The substantial part of the supper being ended, a dispute arose among the disciples respecting their precedence, "who should be the greatest" in their Lord's coming kingdom. This shows how little they had profited by recent instructions. And Jesus, knowing that they would soon understand the truth full well, did not this time attempt to undeceive them; but he neglected not to seize the occasion of teaching them the lesson that humility and self-denial constituted true greatness in the kingdom which he came to establish in the hearts of men. He left the table and laid aside his outer robe, and, having taken a basin and towel, proceeded to wash his disciples' feet, an act usually performed by the humblest menials in a house. All the disciples submitted in silence to this proceeding, except Peter, who, being much shocked to see his Lord thus employed, protested that he should never wash his feet. But when Jesus gravely answered, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me," the apostle, with the usual impulsiveness of his character, cried, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my feet." Jesus answered, that washing the feet sufficed; and when he had again taken his place at the table he proceeded to explain the instruction he intended to convey, which is shortly stated in the words, "If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

JUDAS'S TREACHERY FORETOLD.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

JESUS FORETELLS HIS OWN BETRAYAL-INSTITUTES THE HOLY COMMUNION-COMFORTS HIS MOURNING DISCIPLES-GIVES THEM THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-OFFERS A SUBLIME PRAYER IN THEIR BEHALF..

T was just after this event that Jesus took occasion to intimate that among the trusted disciples then present, there was one who would betray him to his enemies. This gave them great concern; and, after a pause, they began to ask him severally, "Lord, is it I?" At this time they were seated, or rather reclining on the bench, or triclinium,

which enclosed the table; and they were placed in such a manner that the "beloved disciple," John, lay with his head towards his master's bosom; and to him Peter beckoned that he should put the question more distinctly. He did so, by asking, probably in a low voice, "Lord, who is it?" To which Jesus answered, probably also in a subdued voice, "He to whom I shall give the sop when I have dipped it;" and immediately he dipped the sop and gave it to Judas. It was usual, after the second cup of wine at the Paschal meal, for the father of the house, or head of the party, to take a piece of unleavened bread, break it in pieces and give a bit to each of those present, most commonly after having dipped it in the broth. This was probably the "sop" in question, and we may suppose that it was the turn of Judas to receive it.

On this, Judas, who, as being near enough to receive this, had

probably overheard John's question, asked in a low voice, “Lord, is it I?" and was answered in an under tone, "It is thou," by Jesus, who then added aloud, "What thou doest, do quickly:" on which Judas immediately left the place. The disciples generally had evidently not caught this conversation, for they supposed that he had gone forth on some charge connected with the distribution of alms from the common purse with which he was intrusted. But in fact he went to the priests to arrange the plan of operation for betraying his Lord to them that very night, in completion of the engagement into which he had already entered.

As the Passover repast began late in the evening, and it was now already more than half-completed, the night must then have already set in when the traitor separated himself from this circle of humility and love, and hastened through the lonesome darkness to the enemies of Jesus.

When Judas had actually withdrawn, and with that the certainty of his horrible deed was fully determined, the consciousness of victory over sin and death rose triumphant to the mind of the Divine Saviour, and absorbed for the moment all other considerations; and he said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him." He then intimated to the apostles that the time was near in which he was to be taken from them, and added, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Although our Lord had more than once expressed himself with sufficient plainness respecting his approaching death, and even the manner of it, the disciples, still warped by their early notions respecting the Messiah and his reign, could not understand his words in the sense he intended to convey. Possibly they thought only of a temporary removal of the Redeemer, through which he might escape from treason and from the plots of his enemies. Therefore the ardent

THE LAST SUPPER.

Peter inquired, "Lord, whither goest thou?" Jesus answered, "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Gathering from this, perhaps, that some danger was connected with the removal of his beloved Master, Peter rejoined, "Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake." But Jesus, looking through the soul, perceived that this declaration arose more from a swell of generous feeling, than from a firmly-grounded purpose; and therefore warned him to look well to his own heart: "Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice."

The wine-cup was repeatedly handed round during the Paschal suppers, and the Jewish writers inform us that the wine was mixed with water: although, indeed, this would be scarcely needed with such weak wines as are used at meal-times in the East. When they had come to the last of the wine-cups usually taken, our Lord proceeded to institute the Sacrament of the Holy Communion,

in the well-known words which implied that the drinking of the cup and eating of the bread was henceforth to be taken as an act commemorative of him-the wine of his blood shed, and the bread of his body given up, for the sins of the world. By this act, he in fact formally established a new religion to be sealed by his outpoured blood and wounded body, of which the wine and bread were to become the symbols.

After this, our Lord, perceiving that the disciples were still very much distressed at what he had before said, confirmed as it was by the solemn intimations of the rite which had been just established, proceeded to console them in the beautiful discourse which occupies the fourteenth chapter of St. John's Gospel, beginning "Let not your heart be troubled," &c. In this he first consoles them by the consideration, that by going from them (that is, by his death and passion), mansions on high would be prepared for them; but being interrupted by Thomas with a remark which showed that he was still thinking of an earthly palace, Jesus proceeded to explain that he was himself the way to this high heritage, and that only through faith could its enjoyment be secured. This faith they were to manifest by acts of obedience to what they had already heard from him, or might hereafter be taught; and especially by obedience to his new commandment of mutual love. Then, to excite them to the fulfilment of his commands, he added a new promise, that of a Helper. During his stay among them, their weakness and faithlessness had been so great, that they had never been able to dispense with him as a stay and support; and now that he was about to leave them, "another Comforter" would come to them, from him and from the Father, "even the Spirit of Truth," by whom they should be guided aright, and be taught much which had hitherto been purposely left obscure and unexplained. Jesus then arose as if to depart, saying, "Arise, let us go