eyes, and harden their hearts against them, year after year, till they drop into everlasting darkness. O ye careless ones! be astonished at yourselves, that you should know, and prize them, so little as you do.

50. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Whatever Christ spoke by commandment from him, is the sole way to everlasting life. And he said, “I know,” that we might say it too. There are only two or three short questions to ask. Do you know? Do you believe? Do you gladly hear the Father speaking by Christ, and get life from what you know and believe?

SECTION LV.

Chap. xiii. ver. 1—11.

CHRIST EXHORTETH TO HUMILITY.

1. Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

And how did he show this? By putting them in the way of being good, and especially, by teaching them to condescend to the meanest offices for the good of others. Christ's love is true love. He aims at our happiness; and the great end of all his teaching is, that we may not mistake it. we choose any other way, Jesus himself cannot help us. 2. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;

If

Why is this mentioned here? Perhaps, to show that he was still willing to do all for Judas, that could be done;

and, if it were possible, to melt his stubborn heart, by this astonishing act of lowliness, in washing his feet. And take notice, that the devil's power in any man, is no excuse for his wickedness. If a man suffers a thief to enter his house, when he can keep him out, whose fault is it, if he cuts his throat?

3. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

This cuts off at once every pretence for not imitating him. Who can be so great? Who can stoop lower?

4. He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

Let us in our thoughts accompany him in these several particulars. Let us imagine we see the Lord of life putting himself in the condition of a servant. It would be well for us if we had this picture always before our eyes.

6. Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

Who could help saying what Peter did? And yet the shame was not in our Lord's abasing himself: it is in our not doing it.

7. Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

It is an excellent temper, and would save us many a pang, to give ourselves, as it were, blindfold to Christ, assuredly believing that we are safe in his hands, and shall one day know the meaning of all he has been doing for us. Peter soon knew, ver. 12. Let us not think it much to wait.

8. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. If this washing, and the instruction conveyed by it, had

VOL. II.

I I

not its effect, in bringing him to the same disposition, he should have no part with him.

9. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Every true Christian is certainly of Peter's mind, and thinks he can never have too great a share in Christ, and his washing.

10. Jesus saith to them, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

We are clean washed from the guilt of sin in Christ's blood, when we believe in him; but he has a farther work to do in us, and must cleanse us from the defilements which we are apt to contract in our journey through the world; we must be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

Can he say 66 of us, Ye are clean ?" Would not our hearts be ready to die within us, to hear him saying, Ye are not clean? But when did we come to him for cleansing? When did we see our need of it?

11. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

This word he knew, should alarm us. He knows this hour what we are doing in the world, how our hearts stand affected towards him, and whether any true prayers ever come from them.

SECTION LVI.

Chap. xiii. ver. 12-30.

HE EXHORTS TO IMITATE HIM.

12. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

Thou, ( minister of Christ,) who art concerned, observe the order in which thou art to teach; be ready to wash the feet of all, show thyself a pattern of humility: first stoop, and then speak.

"Know ye what I have done to you?" What is the intent and purpose of it. O! it was a most forcible manner of instruction, a charming lesson of universal, humble condescension for the sake of souls, and doubtless, went deep into their hearts. But when you hear these words, carry your thoughts farther. What has he done for you in other particulars, in all respects; and what can you say he has done in you?

13. Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well; for so I am.

14. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

Who can add to this? Or where shall we find words to enforce so perfect, so speaking a pattern of humility?

15. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

It must, it must be done. What are we, what can we possibly think of ourselves, if we stand out against such an example?

16. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

Lord! Not greater! O shame to all the pride of man! 17. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

By abounding in all offices of humble love for the spiritual good of others; and, if need be, of washing their feet. The stress does not lie so much in the letter, as in the spirit of the command. Obedience to it will lead us to happiness, and the temper here required is happiness in itself.

18. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but,

that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me bath lifted up his heel against me.

Christ's benefits, and our profession of him, will be a dreadful aggravation of our enmity to him. Lifting up the heel against him is not peculiar to Judas; every disobedient man does it.

19. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

His prediction of it would be a great means of confirming them in the belief of him. Judas had carried himself so closely, that the other disciples never suspected him; but he had an all-seeing eye upon him. If we cannot hide ourselves from that, we do nothing.

20. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

He had made them fit to be sent, by his washing; and now fortifies them with this view of the greatness of their office, and warns all others of the danger of not receiving them.

21. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, That one of you shall betray me.

"Jesus was troubled in spirit," not for the consequence of Judas' treachery to himself, but from a deep sense of the power of sin in man, and for the loss of a soul.

22. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

And well they might be all amazement, to hear that any of their company could be guilty of so black a crime.

23. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

This was St. John himself. None knew better than he