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"that the orientals in general, and the Hebrews in particular, paid more respect to the moon than the sun; and she was worshipped by the name of a god, and not of a goddess, among the people of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Armenia. And Alex. ab. Alexand. observes thus: "Fuit proditum in Assyria, lunæ templum apud Carras fuisse, in quo qui luna supplicaret, uxoris imperio subigi; qui vero luno deo sacrum faceret, uxori dominari ferebatur." Lib. iv. c. 8. Which may account for the verb op, stoopeth, being in the masculine gender. That there was an oracle at Babylon, was supposed, by Stephanus Byzantinus, in consequence of the name Nebo;* and it is observable that the Alexandrian MS. of the Sept. renders it by Dagon, which has been understood, by Vossius, to signify the moon. Now this prediction of the prophet was fulfilled about 160 years after the delivery of it, and near 50 years after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; from which time it has been observed, by historians, that they never relapsed into idolatry.

* See Poole's Synops. Isai. xlvi. 1.

A

DISSERTATION

UPON THE

BARREN FIG-TREE,

WHEREIN A NEW READING OF THE TEXT,

MARK, C. xi. 13,

IS PROPOSED, THEREBY TO OBVIATE THE OBJECTIONS OF INFIDELITY.

THE most commendable and useful employment of the human mind is to vindicate the ways of God to man; and, as the transaction, to which these words of St Mark refer, has given frequent occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, and subjected the blessed Jesus to the scoffs and raillery of the infidel and profane, it is becoming every well-wisher to Christianity to endeavour to free it from those imputations which are laid to its charge. As the deist, therefore, accuses the author of our holy religion with the grossest absurdity, and the most flagrant injustice, for denouncing a curse on this barren fig-tree, if such a construction of the words cannot be obtained, which may effcctually remove these formidable objections, he will still triumph in this supposed är ärow, this inexplicable absurdity, as some call it. Now the whole force of this objection rests upon this supposition, that the negative sense of these words must be retained in conformity to all the versions (one only excepted*) which are extant, and that no explanation of them can be obtained, which will acquit the blessed Jesus of an unjustifiable severity. First of all, then, we must inquire whether such a negative sense of the words may not be found as will clear off these aspersions? if not, whether they will not admit of a positive interpretation? And, should

* The Gothic or Saxon version, see Heinsius on the place, and Calmet's dictionary under the word fig.

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not this be satisfactory, whether we may not, after all, fairly infer that the original text has undergone some corruption, and endeavour to rectify it? For, we have certainly a right to suppose that the writings of the new Testament are liable to errors and mistakes from copyists and transcribers, in common with every other antient author, to a certain degree; i. e. so far as not to affect any essential point of faith and manners.*

That one principal end of the malediction denounced on this barren fig-tree was emblematically to describe the unfruitfulness of the Jewish nation, under the gracious dispensation of Christ and his apostles, and in consequence thereof to foretel its final destruction, cannot admit of a doubt. The undue attention to which very material circumstance has misled some commentators, of the first rank, in their remarks on this passage; which, as Episcopius himself acknowledges, has perplexed all the interpreters of every age. For, if, according to Lucas Brugensis, Grotius, and others, this action is not to be considered in itself but in its signification, which is certainly true, should we retain the general acceptation of these words in the negative sense, the energy and propriety of this symbolical prediction is wholly lost and gone.§ For, though, in parabolical representations, it is not necessary that the sign and the thing signified should correspond in every the minutest circumstance, it is at least requisite that there should be a striking resemblance in the most material point. But the case had been directly contrary to this, if this was not the time for natural figs, it certainly being the time for the figurative ones, i. e. the repentance and conversion of the Jewish nation, as is incontestably evident from two other parables, intended to convey the same

* "Mihi quidem sufficit, quod, non dico in minutis, neque ad fundamentum fidei nihil pertinentibus, sed in capitibus religionis, sive illis, quorum ignorantiâ salus periclataretur, non siverit Divina Providentia, ut ullus librariorum error constanter omnes, vel multos etiam codices obsideret." Vossius, Isagog. Chronol, c. v.

† Locus hic ab omni ævo vexavit interpretes, hodieque pene omnes vexat. Quæst. 9.

See Poole's Synopsis; Matt. xxi. 19; Mark, xi. 13; and Vossius, who assigns this as one reason for cursing the barren fig-tree; " quia ficus hæc symbolum foret synagoga, sive infidelium Judæorum, qui fructus ferre nollent." Harm. Evang. lib. i. c..6.

§ Episcopius paraphrases the words thus, "non erat tempus ficuum, scilicet, pro ea arbore, quippe quæ non præcoces, sed seras ficus ferret." Macknight, Bishop Pearce, &c. suppose this to be the sense, "for it was not the time of gathering figs." Tounson, "it was not the full time of ripe figs." Jortin renders them thus, "it was not the time of common figs," according to the learned Lightfoot, whose words are as follows; "The time of figs meaneth the common time that figs were generally ripe, which was ordinary and commonly known, and which was not till near five months after passover-time." And this sense is adopted by Whitby.

sentiments

sentiments and documents which were couched under this. The first of which is found in Luke, c. xiii. 6, and was probably spoken but a short time before this remarkable occurrence. "A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon and found none. Then said he, unto the dresser of his vineyard, behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he, answering, said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it; and, if it bear fruit, well; and, if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Now, if, with some commentators,* we understand these three years as alluding to the time of Christ's ministry on earth, or, with others,† to the time in which fig-trees come to their bearing; or to both, as Hardy, "dixit tres annos, quia ficus, quæ frugiferæ sunt, fructum longius non differunt, et his respondet triennium quod Christus docuit;" it is supposed that the Jews ought, more especially at this season, to have been fruitful in good works. But, if by these three years may be meant the several dispensations of mercy and loving kindness to the Jews, under Moses, under the prophets, and under Christ, it was expected, that, under each of these, and more especially under the last, they should have distinguished themselves by acts of repentance and reformation; as those emphatical words of Christ's herald abundantly testify, "repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance. Therefore every tree, which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire." And the last interpretation of these three years may perhaps receive some countenance from that passage of the prophet Isaiah, c. v. where God expostulates with the Jews, in respect to the two first periods, in a manner which bears some analogy to this transaction of the fig-tree, as relative to the last; "what could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" and from the other parable, which was delivered presently after this transaction of cursing the barren fig-tree, and seems to be intended as a farther illustration and confirmation of what had been predicted in that significant emblem; of which I shall only relate that part which concerns the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews; and, in consequence of their infidelity and incorrigibleness, their final destruction. Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Which certainly implies that this was the time, or season, in which the figurative fig-tree was to produce its fruit; for, as Beausobre and L'Enfant observe, "la nation Judaïque est le figuier." If, therefore, it was not the time of figs, this prophetical emblem lost all the force of its application. No interpretation then of the words, taken in a negative sense, can be well admitted, which does not apply in this manner, without labouring under the difficulty of not fairly acquitting

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* See Lucas Brugensis, &c. in Poole's Synopsis, on Luke, xiii. 7.

See Whitby, Tillotson, and Harmon. Evangel. Societatis, 1757.

Compare Matt. xxi. 33, &c. and Mark, xii. 1, &c, ૨૧ 2

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the conduct of Christ from inconsistency or severity. But, amongst the numberless ones which have been offered, that of the learned Dr Hamond seems best to answer this purpose, whose version of the words is this; "for, it was not a time, or season, of figs;" i. e. says he, a good figyear, or a year that brought forth any store of figs in that country. Which construction accords very well with the then state of the Jewish nation; for, as he farther judiciously observes, "by the cursing of this tree for having such promising verdure of leaves, but no kind of fruit on it, Christ symbolically foretells the fate of that people of the Jews who were, at this time, very barren of good works, (it was a very ill season of fruit with them,) though they made very promising fair professions."

But, if this sense of the word xaigos should be thought forced and unjustifiable, and it is very observable that none of the antient commentators had pointed it out, nor have any of the modern ones adopted it except Le Clerc, let us see whether a positive sense of the words may not be obtained, as this will effectually remove the objection of inconsistency, And is it not a strong presumptive proof against the negative sense, that so many different constructions have been put upon the words to make them consistent with the context? see note §, p. 298. Nay, though Zegerus (Critic. sac. tom. vi. p. 1062) retains the negative particle, yet he is in a manner obliged to give the words a positive sense. "Hoc dicens evangelista insinuat Dominum non maledixisse ficui propter ipsam, sed propter gentem Judaïcam in ficu designatam, cujus jam tempus aderat ut fructum adferret." How then did the natural and symbolical fig-tree at all correspond, if it was not the time of figs for the former as well as the latter? Or how (to use the words of Calmet) will they prove that the synagogue is reprobated with justice, if the fig-tree is cursed unjustly? The learned Heinsius, who has been followed by other authors of great note,* seeing the many diffi culties which lay' against the negative interpretation of this passage as it stands at present, gives this reading, o γαρ ນ, καιρος συκῶν, for, "where he was, it was the time, or season, of figs," i. e. says this author, near to Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives; implying that there were no other ripe figs in any part of Judea. "And it is certain," says Wesley in his notes on the passage, "this, meaning of the words suits best with the great design of the parable, which was, to reprove the Jewish church for its unfruitfulness at that very season when fruit might best be expected from it." But, under this restriction, the assertion would not have been literally true, as it is most probable that the early figs (of which sort this might be one) were to be found at this season in most parts of Judea, it being very observable that the fig-tree shews its fruit before it puts forth its leaves. And, indeed, if we suppose the particle & to have a greater latitude, and make where he

* See the Antient Universal History, Gataker, and Essay for a New Translation, the ingenious author of which delivers himself thus: "the curse, which our Saviour pronounced against the fig-tree, with the reasons annexed to it, as the translators rendered it, has always seemed unaccountable to all thinking men, and altogether incompatible with the goodness of God. But this obscurity and scandal is owing to the ignorance and carelessness of the translators." Part ii. c. 6.

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