th_, fell very early. It was
not therefore two years after the year 31, but two years after 32 that
_Christ_ suffered.

Thus all the characters of the Passion agree to the year 34; and that is
the only year to which they all agree.

Notes to Chap. XI.

[1] I observe, that _Christ_ and his forerunner _John_ in their parabolical
discourses were wont to allude to things present. The old Prophets, when
they would describe things emphatically, did not only draw parables from
things which offered themselves, as from the rent of a garment, 1 _Sam._
xv. from the sabbatic year, _Isa._ xxxvii. from the vessels of a Potter,
_Jer._ xviii, &c. but also when such fit objects were wanting, they
supplied them by their own actions, as by rending a garment, 1 _Kings_ xi.
by shooting, 2 _Kings_ xiii. by making bare their body, _Isa._ xx. by
imposing significant names to their sons, _Isa._ viii. _Hos._ i. by hiding
a girdle in the bank of _Euphrates_, _Jer._ xiii. by breaking a potter's
vessel, _Jer._ xix. by putting on fetters and yokes, _Jer._ xxvii. by
binding a book to a stone, and casting them both into _Euphrates_, _Jer._
li. by besieging a painted city, _Ezek._ iv. by dividing hair into three
parts, _Ezek._ v. by making a chain, _Ezek._ vii. by carrying out houshold
stuff like a captive and trembling, _Ezek._ xii, &c. By such kind of types
the Prophets loved to speak. And _Christ_ being endued with a nobler
prophetic spirit than the rest, excelled also in this kind of speaking, yet
so as not to speak by his own actions, that was less grave and decent, but
to turn into parables such things as offered themselves. On occasion of the
harvest approaching, he admonishes his disciples once and again of the
spiritual harvest, _John_ iv. 35. _Matth._ ix. 37. Seeing the lilies of the
field, he admonishes his disciples about gay clothing, _Matth._ vi. 28. In
allusion to the present season of fruits, he admonishes his disciples about
knowing men by their fruits, _Matth._ vii. 16. In the time of the Passover,
when trees put forth leaves, he bids his disciples _learn a parable from
the fig tree: when its branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh_, &c. _Matth._ xxiv. 32. _Luke_ xxi. 29. The same
day, alluding both to the season of the year and to his passion, which was
to be two days after, he formed a parable of the time of fruits
approaching, and the murdering of the heir, _Matth._ xxi. 33. Alluding at
the same