condemned to bear his own instrument of driven into his hands and feet; or, as was

himself unworthy to suffer in the same position with his beloved Master.

in the case of its omission, death would not ensue for a length of time, guards were placed to prevent the relations and friends In leading to his death a person confrom giving them any relief, taking them demned to crucifixion, it was usual to carry away while alive, or removing their bodies an inscription before him, stating the crime after they were dead. Sometimes crucifixion for which he suffered. To the charge of took place with the head downward; and St. Jesus, no crime could be laid; but to his Peter is said to have suffered death in this cross they fastened this inscription: THIS way, at his own express desire, deeming IS THE KING OF THE JEWS," Luke xxiii. 38.

The sentence was written in three differ- when Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, ent languages, and the reason which has Eloi, lama, sabachthani!” that is, "My been given for this is, that none might be God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ! unapprised of its contents. It was written thus showing that his soul was in pangs, in Greek, which was the general language as well as his body. After a little space, he of commerce in Western Asia, and which cried again with a loud voice, and commendwould be familiar to many Jews from Eu- ing his spirit into the hands of his Father, rope, Egypt, and elsewhere; it also was "he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.' written in the Syriac, called "Hebrew," the vernacular language of Palestine; and it was written in Latin, probably for the use of the Romans, many of whom would assemble at Jerusalem during the paschal

week.

To advert to the many passages of holy writ which point to the cross of Christ as the foundation of a sinner's hope, would extend our work beyond the assigned limits. It must suffice, therefore, to say, that it is the sum and substance of the Bible, and that, if we would be saved by it, we must look to it with an eye of faith, as eagerly and fixedly as the Israelites of old, when bitten by the fiery serpents, looked to the brazen serpent -which prefigured the cross-erected by Moses to effect their cure. There alone is our hope of redemption.

The punishment of crucifixion, it has been said, was so common among the Romans, that, by a very usual figure, pains, afflictions, troubles, &c., were called crosses. Hence, our Saviour says, that his disciples must take up their cross, and follow him (Matt. xvi. 24). The cross, therefore, is the sign of ignominy and suffering, yet it is the badge and glory of the Christian. Christ is the way we are to follow; and there is no way of attaining that glory and happiness which are promised in the gospel, but by the cross of Christ.

While under the agonies of the cross, the Redeemer manifested his filial affection by committing his mother to the care of the beloved John; and in the same situation, he gave a signal instance of the power and freeness of his grace, toward one of the thieves, who hung beside him. The heart of this poor creature was smitten with conviction and repentance, and, addressing a prayer to the dying Saviour, he received the soul-cheering answer, "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

About the sixth hour (or middle of the day) a supernatural darkness covered the whole land, which continued till the ninth hour (or three o'clock in the afternoon),

At this awful event, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; the earth quaked, and the rocks were torn asunder; the graves, too, of many of the saints were opened, and the dead, arising, appeared to many in the city of Jerusalem. These fearful tokens gave a solemn check to the feelings of the multitude that attended, and produced on the minds of several a conviction that Jesus was the Son of God.

Thus expired this wonderful Sufferer! a ransom for sinners, a Saviour to all who truly believe in his name. And now, as the next day was the sabbath of the Jews, as the bodies were not to remain on the cross on that day, and as they were making preparation for its approach, they petitioned Pilate that the legs of the crucified might be broken, and that they might be taken away. soldiers, therefore, having broken the legs of the two malefactors, when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, forebore to perform the operation on him but one of them, to insure his death, pierced his side with a spear, whence there issued blood and water.

The

When the evening was come, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man and a counsellor, and one who "waited for the kingdom of God," having begged of Pilate the body of Jesus, took it down from the cross, and, assisted by Nicodemus, wrapped it in fine linen, with a quantity of spices, after the Jewish mode of burying. Thus prepared, they laid the sacred body in Joseph's own new tomb, which was hewn out of a rock, in a garden near at hand, and rolling a large stone to the door of the sepulchre, they departed.

At the same time, several pious women who followed Jesus from Galilee, and who from a distance had beheld the mournful scene of his sufferings, being present at his burial, and seeing how the body was deposited," returned and prepared spices and ointments," intending after the Sabbath to visit the sepulchre for the purpose of embalming the body of their Lord. The chief priests and Pharisees, on their part, took a different

course. By the authority of Pilate, they had fled from the sepulchre and related their sealed the stone at the mouth of the tomb, tale of wonder to the chief priests, who, setting around it a guard of soldiers, to pre- alarmed at the consequences that might folvent any attempt by the disciples of Jesus low, hired these wretched creatures to say to steal him away, and thus pretend that their that the disciples came by night, and stole Master was risen. away the body of Jesus while they were asleep. This absurd report was accordingly propagated, and prevailed among the Jews as a fact.

Such was the state of things, till the commencement of the third day, being the first day of the week. Early in the morning of that day, Mary Magdalene, with Salome, and another female disciple by the name of Mary, coming to the sepulchre for the purpose (as before mentioned) of embalming the body of Christ, found the stone removed from the door. Scenes the most awful and glorious had just before been exhibited. A great earthquake shook the place; the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone and sat upon it; and while the keepers, struck with terror, became as dead men, Jesus, awaking from the sleep of death, arose and left the tomb. *

His first appearance after this great event was to Mary Magdalene, who stood weeping at the sepulchre when Peter and John, who had made a visit to the place, had departed. Afterward he appeared to a company of women on their return from the sepulchre; then to two of the disciples on their way to a village called Emmaus, a few miles from Jerusalem. The reports, however, of these witnesses of the resurrection met with but little credit with the rest of the disciples, till Jesus, on the evening of the same day, presented himself among them, and confirmed their faith by appealing to his lately wounded hands and feet.

In the mean time, the affrighted guards *THE RESURRECTION. Twice had the sun gone down on the earth, and all as yet was quiet at the sepulchre: Death held his sceptre o'er the Son of God; still and silent the hours passed on; the guards stood by their posts; the rays of the midnight moon gleamed on their helmets and on their spears; the enemies of Christ exulted in their success; the hearts of his friends were sunk in despondency and sorrow; while the spirits of glory waited with anxious suspense to behold the event-wondering at the depth of the ways of God. At length, the morning star, arising in the east, announced the approach of light; the third day began to dawn on the world, when on a sudden the earth trembled to its centre, and the powers of Heaven were shaken; an angel of God descended; the guards shrunk back from the terror of his presence, and fell prostrate on the ground. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment was white as snow; he rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and sat on it.

It is proper we should here take notice of the case of Thomas, called Didymus, who, not being with the disciples when Jesus made his appearance among them as above mentioned, declared that he would not believe in the reality of his resurrection unless he should see and feel the print of the nails in his hands, and the effect of the wound in his side. Accordingly, about eight days after, when the disciples were all together, Jesus again appearing among them presented his hands and his side to Thomas, with a reproof for his unbelief; while the astonished disciple, overpowered with conviction, exclaimed, My Lord and my God."

"After these things, Jesus showed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, where several of them were employed in fishing, and then, by appointment, he met the eleven apostles on a mountain in Galilee, where he delivered to them the great gospel commission, to go forth and "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; pronouncing at the same time, 'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Forty days was the time pre-ordained for

But who is this that cometh from the tomb, with dyed garments from the bed of death? He that is glorious in his appearance, walking in the greatness of his strength? It is thy Prince, O Zion! Christian, it is your Lord! He hath trodden the winepress alone; he hath stained his raiment with blood; but now, as the firstborn from the womb of nature, he meets the morning of his resurrection. He arises, a conqueror from the grave; he returns with blessings from the world of spirits; he brings salvation to the sons of men. Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious!

The morning stars sang together, and all the sons It was the jubilee of the universe! of God shouted for joy! The Father of Mercies looked down from his throne in the heavens with complacency; he beheld his world restored-he saw his work that it was good. Then did the desert rejoice; the face of nature was gladdened before him, when the blessings of the Eternal descended, as the dews of heaven, for the refreshing of the nations.