'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 ftock, 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 difciples faw xxvi. it, they had indignation; faying, to what purpose is this waste ? for this ointment might have ⚫ been fold for much, and given to the poor. Matthew fays-this anointing was in the houfe of Simon the leper. But from John's account, connected with other corroberating circumstances, we may rather suppose it was at the house of Lazarus. We are told by John (previous to the story of Lazarus being raifed 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 tenants with Simon the leper in the fame house. When the Disciples, according to Matthew and Mark, or Judas only, according to John; exclaimed 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.

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 feems, 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 obtainedher 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 Jefus 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 say

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unto him, The Mafter faith, my time is at

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 should 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 dif ferent. Matthew proceeds- Now when the 6 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

6

is it I and he answered and faid, He that dip

peth 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.

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Then Judas which betrayed him, answered and faid, Mafter is it I? He faid unto him, thou

haft

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21

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Chapter Verfe xxvi.

26

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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 27 body. And he took the cup and gave thanks, and 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, 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.

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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 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 C unto you, I will not any more eat thereof un'til it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God, and

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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

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,

• this

this cup is the new teftament in my blood ' which is shed for you. But behold the hand of ' him that betrayeth me, is with me on the ta'ble. And truly the Son of Man goeth as it < was determined but woe unto that man by

whom he is betrayed. And they began to en< quire among themselves which of them it was

that should do this thing.' Luke does not record the refult of this enquiry; or any accufation of Judas in particular; but he records that this enquiry led them to ftrife among them, ' which of them fhould be accounted the great

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eft.' Jefus firft humbles them, by preaching humility, and then exalts them by a very flatterring promife, ch. xxii, v. 28 to 30. Ye are they which have continued with me in my 'temptations, and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me. That ye may eat and drink at my table, in my 'kingdom, and fit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael.' This promife, in confequence of the ftrife among them; is contradictory to the account given by Matthew and Mark, and how are we to account for its being made to Judas? He, certainly, was one of the twelve. And if, as it is faid in John ch. vi, v. 64.

Jefus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him ;'

* Vide page 100.

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this