ther the Son-as a fact which he was commissioned to reveal-but the Father. We are assured that it will happen. And to be prepared whenever it happens, this is the trial of faith.

Our Lord proceeds to illustrate this by example. 33. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35. Watch ye, therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning:

36. Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.

The absence of the master is the test of the servant's fidelity. That servant is ready and watching who is at his post; who is not afraid to meet his lord; who has not behaved during his lord's absence, as if he was never to return; but has diligently performed the work assigned him; has guarded the house faithfully, and kept out robbers and enemies.

It has pleased God that the faith of Christians should be put to a like trial. Behold, I come

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2 The turn of the sentence would imply, that that day and hour were actually unknown to the Son. But “He and his Father are one." He was with God in the beginning, and was God." We cannot, therefore, suppose that he was not partaker of the Father's counsels, either as to the destruction of Jerusalem or the end of the world. And it is hard to understand, how the Son, coming in the flesh, should divest himself of knowledge which he possessed as God, in the same way as, confessedly, he divested himself of immortality. It would be strange, however, if there were not difficulties in a case so mysterious as the union of the divine and human nature in the person of Christ.

quickly, and my reward is with me;" "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish to every soul of man that doeth evil; eternal life to them, who, by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality.": And the Christian will be found watching, who acts as if he believed this. He holds himself prepared. He expected death, whilst in health; and has not, at the last hour, his worldly affairs and his eternal concerns to settle, when he is fit for nothing but to sigh and complain. He does not lament, as Ahab to the prophet, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" but he receives the summons of death, as the call of the Saviour whom he has long trusted and obeyed, and says, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word." He is conscious, without doubt, of many sins and infirmities, which though he has struggled against them, for that is the work appointed him, have yet remained and harassed him unto the end. But he has learnt, and taken it to heart, that "There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus;" that "his blood cleanseth from all sin " those who have believed in

his name. In his lord's absence, the enemy, the enemy of our souls, has often assailed the house; but through the strength of his lord he has repelled him. Satan has never got dominion there; he has sought admittance and perhaps been listened to for a while, but he has never finally prevailed.

Such a servant is prepared; whenever the master of the house cometh, he will not be found sleeping;

'See Rom. ii. 6—10.

and it is a happy summons, which calls him to his everlasting rest.

Watch ye, therefore; watch and pray for ye

know not when the time is.

Matt. xxvi. 1-13. John xii. 1-7.

LECTURE CVIII.

MARY ANOINTS THE HEAD OF JESUS. JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES EAT THE PASSOVER.

MARK XIV. 1—25.

1. After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

2. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

3. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.'

4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

2

'This was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. See John xii. 3.

2 About 97. 13s. 9d. of our money.

6. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

9. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

This memorial is not left for her sake, but for ours, that we may know the spirit which our Lord approves in his disciples. Here, as in the case of the poor widow lately, who cast her all into the treasury, he applauds the act, because he approves the motive. She acted in faith. Mary, here, in love. On the principles too current in the world, each might have censure. The one might be called rash; Mary is accused as wasteful. But he who knows the heart, bestows his approbation. Why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. And the same approbation he will bestow at a season when nothing else will be valued or valuable. He will bestow it on all who have "loved much, because they have been much forgiven," and have felt that the author of their pardon is "precious" to their souls.

10. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

Matt.xxvi. 14-25. Luke xxii.

11. And when they heard it, they were glad, and pro- 3–34. mised to give him money. And he sought how he might con- John xiii. veniently betray him.

12. And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover ?

Q Q

1-30.

13. And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.

14. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the good man of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15. And he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.

16. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

17. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.

18. And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray

me.

19. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?

20. And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.

21. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.

22. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

23. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

24. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

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25. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

The present was a time of affliction. Our Lord looks beyond the present, to that joy which was to

* The New Testament, or Covenant, which like the first, « was not dedicated without blood." See Heb. ix. 18, &c.