Page images
PDF
EPUB

And therefore, what did He do at the time appointed by God, and foretold by the prophets? He left His state of happiness in heaven, and came down upon earth, to die for us.

Teacher.

The manner of crucifixion has been already explained to you:-yet in the midst of all the pain and misery your Saviour endured, He listened to the petition of the thief upon the cross; and also, gave his mother, the Virgin Mary, in charge to His disciple St. John. This should teach us, never to be so selfishly full of our own troubles and concerns, as not to care for, and relieve those of others, whenever we can.

Questions.

What has been already explained to you? The manner of crucifixion. In the midst of all the pain and misery our Saviour suffered from such a death, whose petition did he listen to? That of

the thief, upon the cross. And who did He give

in charge to His disciple St. John? His mother, the Virgin Mary. What should we learn from these two examples? Never to be so selfishly full of our own troubles and concerns, as not to care for, and relieve those of others, whenever we

can.

Teacher.

I consider the religious observance of Good Friday, of the greatest importance.-No one who properly considers their Christian profession, can be wanting in their respectful observance of a day, on which their Lord and Master gave up His life for their eternal welfare. Your attendance at school and at church will be required while you are children; and when you have been confirmed by the Bishop, and have taken upon yourselves the engagements made for you at your baptism, I hope you will not delay to receive the holy Sacrament upon this day. God Almighty has ordained, that by taking food into your mouths, your bodies shall be fed and nourished;-and He has no less positively ordained, that your souls shall be supplied with His Holy Spirit, and entitled to everlasting life by no other means than through the merits of your Saviour, in the blessed Sacraments, if you be living in a Christian country, where those sacraments are administered.

Easter Sunday.

ST. JOHN, xx. 6.

The latter part of the Gospel.

"Then cometh Simon Peter following Him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie; and the napkin that

For

was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. as yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home."

Teacher.

In the gospel for Good Friday, taken from the 19th chapter of St. John; you have had a particular account of our Saviour's trial before Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor ;-of His condemnation of His crucifixion ;-and lastly, of His having said, "It is finished" and giving up His spirit into the hands of God Almighty.

Questions.

Where is the gospel for Good Friday taken from? The 19th chapter of St. John. It gives a particular account of His trial: before whom was He tried? Before Pontius Pilate. Who was Pontius Pilate ? The Roman Governor. What does the history go on to relate? Our Saviour's condemnation. What next? His crucifixion. And what are the last words he spake? It is finished.

Teacher.

That is, the forfeit for our sins, due to the justice of God, was then paid, and mercy obtained for us upon our repentance. In the gospel for yes

terday, (Easter even,) you may read, that Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for our Saviour's body, and after wrapping it in a clean linen cloth, he placed it in his own new tomb, hewn in the side. of a rock, (which sort of tombs are seen in that country to the present day) and having rolled a great stone to the place of entrance, he departed. Questions.

What was paid when our Saviour said, "It is finished" and gave up the ghost? The forfeit for our sins, due to the justice of God. And what was obtained for us upon repentance? Mercy. Who went to Pilate and asked for our Saviour's body? Joseph of Arimathea. Where did he place it? In his own new tomb. Was that made like our graves? No. How was it different? It was hewn in the side of a rock. Are such tombs to be seen in that country at the present day? Yes. What did he roll against the entrance? A large stone.

Teacher.

To this stone Pilate permitted the chief priests and scribes to affix their seals; and also to place a guard of Roman soldiers, to prevent any of our Saviour's disciples from stealing the body. In this manner passed the day after Good Friday, which we call in our church service, Easter Even.

I

Very early on the following morning, Mary Magdalene went to the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away. In St. Matthew we are told, that the guard of Roman soldiers had seen an angel descend from heaven, roll back the stone, and seat himself upon it.

Questions,

To whom did Pilate give permission to fix their seals to this stone? The chief priests and elders. And who did they place to watch the sepulchre? A guard of Roman soldiers. Why did they use this caution? To prevent any of the disciples from stealing the body of our Saviour. Who came early in the morning of the Sabbath day? Mary Magdalene. Was the stone rolled away? Yes. What had the Roman soldiers seen? angel descend from heaven.

Teacher.

An

His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment as white as snow. The soldiers in terror returned to the city. Mary Magdalene upon seeing that the body of our Lord was no longer in the sepulchre, ran to tell Simon Peter, and St. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. They went into the sepulchre, which she durst not do. From the order in which the linen clothes and the napkin were placed, we learn, that the resurrection of uor Lord was not done in haste, or in fear of de

« PreviousContinue »