The Witness of the Eucharist, Prize Essay

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 edition. Excerpt: ...the idea that the kingdom of God was about immediately to appear3, and at length, six days before the Passover, reached the safe seclusion of the mountain hamlet of Bethany, where He spent His last earthly sabbath. Here, in the house, it would seem, of one Simon6 who had been a leper, and had not improbably been restored to health by the Saviour Himself, Mary and Martha provided a festal repast to welcome Him, who had in so signal a manner restored happiness to their little circle. But even this season of seclusion did not pass away without a significant proof how the thought of what was to come was uppermost in His mind. As the feast proceeded Mary approached, and in proof of her deep and overflowing love for Him who had restored her brother to life, anointed His head and feet with precious spikenard. But this act of beautiful 1 Kal Sovnai T$p pvxrv 01V0O (rrpot ami Toxxuv, Matt. XX. 28; Mk. x. 45. 2 Lk. xix. 1--10. 'Lk. xix. 11. Matt. xxvi. 6--13; Mk. xiv. 3--9; Jn. xii. 1--11. 5 Matt. xxvi. 6; Mk. xiv. 3. affection won not the approval of all in the room. To some of the Apostles, and especially to Judas, it seemed utterly unbecoming that unguents, which might have fetched so much and have been given to the poor, should be wasted in a useless piece of extravagance, and they had indignation1, and murmured against her. He, however, to whom she had thus manifested her affectionate adoration, suffered scarcely a moment to elapse before He signified His opinion of her conduct2. Not only, He declares, had she done nothing wrong, but she had wrought a beautiful and noble deed. The poor, for whom some pretended so much anxiety, they had always with them, but Himself they would not have always, thus reminding them of that speedy removal He had...