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." What a portrait is given us here, at a single glance, of our beloved Lord. The Feast of the Passover is at hand. He knew whence the Lamb was to be provided. The antitype of Isaac was now to be slain by the will of the Father;-he knew that his hour was come-he was on the eve of his tremendous sufferings the darkness was closing in on every side: he also knew that it was the last step before he should again ascend where he was before; one hour more of unutterable agony, one draught of sorrow, though deep and bitter indeed, and he should be again in the bosom of the Father. Yet neither the pressing sorrow, nor the approaching joy, held the uppermost place in his thoughts and feelings. "His own" were lodged deep within the recesses of his soul, and neither present humiliation nor future glory could for a moment draw the veil of forgetfulness over them. "His own," his people, his sheep, his children, were engraven on the palms of his hands, and were continually before him. There was not only no power in heaven or earth which could destroy his love towards them; there was nothing which could cause even a temporary cessation of that love; "Having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."

Having loved his own which were in the world! He loved them before the world was, yea from all eternity; not with a passive fruitless emotion, but with a love which rested not until in the counsels of Infinite wisdom he resolved to "bow the heavens and come down" to save. In the fulness of time, he appeared to carry forward this resolution of love; and now the strength and endurance of this eternal principle was manifested. The glorious gem

had never from eternity been lacking in that perfect and unfading crown of glory which sparkles from the throne of God; but now some of the brightest flashes of its heavenly light were to be directed to the habitations of man; the sin-darkened eye of man was to be enlightened by its radiance, and his heart cheered by the warmth of its beams. The Son of God became the Son of Man, and brought this love with him to the children of men; and though he was received with reproach and calumny and persecution, yet through all, "he loved his own." No shame which could be heaped upon his head, no suffering laid upon him, ever turned away his love; "He loved them unto the end." In the darkest hour which ever gathered around him, in the deepest anguish which ever pierced his soul, he loved them still. His love was stronger than death. Nothing could destroy it. As the hatred of the many who persecuted him could not quench it, so the petulance and faithlessness of the few who attended him, could not even weaken it. They needed line upon line and precept upon precept at one time they were elated by a presumptuous self-confidence, at another depressed by an undue and excessive sorrow; and throughout they manifested the greatest ignorance in their views of his character and kingdom, yet, notwithstanding all, "he loved them to the end."

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And how cheering is the reflection that what is here recorded of the love of Christ to his first disciples, is true of his love to all his disciples, at all times. He loves them even to the end. Though there is a difference in the position and state of Christ now, as compared with that in which he is brought before us by the Evangelist, there is no difference in his love. As his sufferings and humiliation could not interfere with the love which he bore to his chosen, so cannot his exultation, now that he is at the

right hand of God; for he is gone into heaven, there to "appear in the presence of God for us." The glory which he had from all eternity in the bosom of the Father, could not banish from his mind "the love wherewith he loved us." The sorrows of his days of deep humiliation and terrible suffering could not make him forget this love for a moment. The bitter agony of the garden could not draw the dark veil of forgetfulness between him and "his own;" the fearful horrors of the cross came not between his love and the perishing malefactor's soul; and now that he is passed into the heavens as our Great High Priest, ever presenting the sweet savour of his once offered precious sacrifice, we cannot but rejoice in the blessed assurance, that there is not one thing in heaven, not the brightness of that glorious place, not the glory which he has with the Father, not the adoration which the prostrate hearts of the highest and noblest of his creatures pay to him as King of kings. and Lord of Lords, that can rob us of the present participation in that gracious declaration, "He loved them unto the end."

And moreover, this love is lavished upon us in spite of our heartless services, and our manifold provocations. How many days, and how many times in the day, bear testimony to our waywardness, or our backslidings; how continually is the canker of selfishness stealing our hearts from him; how often does the world press down our spirits, and prevent them from rising up to heaven; how quick of perception are we in respect of earthly things; how slow of heart, how difficult of instruction in those things which are unseen and eternal. How truly might our Lord address of us as he did his servant of old, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?" Yet in spite of all this ingratitude, apathy, earthlymindedness, and hardness of heart, he loves us still!

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The consideration of this ought to speak peace to the spirit, which is troubled and cast down under a deep consciousness of its own infirmities and shortcomings, so as almost to feel as if the word had gone forth, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?" Oh trembling disciple of a Master who is love itself! Doubt of your own existence sooner than of the stedfastness of his love, even in the midst of your provocations. Sink not idly down, and give up all for lost; dishonour him not, by questioning the length and breadth, and height and depth of his love, but endeavour so to realize its unfailing power, its inextinguishable flame, that you may be stirred up with all the energies you possess to meet this love, by presenting your whole spirit and soul and body as a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice to Him, who loved you before the world was who loves you throughout the duration of the world-and who will continue to love you through the countless ages of eternity.

But we must now carry on our attention to the interesting incident which the Evangelist, after the introduction we have noticed, proceeds to narrate. In doing so, we shall postpone to a subsequent lecture the consideration of the passage, which may be read as parenthetical in the second verse. "The devil having now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him "—we are then told that "supper being ended. . . . Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God, (be) riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel and girded himself; after that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel, wherewith he was girded."

"Supper being ended"-or, as it may be rendered,

supper having commenced "—or it may be considered as referring to the conclusion of the first part of the Paschal Supper-the Antipast, as it was called, at the end of which the guests rose and washed their hands. This part of the last supper is thus referred to in Luke xxii. 14-18-" And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve Apostles with him; and he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you, before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves."

Just then, at this time, and before the Paschal Lamb was eaten, our blessed Lord arose, and girded himself, and prepared to wash his disciples' feet. Before narrating this incident in the Saviour's life, the Evangelist marks, in the most impressive manner, the amazing condescension which was manifested by the Lord Jesus on this occasion. "Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands:"-Though aware that he was "Heir of all things"-perfectly conscious of his omnipotence—of such majesty and power that none in heaven or earth could stay his hand, or say unto him, "What doest thou?" and that "He came from God" as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth-as the brightness of his Father's glory and the express image of his person-as the bearer of his Father's message to mankind-armed with all authority and power, and bearing the credentials of his Divine nature and that "He went to God," or was going to him, to be at his right hand-to have a name above every name -to be far above principalities and powers-notwithstanding all this, he was meek and lowly still: and not the brightest jewel in his universal crown-not the mightiest