when He was come into Jerusalem all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?" "And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the Prophet of Nazareth in Galilee." This is the combined

narration of the four Evangelists, recording the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem,

"the daughter of Sion." He had recently raised Lazarus from the dead; and the people, therefore, that were with Him, bare record : "For this cause also the people met Him, because He had done this miracle;" and they greeted Him with those acclamations and signs of joy which are usual in a day of triumph. In like manner, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, the women came out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing with tabrets, with joy, and instruments of music; the spiritual David came from a different scene, suited to His different character, not to destroy, but to save".

The strewing of clothes, flowers, and branches, before kings, was an usual ceremony in the East; and it is a still existing custom on state occasions of honouring royal or illustrious persons by covering the ground over which they are to pass. Cloths and rich draperies were often employed for such a purpose; but, when the occasion was extemporaneous, the robes and garments of those present supplied the de

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When Jehu was proclaimed king, they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him, on the top of the stairs." Agamemnon and Cato are recorded to have been thus received; and, in a recent account of a royal reception at Ispahan, it is said the whole road into the city was covered with rich silks, over which the two sovereigns rode. The custom of strewing branches, herbs, and flowers in the way, is, perhaps, still more ancient, and certainly more extensively practised. The strewing of flowers, on festive occasions, is not entirely extinct among ourselves. To carry branches before a distinguished person is another very general usage, having some reference to the ceremonies observed at the Feast of Tabernacles". It had been the custom at this feast to carry branches in their hands to celebrate their expectation of the coming of their Messiah, and to sing Hosannas with the greatest joy; on which account it was, that on acknowledging Jesus for the Messiah, they sing the Hosannas, and use the rites customary at that feast. The word "Hosanna" is an abbreviation of two Hebrew words, signifying, "save now;" forming part of the great Hallel, and was a customary acclamation of the common people on solemn occasions. "And some of the Pharisees from among multitude said unto Him, Master, rebuke Thy

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• Dr. Whitby.

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disciples. And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that, If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out;" a strong figurative expression, signifying that God would even work a miracle to raise up others to glorify His name, rather than silence should be kept on so extraordinary an occasion'. And when the chief priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the Temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto Him, Hearest Thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" SECT. CXX.-Christ purgeth the Temple.-Matt. xxi. 12 -16; Mark xi. 15-19; Luke xix. 45-48.

"AND Jesus went into the Temple of God," and again purified the outer court, called the Court of the Gentiles, of all those profanations of the sacred edifice, which had already excited His indignation on His first coming to Jerusalem; --"and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the Temple." Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after Him.” "And the Scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him: for they feared 2 Bishop Pearce.

Dr. S. Clarke.

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Him, because all the people was astonished at His doctrine." "And He left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and He lodged there."

SECT. CXXI.-Gentiles desire to see Christ.-John xii.

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AT the time predicted by the prophets, not only Jerusalem looked for a completion of the prophecies, but the whole earth sat still, expecting that Judæa should give her a King: and lo! the promised King of the Jews is born of the royal house and lineage of David. All the circumstances of His birth, the words of His mouth, and the actions of His life, demonstrate Him to be the Messiah, foretold by the prophets from the beginning of the world. He came to His own ;" and Jerusalem is commanded to rejoice and shout; but " His own receive Him not:" Jerusalem, however moved, turns a deaf ear to the voice of all her prophets; not suffering herself to believe that any thing said by them could refer to Jesus of Nazareth. Her heart was depraved and hardened; she demanded to be put in possession of the empire of the world ; she despised the appearance of a King attended with the acclamations of an ignoble multitude. With how different sensations are the members of the Christian Church affected, when they hear or read the history recorded of Christ's entry into Jerusalem! With inexpressible delight we

carry back our thoughts to that happy era, when the King of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jews, made His appearance in the flesh! We join His train; we attend Him in His progress towards the Holy City, and seem to enter it with Him, while the multitude of those who go before, and who follow after, cry, "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." We are taught to conceive, by this scene thus brought back to our imagination, a noble idea of the Messiah at His first Advent, ushered into the Church as her Lord and King: the prophets going before, and the Apostles following after Him; all proclaiming and bearing testimony to Jesus; all singing Hosanna to the Son of David; all pronouncing the blessedness of Him, who thus cometh in the name of Jehovah 3.

A great commotion had been excited in Jerusalem by our Lord's singular entrance into the city: many persons of different dispositions flocked around Him; some sincere inquirers sought to be instructed by Him. At the time of the Passover, an especially large concourse of those who professed the worship of the God of Israel assembled at Jerusalem from all parts of Judæa and Galilee. All who were not Jews, but were foreigners, generally using the Greek language, (then extensively spoken,) were called

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Dr. Robinson.