Mark XI. 13. 314 Sect. 149. confiderable Distance, which had a fine Spread of Leaves upon it, and therefore appeared to be one of the earlier Kind, he went up to it, [to fee] if be could find any thing upon it to fatisfy his Hunger: And when he came to it, he found nothing upon it but Leaves only; for there was not fo much as any Fruit in the Bud; by which it plainly appeared, that tho' it looked fo beautiful, it was a barren Tree. Now it is to be observed, that our Lord turned out of the Way, because, as it was yet but early in the Summer, the Time of gathering Figs was not [yet] come (f); fo that As JESUS returns in the Morning from Bethany, had ing Leaves, he came [to it,] if haply he might find any thing thereon and when he came to it, he found nothing [thereon] but Leaves [only] for the Time of Figs was not yet. [MAT. XXI. 19.-] (f) The Time of Figs was not [yet] come.] I fhall not trouble the Reader with an Account of all the ftrange Solutions, which have been given to the Difficulty, which immediately arifes in the Mind on reading this Claufe; nor with the particular Reasons which may be offered against each. The best View of them all, that I can recollect, may be had by confulting Witfius, in his Meletemata; and I think the beft Solution may be feen in Mr. Hallet's Notes and Difcourfes, Vol. ii. pag. 114,-124. It is certain, as he has there proved from inconteftable Authority, and we have obferved elsewhere, (Note (b) on Luke vi. 1. Vol. i. pag. 304.) that the Climate of Judea being abundantly warmer than ours, the Paffover, tho' never later than April, commonly fell at the Beginning of their Harvest, i. e. of their Summer, which is there vehemently hot, not only in May, but in March and April; (in which laft this Paffover probably fell :) Compare Joh. iii. 15. iv. 19. v. 10, II. and 1 Chron. xii. 15. (See alfo Lev. xxiii. 15,-17. compared with Exod. ix. 31, 32. and Ruth ii. 23.) Now it is equally certain, that one, and that the most delicate Kind of Figs, was ripe in Judea at the Beginning of Summer (as we have a fine Sort in England which are ripe before our Harveft, having put out the Autumn before, and flood the whole Winter) See Hof. ix. 10. Mic. vii. 1. Neh. iii. 12. Jer. xxiv. 2. Cant. ii. 11,—13. and Isa. xxviii. 4. And the Fig-tree's opening its Leaves, which every Body knows do not appear till after the Fruit, is fpoken of as a Sign of approaching Summer, Mat. xxiv. 32. Our Lord therefore at this Time might well expect to find Fruit on this Tree, fince the Time of gathering even thefe early Figs was not yet come, which if it had, there would have been no Room for the Expectation, or the Curfe which followed it.. -That xaigos ounov does not fignify, as fome have fancied, a kindly Seafon for Figs, but the Time of gathering them in, I think the learned Bishop Kidder has abundantly proved. See his Demonftration of the Meffiah, S. ii. pag. 38, 39. Compare Mat. xxi. 34. Mark xii. 2. and Numb. xiii. 23. is true, this Interpretation of the Story, tho' incomparably eafier than any other I know, will require a Tranfpofition of the Claufe before us, as if it had been faid, He came, if baply he might find any thing thereon; for the Time of Figs was not yet; and when he came to it, he found nothing but Leaves. But no Interpretation whatever can make the laft Claufe, as we read it, a Reafon for what ftands immediately before it, that he found nothing but Leaves; for it is well known, that if our common Fig-trees have no young Figs on them in March or April, they can produce none that Year. None can deny another Tranfpofition of the like Kind, in the fame Evangelift, Mark xvi. 3, 4. both of them probably being occafioned by an accidental Interlineation in the Original, and a Miftake of fome early Tran fcriber, who did not bring in the interlined Claufe exactly in its due Place. See Inftances of the like Kind, Gen. xiii. 10. and Joh. xxii. 22.-And if with Heinfius, Knatchbull, and Gataker, we fhould here read inftead of, and render it, where he was it was the Seafon of Figs; we must admit of the fame Tranfpofition, and confequently should gain no Advantage at all, by a Verfion, which (as all learned Men know,) is very harfh, and attended with an Inelegancy and Impropriety, which this would be no proper Place to examine. -It (8) And 14 And Jefus answered and faid unto it, No Man for ever: [Let no Fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.] And his Difciples heard it; [and presently the Fig-tree withered away.] [MAT. XXI.-19.] eat Fruit of thee hereafter 315 proSect. 149. he fees a Fig-tree that had only Leaves, and curfes it. IMPROVEMENT. How of thing Mark XI. 14. OW evidently neceffary is the Operation of Divine Grace, to con- John xii. 37. quer the Prejudices of a finful Heart; fince even the Preaching of Chrift himself, inforced by all his ftupendous Miracles, could not overcome those Prejudices without it! And how cautious fhould Sinners be, that they do not stop their Ears to the joyful Sound of the Gospel, and fbut their Eyes against its glorious Light; left GOD fhould leave them to Ver. 38,-40. their own Delufions, and in his righteous Judgment feal them up under final Blindness and Impenitence! Then will they never be converted and bealed; but die with that Poifon in all the Faculties of their Souls, which will make them for ever reftlefs and miferable. Can we find Words fufficient to express the Madness of these Pharifees, Ver. 42. who, while they were in their Confciences convinced that Jefus was the Chrift, would not confefs that Conviction, and publickly pay their Homage to him, because they loved the Praise of Men more than the Praife of GOD? Ver. 43. Strange Infatuation of the Human Mind! that it fhould be capable of believing there is a GOD, and yet of preferring the Creatures before him; and should fometimes imagine the vain Breath of popular Applause, or popular Cenfure, fo confiderable, as that GOD fhould be offended, to please (g) And Jefus faid to it upon this Occafion.] It is plain, that in this Place this must be the Senfe of that Phrafe, Jefus answered and faid. Compare Note (f) on Mat. xi. 25. Vol. i. pag. 359. 316 Reflections on the Danger of an empty Profeffion. Sect. 149. please Man; and all the Honours and Rewards of his Heavenly Prefence loft, to fecure a little Regard from thofe, who are perifhing in their Crimes, and will e'er long be themselves the Objects of everlasting Shame and Contempt. Mark xi. 13, 14. May none of us ever indulge fuch a Temper, or ever rest in an empty Profeffion; left, being like the Fig-tree before us, which had Leaves, but no Fruit, the Curfe of Chrift fhould be pronounced upon us, which would Mat. xxi. immediately wither us amidst all our Verdure! Let us remember, that this was intended, as one of thofe fignificant Actions, by which the holy Meffengers of GoD frequently intimated approaching Judgments. Happy would it have been, if fome, instead of fearching out Objections against it, had feriously confidered its Design, and the fad Afpect with which it looks on those, who, like them, receive the Grace of GOD in vain! 19. 15. SECT. CL. CHRIST arriving at Jerufalem, vifits the Temple again; and after a repeated Effort to reform the continued Abuses there, difcourfes with the People in a Manner which farther exafperates the Priests; and in the Evening goes out of the City. Mark XI. 15,---19. John XII. 44, to the End. MARK XI. 15. Sect. 150, AN and (a) To drive out them that fold and bought in the Temple.], The Time when this was done is fixed by Mark to the Day after Jefus made his publick Entry into Jerufalem, and fo (as was obferved before, Note (c) on Mat. xxi. 12. pag. 299.) this must have been a different Fact from that related by Matthew, which he has introduced on the preceding Day, before the Shoutings of the Children. We have fuppofed it therefore to be repeated by our Lord; for as it is improbable, that he would not purge the Temple on the Day of his triumphant Entry, when Mark exprefsly fays, that he looked round about upon all Things; fo it is plainly intimated JESUS comes to Jerufalem, and again purges the Temple. and overthrew the Tables of the Money-changers, and the Seats of them that fold Doves; 16 And would not fuffer that any Man fhould carry any Veffel through the Temple. JOHN XII. 44. Jefus eried and faid, He that believeth on me, believeth not me.. of 16. 317 and overthrew the Tables of the Money-changers, Sect. 150. and alfo the Seats of them that fold Doves: Mark XI. And he permitted not that any one, for the Sake of fhortening his Way, fhould carry any Burthen, or any Kind of Vejel, thro' the Courts of the Temple; but ftrictly infifted on a due Reverence to it, as a Place that was entirely fet apart to And he taught 17 GOD's immediate Service. them at large the Evil of fuch Practices, faying to them, Is it not written, (as I obferved but Yefterday,) My Houfe fhall be called an House Prayer, and that not only for the Jews themfelves, but (as the Prophet fays,) for the Sons "of of the Stranger that join themselves to the Lord, or for those pious Profelytes, who from "all the neighbouring Nations fhall refort to it?" (Ifa. lvi. 6, 7.) But you have turned it to another Ufe, and made it in effect a Den of Robbers, by fuffering People here to carry on their Trades, and to profane the Place, in which the Gentiles are to worship GOD, by fcandalous Extortion and unlawful Gain. (Compare Mat. xxi. 12, 13. and Luke xix. 45, 46. pag. 299.) &C. 44. And then, as confiderable Numbers of People John XII. were now gathered about him, Jefus cried, or on me, but on him that fent proclaimed with a loud Voice, faying, Be it known unto you all, that in thefe extraordinary Steps which I take for the Reformation of Abuses, and the Vindication of GoD's House, I act by his own immediate Direction and Authority; and be that cordially believes in me, believeth not in me alone, but in him that fent me; and thereby does intimated here, that he did it after his Return from Bethany on the next Day.. Nor is it at all unlikely, that after Jefus was departed out of the City, there would be People enough, if it were only out of Oppofition to him, who would be ready to encourage the Traders, (fome of whom might, perhaps, be new Comers,) to return again to their Places. And Jefus therefore feems, (as Mr. Whifton has obferved,) to have afferted the Regard that was due to the Temple now, with more Severity and Exactnefs than he had done the Day before, not fuffering any one fo much as to carry a Veffel thro' the Temple; which is a Circumftance not mentioned either by Matthew or Luke, in their Account of the Tranfactions of the preceding Day. (See Sect. 147.) But I fee no Foundation at all for Mr. Whifton's Conjecture, that on the former Day Chrift drove them out of the Jews Court, and now out of that of the Gentiles; for it is no way probable, that the Traders were ever allowed to introduce their Wares into the Inner Court, for which the Jews had a peculiar Reverence. See. Mr. Whifton's View of the Harmony, pag. 131. and Dr. Whitby's Note on Mark xi. 17. (b) That 318 He tells them the Danger of not receiving his Word : Sect. 150. does an Honour to the Father himself. John XII. 45. And 45 And he that feeth me, be that fees me, and regards me with a lively feeth him that sent me. whereas he that fhuts his Eyes against me, 48 to 46 I am come a Light into the World, that whofoever believeth on me, fhould not abide in Darkness. 47 And if any Man hear my Words, and believe not, judge him not: for I came I not to judge the World, but to fave the World. 48 He that rejecteth me, hath one that judgeth him: and receiveth not my Words, the Word that I have spoken, the fame fhall judge him in the laft Day. (b) That very Word fhall judge him &c. oλogos or sanoa, exeivos xpives auler.] Our Lord by this Manner of fpeaking reprefents his Word as a Perfon, that fhould fit in Judgment upon Unbelievers at the Laft Day. (Compare Heb. iv. 12.) But I can fee no Ground for Mr. Fleming's Interpretation, (Christology, Vol. i. pag. 136.) who would render it, The Logos, which I have spoken of, fhall judge him; as if he had faid, "Tho' it is not my prefent Bu"finefs to do it, yet I have a Commiffion from my Father, which is hereafter to take Place, "when I fhall appear worthy of that great Name." I do not recollect, that our Lord had given himself the Title of Logos in any of his Difcourfes with the Jews; and therefore can fee no Reason to suppose fuch a Reference to it. |