Truly marvellous was such an answer! What resources of mind does Jesus put forth when thus alone he stood in presence of his very bitter enemies, defeating their guiles, protecting himself, and proclaiming with a loud and unquavering voice 'the whole counsel of God'!

Next the Sadducees attempted to entangle him in his speech,' by proposing a difficult question touching marriage. When they had retired in astonishment, the Pharisees made another effort. The latter, which was as unsuccessful as the former, led Jesus, in answering so as to avoid the snare, to enunciate the grand truth, that the love of God and man is the substance of true religion. Jesus now put to the Pharisees a question, not, however, to puzzle, but to enlighten them. They held the Messiah to be David's son. Yet David called him Lord. How could he be both David's son and Lord? The question was intended to lead them to see the spirituality of Christ's kingdom; for though the Messiah was descended from David, yet, in being destined to occupy the throne of man's heart, and not the petty seat of empire in Jerusalem on which David had sat, he was of a truth David's Lord, and superior to all earthly power and principality. The Pharisees, however, with their grossly material notions, could give no reply. By these repeated defeats, Jesus gained on the hearts of the people, who, though they did not understand him, were smitten with admiration at his wisdom and dexterity, and were probably not sorry to see the proud priest, the lordly Sadducee, and the self-satisfied Pharisee, routed and confounded, if they could not be humbled.

Profiting by the favourable impression, yet careful not to give his enemies a handle, Jesus bade the multitude obey the priests, so far as what they enjoined emanated from Moses, in the chair of whose authority they sat; 'but do not ye after their works; for they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.' Then did Jesus give utterance to a long and terrible discourse, painting those hypocrites in living features, and handing down to after ages a picture of depravity which it is awful to contemplate and most grievous to the heart, which, believing in Jesus, cannot but mourn and weep that such a description ever had its reality in human beings. This terrible denunciation, fully justified by what Jesus knew those men were, but never to be imitated by ordinary persons, how virtuous soever their indignation may be, ends with an outpouring of unequalled tenderness, in the lofty and beautiful words, 'Ŏ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings!-and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see

me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!"

While delivering these terrible oracles, Jesus, as was the custom with Jewish teachers, sat. He sat near the court of the women, opposite the treasury. And as he sat there, he watched the people who cast therein their voluntary gifts. The rich he saw gave much. But he found no word of praise for their offerings. When, however, a poor widow cast in two of the smallest coins, he could no longer hold his peace, but, expressly calling his disciples, he declared to them that the poor widow had given more than any of the rest; for they had merely parted with a portion of their abundance, but she had given her all.

Jesus left the temple. As he went out, one of his disciples said, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings.' 'Yes,' was Jesus' answer; 'yet there shall not be left one stone upon another.' Retiring to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sat down, still having his eye, now full of thought, now flashing with prophetic vision, directed on the city. As he sat and mused, he was asked when the destruction of which he had just spoken would come. Then did the Saviour open his mouth and utter a description of the final woes of his country which is as true as it is terrible, and which in a few years found a literal accomplishment in the anguish of that still proud metropolis. The time was near, he added, but how near he himself knew not; but there was no safety except in constant watching and in timely flight. In order to illustrate and enforce the necessity of vigilance and prudent foresight, as well as constant and dutiful obedience, Jesus delivered two parables. He first spoke that in which he set forth the unfaithful servant who, relying on his master's continued absence, began to ill-treat his fellow-servants, in contrast with the conduct of the faithful servant whom his master, on his coming, found fulfilling all his will. The second parable is that of the Ten Virgins, five of whom were wise and five were foolish. The former, making due provision, were, when their lord came, ready to give him due reception. The latter, being unprepared, were taken unawares, and in consequence excluded from the feast. These two parables spoke of those who were prepared and waiting, and those who were unprepared (the Jewish priests), for the coming of Christ. Addressed to his contemporaries by our Lord, they find an application in every age.

The great Teacher subjoined a very vivid description of the principles on which the Son of Man would judge the world when he came in his glory, and all the holy angels with him. These principles are based on the observance or the neglect of the duties of active, impartial, and self-denying benevolence. The test is, and will be, not what opinions we entertain in theology, but what are our affections and what fruits our lives have borne (Matthew xxii.-xxv.; Mark xii.; Luke xx.—xxi.).

And thus with this grand truth, a truth which of itself makes the religion of Jesus universal in its nature as well as in its blessings, ended the teachings of the Messiah, on a day which is not most distantly approached by any other in all history for the number, the importance, the impressiveness, and the grandeur of its teachings. How large and how sublime a portion of our Saviour's mind and heart was poured forth on this eventful and memorable occasion! What a relief must the delivery of his awful burden have been to his labouring mind! And if the consequent exhaustion was great, he had a tranquil spot at Bethany, where he could find rest and strength in peaceful communings with God.

How oft beneath his bless'd and healing wings
He would have gather'd me, and I would not,
Like a weak bird, all heedless of my lot;
Perverse and idle in my wanderings.

Now my soul would return, and trembling brings
Her wearied pinion to its wonted rest;
And, faint with its long flight and flutterings,
Would seek a refuge in its parent breast!
O Father! in thy mercy shelter me,
For I am worn with mortal miseries;
My dark and earth-entangled spirit free,
And plume it to ascend its native skies;
With loosen'd wing to thy high rest to soar,
And never to desert its mansion more!

CHAPTER V.

JESUS FORETELS HIS DEATH, AND IS SOLD BY JUDAS TO THE PRIESTS.

Wednesday, the 13th Nisan, 4th day of the week, April 5th.

The next day afforded breathing-time. Jesus collected his energies for speedily coming trials. For these also he now more than ever sought to prepare his associates. With that view, he distinctly announced to them that at the Passover which would take place in two days he should be put to death by crucifixion. Already, indeed, was he betrayed, for he knew what was in the heart of Judas (Matt. xxvi. 2).

The priests convened a formal meeting, fully convinced of the danger of delay. As on occasions of moment, the Sanhedrim assembled in the house of Cai'äphas, the high-priest. The questions, what was to be done and how it was to be carried into

effect, were debated. It was resolved to take Jesus by craft and put him to death. But the right time, they judged, was not at the festival, for they feared the people. The postponement, however, was set aside, for an opportunity was offered them by the treachery of one of Christ's own companions. This traitor was Judas Iscariot. Going to the chief-priests, he asked, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver, or shekels. The nefarious contract was made, and now Judas thought only of the means by which he might betray his Master and secure his pay. This day has few incidents, but it is for ever notorious for being that on which the darkest of contracts was made (Matt. xxvi. 1-5, 14-16; Mark xiv. 1, 2, 10, 11; Luke xxii. 1, 2, 3, 6; John xii. 44—50).

CHAPTER VI.

JESUS SENDS DISCIPLES INTO JERUSALEM TO MAKE READY THE PASS

OVER; BEING SEATED AT TABLE, HE WASHES THE APOSTLES' FEET, EATS THE PASSOVER, INDICATES THE TRAITOR, INSTITUTES THE LORD'S SUPPER.

Thursday, the 14th Nisan, 5th day of the week, April 6th.

The day of rest was over. The last hour approached. It was the first day of unleavened bread, when the Jews killed the Passover lamb. As a pious member of that nation, the Saviour intended to keep the Passover, and gave the necessary directions. In Jerusalem was the lamb to be eaten, and thither in consequence, when evening was come, did Jesus repair.

The festival of unleavened bread among the Jews began strictly with the Passover meal, at or after sunset on the fourteenth, and continued until sunset at the end of the twenty-first day (Exod. xii. 17, 18; Deut. xvi. 3, 4; Lev. xxiii. 5-8; Numbers xxviii. 16 -25; Joseph. Antiq. iii. 10, 5). It was customary for the Jews on the fourteenth day of Nisan to cease from labour at or before mid-day, to put away all leaven out of their houses before noon, and to slay the paschal lamb towards the close of the day. The exact time for killing the paschal lamb (or kid, Exod. xii. 5) is designated by the expression, 'in the evening;' or rather, as it is in the Hebrew, 'between the two evenings' (compare the colloquial phrase, between the lights,' and see margin, Exodus xii. 6); or, as it is described in another place (Deut. xvi. 6), 'at evening, about the going down of the sun.' The rabbinists held the first evening to commence with the declining sun, and the

second evening with the setting sun. Hence, according to them, the paschal lamb was to be killed between the ninth and the eleventh hour, that is between three and five o'clock. Josephus shows that such was the practice in the time of our Lord (J. W. vi. 9, 3). The lamb was to be eaten the same evening (Exodus xii. 8). This evening formed a part of the ensuing day, as the Israelites reckoned from sunset to sunset. Hence what we term Thursday evening may be more correctly described as Friday eve, in the sense in which, retaining an old usage, we speak of the evening before Christmas-day as 'Christmas eve.'

Such, then, was the time when Jesus began to eat the paschal supper with his apostles. The place where they partook of the meal is described as 'the guest-chamber,' 'a large upper room.' Such an apartment was there in every Jewish house of any considerable size, generally rising with a dome above the flat roof. There is still shown in the Upper City, or Mount Zion, in the south-west of Jerusalem, a building bearing the name of Cœnaculum ('supper-room'), in which it is held that Jesus and his apostles assembled on this occasion.

The room in which they met is described by Mark as 'furnished and prepared' (xiv. 15). The original signifies 'cushioned,' and refers to the triclinium (table with three leaves)—one at the top, from each end of which ran another at right angles-along each of which, on the outside, was a kind of sofa placed, on which the guests reclined. It was, then, at such a table and in a reclining attitude that Jesus and his friends ate the paschal supper. The reclining position of Jesus and his disciples points us to the prevalence of Roman customs in Jerusalem. The law required the Passover to be eaten standing, by persons clad with staff in hand, as if for travel (Exod. xii. 11). When, however, Greek and Roman customs gained acceptance, a recumbent posture, becoming fashionable, gradually superseded the old usage, and even made the law of no effect. Hence grew the opinion expressed in the Jerusalem Talmud-'It is the custom of slaves to eat standing; but now Israelites eat reclining, to denote that they passed from servitude into freedom.' The evangelical narratives are thus found correct in a minute and delicate point; a fact which aids in attesting their credibility. Had they been composed long after the recorded events, when Jewish life had lost its nationality, and by persons who had not personal acquaintance with the facts, they would have studiously represented Jesus as complying, in the case before us, with the injunctions of Moses.

Before they began the meal, however, Jesus performed one of those symbolical acts which, customary in the East, are so full of meaning. Induced, probably, by some outbreak of jealousy among his attendants (comp. Luke xxii. 24), or at any rate desirous of deeply impressing on their minds his doctrine of the

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