the GODHEAD, blended with the manhood; and incapable of separation. Hence the vast and stupendous mystery of what is here recorded of the Lord Jesus, washing his disciples' feet.

But the act itself had certainly somewhat symbolical in it, as well as mysterious; which it will be our wisdom under the unction of the Holy Ghost, humbly to inquire after. And this is evident from the stress the Lord Jesus laid upon the act, of himself washing his people, as we shall hereafter discover in the prosecution of the history. And what renders it the more remarkable is, that during all the former part of Christ's ministry, the Lord had never once manifested any outward or visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace; but had confined himself principally to the preaching and working miracles. Nay, we are told, that even in relation to baptism, "Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." (John iv. 2.) But so important was this act of washing, and by Christ himself; that as the Lord told Peter, it could not be dispensed with. The real spiritual church of God hath abundant reason to be thankful, both for this most interesting record, and the infinite condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, by such a gracious act and manner of shewing symbolically the vast doctrine contained in this act of his washing his disciples' feet; for surely, it sets forth in the liveliest manner possible, the great and saving doctrines contained in it. A few leading points under the Lord's teaching, will set this matter in somewhat of a clearer point of view.

It is always blessed to trace our mercies to the fountain head of mercy; and in the covenant transactions of eternity, between the persons in the GODHEAD, to discover how each glorious person hath engaged, and is guaranteed to one another, for the full purposes of salvation, to the whole election of grace,

Thus, in relation to God the Father, the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to Titus, lays down this blessed doctrine, as a postulatum not to be questioned : For we ourselves also," said he, alluding to the hopeless and helpless state of all men by the fall, "were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward men appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus iii. 3-7.) Here is a most blessed, though brief statement, of the several acts of each glorious person in the economy of grace, towards the church. While the whole church as well as the whole world, were alike sunk in the abominable transgressions of fallen nature, "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared." For it had been held in the counsels, purposes, and decrees of God, from all eternity. When this brake out therefore in the person, and through the manifestations of our Saviour; "not according to works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us;" the gracious act of God the Father appeared in the mission of his son; and the salvation which was solely to be accomplished by the incommunicable work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and had been determined in the fore-knowledge, and foreappointment of God the Father, arose not from any works of creature righteousness; "but according to his mercy he saved us." Then follows in order, the blessed means by which it should be accomplished;

namely, by the "washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Here is demonstrated the part which the Eternal Spirit takes in the salvation of every individual of the whole mystical members of Christ's body. And then follows how the effusion of the Holy Ghost is made known, and communicated through Christ. The apostle adds; "which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesns Christ, our Saviour. The washing therefore of the disciples' feet, may be supposed to have a symbolic allusion to that laver, which in other parts of Scripture, is in various expressions, and by a variety of terms, described as Christ washing his church from her sins. I stay not to particularize: but only by reference to those Scriptures. (Eph. v. 26, 27. Heb. x. 22.) And by a comparative review of the Scriptures of the prophets on this subject, with those of the apostles, the reader will find a blessed coincidence, in which the Old Testament writers are fully opened and explained by the New (Ezek. xxxvi. 25-29 Zech. xiii. 1. 1 Cor. vi. 11.) This part of the subject will meet us again under the succeeding Scripture to the present verses, and open some farther and very interesting views to enlarge upon. But I cannot dismiss the present, until that I have first requested the reader not to pass on, until that we have taken one look more, while it is before us, at the unequalled humbleness and grace, manifested by our most glorious Christ, on this occasion.

I do hope that as often as the reader hath his mind directed to this precious Scripture, he will always connect with it the infinite greatness of the person, as well as the infinite grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, in this unequalled act of humility in which he is here shewn. For my own part, I trust through divine teaching, that I shall very often have my mind led to the contemplation of this scene of the Lord Jesus

washing his disciples' feet; and as often derive from the same grace, the very blessed instructions which arise out of it. What a. humiliation it was in the Son of God to become man! And when he had become man, to condescend yet lower, if possible, and make himself of no reputation! What a farther stooping of the God and man in one person, to betroth himself to each, and every individual member of his mystical body! And (my soul, I would say to myself, as I ponder the vast mystery,) what a humiliation indeed, when that grace was manifested personally to me; and as Paul said, "who loved me, and gave himself for me!" (Gal. ii. 20.)

But let us not stop here; there is infinitely more to be developed in this peerless act of grace of our most glorious Christ. Did the Son of God thus humble himself, when he came down and openly tabernacled in our nature, and in the days of his flesh, when the Father had given all things into his hands; did he condescend to wash his disciples' feet? Surely then, he will do the same now. For there was nothing that moved him to it then, but his own love, and the same love is moving him to it in the present hour. For this Scripture sweetly saith, that "Jesus having loved his own which are in the world, he loveth them to the end." Let every poor timid believer form this conclusion, for the whole word of God warrants it. Yea, let the whole church of God be examined, and let them give in their testimony, and say from their own knowledge, is it not true? Is there any alteration in the heart of Christ now, from what it was then? Is not "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever?" Yea, let those precious souls, to whom Jesus hath revealed himself in the most endearing manner; let them say, when did they find Jesus most gracious? Was it not when they found themselves most undeserving? And when the Lord appeared most conde

scending, did he not then shine most lovely in their eyes? Here Paul's example comes in again to the comfort of all the Lord's tried ones, most deeply drenched in sin, and whose cases appear to them the most hopeless: "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. v. 20, 21.) But the tempted and tried souls of the Lord's people (for such are always prone to invert the order of love, and to write bitter things against themselves) will be apt to fear sinners may be overlooked by the Lord now that he is returned to his glory, and that he will not regard the salvation of such wretched sinners as they are. Oh! do not say so! Jesus, when all things were given into his hand, while upon earth, washed his disciples' feet, with all that lowliness and meekness which bespoke the love of his heart, and will he not now, when returned to heaven, and all power is his both in heaven and on earth, bestow all that his people stand in need of, to manifest his affection? Did the Son of God first leave the throne of his glory, and come upon earth, and was made man to accomplish the salvation of his people, and now having accomplished redemption work, and returned to glory; will he not fulfil all the sacred purposes for which he came, by sending unto his people all the influences of his Spirit, to bring them to himself; that where he is, there they shall shortly be also? Did he wash the disciples' feet, and will he not wash the souls of his people? Oh! the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge! Lord grant thy people to be "filled with all the fulness of God!"