only declared the further inutility of the worship of the temple with its sacrifices: but also that the true High-Priest (Heb. ix.) having offered and finished the true sacrifice on earth, was now passing on His way to heaven to make intercession for His people there. And moreover this veil represented His body, which was rent by death, which death was necessary to His passing into heaven, and to His performing (Heb. x. 20) the rest of His office of atonement there. And it signified further that heaven, which had been shut against sinful man, was now open to him once again; but open to him, not in a natural way, as when the door of a house is opened to admit one that knocks, but as when a house is entered by violence through a breach in the wall. The Son of God made the breach by the power of His violent and bloody death. And even so all those He is not ashamed to call brethren must enter by violence, through struggle and strife of unremitted endeavour.

And now let us lift up our eyes from Calvary and the temple, and adore Him that sitteth at the right hand of God in glory. What a stupendous reach of sight do we go through! Must we not confess that even the words of David seem to fail us here, when he says, "As the

heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards them that fear Him?” (Ps. ciii. 11.) Are we duly sensible of such things? Are we in the habit of mortifying ourselves in conformity with the sufferings of the Son of Man, in order to our experiencing lively earnests of being glorified together with Him? Let then this day be one indeed of constraint, of self-examination, of self-judgment, of self-abasement. Nor let us rise from our knees until we have attained in our hearts to that sense of unworthiness through which alone we can be made considerate and therefore faithful stewards of the gifts of the high calling which we have received.

DEVOTION.

Most merciful, most blessed Jesus, with confused faces we humble ourselves before Thee this day, the day of Thy cross; we scarce dare to look up or speak unto Thee; we feel ourselves to be stained with blood, even with Thy blood, and to have lifted up our hands against Thee. What can we say unto Thee, or how can we excuse ourselves? We must needs speak with a stammering tongue; we are not free from Thy blood. Though we

did not cry against Thee "crucify Him," neither did we spit upon Thee, nor buffet Thee, nor mock Thee, nor beat Thee with the palm of our hands, yet together with all mankind we had part in the shedding of Thy blood; our sins, with the sins of the world, drew Thee to the cross and made Thee out of Thy love to taste the bitterness of death. Yea, if we had no part in Thy death, we have no part in the fruit of Thy death; Thou art no atonement for us except Thou didst suffer for our sins.

O most loving Jesus, Thou didst indeed suffer for our sakes; we did indeed have our part in the deed of them that slew Thee; we confess ourselves to have added by our sins to the sorrows of Thy death. It is our hope against the hour of our own death that Thou didst bear the sharpest pains thereof. We look to Thy sufferings as our release from eternal suffering, to Thy death as our means of escape from eternal death. In Thy cross, though it speaks of our great guilt and shame, is our glory and hope of life. What hope have we but in Thee as the ransom of the world, Thy blood being the precious price of our guilty souls, that were sold under sin, dead in trespasses and sins, utterly condemned.

We kneel therefore, O Lord, this day at the foot of Thy cross; we put before the eyes of our soul the spectacle of Thy passion, that we may see the dreadfulness of our guilt and the unsearchable riches of Thy love. Behold, our souls hear Thine exceeding bitter groaning and cries; we see Thy temples stained with Thy blood from the sharpness of Thy crown-Thy feet and Thy hands torn with the nails-Thy great thirst-Thy fainting for

hours-the

thirst-Thy pains in dying, suffered for many bowing of Thy head-the giving up of the ghost. We kneel before Thee both hearing and seeing these things. Never was sorrow like unto Thy sorrow, nor death like unto Thy death, when Thou wert laden with all our sins and with all the pains of death due unto all.

O blessed Jesus, how should we hate ourselves for our sins when we consider the vengeance upon sin which Thou didst bear to save us from wrath! How should we love Thee, who didst consent to bear our sorrows and to take upon Thee in our stead the wrath of the Father, the bitterness of our death, and the curse wherewith we should have been accursed! May we remember the cross when evil affections inflame our hearts and when sin tempts; may we see with our soul Thy tears, Thy blood, Thy agony, Thy most painful dying, when evil thoughts rise up and we incline unto evil. May we remember Thy love upon the cross when we are allured to cast our love on other things than Thee. Help us, O Lord our Saviour, in some sort to return Thy love by giving ourselves to Thee all the days of our life. O knit our heart unto Thee. Thee do we confess to be our only Saviour. O Son of David, O Lamb of God, O Prince of peace, Thou art our Redeemer, Thou the Author and Finisher of our faith. Blessed be Thy name above every name. Amen.

JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON.

Tracts for the Christian Seasons.

EASTER EVE.

The Lord's body in the sepulchre-the tomb sealed-the women prepare for anointing the body.

How poorly would one judge of the real nature of the Sabbath, who looked only to the outward observance of it, merely to the abstaining from labour, and the assembling in worship before God. As well may he judge man's heart from his looks. But let him look to that inner part which lies under all this, and which gives it life and meaning. Let him think of the contrite and thankful spirit which is especially awake to its heavenly calling on that day, and turns the repose of the body from the cares and toils of this world to the account of its uninterrupted occupation in the concerns of the world to come. Let him turn to the visions of God's glory then sought and obtained by holy meditation, to the comfort and courage flowing into the heart in answer to earnest prayer, to the fuller clearness of knowledge which ministers surer and more certain