mother of Zebedee's children, with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him, &c. It seems this woman, whose name was Salome, (compare Matt. xxvii. 36. with Mark xv. 40.) was now in our Lord's train, having followed him from Galilee with other pious women who attended him in his journeys, "and ministered unto him," (Mark xv. 40.) that is, supplied him with money, and took care to have him accommodated with lodging and other necessaries. This attendance the mother of Zebedee's children could the more easily give, as her husband seems now to have been dead, and to have left her in good circumstances according to his station; for we learn from the gospels, that he had a boat of his own and hired servants. Salome therefore being particularly acquainted with our Lord, and having always shewed him great respect, thought herself entitled to distinguished favour; and on that account readly undertook, at the desire of her sons, to intercede with him in their behalf. Probably they seconded her, by speaking the words which Mark has as cribed to them. Ever since Christ's transfiguration, the two bro thers had conceived very high notions of the glory of his kingdom, and it may be of their own merit also; because they had been admitted to behold that miracle. They formed the project therefore of securing to themselves the chief places by his parti cular promise, and embraced this as a fit opportunity of accomplishing their purpose. Matt. xx. 22. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of* the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with? Ye are ignorant of the nature of the honour, ye are asking. However, since ye desire to partake with me in my glory, I would know if ye be willing to share with me in my sufferings for the sake of the gospel; insinuating that the road to greatness in his kingdom, lies through the deep mire of afflic tion and persecution on account of truth. The two disciples ve hemently moved with the prospect of the dignities which they were aspiring after, replied without hesitation, that they were able to drink of his cup. They say unto him, We are able. They were willing to undergo any hardship with their Master, which he might suffer in the way to his kingdom. 23. And he saith unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of my cup: (Mark, the cup that I drink of:) ye shall certainly share with me in my lot; † and t

be

• Ver. 22. The cup, &c.] A man's cup, both in sacred and profane authors, signifies the portion of good or evil befalling him in this life. See Psal. lxxv. 9, 10.

+ Ver. 23. And be baptised, &c.] This metaphorical sense of the word baptism, is derived from the figurative expressions of the Old Testament, in which afflictions are represented under the notion of great waters passing over and ready to overwhelm a person. In this view of the matter, James and John were baptised with Christ's baptism; for James was put

to

be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with, shall partake of my afflictions; but to sit on my right hand and on my left, * is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father; or rather, It is not mine to give, except to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. I can give the chief places in my kingdom to none but to those, who, according to the immutable laws of my Father, are capable of enjoying, them.

The ambition of the two brothers raised the indignation of the rest to a great degree. It seems they overheard the conference; and being not only equally desirous, but in their own opinion equally deserving of the principal posts, they took it exceeding ly amiss that Zebedee's sons should have been so arrogant. Matt. xx. 24. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren, (Mark, were much displeased with James and John). Perhaps they expressed their resentment in words. Wherefore Jesus, solicitous to cure that pride which made some ambitious, ane others jealous, called them unto him, and told them, that his kingdom was not, as they imagined, of the same nature with the kingdoms of the world; and that the greatness of his disciples was not the greatness of secular princes, which consists in reigning over others with absolute and despotic sway: 25. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, (Mark, they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles, exercise lordship over them) and they that are great (Mark, their great ones) exercise authority upon them. 26. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be (Mark, shall be) your minister. 27. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, (Mark, servant of all). 28. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. The greatness of my disciples consists in doing men all the good they possibly can, by a continued course of humble laborious services,

in

to death by Herod, Acts xii. 2. And though the account which some give of John's being cast into a cauldron of boiling oil at Rome has been called in question by many, it is not to be doubted that he had his share of the persecutions from which none of Christ's apostles were exempted. He was imprisoned and scourged by order of the council at Jerusalem, Acts v. 18,40. and banished to the isle of Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, Rev. i. 9.

• Ver. 23. Is not mine, &c.] In the original, it is 8x esiv quoy duvai, aλλ' 015 Toasa, which should be translated, It is not mine to give, unless to them. for whom it is prepared of my Father; aλλa being here put for u un, as it is also, Mark ix 8. (See the Greek of Matt. xvii. 8.) He meant that it was not in his power to give the chief places to any but to them who are most eminent for their graces, particularly for their faith and fortitude; such only having a right to the chief places in the kingdom of heaven, according to the unalterable laws of the divine administration.

in imitation of me, your Master, whose greatness consists not in being ministered to by men, but in ministering to them as a servant, by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, instructing the ignorant, and laying down my life a ransom for the sins of many. This being the highest dignity in Christ's kingdom, he might well tell the two brothers that they did not know what they were asking, when they begged the honour of filling the highest station in it.

§ CVII. Jesus, in his way to Jerusalem, eures two blind beggars near the city of Jericho. Matt. xx. 29,-34. Mark x. 46, -52. Luke xviii. 35,-43.

AT length Jesus and his disciples, with the multitude that followed, came to Jericho *. Mark x. 46. And they came to Jericho. Near to this town our Lord cured two blind men that sat by the road begging, and who, while he was passing by, expressed their faith in him as Messiah. Luke xviii. 35. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side begging. 36. And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant; and they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. Matthew and Mark affirm, that this transac tion happened as Jesus departed from Jericho. Mark x. 46. And

as

The city of Jericho, for greatness and opulence, was inferior to none in Palestine, Jerusalem excepted. It was beautified with a palace for the reception of the governor, if he chose to go thither, with an amphitheatre for public shews, and with an hippodrome for horse-races. The city was pleasantly situated at the foot of that range of hills which bounded the Campus Magnus to the west; see § 14. The country around was the most fertile spot in Canaan, yielding, besides the necessaries of life in great abundance, the best palms, also excellent honey, and the famed balsamtree, the most precious production of the earth. The fruitfulness of this region was owing to various causes, and among the rest, to a fine spring, with which it was watered, and which anciently was sweetened by the prophet Elisha, who blessed the land likewise by God's command, with perpetual and extraordinary fruitfulness, 2 Kings ii. 18. The air here was exceedingly mild, for when it snowed in the other provinces of Palestine, and was so cold that they were obliged to make use of the warmest clothing, the inhabitants went about clad in linen only. Hence, as Josephus tells us, Bell. v. 4. the territory of Jericho was called Fuov xgior, a heavenly country, resembling paradise for beauty of prospect, fertility of soil, and felicity of climate. The fountain that enriched this delightful spot, was so large as to deserve the name of a water or river, Josh. xvi. 1. and refreshed a plain of seventy stadiums long, and twenty broad. But the excellency of its quality was visible in its effects; for it gladdened the whole tract through which it glided, and made it look like a garden, affording a prospect the more agreeable, as the neighbouring country was bleak and inhospitable. Jericho was 120 stadiums, i. e. fifteen miles from Jerusalem, almost due east, the country between being mountainous; but from thence to the Jordan, which was at the distance of twenty stadiums, or two miles and an half, and towards the Asphaltite lake, the land was flat and barren.

as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the high-way side, Matt. xx. 29. And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude

7

Ver. 29. And as they departed from Jericho, &c] Luke says the blind man was cured as our Lord drew nigh to Jericho, (ver. 35) and before he passed through the town, chap. xix. 1. The other evangelists say the miracle was performed as he departed from Jericho. But their accounts may be reconciled three different ways.

First, Jesus arriving about mid-day, entered Jericho; and having visited his acquaintance, or done any thing else he had to do, returned in the evening by the gate through which he had gone in. As he was coming out, he passed by the beggars, and cured them. Next day he entered into and passed through Jericho in his way to Jerusalem. There is nothing improbable in this solution; for if our Lord was a night in that part of the country, he might spend it in some of the neighbouring villages rather than in the city, where he had many enemies. It may be objected, that Luke seems to say the miracle was performed as Jesus went toward Jericho, not as he was coming away ; εγένετο δε εν τω εγγίζειν αυτον εις Ιεριχώ. But if the opinion of Grotius, Le Clerc, and others, may be relied upon, the phrase Twe, stands here for 7 syys val, while he was near Jericho.

The second solution is as follows: The blind man of whom Luke speaks, may have cried for a cure as Jesus went into Jericho about noon, though he did not obtain it then. The multitude rebuked him, and Jesus passed, without giving him any answer, intending to make the miracle more illustrious. Towards evening, therefore, as he was returning, the blind-beggar, who had cried after him in the morning, being joined by a companion, in the same unhappy condition with himself, renewed his suit, beseeching the Son of David to have mercy on them; the multitude, as before, rebuked them for making such a noise; but the season of the miracle being come, Jesus stood still, called them, and cured them. It may be objected, that Luke makes no distinction between the beggars calling to Christ in the morning, as he went into the town, and the cure performed in the evening, as he came out, but connects the two events, as if they had happened in immediate succession. The answer is, there are several undeniable examples of this kind of connection to be found in the sacred history, particularly in Luke's gospel, as has been shewed in the 3d Preli-` minary Observation.

The third solution of the difficulty is this: Jericho having been a flourishing city before the Israelites entered Canaan, must, in the course of so many ages, have undergone various changes from war and other accidents. We may therefore suppose that it consisted of an old and a new town, situated at a little distance from each other. On this supposition, the beggars, sitting on the road between the two towns, might be said to have got their cure either as Jesus departed from the one, or drew nigh to the other, according to the pleasure of the historians. The reader however must not look upon this as a mere supposition; for on examination, he will find the sacred history affording clear proofs of it. We are told (Josh. vi. 24.) that after the Israelites had sacked and burnt Jericho, Joshua, their general, adjured them, saying, (ver. 26.) Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in kis youngest son shall be set up the gates of it. Joshua's curse struck such a terror into the Israelites, that for the space of more than five hundred years, no man attempted to rebuild Jericho, till Hiel, the Bethelite, in the days of Ahab, brought it upon himself, by venturing to raise VOL. II. this

multitude followed him. 30. And behold two blind men sitting by the avay side. Luke xviii. 36. And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. Mark x. 47. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, (Matt. O Lord, thou Son of David) have mery on us. This blind man being well acquainted with our Lord's fame, his name was no sooner mentioned, than he conceived hopes of obtaining a cure; and being deeply impressed with a sense of his own affliction, he cried out so vehemently, that the people in a passion rebuked him for making such a noise. 48. And many charged

this ancient city out of her ashes, 1 Kings xvi. 34. But although the old city lay thus in ruins for many ages, there was a town very soon built not far from it, to which they gave its name. For so early as Eglon's time we read of the city of palm-trees, (Judges ii. 13.) a name peculiar to Jericho, on account of the fine palm-groves with which it was environed; Deut. *xxiv. 3. 2 Chron xxviii. 15. Besides, we find Jericho, some time after this, expressly mentioned by name, being the town where David desired his messengers to tarry till their beards, which Hanun, king of Moab, caused to be shaved, were grown. Wherefore, as their was a Jericho be fore Hiel rebuilt the ancient town which Joshua destroyed, it cannot, I think, he doubted, that from Hiel's days there were two cities of this name, at no great distance from each other, perhaps a mile or so. Besides, Josephus insinuates, that both subsisted in his time; for he says expressly, that the spring which watered the territory of Jericho, arose near the old town; Bell. v 4. which see. Thus, therefore, we have an easy and per fect reconciliation of the seemingly contradictory accounts which the evangelists have given of our Lord's miracle on the blind men in this part of the country. But although there had been no hint in antiquity, directing us to believe that there were two cities of the name of Jericho, not far from each other, every leader must acknowledge, that to have supposed this, would have been sufficient to our purpose of reconciling the evange lists; because there are such towns to be met with in every country: a thing which of itself must have rendered the supposition not only possible, but probable. And I may venture to say, that had two profane historians related any fact with the disagreeing circumstances found in the evange lists, the critics would have thought them good reasons for such a supposition, especially if the historians were writers of character, and had been either eye-witnesses of the things which they related, or informed by the eye-witnesses of them. To conclude, this instance may teach us never to despair of finding a proper and full solution of any imagined inconsis tency, that is to be met with in the sacred history.

Ver. 30. Tavo blind men, &c.] Mark and Luke speak only of one blind man that was cured near Jericho. Matthew says there were two who had the blessing of sight conferred on them at that time. Augustine, de Cons. Evang. Libii. No. 124. gives it as his opinion, that one of the beggar was more remarkable than the other, being the son of Timeus, who seems to have been a person of some distinction; and that, having fallen into poverty and blindness, he was forced to beg for his bread. He thinks this a good reason for his being mentioned particularly by one of the evangelists. It may be added, that he made himself remarkable by the extraordinary earnestness with which he cried. There are several other instances in the gospels, where one person only is mentioned, though there were two concerned in the matter narrated. See on Matt. viii. 28. § 32.