5 'Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and fitting up

on an ass, and a colt the fole of an afs.

6 And the difciples went, and did as Jefus commanded

them.

7 And brought the afs, and the colt, and

put on them their cloaths, and they fet him thereon.

8 And a very great multitudefpread their garments in the ways others cut down branches from the trees, and frewed them in the way. 9 And the multudes that went before, and that followed, cried, faying, Hofanna to the fon

of David: bleffed is

he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hofannah, in the highest.

10 And when he was come into Jerufalem, all the city was moved, faying, Who is this?

II And the multitude faid, This is Jefus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

5. Say ye to the Daughter of Sion, Behold, thy Saviour cometh, Efai. 62. 11. And, behold, thy King cometh unto thee,lowly, and riding upon an As, and upon a Colt the Fole of an Ass,

Zech. ix. 9.)

12. Then Jefus alighting from the Colt, went into the Temple. And when he came into the outward Court, which is the Court of the Gentiles, he found it like a Market, filled with Money-Changers Stalls, and Sellers of Cattle and Doves, and the like; who fat there under pretence of having these things near at hand for the convenience of those that came up to facrifice: But Jefus cleared the Place, and turned them all out, faying:

13. This Place was defigned, not for a Place of Merchandife, but for the Service of God; that the devout Profelytes of the Gentiles, who are not admitted into the Inner and Holier part of the Temple, might here worfhip and pray to the true God; according as Efaias prophefied (Efai. Ivi. 7.) that the Temple of God should be an Houfe of Prayer for all People. But now ye have most profanely turned it into a Receptacle of Thieves, a Place of Covetoufnefs, Extortion, and Cheating

14. Now while Jefus tarried in the Court of the Temple, many blind and lame Men, who had heard the Fame of his former Miracles, reforted to him; and he healed them all.

12 And Jefus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that fold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the feats of them that fold doves,

13 And faid unto them, It is written, My houfe fhall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed

them.

15. But when the Chief Priefts, and Jewish Doctors, faw thefe wonderful Works; inftead of being convinced thereby to Repentance, they were only filled with envy, and enraged against him; And hearing all the People admiring and applauding him, and even the very Children in the Temple making joyful Acclamations to him, as Meffiah or King; they were in great indignation.

16 And faid un

16. And they faid to Jefus, Do you not hear what thefe Children fay? Do to him, Heareft thou

what

15 And when the chief priests and fcribes faw the wonhe did, and the childerful things that dren crying in the temple, and saying, Hafanna to the Son of David, they were fore difpleased,

what these fay? And Jefus faith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the

mouth of babes and ducklings thou haft perfected praise?

17 And he left

them, and went out of the city into Bethany, and he lodged

there.

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungred.

19 And when he faw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and faid unto *, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig-tree withered away.

20 And when the

disciples faw it, they marvelled, faying, How foon is the fig

tree withered away

?

unto

21 Jefus anfwered and faid them, Verily I fay unto you, If ye have ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also if ye shall fay

faith and doubt not,

you think it fit, that these who underftand nothing, fhould be fuffer'd to make fuch fhouting? Jefus answer'd, Yea; If you who ought to fhew forth the Praises of God, will through envy and malice refufe to do it, God will raise up others to glorifie his Name, and (as the Scripture faith, Pfal. viii. 2.) even out of the Mouths of Babes and fucking Children, he will perfect Praife.

17. Then leaving them in their Rage and Envy, he retired out of the City, all Night. as far as Bethany, and there continued 18.

The next Morning he returned again to Jerufalem: And as he was in the way, he grew hungry.

19. And feeing a Fig-tree a little way off, he went up to it, feeking for Fruit; but finding it Barren, and having nothing but Leaves, he curfed it, faying, Let no Fruit grow on thee for ever: Intimating to his Difciples by this vifible Similitude, that the Jewish Nation, having now only a formal Profeffion of Religion, and not bringing forth the Fruit thereof, fhould fuddenly be Curfed and Rooted out.

20. Accordingly the next day, paffing that way, they found the Fig-tree withered and dried up from the Roots: And the Difciples feemed furprized, and wonder'd at the fuddennefs of its being perifhed and dead.

21. But Jefus faid to them; Do ye wonder at this, as fuch a ftrange and extraordinary thing? Verily I tell you, If ye do but firmly believe and truft in the Power of God, ye fhall be able to do things as much greater than this, as removing a Mountain, and throwing

I

throwing it into the Sea, is greater than caufing a little Tree to wither.

22. And whatsoever ye fhall ask of God in order to confirm your Doctrine and Ministry, with stedfast Faith, without Doubt and Wavering; he will enable you to perform it.

23. After this, Jefus went into the Temple; and as he was teaching the People, the Chief Priests and Elders came to him and faid; By what Authority do you undertake thefe things? You enter into the City with Pomp and Noife, like fome great Perfon; you turn the Trading People out of the Court of the Temple, as if you were Governour of the Place; and you teach here publickly in the Temple, as if you were appointed to do fo by publick Authority; Pray, who gave you commiffion and Authority to do all these things?

24. Jefus, knowing their Malice, and that they who were not at all convinced by his Doctrine and Miracles, would much lefs be moved by his bare affirming in a direct Anfwer that he was authorized and fent of God; chofe rather to filence them by retorting upon them another Queftion, after this manner; I will alfo, faith he, ask you one Question, which if you can answer me, then I also will tell you by what Authority I do these things.

25 & 26. When John the Baptift Preached and Baptized, did he do this by God's appointment? or, was it only a human Contrivance? Then the Chief Priefts, reafoning among themfelves, that if they fhould fay John's Baptifm was by God's appointment, then Jefus would accufe them for not hearkening to John's Preaching, and not believing the Teftimony which he gave

we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

27 And they anfwered Jefus, and

faid, We cannot tell.
And he faid unto

them, Neither tell II,
you by what autho-
rity I
do thefe
things.

28 But what think you? A certain man had two fons, and he came to the

concerning Jesus; and that on the other fide, if they fhould fay John's Baptifm was only a humane Contrivance, then they fhould greatly enrage the People, who all believed John to be a Prophet fent of God: Reafoning, I fay, thus among themfelves, they refolved, not to determine on either fide.

firft, and faid, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29 He anfwered and faid, I will not:

but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the fecond, and faid likewife. And he answered and faid, I go fir, and

went not.

27. They replied therefore to Jefus, that they could not tell. And Jefus then in like manner, to Them; neither do fays he, tell you, what Authority I have to do these things. Which furprizing Question and Anfwer, as it filenc'd and greatly confounded thefe malicious Scribes and Elders, containing a fecret Conviction and Reproof of their unreasonable unbelief in rejecting John the Baptift; fo it alfo at the fame time made apparent the reasonablenefs of Chrift's not returning a pofitive Answer to their Question; it being evident, that they who believed not John the Baptift, whom yet they durft not exprefsly deny to be fent from God, would much lefs have believed Jefus's plain Affertion of his own Di- . vinc Authority.

28. When Jefus had thus filenced the Chief Priefts and Elders, he proceeded to intimate to them, by a fevere parable, the Juftice of God in utterly Rejecting Them with all their Pretences of Religion, and receiving in their ftead the Penitent Gentiles. What think you? faid he. A certain Man had two Sons; and he commanded them both to go and work in his Vineyard.

29 & 30. The one faid, he would not go, but he repented and went: The other faid he would go, but went not.

31 Whether of them twain did

31. Which of these two, think you,

the will of his Fa- was the moft obedient Son? They an

fwered;