the nature of a plant depends on the nature of the seed. Let us not be deceived: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

1 Gal. vi. 7.

SERMON XII.

CHRIST'S SECRET PROVIDENCE.

FUNERAL SERMON.

JOHN xiii. 7.

Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter."

FROM these words of our blessed Lord, addressed to St. Peter, we may obtain a useful lesson in regard to the general dealings of God's providence towards ourselves; but let us first consider the occasion on which they were spoken.

It was, then, as we learn from the first verse of this chapter, just before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus, knowing that His hour was come, having loved His own which were in the world, and, still loving them unto the end, held that last supper of His, in which He instituted the Sacrament of His body and blood. "And the supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him; Jesus knowing that the Father had

given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. Then cometh He to Simon Peter: and Peter said unto Him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?"

Peter, it seems, could not understand this action of our Saviour, in taking upon Himself so low an office as that of washing His disciples' feet. He remembered, doubtless, that St. John the Baptist had declared himself unworthy to stoop down and unloose the latchet of the shoes of Jesus. How, then, could it become this same Jesus to wash the feet of others? When, therefore, it came to his own turn, he took upon himself to rebuke our Lord: "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" To this, Jesus at first answered by a mild appeal to his faith: "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." But Peter becoming more resolute in his refusal, and replying, "Thou shalt never wash my feet," Jesus was constrained to answer him more sharply, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me." Peter saith unto Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." He could not endure, you see, the thought of having no part in Christ. He desired rather to be as closely

united with Him as possible. "Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit; and ye are clean, but not all. For He knew who should betray Him; therefore said He, Ye are not all clean." Then, after having gone round to all the Apostles, and having taken His garments again and sat down, He explained to them what He had been doing: "Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call Me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet: for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you."

In these words our Lord declares the object of the act which He had just performed; and in this explanation we find the fulfilment of the promise which He had before made to St. Peter:

What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." St. Peter beforehand could not imagine why our Lord should wash his feet, and had therefore refused to permit Him. Jesus, promising him an explanation, required of him in the meantime to submit. Then, when all were washed, He set forth the reason of His act; namely, that it was intended to teach them humility one towards another.

This, then, is the immediate and obvious mode of interpreting that expression, "What I do

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thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." But when we consider the exceeding preciousness of all our Saviour's words, and that He spoke as no man ever spoke, with a fulness of meaning applicable to all times, we shall find, I think, in these words another and a deeper lesson; for they teach us in a very evident manner the necessity of submitting in faith to all the dispensations of Christ's providence, whatever they may be.

As on this occasion St. Peter was required by our Saviour to acquiesce in the washing, even against his own view of the case, and was told that if he would thus submit, he should afterwards have the reason explained to him of that which now seemed so extraordinary; so also it is in Christ's dealings towards His servants by His providence now. Like Peter, we are all of us at different times called upon to yield ourselves up in faith to what seems inexplicable. Christ suffers or causes many events to happen to us which we cannot fathom, and are unable to see the reason of; and as it were, says to us, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.' Submit yourself; be resigned to My will in this My dispensation towards you, whatever it be; and, unintelligible as it seems to you that yourself in particular, above others, should be called upon to endure this trial, I have My reasons for bringing this to pass, though you know them not.