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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."

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 exaltation, 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 many 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, earthly-mindedness, and hardness of heart, he loves us still!

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.

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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, (he) 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 touching 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 a 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 principality and powers-notwithstanding all this, he was meek and lowly still and not the brightest jewel in his universal crown- not the mightiest sceptre of his glorious dominion, could win his regards from his path of voluntary self-abasement to which "He humbled himself." "He

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 his disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded."

There can be no doubt from the context, as well as from some other considerations which we shall have to notice, that our Lord wished to exhibit to his disciples a pattern of humility, and in this lively manner to enforce upon them the duty of striving to attain to this cardinal grace of the Christian character. "For, says he, I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." At the same time, on a due consideration of the various circumstances of this interesting narrative which are brought before us, we cannot but perceive that whilst this was the main scope and object in view, still collaterally there are many parts of the narrative which bear a signification of other things, apart from the immediate object in view, but which are connected with it, and deeply important.

And just as in the parable of the good Samaritan, (if indeed it be a parable rather than the narrative of a fact) while, doubtless, the leading object, on the occasion in which our Lord delivered it, was to impress his hearers with a deep sense of the duty of considering all men as their neighbours; yet do we feel assured that he likewise intended by so touching and beautiful an illustration, to convey an impression to his people of the great and all-absorbing love of the True Samaritan; who, leaving his own glorious abode in the regions of heaven, and wandering in the wilderness of this world, found the sinner covered with the deadly wounds of sin, and had compassion on him, and took care of him, and healed his sicknesses. So in the incident before us, while he