ful strokes of Divine justice, and from eternal death! The Son of God laid aside the robe of glory, and took upon him the form of a servant, was clothed with mortality, humbled himself to the dust, submitted to poverty, hunger, weariness, reproach, stripes and wounds, and became obedient to death, even the painful and ignominious death of the cross, that he might purchase redemption for us, poor, miserable, perishing sinners. O blessed Saviour! what great compassion hast thou showed to my soul! How rich and precious was the blood which thou wast pleased to pour out for my ransom ! How deep are those wounds! How dreadful were those agonies that obtained my peace with God, and opened the way for me to heaven and glory! Rather than I should perish in my sins, and be an awful monument of eternal vengeance, thou wast pleased to lay down thy blood, thy life, thy soul, for my redemption.

With indignation against sin. It was sin, even thy sin, O my soul, that did all this to thy Lord, that betrayed him, mocked him, nailed him to the cross, and inflicted on him all these wounds. Hither bend all thy rage, and thy keenest resentments; here thy hatred is just and deserved. O sin, I vow revenge against thee; I will search every secret corner of my heart to find thee out, and will tear thee hence, though I make it bleed.

"O thou dear suffering Son of God!
How doth thy heart to sinners move!
Help me to catch thy precious blood:
Help me to taste thy dying love.

Give me to feel thy agonies,
One drop of thy sad cup afford:
I fain with thee would sympathize,
And share the sufferings of my Lord.

The earth could to her centre quake,
Convulsed while her Creator died :
O let my inmost nature shake,
And die with Jesus crucified..

At thy last gasp, the graves displayed
Their horrors to the upper skies;
O that my soul might burst the shade,
And, quickened by thy death, arise!

The rocks could feel thy powerful death,
And tremble, and asunder part:
O rend with thy expiring breath

The harder marble of my heart!"

With gratitude for blessings procured. What inestimable blessings are obtained, and in which the people of God are interested, by my adorable Redeemer! I obtained remission of sin only through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is the ground of my justification before God, and on this foundation is built my hope of eternal glory. If I believe in Jesus, I have peace with God, free access to him, may call him my God and my Father, may look to him for wisdom to direct me in every difficulty, for power to defend me in every danger, for goodness to supply all my wants in this world, for the renovation of my nature by the Holy Spirit, for the perfect love of God, and for endless glory and happiness in the world to come. Let the men of this world pursue its honours or riches, let them boast of the privi

leges of their birth or high station; I will glory in the cross of Christ, and in the name and advantages of being a real Christian. O may I be one in sincerity and in truth, and not in name only! For if I have an interest in that redemption which the Son of God has obtained, and which he confers on all who believe in him and obey him, no needful blessing will be withheld from me in this world; and hereafter, I shall be put in possession of all that felicity and glory which was purchased by the Saviour's death, and is now reserved for all that love him.

With love to thy Lord. Did free and unmerited love move him to suffer all this for thee? And shall not his love inspire thee with a reciprocal affection? Blessed Jesus! how infinitely do I stand indebted to thee, who hast given thy blood for my ransom, who hast saved me from the pit of everlasting misery, and from the righteous curse of a broken law! O adorable Saviour! hast thou borne all this sorrow and suffering for me? and shall I not give thee my heart? Take full possession of it; here I make a free surrender of myself to thee, for I am no longer my own, but thine. Shed abroad thy love in it, cleanse it with thy precious blood, sanctify it by thy Holy Spirit, and then take up thy abode, and evermore dwell there.

"My Saviour, how shall I proclaim,
How pay, the mighty debt I owe?
Let all I have, and all I am,
Ceaseless to all thy glory show.

Too much to thee I cannot give;

Too much I cannot do for thee:
Let all thy love, and all thy grief, '
Graved on my heart for ever be.

The meek, the still, the lowly mind,
O may Í learn from thee, my God;
And love, with softest pity joined,

For those that trample on thy blood.

Still let thy tears, thy groans, thy sighs,
O'erflow my eyes and heave my breast:
Till loose from flesh and earth I rise,
And ever in thy bosom rest."

O! that while I live, I may live to thee, serve thy cause, and advance thy honour and interest in the world. I would follow thee whithersoever thou shalt lead me. O! be thou ever present with me, then will I not fear, however numerous or powerful my enemies may be; but under thy guidance, hope to finish my course on earth with joy, and at death's approach, to be received to that better world where thou art, there to join the blessed assembly, in ascribing glory, and honour, and praise to God and the Redeemer to all eternity.

ON THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD.

"Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is Christ not raised. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept."-ST. PAUL.

THAT was a sad hour with the disciples when they saw their Divine Master, their Saviour; the expectation of Israel, cruelly put to death by the profane hands of ungodly men! then taken down from the cross, laid in a cold sepulchre, and that vault authoritatively sealed and guarded by a strong band of Roman soldiers! He had, it is true, previously informed them of his approaching crucifixion; but they were unwilling to believe so strange an event, having pleased themselves with the expectation that he would establish a temporal kingdom, sway the sceptre of royalty over an extensive population, and raise them to public situations of honour, dignity, and emolument. But, alas! he who had been their companion in solitude, their counsellor in difficulty, their comforter in dis