and talent God has given thee, and for which He will come to reckon with thee. Lastly, bethink thee how thou hast treated Christ in the person of His members, when thou hearest Him promise a 'Come ye blessed' to those who do them good, or a 'Go ye cursed' to those who neglect them.

WEDNESDAY.

Meditate how the Magdalene sinner offers to Jesus the costly ointment. Imitate, in thine alms, her at the feet of Jesus. Like her thou hast coveted with thine eyes things of earth: like her wear them out with tears of penitence. With thy mouth thou hast spoken proud things; like her press it to thy Redeemer's feet. With the hair she once displayed to set forth her face, she wiped off the tears; so do thou by whatsoever thou hast despised God in sin, serve Him in it by penitence. Otherwise fear lest thou by rather imitating Judas in his covetousness, be hereafter seduced to sell thy Saviour for some paltry gratification-some pleasure and lust of earth. Humble thyself then for the many sins whereby thou hast betrayed this gracious Saviour. Declare thy readiness not at the price of thirty pieces of silver, but of all thou hast-yea of thine own life, to adore Him, love Him and serve Him. Remember what the Lord says of those who betray Him, that it were good for that man that he had not been born.'

MAUNDY THURSDAY.

On this day of the commanding of the most Holy Sacrament unite yourself to that blessed company in the upper chamber, met together to celebrate the last Passover and the first Eucharist. Realise to thyself the Saviour pronouncing the words, 'Take eat, this is my Body'-' Drink ye all of this, for this is my Blood.' Draw near with supreme reverence and utmost adoration, as He giveth the sacrament of Himself to His apostles, and imagine that He with His own hands feeds thee with that most spiritual food. Pray that thy communion be not like that of Judas, into whom Satan entered after he had received the sop'—And when Jesus washed His apostles' feet, perform some act of humility as befits the servant of so meek a master, Enter with awe the garden, where He is agonised-be more watchful than His slothful apostles, and protect Him if thou canst from the treachery of Judas. Canst thou not watch with him one hour? Learn from His example how to pray well and earnestly, as thou beholdest Him

on his knees uttering fervently the same short form of prayer. See with indignation Judas betraying His Master with a kiss. Thou art moved at the sight of such outfaced impudence. Yet how oft hast thou by some evil habit betrayed Christ, though to the world thou seemedst His sincere follower. As they bind Him, think how oft thou hast by sin bound him as the apostles flee, how oft thou hast forsaken him, when in far less danger of suffering with him: as Peter denies Him, how oft thou hast been ashamed of Him. Yet by the example of St Peter learn to repent in time, and 'go forth and weep bitterly.'

O Lord Jesus Christ, who at Evensong didst give to thy disciples the mysteries of thy Body and Blood, and who in this same hour wast removed from the cross; remove from our own minds the sins and wickedness which we have committed, that with a pure heart we may receive these mysteries, and that they may be to us a remedy for sin both here and for ever; who,' &c.

GOOD FRIDAY.

Arise before thine usual hour to contemplate the mystery of a dying God, if indeed thine eyes bear to gaze on that Cross of Jesus, from which the blazing sun hid his light in dismay. Mayest thou find it good for thee to have stood this day by thy crucified Lord, with S. Mary and S. John, so that every weekly return of it may remind thee of His sorrows and of thy sins. Accompany the Saviour, faint and weary through ill usage, as they drag him to Annas, and from Annas to Caiaphas, and from Caiaphas to Pilate, and from Pilate along the way of sorrows to Calvary. Imitate His patience under false accusations, and shameful blows, and spitting. Offer thine aid to Him as he totters beneath the weight of His cross, and as they nail His body to the wood, think how the precious blood of God gushes forth for thee. Hear attentively the seven sentences He utters on the Cross,-consider them well, for they are the last words of a loving Friend and Saviour, who dies for thee. Behold in all the sufferings He endures the effect of thy sins. His sacred body is all one wound, because, through sin, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, thou art a putrefying sore. In His crown of thorns see the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, which, indulged in by thee, have choked the good word of God. In His spitdefiled countenance see thy personal vanity-in the reproaches which

fill his ears, thy love of flattery-in the pillar to which he is bound, thy abuse of Christian liberty-in His pierced hands, the pollutions of thine in His pierced feet, thy backslidings-in His shame and nakedness, thy vain ornaments-in His patience, thy murmurings and false excuses-in His parched tongue, thy evil language in the scornful Behold the man!' thy longings for this world's admiration. Whilst thou seest all these sufferings endured by the Son of God on account of thy sins, how wilt thou dare any more to give way to them?

Say with S. Bernard, I must needs love thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with my whole strength, and follow thy steps, that vouchsafed to die for me. And how shall this be wrought in me but by Thee? Let my soul cleave to Thee, for all its strength hangeth upon Thee.

And now, O Lord, my Redeemer, I adore thee as very God; I trust in thee, I hope in thee, and with all the desire in my power I pant after thee; help my imperfection.

Before the glorious tokens of Thy passion, whereby thou hast wrought out my salvation, I bow myself down wholly. In thy name, O Christ, I adore the royal standard of Thy victorious cross. Thy thorny crown, Thy blood-red nails, the lance plunged into Thy sacred side, Thy wounds, Thy blood, Thy death, Thy burial, O Christ, I suppliantly adore.

'By the virtue of these, keep me from the wiles of Satan, and strengthen me, that the yoke of Thy commandments may become sweet to me; and the burden of Thy cross, which thou biddest me carry after thee, may be light to the shoulders of my soul.

'Fix my hands and my feet to Thy cross, and wholly conform Thy servant, O Lord, to the likeness of Thy passion: Fashion also Thy servant after Thy life-giving death, working in me, that I may die according to the flesh, but live according to the Spirit of righteousBless God, my Saviour, O my soul, and magnify His name for Amen.'

ness. ever,

EASTER EVEN.

At six o'clock on Friday evening, the great and holy Sabbath begins, when the Son of God rests from the greater work of our redemption. Be in spirit with those holy souls who pay the last duties to the adorable body of Christ; loosen it from the cross; embalm it; wrap it in linen, and carry it to the tomb with the same feelings of

love and sorrow. As thou witnessest the burial of Christ, consider how thou wast buried together with him in baptism-how thou art bound to be as dead and cold to sin as He is to all outward things. More profitable is the stillness of Christ's grave for thee, than the scene of Christ's sufferings. In that thou wast overwhelmed and astonied by the many circumstances of the mystery of the passion; but in this nothing else is seen, but the end of all things, of Christ, and of thyself.

Here, in the quiet of His Sabbath, learn godly fear; for, if the Father spared not his only Son from death, when he stood in the place of sinners, much less will He spare thee, who art thyself a sinner. Here abide, as the true Israelite, with the sacrifice which has been slain, and go not forth till Easter morning, lest thou die with the Egyptians. Here learn to live with Christ, that thou mayest learn to die with him. Here abide, as the place where we draw near to our friends that are gone, and to the home whither we ourselves are fast hastening. Watch we for the Sunday morning with the same spirit with which the saints departed are waiting for the great Easter morning of the resurrection.

EASTER DAY.

'Christ is risen. Alleluia !'-say thus to thyself fervently, when thou awakest. Try to realize the joy which thou oughtest on this day to feel for the grace offered thee to rise with Christ from the grave of sin here, and for the hope of rising with thy dead body to meet him in the air hereafter. Say-This is Easter Day-this is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.'

On this joyful morning was the great earthquake: on this day the angel, with face like lightning, and raiment white as snow, rolled back the stone from the door of the Lord's sepulchre, and sat upon it. Rise early, and with the holy women go to seek the Lord with the most costly offerings thou hast. Be not like the sleeping soldiers frightened and alarmed, and so enter the terrors of death while receiving the assurance of life. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.' Rejoice like a captive delivered from his prison-like a dead man restored to life-like a sick man restored to health; for all these causes of joy are nothing to thine in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Treasury.

'EVERY Scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth out of his treasure things new and old.'-St MATTHEW xiii. 52.

Oh! Thou who giv'st this hour of Rest within the peaceful grave,—
In that hour of misery,
Μου μνήσθητι Κύριε !