THE CRUCIFIXION.

"AND when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left *." Before he was nailed to the cross, the executioners offered him a potion of vinegar, or probably sour wine, mixed with gall, but he refused to drink it. They then stripped him, and having crucified him between two common thieves, an inscription was fixed over his head at the command of Pilate, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews;-it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The soldiers having now completed the execution of our blessed Lord, divided his garments among them, casting lots for his coat, because it was one entire piece, woven without seam. During this transaction, the chief priests, rulers and soldiers derided him with bitter mockery. His only reply to their cruel revilings was a petition to his heavenly Father to forgive them. One of the malefactors, upbraiding his companion for insulting the suffering Jesus, was promised by the Saviour immediate admittance into Paradise. Meanwhile there stood by our Saviour's cross, the Virgin Mother, Mary the wife of Alphæus, Mary Magdalene, and John his beloved disciple, to whose care and protection the crucified Redeemer recommended his sorrowing mother, and from that time forward he maintained her in his own home, and paid her all the respect due to a parent. While these things were passing, the sun withdrew its light, stars were visible in the heavens, and a general consternation prevailed. The darkness continued until three in the afternoon, at which time our blessed Lord expired, when a terrible earthquake took place, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, the dead arose from their graves, entered into Jerusalem, and "appeared unto many."

CHRIST AND THE TWO APOSTLES AT

EMMAUS.

On the day of our blessed Lord's resurrection, as two of his disciples were proceeding towards Emmaus, a village about seven miles to the west of Jerusalem, they were joined by the Saviour, whom they did not recognise. Probably he designedly prevented their recognising him, in order the better to further the object which he had in view. As they were engaged in very earnest discourse and appeared melancholy, he asked what was the subject of their conversation, and why they appeared so sad. To which one of them replied that their discourse was upon a subject too notorious to be unknown even to the greatest stranger. It was concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a great prophet, one mighty in word and in deed, whom they expected would have assumed the temporal dominion over Israel, have delivered her from the tyranny of her enemies, and have exalted her to the highest state of pre-eminence among the kingdoms of the earth, but to their great disappointment he had been condemned to death by their rulers, and crucified like the commonest malefactor. And, he continued, we have just received the most marvellous information; some female friends of ours, who visited his sepulchre this morning, this being the third day since his death, have stated that his body had disappeared, and they had seen a vision of angels who told them he is alive. Upon this Christ took occasion to reproach them for their incredulity, and expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. When they entered the village the two disciples pressed Jesus to continue with them. "And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight *."