thou shouldest anoint thine head," and not "disfigure thy face." When David recounted the mercies of God, he enumerates, "Thou anointest Mine head with oil, and My cup shall be full." When the same prophet extols the blessings of unity and concord, he compares it to "the precious ointment," which was poured upon the head of Aaron. Mary thus anticipated the embalming of Christ's body, as He prophetically declared; and He added, that "she had wrought a good work upon Him"." The woman's design was to show her respect for Jesus; but He takes occasion hence to forewarn His disciples that His burial was approaching1: and, seeing at once the piety of her heart, and the purity of her intentions, He declares that, although what is recorded in Scripture for instruction, is written for the admonition of those "to whom the ends of the world are come ;' yet, "wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this which this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her." No vain prediction we know; for all the Evangelists have recorded the event of one or other of Mary's anointings: and, however difficult it may be to reconcile the number or distinctiveness of them, that Mary Magdalene did the greatest thing in her power to display her attachment and admiration of our Lord, and her sense of her deep obligation to that blessed Abp. Sumner. Mant and D'Oyly. Bp. Pearce. 3 Saviour for His kind compassion towards her, a miserable and unworthy sinner, is told in all the four Gospels "as a memorial of her." SECT. CXXXIX.-Christ washeth His Disciples' Feet.- It is not easy to settle precisely the order of the various circumstances which are related to have occurred in the few days immediately preceding our Lord's passion. St. John records a supper, at which Christ submitted to assume the habit and employment of a servant, and wash the feet of His disciples. The supper at which this happened was "before the feast of the Passover;" and St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, though they do not give us the same history of the events that occurred at this supper that St. John does, yet date the treason of Judas as somewhere about this time, "before the days of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed;" but the former places it two days before the feast, at the house of Simon the leper. It is not of very great consequence to settle precisely the order of these events; but it is thought that, at any rate, the event now to be related did not occur at the last supper 9. Judas Iscariot, of whose corrupt and covetous inclinations the Evangelist had recorded an example, in regard to his cavil respecting the box of ointment, now yielded to the temptation of Drs. Lightfoot, Whitby, and Robinson. 6 66 the devil, who put it into the heart of this unhappy man, that he might gratify his avarice, to make a bargain with the Chief Priests and captains how he might bring Jesus unto them." Whilst, then, this idea had already possessed his heart, as he sat at supper with the disciples, our Lord rises from table, and putting Himself into the habit of a menial servant, and, passing behind, as they reclined on their couches, He "began to wash the disciples' feet;" and, it is thought, began with Simon Peter, who objected the unsuitableness of his exalted Master's performing so mean a service to him'. The object of our Saviour in this act was to set a most powerful example of humility and kindness to one another, and to signify the efficacy and value of His own precious body, now about to be offered up, by which alone they and all mankind were to have all their sins purged and washed away together. In allusion to this meaning, and to show that even he who has heartily embraced the Gospel must cleanse himself continually from the unavoidable incursions of daily infirmities', He says to Peter, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part in Me.” Immediately the Apostle acquiesced, earnestly expressing his desire to become a worthy dis Dr. Robinson. 9 ' Bishop Hurd. 8 Bishop Mann. 'Dr. S. Clarke. ciple of Christ. It is surmised that our Lord did not proceed to the same act towards all the disciples now assembled round Him; for, whereas Christ did this for example and instruction merely, and not with any design of cleansing them, His end would be answered by washing two or three of them as well as all. If, indeed, He had washed the feet of Judas, he would have had his part in Christ as well as the others; and He could not leave him out singly, without making it apparent to the rest who the unclean one among them was, whereas the record is, "He knew who should betray Him: therefore He said, Ye are not all clean." So, after He had washed "some" of their feet, He resumed His garments, and made them to understand fully the significance of the action He had now performed 2. SECT.CXL.- Christ betrayed by Judas Iscariot.-Matt. xxvi. 14-16; Mark xiv. 10, 11; Luke xxii. 3-6; John xiii. 18-30. Ir must excite the surprise of every intelligent reader, that one like Judas Iscariot, who had now passed three years at the feet of Jesus, and had heard words of more than human eloquence and power, should, under such circumstances, fall from that grace which had been given to him at his call to the Apostleship; and it is a pregnant example to us all to "beware of covetousDr. Lightfoot. 2 ness." This sin is the most subtile and ensnaring of all the moral evils that taint our corrupt nature: it is, emphatically, the lust of age; but even the existence of youthful fires is no antidote to it: neither penury nor opulence prevent its influence; it pervades alike the wretch who can scarcely command a daily meal, and the lord of useless thousands. What is still more fearful, is what we may perceive from the example before us,—this poison can even insinuate itself across the barrier of the "words of eternal life." What was yet more surprising in the case of Judas was, that he must have become aware that our Lord knew all that he was meditating. Christ says distinctly, on this occasion, I know that one of you will forsake and betray Me: and I knew, from the beginning, that so it would be; but it is necessary, "that the Scripture may be fulfilled': for, when David speaks of Achitophel, his familiar friend, who betrayed him, the type must be likewise fulfilled in Me; and, "He that eateth bread with Me, hath lifted up his heel against Me." The Evangelist records the accomplishment of this prediction in the most literal sense, when he says, that "after the sop, Satan entered into Judas." The ministry of Christ had been singularly influential in expelling the devil out of our nature; Dr. Whitby. 3 Dr. S. Clarke. |