432

Sect. 170.
John XIII.

19.

20

21

22

He tells them, One at the Table with him would betray him.

19 Now I tell you before come to pafs, ye may believe it come, that when it is that I am he.

20 Verily, verily I fay unto you, He that receiveth whomfoever I fend, receiv

eth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that

And this I tell you now, before it comes to pass,
that when it comes to be accomplished, you may
be fo far from doubting of the Truth of my
Miffion upon that Account; that, on the contra-
ry, you may more firmly believe, that I am [be,]
that I told you I was, even the true Meffiah.
And whatsoever therefore I fhall fuffer, let not
your Zeal to carry on my Caufe be leffened, but
ftedfaftly perfift in your Adherence to it, with
a firm Perfuafion that I will fupport you in
it; for in this View I look upon your Inte- fent me.
reft as my own, and as I formerly declared,
(Mat. x. 40. Sect. 76. and Luke x. 16. Sect. 97.)
fo now I must affuredly fay unto you, Whoever en-
tertains and fhews Regard to you, or any of my
other Messengers, as coming in my Name, en-
tertains me; and whoever entertains me, enter-
tains him that fent me; as on the other hand,
when you, or they, are flighted, the Affront re-
dounds to me, and to my Father.

Now when Jefus had thus faid, he made a
folemn Pause: (The Devil, as was obferved
before, (Luke xxii. 3. Sect. 167.) having already
by his vile and pernicious Infinuations put it into
the Heart of Judas Iscariot, [the Son] of Simon, to
betray him into the Hands of his murtherous Ene-
mies :)
And as our Lord well knew, that Ju-
das was then watching for an Opportunity to exe-
cute his horrid Purpose, which he would do that
very Night, he was much troubled in Spirit, to
think of fo ungrateful and impious a Defign, in
one so near him, and fo much obliged to him;
and as they fate together, and were eating the
Pafchal Supper, Jefus openly teftified and faid
with a deep Sigh, Verily, verily I fay unto you,
that how incredible foever the Hint I just now
gave you may feem, one of you who is eating with
me in this friendly and intimate Manner, will
quickly betray me to thofe that thirst for my
Blood; [and] behold, the Hand of him that betray-
eth me is now with me on the Table.

21 When Jefus had thus faid, [-2 The Devil havHeart of Judas Iscariot, Siing now put it into the mon's Son, to betray him ;] he was troubled in Spirit, did eat, Jefus] teftified, and and [MAR. as they fat, and faid, Verily, verily I fay unto you, that one of you

[MAR. which eateth with me] fhall betray me; [LUK. and behold, the Hand of him that betrayeth me, is with XXVI. 21. MARK XIV. 18.LUKE XXII, 21. JOHN XIII, —2. ]

22 Then the Difciples

Then the Difciples were exceedingly grieved, to hear of his being betrayed at aH, and much [were exceeding forrowful, more to be told that it fhould be by one of their

own

and]

John privately afks JESUS, who it was.

and] looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake: [LUK. and they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that fhould do this Thing;] [and began every one of them to fay unto him [MAR. one by one, 1 Lord, is it I?] [MAT. XXVI. 22. MARK XIV. 19. LUKE XXII. 231

22.

433

own Number, while, no one being fingled out Sect. 170.
from the reft, the Sufpicion lay in common
among them; and they looked ftedfaftly on each John XIII.
other for fome Time in Silence, doubting of whom
he spake, and ftudious to obferve in whofe Coun-
tenance they might read any peculiar Confufion,
which might look like an Indication of Guilt:
And as they none of them knew where to fix it,
but the vile Wretch himself, they began to enquire
among themselves, which of them it could be, that
was about to do this Thing; and earnestly defirous
to be freed from the Sufpicion of fuch heinous
Wickedness, they applied themselves to Chrift,
and began every one of them to fay to him, one by
one, Lord, is it I, that am this guilty Creature (d)?
Thou knowest that my very Heart abhors the
Thought, and I hope I shall never be capable of
entertaining it.

23

24

Now one of his Difciples, namely, John, whom
Jefus loved with a peculiar Tenderness, and ho-
noured with the most intimate Friendchip, fate
next him at the Table, on his Right Hand; and
as they were all in a reclining Pofture, each of
them refting on his Left Elbow, fo in the Place
where John was feated, he was leaning on the
Bofom of Jesus. And as the Question was al-
most gone round, and Jefus made no Answer
to it, but rather feemed to be fwallowed up in
mournful Contemplation, Simon Peter therefore
looked upon John, and beckoned to him with a
Motion of his Head (e), by which he intimated
his Defire, that he fhould privately ask him, who it
might be of whom he fpake. He then, lying down
clofer on the Breaft of Jefus, fecretly whispered and
faid to him, Lord, who is it?
And Jefus an- 26
fwered him with a low Voice, It is be, to whom
I fhall give this Sop when I bave dipped it. And
when he had dipped the Sop in a thick Kind of Sauce,

made

(d) To fay to him, one by one, Lord, is it I?] I look on this as a strong Proof, that the Facts mentioned John xiii. 23,-26. did not happen a Night or two before; for if Chrift had then privately marked out Judas to John and Peter as the Traitor, the Information muft furely have reached the reft of the Company by this Time.

(e) Beckoned to him with a Motion of his Head.] This is certainly the Import of the Word vues, which might more exactly be rendered nodded.

VOL. II.

Iii

(ƒ) In

25

434

John XIII. 26.

23.

27.p.435

Judas I

MAT. XXVI. 23. And he answered and faid [unto. them, It is one of the his Hand with me in the Twelve,] He that dippeth Difh, the fame fhall betray me. [MARK XIV. 20.]

He points out Judas as the Man, by giving him a Sop: Sect. 170. made of Dates, Raifins, and other Ingredients Sop, he gave it to cariot, the Son of Simon. beaten together, and properly diluted (ƒ), he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the Son] of Simon, putting it towards that Part of the Dish which was nearest Mat. XXVI. him, and directing it towards him. Upon which Judas put forth his Hand to take it; and while he was juft in this Pofture, others continuing the Question, Jefus answered and faid to them, [It is] one of the Twelve, [even] be that now dippeth his Hand with me in the Dish, this 24 very Perfon shall betray me (g). And let him not vainly hope, that I fhall exert my miraculous Power to rescue myself from the Hands of mine Enemies, after he has delivered me to them, and fecured to himself the Wages of Unrighteoufnefs; for the Son of Man, great and powerful as he will finally appear, is indeed going to Sufferings and Death (b), as it is written in the Scriptures, [and] determined in the Divine Counfels concerning him (i): But as thofe Prophecies and Counfels

24 The Son of Man [indeed] goeth, as it is written [LUK. and determined] of

him:

(f) In a thick Kind of Sauce, made of Dates, &c.] The Jews ftill retain such a Sauce, which they call Charofeth, made of fuch Kind of Ingredients, about the Confistence of Mortar, to reprefent the Clay in which their Forefathers wrought, while under the Egyptians. See Buxt. Synag. Jud. cap. 18. and the Religious Ceremonies of all Nations, Vol. i. pag. 215.

(g) He that dippeth his Hand with me in the Difh.] Some very ingenious Perfons imagine, that Chrift by this Phrafe only declares, it was one who fate on the fame Side of the Table with him, and fo eat out of the fame Difh: And if it were fo, there might feem a Gradation in the Difcovery, not obfervable on any other Interpretation. But (not to infift upon it, that the Lamb, which was to be roafted whole, was alfo to be served up in one Dish,) I cannot but conclude, that if this had been our Lord's Meaning, as he fays in the fame Breath, es ex Toy Sadexa, one of the Twelve, he would alfo have faid, as ex Tay EμCOTTOμEVER, one of thefe that dip, and not o subaquevos, which plainly fignifies that Perfon that dippeth. (b) The Son of Man is indeed going.] As we often in common Speech fay, a Perfon is going or gone, to intimate that he is dying or dead, fo Elfner fhews, (Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 119.) that the Word vrayes has the fame Ambiguity. Compare Joh. xxiii. 14. and Pfal. xxxix. 13.-The Repetition of that Title of the Son of Man, which is twice ufed here in the fame Verfe, has a peculiar Energy and Dignity, not commonly observed.

(i) As it is determined.] As this Paffage is not liable to the Ambiguities, which fome have apprehended in Acts ii. 23. and iv. 28. (which yet feem, on the whole, to be parallel to it in their most natural Construction,) I look upon it as an evident Proof, that those Things are in the Language of Scripture faid to be determined, or decreed, (or exactly bounded and marked out by GOD, as the Word we moft naturally fignifies,) which he fees will in Fact happen, in Confequence of his Volitions, without any neceffitating Agency; as well as thofe Events, of which he is properly the Author; (and, as Beza well expreffes it, Qui fequitur Deum, emendate fane loquitur, we need not fear falling into any Impropriety of Speech, when we ufe the Language which GOD has taught: ) I fay, without any neceffitating Agency, becaufe I apprehend that this Text, among many others, muft entirely overthrow the Scheme, which Mr. Colliber (in his Enquiry into the Divine Exiftence, pag. 97,--102.) has fo laboriously endeavoured to establish; and which the Author of the Perfian Letters

from

And afterwards reveals the Traitor to them all.

435

Mat. XXVI.

Counfels have no Influence to deftroy the free Sect. 170.
Agency of the Perfons concerned in his Death, fo
there will be a moft terrible Woe to that Man, 24.
by whom the Son of Man is fo perfidiously be-
trayed, and who prefumes to fet a Price on his
royal and facred Blood: It had been well for that
Man, if he had never been born; for a speedy
Vengeance awaits him, which will make the Im-
mortality of his Being his everlasting Curse.

Then Judas, who was indeed the Perfon that 25
betrayed him, anfwered in fome Confufion, left by
his Silence he should feem to confefs his Guilt,
and faid, Mafter, is it I, that shall do this Thing,
and to whom thou referreft in these severe Words?
And he faid to him, Thou haft faid [right;}
Thou art the very Perfon, and I will conceal it
no longer (k).

And after he was thus exprefsly marked out, John XIII,
not only by the Sop which Jefus gave him (1), 27.
but alfo by the Anfwer which he had returned
to his Question, Satan entered into him with
greater Violence, and ftirred up in his Bofom
fuch Indignation and Rage at the Difgrace he
had met with, that he could bear the Place no
longer; but prepared abruptly to leave it, before
the Table was difmiffed. Then Jefus faid to him,
What you are going to do, do quickly; farther in-
timating to him his perfect Knowledge of the Ap-
pointment he had made with the Chief-Priefts
and Elders, and admonishing him, as it were,
not to lose the Opportunity by over-staying his

Time.

from Paris, (Let. lvi.) fo confidently afferts, "That where GOD forefees an Event, he "always determines to render it neceffary, and fo to fufpend the Moral Agency and "Accountableness of the Creature concerned in it." Were this the Cafe, nothing could be more unjuft, (on the Principles of thefe Authors,) than to foretell Punishments to be inflicted for fuch Actions; which is plainly the Cafe here, and indeed in most other Places, where Evil Actions are foretold.

(k) Thou haft faid right.] This is plainly the Import of the Original Phrafe: It is as thou haft fpoken. (See Mat. xxvi. 63,-65. Mark xiv. 61, 62. Luke xxii. 70. John xviii. 37.) Thus, Now you fay fomething, fignifies among us, You speak right.

(1) After the Sop.] It feems very unnatural to apprehend with Dr. Reynolds, (in his. Works, pag. 101, 102.) that Judas was encouraged by Chrift's giving him the Sop, to hope Chrift would, after all, provide for his own Safety, and admit him into Favour again. Chrift's Words above exprefsly cut off all fuch Hope; and I believe every Reader will judge the common Account given of the Connection much more probable.

Iii 2

(m) Which

436

Sect. 170. Time.

John XIII. 28.

Judas goes away to execute his But the Reference being thus particular to what none of the Company but himfelf was privy to, no Man at the Table knew what was his Meaning, or for what Purpose he spoke 29 this to him. For fome [of them] thought, becaufe Judas had the keeping of the common Purfe, on which they were to fubfift during their Stay at Jerufalem, that it was as if Jefus had faid to him, Take the first Opportunity to buy thofe Sacrifices, and other Things, which we shall need for the Feaft To-morrow, and on the following Days (m); or that perhaps he intended, he should give fomething to the Poor, which Chrift ufed to do, tho' their Stock was fo fmall; but always did it in a very private Manner, which made it the more probable, that he should only give fuch an oblique Hint of that Intention. Of this they thought, rather than of any bad Defign of Judas; for they did not imagine, that, if he was to prove the Traitor, his Wickedness could immediately take Place; or that he was fo utterly abandoned, as to go away to accomplish it, with thofe awful Words of his Mafter founding, as it were, in his Ears.

30

But he was capable of committing the Crime, even with this Aggravation; and therefore having, as was faid, received the Sop, he immediately went out without any farther Reply. And as it was Night, which was the Time he had appointed to meet those who were confulting the Death of Jefus, under the Covert of it he went to them, and fulfilled his Engagements in a few Hours after, by delivering his Master into their Hands.

(m) Which we shall need for the Feaft.] This is one of the Paffages, which has led Grotius, and other confiderable Criticks, to conclude, that our Lord kept the Paffover at least one Day fooner than the reft of the Jews. The Controverfy is too large to be critically difcuffed here: I content myself with referring to Dr. Whitby's excellent Differtation on the Subject, (in his Appendix to Mark xiv.) only obferving, that the Suppofition of Chrift's anticipating the Day appointed by the Law is fo improbable, that I think it more reafonable to fuppofe, that the Word Feaft, or Paffover, may fignify the Offerings attending the whole Feaft, and particularly thofe prefented on the first Day of unleavened Bread; which is certainly the Senfe of the Word elsewhere. (See Deut. xvi. 2. and 2 Chron. xxxv. 7,-9.) And if this be admitted, it will obviate the most plaufible Argument for Grotius's Opinion, which is that taken from John xviii. 28. Others grounded on John xiii. 1, 2. xix. 14. and Mat. xxvi. 5. are obviated in the Paraphrafe, or Notes, on thofe Places, as the attentive Reader will eafily perceive.

IMPROVE