with her hair: she did these things in token of the warm sense she had of the many favours he had conferred on her and her relations, but especially for the wonderful kindness he had lately shewed to her brother Lazarus. From this action of Mary's, as well as from Martha's serving now, and on a former occasion, it would appear that Mary was the elder sister. And the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, 5. Why was not this ointment sold for given to the poor? Judas was angry because his Master had not taken the ointment with a view to sell it, pretending that the price received for it might have been bestowed on the poor. Nevertheless, his real motive was covetousness; for as he carried the

Then saith one of his which should betray him, three hundred pence, and

ent from that mentioned by John, which was six days before that solemnity.

Thus it evidently appears that our Lord was anointed with spikenard three different times during the course of his ministry, once in the house of Simon the Pharisee, § 48. once in the house of Lazarus, and once in the house of Simon the leper, $125. That this honour should have been done him so often, needs not be thought strange; for in those countries it was common at entertainments to pour fragrant oils on the heads of such guests as they designed to distinguish with marks of extraordinary respect. The custom is alluded to, Psal. xlv. 7. " God hath anomted thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Where this piece of civility was shewed, it was an expression of the highest complacency, and produced great gladness in the person who was the object of it. Hence, besides the emblematical reason of the ceremony, it was fitly made use of at the instalment of persons into high offices. And therefore because the only begotten Son of God was to sustain greater dignities, and execute more important offices, than ever were sustained or executed among men, and was fitted for them by more extraordinary endowments than men possessed, having the Spirit given him without measure, he had the name of the Messiah, Christ, (see John i. 42. Matt. i. 16. Luke ii. 11.) or the anointed One, appropriated to him. by way of eminence. He was anointed with the oil of gladness infinitely above his fellows, the other kings, and priests, and prophets, whom God from time to time had raised up, and honoured with the title of his anointed ones.

*Ver. 5. Three hundred pence.] The Roman penny which is here spoken of, was equal to sevenpence half-penny of our money. Three hundred of these pence therefore amounted to about nine pounds, seven shillings and sixpence Sterling. From the value of the ointment it would appear, that Lazarus and his sisters were not persons of the meanest rank. They were rather of a better station than ordinary, otherwise they could not have afforded so costly a present, nor would Jesus have received it at their hands. Besides, this conjecture is confirmed by the kind of company that came from the city to comfort the two sisters on the death of their brother. The evangelist calls them the Jews, a word which he commonly makes use of to denote the principal inhabitants of Jerusalem; see the Concordances. The action of Mary, and the office which Martha sustained at this feast, are by no means inconsistent with their supposed station; for they might think they could not put sufficient honour on one whom they esteemed so highly, and to whom they were so much indebted. If the sta tion of Lazarus was better than common, the miracle of his resurrection must for that reason have been the more illustrious.

the bag, he thought if his Master had sold the ointment, he would have gotten the money to keep, and so might have applied part of it to his own private use. But it is no new thing for the basest men, to cover their blackest crimes with the fair pretence of zeal for the honour of God, and the interests of religion. John xii. 6. This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare (asals, carried off, stole, see the critics on this passage) what was put therein. 7. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8. For the poor always ye have with you, but me ye have not always. See on Matt. xxvi. 8,-13. $ 125.

Bethany being within two miles of Jerusalem, the news of his arrival soon reached the city, and drew out great numbers of the citizens; for they had a curiosity to see the man that had been raised from the dead, and the still more wonderful man that had raised him. 9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also whom he had raised from the dead. When they came and saw Lazarus, many of them believed; that is, were convinced both of Lazarus' resurrection, and of the divinity of Christ's mission. But the news of their believing, together with the reason of it, being currently reported in Jerusalem, came to the chief priests ears, and incensed them to such a degree, that they resolved to kill not Jesus only, but if possible Lazarus also. 10. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11. Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, namely, to Bethany, and, after seeing him, believed on Jesus, namely, as their long expected Messiah.

CXI. Jesus enters Jerusalem publicly as Messiah. He weeps over the city. See § 91, 121. Matt. xxi. 1,-11. Mark xi. 1,-11. Luke xix. 29,-44. John xii. 12,-19.

THE multitude which attended our Lord in this journey, (Matt. xx. 29.) having increased prodigiously as he advanced towards Jerusalem, he did not now shun them and enter the city privately, as he had always done on former occasions. The people were to honour him with the title of Messiah publicly, that he might have an opportunity of accepting that august name in the most avowed manner, before he ascended into heaven. Moreover, the priests, who had issued out a preclamation against him (John xi. 57.) were to be awed, at least for a while, and restrained from offering him violence. For as he had doctrines to teach, rebukes to give, and other things to do that could not fail to in cense those proud rulers, without doubt they would have put him to death prematurely, had not the people appeared on his side. Accordingly, after the parable of the husbandman was spoken,

Matt.

Matt. xxi. 45. the priests "sought to lay hands on him, but feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet." Nay, the whole council was intimidated by them; for in their deliberation about putting Jesus to death, Matt. xxvi. 5. they said to one another, "Not on the feast-day, lest there be an uproar among the people." Our Lord's driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple, his parables of the husbandmen and marriagesupper, representing the rejection of the Jewish nation, and the downfal of their state, with the woes denounced against the Pharisees in their own hearing, made part of the work he had to do before he ascended, which would have brought instant destruction upon him, had not the great mens rage been restrained by the uncommon respect which the people generally shewed him. Wherefore the multitude being now very great, and Jesus having such good reasons not to shun them as formerly, he sent two of his disciples for an ass, which never had been rode upon, but which, by his simple volition, he could tame, proposing, according to the prophecy, Zech. ix. 9. to ride into the city, amidst the surrounding throng. Probably there were strait passes in the mount of Olives, through which the road lay, Luke xix. 37. and no doubt narrow streets in the city also, by which he was to go to the temple. In these narrow passes and lanes he might have been incommoded by the press, had he walked on foot. Besides, the strangers who were now in Jerusalem, would increase the crowd. It seems they knew of his coming, John xii. 12. and perhaps expected that he was bringing Lazarus along with him, to shew him in public as a trophy of his power; compare John xii. 12. with ver. 18. For the sight of Lazarus in Bethany haying already induced many to believe, they might naturally suppose that his appearing openly would produce the same effect in Jerusalem. And as they were in full hopes that the kingdom was to be erected at this passover, they could not but think it necessary that all opposers should instantly be convinced, and obliged to acknowledge Messiah's title to the throne of his illustrious

ancestors.

Three of the evangelists omitting our Lord's transactions in Bethany, the night before his public entry, introduce the history of the latter as follows: Luke xix. 29. And it came to pass when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 30. Saying, Go ye into the village over against you. Mark xi. 1. And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2. And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you. Matt. xxi. 1. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against

you.

you. Mark and Luke mention Bethphage before Bethany. This I think implies, that travellers in their way to Jerusalem from Jericho, arrived at Bethphage before they came to Bethany. These two villages were situated at the foot of the mount of Olives, and the road to the city lay between them, only it was nearer to Bethphage than Bethany; therefore when Jesus, in travelling from Jericho, came to the foot of the mountain, he was but a little way from Bethphage. Nevertheless, intending to lodge in Bethany with Lazarus, he went thither. Next day, re. turning to the road from Jericho, he sent the two disciples to Bethphage, with orders to bring him an ass, which they should. find tied at the end of the town. If the reader will view the several expressions made use of by the evangelists in the light of this description, he will see the exact propriety of each of them. Jesus sent the disciples away, "when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives," as Luke tells us; or, as Mark expresses it," when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany," a phrase which not only deter mines the place from whence the disciples were sent away, but shews on what quarter Jesus and his train were approaching the town. Both the villages being situated at the foot of the moun tain *, and Jesus being between them, on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, he might very properly be said to have been nigh to both, and nigh to Jerusalem, which was at the distance of about two miles only. Also he was come Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives," as Matthew expresses it, because the road was nearer Bethphage than Bethany. And as Jesus was coming from Bethany, when he sent the disciples away, Bethphage, whi ther he sent them, must have been directly opposite unto them; hence it is termed the village over against them (YTI, KETINDITİ) being a little off the road to the city. Matt. xxi. 2. And straight way ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: (Mark, as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find: Luke, in the which, at your entering, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat) loose them, and bring them unto me. 3. And if any man say aught

*Lightfoot, indeed, and others, on the authority of some dubious expressions in the Talmud, affirin that Bethphage was so near Jerusalem, that its extremity reached almost to the walls thereof. But from Luke xix. 37: it is evident that Jesus and his train passed over the mount of Olives, in their way to Jerusalem, not only after they departed from Bethany, but from Bethphage also. Besides, the distance of Bethany from Jerusalem, viz. fifteen furlongs, or about two miles, John xi. 18. shews plainly that it stood on the side of the mountain that was farthest from Jerusalem, the nearest side being only a sabbath-day's journey, or one mile from the city, Acts i. 12. Wherefore since Matthew tells us that Bethphage was situated at the foot of the mountain, and the other evangelists join Bethphage with Bethany, as being near to one another, it is certain that Bethphage likes wise stood on the eastern side of the bill, the side that was farthest from Jerusalem.

aught unto you, (Luke, ask you, Why do ye loose him?) ye shall say, (Luke, Because) The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, (Zech. ix. 9.) saying, 5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, i. e. Jerusalem, so called because a part of it was situated on the north side of Mount Sion, Psal. xlviii. 2. Behold thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. See on John xii. 15. p. 587..

When the disciples came to Bethphage, they found the ass. with its colt, as Jesus had said, and immediately set about loosing them but the owner happening to be present, reproved them. Wherefore, they returned the answer which their Master had put into their mouth, and were suffered to lead both away. Mark xi. 4. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door, without, in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5. And certain of them that stood there, (Luke, the owners thereof) said unto them, What do ye loosing the colt? 6. And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: (Luke, they said, The Lord hath need of him) and they let them go. The event thus corresponding to the words of Jesus, must have convinced the disciples that he knew every thing, and could influence the wills of men, as often as he pleased to exert his power for that purpose.

Mark xi. 7. And they brought the colt (Matt. the ass and the colt) to Jesus, who it seems had waited for their return at the bottom of the hill, and cast their garments on him, (Luke, upon the colt. Matt. put on them their clothes) to supply the place of a saddle, (Matt. and they set him thereon, stav auTWY. See on Matt. xxvii. 44. § 146.) and he sat upon him. For though the creature had never been used in riding before, it was perfectly tame on this occasion. When the multitude saw him mounted, they immediately bethought themselves of shewing him the ho nours which kings and conquerors obtained in their triumphal en tries. For as they all firmly believed that he would take the reins of government into his own hands at this passover, they had a mind to make his entry into Jerusalem have the air of a triumph. Accordingly, some spread their garments in the way *, others cut down branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way, carrying the larger sort on high, in procession before Messiah, as demonstrations of their joy. See Lev. xxiii. 40. 2 Macc. x. 7. Matt. xxi. 8. And a very great multitude spread their gar ments in the way; (Luke, And as he went, they spread their clothes

See 2 Kings ix. 13. where it is related, that the captains, when they proclaimed Jehu king, put their garments under him, on the top of the stairs, as a mark of their respect.

VOL. II.

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