WHOSO LOOKETH INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY, AND CONTINUETH THEREIN, HE BEING as the reason for the shortness of his stay, that the hour was late. St. Luke, who mentions merely the cleansing of the temple, leaves every other circumstance doubtful, except that by telling us elsewhere, ch. xxi. 37, § 86, p. 357, that our Lord's practice throughout the previous days, had been not to leave the temple until night, he may be considered to imply that he left it on this occasion also only at night. St. Matthew's account adds certain particulars to that of St. Mark, viz., the cure of some blind and lame persons in the temple, the acclamations of the children, and another remonstrance of the Pharisees with our Lord on that account; in none of which is there anything inconsistent with St. Mark. For first, the wepißλeváμevos wávra of this Evangelist, ch. xi. 11, does not imply that Jesus did nothing else on this occasion, but simply prepares the reader for the cleansing of the temple on the following day. Secondly, the cures in question, though necessarily wrought after the entrance into the temple, would take up no time, nor require any long continuance there. Thirdly, the acclamations of the children had doubtless been going on from the first, and were not then merely begun, so as to have produced the remonstrance on the spot. Fourthly, as soon as our Lord had replied to this remonstrance, he left the temple immediately; and when he went out it was for the night, for he proceeded to Bethany, and slept there. The account of St. John, so far as it belongs to the history of proceedings on the same day, consists of only one additional and supplementary particular, the request of the Hellenes to see Jesus, and the reflections which it drew from our Lord, ch. xii. 20-36. If these Hellenes were, as their name implies, not Jews of the Dispersion, whose proper denomination would have been Hellenists, but Gentile proselytes, numbers of whom attended every feast (Jos. B. vi. ix. 3), the scene of this incident, or at least of the first part of it, the request addressed to Philip, was probably the outer court of the temple, to which only such proselytes had access; and therefore the time was either when our Lord was passing through that court out of the temple, or when he had already quitted it: and there is internal evidence, at ver. 35, .6, that as this application to him was apparently the last event in the day, so it was made when the night was at hand. The allusion at least in those verses to the approach of the night, besides its spiritual meaning, becomes so much the more striking and impressive, if it contains a sensible meaning also. The nation of the inquirers is further implied by the nature of their request itself, which was much more probably that they might be admitted to speak with, than merely to see Jesus. If they were really Gentiles, the former would be such a request as neither Philip nor Andrew, without first consulting their Master, could take upon themselves to grant, and therefore it would account at once for the behaviour of both; but the latter was such a gratification of an innocent curiosity, as any one of the disciples might voluntarily have undertaken to concede. The strain of our Lord's reflections is in unison with the same supposition; for he takes occasion from the coincidence of such a request at this time, to predict in obscure, yet significant terms, the success of his gospel, in the preaching of Christ crucified, among the Gentiles. When this conversation took place, it is probable that he was either passing out of the temple, or had quitted it already. Nor is more implied at ver. 28, 9, by the mention of the people's standing and hearing the voice from heaven, than that on being apprised of the application of these strangers, wheresoever he was, he stopped for a time (which, however, could not be long) to deliver the sentiments which ensued. 'Laying these particulars together with St. Mark's previous statement of the time when he left the temple-a statement which cannot be understood of an earlier period than sunset-and making every allowance for the slowness and solemnity of the procession, after it set out from Bethany, to traverse a distance which probably did not exceed three Roman miles in extent; we may come to the conclusion that Jesus must have left Bethany about the ninth hour, on the tenth of Nisan, Monday in Passion week, and the Julian first of April; that he must have arrived in the temple before the eleventh hour; and must have left it again before sunset, or just on the eve of the Jewish eleventh of Nisan. 'It would seem, then, that upon this occasion he must barely as it were have appeared in the temple, and as speedily departed from it again; which would be so far simply to present himself before God: and, if the christian doctrine of the atonement is scriptural and true, to present himself in his capacity of the paschal sacrifice, now ready to be offered up. If we may assume, then, that he did this in compliance with the legal equity, the legal equity required it to be done on the tenth of Nisan; for at the first institution of the passover, Ex. xii. 3, 6, it had been commanded that the lamb, which was to be sacrificed on the fourteenth, should be taken up and consecrated for that purpose on the tenth. It is true that Maimonides, and others of the Rabbins, enumerate this requisition among the special circumstances, such as eating the passover in haste, in the garb and attitude of travellers, and the like, which they consider peculiar to the pascha Egyptium or the first passover as such. Quod autem in Egypto præscriptum erat, ut usque a decimo die primi mensis pararetur victima paschalis, . . . hæc omnia omnino semel in illo sacro paschali Egyptio servata sunt; sed nunquam usitata fuere postmodum (De Sacri ficio Paschali, x. 15). I am ready to admit the the case of those who might arrive in Jerusalem on general probability of this statement, especially in the morning of the passover itself; of which there is an instance in the case of Simon of Cyrene. But, if it was merely a circumstance essential to the ceremonial of the first passover, that was sufficient to make it indispensable to the sacrifice of the death of Christ; and to explain the grounds of the legal requisition, which would otherwise be inexplicable. 'But in addition to the character of the paschal victim, our Lord had another to support, in the character of the daily sacrifice, with regard to which Maimonides himself will inform us (De Sacrificiis Jugibus. i. 8) that the lambs intended for that purpose were set apart, to be kept in the Conclave Agnorum, within the sanctuary, quatriduum ante immothe fourteenth of Nisan, must have been taken up lationem. On this principle the daily sacrifice for and set apart on the tenth; the morning sacrifice in the morning, the evening one in the evening. On the same principle, too, it would be nothing improbable to suppose that every lamb which was wanted by any paschal company on the fourteenth of Nisan, was set apart in some proper place for the service of such a company on the tenth. In all these coincidences, if our Saviour was really the true pascha! victim, and himself in both these capacities before God on the really the true ἐνδελεχής θυσία, and really presented tenth of Nisan, four days before the fourteenth when he suffered, and about the same time of the day on the one, at which he suffered upon the other; we cannot but perceive a striking conformity between the type and the antitype, between the figures of things to come, and their fulfilment by the event; and incredulity, if not the height of inconsistency, to which correspondence it would be great scepticism resolve into the effect of chance. It will add to the difficulty of accounting for it on any principle but that of design; that the tenth of Nisan, when our Lord presented himself in the temple, according to day, and the fourteenth of Nisan, when he actually the Jewish mode of reckoning, was his nominal birthsuffered, according to the Julian, was his true; that is to say, the fifth of the Julian April, which coincided in the year of his birth with the tenth of Nisan, coincided in this year when he suffered with the fourteenth. For the proof of these positions, see Vol. I. Diss. xii.; but if the positions themselves are true, we need no other argument to convince us that the day of our Lord's procession to the temple before he suffered was Monday, the first of April, which coincided with the tenth of Nisan; as the day when he suffered was Friday, the fifth of April, which coincided with the fourteenth.'- Greswell, Vol. III. Diss. xxxviii. pp. 70-88. NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF THE WORK, THIS MAN SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIS DEED.-Jas. i. 25. 274] FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.-Jas. ii. 20. [VOL. II. LET US TAKE WARNING, LEST WE BE FOUND LIKE THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE. SECTION 83.-(G. 65.)-[Lesson 76.]-PARTICULARS OF THE THIRD DAY IN PASSION WEEK, TUESDAY, THE ELEVENTH OF NISAN. JESUS, IN THE WAY FROM BETHANY TO JERUSALEM, CAUSES A BARREN FIG TREE TO WITHER.* DRIVES OUT THE MONEY-CHANGERS, ETC., FROM THE TEMPLE.-Matt. xxi. 18-22; 12, .3. Mark xi. Luke xix. 45-.8.-[ Greswell, Vol. III. Diss. xxxix. p. 89.] 12--.9. INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS. enters the temple, and casts out of it those that make merchandise therein. He overthrows the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those selling doves; and will not allow any burden to be carried through the temple. Mt. xxi. 13. Mk. xi. 17. Lu. xix. 46. Jesus claims the temple for the Lord, to be used, according to the original intention, as a place of prayer for all nations. He charges the Jewish priesthood, &c., with making it a den of thieves.' - xi. 18, .9. - xix. 47,.8. The chief priests, scribes, and chief of the people, hearing the daytime they are prevented by his being surthe saying of Jesus, are eager to destroy him; but in rounded by those who hang upon his discourse; and in the evening he goes out of the city. In the way from Bethany to Jerusalem. MARK Xi. 12-.4. "And on-the morrow, when-they-were-come from Bethany,d he-was-hungry: 12 13 he-came, if haply he-might-find any-thing thereon and when-he-came to it, he-found nothing but leaves; for the-time kaipos of-figs was not-yet. And Jesus answered and-said unto-it, 14 ILLUSTRATIONS. Mt. xxi. 19. a fig tree-see the parable of the fig tree, to which the owner came three successive years seeking fruit and finding none; and which, before being cut down, was given a fourth and last season of trial whether it would bring forth fruit, Lu. xiii. 6-9, § 61, p. 174-That parable was spoken immediately after warning the Jewish nation of their destruction, if they repented not; types of which approaching destruction had just been given, through the fall of a tower in Siloam, and in the Roman governor's mixing the blood of Galilæans with their sacrifices in the temple, ver. 1-5, § ib., p. 173shortly after which Jesus pathetically contemplates the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and desolation of the temple, ver. 34, .5, § 66, p. 179. Mk. xi. 13. nothing but leaves-Our first parents, with fig leaves, attempted to hide their nakedness p. 357. after they had sinned, Ge. iii. 7 The efforts of the Jews to conceal their nakedness were equally vain-see our Lord's exposure of their hypocrisy, Mt. xxiii. 13-33, § 85, p. 315-It is predicted, 2 Ti. iii. 1, 5, that in the last days' shall be men having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: and from whom it is the duty of the man of God to turn away.'-Of certain teachers who are, like Cain, hating their brother; like Balaam, hired to curse the people of God; like Core, are opposed to those whose call is from God, it is said, Jude 12, .3, These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.' NOTES. Mt. xxi. 18. In the morning as he returned into the city. Jesus' custom was to retire from Jerusalem in the evening, and to teach in the temple during the day. See ver. 17, p. 266, and comp. Lu. xxi. 37, § 86, Mk. xi. 13. A fig tree. Fig trees were common in the neighbourhood of Bethany, Bethphage, and the mount of Olives, and around Jerusalem. This may have been more flourishing, and have given greater promise of fruit, than the rest. The fig tree seldom rises above twelve feet; has many spreading branches; large dark-green leaves; and the fruit, which is of a purplish colour, contains a soft, sweet, and fragrant pulp, mixed with small seeds. In Judea it produces two crops of fruit; and sometimes fruit is found on it all the year round. Having leaves. It is the nature of the fig tree to put forth its fruit before the leaves. He came, if haply, &c. The sense appears to be, Jesus approached the tree, as one in doubt whether he should find ripe fruit upon it. the state of the Jewish people: they made a profession of serving God; they considered themselves alone to be the people of God, and despised all others. Our Lord had called them hypocrites, having nothing of religion but vain profession; they were profuse in outward shew; they had leaves but no fruit. This The time of figs was not yet. i. e., the time of gathering had not come.-See on 'having leaves,' supra. [Mt. xxi. 19. Let no fruit grow on thee, &c. action was emblematical; according to the usual custom of the sages of the East to express things by symbolical actions. It was also prophetic. Our Lord intended to prove that his power to punish the disobedient was as great as that to confer benefits. It was, moreover, to prefigure the destruction of the perverse Jews, because in the time of fruits they had borne none-see ver. 33, 41, [§ 84, pp. 286, ..9;] and, likewise, to read a very important lesson to all his disciples of every age that if the opportunities God gives for approving themselves virtuous be neglected, nought will remain but to be withered by the fiat which shall consign them to everlasting destruction.' He found nothing but leaves. The tree symbolized-Bloomf.] The incident respecting the fig tree having transpired on the way from Bethany to Jerusalem before, rather than after, the first hour of the day, the arrival at the temple would take place rather after that hour than before it.'-Greswell. VOL. 11.] DEPART FROM EVIL, AND DO GOOD;-Psa. xxxvii. 27. [275 MERE PROFESSION WITHOUT CORRESPONDENT FRUIT WILL NOT SATISFY THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE. ERE THE SEASON OF FRUIT BE PAST, LET US PRAYERFULLY SEEK TO ESCAPE THE CURSE OF UNFRUITFULNESS. MATT. xxi. 20-.2. Let-no fruit-grow on yevnтai eis thee henceforward for ever. MARK Xi. 14. And his disciples heard it.f And presently the fig-tree withered-away. 20, And whenthe disciples-saw it, they-marvelled, saying, How soon is-the 21 fig-tree-withered-away! Jesus answered and-said unto-them, Verily I-say unto-you, If ye-have faith, and doubt not, yeshall-not only-do this which is done to-the fig-tree, but also if ye-shall-say unto-this mountain, Be-thou-removed, and be22 thou-cast into the sea; it-shall-be-done. And all-things, whatsoever ye-shall-ask in prayer, believing ye-shall-receive. [Ver. 23, lxxxiv. p. 282.] Jesus drives MATT. xxi. 12, .3.* (Ver. 11, lxxxii. p. 265.) 12 And Jesus went into the LUKE xix. 45-.8. (Ver. 44,2 lxxxii. p. 265.) And he-went into the 45 out the money-changers, &c., from the temple. Mk. xi. 13. No man eat fruit, &c.-That people can scarcely be expected to prove profitable to others who refuse to bring forth fruit unto God; they are like the evil figs, a curse wherever they come, until they are consumed, Je. xxiv. 8-10, And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: 9, and I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. 10, And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.'-When Israel bring forth fruit unto God, the promise will be realized, Eze. xxxiv. 26, And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.' Mt. xxi. 21. If ye have faith, &c.-see Mk. xi. 22, § 81, p. 281, Have faith in God.'-Jesus had before said to his disciples, Mt. xvii. 20, § 51, p. 61, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,' &c.-see also Lu. xvii. 5, 6, § 70, p. 207, If ye had faith,' &c. and doubt not-Ja. i. 6-8, 'But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7, For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. 8, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.' this mountain-When Jesus before used this expression, ch. xvii. 20, § 51, p. 61, he is supposed to have been in the neighbourhood of Hermon, the meaning of which name is 'desolate;' and which neighbourhood had been remarkable for idolatry— see on Cæsarea Philippi,' § 50, p. 35-As being on his return from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus was now on another mountain remarkable for idolatry, 1 Ki. xi. 6, 7, And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.'-It is called the mount of offence; or as the translation is, 2 Ki. xxiii. 13, the mount of corruption'-It is probable that it was to this, as being the mount of offence, that our Lord referred when he spoke of faith as removing it, Mt. xxi. 22. We are to endeavour to cast from us whatever causes a brother to stumble-it were better for a man that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea,' than that he should offend one of Christ's little ones, ch. xviii. 6, § 52, p. 82-There is a striking resemblance forgiveness, in his discourse respecting offences, between what our Lord says, regarding prayer and ver. 19, 35, pp. 83, .5, and what he says when again speaking of removing this mountain,' the mount of offence, Mk. xi. 23-.6, § 84, p. 282. cast into the sea-Faith is successfully to plead the promise, Mi. vii. 19, He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." 22. whatsoever ye shall ask-It is in connection with an exhortation to fruitfulness that a like proNOTES. Mt. xxi. 20. And presently the fig tree withered away. The fig tree began to wither immediately, and Jesus and his disciples the next morning, found it 'dried up from the roots,' Mk. xi. 20, § 84, p. 281. The effect ensued before their eyes; they, according to St. Mark, heard what had been said; and, according to St. Matthew, they saw what was done by it.See ADDENDA, p. 279, infra, col. 2, par. 2. 21. If ye have faith, and doubt not. If ye have faith without having any doubt in your hearts, that the power of God will be present with you.-Comp. Mk. xi. 22, .3, § 84, p. 281.-See on Lu. xvii. 5, 6, § 70, p. 207. PRACTICAL [The surprise of the twelve being known to our Saviour, not merely as it was expressed, but as it was caused, he founded such reflections upon it, either for their admonition in particular, or for that of others in general, as were appropriate and pertinent to the occasion.'-Greswell.] If ye shall say unto this mountain, &c. So many of the rabbins are termed 'rooters up of mountains, because they were dexterous in removing difficulties, solving cases of conscience, &c. 22. Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, &c.-See on Mt. xvii. 21, § 51, p. 61. REFLECTIONS. 21 ver. The greatest opposition to the progress of Divine truth, that which casts the most darkening shade upon the spiritual temple, is the barrenness of professing believers. This is a mount of offence. 22 ver. Let us seek that we may be enabled to pray in the Spirit, and with the understanding also; that so we may pray with enlightened faith, according to the will of God. [Mt. xxi. 20. How truly has the curse been fulfilled upon the Jewish people! From the moment the words of Christ were uttered, the Jews have been as profitless to others as they were previously to God; nor until they bring forth fruit unto God, can we expect them to bring a blessing upon the commonwealth with which they may happen to be connected. Neither let any man expect to receive fruit from a hypocritical priesthood.]-And see margin. Christ's cursing the barren fig tree was a striking symbolical sign of the mere leafy state of the Jewish church, bearing no fruits to the Divine glory, and its approaching destruction by the axe of the Romans; but it remains also as a warning to every fruitless professor, who, if he abide not by true faith in Christ, is no more than a useless branch or a withered tree, and must at last be hewn down by the axe of Divine justice, and cast into the fire. *St. Matthew anticipated the time of the cleansing of the temple.'-Greswell.-See ADDENDA, p. 279. 276] THOU HAST NOT CALLED UPON ME, O JACOB;-Isa. xliii. 22. [VOL. II. LET THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST HEAR AND FEAR; LET THEM MARK THE WORDS OF GOD, AND WATCH HIS HAND. LET US PRAY THAT THE LORD MAY CLEANSE US FROM THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, AND ALL UNGODLINESS. mise is given, Jno. xv. 7, 8, § 87, p. 388, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.'-It is when the Church. hath become truly fruitful before God, and hath shaken herself clear from the defilement of idolatry; it is when the Bride hath made herself ready, that she shall be fully successful in prayer, and be given the marriage supper of the Lamb, Rev. xix. 6-9, LUKE Xix. 45. and-began to-cast-out them and them-that-bought; not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5, Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6, And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall conuntil he be taken out of the way. 8, And then shall sume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9, even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.'-Mal. iii. 1, 2, The LORD ... shall suddenly come to his temple,... But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' sope:' Mt. xxi. 12. temple of God-This it was professedly; and accordingly God of old remonstrated with the Jews, saying, Je. vii. 8-11, Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9, Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10, and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? 11, Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.'-The Christian church, consisting of all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,' 1 Co. i. 2, is called 'the money-changers-It had been appointed under the temple of God,' iii. 16, .7, Know ye not that ye are law, that those who came with their tithes from a the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwell- distance might bring the same in money to the place eth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, of sacrifice, and there expend the money upon whathim shall God destroy; for the temple of God is soever they thought best, De. xiv. 24-7-Under the holy, which temple ye are.'-The defilement of this pretence of accommodating such persons, moneytemple of God is again adverted to, 2 Th. ii.-At the changers may have fixed themselves in the courts of second coming of Christ, the destruction of the man the temple-see also NOTE, § 12, p. 81-There were of sin who has made use of, or rather abused, the other money-changers connected with the temple, Mic. iii. 11. house of God as if it were his own, will be exposed to shame, as truly as were the chief priests and scribes doves-used in the offerings of the poor, Lev. xiv. when Christ visited the temple at his first advent-21, .2-see Mary's offering, Lu. ii. 24, § 4, p. 24-they and accordingly the apostle argues, ver. 3-10, 'Let seem to have made the place a common market for no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall these-see Jno. ii. 16, § 12, p. 81. NOTES. Mt. xxi. 12. Went into the temple of God, and cast out, &c. This was the day after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.-See ADDENDA, On the day of our Lord's procession to Jerusalem,' p. 272; also p. 279, infra. The temple of God. To lepóv. A general name for the whole edifice, with all its courts: as distinguished from the vas, or temple, properly so called; which comprehended only the vestibule, the sanctuary, and the holy of holies. The outer court of the temple, or the court of the Gentiles, where the Gentile proselytes performed their devotions, was sufficiently spacious to admit not only of shops, but also of oxen, sheep, &c.; which were regularly brought thither and sold for sacrifices. [Cast out. 'None but a prophet of acknowledged dignity, none perhaps at this period of Jewish history but the Messiah himself, could lay claim to, or exert as his own, such a jurisdiction as this; and by asserting his right to this, our Lord virtually asserted himself to be the Messiah. The propriety of such an avowal at the outset of his ministry is undeniable, and a little reflection will shew that it would be equally well timed at its close.'-Greswell, Vol. III. Diss. xxxix. pp. 104, ..5.] Money-changers. * κολλυβιστῶν, from κόλλυβος, α petty coin, signifies those who exchanged foreign coin into Jewish, or the larger into the smaller coin, for the convenience of the purchasers of the commodities sold in the temple. These ovßioral, or, as they are elsewhere called, KepuаTIOтal, may be paralleled with our money-brokers.' - Bloomƒ. A small premium, which amounted to one-forty-eighth of the whole sum, was supposed to be exacted from those whom the money-changers obliged. This fee was called Kolbon.-See on Juo. ii. 14, § 12, p. 81. Sold doves. These were chiefly the offerings of the poor. See on Jno. ii. 14, § ib., SCRIP. ILLUS. This traffic, under any pretence, within the courts of the temple, our Lord here publicly condemned. By their merchandise in the temple they robbed God of his due honour: but that traffic was only a shadow of something worse: the high priesthood itself having been made a matter of merchandise; and at the same time they defrauded their neighbours in their dealings with them. [Mk. xi. 16. Would not suffer. ... any vessel, &c. oxevos. This is usually understood to mean any vessel, namely, devoted to profane uses, and by which any gain was made. But the word, axvos, which in the Sept., corresponds to the Heb. 2, has, like that PRACTICAL REFLECTION. Mt. xxi. 12. Christ's driving the buyers and sellers | do harm; but there is a decision of conduct which out of the temple should teach us to exercise a holy we are here taught by Christ's example, which indignation against every corruption of God's wor- ought to be maintained for the preservation of its ship and church. Imprudent zeal may, however, purity. VOL. II.] THOU HAST BEEN WEARY OF ME, O ISRAEL.-Isa. xliii. 22. LET US EARNESTLY PRAY THAT WE MAY BE TEMPLES MEET FOR THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS TO INHABIT. [277 LET US WATCH, LEST OTHERS OCCUPY THAT TEMPLE OF THE HEART WHICH SHOULD BE SACRED TO GOD ALONE. and sought how they-might- f for they-feared him, because 19 And when even wascome, he-went out-of the city. SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. Mk. xi. 17. My house-The Jews regarded it as their house; and so it was left to them, Mt. xxiii. 38, § 85, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.' of all nations-At the consecration of the temple by Solomon, it was recognised as the place of prayer for all nations, 1 Ki. viii. 29, 41-.3-In Ps. xciii., which declares the Lord to be King over all, it is said in conclusion, ver. 5, Holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.'-The words quoted by our Saviour are from Is. lvi. 7, Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.' a den of thieves-Jer. vii. 11-see before on 'temple of God,' Mt. xxi. 12, supra, p. 277-They were in the state described by the prophet, Is. i. 21-.3, How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of "And he-taught daily 47 in the temple. But the chiefpriests and the scribes and the chief of-the people sought todestroy him, and could-not-find 48 what they-might-do:/ for all the people were-very-attentive ε EXPEμATO to-hear him.4 (Ch. xx. 1, 2 lxxxiv. p. 282.) judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now Lu. xix. 47. taught daily-see his answer to the word, a considerable latitude of signification, and denotes, as does the Latin vas, or instrumentum, a utensil, or piece of furniture, or article of dress; and, in a general sense, an article, whether for use or traffic. It may be said, indeed, that the very passing through it, without a burden, would make it a thoroughfare; but doing it with a burden was much worse; because carrying a burden had something slavish in it. So Josephus, Bell. ii. 8, 9, tells us that the Essenes so rigidly observed the Sabbath, as οὐδὲ σκευός τι μετακινήσαι. The irregularities which our Lord rebukes had, it is supposed, originated in, or been increased by, the proximity of the Castle of Antonia; to which there would be a constant resort of various persons (see Josephus, B. J. i. 3, 5), and we may imagine that the priests, having an interest therein, connived at them.'-Bloomf. are placed in the church of Christ to serve souls, and do it not, and they who enjoy the revenues of the church, and neglect the service of it, are thieves and robbers in more senses than one. ['Avarice, covered with the veil of religion, is one of those things on which Christ looks with the greatest indignation in his church. Merchandise of holy things, simoniacal presentations, fraudulent exchanges, a mercenary spirit in sacred functions; ecclesiastical employments obtained by flattery, service, or attendance, or by anything which is instead of money; collations, nominations, and elections, made through any other motive than the glory of God; these are all fatal and damnable profanations, of which those in the temple were only a shadow.'Greswell.] Lu. xix. 48. Could not find, &c. Were not able to accomplish their purpose: they did not know how to bring it about. Very attentive. Eexpéμaтo avтov år. Hung on his words,' i.e., heard him with deep interest. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. Mt. xxi. 13. A den of thieves. In the original, a den of robbers,' or plunderers,' a place for those who lay in wait to practise extortion, and make dishonest gain in their merchandise. A proverbial expression for a harbour of wicked men. They who [Mk. xi. 16. Let not the church be a thoroughfare for the world-a place of bearing heavy burdens grievous to be borne: soon may it be that wherein all the nations of the earth do meet as in the house of their common Father.] 17 ver. It is the will of God that not only individuals and families, but that states, that nations as such, yea, that all nations' should recognise his sovereignty and together worship at his footstool. [The temple of God cannot be what it was originally designed, an house of prayer' for all nations, unti: 278] it cease to be a den of thieves.' Let us pray and 47, .8 ver. How awful the state of a people, when it is only the fear of the multitude which prevents, or rather partially restrains, the authorized teachers and ministers of religion from persecuting unto death the true witnesses for God! THE WICKED WATCHETH THE RIGHTEOUS,-Psa. xxxvii. 32. VOL. II. WERE CHRIST NOW TO ENTER INTO HIS CHURCHES, WOULD HE FIND NO BUYERS AND SELLERS TO DRIVE OUT? |