worst, He notices the best part of their answer, and, omitting their errors, He encourages their good intentions'. Our Lord first gave them an intimation that the honour they sought could not be easily attained, and could only be reached by patiently enduring whatever they might be called to suffer in the cause of religion; and probably the two disciples did not fully comprehend His meaning, when they answer, "We are able;" we are ready to encounter all difficulties. "Ye shall indeed drink of My cup," says Jesus, in reply.-Ye shall indeed be called, as My disciples, to taste of the same cup of suffering which I have engaged to drink.-Ye shall be overwhelmed with many calamities, "in the baptism that I am baptized with,"-a prediction which was surely fulfilled; for, of these two brothers, James was the first among the Apostles whom we read of as slain "for righteousness' sake;" and John was imprisoned at a very advanced age, and, like his blessed Master, was 66 a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." "But to sit on My right hand and on My left shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father." Every Christian shall be exalted to a higher degree of honour and glory in My kingdom, in proportion as he has drunk deeper of My cup: as his humility, his sufferings, patience, and meek disposition have brought him to a nearer conformity with his Master, so shall he be conArchbishop Sumner. 7 Bishop Hall. 8 sidered and placed nearer to Him in happiness. When the other Apostles heard that two of their brethren had desired a place above the rest, it excited in their hearts those feelings which are too natural to our nature,-the feelings of jealousy and ill will. They thought an unfair advantage had been taken of them, and might perhaps not unreasonably have felt indignant that those who had taken sweet counsel with them, and "walked with them in the house of God as friends," should privately seek a distinction, to which they themselves had an equal claim'. Our Lord, in His answer, says to His disciples, I allow of no strife among you for place or station; no selfish or ambitious views : all the contention must be, who shall be most charitable, and humble, and the most diligent, in their kind services to his fellow-members of My family 2. In the kingdoms of the world men strive ambitiously to get dominion one over the other; and they who are greatest in riches and power, have the greatest honour and respect paid to them by others. among you I will have things ordered by other measures: he that desires to be great and honourable among you, let him seek to deserve his honour by meekness and lowliness; and let him exercise his power, not in domineering over any, but in assisting and doing good to all3. But SECT. CXIII.-Christ healeth Bartimeus.- Matt. xx. 2934; Mark x. 46-52; Luke xviii. 35-43. 66 As Jesus now passed on His way, He came to Jericho." "And it came to pass, that as He came nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." This is the record of St. Luke; but St. Mark relates, "As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the wayside begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." Now St. Matthew says, As they departed from Jericho, behold two blind men sitting by the wayside, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David." Here are three accounts of the same transaction, which it is not of any great importance to reconcile. It would be sufficient to suppose that Jesus healed one as He entered the city, as St. Luke records, and another as He went out, of which St. Mark speaks; and that St. Matthew, speaking of two that were healed, comprehends the story of him that was healed, on entering, with the other, into one 66 story, for the sake of brevity. St. Mark is the only Evangelist that mentions the name of either; and it is possible that, as Bartimeus was better known, or of more respectability, than the other, he and St. Luke mention one only. Be this discrepancy as it may, "Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him." Many of our Lord's miracles are very similar, intending to confirm the faith that they display. But this is one of the many miracles which admits of a spiritual and universal application; for it seems to illustrate the way in which redemption, through Christ Jesus, may be made available to those who commit themselves unto Him". SECT. CXIV.-Christ and Zaccheus the Publican.- WHEN "Jesus had passed through Jericho," and was on His way, He passed by a Sycamoretree. The tree so called in Judæa and adjoining countries is also termed the Egyptian fig: its name denotes the fruit of it to partake of the nature of the fig and mulberry. These Sycamore-trees appear to have been common, and to have furnished the most ordinary timber". Its value may be observed in the Psalmist's account of the plague in Egypt: "He destroyed their vines with hail, and their mulberry or Sycamore-trees with frost." The wood is very light and porous, and its durability so great, that it is enough to mention that the mummy-cases, which come from Egypt, and are from two to three thousand years old, are of this material. A man, by. name Zaccheus, was at this time "chief of the publicans," or revenue officers of Jericho: this office must have been one of great importance and responsibility; and, accordingly, we learn from the text, "he was rich." There was something in the state of heart which influenced Zaccheus, known to Him who observes the heart, which brought him a blessing; otherwise, it might have sprung from mere curiosity, from a desire of seeing one of whom he had heard so much, that, being short of stature, and unable to see Him for the crowd, "he climbed up into a Sycamore-tree to see Jesus." By the great eagerness he displayed, he showed what high esteem he held Him in, whom the Scribes and Pharisees despised. But the event showed this was not all;-there was a desire to know His doctrine, and a disposition to receive and keep it, which was not far from the kingdom of God. "And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I Archbishop Sumner. 8 Pictorial Bible. 9 |