as he sat at meat, he replied,

66 she hath

wrought a good work upon me.' "Wheresoever this gospel is preached in the whole world, there shall also this which this woman hath done be told for a memorial of her."* When he sent his apostles forth to preach, he told them-" He that receiveth you receiveth me; yea, and whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward."†

But passing over ten thousand instances of his affectionate zeal for his people's interests, let us look to the last closing scene. "When Jesus knew (says St. John) that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." He knew what tremendous agonies awaited him; he knew also how basely they for whom he had done so much would forsake, and even disown him in his last extremity, yet in what manner does he spend the few last hours of his life? We do not find him absorbed in the contemplation of what was coming upon

*Matt. xxvi. 10, 13.

John xiii. 1.

+ Matt. x. 40, 42.

himself; we do not find him seeking comfort, but bestowing it upon them! Busied in providing for those whom he was to leave behind him, in providing for them every thing that they could be imagined to stand in need of, when his bodily presence should be withdrawn.

Caution they would need extremely, and consolation. In the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew we have his last sermon of caution; and St. John records his last sermon of consolation.* In the one he shows the absolute necessity of watchfulness, and of a diligent improvement of every talent committed to their stewardship, depicting, in the close, the coming of the Son of man to judgment, and the awful and eternal separation of the wicked from the righteous. In the other, he forewarns them of trials to which they should be called, but assures them that he had overcome the world, and that in him they should have peace. That he departed to prepare a place for them, that they might be with him to eternity. But that in the meantime whatsoever they asked the Father in his name, he would give it to them. Yea, that he would send them the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth to guide them into all truth, and comfort them; and in short, if

* John xiii, xiv, xv, xvi.

they would receive it, that it was expedient for him to go away; he left them for their good, and they should shortly find it so.

But they wanted instruction likewise and the lesson which they had been slowest in learning, and yet a most needful lesson, was humility. He had repeated that sentence, "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, and he that exalteth himself shall be abased," again and again; but hitherto, it should seem, to little purpose; for, to the last, they were disputing among themselves which of them should be the greatest. But now (as St. John expressly tells us) because he loved them, he was determined to make one effort more before he died: "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”—“ After he had washed, their feet and had taken his garments and was set down again, he said unto them, know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master, and Lord

* Luke xiv. 11.

and ye say well,

for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." ." This surely was an illustration of his precept which it would never be possible for them to forget. However his tender concern for their well being was not satisfied with this. The same night he instituted the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, that so his people might have an ordinance in which they might show forth his death to the strengthening and refreshing of their souls, and might accept the pledges of his love to their great and endless comfort. And then, last of all, he solemnly and affectionately commends, not his immediate disciples only, but all who, to the end of time, should believe through their word, to God and to the good word of his grace; praying for them, not that they should be "taken out of the world, but that they should be kept from evil;" "be sanctified through the truth;"† have union and communion with the Father and with the Son-and finally be with their Redeemer where he is, to behold his glory, yea, and to taste of that same love of the Father wherewith he loveth the Lord Jesus Christ himself. + John xvii.

*John xiii. 3-15.

I will not describe to you now, how his labour of love was finished; how he was numbered with the transgressors and laid down his life for the sheep. Suffice it to say, that though all his disciples forsook him and fled, He, who is the same for ever, forsook not them, when having by his death, destroyed death, he rose from the grave in triumph. "Go your

way, (saith the angel who announced his resurrection to the women who came to anoint his body) go your way, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him as he said unto you.' And soon they did see him. For forty days he showed himself alive unto them from time' to time and now having removed the doubts of the most incredulous; having opened their understandings to understand the Scriptures; having commissioned them to preach the gospel to all nations; having promised to be with them always, and to bestow upon them in abundant measure, the gift of the Holy Ghost, "He led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them, and it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven."†

Such your Redeemer was, such was his mind + Luke xxiv. 50, 51.

* Mark xvi. 7.