efficacy of his religion. And, that they might have the fuller assurance of meeting him again in a better world, he prays, or rather, I should say, he declares it to be his unalterable will, that they all should be with him in that kingdom to which he was going, and should behold his glory there for ever and everc. Surely they never could forget that prayer so solemnly offered, so tenderly expressed, so richly fraught with instruction and heavenly consolation.]
4. Of preparing them fully for his departure —
[His approaching sufferings must of necessity prove a great stumbling-block in their way. But when they should recollect what he had told them previously to his death, their hopes would revive, and they would be encouraged to expect the full accomplishment of all his promises. To produce this effect was a very principal object of this last discourse*1 : and how completely it was attained, the Apostles themselves in- form us : they thought his former discourses had been obscure parables in comparison of this : but this appeared to them simple and intelligible ; insomuch that it removed all remaining doubt from their minds respecting his Divine mission e. It is true, we find, that, on the apprehension of their Lord, they all forsook him and fled ; and for some time they scarcely knew how to believe the joyful tidings respecting his resurrection from the dead : but, from the moment that they were convinced of that fact, we see a steadfastness in them which was evidently the result of these previous instructions ; and their whole future lives demonstrated what unspeakable benefit they had received from them.]
Such were the grounds, we conceive, on which our Lord so earnestly desired to eat the Passover with them at that time. We are next to inquire, II. Why he determined to eat it with them no more —
If he had pleased, he might have continued upon earth after his resurrection, or come down again from heaven at that season of the year to eat it with them again. But, independent of many other considera- tions, there were two reasons in particular, why he would not celebrate with them that ordinance any more :
1. Because it was now about to be fulfilled and abrogated —
c See the 17th chapter of St. John.
d See John xiii. 19. and xiv. 25. and xvi. 4, 33. and xvii. 13.
e John xvi. 28 — 30.