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leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast, saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. He then having received the sop, went immediately out: and it was night.

It is a melancholy reflection, that there should be any one in this select company, to whom this endearing promise did not belong; especially one who, having eaten of Christ's bread, should in such a sense and degree as Judas, lift up his heel against him. Deliver us, O Lord, from any share in that guilt! We are treated as thy friends; we are set at thy table: let us not ungratefully kick against thee, while the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. (Isaiah i. 3.)

If we would not do it, let us be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy. Happy they whose hearts witness to their sincerity in the presence of him that searches them, and can cheerfully say, Lord, is it I? Let them say it humbly too; lest the infirmity of nature prevail upon them beyond their present purpose or apprehension, and lead them on to do that, the very thought of which they would now abhor.

How artfully must Judas have conducted himself, when on such an intimation no particular suspicion appears to have fallen on him! But how vain is that artifice, be it ever so refined, which, while it preserves a character in the sight of men, cannot in the least degree impose upon Christ! The day will come when he will lay open the false and ungrateful hypocrite, in a more overwhelming manner than that in which he here exposed Judas; and whatever advantage he may have

gained, either by professing religion, or by betraying it, he will undoubtedly find that it had been good for him that he had never been born.

One would have imagined that an admonition like this, which laid bare the secrets of his heart, and warned him so plainly and faithfully of his danger, might have wrought some remorse in his heart, or at least have proved some impediment to the immediate execution of his design; but, being now given up by the righteous judgment of God to the influence of Satan, and the lust of his own depraved mind, he is exasperated, rather than reclaimed by it; and immediately goes forth, under the covert of the night, to hasten the accomplishment of that work of darkness, the consequences of which had been so awfully represented. O Lord, let thy grace and thy love do that for us which thy terrors alone cannot do! Let our hearts be melted by that nobler principle, and taught to abhor every thing which would displease thee! Oh, let them flow forth into such workings of compassion to the afflicted as engaged the blessed Jesus to relieve the poor out of his own little stock; and into those sentiments of candour which would not permit the apostles, even after this admonition, to imagine Judas altogether so bad as indeed he was, but led them to put the mildest construction on their Master's ambiguous address to him! Such may our mistakes be, wherever we do mistake; the errors of a charity, which would not by excessive rigour injure the vilest sinner, and much less the least and weakest of God's servants!

SECTION XC.

JOHN XIII. 31-38.

THEREFORE When he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to

another.

Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest

thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord; why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

In this instance, as in all others, let us be mindful of the dying charge, the new commandment of our dear Lord; and let us shew upon all occasions this distinguishing badge of our relation to him, even our love to each other. So will our profession be adorned, and the Son of man be farther glorified, by the conduct of his servants on earth: so shall he at length glorify us with himself, and after a short absence call us to follow him into those regions of perfect love which must of course be the seats of everlasting joy.

In the mean time, send down, O gracious Emmanuel, thy Spirit of love on all thy followers; that we may no longer glory in the little distinctions of this or that party, but may shew we are Christians by this resplendent ensign of our order! May we bind it on our shoulders as a mark of honour, and wear it as a crown upon our heads; that the spirit of hatred, reproach, and persecution may vanish like an unwholesome mist before the sun, and it may again be universally said, as of old, Behold, how these Christians love one another! Amen.

SECTION XCI.

LUKE XXII. 24-38.

AND there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a

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kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing; and they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

What a mournful reflection is it that corrupt nature should still prevail so far, even in the hearts of such pious men as the apostles in the main were, that after so long a converse with Christ they should still be so unlike him, and bring their eager contentions about superiority, in a state of temporal grandeur they were never to see, into the last hours they spent with their Master, and even to one of the most holy and solemn ordinances of religion! Such are the vain dreams of ambition, and with such empty shadows does it amuse the deluded mind.

Who would not gladly continue with Christ in the strictest fidelity, amidst all the trials which can arise, when he observes how liberally he repays his servants, and how graciously he seems to relish his own honours the more in proportion to the degree in which those honours are shared with them; ap. pointing them a glorious kingdom, and erecting thrones for each of them! And surely, though the apostles of the Lamb are to have their peculiar dignity in the great day of his umph, there is a sense in which he will perform to every

one that overcometh, that yet more condesending promise, Į will grant him to sit down with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne. (Rev. iii. 21.) Let our souls in that confidence be strengthened to all the labours and sufferings to which he may call us forth.

Alas, how ready are we to forget ourselves; and how much safer are we in Christ's hands than in our own! How frequently do we resolve like Peter, and in how many instances do we fall like him! We see the malice of Satan, and how eagerly he desired to try the apostles, and even to sift them as wheat; we see also the gracious care of our Redeemer, who, foreseeing the danger of his servants, laid in an unsought remedy, to which they respectively owed their security, or their recovery.

Let us rejoice that the great enemy is under such restraints, and can have no power against us, unless by permission from above. Let us rejoice that Christ is a constant and invariable Friend to his people; and still appears as an Advocate with the Father, and as a tender faithful Shepherd, watching over them for good, while Satan is seeking to devour them. (1 Pet. v. 8.) If at any time that adversary get an advantage over us, let us endeavour in the strength of Divine grace an immediate recovery; and when restored, let us exert ourselves to strengthen our brethren: for surely it is most reasonable that we, who are surrounded with such various, and such sensible infirmities, should have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way. (Heb. v. 2.)

SECTION XCII.

MATTHEW XXVI. 27-29. MARK XIV. 23-25. LUKE XXII. 20. 1 COR. XI. 25.

LIKEWISE also after supper he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; and they all drank of it. This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. Verily I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Let us now review, with most thankful acknowledgment, this gracious legacy of our dying Redeemer, this reviving and

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