SERMON X.

Preached May 6, 1770.

JOHN Xiii. 8.

- Jefus anfwered him, if I wash thee not, thou haft no part with me.

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O comprehend the full meaning of these words (which, as we shall fee, are of no fmall importance) we must carefully attend to the circumstances of the history, which gave occafion to them. The chapter begins thus-Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jefus knew N that

that his hour was come, that he fhould depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end.—

We are prepared by these words to expect fomething, on the part of our Lord, very, expreffive of his love for his Disciples.

The feafon, too, is critical, and must excite our attention: it was before the feaft of the Paffover, when Jefus knew that his bour was come, that he should depart out of this world to the Father; in other words, just before his crucifixion.

There is, indeed, fome difficulty in fixing the precife time, when the tranfaction, now to be related, happened. I take no part in the difquifition, because it is not material to my purpose, and would divert me too much from it. It is enough to fay, that it was, at most, but the evening before the Pafchal supper was celebrated, and therefore but two days before Jefus fuffered.

The

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The hiftory proceeds —“And supper being ended (or rather, as the text fhould have been tranflated, the time of Supper being come) the Devil having now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's fon, to betray him, Jefus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God and went to God; be rifeth from fupper, and laid afide his garments, and took a towel and girded himfelf. 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.

Thus far all is clear. Jefus condefcended to wash the feet of his Difciples; a ministry, very common in the Eaft, and usually performed by fervants, in discharge of their duty towards their mafters, or, by inferiors, at least, in teftimony of respect towards their fuperiors; as is' abundantly plain from many inftances.

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* Δείπνε γενομένα

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This

This then was ONE end of this washing. Our Saviour meant it as a leffon of humility and condefcenfion to his Difciples. But was it the ONLY, or the chief end? that is the point, we are now to confider.

Let it be remembered, then, that nothing was more familiar with the Jews, than to convey an information to others, especially if that information was of importance, by natural, rather than artificial figns, I mean by deeds, rather than words; as every one knows, who has but dipped into the history and writings of the Old and New Testament. The transaction before us, if understood only as a leffon of humility, is a leffon conveyed to the Disciples in this

form ".

Now, this way of information by action was occafionally made to ferve Two contrary purposes: either, to give more force

" See more on this subject in the DISCOURSE on Chriff's driving the merchants out of the temple, at the end of this volume, p. 249 & feqq.

and

and emphasis to an inftruction; or, to cloathe it with fome degree of obscurity, or even ambiguity. For actions, fpeaking to the eye, when the purpose of them is by any means clearly afcertained, convey the most lively and expreffive information on the other hand, when it is not, they are fomewhat obfcure, one thing being to be collected by us from another; or the information is even ambiguous, as the action may fignify more things than one.

Sometimes, the primary fenfe is declared, or eafily understood; while, yet, a fecondary sense, a lefs apparent one, but more momentous, is, alfo, intended.

This, upon inquiry, may be the cafe before us. Christ's washing the feet of his Difciples obvioully conveys this inftruction, which is afferted, too, in express words-that, as he, their lord and mafter, washed their feet, fo they ought also to wash one another's feet. But another, and far