Tracts for the Christian Seasons.

WEDNESDAY BEFORE EASTER.

The Jews take counsel against Jesus-Mary anoints JesusJudas bargains to betray Him.

THIS day is one of a very remarkable character, not only in itself, but in its position between its yesterday and morrow. For yesterday was the last day of our Lord's ministry of His word, which He had now in the course of three years and a half brought from the mount in Galilee, where He shewed how His Gospel was the spirit of that of which the Law had been the letter, and then finished it upon mount Olivet, where He pronounced the end of that letter in the destruction of the Temple. And to-morrow begins His ministry of reconciliation, opening with its first scene when we behold Him delivered by the treason of Judas into the hands of His enemies, who were seeking His life. Thus this day is as a lull between two violent blasts of a storm. It is so free from all public agitation that our Lord is seen in the midst of domestic retirement,

spending the day at Bethany, and not going, as was His wont, to Jerusalem. Thus we behold Him in His character of the Lamb, seemingly unconscious of what was preparing, of the design of bringing Him on the morrow to the slaughter, and we contemplate the quiet outpourings of that gentleness which afterwards made Him to be dumb and open not His mouth, as a sheep before her shearers. At the same time in the background we behold His enemies busily at work. The chief priests and scribes and elders of the people hold a council, in which they deliberate on the means of destroying Him. And the day ends with Judas making his bargain with them to destroy Him. And who were these parties? One was the people of God, under its most strictly legal representation: the other was an Apostle of the Lord. Who could suppose any transaction between these two, other than one of holiness and justice, full of mercy, having life and peace and joy for its object? Who would suspect it to be the darkest deed upon record of unholiness and injustice, and a design to accomplish deeds of vilest treachery and cruelty? Shall we now trust to profession, even of that of our own heart? Is it not arraigned and condemned in this transaction, if it shew no

fruit of its profession? Who, that stands at this moment in the Church of God as a disciple of Jesus Christ, can affirm that his heart is clear from the iniquity of these parties, if he can shew no better proof than these parties gave? May it not rather be said that the Christian who makes not good his profession, may at any moment become as one of these? All that is wanting is the hour of trial. What lamentable examples do we see of men ending a profession which was carelessly held, with sins which openly betray or deny their heavenly Lord. Verily not one is safe, but every one is in imminent peril of a like end, who is not looking watchfully to the maintenance of his profession, and bringing forth the fruits of that repentance and faith which are its substance.

How delightful to turn from this den of thieves. and murderers, at Jerusalem, to the house of Simon the leper at Bethany. There Jesus is seated at table. And it was the custom of the day and country to anoint the guests on their sitting down to which David so beautifully alludes in expressing his sense of being under the Lord's protection and roof as it were as a guest in His house, in the 23rd Psalm, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine

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enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Martha and Mary take their respective posts. Martha served, as before, at the table; while Mary, as before, kept to the feet of Jesus, and performed the office of anointing Him. With the foresight of the deep love of an opened heart she had made costly preparation. She had bought very precious ointment of the most costly kind, spikenard, at the price of about £10 in our coin, and of much more according to the value of money at that time, and not content with that, took care that the very vessel from which she was to pour it upon her Lord should be of suitable preciousness, being of alabaster. From this she poured upon the head of Jesus, and then anointed His feet, while the sweet odour of the ointment filled the whole house. But she had brought no napkin with her to dry the feet which she had anointed. And why? She had one at hand much more expressive of her humility and love. She wiped them with her hair. How beautiful and how simple is this display of Mary's love. How completely does she express in it the outpouring of her heart. Rich though her offering was, compared with her means, it was infinitely richer, as taken from the treasurehouse of a heart, which was full of the riches of

the love of Christ. Was she then to be blamed because she endeavoured to express the consciousness of her inward wealth by the most appropriate token of outward wealth, that she had in her power? So thought one of the company, who looked on with indignation, and cried out against her, "Why this waste? why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" But the Lord took her part, and has left on record words which should never be forgotten, a reply which never required attention more than in these our days, when so much more stress seems to be laid on the name than on the nature of an action. Why trouble ye the woman? (He said). Let her alone, she hath wrought a good work upon Me. Against the day of My burying hath she kept this, and poured this ointment on Me for My burial. For the poor always ye have with you. But Me ye have not always." Memorable words indeed, to which let us endeavour to apply our hearts and understandings.

Had Mary forgotten the poor? Could she, who had so readily acknowledged the fulfilment of God's word in Jesus, and confessed to Him as the Christ, be forgetful of the words of His father David, "Blessed is he that considereth the