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Matthew xxi. 18---32.

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

Christ, after having spent the day at Jerusalem, retired at night to Bethany, a small village a little distance from it, and lodged there, at the house of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. In the morning he returns to the city, to pursue the work he had begun there.

19. And when he saw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever; and presently, immediately," the fig-tree withered

away.

By the Jewish law, which you have Deut. xxiii. 24, 25. a man, in passing through his neighbour's vineyard or corn-field, was allowed to eat as much of the grapes or the corn as he pleased; but to carry nothing away. By this law, which the Jews extended to all ripe fruits, Jesus was authorized to gather the figs of this tree, if there had been any. This blasting the tree was not the effect of passion and resentment, in conse quence of being disappointed, but intended to teach the disciples, and the Jews in general, a useful moral lesson: for it was usual with the prophets in the Old Testament to teach by action, as well as by words. Thus we find some of them ordering themselves to be smitten on the head; others, taking up horns of iron, or setting fetters of iron on their legs. By blasting the fig-tree, therefore, Christ probably intended to show the

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punishment which the nation of the Jews, who had been unfruitful under their late cultivation, had to expect. That this was the intention of Christ in working this miracle, seems likely from the nature of it, and likewise from the account which is given by the evangelist in the same chapter of two parables, which he spake about the same time to the Jews, and which he concludes with this remarkable application: "Therefore say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." This may serve as a key to our Saviour's meaning in his blasting the fig-tree, as well as in the two parables. The Jews were to be taught by this miracle, performed on the barren fig-tree, that they would be consigned over to destruction, to wither away as a nation, and to dry up from the roots. Considered in this view, the miracle conveyed a seasonable and useful warning to the Jews.

20. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered away!

21. Jesus answered and said unto them; Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree; but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done.

To enable a person to work a miracle was a high favour, which God did not think proper to confer upon any, except those who had a firm faith in his ability to perform it. For want of this faith the disciples were not able to cure a dæmoniac who was brought to them; but wherever there was a firm reliance on the divine omnipotence, there was no miraculous effect so extraordinary, Christ tells his disciples, that they would not be able to perform it. When he says that faith would

enable them to remove mountains, he used a hyperbolical expression; meaning thereby, that they would be able to do things which might appear as extraordinary as removing mountains; and not that they would be able to do it literally.

22.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, rather, "with faith," ye shall receive.

Whatever miracles you may desire to have performed, to establish your divine mission, or to excite the attention of mankind to your doctrine, shall be wrought, if your prayers be accompanied with a sufficient degree of faith in God. The subject of which Christ is here speaking is the power to work miracles; and therefore no inference can be drawn from his language, concerning the inclination of the Divine Being to grant to men whatever they may ask of him by prayer, in ordinary cases, as some have imagined. As praying to

God is here mentioned in connection with working miracles, it is probable that whenever a miracle was wrought, it was preceded by a short prayer, addressed by the person performing it to the Divine Being, requesting him to exert his power for the purpose desired. These are not noticed by the evangelist, because they were offered in silence; but in the case of Lazarus we find Christ addressing his heavenly Father publicly, saying, "I thank thee that thou hast heard me, and I know that thou hearest me always;" referring, probably, to his secret requests for power to work miracles in other instances.

23. And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people, the members of the Sanhedrim, came unto him, as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things, and who gave thee this authority?

The evangelist Mark tells us, xi. 18. that before they put these questions to Jesus they had taken counsel how they might kill him, because the people followed him, and they were alarmed for their own credit. These questions were therefore proposed with a view to find something in his language whereof to accuse him.---Hence we see the reason of our Lord's method of replying to them.

24. And Jesus answered, and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I, in likewise, will tell you by what authority I do these things.

Knowing their insidious design, and that they did not really want information upon the subject about which they enquired, he answers their question by asking another.

25. The baptism of John whence was it? from heaven or of men?

By the baptism of John we are not to understand any particular method of baptizing proselytes, peculiar to John; but his preaching and doctrine. Christ en

quires, whether they thought this came from heaven, i. e. from God, who resides in heaven; the palace, by a common figure, being put for the prince; or from men. We see then, to come from heaven, is the same thing as to come from God. This language will therefore serve to explain what is said of Christ's coming down from heaven; which signifies no more than that he received a commission from God; and not any real descent from heaven,

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, "from heaven," he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

Had they acknowledged that John received his com

mission from heaven, they must have confirmed their own guilt in rejecting his testimony: for John declared himself to be the forerunner of the Messiah, or of some distinguished prophet far superior to himself. To admit the truth and divine authority of the Baptist's testimony, was, therefore, to admit that Jesus was the Messiah: for there was no other person who had any pretensions to be the prophet to whom John referred." 26. But if we shall say, "of men," we fear the people: for all hold John as a prophet.

Had they publicly declared that John had no divine mission, they would be in danger of being stoned to death by the people, who all believed him to be a teacher sent from God. Under this dilemma they knew not what to say: in whatever way they answered, they found themselves obliged to make concessions which they were not willing to make.

27. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

The miracles which Jesus wrought were abundantly sufficient to satisfy every unprejudiced mind that he was supported by the authority of God; and no declaration of his own could have satisfied those who were not convinced by this evidence. The scribes and elders, therefore, who demanded his own declaration, could have done it only with a view to cavil, and were not entitled to any answer.

28. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.

29. He answered, and said, I will

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