offered to bear the fins of many; and unto them that look for him, fhall he appear the fecond time without fin unto falvation.. The Gofpel. S. Luke 22. .

OW the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called *the Paffover. And the chief priests and fcribes fought, how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas furnamed Ifcariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them, in the abfence of the multitude. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the paffover must be killed. And he fent Peter, and John, faying, Go, and prepare us the paffover, that we may eat. And they faid unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he faid unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there fhall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the houfe where he entereth in. And ye fhall fay unto the good-man of the house,, The Mafter faith unto thee, Where is the gueft-chamber where I fhall eat the paffover with my difciples? And he fhall fhew you a large upper room furnifhed; there make ready. And they went, and found as he had faid unto them: and they made ready the paffover. And when the hour was come, he fat down, and the twelve apoftles with him. and he faid unto them, With defire have I defired to eat this paffover with you before I fuffer. For I fay 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 faid, Take this, and divide it among yourfelves. For I fay unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the

The Paffover, was fo called, and obferved, in commemoration of the Ifraelites departure out of Egypt, when the destroying Angel which put to death the firftborn of the Egyptians, paed ove the houses of the If raelites without entering therein, Exod. xii. 11. Hence

alfo the Lamb which was killed on these occafions was called the Paffover; which was eaten with unleavened bread. This was a reprefentatian of Chrift the true pafchal Lamb who was facrified for us.

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vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, faying, + This is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewife alfo the cup after fupper, faying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is fhed for you. But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me, is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined; but wo unto that man by whom he is betrayed. And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. And there was also a ftrife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he faid unto them, § The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them, are called benefactors. But ye fhall not be fo; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth ferve. For whether is greater, he that fitteth at meat, or he that ferveth? is not he that fitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that ferveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. ‡And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and fit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael. And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath defired to have you, that he may fift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren.

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And he

↑ This is my Body which is given for you. As if he had the greatest Men who have the greatest and most abfofaid This is he reprefentation of my Body, which is lute power, or who pompoutly affume the Title of Benegiven to Death, for you. Do it no longer in com- factors (as fome of the Kings of Egypt and Affyriadid,) memoration of the Deliverance from Egypt, but in but that he is most truly to be ftiled great who, with a Remembrance of me, who, by dying for you, will bring condescending Humility, is moft ferviceable to his Felyou out of the fpiritual Bondage of Sin, (a Bondage low Creatures, after the example of our Saviour. far worse than the Egyptian) into the glorious liberty And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, & The Kingof the Children of God,. Do it in a

brance of me, who, by laying downkful Remem- dom he e meant by Jefus was his mediational Kingdom

my life, will ran fom you from Death and Hell; and fet open the Gates of Heaven, that you may enter Immortality in Triumph. The Kings of the Gentiles exercife, &c. From the manner in which Jefus compofed this contention of his Difciples it appears, that they are not to be accounted

over Mankind, Difpenfation of the
in the propogation of which he hereby affures his Dif-
ciple, that they, as his Minifters fhould be next to him
in Dignity and Office; thus giving Laws to the con-
verted Tribes of the Ifrael of God throughout the
World.

faid unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prifon and to death. And he faid, I tell thee, Peter, the cock fhall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. And he faid unto them, When I fent you without purse, and fcrip, and fhoes, lacked ye any thing? And they faid, Nothing. Then faid he unto them, *But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewife his fcrip: and he that hath no fword, let him fell his garment, and buy one. For I fay unto you, that this that is written, muft yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the tranfgreffors; for the things concerning me have an end. And they faid, Lord, behold, here are two fwords. And he said unto them, It is enough. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives, and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray, that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stones caft, and kneeled down and prayed, faying, + Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there ap+ peared an angel unto him from heaven, ftrengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; and his fweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his difciples, he found them fleeping for forrow, and said unto them, Why fleep ye? rife and pray, left ye enter into temptation. And while he yet

But now, be that hath a purse, &c. When our Lord fent out his Difciples at firft to Preach the Gofpel, he ordered them to make no particular provifion for the purpofe, but to rely wholly upon God, who would difpofe the Hearts of their Hearers to befriend and fupport them. But now, he tells them hat he was going to be treated as a Malefactor, they too must expect a different ufage from Mankind: and that it would be therefore wife to provide themselves by Faith and Patience against the Trials and Afl Ctions that might befall them

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tional Submiflion to the Will of God! Our Lord does not affect here a Stoical infenfibility of his approaching fufferings. On the contrary, He, in the lan guage of nature, pray'd to be delivered from them: yet becaufe he knew the End and Neceflity of thofe Sufferings, he meekly refigned himself to the Will of his heavenly Father. So likewife, as Chriftians, it is not expected of us, that we fhould be infenfible of the afflictions that befall us, or that we should not defire to be relieved from them: but that we should always pray for deliverance, with an humale fubmiflion to God's Will; accounting that to be the best which he is pleafed

+ Father, if thou be willing, &c. What a glorious. pattern have we here fet before us of Patience and ra- to do for us.

fpake, behold, a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jefus to kifs him. But Jefus faid unto him, Judas, betrayeft thou the Son of man with a kifs? When they who were about him, faw what would follow, they faid unto him, Lord,' fhall we fmite with the (word? And one of them fmote the fervant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jefus answered and faid, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Then Jefus faid unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders who were come to him, Be ye come out as against a thief, with fwords and ftaves: When I was daily with you in the temple, ye ftretched forth no hands against me but this is your hour,! and the power of darkness. Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priests house, and Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were fet down together, Peter fat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him, as he fat by the fire, and earneftly looked upon him, and faid, This man was alfo with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while, another faw him, and faid, Thou art alfo of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour af ter, another confidently affirmed, faying, Of a truth this fellow alfo was with him; for he is a Galilean. And Peter faid, Man, I know not what thou fayeft. And immediately, while he yet fpake, the cock crew. ‡ And the Lord turned, and looked upon Pe

Judas, betrayef thou the Son of Man, &c. There is fomething remarkably affecting in almoft every word of this Reproach. Judas! betrayeft thou?-cant thou be guilty of fuch a malicious defign against my life? Again, Judas, betrayeft thou ?-Canft thou, my Servant and Difciple act fuch a perfidious part?-Judas! betrayeft thou the Son of Man ?-Canft thou be fo ungrateful to him who has always fhewn himself fo gracious a Mafter to thee?-Judas, betrayeft thou the Son of Man with a Kifs ?-Canft thou act fuch an bypocritical part, as to make the fymbol of Love, the fignal of Treafon? Let us take heed that the Ma Lice, Perfidioufness, Ingratitude, and Hypocrify which

thus aggravated the crime of Judas, be not chargeable upon us.

This is your Hour, &c. i. e. This is the time is which it is permitted you to exercise your malice, and effect your bloody defigns against me.

And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, &e. With fuch a Look what heart muft not have been pierced that had been in Peter's fituation For however mild our Saviour's look might be on this occafion yet to be fixed upon that frail Apoftle at a time when he who had prɔfeffed fuch zeal for his Mafter's fervice was denying him with loud Oaths and Imprecations; and when that Matter was fuffering the bitter taunts and feoffs and

ter;

and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had faid unto him, Before the cock crow, thou fhalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. And the men that held Jefus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, faying, Prophefy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blafphemously spake they against him. And as foon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, faying, Art thou the Chrift? Tell us. And he faid unto them, If I tell you, you will not believe. § And if I also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter fhall the Son of man fit on the right hand of the power of God. Then faid they all, art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they faid, What need we any further witnefs? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

Thursday before Eafter.

The Epifle. Cor. 11. 17. 'N this that I declare unto you, I praife you not

you

not that come

.

For firft of all,

when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divifions among you, and I partly believe it. For there must be alfo herefies among you, that they who are approved, may be made manifeft among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lords fupper: for in eating, every one T 2

infults of an ungrateful people.-Surely it must fill him with the fharpeit compunction and remorfe; and we need not wonder to find that he went out and wept bitterly. Such are the refections which naturally arise in our Minds upon this Event. And yet how many can go on impenitently, and with ut concern, in a courfe of iniquity, though the Eye of God is continually upon them, who teeth the very fecrets of their hearts; and from which no darkness nor fhadow of death can conceal them.

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§ And if I also afk you, you will not answer me, &c. That is, if I ask your opinion of the proofs which I

have given of my being feut from God, you will not give me an anfwer, nor let me go, even though I fhould offer the strongest arguments in my favour.

*This is not to eat the Lord's Supper. It may be ob ferved here that in the primitive Church it was cuftomary to bring to their religious Affemblies, every one as he was able or difpofed, Bread and Wine for a common Entertainment; which was called a Feaft of Love. The defign of which was to exprefs and main tain Friendship and Concord, and Chriftian Unity Out of the provifions which were brought for this occafion, a part was reserved, and confecrated for the Holy Sa