umphal honours as are here described. And it pleased Jesus to give this last testimony that he was a king, though his "kingdom was not of this world; and that he was a conqueror, though he came "not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.” He entered the capital city of his own people; he entered Jerusalem with this train. "He came unto his own: but his own received him not." He accomplished the prophecy which had said, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O 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

66

"Be

Very different would be his next coming. hold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds." 3 Because they "knew not the time of their visitation." They should not see him henceforth, until that season when all should unite in acknowledging, what was now put in the mouths of a few, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

11. 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.

12. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when

2 Zech. ix. 9.

Jude 14.

he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15. And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16. And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be culled of all nations the house of prayer ?3 but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18. And the Scribes and Chief Priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19. And when even was come, he went out of the city.

Had their hearts been under the influence of grace, the justice of his words would have sunk deep into them. But what fails to melt, hardens. The scribes and chief priests, when they heard his reproof, instead of studying how they might best render the house of God what God designed it for, the house of prayer,-sought how they might destroy him.

The circumstances here related, sufficiently illustrate the emblem of the fig-tree, and the justice of its condemnation. The temple of Jerusalem was

The time of gathering figs. If this season had been over, the finding no fruit would not have proved the barrenness of the tree; it might have been gathered. He found nothing but leaves, and this was a proof that the tree was barren, for the time of figs was not yet; they had not been gathered. See Bloomfield, Recensio Critica.

5 See Isaiah lvi. 7.

the great depository of the worship of God; of the true God. "In Jewry was God known; in Salem was his tabernacle." And here the pretence of the worship of God was kept up. Here was a show of leaves, but no fruit; here was the pretence, but not the reality of prayer.

And nothing could be more injurious to the Divine honour. Suppose a Gentile, who had learnt from the Jewish Scriptures the being and unity of God; who "had joined himself to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servant;"" suppose him to have visited Jerusalem, for the purpose of fulfilling the duties of his faith; like the chamberlain of the Ethiopian Candace, who, with the Scripture in his hand, had "come up to Jerusalem to worship." (Acts viii. 27.) What a disappointment to his feelings, and what a contrast to his expectations, would be the sight of this temple, in which the sacrifices which were to be offered on the altar, had been made a pretext for buying and selling; for placing there the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves. How disgusting and how injurious to his rising faith it would prove, to find that the business of profit and loss was pursued, and the tumult of worldly transactions, continued even there, where most particularly the thoughts ought to be carried beyond this world, and lifted above it!

We cannot then wonder that the zeal of our Lord was excited; that he saw it a fit opportunity to express vehement indignation against all who showed such a proof of the prevalence of this present world

6 See Isaiah lxvi. 6.

in their hearts beyond the love of God. And all, we see, were so struck with the justice of his feelings, as to offer no opposition to him. The scribes and chief priests, however, when they find the people astonished at his doctrine, sought how they might destroy him. Their enmity, instead of being directed against Him who would have reformed it, and reconciled them to God, whose temple they had so shamefully profaned.

Such is too often the course of the corrupt heart. But the event will manifest the truth of what is written, "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

20. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the Matt. xxi. fig-tree dried up from the roots.

21. And Peter calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

7 Prov. xxix. 1

20-27.

1

23. 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.

24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

By the example before their eyes, of the fig-tree withered, our Lord takes the opportunity of pointing out the efficacy of faith, and of the prayer which is offered in faith. As much as to say, You seem surprised that the fig-tree is so soon withered away. The same power which has blasted the fig-tree, shall be committed to yourselves. Only believe, "all things are possible to him that believeth."

On the strength of this promise, the apostles, to whom it was given, said confidently to the cripple who had been lame from his birth, (Acts iii. 6,) "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Peter spake, not doubting in his heart, but believing that he should receive; and he was not disappointed. The cripple "leaping up, stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

It is obvious that this promise, in its full and literal sense, was confined to the apostles; confined to the time, which required evident and striking miracles as a testimony to the divinity of him from whom the power proceeded.

St. John, however, writing fifty years afterwards, when the power of working miracles was gradually declining, likewise speaks of the