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This view of the miracle does not interfere with its more essential character, that of its being wrought in evidence of his divine power, at a critical season, when his followers were amazed and staggered at his continuing his progress steadily to Jerusalem. Nor again does it prevent us from considering it as an act of mercy too towards the bodily affliction of Bartimæus. It was doubtless more than an act of mercy to him; it was a reward and strengthening of his faith-faith the more truly Christian, because his calamity had precluded him from witnessing the miracles of Jesus.. Notwithstanding his blindness, he had gathered the report of them, and so devoutly, and humbly, and candidly had he pondered on them, and on all he heard of the marvellous person who wrought them, that he recognized in him the Son of David.

Both as evidence, and also as symbolical instruction then, this miracle was very needful for the apostles in their then circumstances; and besides these uses, the character of Bartimæus's faith might have furnished no slight additional instruction. He, like them, acknowledged in their

See ver. 32. and John xi. 8.

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Master-the Son of David-the heir of the approaching kingdom; but he did not ask the monarch whose notice he had attracted for lands, houses, and bounty. No; as if purposely to set Bartimæus's disposition in contrast with the request of James and John, and the unexpressed feelings of the other apostles; Christ, instead of asking him if he believed, bade him tell him what it was he petitioned for. What wilt thou that I should do for thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight." Whether the afflicted believer himself intended by the expression the removal of more than literal blindness, may be doubted; but the answer may have been no less serviceable, as conveying a suggestion of that need to the apostles, by way of reproof to them.

And with respect to Bartimæus himself too, there might have been more than the mere natural desire of enjoying the use of his eyes, which prompted his application, and which called forth the approbation of Christ on his faith. Hitherto resting his belief on the report of others,

1 Τί θέλεις ποιήσω σοι; It is incorrectly rendered in our version, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?

connected with his own knowledge of Scripture, the feeling of his heart, when he exclaimed, "that I might receive my sight," might have been like that of good Simeon's-a longing to satisfy himself more perfectly, by the evidence of sight, of that which he had hitherto otherwise proved-a longing to see the Messiah. Having recovered the use of his eyes, he could not, it would seem, leave Jesus. He followed him to look on him as well as to hear him. On his heart, if not on his lips, was surely Simeon's prayer of thanksgiving, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.'

* Luke ii. 29, 30.

CHAPTER XI.

CHRIST'S ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM.

Ver. 1-10.

And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the cold tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosannah in the highest.

CHRIST's entrance into Jerusalem is declared by St. Matthew, in his narrative of the event, to have been a fulfilment of a prophecy, and by reference to that prophecy it must be explained. Before referring however to the passage of Zechariah, which contains the prediction in question", one general remark may be useful on the character of the prophecies which relate to Christ. They will be found on examination to fall under one of the three following heads. I. Prophecies in which the event was simply to correspond with the literal assertion; as that Bethlehem was to be the place of his birth. II. Prophecies in which the assertion was to be fulfilled only figuratively; of this kind are the predictions that he should reign, be a conqueror, and many others. III. Prophecies which were to be fulfilled both literally and figuratively. To this head belong all those of Isaiah respecting his opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping the ears of the deaf, and performing other miracles, which were symbolical of Christ's ministry as well as evidence of his divine mission.

a Zechariah ix. 9.

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