³⁷耶路撒冷 阿，耶路撒冷 阿，你常杀害 先知 ，又 用石头打死 那奉差遣 到 你 这里来的人。我多次 愿意 聚集 你 的 儿女 ，好象 母鸡 把小鸡 聚集 在翅膀 底下 ，只是 你们不 愿意 。

³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

³⁷ Verse 37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem] 1. It is evident that our

blessed Lord seriously and earnestly wished the salvation of the

Jews. 2. That he did every thing that could be done, consistently

with his own perfections, and the liberty of his creatures, to

effect this. 3. That his tears over the city, Lu 19:41,

sufficiently evince his sincerity. 4. That these persons

nevertheless perished. And 5. That the reason was, they would not

be gathered together under his protection: therefore wrath, i.e.

punishment, came upon them to the uttermost. From this it is

evident that there have been persons whom Christ wished to save,

and bled to save, who notwithstanding perished, because they would

not come unto him, Joh 5:40. The metaphor which our Lord uses

here is a very beautiful one. When the hen sees a beast of prey

coming, she makes a noise to assemble her chickens, that she may

cover them with her wings from the danger. The Roman eagle is

about to fall upon the Jewish state-nothing can prevent this but

their conversion to God through Christ-Jesus cries throughout the

land, publishing the Gospel of reconciliation-they would not

assemble, and the Roman eagle came and destroyed them. The hen's

affection to her brood is so very strong as to become proverbial.

The following beautiful Greek epigram, taken from the Anthologia,

affords a very fine illustration of this text.

χειμεριαιςνιφαδεσσιπαλυνομενατιθαςορνις

τεκνοιςευναιαςαμφεχεεπτερυγας

μεσφαμενουρανιονκρυοςωλεσενηγαρεμεινεν

αιθεροςουρανιωναντιπαλοςνεφεων

προκνηκαιμεδειακαταιδοςαιδεσθητε

μητερεςορνιθωνεργαδιδασκομεναι

Anthol. lib. i. Tit. 87: edit. Bosch. p. 344.



Beneath her fostering wing the HEN defends

Her darling offspring, while the snow descends;

Throughout the winter's day unmoved defies

The chilling fleeces and inclement skies;

Till, vanquish'd by the cold and piercing blast,

True to her charge, she perishes at last!

O Fame! to hell this fowl's affection bear;

Tell it to Progne and Medea there:-

To mothers such as those the tale unfold,

And let them blush to hear the story told!-T. G.

This epigram contains a happy illustration, not only of our

Lord's simile, but also of his own conduct. How long had these

thankless and unholy people been the objects of his tenderest

cares! For more than 2000 years, they engrossed the most peculiar

regards of the most beneficent Providence; and during the three

years of our Lord's public ministry, his preaching and miracles

had but one object and aim, the instruction and salvation of this

thoughtless and disobedient people. For their sakes, he who was

rich became poor, that they through his poverty might be rich:-

for their sakes, he made himself of no reputation, and took upon

him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, even

the death of the cross! HE died, that THEY might not perish, but

have everlasting life. Thus, to save their life, he freely

abandoned his own.