went to Jesus on the road, and attempted to persuade him to put an end to the commotion. But he replied, "I tell you if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” After he had arrived in the Temple, and the very children, seeing his miracles and catching the feeling of the crowd, shouted "Hosanna to the son of David," the priests and scribes could not conceal their displeasure, and expressed it to him; "Hearest thou what these say?" Yea," answered he, "have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" Thus on all sides his malicious enemies were baffled. It was impossible for them, at such a moment, to execute their purpose.

Another occurrence was adapted still further to mortify them. Some Greeks, who, being probably proselytes to the Jewish faith, had come up to the festival, expressed to Philip a desire to be introduced to Jesus. They entertained the common expectations respecting the Messiah, and probably hoped, by attaching themselves to him, to share in the advantages of the kingdom, which, they judged from the events of the morning, was about being set up. Philip and Andrew made known to Jesus their request. Whether he granted it, and had an interview with the Greeks, is not said. But their request excited in his mind a strong image of the glory to which he was appointed,

and the sufferings through which he must reach it. The hour is come, said he, that the Son of man should be glorified. Not, however, by such glory as these Greeks expect, and which they desire to share. It is only through death that he is to obtain it, as the grain must perish in the earth, before it can bear fruit. And those who would share it, must be ready like him to give up life.

As he thus spoke, he became agitated with the thoughts of dreadful suffering which rushed upon his mind. The Evangelist has not concealed it, for he would have the disciples in all ages know that their Master felt his own trials, and could therefore sympathize with them in theirs. He utterance to his feelings. "Now is my gave soul troubled;-and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour!") It is uncertain whether these last words are to be considered as actually expressing a prayer, or whether they are simply a question;-Shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? In either case they strongly indicate the trouble of his soul. It was but momentary. He immediately checked it, and added, "But for this cause came I to this hour. Father, glorify thy name!" A voice from heaven immediately replied, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.' The bystanders were struck with surprise. Some thought it the voice of an angel, some said it only thundered. Jesus warned them

that it was a voice intended for them; that now all unbelief was inexcusable, and judgment would overtake those who should reject him. He was about to triumph over the powers of the world, and his very death should give him universal dominion. So naturally did his mind rise to magnificent thoughts, even when the image of his sufferings pressed upon him most heavily! But the people, who were wedded to their old notions and would not open their minds to any change, asked him how he could talk of dying if he were the Messiah; for they had been taught to believe that that person would abide forever. Jesus replied, that this was no moment for captious cavilling; they yet had the light and might use it; it would soon be withdrawn, and darkness and ruin might overtake them. He entreated them to walk by it while they possessed it.

То

Thus passed the first day of his final visit to Jerusalem. It began in acclamation and triumph. It saw him hailed by the multitudes of the people, and led in honor to the city and the Temple. the hopes of his followers, all was bright and prosperous. His enemies were silenced, the people were full of enthusiasm in his favor, the Temple was ringing with their hosannas, and even the Gentiles were crowding to do him homage. Whatever then he might have meant when he talked of suffering and death, it was plain to his

friends now, that no such evils were to be feared; and they were ready to congratulate themselves on the close of their toils and the fulfilment of 'their hopes. But the Messiah himself knew better. He saw that all this show of honor was founded in mistake, and that as soon as the actual truth should be known, it would be withdrawn. There was very little faith among the people, which would survive the disappointment of their present excited expectations. Many, it is true, even among the chief priests, secretly believed in him; but they would not acknowledge it, because they would then be excommunicated. All this he knew; therefore the delusive promises of the day did not move him. Above all, he knew that the great work of benevolence which he was sent by the Father to perform, could be accomplished only through his death. He had neither the thought nor the wish to shun it.

When the evening approached, he withdrew from the city with his disciples, and retired to Bethany. John says, "he did hide himself from them;" and we may suppose, that his object was to escape, for the present, both the pursuit of his enemies, and the unreasonable excitement of the people. He continued to seek this retirement every evening to the close of his life.

John xii. 37.

CHAPTER XVII.

EVENTS OF THE SECOND AND THIRD DAYS

VARIOUS DISCOURSES OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE-HIS PRO PHECY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

THE next day was Monday, and our Lord returned in the morning to Jerusalem. On his way thither, occurred one of the striking incidents, which contributed to give the present week so fearful a solemnity. Seeing a fig-tree at some distance, which had an appearance of bearing fruit, he went to it, but found none. In the hearing of his disciples, he commanded it to continue barren forever; and it withered away, so that the next morning it was observed by those who passed by it. This was a significant act, like some of those of the ancient prophets, designed as an emblematical representation of the decay which awaited the Jewish state in consequence of its unfaithfulness. It was putting in a visible form, if we may so say, the parable which he had before spoken, of the husbandman who had long looked in vain for fruit upon his tree, and therefore commanded it to be cut down.

On reaching the Temple, he now, as he had done at the last Passover, cleared its courts of the