LUKE. CHAP. XIX. 5 And when Jefus came to the place, he looked up and faw him, and faid unto him, Zaccheus, make hafte, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made hafte, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they faw it, they all murmured, faying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a finner. 8 And Zaccheus ftood, and faid unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor: and if I have taken any thing from any man by falfe accufation, I reftore him four-fold. 9 And Jefus faid unto him, This day is falvation come to this houfe, forafmuch as he also is the fon of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to feek and to fave that which was loft. JOHN. by. Jefus being come to that place, lifting up his eyes, fpied Zaccheus in the Tree, and bid him immediatly come down, telling him that he defign'd to go home with him. Zaccheus forthwith obeyed, and received him joyfully. Now all that took notice of it, murmured against fefus, as if he had bin guilty of fome immoral Action, in permitting himself to be entertain'd by a Publican, which fort of men were generally decried for debauch'd Principles and fcandalous Lives. Zaccheus to wipe off the ftain they endeavour'd to fix on him, ftanding before fefus, faid aloud, Lord, I beftow the half of my Goods upon the Poor; and if I am guilty of any Extortion, I am ready to reftore four-fold; which was a voluntary offer of his, for the Law could not compel him. Jefus hereupon told him, that that day Salvation was come to him, and to his Family if they followed his example, fince it was evident he was to be accounted a Son of Abraham (the Father of the Faithful) who was capable of making fo generous a refolution from the hopes of reward in another World, tho he was not lineally defcended from him. Nor, faid he, did I enter into this Houfe without defign, fince I am come into the world on purpose to reclaim men from their errors, and. fet them right in the way to Salvation. The CHAP. XIX. 11 And as they heard these things, he added, and fpake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerufalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God fhould immediately appear. 12 He faid therefore, A certain noble man went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten fervants, and delivered them tens pounds, and faid unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him,, and fent a meffage after him, faying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to becalled unto him, to whom he had given the mony, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, faying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. JOHN. The Multitude having heard this, imagin'd that Jefus, when come to Jerufalem (from which they were not far) the Seat of their antient Kings, would publickly own his being the Meffiah, and take the Government of the Jewish Nation upon him. Jefus therefore fpake this Parable to them, from which it was not hard to infer that the Jews were not ready to receive the Kingdom of the Meffiah as they ought, nor prepared to make a right ufe of God's Benefits; nay, that they fhould oppofe the Meffiah, and bring most heavy Judgments upon their heads. The Son of a certain King who was obliged to do homage to a more powerful Potentate, took a Journy to his Court, to perform this condition, that at his return he might be own'd as undoubted Sovereign in his Kingdom. Mean while, he calls ten of his Servants to him, and divided ten Talents equally among them, commanding them to make what profit they could by them in his abfence. Whilft he was upon the road, fome: factious perfons fent Deputies to prefer an accufation against him, that fo they might get him laid afide. But the Prince having obtain'd his end, and being return'd, in the first place fent for thofe Servants in whofe hands he had left the ten Talents, to fee what advantage they had made of them. The first therefore that appeared, prefented to him ten Talents, the product of what he had gained by the manage ment. CHAP. XIX. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good fervant: because thou haft been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the fecond came, faying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he faid likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an auftere man: thou takeft up that thou layedft not down, and reapest that thou didst not fow. 22 And he faith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judg thee, thou wicked fervant. Thou kneweft that I was an auftere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not fow: 23 Wherefore then gaveft not thou my mony into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? JOHN. ment of the One he was intrufted with. The King, convinc'd of the man's Fidelity in this his Trial, not only publickly commended him, but reftor'd the ten Talents to him, and alfo made him Governour over ten Cities. Another came, and brought him five Talents, whom the King having likewife commended, made him Gover nour over five Cities. A third (not to mention the reft) came and offer'd the fingle Talent he had left with him, wrapt up in a Cloth, with this excufe; that he had bin afraid of making any venture with it by reafon of the many accidents in the way of Trade, and knowing withal that he was a fevere Exactor, and wont, according to the Proverb, to take up that which he had not depofited, aad reap what he had not fown. His Lord having heard him, replied, that he could convince him of his fault out of his own mouth; for fince he was fo well acquainted with his temper, he ought at leaft to have put it into fome Banker's hands, that at his return he might receive his own again with intereft; and then ordered the Talent to be taken from CHAP. XIX. 24 And he faid unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds: 25 (And they faid unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds) 26 For I fay unto you, That anto every one which hath, fhall be given and from him that hath not, even that he hath fhall be taken away from him. 27 But thofe mine enemies which would not that I fhould reign over them, bring hither, and flay them before me. JOHN. him, and given to him that had gain'd the ten. His Officers put him in mind that he had already bin munificently rewarded with the ten Talents, and that it would be more proper to bestow it on him that had none. But the King told them, that he would not alter his Decree, and that they who had made a right ufe of what they were intrufted with, fhould receive the more from him; but that he who abus'd, or made no ufe of what was left to his charge, fhould lofe that very thing which was given him upon thofe terms only. In this Parable Jefus fet forth the future ftate of the Jews who would not make a right ufe of God's Bounties to them, who would reject him, and not be convinc'd by any method of his being the Meffiah; for which reason they fhould hereafter be brought to a most strict account, and feverely punish'd by him in his Kingdom. Howbeit at that time none of the Jews hit upon the true meaning and defign of that Parable, CHAP. JOHN. CHA P. XI. 55 And the Jews paffover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerufalem before the paffover, to purifie themselves. 56 Then fought they for Jefus, and fpake among themselves, as they ftood in the temple What think ye, that he will not come to the feast ? 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharifees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he were, he should fhew it, that they might take him. СНАР. ХН. Jefus goes to Bethany, where Mary anoints bis Feet; from thence to Jerufalem riding on an Afs, and attended with the Acclamations of the People, at which the Pharifees are inrag'd. He drives the Traders out of the Temple, and cures the Sick. The Boys follow with their Acclamations, to the great vexation of the Sanhedrim. MEAN while the Paffover drawing near, which fell that year on the 25th of March, and the 5th day of the week, many were departed from that Country in which Jefus had bin laft, to Jerufalem, in order to purify themselves against the celebration of the Paffover. Thefe fought for Jefus at Jerufalem, and ask'd one another whether they thought he would come to the Feaft. Now the Sanhedrim had ordain'd, that if any knew where fefus was, they fhould difcover him to the Council, that he might be apprehended. Jefus nevertheless went on refolutely towards Jerufalem, and on the 19th of March arriv'd at Bethany where Lazarus dwelt, whom he had reftor'd to life. Here he was entertain'd by Martha and Mary; and Lazarus fat down at Table, while Martha attended on them. During the entertainment, Mary came |