dening his young heart against the
Lord. Let us pray that we may be kept from hardness of heart, and made
tender to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man.

It was a donkey-boy who had helped the other to throw stones at the
lambs; and this reminds me that I have something to say about the ass;
the most despised and the worst-used of all animals, and yet the one on
which the greatest honour has been put, being chosen for its humble,
gentle, patient character to assist in setting forth the wonderful
humiliation of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, who in the greatness
of his everlasting majesty and power condescended to stoop low for our
sakes. I think you will remember at once what I mean. In the ninth
chapter of the book of Zechariah, it is written, "Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King
cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding
upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."

And you know how this was fulfilled. When our Lord Jesus was about to
enter, for the last time, into the holy city of Jerusalem, before his
enemies had laid their cruel hands on him, he sent two of the disciples,
saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway
ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring
them unto me. They did so; and this meek and lowly Saviour, this King of
heaven and earth, descended from the mount of Olives, and rode into
Jerusalem, not as the monarchs of this world ride, on a fiery war-horse
with proud trappings and surrounded by gleaming swords and spears. No,
the blessed Jesus chose no such pomp. He made choice of the humble,
despised ass; her trappings were the outer garments of those poor men,
fishermen and such like, who followed him; and who took them off, to
make, as it were, a saddle and saddle-cloth for their beloved Master;
while others, seeing that no more were wanted for that purpose, spread
theirs on the ground that he might ride over them. Ah, the day will come
when the King of kings and Lord of lords shall ride in vengeance over
the persons of his rebellious enemies, as he then rode in meek and
lowly state over the garments of his loving friends. And, as you would
avoid his wrath on that terrible day, provoke him not now by wanton
cruelty to the creatures which he has made. He is very, very merciful to
them, and to you. They do you no wrong; do no wrong to the