་ 284 John XII. 2. Mary anoints him with a moft coftly Ointment. Sect. 145. joiced to fee him; as he was in the House of Simon the Leper (b), In Testimony of their high Refpect and great Affection for him, they made a handfome Supper for him there, and treated him in the Evening; which was the ufual Time for Entertainments with the Jews, especially on the Evening of their Sabbath-Days, which was the Season when this Feaft was made (c): And Martha, who had formerly distinguished her Care on a like Occafion, (Luke x. 40. pag. 91.) having feen that all Things fhould be rightly ordered, waited on Chrift at Supper; but Lazarus was one of them that fate at the Table with him. 3 Then Mary, the other Sifter of Lazarus, being deeply affected with the many Instances that Chrift had given her of his Love, and especially with his late Mercy to her Family, in recovering fo dear a Brother from the Grave, was folicitous to give fome uncommon Token of her Gratitude and Refpect to fo excellent a Gueft: She therefore took an elegant Alabaster Pot, or Vafe, [containing] about a Pound Weight of unadulterated Ointment of Spikenard (d), [which was] exceeding valuable; and having broke the Top of the Veffel, or fhook the perfumed Balfam which was in it, that it might be the better liquified, and flow forth the eafier (e), he came behind him, and poured out the in the Houfe of Simon the Leper, [MARK XIV. 3.—] JOHN XII. 2. There they made him a Supper, and Martha ferved: but Lazarus was one of them that fat at the Table with him. (b) Simon the Leper.] It is not to be thought, that he was now a Leper; for in this Cafe he would not have been fuffered to live in a Town, nor would the Jews have come to an Entertainment at his House: But either he was once a Leper, and had been cured by Jefus, or else the Name was given to the Family, as fome confiderable Perfon in it had been formerly a Leper: (c) When this Feaft was made.] Tho' Matthew aud Mark relate this Story, where they are fpeaking of what happened but Two Days before the Paffover, it is more probable, (as we have just now fhewn, that it is placed by John in its due Order; and as the following Days appear to be fufficiently diftinguished, and Chriff's triumphant Entrance into Jerufa. lem, which John has fixed to the next Day, (John xii. 12. Sect. 146.) must have been on the First Day of the Week, this Entertainment therefore was on the Evening of the Day. before, when the Jewish Sabbath was over. (d) Unadulterated Ointment of Spikenard.] I cannot take upon me abfolutely to determine, whether the Word six fignifies, that the Ointment was quite genuine and pure, (as Cafaubon and L. Cappellus affert ;) or whether (as Grotius and Erafmus think,) it be put for analns, and refers to the particular Part of the fragrant Shrub Nardus, of which the Ointment was made. (See Plin. Nat. Hift. lib. xii. cap. 12.)—If the latter be the Meaning of it, what is faid of its great Value must juftify our calling it unadulterated. (e) Having broke the Top of the Veffel, or fhook the perfumed Balfam, &c.] Sir Norton Knatchbull and Dr. Hammond maintain, that curlerara does not fignify, that the brake the Veffel, Judas condemns it as an unreasonable Wafte. he fat at Meat,] and anoint ed the Feet of Jefus, and wiped his Feet with her Hair: and the Houfe was filled with the Odour of the Ointment. [MAT. XXVI. 7. MARK XIV.-3.] MAT. XXVI. 8. But when his Difciples faw it, Indignation within themfelves, and faid, Why was this Waste of the Ointment ed againft her.] [MARK XIV. 4—5.] [there were fome that had made?-And they murmur JOHN XII. 4. Then faith one of his Difciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's Son, which should betray him, 285 the greater Part of it on his Head, as he fate at Sect. 145. 8. But when his Difciples obferved [it,] there were Mat. XXVI. fome that were moved with inward Displeasure at what appeared to them fo great an Extravagance, and faid with a low Voice to each other, Why was this Waste of the Ointment made, and fuch a Quantity of this rich Balfam poured out to fo little Purpofe? And they fecretly murmured against her (f), and could hardly refrain from rebuking her for it.. One of his Difciples therefore, [even] Judas Ifca- John XII. 4. riot, the Son of Simon, that wretched Perfon who was about to betray him, as if he knew not how. to bear fuch Wafte, expreffed a peculiar Emotion;. and faid aloud, Why was not this fine Ointment · 5 fold for a great deal of Money; for it must have been worth [even] more than Three hundred Pence (g); and thus it might have ferved for the Relief of many, if the Price of it had been given to the Poor? This would furely have been approved of by our Mafter, as a much wifer and better Way of difpofing of it, than thus to lavish it away on the luxurious Entertainment of a few 6 This he faid, not that Minutes, Now this be faid, not because he at 6, he cared for the Poor; but all regarded the Poor; but because he was, notwithstanding all his pretended Piety. and Zeal, a 5 Why was not this Ointment fold [for much, even] for [MAR.more than] Three hundred Pence, and given to the Poor? [MAT.XXVI.9. MARK XIV..5%—] because fubtil. Veffel, which they think an improbable Circumftance; but only that the hook it, so as to (g) Three hundred Pence.] It is to be remembered, that these were Roman Pence, and confequently amounted to Nine Pounds Seven Shillings and Six-pence: The Expreffion only intimates a general Guefs at the Value, by a Round Sum; (for fuch Three hundred Denarii were, tho' the correfpondent Value with us is not fo ;) as if we should say on a like Occa-fon, It must have been worth above Ten Pounds. (h) Carried? John XII. 6. because he was a Thief, and had the Bag, and bare what was put therein. 286 But JESUS juftifies and commends her Conduct. Sect. 145. fubtil Thief; and as he kept the Bag which contained their little Stock, and carried what was put into it (b), he thought, if fo large a Sum had come in, just before he went off with it, (which he was now preparing to do,) he fhould have had a fine Opportunity of enriching himself. Mat. XXVI. 10. MAT. XXVI. 10. When Jefus understood it, he faid unto them, Why trouble ye the Woman? [let her alone;] for fhe hath wrought a good Work upon me. [MARK XIV. 6. JOHN XII. 7.—] II For ye have the Poor. always with you, [and when But Jefus knowing the Defign of Judas, and perceiving that others were fecretly joining with him in this severe and uncharitable Cenfure, with out taking any Notice of that vile Principle from which he knew [it] proceeded in him, directed proceeded in him, directed his Difcourfe to his Difciples, and faid to them, Why do you give fuch Trouble and Uneafinefs to the good Woman, of whofe Piety and Friendship we have had fo long an Experience? Let her alone in what the is about; for what he has now performed is a good Work, and the deferves to be commended for the great Refpect she has been fhewing towards me. For as to what has been fuggested now in Favour of the Poor, you have them always with you; and Providence will continually fo order it, that fome compaffionable Objects fhall be still among you, that whenever you 7. pleafe you may have an Opportunity to do them Good: But me you have not always with you; for I am foon to leave you, and to be placed beyond John XII. 7. the Reach of your Kindness. And indeed my Departure out of the World is fo near, that with refpect to this Action of our Friend Mary, which you are ready to condemn, I may fay, that he has referved this Ointment for the Day of my BuMark XIV. rial (i) : And not knowing whether the may have 8. foever ye will, ye may do them Good:] but me ye have not always. [MARK XIV. JOHN XII. 8.] JOHN XII.-7. Against the Day of my Burying hath fhe kept this. MARK XIV. 8. She hath done (h) Carried what was put into it.] The learned Elfner (I fuppofe, to avoid the feeming Tautology, would render Casalev, he took away, or carried off, i. e. for his own Ufe, what was put into the Purfe or Bag. He refers to John xx. 15. and Mat. iii. 11. viii. 17. as Inftances of fuch a Ufe of it; to which he adds others from Polybius, Athenæus, and other good Authors. (Elfn. Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 333.) But the Meaning here may be, that he had not only the keeping of the Bag at that Time, but that it was his stated Office to take Care of it, and manage its Stock; and therefore I chufe not to follow Elfner's Verfion, fince Casals never fignifies to carry off a Part privately, which would have been expressed by evoogialo, as it is Acts v. 2. (i) She has referved this for the Day of my Burial.] Mr. Whiston (in his View of the Harmony, pag. 129.) thinks this is, as if our Lord had faid, "She has fpent but a little of "this Ointment now; but has referved the main Part of it, to pour upon my Head fome Days hence, which shall be so near my Death, that it may be confidered as a Kind of "Embalm Many come to fee Lazarus, but the Priests confpire to kill him. 287 Mark XIV. have an Opportunity of affifting in thofe laft Of Sect. 145. Now thefe Things paffed at a publick Enter- John XII. 9. But "Embalming." But befides the general Reasons against believing the Action repeated,. which have been mentioned in Note (a), it is unnatural to fuppofe, that in the Transport. of her Love and Gratitude fhe would ufe this little Management of keeping back moft that: was in the Veffel; or that if he had, John would have mentioned the Quantity fhe took, which was no way to his Purpose, or have taken Notice of the Room's being filled with the Odour of it: Not to fay, that the Prediction, which Mr. Whiston fuppofes our Lord to utter, is quite trifling, and would feem to befpeak its own Accomplishment, in a Manner which: he never would have ftooped to. (k) Who now appeared publickly with him.] Perhaps after fo extraordinary a Series of Providences, as Lazarus had paffed thro', he might chufe to fpend fome Time in Retire ment 288 Sect. 145. 10. Reflections on Mary's anointing the Feet of CHRIST. But the Chief Priests, and other Members of the Sanhedrim, as they had already resolved on John XII. the Death of Jefus, confulted alfo how they might find fome Method to kill Lazarus, either by publick Profecution, or private Affaffination. 11 For they well knew, that many of the Jews deferted them, and went away to Bethany on his Account, and were fo powerfully ftruck with the convincing Evidence of so astonishing a Miracle, that they believed on Jefus; and while fuch a Monument of his Power and Goodness continued, they were afraid left more should revolt to him. John xii. Ver. 8. 3. 10 But the Chief Priefts confulted, that they might put Lazarus alfo to Death; 11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jefus. 12-p 293 IMPROVEMENT. WE E fee how happily Mary improved by fitting at the Feet of Jefus, and what Evidence fhe gave of her having chofen the better Part. (Compare Luke x. 39, 42.) Like her, let us with humble Thankfulness bestow our very beft on him, who has given us that, and every Thing elfe. She gladly poured out her choicest Ointment on him, whofe Name is to every true Believer far more fragrant than Ointment poured forth. (Cant. i. 3.) How does her generous Love shame those, who grudge every Expence in the Caufe of Chrift! When we are relieving the pious Poor, we are, as it were, anointing the Feet of Jefus: We are indeed performing a Service far more acceptable, than any Thing of this Kind could in itself be. Let us remember, that we have the Poor always with us; and that they are permitted to continue among us, that we may do them Good whenever we pleafe. Far Ver. 4,--6. be it from us to imagine, that what we fo fpend is Wafte. Let all, who would not share in the Guilt and Punishment of Judas, abhor the vile Hypocrify of making a pretended Concern for the Poor, a Cloak for an Opportunity of enriching themselves with their Spoils; than which nothing can be more infamous, or can have a directer Tendency to mingle the confuming Curfe of a Righteous and Almighty GoD with all that a Man' poffeffes. Ver. 10. The Pharifees confpired to kill Lazarus. What a Mixture was this of Cruelty and Folly? What was his Crime? or what could their Hope be? From what Death could not Christ have delivered him? or from what ment and extraordinary Devotion; and it is natural to fuppofe, he would endeavour to avoid the Importunity of Crouds, who out of Curiofity would be preffing in upon him, perhaps with fome impertinent Enquiries. |