The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 341

came for the fulfilment of prophuy. (1) Thie last journey of our Lord from J oricho to Jerusalem was in the same line as the triumphant march of the children ofisrael from the time of their first entry into the holy land to the taking of Jerusalem. The spiritual progress is from the lowest to the highest, from the place accursed to the place of the Name of our Lord. (2) He came as the very Paschal Lamb. It was now the tenth day of the month, when the Law appainted that the Paschal lamb should be taken up (see Exod. xii. 2; 1 Cor. v. 7). (3) He rode in triumph to his death. The priest according to the order of Melchizedek suffers as a Priest and trinmphs as a King. His victory is moral, viz. over sin, death, and hell. He is the King in his death, according to the inscription on his cross (see eh. xxvii. 37). How appropriate upon this occasion, then, was the "Hosanna"-" Save now" I (4) The history of this remarkable progress was pre-written (see Isa. !xii. 11 ; Zech. ix. 9). Known unto God are all his ways from the beginning. 2. His coming wa, itsdf a prophuy. (1) It suggested, by what Elliot calls "allusive contrast," the ascension of Jesus into the heavenly Jerusalem. Some of the multitude "went before him," viz. those who met him from the city, as the angels met Jesus in bis ascension. Some "followed after," viz. those who came with him from Bethany, as the risen saints ascended with their risen Lord(cf. Ps. xxiv.; eh. xxvii. 52, 53). Those who would follow Christ in his ascension must follow him now in his lowly state. (2) It suggested also the second, glorious, ad vent of Messiah to this earth. Then coming forth to vengeance, he is described as riding upon a horM (see Rev. xix.11). Coming forth in glory, without a sin sacrifice, he will descend upon a throne of white light. He will come with the sound of the great trumpet, which shall wake the very dead. Instead of the retinue of poor Galilieans, he will come with a myriad retinue of mighty angels. Then will be understood the "Hosanna in the higheBt I" (3) The Lord's day is the Christian type of the everlasting sabbath. As the day of the triumphal entry of Christ into the earthly Jerusalem was the tenth of the month, so was it also the.first day of the week. It was the first of that series of events which took place on the first day of the week, entitling that day to be called "the day of the Lord." Is there no prophetic reference to this in the words of the psalm which was evidently in the minds of the disciples: " This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee [ttl ;iy•;,1;i, hoshiah nna, from which the disciples had their hosanna]," etc. (see Ps. cxviii. 24-26)? -J.A.M. Vers.12~17.-The Lord of the temple. "The temple of God" (ver. 12) Jesus calls "my house" (ver. 13), asserting himself to be the Divine Lord of the temple. And quoting as he does from Isa. lvi. 7 and Jer. vii. 11, he identifies himself as "Jehovah." Acting in this quality, he surveyed the characters he found in the temple and dealt with them accordingly. But the temple stands forth as a type of Christ's Church (cf. 1 Cor. iii. 16; 2 Cor. vi. 16; Eph. ii. 21, 22; Heh. iii. 6), so the subject has its lessons for us. We may ask, then- I. WHAT BORT OF PERSONS DOES JESUS FIND IN HIS Cm:raCH? 1. He finds the secularist there. (1) The secularist is in his place in the world. The calling of the money-changer is )awful when honestly fulfilled. So is that of the vendor of doves (see Dent. xiv. 24). (2) The calling of the secularist is a desecration in the "house of prayer." Lawful things become sinful when ill-timed and ill-placed. The temple of God is defiled by merchandise. (a) By that scandalous traffic in holy things, which is so largely carried on within the borders of the professing Church, in simoniacal presen- tation, fraudulent exchanges, preferment obtained through flattery. (b) By that worldly, covetous, money-getting spirit which dwells in so many of its members. This spirit is demoralizing. It is also distractinl( to worship. (3) Worldly gain must not be made the end of godliness (see 1 Tim. vi. 6). Men should not enter the membership or seek office in Churches with a view to increasing their business. 2. He finds the a.ffticted there. (1) "The blind and the lame" are in the world. Sin begets suffering. 'l'be prevalence of suffering evinces the prevalence of sin. But there must be qualification here (see John ix. 3). (2) "The blind and the lame" are in the temple. The Church on earth is not so perfect as to be free from afflictions. (3) The afflicted are where they should be in the Church. Christ the Healer is still in his temple. Religion has its remedies. Religion has its reliefs. 3. He finds the true disciple there. (1) Tho  346 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. XXl, 1-46,