III. THE OBJECT AND DESIGN OF THIS INSTITUTION.

      Christ never did anything, nor enjoined any duty upon his followers, without a wise and good reason. Accordingly we cannot doubt but that he had very good reasons for instituting this humble ordinance. Among these, there may be some we know not now, but we shall know hereafter. But there are some reasons we do know, and among these we may reckon the following. Negatively,

      1. Not because it was necessary. "If the disciples' feet needed washing, they could have done it themselves. A wise man will not do anything that looks odd and unusual, but for good causes." Besides, Christ said to Peter, "Ye are clean" [Joh 13:10]. Now if they were all clean, except Judas, they did not need washing, either literal or spiritual. This then was not the reason why He washed their feet.

      2. Not because they desired it. Peter, it is said, objected to have his feet washed, and said, "Thou shalt never wash my feet" [Joh 13:8]. This shows that he did not desire it. Neither did the rest of the disciples.

      3. Not because it was a Jewish custom. Had it been a common custom, among the Jews, Peter would have known it, and therefore expressed no surprise, as he did, by saying, "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" [Joh 13:6].

      If then, these were not the reasons of this ceremony, what were the reasons?

      Christ instituted this ordinance,

      1. To give His disciples an example of His deep humility, and of His complacent and condescending love to them. Hence, he said, "I am among you as he that serveth" [Lu 22:27]. And again, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" [Joh 13:15] [88]. Copy my example of humility and love. If I, your Lord and Master, have thus humbled myself, and shown my love for you, be ye also humble and subject one toward another, and abound in love towards each other, and thus fulfil my new commandment. Christ manifested His humility and love to them by washing their feet, as the woman whom Luke speaks of showed her humility and love by washing his feet (Lu 7:44). These things were of sufficient importance in Christ's eyes, to inculcate by precept and example. But again,

      2. To test the implicit obedience of His disciples, was doubtless another design or reason of the appointment of this ordinance. Christ told His disciples, "Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am" [Joh 13:13]. Now, if I am your acknowledged Lord and Master, you are bound by your own consent, in honor and honesty, to observe and do my will. And whether you always know the reasons of my commands or not, it is your duty to yield implicit obedience to all I say, because I am your Lord and Master. This is the true ground of obedience. Some people make a difference between what they call the essentials and non-essentials of religion. The essentials they are willing to obey, but the non-essentials they set aside. They seem to obey Christ, not because He is their Lord and Master, and because it is right; but merely to escape punishment and get to heaven. This we hold to be a selfish principle. If a man obeys Christ just so far as he thinks it necessary to secure heaven, he will quite likely miss heaven. For although God has graciously promised heaven as the reward of righteousness, yet He requires man to obey Him, not for the sake of heaven, but from a principle of love. "If ye love me," says Christ, "keep my [89] commandments" [Joh 14:15]. To test this principle was one of the objects contemplated in the appointment of this ordinance. Another main design was,

      3. To symbolize or represent the two cardinal graces of the Christian character--humility and love--and thereby keep His people in constant remembrances of their great and indispensable importance, to their acceptance with Him. If Christ, the first pattern of moral excellence, was meek and lowly, so also must His people be. And if they are not Christ-like in the spirit of their minds, they cannot be His disciples. "For if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His" [Ro 8:9]. Be ye "clothed with humility," for "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1Pe 5:5,6). Now this prominent trait in the Christian character is symbolized in the ordinance of feet washing. Christ here speaks by His example to the eye, and through the eye to the hearts of the people; teaching them, not to strive with each other as to who shall be greatest, but who can best learn of Him to be humble, and to esteem others better than themselves. This is one of the doctrines taught and represented by this humble and instructive ordinance.

      Another equally important lesson designed to be taught by this institution, is brotherly love. Love is the essence of pure religion. Without charity, or love, we are nothing in God's account, but a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal [1Co 13:1]. Hence, Christ said to His disciples, as we read in the latter part of the chapter before us, "A new commandment give I to you, That ye love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (Joh 13:34,35). [90]

      Observe here, (1) the standard of love for each other: "As I have loved you." He loved them with a sincere, impartial, fervent, complacent and constant love; so likewise are they to love one another. Observe, (2) the obligation imposed: "A new commandment I give to you, That ye love one another." The old commandment was, "Love your neighbors as yourselves" [Mt 19:19 22:39 Mr 12:31 Lu 10:27]. But the new commandment is, "Love one another as I have loved you." Observe, (3) the evidence of discipleship: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples." From this we clearly see that love is the principal thing in religion.

      Now, the design of the Saviour, in the ordinance of feet washing, was to represent and impress the great importance of humility and love, upon the minds of His people. He knew that the days of darkness and spiritual declension would come, in which formality, fashion and pride would in a great measure supplant heartfelt and spiritual religion; and therefore He designed to establish another test ordinance, by which the pure and faithful might try the strength of their graces, and be known to one another and to all men.

      Where there is no humility and love in the heart, there can be no true religion; and where there is no true religion, there can be no true Church. But where God has a Church, it will be characterized by humility and charity. And when these Christian graces exist, there is a willingness, yea, an anxiety to know and do the will of Christ. It is His law, not the practice of the Church and the custom of ancestors, that governs the true Christian in his faith and practice. The man who is clothed with humility, and has the love of God shed abroad in the heart, and who is not beguiled by sectarianism, is always ready and willing to walk in all the [91] commandments and ordinances of God, as did Zacharias and Elizabeth. For the same reasons that such a man will observe one commandment and one ordinance, he will keep them all. Hence Christ said, "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me" [Joh 14:21]. To love and to walk humbly with God, is the chief duty of man. Now, as we have said before, to symbolize and represent humility and love, the chief graces of the Christian, and thereby impress their importance more deeply upon the minds of the people, was no doubt one of the chief objects had in view by the appointment of the ordinance of feet washing. The humility and love of Christ, and the importance of these amiable moral traits in the character of the Christian, are facts and requisitions ever to be remembered; and the ordinance under consideration is the appointed means of remembering them. It is a memento of Christ's love for us and our love for Him.

      4. To erect and teach us the true standard of happiness. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" [Joh 13:17]. If you know me to be your Lord and Master, and if you know that "the servant is not greater than his Lord" [Joh 13:16 15:20], then you must know also that you ought not to be proud and assuming, but to learn of me to be humble and condescending, and never think it below you to do that, however disagreeable it may seem to flesh and blood, which you have seen me do. "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" [Joh 13:15]. If, moreover, you know that I have condescended and continued to abound in services of love to you, then you likewise ought to condescend to each other in love and good works, and symbolize these duties, by washing one another's feet.

      True happiness lies not in the knowledge of these [92] things, but in the doing of them. "Happy are ye, if ye do them" [Joh 13:17]. Most people think, Happy are they that rise and rule. But Christ says, Happy are they that stoop and obey. Here then, is the true standard of happiness. Many people hope and pray to be sanctified and made happy outside of the commandments and ordinances of God, forgetting that real sanctification and true happiness are attainable only through the obedience of the truth. He that doeth Christ's will, shall know of the doctrine. And happy are you if you know and believe and do His commandments and ordinances. This is the right way to present, future and eternal happiness.

      The next thing in order which claims our attention, in the discussion of this subject is,

IV. THE OBLIGATIONS INCUMBENT UPON ALL CHRISTIANS TO PERFORM THIS HUMBLE AND SACRED SERVICE.

[ORD 88-93]