finedst thyself, and therein, above all the rest, three cities, Nazareth, Capernaum, Jerusalem, on whom thou bestowedst the most time and cost of preaching, and miraculous works: yet in all three thou receivedst not strange entertainment only, but hostile. In Nazareth they would have cast thee down headlong from the mount; in Capernaum they would have bound thee; in Jerusalem they crucified thee at last, and now are amazed at thy presence. Those places and persons that have the greatest helps and privileges afforded them, are not always the most answerable in the return of their thankfulness. Christ's being amongst us, doth not make us happy, but his welcome. Every day may we hear him in our streets, and yet be as new to seek as these citizens of Jerusalem; "Who is this ?"

Was it a question of applause, or of contempt, or of ignorance? Applause of his abettors, contempt of the Scribes and Pharisees, ignorance of the multitude. Surely his abettors had not been moved at this sight; the Scribes and Pharisees had rather envied than contemned; the multitude, doubtless, inquired seriously, out of a desire of information. Not that the citizens of Jerusalem knew not Christ, who was so ordinary a guest, so noted a prophet amongst them. Questionless, this question was asked of that part of the train which went before this triumph, while our Saviour was not yet in sight, which, ere long, his presence had resolved. It had been their duty to have known, to have attended Christ, yea, to have published him to others: since this is not done, it is well yet that they spend their breath in an inquiry. No doubt there were many that would not so much as leave their shop-board, and step to their doors, or their windows, to say, "Who is this?" as not thinking it could concern them who passed by, while they might sit still. Those Greeks were in some way too good, that could say to Philip, "We would see Jesus." O Saviour, thou hast been so long amongst us, that it is our just shame if we know thee not. If we have been slack hitherto, let our zealous inquiry make amends for our neglect. Let outward pomp and worldly glory draw the hearts and tongues of carnal men after them; O let it be my care and happiness, to ask after nothing but thee.

"The

The attending disciples could not be to seek for an answer; which of the prophets have not put it into their mouths, "Who is this?" Ask Moses, and he shall tell you, "The seed of the woman that shall break the serpent's head." Ask our father Jacob, and he shall tell you, "The Shiloh of the tribe of Judah." Ask David, and he shall tell you, King of glory." Ask Isaiah, he shall tell you," Immanuel, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Ask Jeremiah, and he shall tell you, "The Righteous Branch." Ask Daniel, he shall tell you, "The Messiah." Ask John the Baptist, he shall tell you, "The Lamb of God." If ye ask the God of the prophets, he hath told you, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Yea, if all these be too good for you to consult with, the devils themselves have been forced to say, "I know who thou art, even that Holy One of God." On no side hath Christ left himself without a testimony; and accordingly the multitude here have their answer ready, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee."

Ye undervalue your Master, O ye well-meaning followers of Christ: "A prophet, yea, more than a prophet!" John Baptist was so, yet was

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but the harbinger of this Messiah. This was that God by whom the prophets were both sent and inspired. "Of Nazareth," say you? ye mistake him: Bethlehem was the place of his birth, the proof of his tribe, the evidence of his Messiahship. If Nazareth were honoured by his preaching, there was no reason he should be dishonoured by Nazareth. No doubt, he whom you confessed, pardoned the error of your confession. Ye spake but according to the common style. The two disciples in their walk to Emmaus, after the death and resurrection of Christ, gave him no other title. This belief passed current with the people, and thus high, even the vulgar thoughts could then rise: and, no doubt, even thus much was for that time very acceptable to the Father of mercies. If we make profession of the truth according to our knowledge, though there be much imperfection in our apprehension and delivery, the mercy of our good God takes it well; not judging us for what we have not, but accepting us in what we have. Shouldst thou, O God, stand strictly upon the punctual degrees of knowledge, how wide would it go with millions of souls! for, besides much error in many, there is more ignorance. But herein do we justly magnify and adore thy goodness, that, where thou findest diligent endeavour of better information, matched with an honest simplicity of heart, thou passest by our unwilling defects, and crownest our well-meant confessions.

But O the wonderful hand of God, in the carriage of this whole business! The people proclaimed Christ first a king, and now they proclaim him a prophet. Why did not the Roman bands run into arms upon the one? why did not the Scribes and Pharisees, and the envious priesthood, mutiny upon the other? They had made decrees against him, they had laid wait for him; yet now he passes in state through their streets, acclaimed both a King and a Prophet, without their reluctation. What can we impute this unto, but to the powerful and overruling arm of his Godhead? He that restrained the rage of Herod and his courtiers, upon the first news of a king born, now restrains all the opposite powers of Jerusalem, from lifting up a finger against this last and public avouchment of the regal and prophetical office of Christ. When flesh and blood have done their worst, they can be but such as he will make them. If the legions of hell combine with the potentates of the earth, they cannot go beyond the reach of their tether. Whether they rise or sit still, they shall, by an insensible ordination, perform that will of the Almighty which they least think of, and most oppose.

With this humble pomp and just acclamation, O Saviour, dost thou pass through the streets of Jerusalem to the temple. Thy first walk was not to Herod's palace, or to the market places or burses of that populous city, but to the temple; whether it were out of duty, or out of need: as a good son, when he comes from far, his first alighting is at his father's house; neither would he think it other than preposterous to visit strangers before his friends, or friends before his Father. Besides that the temple had more use of thy presence; both there was the most disorder, and from thence, as from a corrupt spring, it issued forth into all the channels of Jerusalem. A wise physician inquires first into the state of the head, heart, liver, stomach, the vital and chief parts, ere he asks after the petty symptoms of the meaner and less-concerning members. Surely all good or evil begins at the temple. If God have there his own, if men

find there nothing but wholesome instruction, holy example, the commonwealth cannot want some happy tincture of piety, devotion, sanctimony; as that fragrant perfume from Aaron's head sweetens his utmost skirts; contrarily, the distempers of the temple cannot but affect the secular state. As, therefore, the good husbandman, when he sees the leaves grow yellow, and the branches unthriving, looks presently to the root; so didst thou, O holy Saviour, upon sight of the disorders spread over Jerusalem and Judea, address thyself to the rectifying of the temple.

No sooner is Christ alighted at the gate of the outer court of his Father's house, than he falls to work: reformation was his errand; that he roundly attempts. That holy ground was profaned by sacrilegious barterings: within the third court of that sacred place was a public mart held; here was a throng of buyers and sellers, though not of all commodities; the Jews were not so irreligious, only of those things which were for the use of sacrifice. The Israelites came many of them from far; it was no less from Dan to Beersheba than the space of a hundred and threescore miles; neither could it be without much inconvenience for them to bring their bullocks, sheep, goats, lambs, meal, oil, and such other holy provision with them up to Jerusalem: order was taken by the priests, that these might, for money, be had close by the altar, to the ease of the offerer, and for the benefit of the seller, and perhaps no disprofit to themselves. The pretence was fair, the practice unsufferable. The great Owner of the temple comes to vindicate the reputation and rights of his own house; and, in an indignation at that so foul abuse, lays fiercely about him, and, with his three-stinged scourge, whips out those sacrilegious chapmen, casts down their tables, throws away their baskets, scatters their heaps, and sends away their customers with smart and horror.

With what fear and astonishment did the repining offenders look upon so unexpected a justicer, while their conscience lashed them more than those cords, and the terror of that meek chastiser more affrighted them than his blows! Is this that mild and gentle Saviour that came to take upon him our stripes, and to undergo the chastisements of our peace? Is this that quiet Lamb, which before his shearers openeth not his mouth? See now how his eyes sparkle with holy anger, and dart forth beams of indignation in the faces of these guilty Collybists: see how his hands deal strokes and ruin. Yea, thus, thus it became thee, O thou gracious Redeemer of men, to let the world see that thou hast not lost thy justice in thy mercy; that there is not more lenity in thy forbearances, than rigour in thy just severity; that thou canst thunder, as well as shine.

This was not thy first act of this kind; at the entrance of thy public work thou begannest so, as thou now shuttest up, with purging thine house. Once before had these offenders been whipped out of that holy place, which now they dare again defile. Shame and smart is not enough to reclaim obdured offenders. Gainful sins are not easily checked, but less easily mastered. These bold flies, where they are beaten off, will alight again: "He that is filthy, will be filthy still."

Oft yet had our Saviour been, besides this, in the temple, and often had seen the same disorder; he doth not think fit to be always whipping. It was enough thus twice to admonish and chastise them before their ruin. That God who hates sin always, will not chide always, and strikes more

seldom; but he would have those few strokes perpetual monitors; and if those prevail not, he smites but once. It is his uniform course, first the whip, and, if that speed not, then the sword.

There is a reverence due to God's house for the Owner's sake, for the service's sake. Secular and profane actions are not for that sacred roof, much less uncivil and beastly. What but holiness can become that place which is the "beauty of holiness ?"

The fairest pretences cannot bear out a sin with God. Never could there be more plausible colours cast upon any act; the convenience, the necessity of provisions for the sacrifice: yet through all these do the fiery eyes of our Saviour see the foul covetousness of the priests, the fraud of the money-changers, the intolerable abuse of the temple. Common eyes may be cheated with easy pretexts; but he that looks through the heart at the face, justly answers our apologies with scourges.

None but the hand of public authority must reform the abuses of the temple. If all be out of course there, no man is barred from sorrow; the grief may reach to all, the power of reformation only to those whom it concerneth. It was but a just question, though ill propounded, to Moses, “Who made thee a judge or a ruler?" We must all imitate the zeal of our Saviour; we may not imitate his correction. If we strike uncalled, we are justly stricken for our arrogation, for our presumption. A tumultuary remedy may prove a medicine worse than the disease.

But what shall I say of so sharp and imperious an act from so meek an agent? Why did not the priests and Levites, whose this gain partly was, abet these money-changers, and make head against Christ? why did not those multitudes of men stand upon their defence, and wrest that whip out of the hand of a seemingly weak and unarmed prophet? but instead thereof run away like sheep from before him, not daring to abide his presence, though his hand had been still? Surely had these men been so many armies, yea, so many legions of devils, when God will astonish and chase them, they cannot have the power to stand and resist. How easy is it for him that made the heart, to put either terror or courage into it at pleasure! O Saviour, it was none of thy least miracles, that thou didst thus drive out a world of able offenders, in spite of their gain and stomachful resolutions! their very profit had no power to stay them against thy frowns. "Who hath resisted thy will ?" Men's hearts are not their own: they are, they must be such as their Maker will have them.

CONTEMPLATION XXVI-THE FIG.TREE CURSED.

WHEN in this state, our Saviour had rid through the streets of Jerusalem, that evening he lodged not there. Whether he would not, that, after so public an acclamation of the people, he might avoid all suspicion of plots or popularity (even unjust jealousies must be shunned, neither is there less wisdom in the prevention, than in the remedy of evils,) or whether he could not, for want of an invitation; hosanna was better cheap than an entertainment; and perhaps the envy of so stomached a reformation discouraged his hosts. However, he goes that evening sup

perless out of Jerusalem. O unthankful citizens ! do ye thus part with your no less meek than glorious King? His title was not more proclaimed in your streets than your own ingratitude. If he hath purged the temple, yet your hearts are foul. There is no wonder in men's unworthiness; there is more than wonder in thy mercy, O thou Saviour of men, that wouldst yet return thither where thou wert so palpably disregarded. If they gave thee not thy supper, thou givest them their breakfast: if thou mayest not spend the night with them, thou wilt with them spend the day. O love to unthankful souls, not discourageable by the most hateful indignities, by the basest repulses! What burden canst thou shrink under, who canst bear the weight of ingratitude?

Thou that givest food to all things living, art thyself hungry. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus kept not so poor a house, but that thou mightst have eaten something at Bethany. Whether thou hast outrun thine appetite, or whether on purpose thou forbarest repast, to give opportunity to thine ensuing miracle, I neither ask nor resolve. This was not the first time

that thou wast hungry. As thou wouldst be a man, so thou wouldst suffer those infirmities that belong to humanity. Thou camest to be our high-priest; it was thy act and intention, not only to intercede for thy people, but to transfer unto thyself, as their sins, so their weaknesses and complaints. Thou knowest to pity what thou hast felt. Are we pinched with want? we endure but what thou didst, we have reason to be patient; thou enduredst what we do, we have reason to be thankful. But what shall we say to this thine early hunger? it is privileged from excess, so from need; the stomach is not wont to The morning, as rise with the body. Surely, as thine occasions were, no season was exempted from thy want: thou hadst spent the day before in the holy labour of thy reformation; after a supperless departure, thou spentest the night in prayer; no meal refreshed thy toil. to forbear a morsel, or to break a sleep for thee, who didst thus neglect What do we think much thyself for us?

As if meat were no part of thy care, as if any thing would serve to stop the mouth of hunger, thy breakfast is expected from the next tree. A fig-tree grew by the wayside, full grown, well spread, thick-leaved, and such as might promise enough to a remote eye: thither thou camest to seek that which thou foundest not: and, not finding what thou soughtest, as displeased with thy disappointment, cursedst that plant which deluded thy hopes. Thy breath instantly blasted that deceitful tree; it did (no otherways than the whole world must needs do) wither and die with thy curse.

O Saviour, I had rather wonder at thine actions than discuss them. If I should say, that as a man, thou either knewest not, or consideredst not of this fruitlessness, it could no way prejudice thy divine omniscience; this infirmity were no worse than thy weariness or hunger: it was no more disparagement to thee to grow in knowledge than in stature; neither was it any more disgrace to thy perfect humanity, that thou as man, knewest not all things at once, than that thou wert not in thy childhood at thy full growth. But herein I doubt not to say, it is more likely thou camest purposely to this tree, knowing the barrenness of it answerable to the season, and fore-resolving the event, that thou mightst hence ground the occasion of so instructive a miracle; like as thou knewest