190 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD Wk.Wiz zat C H A P T E R XXVIII. Jasus curfeth the barrels Fig-Tree: p!e driveth the Buyers and Sellers out Of the Temple, and healeth the Difegfed there: His Reply to the Pharifees who took Offence at the. Praifes of the People: The curled Fig-Tree is dried up: CHRIST exhorteth to Faith in Prayer, and to Forgivenefe of Enemies : Certain Greeks defire to fee him: He fheweth the Benefit of his Death to Believers; prayeth to his Father; is anfzoered by a Voice from Heaven; fignfeth the Manner of his Death; and exhorteth to make good Ufe of the pre/at Light. The Generality of the Jews believe not; yet many chief Rulers believe, but dare not confef him . He urgeth Faith in his divine Meson : He filenceth the Priejls and Elders mho qu f ioned his Authority : He delivers the Parable of the two Sons whom their Father fent to . work in his Vineyard; the Parable of the Vinyard let out to wicked Hufbandmen; and the Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son, wherein is /ewn the Unworthinefs of thofe that were fill bidden, that others were called in their Room, and the Punment of one that came without having on the Wedding- Garment. E ARLY the next morning, our dear Lord left Bethany, to vifit again the capital of Judea : and, as he purfued his journey, he faw at a diftance a fig-tree, which, from it's fulnefs of leaves, promifed abundance of fruit. This inviting objea, induced him to approach it, in expeaation of finding figs ; for he was hungry, and the feafon for gathering them was not yet arrived : but, on his coming to the tree, he found it to be really barren ; upon which our bleffed Lord faid to it, Let no fruit growon theeforever, Matt. xxi. 19. This tránfaêtion of our Lord, which was purely emblematical, and prefigured the fpeedy ruin of the Jewifh nation, on ac- count of it's unfruitfulnefs, under all the advantages it then enjoÿed, has, by the enemies to revelation, been reprefented as an anion unbecoming the Redeemer of mankind: but, if they had fully confidered it's intention, they would have been con- vinced, that, like the ruft of his miracles, it was done with a gracious intention ; namely, to awaken his countrymen from their lethargy, and prevent the total ruin of their church and nation, by repentance. Our bleffed Saviour, being difappointed in finding fruit on this fig-tree, purfued his journey to Jerufalem ; and, on his arri- val, went firaightway to the temple, the outer court of which he found full of merchandife. A fight like this, vexed his meek and righteous foul: fo that having made a fmall fcourge of cords, he drove them á1l out of the temple, overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the feats of them that fold doves, and would not fuffer any veffel to be carried through the temple; fayingunto them, Is it not written, myhoufejhall be called ofall nations, a,houfe ofprayer? butyehave madeit aden ofthieves. This .
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