Epistle, Heb. ix. 11-15. Gospel, John viii. 46-59. First Lessons, Morning, Exod. iii, Afternoon, Exod. v. Second Lessons, Morning, John xx. Afternoon. Heb. iv. Suggested Texts. Morning Sermon-Matt. xxvi. 69-75. (See Christ our Passover, No. 9.) Afternoon Sermon-Luke xxii: 66-71. (See Christ our Passover. No. 9.) 8th. Saturday. (General Union for Private Prayer.) SECOND (PASSION) WEEK. April 9th.-Sunday. SUNDAY Next before Easter. 10th. Monday next before Easter. Lessons, Morn. 1 Sam. xxiii. Acts vii. Afternoon, 1 Sam. xxiv. Heb. xii. 11th. Tuesday next before Easter. Epistle, Isaiah 1. 5-11. Gospel, Mark xv. 1-39. Lessons, Morn. 1 Sam. xxv. Acts viii. Afternoon, 1 Sam. xxvi. Heb. xiii. 12th. Wednesday next before Easter. Lessons, Morn. Hosea xiii. John xi. 45-47. Aftern. Hosea xiv. James i. 13th. Thursday next before Easter. Epistle, 1 Cor. xi. 17-34. Gospel, Luke xxiii. 1–49. Lessons, Morning, Dan. ix. John xiii. Afternoon, Jer. xxxi. James ii. Sacramental preparation. Suggested Text, John xix. 28. 14th. GOOD FRIDAY. Proper Psalms, Morning, xxii. xl. liv. Evening, lxix. lxxxviii. Lessons, Morn. Gen. xxii. 1-19. John xviii. Aftern. Isaiah liii. 1 Pet. ii. Suggested Texts. Morn. Ser.-John xix 30. Aft. Ser.-Luke xxiii 46. 15th. Saturday. Easter Even. (Gen. Un. for P. P.) Epistle, 1 Peter iii. 17-22. Gospel, Matt. xxvii. 57–66. Lessons, Morn. Zech. ix. Luke xxiii. 50-56. Aftern. Exod. xiii. Heb. iv. For Pastoral preparation—2 Tim. iv. 1, 2. THIRD WEEK. April 16th.-Sunday. EASTER Day. Proper Psalms, Morning, 2, 57, 111. Afternoon, 113, 114, 118. Epistle, Col. iii. 1-7. Gospel, John xx. 1-10. First Lessons, Morning, Exod. xii. Afternoon, Exod. xiv. Second Lessons, Morning, Rom. vi. Afternoon. Acts ii. 22-37. Suggested Texts. Morn. Sermon-Matt. xxviii, 1-8. Afternoon Sermon-Luke xxiv. 1-9. THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER ADMINISTERED. 17th. Monday in Easter Week. Epistle, Acts x. 34-43. Gospel, Luke xxiv. 13—35. Lessons. Morning, Exod. xvi. Matt. xxviii. Aftern. Exod. xvii. Acts iii. 18th. Tuesday in Easter Week. Epistle, Acts xiii. 26-41. Gospel, Luke xxiv. 36–48. Lessons, Morn. Exod. xx. Luke xxiv. 1-13. Aft., Exod. xxxii. 1 Cor. xv 22nd. Saturday. (General Union for Private Prayer.) For Pastoral preparation-1 Peter v. 2. FOURTH WEEK. April 23rd.-Sunday. FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTer. Epistle, 1 John v. 4-12. Gospel, John xx. 19-23 First Lessons, Morn. Numb. xvi. Afternoon, Numb. xxii. Second Lessons, Morning, Acts xx. Afternoon, 2 Pet. ii. Suggested Texts. Morning Sermon-John xi. 43. (See Text Paper, No. 30.) Afternoon Sermon-1 Cor. xv. 20. 25th. Tuesday, ST. MARK'S DAY. FIFTH WEEK. April 30th.-Sunday. SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. Epistle, 1 Pet, ii, 19-25. Gospel, John v. 10-16. First Lessons, Morn, Num. xxiii, xxiv. Afternoon, Num. xxv. Second Lessons, Morning, Acts xxvii. Afternoon, 2, 3 John Suggested Texts. Morn. Sermon, John i. 40-42. (See Text Paper, No. 31.) Afternoon Sermon, Rev. i. 18. 1st of May, Monday. St. PHILIP and St. JAMES's Day. Epistle, James i. 1--12. Gospel, John xiv. 1--14. Second Lessons, Morning, John i. 43--51. Afternoon, Jude. 6th. Saturday. (General Union for Private Prayer.) For Pastoral preparation-2 Cor. iii. 5, 6. COURSE OF INSTRUCTION SUGGESTED FOR A regular course of instruction might advantageously be carried on during the whole of Passion Week, on the circumstances of the Passion, or suffering, of our Lord. When he was upon the cross He spoke several times; what he said was conveyed in seven different sentences: each of these holy sayings might form a separate instruction; and they will thus occupy the week. The whole course may be called "THE WORDS FROM THE CROSS;" and may be arranged as follows: 1. On Sunday, the first day of Passion Week, the Evening sermon may be on our Lord's words "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke xxiii. 34. 2. On Monday Evening, a Lecture on His words, "Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.' Luke xxiii. 43. 3. On Tuesday Evening, on His words " Woman, behold thy son;.. .behold thy mother." John xix. 26, 27. 4. On Wednesday Evening, on His words, "My God! My God! why hast thou forsaken me!' Matt. xxvii. 46. Mark xv. 34. 5. On Thursday Evening, on His words, "I thirst." John xix. 28. This subject may be applied especially to the communicants; and the Lecture might be at a Sacramental Meeting, in preparation for the Communion on Easter day. 6. On Good Friday, the Morning Sermon to be a Sacramental exposition on our Lord's words, "It is finished." John xix. 30. 7. On Good Friday, the Afternoon Sermon to be on our Lord's last words upon the cross; Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Luke xxiii. 46. In preaching from these precious WORDS FROM THE CROSS, each portion might be considered in three points of view. 1. The first and direct meaning of the words when they were spoken. 2. The application of them as from our Lord now. 3. The personal application of them which may be made by true believers, as members of Christ. (Read Matt. xxvi. 69-75. Mark xiv. 66-72. Luke xxii. 56-62. John xviii. 17-27.) THE DENIAL. WHILE these examinations of Jesus Christ were going on, another scene was taking place in the lower part of the great hall of the High Priest's palace. This hall was divided into three parts; yet so that all were open to each other. First, there was the porch, or anti-hall. Secondly, there was what may be called the hall itself. And thirdly, at the upper end, there was a large space raised a step above the hall. In the porch, or anti-hall, the door-keeper sat. In the hall itself, all the persons and servants who had come in with Jesus were waiting and as it was the coldest part of the morning, they had made a fire probably of charcoal, in the middle, to keep themselves warm. In the upper part, the High Priest had received Jesus and questioned him; and there too the chief priests and elders who formed the council had assembled together, as one after another they had come in. It had taken a considerable time, an hour at least, to collect the council and examine Jesus; during which much had happened to the Apostle Peter in the hall. When he was first admitted through the kindness of John, who had asked the door-keeper to let him in, Peter went to the fire, and sat amongst the servants who were round it; these were conversing about what had happened that morning; and the woman who kept the door having had occasion to come up to the place where they were, joined in the conversation. Upon seeing Peter, whom she remembered to have let in with John, she asked him whether he was one of Jesus' disciples? At this question all Peter's fear revived; and in the confusion between his alarm for himself, and his trembling conscience, he answered, "I do not know or understand what you say"; but this was only like catching hold of a twig in a fall, his fear overcame, and he added "I am not." His uneasiness and shame however would not let him remain amongst the people, and he got up and went to the anti-hall, or porch. As he came there a cock crew. Peter's Master had told him the very evening before, that before the cock crew twice, he should three times deny that he knew him. The voice of this cock ought naturally to have brought the remembrance of this to his mind; but his thoughts were too much occupied and confused with alarm and shame at what had just taken place, and the sound went no further than his ear. There was another woman in the porch, whom the door-keeper had probably left to take her place while she was absent. The door-woman now returned, and both the women together seeing Peter in the porch, remarked to those who were near them, that he was one of those who belonged to Jesus. This took Peter at unawares, while under all the painful effects of his first falsehood; and it made him fall still deeper into sin. In angry haste he uttered an oath, and flatly denied that he knew the man. In this state of mind he left the porch, and returned to the party who were round the fire. The effect of his second falsehood with its increased sinfulness, was to stupify his conscience; and after a little while he got so easy under that which had made him at first so ashamed, that, when he had been some time amongst the servants at the fire, he was able to join in their conversation. The people of Galilee had a particular way of speaking their words something different from the people of Judea; in the same manner as the Irish and the Scotch talk English, so that any Englishman can tell to what country they belong. Peter's talk was that of a Galilean; and as he joined in the conversation one of them was struck with the accent, and charged him with being one of the Galilean party which followed Jesus. This drew attention to him; and there happened to be a man at the fire who was related to Malchus (that servant of the High Priest who had been struck by Peter, and his ear cut off, just before Jesus was taken up): this man had been in the garden with his kinsman; and now looking at Peter, he remembered his face, and said to him “did not I see thee in the garden with him." Peter's conscience had had an hour's slumber since he had last fought against it, and it was now in deep sleep. Satan took advantage of this state, and urged him on to greater sin. With the violent impulse of a man who feels it necessary to make a great effort, as it were, to wind himself up in doing a wicked deed, he went beyond all bounds of decency; and cursing and swearing, he declared he knew nothing of the man of whom they spoke. The words were scarcely out of his lips when the sound of another cock-crow fell upon his ear. The very violence of his effort, by carrying him to such great lengths, had awakened his conscience; and now he heard the voice of the cock which before had passed unobserved. It brought with it the remembrance of all that his Master had said" before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice." Overwhelmed with the thought, he turned his eyes to the upper part of the hall, where the Lord Jesus, his compassionate Master, was standing with his hands tied behind him, just at the moment that the High Priest had put him upon his oath, and he had declared himself to be the Son of God. In the midst of his own dreadful trial, Jesus had not forgotten Peter; and as the cock crew, He turned round |