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Chapter Verfe xxvi.

6 and Luke ch. xxi, v. 37 and 38. Matthew proceeds to relate that in Bethany at the houfe of 7 Simon the leper, as Jefus fat at meat; a woman poured upon his head fome very precious ointment. Mark calls it ointment of fpikenard, very precious and adds, that it might have been 'fold for more than three hundred pence, and

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given to the poor.' Luke fays nothing about it; though he was more likely to know the value than either of them: but he, and he only gives us an account of another anointing, vide his fixth chapter. John relates this matter differently, both as to time and circumftances; and I think, place alfo. Ch. xii, v. 6- Then Jefus, fix days before the paffover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he 'raised from the dead. (This miracle is reThere they made him

corded by John only.)

a fupper, Martha ferved, but Lazarus was · one of them that fat at the table with him. ર Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very coftly, and anointed the feet of Jefus (he likewife in ch. xi, v. 2, calls it feet) and wiped his feet with her hair.' John tells us, that Judas Iscariot seeing this waste, asked -Why the ointment had not been fold for three hundred pence, and the money given to the poor? And upon this question of Judas's, St. John gives us the following extraordinary comment This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but be

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'cause he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare Chapter Verte 'what was put therein.' (It is plain that this bag

contained the public or joint stock, and it may be
asked, how it was that Jefus (who knew all things)
trufted this charge in the hands of a thief?)
Matthew proceeds—' But when his disciples faw xxvi.
it, they had indignation; faying, to what pur-

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❝ pofe is this waste? for this ointment might have
⚫ been fold for much, and given to the poor. Mat-
thew fays-this anointing was in the house of Si-
mon the leper. But from John's account, con-
nected with other corroberating circumstances,
we may rather fuppofe it was at the houfe of La-
zarus. We are told by John (previous to the story
of Lazarus being raised from the dead) that Jefus
loved Martha and her fifter (Mary) and Lazarus
(their brother) Here it is faid that Martha ferved,
but Lazarus fat at the table with Jefus, when her
fifter Mary performed this expenfive ceremony.
There is indeed a probability, as they were all
poor, that Lazarus and his fifters were joint te-
nants with Simon the leper in the fame house. -
When the Difciples, according to Matthew and
Mark, or Judes only, according to John; ex-
claimed against this wafte, and obferved that it
had been better to have given its value to the poor:
Jefus faid- Why trouble ye the woman? She
hath wrought a good work upon me. Ye have
'the poor always with you, but me ye have not
always; for in that he hath poured this oint-

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Chapter Verfe

xxvi.

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ment on my body, fhe did it for my burial. And adds - Wherever the gofpel fhall be preached throughout the world, this fhall be 'told for a memorial of her.' Mary, it seems, was a favorite. (Vide Luke ch. x, v. 38 to 42.) This was a coftly mode of expreffing her kindness, and though its produce might have been appropriated to more beneficial purposes, yet if it obtained her a memorial throughout the world, we find it 14 was approved. St. Matthew in the following verfes, informs us, that Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests and asked what they would give him to deliver Jesus into their hands; and having bargained for thirty pieces of filver, he from that time, fought opportunity to betray him. This being done by Judas immediately upon his difguft relative to the waste, I am inclined to think St. John gives the best account of the matter: this departure, and the manner of it, might naturally create a fufpicion, especially in the mind of the favourite difciple who calls Judas a thief. Neither Mark or Luke mention the fum: John fays nothing of their offering money at all. Matthew goes on to 17 record that upon the first day of the feast, Jefus

being asked by his difciples, where preparation fhould be made for him to eat the paffover, re18 plied- Go into the city to fuch a man, and fay unto him, The Mafter faith, my time is at

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hand, I will keep the paffover at thy house

with

Chapter Verfe

with my difciples. And the difciples did as Jefus xxvi. 19 had appointed them, and they made ready the paffover. Mark fays that Jefus fent two of his difciples; told them they would meet with a man bearing a pitcher of water; him they fhould follow home, and fay to the good man of the houfe The Mafter faith, where is the guestchamber, where I fhall eat the paffover with my difciples, and he will fhew you a large upper-room furnished and prepared; these make ready for us.' Luke's record agrees with Mark's, and he gives us the names of the two difciples, Peter and John: but John himself gives us no account of this preparation; mentions the fupper itself in a very flight manner, and concludes it with circumftances totally different. Matthew proceeds- Now when the < even was come he fat down with the twelve and as they did eat, he faid-Verily I fay unto you, that one of you fhall betray me. And they were exceeding forrowful, and began every one of them to fay unto him, Lord

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is it I? and he answered and faid, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the fame 'fhall betray me. The Son of Man goeth as it ' is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas which betrayed him, answered and faid, Mafter is it I? He faid unto him, thou

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Chapter Verfe

xxvi.

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haft faid. And as they were eating, Jefus took bread, and bleffed it, and brake it, and gave to his difciples, and faid, take eat; this is my body. And he took the cup and gave thanks, gave it to them faying, drink ye all of it: 28 For this is my blood of the new teftament which is fhed for many for the remiffion of fins. (Was 29 Judas included ?) But I fay unto you, I will 6 not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,

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until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom' And when they had fung an hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives.

St. Mark relates the particulars of this fupper nearly in the fame terms. St. Luke differs exceedingly: He fays (ch. xxii, v. 14, &c.) And

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when the hour was come, he fat down, and the < twelve Apostles with him; and he faid unto them; with defire I have defired to eat this paffover with you before I fuffer. For I fay unto you, I will not any more eat thereof un'til it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God, and 'he took the cup, and gave thanks, and faid,

take this, and divide it among yourselves; for 'I fay unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of

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the vine, until the kingdom of God fhall come. "And he took bread and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them faying, this is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance • of me. Likewife the cup after fupper faying,

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