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8 And a very great multitudespread their garments in the ways others cut down branches from the trees, and ftrewed them in the way. 9 And the multudes that went before, and that followed, cried, faying, Hofanna to the fon he that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hofannah, in the highest.

of David: bleffed is

10 And when he was come into Jerufalem, all the city was moved, faying, Who is this?

11 And the multitude faid, This is Jefus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

5. Say ye to the Daughter of Sion, Behold, thy Saviour cometh, Efai. 62. 11. And, behold, thy King cometh unto thee,-----lowly, and riding upon an Ass, and upon a Colt the Fole of an Ass, Zech. ix. 9.)

6. Accordingly the two Difciples went into the Village, and did and faid as Jefus commanded them, and found all things fucceed as he had foretold them.

7. And they brought the Afs and her Colt, and fpread their Cloaths upon them, and fet Jefus upon the Colt thus clad; and he rode upon it with great lowlinefs and humble State, from Bethphage to Jerufalem.

8. And the Multitude that came with him, ftrew'd the way before him, fome with their Cloaths, and others with Boughs of Trees, as at a Solemn Festival, or the Triumphal Entrance of a great Prince.

9. And the People before and behind cried; God preferve and profper the Kingdom of the Meffiah: Bleffed is he that is fent of God, to Inftruct, Heal and Govern his People: Peace and Glory and Dominion be with him.

10. And when he entred into ferufalem with this folemn Pomp and joyful Acclamations of the Feople, the whole City was put into a fudden Commotion, and every body enquired; Who is this that cometh with fuch State and Pomp?

II. And the Multitude that came along with him, anfwered; This is Jefus, that great Prophet of Nazareth, the Fame of whofe Doctrine and Miracles hath fo long been fpread through all the Nation. 12. Then

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12. Then Jefus alighting from the Colt, went into the Temple. And when he came into the outward Court, which is the Court of the Gentiles, he found it like a Market, filled with Money-Changers Stalls, and Sellers of Cattle and Doves, and the like; who fat there under pretence of having these things near at hand for the convenience of those that came up to facrifice: But Jefus cleared the Place, and turned them all out, faying:

13. This Place was defigned, not for a Place of Merchandise, but for the Service of God; that the devout Profelytes of the Gentiles, who are not admitted into the Inner and Holier part of the Temple, might here worfhip and pray to the true God; according as Efaias prophefied (Efai. Ivi. 7.) that the Temple of God fhould be an Houfe of Prayer for all People. But now ye have moft profanely turned it into a Receptacle of Thieves, a Place of Covetoufnefs, Extortion, and Cheating

14. Now while Jefus tarried in the Court of the Temple, many blind and lame Men, who had heard the Fame of his former Miracles, reforted to him; and he healed them all.

15. But when the Chief Priefts, and Jewish Doctors, faw thefe wonderful Works; inftead of being convinced thereby to Repentance, they were only filled with envy, and enraged againft him; And hearing all the People admiring and applauding him, and even the very Children in the Temple making joyful Acclamations to him, as Meffiah or King; they were in great indignation.

12 And Jefus went into the temple of God, and caft out all them that fold and bought in the threw the tables of temple, and overthe money-changers, and the feats of them that fold doves,

13 And faid unto them, It is written, My houfe fhall be called the house of

prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

15 And when the chief priests and fcribes faw the wonhe did, and the childerful things that dren crying in the Hafanna to the Son temple, and faying; of David, they were fore difpleased,

16 And faid un

16. And they faid to Jefus, Do you pot hear what thefe Children fay? Do to him, Heareft thou

what

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18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungred. 19 And when he faw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, thereon, but leaves

only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And prefently the fig-tree withered away.

20 And when the

difciples faw it, they marvelled, faying, How foon is the fig tree withered away?

21 Jefus anfwered and faid unto them, Verily I fay unto you, If ye have faith and doubt not, ye fhall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but alfo if ye shall fay

you think it fit, that these who under-
ftand nothing, fhould be fuffer'd to
make fuch fhouting? Jefus anfwer'd,
Yea; If you who ought to fhew forth
the Praises of God, will through envy
and malice refufe to do it, God will
raise up others to glorifie his Name,
and (as the Scripture faith, Pfal. viii.
2.) even out of the Mouths of Babes
and fucking Children, he will perfect
Praife.

17. Then leaving them in their Rage
and Envy, he retired out of the City,
as far as Bethany, and there continued

all Night.

18. The next Morning he returned again to Jerufalem: And as he was in the way, he grew hungry.

19. And feeing a Fig-tree a little way off, he went up to it, feeking for Fruit; but finding it Barren, and having nothing but Leaves, he curfed it, faying, Let no Fruit grow on thee for ever: Intimating to his Difciples by this vifible Similitude, that the Jewish Nation, having now only a formal Profeffion of Religion, and not bringing forth the Fruit thereof, fhould fuddenly be Curfed and Rooted out.

20. Accordingly the next day, paffing that way, they found the Fig-tree withered and dried up from the Roots: And the Difciples feemed furprized, and wonder'd at the fuddennefs of its being perifhed and dead.

21. But Jefus faid to them; Do ye wonder at this, as fuch a strange and extraordinary thing? Verily I tell you, If ye do but firmly believe and truft in the Power of God, ye fhall be able to do things as much greater than this, as removing a Mountain, and

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throwing it into the Sea, is greater than caufing a little Tree to wither.

22. And whatsoever ye fhall ask of God in order to confirm your Doctrine and Miniftry, with ftedfaft Faith, without Doubt and Wavering; he will enable you to perform it.

23. After this, Jefus went into the Temple; and as he was teaching the People, the Chief Priests and Elders came to him and faid; By what Authority do you undertake these things? You enter into the City with Pomp and Noife, like fome great Perfon; you turn the Trading People out of the Court of the Temple, as if you were Governour of the Place; and you teach here publickly in the Temple, as if you were appointed to do fo by publick Authority; Pray, who gave you commiffion and Authority to do all these things?

24. Jefus, knowing their Malice, and that they who were not at all convinced by his Doctrine and Miracles, would much less be moved by his bare affirming in a direct Anfwer that he was authorized and fent of God; chofe rather to filence them by retorting upon them another Queftion, after this manner; I will alfo, faith he, ask you one Question, which if you can anfwer me, then I alfo will tell you by what Authority I do these things.

unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou caft in

to the fea; it fhall be done.

22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priefts and the elders of the people came unto him as he was

teaching, and faid,By what authority doit thou these things ? And who gave thee this authority?

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25 The baptifm it? from heaven, or of John, whence was of men? And they

25 & 26. When John the Baptift Preached and Baptized, did he do this by God's appointment? or, was it only a human Contrivance? Then the Chief Priefts, reafoning among themfelves, that if they fhould fay John's Baptifm was by God's appointment, then Jefus would accufe them for not hearkening to John's Preaching, and not fhall fay, Of men ; believing the Teftimony which he gave

reafoned with themfelves, faying, If we fhall fay, From heaven; he will fay unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we

we

we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

27 And they anfwered Jefus, and

faid, We cannot tell. And he faid unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

28

But what

think you? A certain man had two fons,

and he came to the

first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and faid, I will not:

but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the fecond, and faid likewife. And he answered and faid, I go fir, and

went not.

concerning Jefus; and that on the other fide, if they fhould fay John's Baptifm was only a humane Contrivance, then they fhould greatly enrage the People, who all believed John to be a Prophet fent of God: Reasoning, I fay, thus among themfelves, they refolved, not to determine on either fide.

27. They replied therefore to Jefus, that they could not tell. And Jefus then in like manner, to Them; neither do I, fays he, tell you, what Authority I have to do these things. Which furprizing Question and Anfwer, as it filenc'd and greatly confounded thefe malicious Scribes and Elders, containing a fecret Conviction and Reproof of their unreasonable unbelief in rejecting John the Baptift; so it also at the fame time made apparent the reasonablenefs of Chrift's not returning a pofitive Anfwer to their Question; it being evident, that they who believed not John the Baptift, whom yet they durft not expressly deny to be fent from God, would much lefs have believed Jefus's plain Affertion of his own Di- . vinc Authority.

28. When Jefus had thus filenced the Chief Priefts and Elders, he proceeded to intimate to them, by a fevere parable, the Justice of God in utterly Rejecting Them with all their Pretences of Religion, and receiving in their ftead the Penitent Gentiles. What think you? faid he. A certain Man had two Sons; and he commanded them both to go and work in his Vineyard.

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29 & 30. The one faid, he would not go, but he repented and went: The other faid he would go, but went not.

31 Whether of them twain did 31. Which of these two, think you, the will of his Fa- was the moft obedient Son? They anfwered;

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