which I shall simply put down as they are recorded. John xii, 23, 24, 27, 32; " And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.-Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.'

It is very observable that on the evening of this day, on which he had entered Jerusalem with a publicity he no longer avoided, and followed by acclamations on the part of the multitude the justice of which he defended; and after, as is stated, having publicly cured in the temple those who resorted to him, (expelling from it those who bought and sold there); at the close of this very day he withdraws to the neighbouring town of

The remark of St. John in the following verse: "This he said signifying what death he should die;" is obviously the remark of one who, at the time, had not understood the prophetic words, but perceived their meaning afterwards. It would appear as if our Lord had used at ver. 32, his familiar expression, "The Son of man;" for the people, (ver. 34), reply, "We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever: (Isaiah ix, 7): and how sayest thou the Son of man shall be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?"

Bethany for security; as appears by a comparison of the following passages: Matt. xxi, 17; " And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there." Mark xi, 11; "And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve." John xii, 36; "These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them."

Thus closed the fifth day before the Passover, answering to Palm-Sunday.

We have nearly the same observations to make on his conduct of the following day. He is stated then also to have exercised in the temple a degree of authority which could not but appear invidious, and was sure to increase his unpopularity with many: Mark xi, 15, 16, 17, 18; "And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him." In the evening, as before, he retires out of the city. Mark ib.

19.

The next morning, (answering to Tuesday in Passion-week), three days before the Passover, his principal enemies demand by what authority he thus conducted himself; (Mark xi, 27 sqq., and the parallel passages). He replies by proposing a dilemma concerning the mission of John the Baptist".

i

He adds a parable which sets before them in a very striking manner the ill-treatment and re

h This was not merely a dilemma, proposed in order to prove the inconsistency and unreasonableness of the conduct of the Jewish Hierarchy; but also because if they had acknowledged the authority of the Baptist, they must have recognised that of Jesus, to whom he bore testimony.

i Luke xx, 9, sqq.: and the corresponding places of St. Matt. and St. Mark.

The parable used of "a vineyard" was peculiarly apposite and easy to be understood by the Jews; having been in a manner consecrated to this subject, (not to mention other places), by the use of it in Isaiah v, 1—7: which passage forms, as it were, the groundwork of our Lord's parable, corresponding with it in some of the most important circumstances. We find, accordingly, that it was understood by the people at large, who cried out "God forbid:" when the destruction which was to follow their violence, and the loss of their inheritance were predicted. The party of the High Priests also are expressly said to have perceived that this parable was meant to prefigure the consequences of their animosity. Luke xx, 19.

jection of their prophets, and describes the final murder," without the vineyard'," of " the Son."

Lastly, he calls their attention very briefly to certain prophecies, (Isaiah viii, 14, 15; Psalm cxviii, 22, 23): both which places imply the rejection of him to whom they refer.

We may remark, by the way, that it is stated presently after, (see Matt. xxii, 15, sqq.), that his enemies, after a mutual consultation, endeavour to embroil him with the Roman governor, by proposing the well-known question respecting tribute paid to the emperor. They appear to have employed other persons, less obviously known to him, who preface their question by compliments to his courage and independence. It is observable that he avoids the snare, (by the justness indeed and wisdom of his answer -yet he still avoids it); possibly because, though he might have been brought by it to the same death which he had predicted he should suffer; yet it would not have been through the direct

1 The expression "out of the vineyard" is very observable, and has been preserved by all the three narrators, (slightly altered in St. Mark). It is best illustrated by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews xiii, 12, 13; "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach." Mount Calvary was without the city. Cf. Levit. xxiv, 14.

agency of the high priests; nor, it is probable, would it have taken place on the appropriate day, (that of the Passover); nor preceded by the same public and official rejection on the part of the Jewish Hierarchy. But this, by the way. After other attempts on the part of his enemies to entangle him in difficulties, he addresses to "the multitude and his disciples," (Matt. xxiii, 1), a discourse condemning in the strongest terms the hypocrisy and ignorance of the most influential party in the Jewish church. This in the most public place, the temple".

When predicting the destruction of the temple we find him speaking of himself as the Messiah in a manner the indirectness of which adds to its force: Matt. xxiv, 5; "Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ."

This indeed was manifestly, by this time, the

m In the course of this address we may observe that ver. 32, obliquely, but decidedly intimates the part His enemies the Pharisees would take against Him, in accordance with the ill-treatment of the prophets by their ancestors; and ver. 39 declares that he should speedily be removed from those who heard him. This it un

doubtedly asserts, whatever be the general sense of the passage. We may observe also that His approaching departure is implied by all those passages which contain injunctions to watch for his return: it is sufficient to allude to the parable of the ten Virgins, Matt. xxv, 1, sqq. and those which follow in the same chapter.

: