CHA P. XXII. them should be accounted the 25 And he faid unto them, 26 But ye shall 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. 27 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. 28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. 29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me: 30 That ye may cat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and fit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael. JOHN. have the most honorable Preferment in that Kingdom, to which more than one of them laid claim. Jefus perceiving this Contention, began to admonish them, as he had done once before on the fame Subject (Chap. 51.) The Kings of the Gentiles, faid he, exercife an arbitrary Dominion over them, and are by their inflav'd Subjects treated with the honorable Title of Benefactors. Do not you affect any thing of this nature: The true way to Authority and Efteem is to be as ferviceable as you can to the neceffities of others. Which is the more honorable Perfon, he that fits at Table, or he that waits? He that's feated without all doubt. But I am refolv'd to minifter unto you, that by my Example you may learn your Duty.I mention not this as if I thought you unworthy of Honor in my Kingdom. you that have conftantly adher'd to me in the worst of times, in which wicked Men made their attempts upon me: For this reafon, as my Father has made me partaker in his Kingdom, fo alfo will I communicate my Authority to you, and you fall fit down with me upon twelve Thrones, to pass Sentence on the Tribes of Ifrael. But that you may plainly know what I require from the greatest of you, obferve what I am going to do.. After which he * 'Tis role: Јони. CHAP. XIII. 4 He rifeth from fupper, and laid afide his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself. s After that, he poureth water into a bafon, and began to wash the difciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter faith unto him, Lord, doft thou wash my feet? 7 Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, What I do thou knoweft not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter faith unto him, Thou › shalt never wash my feet. Jefus anfwered him, If I wash thee not, thou haft no part with me. 9 Simon Peter faith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jefus faith to him, He that is washed, needeth not, fave to wash his feet, but is clean every whit and ye are clean, but not all. rofe from Table, the Apostles ftill fitting; and throwing off his upper Garment, girt himself with a Towel: Then pouring Water into a Bafon, he began to wash the Feet of his Apoftles, and wipe them with the Towel he had about him. But when he came to Peter, Mafter, faid he, doft thou wash my feet? Jefus replied, Thou doft not yet understand the reafon of it, but thou shalt prefently. Peter an fwer'd, he could never endure to fee his Master stoop and wash his Feet. But, faid Jefus, if thou doft not fuffer me to wash thee, thou canst not partake with me of the good things in the Kingdom of Heaven. In which words Jefus fignified, by an Allufion from that corporeal washing,that the Mind was to be purg'd from its vitious Defilements before it could be capable of eternal Happiness. Peter, not comprehending the drift of them, cried out, If fo, and it feems good to thee, wafh not only my Feet, but my Head and Hands alfo. Then faid Jefus, He that has once wash'd his Body, is intirely clean, nor needs repeated Cleanfings unless of the Feet, which are eafily defil'd with Duft or Dirt: Now you are clean, but not all of you. In which words he intimated, that those who had already begun refolutely to throw off their vitious Habits, did no longer ftand in need of a thorow change, fince they had only fome Relicks of their former Vices to part with; reflecting alfo upon Judas, MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. Јони. CHAP. XIII. II For he knew who fhould betray him; therefore faid he, Ye are not all clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was fet down again, he faid unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master, and Lord, and fay well; for fo I am. 14 If I then your Lord and Mafter, have washed your feet, ye alfo ought to wash one anothers feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye fhould do as I have done to you. 16 Verily verily I fay unto you, The fervant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is fent, greater than he that fent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. 18 I fpeak not of you all ; I know whom I have chofen: but Judas, who was then prefent, whom he did not rank with his other Apoftles, who, as it plainly appear'd, was abandon'd to the moft fordid Vices, and had the Impudence to continue prefent, and diffemble his desperate Design, tho he knew Fefus was not ignorant of it. Jefus having perform'd this Office to the twelve Apostles, put on his Garment, and feated himself again at the Table, asking 'em whether they understood the meaning of what they had lately feen him do. They continuing filent, he went on: You call me Lord and Mafter, and juftly, if then I, whom you own as your Lord and Mafter, have made no fcruple to wash your Feet, which is one of the moft fervile Offices, you ought to do the fame to one another without grudging, laying afide all difdainful and haughty Carriage. Remember I have fet you a Pattern of Humility and Moderation, that the Servant cannot expect a better Treatment than his Mafter, nor is the Meffenger greater than him that fent him. Happy will you be if you imitate this Example, that is, if you behave your felves with condefcenfion towards your Inferiors, and exercife all thofe Offices of humanity they fhall ftand in need of. I do not expect this from all of you, being well acquainted with the difpofitions of every one; and if I have chofen a Traitor among my Followers, 'twas not thre any Ignorance of his Temper and Defign, but I voluntarily PPP JOHN. T CHAP. XIII. that the fcripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me, hath lift up his heel against me. 19 Now I tell you before it come,that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. 20 Verily verily I fay unto you, He that receiveth whomfoever I fend, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that fent me. 21 When Jefus had thus faid, he was troubled in fpirit, and teftified, and faid, Verily verily I fay unto you, that one of you fhall betray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now there was leaning on Jefus bofom one of his disciples whom Jefus loved. 24 Šimon Peter therefore beckned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he fpake. 25 He then lying on Jefus breaft, faith unto him, Lord, who is it? rily undergo what David complains befel him, Pfal. 41. 10. in thefe words: He that has eaten Bread with me, has lift up his Heel against me. This I foretel, that none of you may think any thing happens to me, of which I was not aware, and that you may be convinc'd by this Argument I am the fame you have all along accounted me, and that you may chearfully go thro with your Apoftolical Commiffion. Be affured moreover, that whatever fhall befal you, I will look upon as done to my felf. Whoever fhall entertain you as my Meffengers, fhall be efteem'd by me as if I had bin entertai'd by him; and whoever fhall be thus efteem'd by me, will be look'd upon by God as if he had actually entertain'd me who am his Meffenger. Whilft Jefus fpake thus to them, he began to be greatly troubled, and in the hearing of 'em all told them again, that one of his Apoftles fhould betray him. His Apoftles, who did not overhear what he fpake to Judas, look'd earnestly one upon another, not being able to guefs which of them could be guilty of fo great a Villany. Peter therefore made figns to John whom Jefus greatly lov'd, and who then lay with his Head upon his Bofom, that he fhould ask Jefus who he meant. John accordingly ask'd him who it was that could be fo wicked: To whom Jefus Jefus replied, 'Tis he to whom I fhall give a piece of Bread when I have dipped it, at the fame time reaching the Sop to Judas Iscariot the Son of Simon; who having receiv'd it, was more furiously agitated by the Evil Spirit than before. Which Jefus taking notice of, faid to him with a loud Voice, What thou doft do quickly. None of thofe that were at Table understood the meaning of thefe Words; fome believing because Judas carried the Bag, that Jefus had order'd him to provide fome Neceffaries during the remaining days of the Festival, or elfe to give fomething to the Poor. But having eaten the Sop his Mafter gave him, he forthwith departed, night being now far advanc'd. Judas being gone, Jefus began to exprefs himself more openly before his Apoftleş: Now at laft, faid he, being shortly to finish the Bufinefs for which I came into the World, Í muft put you in mind that God has demonftrated by most remarkable Miracles who I am, whom the Jews generally look upon as a vulgar Perfon. As I have manifefted the Glory of God among Men; fo alfo will he evidently declare by most certain Tokens, that I have bin fent by him, by Miracles Ppp 2 that |