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Judas, in

tence, carried all her worldly disrepute to the feet of her Saviour and her Lord'. deed, whose heart was filled with covetousness, murmured at this costly waste, as he considered it; and would have had it given to the poor, that is, to himself, who, if so appropriated, would have received the money; for, the Evangelist clearly intimates, he was at this time unfaithful in the trust, which had been confided to him by our Lord; for," he was a thief, and cared not for the poor:" he, therefore, by his remark, only evinced a desire to have larger scope for those peculations which had become familiar to him. This little incident regarding Judas, is a very graphic illustration of that fatal love of pelf, for which he afterwards so awfully perilled his soul, by the betrayal of his Master, for the same love of paltry gain 2. "Let her alone," says Jesus; for this may be both an argument and a sign that she hath not spent so costly an ointment on Me vainly or luxuriously: she has reserved it for this time, and has now performed it as a fit ceremony for My burial, which is near at hand. customary among the Jews to anoint dead bodies with perfumes and spices before the burial of them'. Mary of course could not have been aware of His approaching death; but Christ accepts her offering of love, and assigns this reason for it.

' Dr. Lightfoot.
3 Dr. Lightfoot.

It was

2 Pictorial Bible.
Mant and D'Oyly.

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SECT. CXIX.-Christ rideth in triumph into Jerusalem.Matt. xxi. 1-11; Mark xi. 1-11; Luke xix. 28-40; John xii. 12-19.

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We have now accompanied Jesus to the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and are now to contemplate His remarkable entrance into the great city. Hitherto we have seen that He sought not any worldly honours, having studiously avoided even the semblance of pomp and ostentation; but now, at the close of His life, and at a moment when He knew how certain was the personal danger of it to Himself, we perceive a different scene. We behold the humble Nazarene permitting the people to do Him homage, and exhibiting a representation of His regal character. Jesus proceeded from Bethany to the Mount of Olives, over against the village of Bethphage," whence He now sent two disciples into the village; and, in the exercise of His Divine power, foretells to them when and in what manner they should find the beast He required for His present purpose, and, at the same time, He warns them of the hearts of the persons who owned it, whom, although at a distance, He already saw would yield a ready compliance with His commands. St. Matthew says they were directed to bring from the village "an ass, and a colt ;" but the other three Evangelists mention "the foal of an ass," or "a colt 6 Dean Stanhope.

Dr. Robinson.

on which never man sat;" and the prophecy of Zechariah, which was thus fulfilled, is said to be "an ass, even a colt," not two animals; for it is clear our Lord, when "He sat thereon,' could only have ridden the one beast'. This animal was an emblem of lowliness; and, in assuming the state of a Messiah, He bestrode an ass, to show that He did not affect the pomp of the world, but came with the same primitive simplicity as the patriarchs and judges of old R. Events were so admirably disposed by God, that the minutest circumstances relating to Christ were described beforehand, in order to prepare men for His reception. The disciples did not comprehend that, in these events, there was any completion of prophecies concerning Jesus, till the time when Jesus was advanced to the throne of His glory, and had shed upon them the Spirit of truth, when they not only understood that these things were done according to the words of Zechariah the prophet, but also that His kingdom was of a spiritual nature over the hearts and consciences of men'. The ancient Jews thus explained this prophecy of the Messiah; and it is plain from the Gospels that the Jews in Christ's time so understood it. The prophet had described a person visiting Jerusalem, who should deserve

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to be emphatically styled her King. nations around had their kings and conquerors, their Nebuchadnezzars and Cyrus's, their Alexanders and Cæsars: these had all appeared in their turn upon the stage; each had performed the part assigned them by an all-directing Providence; and had passed from the scene. Zion witnessed all these mighty men, but survived the commotions occasioned by them. She had been promised a King who should overcome her enemies, and triumph gloriously. He was to execute that part of the regal office which might justify the title of "the Just One;" and He was to have "salvation," that is, the rescuing a people from their oppressors; but He was to be distinguished from all other kings and conquerors by His appearance and demeanour. He was to visit His people in great humility, "lowly, and riding upon an ass." The types and prophecies are as plain for His humiliation, as they are for His exaltation; nor could any one person accomplish them all, without being equally remarkable for lowliness and meekness, glory and honour3. The character given of the Messiah, that He should ride on an ass, was in opposition to the pride of the warlike kings of Israel, who, by their great strength in chariots and horses, had ruined themselves and their people. And herein He

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was to resemble those who had indeed been deliverers of their country: kings who feared God, and therefore feared no enemy; who, though mounted on the colts and foals of asses, were able to put to flight the thousands and ten thousands of chariots and horses that came against them.

"And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice, and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works which they had seen, saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." And "much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm-trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna : Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitude that went before, and that followed, cried, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest."

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Bishop Sherlock.

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