pected some miraculous interference to take place, in favour of their Christ, and of their country; and they never could persuade themselves, that he would be really cut off, and would actually die.

Thus troubled but not distressed, perplexed but not in despair;'.. waiting for the kingdom of God,' but expecting it to come with observation,'.. the apostles reclined at the table, and commenced their sacred meal.

The Lord Jesus, acting as the ruler of the feast, now blessed a cup, containing wine mingled with water. And, in the same mournful, tone in which he had addressed them before, he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I tell you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.* You will observe, from this passage, that our Saviour himself did not partake of the wine, which he afterwards consecrated and distributed as his blood. (5)

With the ministration of this cup, the ceremonies of the day commenced; for the Paschal Lamb, and its concomitants, were immediately placed on the table. While the disciples were partaking of these, the impression made on them

* Luke, xxii. 17.

by the observations of their Master, gradually wore off; and they regained their ordinary spirits. They began to discourse, of the predicted glories of the Messiah's kingdom; and to speculate on their own exaltation, in consequence of its establishment. There was, says St. Luke, strife among them, which should be the greatest.* To remove this cause of strife, our Lord remarked.. 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 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.

the

My brethren, it is now, even as it was then, The worldly-minded, whatever be their style and title, whether kings or demagogues, whether philanthropists or patriots, seek for influence, and labour for dominion; for the gratification of their pride, or the furtherance of selfish objects. But the true Christian, instead of aspiring after high office, rather dreads increased responsibility; for he knows, that the end for which power is delegated to man, is, not to advance individual in

Luke, xxii. 24. 27.

terests, but, through human agency, to minister to the general welfare. The more elevated the situation in which Providence may place him, the more arduous his duties become. Regarding himself as the servant of his fellow-creatures, he will never shrink, indeed, from any position of usefulness. But, fearing his own weakness, he will never strive to gain those giddy heights, where, if they be not attained gradually, his eyes may soon be dazzled; and whence, his giddy fall will be proportionably great.

If the apostles had reflected on this,.. if they had pondered on the fact, that He who was Lord of all, became the servant of all, that he might gain the more, then, instead of exalting themselves, they would have been abased; and, instead of striving for the highest seats, it would have been with fear and trembling, that they could have taken even the lowest.

At a moment, when our Lord, as we shall presently see, was about to confer upon them the highest delegated authority, and to ordain them as stewards of those most solemn mysteries, by which grace is infused into the members of Christ,.. the advice was no less well-timed, than the rebuke was justly deserved.

But the lowly Jesus was not content with this. It was customary, after a certain time, to remove

the dishes from the table, while the father of the family, or ruler of the feast, explained the origin of the paschal solemnity, and discoursed on the unmerited mercies of Jehovah. The company then, commonly, proceeded to wash their hands (6); a ceremony, often used in all their meals, and rendered necessary, from the eastern mode of eating.

They either dipped their hands into a basin; or water was poured upon them, by a servant or slave. It was in the former manner, probably, that the fishermen of Galilee were preparing to perform their ablutions: when, lo! to their astonishment, Jesus himself, though he knew, that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God*,.. Jesus himself, though not only vested with the delegated powers of the Messiah, but possessing, also, the eternal perfections of the Godhead; even He, their Master and their Lord, made himself of no reputation, and literally took upon him the form of a servant: He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash, not the hands merely, but the feet, also, of his disciples,

* John, xiii. 2. 16.

and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

The first of the apostles to whom he came, appears to have been Simon Peter. Now Simon Peter was distinguished above all the others, by the ardency of his zeal. St. John's was more the affection of friendship; St. Peter's, if we may so speak, seemed the feelings, rather, of a partisan. He was the foremost, on every occasion, to profess and proclaim his belief, that Jesus, notwithstanding his low condition, was, in deed and in truth, the Christ, the Son of the living God. Forgetting, therefore, that it was the part of a disciple not to dictate, but to obey; determined, that he would not be a party to any thing, that he deemed derogatory from the dignity of the Messiah; and deceiving himself, perhaps, with the vain imagination that he was actuated by a sentiment of becoming humility and respect, he asked, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus, reproving him, answered and said, What I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. But Peter persevered, and said, Thou shalt never wash my feet. His Master significantly and emphatically replied, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me. Then, although Simon Peter could not comprehend this allusion to one of the great mysteries of redemption, yet, he felt himself rebuked; and, with cha