looked round about even he retired to Bethany to lodge there with his upon all things, and disciples. now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. 12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: [a] not yet. 13 And seeing a fig 13, 14. And being so, he espied afar off a fig tree tree afar off having full of leaves, and went to see if there were any fruit leaves, he came, if haply he might find on it, and when he came he found no one fig nor any any thing thereon: thing but leaves on it, the year being, it seems, unand when he came seasonable for that fruit, and therefore being willing to it, he found no- to shew a miracle on a fruitless tree (which had nothing but leaves; for thing but leaves to be destroyed by his curse) he said 5 the time of figs was unto it, This tree shall never bear more fruit, but 14 And Jesus an- shall wither and dry up presently. Which sentence swered and said un- of Christ, if it be applied as an emblem to men that to it, No man eat bear no fruit, it will then signify that they which profruit of thee hereafter fess piety (which is answerable to bearing of leaves) disciples heard it. must never be found without fruit; if they be, Christ 15 And they come will visit them, and subtraction of grace and destructo Jerusalem and tion will be their portion, the one following upon the Jesus went into the other, as the instant withering here upon the word of temple, and began to cast out them that Christ. But the most pregnant meaning of it is, that sold and bought in the Jews, which were just like that leafy tree, without the temple, and over- any kind of degree of fruit on it at this time, when threw the tables of Christ came from heaven to call for it, should sudthe moneychangers, and the seats of them denly be destroyed. for ever. And his that sold doves; f in the court of the Gentiles, which the Jews were 16 And would not more willing to profane, (see note [b]), and overturned suffer that any man the tables, &c. See note [b] on Matt. xxi. should carry any 6 vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called shall be an holy place, set apart for all the people 7 of [b] all nations of the world to worship me in, but you have transthe house of prayer? have made it formed it into a receptacle for cheats to reside in: see but ye a den of thieves. note [c] on Matt. xxi. stroy him: for they h for resolving not to be instructed or reformed by * feared him, because him, not to receive the reformation brought from heaall the people was at his ven, they were yet afraid that something would come of it derogatory to their authority, for the whole mul19 And when even titude of men that heard him looked on him with astonished doctrine. was come, he went admiration. out of the city. 20 And in the morning, as they I passed by, they saw i went again from Bethany to Jerusalem, Matt. xxi. the fig tree dried up 20, they saw— from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say k to the disciples, Believe in God. 23. For I have given that power to you, that if any unto you, That who- of you in the fear of God, with full confidence of soever shall say unto this mountain, Be faith, without all mixture of doubting, shall set upon thou removed, and any the greatest difficulty, though as great as the rebe thou cast into the moving of a mountain, and assuredly believe that sea; and shall not through the strength and power of God in Christ it doubt in his heart, shall be done, he shall do whatsoever he will. but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say 24. This is to be undertaken by you, not upon conunto you, What fidence of your own strength, but by humble prayer things soever ye de- to God; and whatsoever sire, when ye pray, you shall thus pray for, bebelieve that ye relieving that I will according to my promise grant it ceive them, and shall have them. ye to you, that shall be sure to receive from me. 25 And when ye trespasses. 26. And if you do not so, there is no expectation is in heaven forgive that any prayer of yours, whether for pardon of sin or any thing else, shall be heard and granted by God. Or, feared, because: for the King's MS. leaves out aùrór. your trespasses. 27¶ And they come again to Jerusalem : and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him 'the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? 29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of 1 the sanhedrim of the Jews, to whom prophets were wont to approve their mission, and say 30. Was John, that received proselytes by baptism, John, was it from sent with commission from God or no? heaven, or of men? answer me. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people : for all men counted John, that he was "a prophet indeed. 33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. CHAP. XII. AND he began to 1. And Christ spake many parables unto them, all speak unto them by pertinent to the rebuking of them for their unbelief, parables. A certain man planted a vine- as first, that mentioned Matt. xxi. 28, and then, seyard, and set an condly, this here, Matt. xxi. 33, of a man that planted hedge about it, and a vineyard, digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. 6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's. 8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. IO And have ye not read this scrip42, ture;The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner : 10. Psalm cxviii. 22, Isaiah xxviii. 16, Matt. xxi. Acts iv. 11, Rom. ix. 33, 1 Peter ii. 7. II This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? way. 12 And they sought 12. And they were willing to find some justifiable to lay hold on him, occasion to apprehend him, being somewhat restrained but feared the people: for they knew by fear of the people, and yet being much incensed that he had spoken against him, (for they knew that he had designed the parable against these parables particularly to pourtray them,) but in them: and they left fine they let him alone at present and departed. him, and went their 13. Soon after, being willing to get some accusa13 ¶ And they send tion against him, they sent some of the Pharisees and unto him certain of some of the Herodians together to him, the Pharisees the Pharisees and of that thought not Cæsar to have right over Judæa, but the Herodians, to looked on him as an usurper; and the Herodians, (see note [b] on Matt. xxii.) which asserted his right, 14 And when they that between them they might bring him to say somewere come, they say what either against the liberty of the people of God, unto him, Master, asserted by the Pharisees, or against the power of the we know that thou Roman emperor, asserted by the others; perhaps also for no man: for thou suspecting, by his frequent being in Galilee, (and his regardest not the apostles most of them being born there,) that he was person of men, but of the sect and doctrine of the Galileans, that no teachest the way of acknowledgment or tribute was to be paid to the lawful to give [a] tri- emperor. catch him in his words. art true, and carest God in truth: Is it not? bute to Cæsar, or a that thou wilt freely speak thy mind what danger soever come of it, and not suffer the fear of Cæsar to 15 Shall we give, restrain thee from telling us the will of God. or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said b the treacherousness of their design under those unto them, Why fair words, said unto them— tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16 Andthey brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Cæsar's. 17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. 18 Then come unto him the Sad 16. See note [c] on Matt. xxii. |