changeable: it was the friendship of virtue. This ennobles our nature, and 'conftitutes one of the greatest comforts of life. How widely different from those compacts of vice, which fo frequently ufurp its facred

name.

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2. And fupper being ended, (the "devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's fon, to betray him,)

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3. Jefus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that "he was come from God, and went to

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God;

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He rifeth from fupper, and laid "afide his garments: and took a towel, " and girded himself.

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5. After that he poureth water into a "bafon, and began to wash the difciples'

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feet, and to wipe them with the towel "wherewith he was girded."

How ftrong is the influence of habit, on the human mind; and how cautious ought

we

we to be of giving way to the first temptation! If we condefcend to parley with our grand adversary, we give him an advantage over us which he would not fail to improve. Our best security against fuch an enemy, is immediate flight. Let us not flatter ourselves, that we can go fo far and no farther: each step in vice smooths the way to the next; and, in a courfe of time, we commit, without remorfe, crimes which we fhould at first have fhrunk from with horror and deteftation. When Judas began with pilfering from the poor's bag, he, probably, reconciled the theft to his own confcience, by placing it to the account of perquifites, or rewards, for his trouble in being the bearer of it; till, grown bolder by frequent crimes, and his appetite for pelf increafing by indulgence, he at length formed the deteftable idea of betraying his Lord and Maiter, for a fum of money.

What a leffon of humility, and the mutual interchange of good offices, has our Lord here fet us! The Son of God himself,

himself, just before his return to Heaven, from whence he defcended; he to whom all power had been had been given; and at whose name every creature in Heaven and earth was commanded to bow, condefcended to take upon himself the form and office of a menial fervant, and to wash the feet of his own difciples! Can we, after fuch an example, think any office of kindness we can fhew to a fellow-creature, a degradation? This was a ceremony much in practice among the Jews; the Jews; who, upon the arrival of any guests at their house, ordered their fervants to take water and wafh their feet; as we may read in various parts of the facred history.

"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 fhalt know hereafter.

"8. Peter faith unto him, Thou shalt "never wash my feet. Jefus answered

him, If I wafh thee not, thou haft no

part with me.

"9.

Simon-Peter faith unto him, Lord,

"not my feet only, but also hands and

my

head..

my

"10. Jefus faith to him, He that is "wafhed needeth not fave to wash his feet, "but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

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"11. For he knew who fhould betray "him; therefore faid he, Ye are not all 66 clean."

Surprize and astonishment, at the condefcenfion of their Lord, feems to have kept all the disciples filent, whilft Jefus performed the humble office, till he came to Peter; who, fhocked that his Master fhould fo degrade himself, exclaims, with all the impetuofity of his character, that nothing fhould ever induce him to submit to it. But when Jefus intimates to him that there was fome mystery in this washing, which should be hereafter explained to him, and that without it he could have

no part in him, he eagerly recals his declaration, and folicits to be washed all over.

On this impetuofity of temper in Peter, I must beg to be indulged with a few remarks. If such dispositions, as it has been often remarked, are capable of higher attainments in religion and virtue, they are likewife more fubject to be furprized into the exceffes of vice. Peter feems always to have acted from the impulse of the moment; and, confequently, to have fallen into many errors. It was the constant endeavor of our Lord, to check this warmth in him; and his fall feems to have been permitted, for the purpose of obliging him to put a greater restraint upon himself in future and, we have reafon to believe, that it completely answered that end, by correcting his paffions, and bringing them within the bounds of reafon and moderation.

Let us take warning; nor idly fuppofe, that violence of temper will juftify us in any improprieties we may be guilty of: our reason was given us to reftrain and keep our paffions within due bounds.

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