eness:--and, With what shew of reason can it
any longer be pretended that some Critics, including the Revisers, are
warranted in leaving out the words?... It were to trifle with the reader
to pursue this subject further. But how did the words ever come to be
omitted? Some early critic, I answer, who was unable to see the
exquisite proprieties of the entire passage, thought it desirable to
bring ver. 16 into conformity with ver. 19, where our Lord seems at
first sight to resyllable the matter. That is all!

Let it be observed--and then I will dismiss the matter--that the
selfsame thing has happened in the next verse but one (ver. 18), as
Tischendorf candidly acknowledges. The [Greek: touto ti hestin] of the
Evangelist has been tastelessly assimilated by BDLY to the [Greek: ti
estin touto] which went immediately before.

Sec. 4.

Were I invited to point to a beautifully described incident in the
Gospel, I should find it difficult to lay my finger on anything more apt
for my purpose than the transaction described in St. John xiii. 21-25.
It belongs to the closing scene of our Saviour's Ministry. 'Verily,
verily, I say unto you,' (the words were spoken at the Last Supper),
'one of you will betray Me. The disciples therefore looked one at
another, wondering of whom He spake. Now there was reclining in the
bosom of Jesus ([Greek: en de anakeimenos en to kolpo tou 'I.]) one of
His disciples whom Jesus loved. To him therefore Simon Peter motioneth
to inquire who it may be concerning whom He speaketh. He then, just
sinking on the breast of Jesus ([Greek: epipeson de ekeinos houtos epi
to stethos tou 'I.]) [i.e. otherwise keeping his position, see above, p.
60], saith unto Him, Lord, who is it?'

The Greek is exquisite. At first, St. John has been simply 'reclining
([Greek: anakeimenos]) in the bosom' of his Divine Master: that is, his
place at the Supper is the next adjoining His,--for the phrase really
means little more. But the proximity is of course excessive, as the
sequel shews. Understanding from St. Peter's gesture what is required of
him, St. John merely sinks back, and having thus let his head fall
([Greek: epipeson]) on (or close to) His Master's chest ([Greek: epi to
stethos]), he says softly,--'Lord, who is it?' ... The moment is perhaps
the most memorable in the Evangelist's life: the position, one of
unutterable privilege. Time, place, posture, action,--all settle so deep
into his soul, that when, in his old