them, because they should, hold | their peace but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David! 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? that Bartimeus cast away his garment, and rose and came to Jesus. The garment was not his only raiment, but was the outer garment, thrown loosely over him, and commonly laid aside when persons labored or ran. See Note, Matt. v. 40. His doing it denoted haste, and earnestness, in order to come to Jesus. 34. And touched their eyes. Mark and Luke say he added, thy faith hath saved thee. Thy confidence, or belief that I could cure, has been the means of obtaining this blessing. Faith had no power to open the eyes, but it led them to Jesus; it showed that they had just views of his power; it was connected with the cure. So faith has no power to save from sin, but it leads the poor, lost, blind sinner to him who has power; and in this sense it is said we are saved by faith. His touching their eyes was merely a sign that the power of healing proceeded from him. Here was an undoubted miracle. 1st. These blind men were well known. One at least had been long blind. 2d. They were strangers to Jesus. They could not have, therefore, feigned themselves blind. 3d. The miracle was in the presence of multitudes, who took a deep interest in it, and who could easily have detected the imposition if there had been one. 4th. The men followed him. They praised or glorified God. (Mark and Luke.) The people gave praise to God also. (Luke.) They were all satisfied that a real miracle was performed. 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. 13. He will give to all his followers all that he promised to give. He will give to him entitled to the least every thing which he has promised, and infinitely more than he has deserved. 3d. On some he will bestow higher rewards than on others. Ver. 16. There is no reason to think that the condition of men in heaven will be equal, any more than it is on earth. Difference of rank may run through all God's government, and still no one be degraded, or be deprived of his rights. 4th. God does as he pleases with his own. Ver. 15. It is his right to do so a right which men claim, and which God may claim. If he does injustice to no one, he has a right to bestow what favors on others he pleases. 5th. In doing good to another man, he does no injury to me. He violated none of my rights by bestowing great talents on Newton, or great wealth on Solomon. He did not injure me by making Paul a man of distinguished talents and piety, or John a man of much meekness and love. What he gives me I should be thankful for, and improve: nor should I be envious or malignant, that he has given to others more than he has to me. Nay, I should rejoice that he has bestowed such favors on undeserving men at all;-that the race is in possession of such talents and rewards, to whomsoever given; and should believe that in the hands of God such favors will be well bestowed. God is a sovereign; and the Judge of all the earth will do that which is right. 6th. It is our duty to go into the vine1st. From the parable at the begin-yard and labor faithfully, whenever the ning of this chapter (vs. 1-16) we learn that it is not so much the time that we serve Christ, as the manner, that is to entitle us to high rewards in heaven. Some may be in the church many rears, yet accomplish little. Others in a few years may be more distinguished in the success of their labors and in their rewards. REMARKS. 2d. God will do justice to all. Ver. Lord Jesus calls us, and till he calls us to receive our reward. Vs. 1-16. He has a right to call us, and there are none who are not invited to labor for him. 7th. Rewards are offered to all who will serve him. Ver. 4. It is not that we deserve any favor, or that we shall not say at the end of life that we have been unprofitable servants; but he gra ciously promises that our rewards shall be measured by our faithfulness in his cause. He will have the glory of bringing us into his kingdom and saving us, while he will bestow rewards on us according as we have been faithful in his service. 8th. Men may be saved in old age. Ver. 6. Old men are sometimes brought into the kingdom of Christ, and made holy. But it is rare. Few aged men are converted. They drop into the grave as they lived. And to a man who wastes his youth and his middle life in sin, and goes down into the vale of years a rebel against God, there is a dreadful probability that he will die as he lived. It will be found to be true, probably, that by far more than half who are saved are converted before they reach the age of twenty-five. Besides, it is foolish as well as wicked to spend the best of our days in the service of Satan, and to give to God only the poor remnant of our lives, that we can no longer use in the cause of wickedness. God should have our first and best days. 9th. Neither this parable, nor any part of the Bible, should be abused, so as to lead us to put off the time of repentance to old age. It is possible, though not probable, that an old man may repent; but it is not probable that we shall live to be old. Few, few, of all the world, live to old age. We may die in youth. Thousands die in childhood. The time, the accepted time to serve God, is in childhood. There are more reasons why a child should love the Saviour, than why he should love a parent. He has done much more for us than any parent. And there is no reason why he may not be trained up to love him, as well as his parents. And God will require it at the hands of parents and teachers, if they do not train up the children committed to them to love and obey himn. 10th. One reason why we do not understand the plain doctrines of the Bible is our prejudice. Vs. 17-19. Our Saviour plainly told his disciples that he must die. He stated the manner of his death, and the principal circumstances. To us all this is plain; but they did not understand it. (Luke.) They had filled their heads with notions about his earthly glory and honor, and they were not willing to see the truth as he stated it. Never was there a juster proverb than that "None are so blind as those who will not see.' So to us the Bible might be plain enough. The doctrines of truth are revealed clear as a sunbeam, but we are filled with previous notions; we are determined to think differently; and the easiest way to gratify this is to say we do not see it so. The only correct principle of interpretation is, that the Bible is to be taken just as it is. The meaning that the sacred writers intended to teach is to be sought honestly; and when found, that and that only is religious truth. 11th. Mothers should be cautious about seeking places of honor for their sons. Ver. 20-22. Doing this, they seldom know what they ask. They may be seeking the ruin of their children. It is not posts of honor that secure happiness or salvation. Contentment and peace are found oftenest in the humble vale of honest and sober industry-in attempting to fill up our days with usefulness in the situation where God has placed us. As the purest and loveliest streams often flow in the retired grove, far from the thundering cataract or the stormy ocean, so is the sweet peace of the soul; it dwells oftenest far from the bustle of public life, and the storms and tempests of ambition. 12th. Ambition in the church is exceedingly improper. Ver. 22. It is not the nature of religion to produce it. It is opposed to all the modest, retiring, and pure virtues, that Christianity produces. An ambitious man will be destitute of religion just in proportion to his ambition; and piety may always be graduated by humility. 13th. Our humility is the measure of our religion. Ver. 26-28. Without humility we can have no religion. He that has the most lowly views of himself, and the highest of God-that is willing to stoop the lowest to aid his fellow creatures, and to honor Godhas the most genuine piety. Such was the example of our Saviour, and it can never be any dishonor to imitate the Son of God. 14th. The case of the blind men is an expressive representation of the condition of the sinner. Vs. 30-34. 1st Men are blinded by reason of sin. They do not by nature see the truth of religion. 2d. It is proper in this CHAPTER XXI. to Bethphage, unto the Mount of AND when they drew nigh Olives, then sent Jesus two dis unto Jerusalem, and were come ciples, a Mar.11.1. Lu.19.29. not lead us astray. He that can shed light in the beginning of our faith, can enlighten our goings through all our pilgrimage, and down through the dark valley of the shadow of death. CHAPTER XXI. 1-16. See also Mark xi. 1-11, Luke xix. 29-44. -a 1. And when they drew nigh unto Je rusalem. They were going up now from Jericho. Ch. xx. 29. The distance was about nineteen miles. The most of the way was a desert, or filled with caves, and rocks, and woods fit place for robbers. See Luke x..30. The Mount of Olives, or Olivet, is on the east of Jerusalem. Between this and Jerusalem there runs a small stream called the brook Kidron, or Cedron. It is dry in the hot seasons of the year, but swells to a considerable size in time of heavy rains. See Note on John xviii. 1. The Mount of Olives was so called from its producing in abundance the olive. It was from Jerusalem about a sabbath day's journey. Acts i. 12. On the west side of the mountain was the garden of Gethsemane. Luke xxii. 39. Mark xiv. 32. On the eastern declivity of the mountain, were the villages of Bethphage and Bethany. Mark and Luke say that he came near to both those places. He came nearest to Bethphage, and sent his disciples to the vil. lage over against them, to Bethany. Be state of blindness to call upon Jesus to open our eyes. If we ever see, it will be by the grace of God. God is the fountain of light, and those in darkness should seek him. 3d. Present opportunities should be improved. This was the first time that Jesus had been, in Jericho. It was the last time he would be there. He was passing through it on his way to Jerusalem. So he passes among us by his ordinances. So it may be the last time that we shall have an opportunity to call upon him. While he is near, we should seek him. 4th. When people rebuke us and laugh at us, it should not deter us from calling on the Saviour. There is danger that they will laugh us out of our purpose to seek him, and we should cry the more earnestly to him. We should feel that our eternal all depends on our being heard. 5th. The persevering cry of those who seek the Saviour aright will not be in vain. They who cry to him sensible of their blindness, and sensible that he only can open their eyes, will be heard. He turns none away who thus cry to him. 6th. Sinners must "rise" and come to Jesus. They must cast away every thing that hinders their coming. As the blind Bartimeus threw off his "garments," so sinners should throw away every thing that hinders their going to him-every thing that obstructs their progress and cast themselves at his feet. No man will be saved while sitting still. The com-thany was the place where Lazarus dwelt mand is, "strive to enter in ;" and the promise is made to those only who ask," and "seek," and " knock.' 7th. Faith is the only channel through which we shall receive mercy. According to our faith that is, our confidence in Jesus our trust and reliance on him so will it be to us. Without that we shall perish. 8th. They who apply to Jesus thus will receive sight. Their eyes will be opened, and they will see slearly. 9th. They who are thus restored to sight should follow Jesus. They should follow him wherever he leads; they should follow him always; they should follow none else but him. He that can give sight to the blind can whom he raised from the dead (John xi.); where Martha and Mary dwelt; and where Mary anointed him with ointment against the day of his burying. John xii. 1-7. These circumstances are omitted by the three first evangelists, but supplied by John, who wrote after them." The Mount of Olives is about a mile in length, and about seven hundred feet in height, and overlooks Jerusalem; so that from its summit almost every part of the city can be seen. The mountain is composed of three peaks or summits. Our Saviour is supposed to have ascended from the middle one. The olive is a fruit well known among us as an article of commerce. 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over-against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. The tree blooms in June, and bears white flowers. The fruit is small. It is first green, then pale, and, when fully ripe, black. It incloses a hard stone, in which are the seeds. The wild olive was common, and differed from the other only in being of a smaller size. There are two roads from Jerusalem to Bethany; one around the southern end of the Mount of Olives, and the other across the summit. The latter is considerably shorter, but more difficult, and it was probably along this road that the Saviour went. They mention only the colt, because it was this on which he rode. 3. The Lord hath need of him. This means no more than the master has need of him. The word Lord often means no more than master as opposed to servant. Matt. x. 24. Eph. vi. 5. 1 Peter iii. 5, 6. The word is some times used in the Bible as applied to God, or as a translation of the name JEHOVAH. Its common use is a mere title of respect given by an inferior to a superior, by a servant to a master, by a disciple to a teacher. As a title of high respect it was given to Christ, or the Messiah.-The persons to whom these disciples were sent were probably acquainted with the miracles of Jesus, and favorably disposed towards him. He had attracted great notice in that region particularly by raising Lazarus from the dead, and most of the people regarded him as the Messiah. 2. Go into the village over-against you. The village here meant was not far from Bethany, and about two miles east of Jerusalem. Mark and Luke. He had lodged at Bethphage the night before, and in the morning sent his disciples to the village over against them; that is, to Bethany. John xii. 1-12. Ye shall find an ass tied, &c. In Judea there were few horses, and those 4, 5. All this was done, &c. The were chiefly used in war. Men seldom prophecy here quoted is found in Zech. employed them in common life, and in ix. 9. It was always, by the Jews, apcrdinary journeys. The ass, the mule, plied to the Messiah. ¶ Daughter of and the camel, are still most used in Zion. That is, Jerusalem. Zion was eastern countries. To ride on a horse one of the hills on which the city of Jewas sometimes an emblem of war: on rusalem was built. On this stood the a mule and an ass the emblem of peace. city of David and some strong forKings and princes commonly rode on tresses. The names daughter and virthem in times of peace; and it is men-gin were given to it often, in accordtioned as a mark of rank and dignity to ride in that manner. Judges x. 4; xii. 14. 1 Sam. xxv. 20. So Solomon, when he was inaugurated as king, rode on a mule. 1 Kings i. 33. Riding in this manner, then, denoted neither poverty nor degradation, but was the appropriate way in which a king should ride, and in which, therefore, the King of Zion should enter into his capital the city of Jerusalem. Mark and Luke say that he told hem they should find "a colt tied." This they were directed to bring. ance with the oriental figurative manner of expression. See my Note on Isa. i. 8. Amos v. 2. Ps. xlv. 13; cxxxvii. 8. Isa. xlvii. 1. It was given to them as an expression of their beauty or comeliness. ¶ Meek. See Note, Matt. v. 5. The expression here rather denotes peaceful, not warlike; not with pomp, and state, and the ensigns of ambition. He came in the manner in which kings were accustomed to ride, but with none of their pride and ambi tious feeling, Sitting upon an ass, &c. He rode on the colt. (Mark and Luke.) This expression in Matthew is one which is common with all writers. See Gen. xix. 29; Judges xii. 7. 7. And put on them their clothes. This was done as a token of respect. 2 Kings ix. 13. or a king entering into his kingdom, was a common way of testifying joyful and triumphant feeling. Thus Jose phus says that Alexander and Agrippa were received at Jerusalem. So in our own land, some of the most acceptable 8. And a very great multitude, &c. tokens of rejoicing ever bestowed upon Others showed the same respect by Washington were garlands of roses throwing their garments before him; scattered in his path by children. So others by cutting down branches of the path of Lafayette was often strewed trees and casting them in the way. with flowers, as a mark of respect and This was the way in which conquerors of a nation's gratitude. John says (xii. and princes were often honored. To 13) that these branches were branches cast flowers, or garlands, or evergreens, of the palm-tree. The palm was an before a warrior returning from victory, emblem of joy and victory. It was |