184 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD Veg VegibVeg 1,&leglitVeg 1,51eg C II A P T E R XXVII. Jesus, being arrived at ,7ericko, giveth Sight to two blind Men near that Place: He uteth Zaccheus the Publican, and delivers the Parable of a Nobleman who left Money with his Servants to trade with in his Afence: The Rulers give Orders to apprehend him: Being arrived at Bethany, Mary anointeth his Feet: Judas mur- muretk at the Coft. CHRIST rideth into Jerufalem upon an Afs, amidit the Accla- mations of the Multitude, and weepeth over the City. üR Lord, with his difciples and the multitude that accompaniedhim, being now arrived at Jericho, in their way to Jerufalem, a famous city of Palefline, and the fecond in the kingdom. Near this town Jesus cured twoblind men, who fat by the road begging, and expreffed their belief in him, as the Meffiah: And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followedhint. And, behold, two blind men fitting by the wayfide, when they heard that Jefus paled by, cried out, faying, Have mercy on us, 0 Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, becauufe . they lisould hold their peace : but they cried the more, faying, Havemercy on us, 0 Lord, thou Son of David, Matt. xx. 29, 30, 31. The Son of God flood fill at this im- portunate requeft of the two men, and called them to him, that, by their manner of walking, fpeetators might be convinced that they were really blind. As foon as they approached him, he afked them, what they requefted with fuch earnennefs ? To which the beggars anfwered, that they right receive their fight : What will ye, that I(hall do . unto you? They fay, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. This requeft was not made in vain : their compaf ionate Saviour touched their eyes, and imme- diately they received fight, and followed 2 him, glorifying and praifng God. After conferring fight on thefe beggars, Zaccheus, chief of the publicans, having often heard the fame of our Lord's miracles, was de- firous of feeing his perfon ; but the low- nefs of his nature preventing . him from fatisfying his curiofity, he ran before, and climbed up a fycamore -tree tofee him ; for he was to pafs that way. As JEsus ap- proached the place where he was, he looked up, and faw him, and laid unto him, Zaccheus, make hafte, and come down; for to-day Imull abide at thy houfe, Luke xix. 5. Atwhich condefcenfiònof our Lord, the publican expreffed his joy, carried him to his houfe, and Ihewed him all the marks of civility in his power. But the people, when they faw he was going to the houfe of a publican, condemned his conduEt, as not conformable to the chara&er ofa pro- phet. Zaccheus feems to have heard thefe unjuft refleél.ions; and, therefore, was will- ing to juflify himfelf before Jesus and his attendants: And Zaccheus flood, andPaid unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods Igive to the poor; and if I have taken any thingfrom any man, by fait ac- csfation, Ireore himfourfold. AndJefs laid unto him, This day is falvation come to this houfe, forafauch as he alto is afin ofAbraham. Further
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