The mother of our Lord, who had so rejoiced at his birth, who had watched his increase in stature and in wisdom with such joy as only a mother can feel, who had laid up many things in her heart concerning him which she did not at first understand, but which seemed to promise that he would be good and great, who had been so eager for the first public display of his miraculous powers, so full of anxiety when she found what multitudes he collected around him to listen to his discourses and to witness his deeds, and what envy and hatred this created in the priests and doctors of the law,

now stood near his cross to witness the close of his divine life; with what feelings, with what hopes, with what expectations, we do not know; but if any one understood and believed his prediction that in three days he should rise again, it was surely she. If she had not believed it, could she have stood there? Near her stood the beloved disciple John. When Jesus saw them, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold thy son!' And to the disciple he said, 'Behold thy mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. And we cannot doubt that he cherished her with all the

veneration, and consoled her with all the tenderness, which were due to the mother of his beloved master and friend. Happy disciple to be so honored! Happy home, where the holy Mary spent her last earthly days, in patience waiting for her summons to the mansions of the Father's house, to dwell with her exalted Son, in peace, blessedness, and glory, forever!

For three hours after this, that is, from the sixth to the ninth hour, according to the Jewish reckoning, or from twelve o'clock to three in the afternoon, according to our reckoning, there was darkness over the whole land. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice, as the pain grew more intense, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' The first words of this piercing exclamation were in Hebrew, 'Eloi, Eloi!' Some thought therefore that he called upon the prophet Elias or Elijah; and when a man filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon a reed, and gave him to drink, they said, Let him alone; let us see if Elijah is coming to take him down.' Nature was now exhausted, and when he had received the vinegar he said, 'It is finished. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' And he bowed his head,

and died. The centurion commanding the Roman guard, when he heard Jesus' last words, and saw him expire thus, exclaimed, Surely this man was the Son of God.'

As this was Friday, and the Sabbath would begin on the first hour of night, or, as we should call it, at six o'clock on Friday evening, the Jews besought Pilate that the legs of those who had been crucified might be broken, in order to hasten their death, for men sometimes lingered many, many hours or even days in dreadful agony upon the cross. They asked this not out of any feeling of compassion, but in order that their bodies might be taken away before the sabbath came; for they would have regarded their remaining as a profanation of the sabbath. Pilate gave his consent, and they broke the legs of the two thieves; but when they came to Jesus they found that he was already dead, and so did not break his legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, from which flowed out blood and water, a sign that he was really dead.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE BURIAL.

In the evening, Joseph, a rich man of Arimathea, a town in Judea, went to Pilate and asked leave to take away the body of Jesus. When Pilate had learned from the centurion that he had now been some time dead, he gave leave; and Joseph went and took down the body, and, aided by that same Nicodemus who went to Jesus by night, wrapped it in fine linen, with myrrh, aloes, and spices, and laid it in a new sepulchre, hewn out in a rock, where no one had yet been buried. It was in a garden, near the place of our Lord's crucifixion.

Many women had stood afar off to witness the last moments of the beloved teacher, hoping perhaps to the end that he would save himself. They had followed him from Galilee, and now how desolate in heart did they return home! The light of their days was gone. Two of them, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses, staid also to see his burial, and beheld where he was laid, and that a

great stone was rolled up to close the entrance of the sepulchre. They also prepared spices and ointment to anoint him; but rested on the sabbath day according to the command

ment.

On the next day, the Chief Priests and Pharisees went together to Pilate, and said, Sir, we remember that the deceiver said, while he was yet alive,' After three days I shall rise again.' Command, therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, 'He hath been raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be

worse than the first.' have a guard; go your

secure as ye can.'

Pilate answered, 'Ye way, and make it as So they went, made it

secure, placed the guard, and sealed the stone.