fied with Him; one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now, if He will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth.' One of them, however, repented, and obtained from Jesus the merciful assurance, 'To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.'-MATT. xxvii.

all the land until the ninth hour. And about

the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some or them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.'MATT. xxvii.

JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA.

ND, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:

(the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them :) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews; who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. [The Evangelist Matthew calls him a rich man; and Mark an honourable man, and a disciple, but secretly for fear of the Jews.] This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.'LUKE Xxiii.

A WATCH SET ON THE SEPULCHRE.

OW the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came

together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.' We have, in the 28th chapter, the result of this idle precaution. The watchmen themselves told the facts, who were bribed to say the body was stolen whilst they slept. And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.'-MATT. xxvii.

IN

the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene

and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow; and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay; and go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with