The Type. off from Israel. (Exod. xii. 15.) The Fulfilment. severity of God: on them which fell, seve rity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. (Rom. xi. 21, 22.) Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (John vi. 53.) CHRIST, THEN, OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US, THEerefore leT US KEEP THE FEAST. A Collect. O LORD, I beseech thee merci- upon thee; and grant that I may both perceive and know what things I ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer. Almighty and immortal God, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for succour, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead; I call upon thee in all humility and faith, that I, coming to this holy Sacrament, may receive remission of my sins by spiritual regeneration. Receive me, O Lord, as thou hast promised by thy well-beloved Son, saying, ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. So give now unto me, that asketh; let me that seeketh find; open the gate unto me that knocketh, that I may enjoy the everlasting benediction of this heavenly feast, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou hast promised by Christ our Lord. Amen. 115 SECOND MEDITATION. THE STATE OF MAN BY NATURE. "OF every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." (Gen. ii. 16, 17.) Thus spake the Almighty, then with no attribute but love; for nature was young, and pure, and spotless, and "God saw everything that it was good" (Gen. i. 31); and man the crowning work of all, knew of nought save to hold converse with God, and to talk with Him face to face, and to be ministered unto by angels, and to rejoice in his exceeding great happiness, and life without end. But it was not long; for the tempter drew nigh, and Satan, with his evil subtlety, beguiled the children of God, and they did eat. (Gen. iii. 1.) And then God put on his attribute of justice, and his guilty and disobedient children fell beneath the frowns of his anger, and punishment was first decreed unto Adam. God said, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken. Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen. iii. 17-19.) O fairest work of God, marred by this subtle enemy! O disobedient children, towards so kind and loving a Creator! Beauty turned into foulness and order into deformity-hap |