VIII. THE PRAYER. (1) O God, who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, I beseech thee to give me, for Christ's sake, thy Spirit of purity and holiness; that I may truly hate sin, and that its temptations may not become more enticing, from being convenient, or pressing. Guard me against the beginnings of evil; cleanse my thoughts, and let no encouraged wish for what is wrong prepare me to fall. (2) Humble me in my own conceit; save me from the inward pride, which takes offence at outward slights from man; and make me so to feel my own unworthiness, that I may be ready to submit to any thing which may be needful to serve any of Christ's members upon earth. (3) O Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that it was my sins which humbled thee, even to the death upon the cross; and I come to thee for salvation from the guilt of those sins. Do thou wash me, and I shall be clean. Cleanse thou me, and I shall be wbite as snow. Teach me to feel the sad defilement of my daily walk in the world; and open to me the continual cleansing of that fountain where alone sin can be purged, even thy powerful and blessed Atonement. Grant this for the sake of thine own sufferings, and for the glory of thine own name. Amen. Our Father, &c. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-EIGHTH The breaking of bread-Judas departs.-Conversation, No. 62. I. BEGINNING PRAYER. MAY GOD, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, give me the HOLY SPIRIT, that I may understand this portion of his Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN. II. THE SCRIPTURES. Read St. Matthew's Gospel, chap. xxvi. verse 26. St. Mark's Gospel, chapter xiv. verse 22. St. Luke's Gospel, c. xxii. ver. 19, and 21 to 23. then St. Matthew's Gospel, c. xxvi. v. 21 to 25. St. Mark's Gospel, chapter xiv. verses 18 to 21. and St. John's Gospel, chap. xiii. ver. 18 to 38. III. THE MEANINGS; or sense of some words as used in this portion. JOHN xiii. verse 29. the bag means here the purse IV. THE EXPLANATION. While Jesus and his Apostles were still at Supper, he took some of the bread which was placed on the table; and having given thanks to God for it, he blessed it, and broke it into pieces, distributing them amongst the disciples; saying at the same time, "Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken (or given) for you, this do in remembrance of me." As though he had said, "hitherto you have had the body of the Paschal Lamb, as an appointed means of shewing your faith in the Christ who was to come. But now Christ himself-the true Lamb of God-is about to be killed once for all; and in future, your faith will not be a faith which looks forward to an atonement yet to be made, but one which looks back, remembering that it has been made: instead therefore of killing a lamb to represent my death, let the breaking of a piece of bread be the outward token, whereby you may remember the wounding of my body even to death." Jesus did not immediately add the second part of that holy ordinance, by which Christians were to commemorate his death; but having given a piece of bread to Judas, as well as to the rest of the Apostles, he thought proper to warn them of the treachery which was at that very moment being planned. He said that the person who would betray him, was at this time joining in the sacred meal: and that, though his death would certainly take place in the manner which had been determined in the mind of God, yet the person by whose means his murder would be brought about, would assuredly receive the dreadful punishment justly due to such a crime. What he had said before was not therefore equally applicable to them all; he knew the real character of the persons, whom he had chosen to be his disciples. He had permitted one to be among the number of his Apostles, and to be present at that Supper, in whom would be fulfilled what the Holy Spirit had inspired David to write down in the forty-first Psalm (verse 9), "He that eateth bread with me, hath lifted up his heel against me." Jesus told them this before the dreadful treachery happened, in order that, when it had actually taken place, his disciples might believe that He was One who knoweth all things. (John viii. 58, 59.) And having thus explained the reason why he had allowed such a mixture of evil with good amongst his Apostles, he took the opportunity of shewing, that this made no difference as to the exercise of the ministry with which he had charged all his Apostles, even Judas; for that the power of the ministry did not depend upon the goodness of the minister, but upon his being sent by Christ, who was the Son of God. This he did by assuring them, that he that receiveth whomsoever Jesus sends, receiveth Jesus himself, and in him, he receiveth God himself. The thought of this ungrateful and hardened conduct in one of his own Apostles, weighed heavily upon our Lord's mind, and greatly troubled him. He still dwelt upon the subject, and told the Apostles in yet plainer terms, that one of them who was now at table with him would betray him. At this they all looked at each other with trembling and doubt, and began to inquire amongst themselves, whom he could mean. With sorrowful hearts, fearing the possibility of such a thing, first one asked him, "Is it I Lord ?" and then another put the same question, "Is it I?" He did not answer any one in particular, but said that it was one of his Apostles who were partaking of the same dish with him: and then repeated the awful warning he had just before given;-that the Son of Man should indeed be killed, as it had been declared in the Scriptures; but a fearful 66 woe" should attend the man who was the means of causing that death, by betraying him into the hands of his enemies-it would have been good for that man, if he had never been born. Jesus had shewn particular affection for the Apostle John, who was placed next to him at this Paschal Supper; and from the position of the couches round the table, the head of John rested on the bosom of his Master. Simon Peter was lying not far off from them; and he made signs to John to ask our Lord who it was that was meant. John complied with his desire, and asked Jesus to tell them, who the person was of whom He had spoken. Jesus told them that the person who would betray him, was the man to whom he should give a morsel of bread after dipping it in the dish. He immediately took a piece of bread, and dipping it in the dish which was before him, he gave it to Judas Iscariot. When this had taken place, Satan entered into the heart of Judas, and took full possession of it. Jesus spoke to him and said, "what thou intendest to do, do at once." None of the other Apostles understood the meaning of what was said; and some of them thought he only gave some directions about expences, because Judas had charge of what money the whole had amongst them. Judas had been silent before, when the other Apostles had asked each for himself who it was that would betray our Lord: but now his conscience was roused by what Jesus had said, and he put the same question as the other disciples had done, "Is it I?" To this Jesus answered plainly, that it was he; and then Judas, stirred up by the devil, left the room late in the evening. As soon as Judas was gone, Jesus spoke freely to his disciples of his approaching sufferings; which however would only seem to set forth both the glory of God, and his own glory as Mediator |