41 And when he was come near, he beheld the cily, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou nadst known, eren thou, at least in thiis thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trenoh about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
44 And shaU lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee ; and they shall not leave in thee one fltone upon another ; because thou
knewest not the time of thy visita- tion.
45 And he went into the temple, and began to oast out them that sold therein, and them that bought ;
46 Saying unto them. It is written, My house is the house of prayer : but ye have made it a den of thieves.
47 And he taught daily in the tem- ple. But the Chief Pnests and the Scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
48 And could not find what they might do : for all the people were very attentive to hear him.
We learn, firstly, from these rerses, how great is the tenderness 'and compasmn of Christ towards sinners. We are told that when He came near Jerusalem for the last time, " He beheld the city and wept over it." He knew well the character of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Their cruelty, their self-righteousness, their stubbornness, their obstinate prejudice against the truth, their pride of heart were not hidden from Him. He knew well what they were going to do to Himself within a very few days. His unjust judgment, His delivery to the Gentiles, His suffer- ings. His crucifixion, were all spread out distinctly before His mind's eye. And yet knowing all this, our Lord pitied Jerusalem ! '^ He beheld the city and wept over it." We err greatly if we suppose that Christ cares for none