It is not necessary to suppose that the woman understood more than the disciples as to the dying of our Lord. It was with her an act of great devotedness to one she loved. Our Lord interprets it as being for His burial.

Verses 14-16. Judas goes to the chief priests and bargains with them to deliver up Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (the price of a slave, Exodus xxi. 32, between £3 and £4). He sought opportunity to betray him, but, as we have seen, it could only be on the feast day.

Verses 17-25. On the first day of the feast, the disciples ask where they shall make ready the passover, and He gave them directions.

As

At even He sat down with the twelve. they were eating Christ told them that one of them would betray Him, and solemnly pronounced a woe upon the betrayer. It had been good for him if he had never been born. But alas! it moved not Judas. He could pretend his innocence, and ask, "Is it I?" as well as the others. He had solá himself to this evil, and, as we learn elsewhere, Satan had entered into him. What a picture of man! He had seen the miracles-perhaps had wrought some himself, been the familiar friend of our Lord, and now is betraying Him for the paltry sum of less than £4.

Verses 26-35. Christ institutes the Lord's supper. Notwithstanding the order in Luke xxii. (which does not agree with the order in our chapter, and therefore both cannot be in chronological order) we believe Judas went out before the Lord's supper was instituted. John xiii. 30 says, Judas having received the sop went immediately out, and it was night. This sop, or morsel, was a part of the paschal supper.

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In verse 26 it reads in the margin "many Greek copies have gave thanks.'" This is calculated to mislead. All the principal MSS. but one read "blessed." Here and in Mark Christ "blessed" the bread, while in Luke and 1 Corinthians xi. it is He gave thanks." This is important because of the contention that the bread and wine need to be "blessed," and no one can do this but certain privileged persons. But all can give thanks; indeed there is a passage that seems to make blessing," and "giving thanks," synonymous. (1 Cor. xiv. 16.) Besides, all Christians are priests.

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In verse 27 it is not "drink all the wine," but "all ye drink of it." It was of the new testament or covenant in contrast with the old order of things. Christ would not drink of the wine henceforth until He drank it new in the kingdom of His Father.

After singing a hymn they went to the mount of Olives, and our Lord told them that all would be offended in Him that night. The shepherd would be smitten and the sheep scattered. Peter boasted that though all should be offended, he would not: he would die with Christ sooner than deny Him. The other disciples said the same.

Verses 36-46. This is the agony of our Lord in the garden of Gethsemane at the anticipation of the cross. He chose three of His disciples to watch with Him, but they fell asleep, and He was alone. His soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death. If it was not possible for the cup to pass from Him, He would drink it in obedience to His Father's will.

Verses 47-56. Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss, and arrested by the officers. One sought

to defend Him with his sword, but our Lord bid him desist. He could have twelve legions of angels. But He came to suffer: Thus it must be

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Verses 57-68. Jesus is arraigned before the council. They sought false witnesses, but found none. At length two came and testified that Christ said He was able to destroy the temple and build it in three days.

Jesus answered nothing until the high priest adjured him to say if He was "the Christ, the Son of God." Christ acknowledged that He was, adding that henceforth (not hereafter') they should see Him on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. This was declared to be blasphemy, and He was adjudged to be deserving of death.

They then insulted Him, spat upon Him and smote Him, asking Him to prophesy who it was that struck Him. A marvellous scene surely for the Creator of all things thus to be treated by His own creatures!

Verses 69-75. Peter had followed "afar off," and was warming himself in the porch of the palace. Thrice being accused, he denied his Lord with cursing and swearing. But the crowing of the cock brought our Lord's words to his remembrance, and he went out and wept bitterly. Our Lord, after His resurrection, deals with Peter concerning this, and restores him, as we find in John xxi. As Peter had denied our Lord three times, he was challenged three times as to his love; but he was restored and then graciously told to feed Christ's sheep.

THE NUMBERING OF THE PEOPLE BY DAVID.

FINDING a difficulty in the differences in the two accounts of the numbering of the people by David (2 Sam. xxiv., 1 Chron. xxi.), I thought the readers of the "Sunday-school Worker" would be interested in considering the subject with me.

In the first place, who instigated the numbering? 2 Samuel xxiv. 1, says, "And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah;" and 1 Chronicles xxi. 1, says, "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." Apparently the numbering proceeded from Jehovah in 2 Samuel, and from Satan in 1 Chronicles.

I am aware that in the margin of 2 Samuel it reads, instead of 'he' numbered, Satan' numbered, but this is evidently an interpretation instead of a translation, to avoid a difficulty, for there is not a word about Satan in the passage; and it would be very harsh to read, " And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and Satan moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah." Such a rendering would need a link to connect Jehovah and Satan in some way; but, as we have said, there is nothing about Satan in the passage.

On the other hand there is no mention of Jehovah in 1 Chronicles xxi. There it is, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number the people.

I doubt not the case of Job will help us out of

the difficulty. Let us try and answer the question who brought the afflictions upon Job. Was it God, or was it Satan? One thing is certain, that Satan was the instrument, but it is also certain that God first spoke to Satan concerning Job, and that the whole affliction proceeded from God for Job's good. God indeed said to Satan after a part of the trial, "Still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause." (Job ii. 3.) Satan suggested the evils he would bring upon Job, and God gave permission, but He was overruling all for Job's benefit.

There is, however, a wide difference between the cases of Job and David, inasmuch as David's was a case of sin and Job's was not. And we cannot for a moment suppose that God moved David in a direct manner to sin. There is, however, another remarkable case in scripture that will throw light on this.

In 1 Kings xxii. we read of Micaiah declaring that Jehovah purposed that Ahab should be enticed to go to Ramoth-Gilead that he might fall there. Among others who proposed the means to accomplish this, a lying spirit said he would do it. He was asked how he would do it; and he said he would go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. He was told to go and do so. Then Micaiah adds these words, "Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee." (Ver. 23.)

Here we see plainly Jehovah using an evil spirit to work out His own punishment upon the guilty king of Israel. The same thing precisely will explain the difficulty in the case of David. The anger