, because, as it was yet but early in the summer, the time of gathering figs was not [yet] comes; so that had this tree produced any, it might have been time of figs was not yet. [MAT.XXI. 19.—] f Seeing a single fig-tree.] Though in the first edition I had only followed Mark, and rendered it, seeing a fig-tree, I think upon farther consideration, that our play, which is the expression Matthew uses here (though our translators make no difference) should have been rendered a single fig-tree, which I have now inserted in the version. The time of figs was not [yet] come.] I shall not trouble the reader with an account of all the strange solutions which have been given to the difficulty which imme.. diately arises in the mind on reading this clause; nor with the particular reasons which may be offered against each. The best view of them all, that I can recollect, may be had by consulting Witsius, in his Meletemata; and I think the best solution may be seen in Mr. Hullet's Notes and Discourses, Vol. II. p. 114-124. It is certain, as he has there proved from incon. testable authority, and we have observed elsewhere (note b, on Luke vi. 1. Vol. VI. p. 267), that the climate of Judea being abundantly warmer than ours, the passover, though never later than April, commonly fell at the beginning of their harvest, that is, of their summer, which is there vehemently hot, not only in May, but in March and April (in which last this passover probably fell): compare Josh. iii. 15. iv. 19. v. 10, 11. and 1 Chron. xii. 15. (See also Lev. xxiii. 15-17. compared with Exod. ix. 31, 32. and Ruth ii. 23.) Now it is equally certain that one, and that the most delicate kind of figs, was ripe in Judea at the beginning of summer (as we have a fine sort in England which are ripe before our harvest, having put out the autumn before, and stood the whole winter): see Hos. ix. 10. Mich. vii. 1. Nah. iii. 12. Jer. xxiv. 2. Cant. ii. 11-15. and Isa. xxviii. 4. And the fig-tree opening its leaves, which ever body knows do not appear till after the fruit, is spoken of as a sign of approaching summer, Mat. xxiv. 32. Our Lord therefore at this tithe might well expect to find fruit on this tree, since the time of gathering even these carly figs was not yet come, which if it had, there would have been no room for the expectation, or the curse which followed it.-That xa.pog ovxWY does not signify, as some have fancied, a kindly season for figs, but the time of gathering them in, I think the learned Bishop Kidder has abundantly proved. (See his Demonstration of the Messiah, § ii. p. 38, 39.) Compare Mat. xxi. 34. Mark xii. 2. and Numb. xii. 25-It is true this interpretation of the story, though incomparably easier than any other I know, will require a transposition of the clause before us, as if it had been said, He came, if haply he might find any thing thereon; for the time of figs was not yet; and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves. But no interpretation whatever can make the last clause, as we read it, a reason for what stands immediately before it, that he found nothing but leaves; for it is well known, that if our common fig-trees have no young figs on them in March or April, they can produce none that year. None can deny another transposition of the like kind in the same evangelist, Mark xvi. 3, 4. (sect. cxciv.) both of them probably being occasioned by an accidental interlineation in the original, and a mistake of some early transcriber, who did not bring in the interlined clause exactly in its due place. See instances of the like kind, Gen. xiii. 10. and Josh. xxii. 22.-And if with Heinsius, Knatch bull, and Gataker, we should here read instead of g, and render it, where he reas it was the season of figs, we must admit of the same transposition, and consequently should gain no advantage at all, by a ver sion which (as all learned men know) is very harsh, and attended with an inele. gancy and impropriety which this would be no proper place to examine. And |