119. Our Lord, having made this gradual transition from the downfal of the Jewish polity to his last coming to judg ment, describes the ultimate lot of genuine and hypocritical disciples at the day of final retribution; for though the whole race of mankind must then stand at his judgment-seat to give an account of the things done in the body, this parable of sheep and goats, only comprehends the professors of his religion. The former are invited into everlasting happiness, the latter are sent into everlasting misery; but there is a remarkable variation in the language: the kingdom is said to have been prepared for the righteous from the foundation of the world; but hell, though it will be the habitation of impenitent sinners, is said to have been prepared, not for them, but for the devil and his angels. The evidence here given of the fitness of the elect for their reward, is benevolence. We must not, however, hence hastily conclude, that charity will purchase, as it were, heaven, and make amends for sin and the omission of other duties. One distinguishing and conspicuous virtue is brought forward to illustrate the Christian character, which cannot exist alone, and which springs from a saving faith in the Redeemer, "working by love;' for we must observe, that the quality selected, is not general, but Christian benevolence; love to the brethren, for the sake of their common Master, "Inasmuch as you did it" (not merely to your fellow creatures out of pity, but) " to the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me." We here perceive the Judge not only noticing the works of his people when they make no mention of them, but when he is pleased to recount them with satisfaction, they seem to have forgotten that they ever performed them; a plain proof that they did not build upon them their hope of salvation. But the self-righteous, we learn from his words in another place, will plead their merits and usefulness, "Lord, have we not prophesied," (that is, taught) "in thy name, and in thy name done many miracles ?"

120. He next informed his disciples, that at the ensuing passover he should be delivered up in order to be crucified, for he had all along a foreknowledge of his sufferings, peculiar to himself. Thus we find futurity concealed even from his most favoured servants and martyrs, as appears from the case of Paul, who says, "I go up to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befal me there," Acts xx. 22. The rulers had determined not to put him to death at the feast, for fear of a tumult, but it pleased divine Providence, that both the mode and time of that event should be contrary to their intention, and that he, the real paschal victim, should be sacrificed in the most public manner during the passover,

when Jerusalem was full of worshippers. An entertainment made in honour of him at Bethany, at the house of Simon, who had been a leper, was the occasion of altering their plan; for the presence of Lazarus, which would bring a concourse of people from the city, to see a man who had lately been restored to life, and would augment his popularity, at this crisis alarmed them; and an incident that occurred at it, provided them with the very instrument wanted for their purpose. Martha waited at table, and her sister Mary, desirous of publicly shewing her respect for Jesus, brought forth a vessel of the most fragrant and costly balsam, with which she anointed not only his head but his feet, Some of the disciples murmured at what they regarded as the waste of a precious article; and Judas complained that it had not been sold, and the produce given to the poor, not because he commiserated them, but because he kept the common purse, and (array) stole out of it for his private use. Three hundred denarii, nearly ten pounds, the price which he stated it might have fetched, must have seemed a considerable sum to him who betrayed his master and friend for thirty shekels, that is, three pounds and fifteen shillings. That was the legal fine paid to the owner of a slave who had been killed accidentally by a beast, (Exodus xxi. 32.) so literally did our Lord assume the form of a servant; and it is the precise value which Zechariah had predicted would be set by the people of Israel upon him who was not only their Prince but their God. "A goodly price that I was prised at of them," saith Jehovah, chap. xi. 13. Our Saviour's reply intimated that they did not duly appreciate him. The poor they had with them always, and at any time they. could relieve them, but him they had not always; in fact, his departure was at hand, and the act for which they had heedlessly blamed her, being all she could do to honour him, was so acceptable and so excellent, that it would be mentioned to her praise wherever the gospel should be proclaimed.* He added, that in so doing she had anticipated his funeral, drawing by the remark their attention to his approaching death, and hinting that they would not grudge the use of this costly spikenard, for the embalmment of a friend. Judas retired from the entertainment, and made his bargain with the chief priests and rulers.

*Notwithstanding the contrary opinion of Lightfoot, Whitby, and Macknight, I believe, with other approved commentators, that this anointing, and that recorded by Matthew xxvi. and Mark xiv. are the same.

LECTURES

ON

THE DIATESSARON.

PART VI.

121. It was customary for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to allow to strangers who came up to keep the passover, the gratuitous use of rooms.* Jesus directed Peter and John to the house which he wished to use, in a circuitous manner; to a place where they would meet a servant of the owner, who, we presume, was one of his favourers. It is supposed that this manner was chosen that his enemies might be ignorant of the house, and so he might institute the commemoration of his death without interruption. He appears not to have been in Jerusalem in the morning, which he probably passed alone in meditation and prayer. This supper is perplexed with critical difficulties, and has given rise to three opinions. It is generally believed, and I apprehend with reason, that our Lord expired at the very time appointed for killing that eminent type of him, the paschal lamb. According to some, the Thursday was the fourteenth of Nisan, and the day on which it was universally eaten; but as St. John's observation, that on Friday morning the Jews would not enter the Governor's house, lest they should contract a defilement that would prevent their eating the passover, appears to contradict this hypothesis, Grotius, Hammond, and Macknight, conceive that our Saviour anticipated the national practice. Lamy, Calmet, and Dupin,distinguished Roman catholic divines, perceiving the difficulty on both

* Karaλvua, here translated guest chamber, is the same that is rendered inn in the account of the nativity, and is supposed to answer to the modern term caravansary, meaning a place provided for travellers, without any charge for the use of the apartments.

sides, maintain that Christ did not keep the passover at all, but only partook of a valedictory supper with his apostles. But this opinion seems to be untenable and irreconcileable with his own words at supper, "I have earnestly desired to eat with you this passover."

This ordinance was instituted by divine command, the night before the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt, for a perpetual memorial of their sigual deliverance, and of the mercy of God in passing over their houses, and sparing them when he slew all the first-born of Egypt. It was called also the feast of unleavened bread, because no other was to be used during the seven days of its continuance. It was binding upon every Israelite, except under particular circumstances, (Numbers ix.) but no uncircumcised person was permitted to partake of it. The victim might be either a lamb or a kid, but the former was preferred; it must be a male of the first year and without blemish. It was to be selected out of the flock four days before; and was, (after the erection of the temple,) slain in one of its courts, between what they called the two evenings, that is, three and five o'clock in the afternoon. As all the animals used were to be killed not in any private dwelling, but "in the place which the Lord should choose, to put his name there," the hypothesis of anticipation is untenable, unless we suppose that our Saviour kept the passover as the Jews have done ever since the demolition of the temple, only with bitter herbs and unleavened cakes, omitting the lamb; or maintain upon Philo's authority, that in this instance alone each Israelite was permitted to act as a priest, and sacrifice for himself. Vita Mosis. III. and de Decal. The lamb was to be roasted whole, and none of it was to be left till morning, so that two families joined together for the occasion, when one was too small. In the time of Josephus, a paschal society consisted of not less than ten, nor more than twenty individuals. The company being assembled round the table* for the ceremony of eating it in haste, with their loins girded and ready to depart, was given up after their settlement in Canaan; they drank a cup of wine diluted with water, as was the general usage of antiquity, and ate a little of the sallad. Upon this the supper, consisting of the lamb, the remains of the peace offerings of the preceding day, and two unleavened cakes, was removed, that they might explain to their children the meaning of the ordinance. It was re

* This may teach us not to overrate the importance of the posture in which we communicate, which has unhappily divided Christians, since our Lord and his apostles conformed to established custom, by reclining at the paschal supper.

placed, and they sent round a second cup, while they repeated the 113th and 114th psalms. The master then broke and blest one of the cakes, reserving half an one to eat with the last morsel of the lamb. The cake was eaten with the bitter herbs, and dipped into the charoseth, or sauce made of dates, raisins, and other ingredients, beaten to the consistence of mustard, and it was into this that Jesus put the sop (wo) which he gave to Judas. The peace offerings were eaten next; and lastly, the lamb, which was followed by two cups, that of blessing, equivalent to our saying grace, and that denominated hallel or praises, because they sung over it the remaining psalms, selected from the 115th to the 118th inclusive. Commentators do not agree in the precise time at which our Lord instituted the commemoration of his death, because the Evangelists do not all record the same particulars, nor in the same order. In Luke we read of another cup (ver. 17.) previous to the sacramental one, which last, according to Lightfoot, who was deeply versed in Hebrew literature, was either the third or fourth of the passover, for he varied in his opinions. Others take Luke's words "after supper" literally, and suppose that the cup to be drank in memory of his precious blood-shedding was a fifth one; and this is at least strongly countenanced by the words with which he accompanied it, "Drink ye all of this;" for the former paschal cups they would taste of necessity, but nis they might otherwise have declined. Another question depends upon our settlement of this, whether or no the traitor partook of the eucharist. It is the general opinion of the fathers that he did, as it was also of the formers of our communion service, as implied in their first exhortation; yet it seems more probable, if we may presume to judge, that he who knew what was in man, would not admit into this intimate sign of communion, one who he was aware intended that very night to betray him. In the two first gospels, the declaration that he who dippeth his hand into the dish would betray him, precede the institution of the sacrament, and we may suppose, though not mentioned there, that Judas then immediately went out, as we learn from St. John. In Luke, the remark follows, but he seems to have misplaced both that and the contention among the apostles for preeminence. The mystical signification of the Jewish sacrament, is declared by Paul, 1 Cor. v. 7. who calls Christ our passover, and the Baptist referred to this type when he pointed him out as the Lamb of God; on this account Peter (i. 1, 19.) calls him a lamb without blemish and without spot; and the beloved disciple, "the Lamb that was slain," Rev. v. The benefits derived from his death are visibly prefigured in