ST. JOHN viii. 48.

Then answered the Jews and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?

Now step by step we must descend
With our beloved Redeemer to his grave;

Watch the dire sorrows that impend

O'er him whose crime was that he came to save.
But bring a mind

Composed, resigned,

And with meek tears his holy footsteps lave.

Wisdom eternal was his own;

But contradiction vile he must endure,

Must still the fierce demoniac's groan,
Yet hear the deed ascribed to powers impure--
Must meekly bear

All wretches dare

In malice utter of each wondrous cure.

Oh! who can fully comprehend

The pain perverseness such as this must cause?

We cannot even bear a friend

One moment in his warm delight to pause
Of our poor deeds-

Alas! man needs,

Even when best, his fellow-man's applause.

Yea, we esteem small slights as wrongs,— Repent us almost of our noblest deeds

If aught of praise we think belongs

To us should be withheld: we needs must feed
On action great,

And deem it hate

Should one alone refuse th' expected meed.

But He was God, most pure, most high,
And scorn and base revilings were, he knew,
Their right for whom he came to die,
And the sharp cross with his dear blood bedew.
And he must taste,

E'en to the last,

Such agony as earth or heaven ne'er knew.

Darker the scene yet daily grows, More careful then repentance meet fulfil

;

Prepare thee, sinner, for the close,
By true performance of thy Saviour's will.
For thee he bled,

For thee lay dead

Canst thou remember this, and shame him still ?

The boast is thine-thou art redeemed:

So Israel boasted too in ancient days;

To them the yoke most grievous seemed,

And freedom well might wake their songs of praise.

But Christ the spell

Of sin and hell

For ever has destroyed, and heaven displays.

Escape from bondage such as this Might call forth raptures from a seraph's tongue; But thou must humble be in bliss, Nor dare rejoice till penitence has wrung With grief thy breast

For ways unblest,

And his own garb thy Lord has o'er thee flung.

Reflect, with deep remorse and shame,
On all thy Saviour felt and wrought for thee;
And kindle thus the holy flame
Of grateful love and deep humility.

Think on the price

That sacrifice

Cost the incarnate Son of majesty.

All idle gaiety disown,

Before the throne of mercy humbly kneel;
And if a bitter root be known

Still yielding evil fruit, thy woe reveal.

None he'll upbraid

Who seek his aid,

And in his way to death will thee too heal.

137

PALM SUNDAY.

Morning Lessons, Exodus ix. Evening Lessons, Exodus x.

St. Matt. xxvi.

Heb. v. 1-11.

Epistle, Philip. ii. 5.

Gospel, St. Matt. xxvii.

COLLECT,

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who of Thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of His great humility; mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of His patience, and also be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

We have now reached the commencement of that week, the most awful, the most solemn, and the most important the world has ever witnessed. Standing then on holy ground, it behoves us to put off our shoes-every vestige of sin and iniquity-and to approach with humility and purity of spirit, the sacred spot. Every child of Adam is interested in the events now under contemplation, for as Christ died and suffered for all collectively, so was he

bruised and afflicted, condemned and crucified for each one individually. Justly, then, might we too smite our breast and return, glad to hide our face from the dreadful spectacle; but weighty and holy considerations urge us to proceed, till at the very foot of the cross we may mingle our tears with that blood, which, properly applied, shall for ever wash away our offences.

Well indeed may this week be designated the great, the holy, the Passion week; "Not," observes that eminent father of the Church, St. Chrysostom, "because it consists of longer days, or more in number than other weeks, but because at this time great things were wrought for us by our Lord. For in this week the ancient tyranny of the Devil was dissolved, death was extinguished, the strong man was bound, his goods were spoiled, sin was abolished, the curse was destroyed, Paradise was opened, heaven became accessible, the God of peace made peace between things in heaven and things on earth --therefore it is called-the great week."

The Sunday itself is called Palm Sunday, in allusion to the multitude having met our blessed Lord upon his entrance into Jerusalem, with palm branches in their hands, strewing them in the way, as was the usual ceremony in the East before kings.

In the beautiful and pathetic Collect for the day, which is the Collect for the week down to Friday, having stated the cause of Christ's death, we pray to be made conformable to His patient suffering, that we