i86 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of Our BLESSED LORD propofed to celebrate the paffover; and was earnelily expea ed by the people, who came up to purify themfelves, and who began to doubt whether he would venture to come to the feafi. This delay, however, was occafioned by the proclamation iffued by the chief priefts, promifing a reward to any one who would difcover the place of his retirement: Now both the chief pries and the Pharfees hadgiven a commandment, that if any knew where he were, he fhould flew it, that they might take him. John xi. 57. Jesus arrived at Bethany, fix days be- fore the paffover, and repaired to the houle of Lazarús, whom he had railed from the dead : there they made him a flipper ; and Marthaferved : but Lazarus was one ofthem thatfat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of fpikenard, very coftly, and anointed; the feet of .7efus, and wiped -hisfeet with her hair : and the houfe was filled with the odour of the oint- ment. Thenfaith one ofhis difciples, Judas Ifeariot, Sithen's fon, whichfhould betray him, Why was not this ointment fold for threehundredpence, and given to the poor? This helaid, not that he cared for the poor ; but becaufe he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Thenfaid Jefus, Let her alone : agansJl the day ofmy burying hath fie kept this. For the poor alwaysye have with you ; but meye have not 'always. Bethany being not above two miles from Jerufalem, the news of our Lord's arrival was loon fpread through the capital, and great numbers of the citizens came to fee Lazarus, who had been railed from the dead, together with the great prophet who had wrought fo flupendous amiracle ; and many of them were convinced both of the refurre&ion of the former, and the divinity of the latter: but the news of their con- verfion, together with the reafon of it, being currently reported in Jerufalem, the chiefpriefis were foon fenfible of the weight fo great a miracle muff have on the minds of the people; and therefore determined to put both Jesus and Lazarus to death, if poffible. Our dear Lord was not ignorant ofwhat the chief priefts and elders had determined.. againfi him, but was fo far from declining to vi,fit Jerrufalem, that he even entered it in a public manner. When they were come to Bethpage, unto the mount of olives, then fent Jefscs two difciples, fying unto them, Go into the village over-againft you, and Jlraightway yefhallfind an afs tied, and a colt with her : loofe them, and bring them unto me. And if any manfay ought unto you, yefhallfay, The Lordbath need ofthem; andflraightway he willfend them. All this was done, that it might be fulled, which was fpoken by the prophet, Paying, Tell the daughèr of Sion, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, andfitting uponan afs, -and a colt thefoal of an afs. And the difciples' went, and did as Jefies commanded them, and brought the afs, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and theyjet him there- on. And a verygreat multitudefpread their garments in the way: others cut down branches from the trees, and firmed them in' the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, fying, Hofanna to the Son of David: Bleed is he that cotneth in the name of the Lord ; Hofan- na in the highß. And when he was come into Jerufalem, all the city was moved, Pay- ing, Who is this? And the multitude laid, This is .fus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee, Matt. xxi. t i i. This circumftance of our Lord has given more occafion for profane wit and ridicule, than any before : we reckon art afs to be a contemptible creature, and a man, efpecially a man of charafter, riding upon an afs, aridiculousfigure. Thefe are prejudices of our own times and country. And when they, who look no further than the manners and cuftoms before them, exa- mine this part of the facred ftory by the ftandard of modern prejudicès, they fee, or think they fee, fomething quite in- confident with the gravity and dignity of the perfon, pretending to be the king of the
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