trayeth me is with me on the table." Formerly Jesus had said only, "Ye are not all clean,"-" one who eats my bread is lifting up his heel against me;" now he says distinctly, “One of you shall betray me," the traitor is at the table.'

Had our Lord's words produced their proper effect, Judas would have cast himself at his feet, confessed his sin, and implored forgiveness, saying, "Lord, thou knowest all things,"-'I confess the the treasonous purpose,-I relinquish it,-oh, if it be possible, let it be forgiven;' and if he had not been hardened in an almost inconceivable degree by the deceitfulness of sin, he certainly would have left the presence of a Master, whom he was determined to betray, and who had showed that he was no stranger to his treasonous purpose; and of companions, who, if made aware of his villany (and nothing but the forbearance of his abused Master, could prevent their immediately being made aware of it), would have regarded him with unmitigated contempt and indignation, and given him distinct evidence of this. The using language indicating that the traitor was one of the twelve, but giving no intimation as to which of the twelve it was, was fitted, if anything could have done it, to touch Judas' heart.

It was kind in Jesus again to start a subject so painful to him self, that the miserable man might yet reconsider his purpose, and instead of going forward, in sullen silence, to the perpetration of so foul a crime, might, by acknowledging the formation, be led to abandon the completion, of his guilty design. Had Judas not been utterly incurable, he would have felt our Lord's kindness in not mentioning names, and in thus leaving the door open for repentance and escape from infamy.

And if kind to Judas, it was not unkind to the other disciples, Happy is the man who feareth always-who is habitually selfdistrustful. It is good and profitable, by general declarations that many professors are hypocrites, to be sent to examine the

most secret recesses of our minds and hearts. If our hearts are not right with God, the sooner we are aware of it the better:a state of conviction, however painful, is better than a state of delusion, however peaceful; and if our matters are good and right with God, the pain of the probing process is more than recompensed by the increased evidence of sincerity, which is thus obtained.

The disciples found it so. Our Lord's words produced no good effect on Judas; but on the other disciples they made a painful, but at the same time a salutary, impression. They were 'exceeding sorrowful," and "looked one to another, doubting of whom he spake;" "they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing;" and every one to say to their Master, "Lord, is it I?" It is not wonderful that the disciples should have been amazed and shocked at our Lord's announcement. To think that their beloved Master was to be exposed to shame, and torture, and death, was most peinful.

6 John xiii. 22. Matt. xxvi. 22. Mark xiv. 19. Luke xxii. 23.

Peter expressed the mind of all the rest, when, on his Lord speaking of his approaching sufferings, he said with eagerness, "Lord, this be far from thee." But how much more painful to think that the treason of a professed friend, and that professed friend one of themselves, was to be the means of bringing on their Master sufferings which they so deeply deprecated! Then the question comes up, "which of them it was that should do this thing?" All but one felt as if he could sooner die than betray his Lord to death; and none of them seem to have thought his brother capable of doing what he knew he himself was incapable of doing.

They "looked one to another." "It is hard to conceal guilt. It gives the cheek a deadly paleness, or an unnatural flush. It speaks in the eye by an indescribable look, but which all men. can read." The disciples' gaze may be considered as either intended to examine each other, or each to vindicate himself. Its language might be, 'Is it you, can it be you, Peter,—or you, James, or you, John?' or it might be, 'Is it I,-do you think I look as if I could do this?' Or the meaning of the look might be, Does any one know to whom the Master refers?' No one by his countenance seemed either conscious of being the criminal, or aware of who he was. One countenance only could have resolved the question, and that countenance wore a mask, which no eye but that of Omniscience could penetrate.

Finding no means of thus relieving their anxiety, they apply to him who could, if he would, give them information. With their lips they seek for what their eyes could not discover. "Then said every one unto him, Lord, is it I?" They were quite convinced that their Lord was expressing, not general suspicion, but certain knowledge. They were sure he could not be de ceived. Like good men, as they were, they thought each of them better of each other, than of himself. They seem to have had no suspicions. It is not 'Lord, is it Peter, or Philip, or Judas?' but "Lord, is it I?" As good Matthew Henry says, "they are to be commended for their charity, in that they are more jealous of themselves than of each other. It is the law of charity to hope the best, because we assuredly know, therefore we may justly suspect, more evil of ourselves than of our brethren. They are also to be commended for their acquiescence in what Christ said. They trusted, as we would do well to do, more to his words, than to their own hearts, and therefore do not say, 'It is not-it cannot be-I;' but, 'Lord, is it I?' See if there be such a way of wickedness, such a root of bitterness in me, and discover it to us that we may pluck up that root, and stop up that way."

In reply to this question, our Lord in substance reiterates his former declaration, "It is one of the twelve." "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.' "The Son of man goeth as was written,"-"goeth as was deter

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mined,”—“but wo to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed; good had it been for that man that he had never been born." It seems probable, that by using the expression, "He that dippeth with me in the dish," our Lord meant to narrow the circle, and to say, 'It is one of the disciples near the head of the table, so near me, as to dip his bread in the same dish,' of the prepared mixture of bitter herbs, with which the passover was eaten. It would appear that Judas had carried his effrontery and hypocrisy so far, as not only to have come to the feast, but to have taken for himself a place near his Master as a trusted disciple, and one who deserved to be trusted.

Still, after this farther intimation of the minuteness of our Lord's knowledge as to whom was to betray him, Judas remains unmoved; and our Lord, instead of making an exposure of him, gives him one more most impressive warning. "The Son of man truly goeth as it was written," as it was determined,"—" but wo to the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed; good were it for that man that he had never been born." I had, some time ago, occasion to illustrate the first part of this announcement, showing you the import of the appellation, 'the Son of man,'-a real man, a perfect man,-the representative-man-the predicted man; to explain what is meant by his going,—his return to his Father through death and the resurrection,-his going down to the lowest point he could reach in this world-the depths of the grave; and his going up to the highest point he could reach in the world to come-the throne of God; and to show how he did both "as it was written," "as it was determined," in the character, for the purpose, with the dispositions, and in the circumstances, in which it was determined and written that he should go.

The

The concluding part of the announcement teaches us two very important principles: the first, that the Divine fore-knowledge and prediction of events does not affect their moral character. "God's decrees to permit the sins of men, and to bring glory to himself out of them, do neither necessitate their sins, nor determine to them; nor will there be any excuse for their sin, or mitigation of their punishment." Judas is not the less guilty, nor is his punishment less severe, that by his perfidy a Divine purpose was fulfilled, a Divine prediction accomplished. other important principle taught in these concluding words is, that there are men who never will cease to suffer. Suppose sufferings as severe as you will, but admit that there is a point as distant as the human imagination can reach, when suffering is to terminate, then, as there is an eternity beyond that, free of suf fering for the individual, it cannot be said that it would be good for him if he had never been born. If it had been good for Judas never to be born, Judas' sufferings can never terminate; and there is no reason to suppose that there is any difference as to 8 Matt. xxvi. 23, 24. Mark xiv. 20, 21. Luke xxii. 22. 9 Vide Exposition XXII.

10 Matthew Henry.

the duration, though there doubtless is as to the degree, of the punishment of the finally impenitent."

The awful declaration, like all that went before it, was lost on Judas. In the face of this warning of everlasting destruction, he pressed onward to his doom; and by remaining in the company, seems, as it were, to dare his Master to name him as the traitor. To understand the remaining part of the narrative, it is necessary to remember that the Jews did not, like us, sit at meat, but reclined on couches, leaning on the left elbow, so that the head of one of the guests was near the breast of him who reclined im. mediately above him. John, who is here and elsewhere termed by himself, the disciple whom Jesus loved, reclined next to his Master. His modesty prevented him from naming himself, but it could not make him conceal that which was the source of his highest honor and purest delight-his being the object of a peculiar affection on the part of his Lord. He was the disciple who loved Jesus, but of this he makes no mention, being deeply conscious that his love to Jesus did not deserve to be named in the same day with Jesus' love to him.

There seems to have been a peculiarly strong mutual affection between Peter and the beloved disciple, both of them belonging, as they did, to the inner circle of our Lord's friendship. It is likely that Peter was one of the comparatively small number at the head of the table, out of which our Lord had said the traitor was to come-those who dipped their bread in the same dish with the Saviour and that this circumstance, along with the impatient forwardness of his nature, made a state of suspense to him peculiarly intolerable. Peter had no doubt of his Lord's love to him. He had too many decided proofs of it to allow him for a moment to call it in question. But he seems to have supposed, and rightly, that John was dearer to the common object of their regard than himself, and he felt no envy rising in his bosom on account of the preference which seemed to be given to John. He doubted not that it was well bestowed, and desired to profit by it on the present occasion. We see the characteristic forwardness of Peter here, but it is tempered by a becoming humility. He does not himself put the question to our Lord, "Who it should be of whom he spake," but he, by a movement of the head, intimated to John that he wished him to propose it. He was well pleased to think of the superior credit which his beloved friend had with their common Lord, and hoped to obtain, by our Lord's favor to John, that information. which he could not expect on his own account. It does not appear as if John was disposed to use this freedom for the gratification of his own curiosity, or the removal of his own suspense. But he was unwilling to disappoint the wishes of his brother and friend, and therefore he ventured to propose the question to Him who alone could answer it. "He then, lying on Jesus' breast, saith unto him, Lord, who is it?" Men of generous hearts

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12 John xiii. 25.

will do that to serve their friends which they might not be disposed to do on their own account. Our Lord permits us to use great freedom in the way of asking from him, both for ourselves and for our friends. And those who, like John, have a peculiar interest in his love, should not be slack in using it, for the benefit of their fellow-saints, and of the church in general. That request should always meet with a ready compliance-" Brethren, pray for us.'

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"We have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.' Jesus pitied the suffering which suspense occasioned, especially to the ardent Peter, and he replied to John's request in these words: "He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it." Both John's question and our Lord's answer seem to have been uttered in a whisper, so that none but John heard the answer, and certainly knew the meaning of the action which immediately followed; though it is likely Peter, putting all things together, came to a conclusion, both as to who was not, and who was, to be the traitor. Jesus having dip ped a piece of bread in the prepared sauce for the paschal lamb, gave it to Judas, who received it, thus renewing to his Master the pledge of friendship though determined to perpetrate the foulest treachery, just as in a few hours he said, "Hail, Master, and kissed him," while he was in the very act of delivering him into the hands of his enemies. How wonderful the meekness of our Lord! When we have great reason to be angry with a person, we cannot speak peaceably to him; but Jesus shows that he has complete command of himself, and no ill-will, no resentful feeling, towards him who had "taken counsel with the chief priests how they might take him, that they might put him to death."

It deserves notice that the sign by which Judas was marked out as the traitor corresponded to the prophetic declaration already referred to, "He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me." Jesus delighted in the word of God. He was pleased with every part of it, not excepting those passages which speak of his own unexampled sufferings. He often refers to them in his discourses; and here his conduct plainly is an acting out an ancient prophecy. He was well satisfied that "the things written concerning him should have an end." Although he discovered much perturbation of mind when speaking of some of them, this trouble of spirit was perfectly consistent with entire resignation to the Divine will.

It may be that Judas heard our Lord's whisper to John. In this case he must have taken the sop, because he knew not how to refuse it. If he did not, he took it as accepting a kind civility from his Master, desirous of carrying on the deception to the last. The first of these suppositions is rather favored by the circumstance, that it is added by the evangelical historian, that "after the sop Satan entered into him." It was long before this that our Lord, speaking of Judas, had said, "One of you is a devil:"

13 2 Thes iii. 1.

14 John xiii. 26.

15 John xiii. 27.