صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

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: this do in remembrance of me. Likewife alfo the cup after fupper, faying, This cup is the new teftament in my blood, which is fhed for you. is fhed for you. But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me, is with me on the table.

[ocr errors]

i

And

truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined; but wo unto that man by whom he is betrayed. And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. And there was alfo a ftrife among them, which of them fhould be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, § The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them, are called benefactors. But ye fhall not be fo; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth ferve. For whether is greater, he that fitteth at meat, or he that ferveth? is not he that fitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that ferveth. 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. And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath defired to have you, that he may fift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren.

And he

↑ This is my Budy which is given for you. As if he had the greatest Men who have the greatest and most abfofaid This is he reprefentation of my Body, which is lute power, or who pompously affume the Title of Benegiven to Death, for you. Do it no longer in con- factors (as fome of the Kings of Egypt and Affyriadid,) memoration of the Deliverance from Egypt, but in but that he is most truly to be ftiled great who, with a Remembrance of me, who, by dying for you, will bring condescending Humility, is moft ferviceable to his Felyou out of the fpiritual Bondage of Sin, (a Bondage low Creatures, after the example of our Saviour. far worse than the Egyptian) into the glorious liberty And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, & The Kingof the Children of God,. Do it in a thankful Remem- dom he e meant by Jefus was his mediational Kingdom brance of me, who, by laying down my life, will ran over Mankind, by the Difpenfation of the Gofpel; fom you from Death and Hell; and fet open the Gates in the propogation of which he hereby affures his Difof Heaven, that you may enter Immortality in Triumph. ciple, that they, as his Minifters fhould be next to him The Kings of the Gentiles exercife, &c. From the in Dignity and Office; thus giving Laws to the conmanner in which Jefus compofed this contention of his verted Tribes of the Ifrael of God throughout the Difciples it appears, that they are not to be accounted World.

4

[ocr errors]

faid unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prifon and to death. And he faid, I tell thee, Peter, the cock fhall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. And he faid unto them, When I fent you without purfe, and fcrip, and fhoes, lacked ye any thing? And they faid, Nothing. Then said he unto them, *But now, he that hath a purfe, let him take it, and likewife his fcrip: and he that hath no fword, let him fell his garment, and 'buy one. For I fay unto you, that this that is written, muft yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the tranfgreffors; for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two fwords. And he said unto them, It is enough. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives, and his difciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he faid unto them, Pray, that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stones caft, and kneeled down and . prayed, saying, + Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, ftrengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; and his fweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his difciples, he found them sleeping for forrow, and said unto them, Why fleep ye? rife and pray, left ye enter into temptation. And while he yet

But now, be that hath a purfe, &c. When our Lord fent out his Difciples at firft to Preach the Gofpel, he ordered them to make no particular provifion for the purpose, but to rely wholly upon God, who would difpofe the Hearts of their Hearers to befriend and fupport them. But now, he tells them hat he was going to be treated as a Malefactor, they too must expect a different ufage from Mankind: and that it would be therefore wife to provide themfelves by Faith and Patience against the Trials and Af Ctions that might befall them.

↑ Father, if thou be willing, &c. What a glorious Ipattern have we here fet before us of Patience and ra

T

tional Submiffion to the Will of God! Our Lord does not affect here a Stoical infenfibility of his approaching fufferings. On the contrary, He, in the language of nature, pray'd to be delivered from them: yet because he knew the End and Neceflity of thofe Sufferings, he meekly refigned himself to the Will of his heavenly Father. So likewife, as Chriftians, it is not expected of us, that we fhould be infenfible of the afflictions that befall us, or that we should not defire to be relieved from them: but that we hould always pray for deliverance, with an humle fubmiflion to God's Will; accounting that to be the best which he is pleafed to do for us.

[ocr errors]

*

fpake, behold, a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jefus to kifs him. But Jefus faid unto him, Judas, betrayeft thou the Son of man with a kifs? When they who were about him, faw what would follow, they faid unto him, Lord, fhall we fmite with, the fword? And one of them fmote the fervant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jefus answered and faid, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Then Jefus faid unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders who were come to him, Be ye come out as against a thief, with fwords and ftaves: When I was daily with you in the temple, ye ftretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour,. and the power of darkness. Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priests house, and Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were fet down together, Peter fat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him, as he fat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and faid, This man was alfo with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while, another faw him, and faid, Thou art alfo of them. And Peter faid, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour af ter, another confidently affirmed, faying, Of a truth this fellow alfo was with him; for he is a Galilean. And Peter faid, Man, I know not what thou fayeft. And immediately, while he yet fpake, the cock crew. ‡ And the Lord turned, and looked upon Pe

Judas, betrayeft thou the Son of Man, &c. There is fomething remarkably affecting in almost every word of this Reproach. Judas! betrayeft thou?-canft shou be guilty of fuch a malicious defign against my life? Again, Judas, betrayeft thou ?-Canft thou, my Servant and Difciple act fuch a perfidious part-Judas! betrayeft thou the Son of Man ?-Canft thou be fo ungrateful to him who has always fhewn himself fo gracious a Master to thee -Judas, betrayeft thou the Son of Man with a Kifs ?-Canft thou act fuch an bypocritical part, as to make the fymbol of Love, the fignal of Treafon? Let us take heed that the Ma Lice, Perfidiousness, Ingratitude, and Hypocrify which

[ocr errors]

thus aggravated the crime of Judas, be not chargeable upon us.

↑ This is your Hour, &c. i. e. This is the time in which it is permitted you to exercise your malice, and effect your bloody defigns against me.

And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, &e. With fuch a Look what heart muft not have been pierced that had been in Peter's fituation! For however mild our Saviour's look might be on this occafion yet to be fixed upon that frail Apostle at a time when he who had pr feffed fuch zeal for his Mafter's fervice was denying him with loud Oaths and Imprecations; and when that Mailer was suffering the bitter taunts and deofs and

[ocr errors]

ter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had faid unto him, Before the cock crow, thou fhalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. And the men that held Jefus mocked him, and fmote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they ftruck him on the face, and asked him, faying, Prophefy, who is it that fmote thee? And many other things blafphemously spake they against him. And as foon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and the fcribes came together, and led him into their council, faying, Art thou the Chrift? Tell us. And he faid unto them, If I tell you, you will not believe. § And if I alfo ask you, you will not anfwer me, nor let me go. Hereafter fhall the Son of man fit on the right hand of the power of God. Then faid they all, art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they faid, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

Thurfday before Eafter.
The Epiftle. I Cor. 11. 17.

N this that I declare unto you, I praise you not; that you come together, not for the better, but for the worfe. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divifions among you, and I partly believe it. For there must be alfo herefies among you, that they who are approved, may be made manifeft among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, * this is not to eat the Lords fupper : for in eating, every one

infults of an ungrateful people.-Surely it must fill him with the fharpelt compunction and remorfe; and we need not wonder to find that he went out and wept bitterly. Such are the reflections which naturally arise in our Minds upon this Event. And yet how many can go on impenitently, and with ut concern, in a courle of iniquity, though the Eye of God is continu aly upon them, who teeth the very fecrets of their hearts; and from which no darkness nor, fhadow of death can conceal them.

§ And if I also af you, you will not answer me, &c. That is, if I ask your opinion of the proofs which I

T 2

have given of my being fent from God, you will not give me an anfwer, not let me go, even though I should offer the strongest arguments in my favour.

*This is not to eat the Lord's Supper. It may be ob ferved here that in the primitive Church it was cuf tomary to bring to their religious Affemblies, every one as he was able or difpofed, Bread and Wine for a common Entertainment; which was called a Feoft of Love. The defign of which was to exprefs and main tain Friendship and Concord, andChriftian Unity Out of the provifions which were brought for this occafion, a part was referved, and confecrated for the Holy Sa

[ocr errors]

taketh before other his own fupper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What, have ye not houfes to eat and to drink in? or defpife ye the church of God, and fhame them that have not? What shall I fay to you? fhall I praife you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which alfo I delivered. unto you, that the Lord Jefus, the fame night in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and faid, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you : this do in remembrance of me. After the fame manner alfo he took the cup when he had fupped, faying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it in remem brance of me, For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this. cup, ye do fhew the Lords death till he come. Wherefore, * whofoever fhall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unwor thily, fhall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. + But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not difcerning the Lords body. For this caufe many are weak, and fickly among you, and many fleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chaftened of the Lord, that we fhould not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. rament; which was generally administered after the Love Feaft. But this cuftom became at length abufed. For instead of eating in common (according to the first institution,) feveral took upon them to eat their portions feparately, whereby they that were poor, and could bring little, were hungry; and they that were rich, and had brought much ate and drank to a riotous excefs: making no diftinction between the Lord's Sup --per, and a common diforderly feaft, and turning what was intended to promote religion, into an occafion of intemperance and profanenefs. Thereby forgetting the end of the inftitution of the Sacrament, which was, "the eating Bread, and drinking Wine in a thankful remembrance, of what Chrift Jefus has done and fuffered for us."

• Whosoever all eat this Bread, &e. That is, who

foever by the irregular indecent practice, beforementioned, thall profane this Holy Sacrament, they treat Chrift with a contempt like his Murtherers.

+ But let a Man examine himself, &c. That is, before every approach to this Sacrament, it is proper, that a man examine into the difpofition of his mind, that he come with due reverence to fo holy an Ordinance and with Charity to those for whom Christ died.

↑ For be that eateth and drinketh unworthily, &c. That is, He that eateth and drinketh in the indecent and dif orderly manner in which the Corinthians did, (whom St. Paul reproves) provoke God to inflict his Judg ments upon them; as he did upon the Corinthians. Concerning whom we are told, that for this cause fome were weak and fickly, and many died.

[ocr errors][ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
« السابقةمتابعة »