from the body, we know not how nor whitherthis surely was the completion of Our Lord's abasement. It was not in itself no doubt so wonderful that He should die, as it was that He should be born: it was but the following up of that which His taking our nature at all had commenced yet it was the last act in this wonderful descent its crowning mystery: it put the finish to His human actions: "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross."

Such, brethren, is the three-fold stage of Our Lord's humiliation the steps by which He trod His way from the glory of heaven to the abasement of the Cross. And have we, for whom all this was done, no interest in it? Is it nothing to you and me that such acts should have been performed? Are we not deeply concerned in drawing from it its due effect? It might almost be thought not, from the indifference with which too many Christians see the return of the solemn season, when these great events had their completion. For the Church's year is fixed by those great events, which befell the Son of Man. Its times are settled, not by reference to your concerns or mine, but they depend on Him, in whom only the whole race of man is interested. From His birth into the world do they follow Him to His grave, and then attend Him to His glory. Thus it is that all the Sundays of the year are appointed. They are the weekly memory of Our Lord's resurrection from

the dead. The Jews kept the seventh day, because on it God rested from His work of Creation : we keep Sunday, because Christ rested from that still greater work, whereby He re-created the world.

And more especially does this come out at the present season. For the Great or Holy Week of the Christian year is before us. In this week every thing tells us of Our Lord's actions. We know every day what He was doing: each day leads on to that great deed, which was completed on Good Friday. Now my fear is, that Christians make not enough of this. In some countries and places they do; but they do not among us. Why do I say so? Because if they did, it would of necessity leaven their words and thoughts. If some dear friend were ill at a distant place, would he not occupy your thoughts? When news came from the place where he was, would you not find time to attend to it? You would intermit your business, however material, that you might listen to it.

Now, if men had the same interest in the doings of Christ, they could not choose but give attention to them likewise. We should not need to ask you to come and take part here in our Easter services, as though it were a benefit to ourselves. Every day this week the Church bids us to hold worship here, evening as well as morning: every day we set forth what Christ Our Lord was doing or suffering in those periods which divide this last week.

And have you no heart to take interest in these events? What I desire is, that your souls might go along with this season. For to-day did Our Blessed Master hold His triumphant entrance into the city of Jerusalem, where He was so speedily to suffer. Palm Sunday we call it, because with branches of palms men heralded His approach. Thus did He come in triumph into the temple, as a sign of that more glorious entrance into the world, which will be witnessed by all men in His last descent. But, now, it was not the Judge who was coming to doom, but the victim who was coming to suffer. He was brought in triumph to the temple, the true Paschal Lamb, who had appeared after so many years of waiting the real offering for sins, the real food of His people. Those who attend upon Him every year on Palm Sunday, will be more prepared to wait on Him in that last awful progress, when those who are ready will go in with Him to the marriage ere the door is shut. But then it must be a true waiting on the Son What is the way of waiting on Him? Those who wait on kings adorn their bodies; but those who wait on the King of kings must adorn their souls. They must wash them from those sins by which their service would be polluted, and themselves rendered unclean. They must wash them by repentance, confession, absolution, selfdenial, fasting, and tears, in that blood of the true Lamb of God, which only takes away the sins of

of man.

L

Here

you

the world. For by these healing remedies do we profit by that Blood of sprinkling, which at this season was shed for the salvation of mankind. This is what I would entreat of you at the present season. I would call you to a close reckoning with your own hearts. Number up your secret sins. First confess them to Almighty God. If they still seem so black and dangerous that you need further assurance of their pardon, then seek the aid of Christ's ministers. But at all events take account this week with your own hearts. Join yourself in spirit to Christ your Lord. Separate yourselves, as far as you can, from the vain world. Seek your Lord in this His house of prayer. will find the more especial presence of Him who was crucified. You will hear of His acts and sufferings: every thing will tell of Him, who was your sacrifice, who is to be your judge. And finally, brethren, let those who desire to be one with Christ, seek Him at this season at His holy table. Let them come now, if they are prepared at all events let them come on Sunday next, and keep this true Passover. The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, offers Himself to be the food of souls. By eating His flesh may you be made one with Him. Thus may you most fully share in all those divine gifts, which He bestowed when He took our nature. Oh that you would seek after Him, whom truly to know is eternal life.

147

SERMON XIII.

GOOD FRIDAY.

ST. MATTHEW, xxvii. 54.

"When the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."

SUCH were the natural thoughts even of uninstructed bystanders, when they beheld those wonderful events which happened at this season. It was mid-day, that is, about the sixth hour: and "there was darkness over all the earth unto the ninth hour." "And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom: and the earth did quake and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened." Such a shock was given to universal nature as might be expected to attend the sufferings of its King. When a man dies, his house is shut up, his friends are clothed in mourning, all that belonged to him witnesses to the