in his steps, and, conformed to his example in suffering, conform ourselves to it likewise in the manner of bearing those sufferings.

The very consideration, that we are following him, will direct us to do it as becomes us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, going before us, and suffering so much for us, bimself perfectly innocent, we cannot think it much that we should suffer something, who are in so many ways guilty. "If these things be done to the green tree"

-if the axe be laid to the root of the verdant and fruitful tree of life itself" what shall be done to the dry?" what can the sapless and barren wood expect, but to be for burning, and fuel for fire?

When a man groans under the iron rod of oppression, or, cast down upon the bed of sickness, feels his bones to be filled with pain, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain; when he endeavours to recollect some passage of Scripture, wherewith to solace and support his weary soul; perhaps there is nothing that will cause more light and comfort to break in upon him, than frequently to repeat and meditate upon that humble acknowledgement, made by the poor penitent from the cross on one side of his Saviour, and addressed to his reprobate companion on the other" Dost not thou fear God, "seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And

we, indeed, justly; for we receive the due reward "of our deeds, but THIS man hath done nothing "amiss." At this thought, love of the Redeemer will spring up in his mind; and to love nothing is

irksome; it will make "his yoke easy and his burden 'light."

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In every path and every period of life, the cross will meet us; it will be found lying before us; by mean compliances, by transgressing or neglecting our duty, we may turn out of the road, and avoid it; through wilful blindness and obstinacy, we may stumble over it and fall. Our Lord took up his, and bore it while strength remained; let us do likewise.

It should be borne in a spirit of submission and resignation, without complaining or murmuring. "Attend to the rod, and to him who hath appointed "it;" consider well the latter, and you will entertain right ideas of the former. "The cup which my "Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?""Not my will, but thine be done."

Resignation to God should be accompanied with meekness towards men, who may be the instruments of our sufferings, for they are only instruments, in the hands of their Maker and ours; and whether the instruments employed be animate or inanimate, a Christian sees it equally absurd to discharge his anger against them. "Let him alone, let him curse, "because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse," exclaimed David of Shimei. "Thou couldest have "no power at all against me, except it were given "thee from above," said a greater than David to his unjust judge. Knowing this, therefore, when

2 Sam. xvi. 10.

"he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he "suffered, he threatened not; but committed him"self to him that judgeth righteously "." Spotless and silent, he was led a lamb to the slaughter.

Meekness is not at all incompatible with fortitude, which is necessary to carry us through, that we may not faint in our minds, and fail, before the end of our sufferings.-Behold the man! He comes forth, with the purple robe and the crown of thorns, into the midst of the hostile and furious multitude, unmoved by the scoffs of apostate priests and the insults of an infidel rabble; undaunted by all the efforts of evil men and evil spirits; unappalled at the sight of that cross on which he was to "taste death "for every man.' He is mocked, spit upon, stripped, scourged, and nailed to the fatal tree. Patient and decided, firm and recollected, he commends his spirit to the Father, in words which recognised and substantiated an ancient prophecy concerning him; and then, as the last token of obedience, bows his head and dies.

Charity is always glorious; but never appears more so, than when shining forth from a dark cloud of affliction when it evinces, that our thoughts are not so engrossed by our own sufferings, as to forget those of others; when we are not unmindful to perform the last kind offices to those about us; when our latest breath is spent in comforting our relations and friends, and praying for our enemies. Thus the dying patriarchs of old called for their

d 1 Pet. ii. 23.

children, and left with them the monitions and benedictions of Heaven: and thus He of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, to the women who followed him wailing, "Daughters "of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for your"selves, and your children"-to the blessed Virgin, and the beloved disciple, standing under the cross; "Woman, behold thy son-Behold thy mother"of the Jews who crucified him; "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

These are the virtues, these the triumphs, of the CROSS!

But perhaps you will ask, "Who is sufficient for "these things?" The answer received by St. Paul, applies to every one of us; "My grace is sufficient for "thee." That will enable us to look through "the

sufferings of the present time," to the " glory that "shall be revealed," and to wonder that we make any account of the one, while we believe in the other. Faith shows us heaven opened, and Jesus, who was crucified, standing at the right hand of the majesty there; it shows us a long and goodly train of those who once carried their crosses, but are "now crown"ed, and receive palms from the Son of God, whom they," formerly, thus "confessed in the world."

It is said of our blessed Lord himself, that, "for "the joy which was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame," esteeming both the pain and the ignominy as nothing, in respect to the reward that should follow.

The misfortune is, that, in viewing these objects, we hold the glass, and turn the perspective; the

joys of another world are driven off to a distance, and diminished; the evils of this are brought near and magnified. How much otherwise do things appear in the sight of God! To us one day may seem a thousand years: to him "a thousand

years are but as one day." A little more, or a little less, of pain or pleasure; a life longer or shorter, by a few years-are differences which disappear at once in the presence of eternity. Say, that, at some time within these last hundred years, two friends died, the one twenty years before the other. To the survivor that interval seemed long and tedious; to us, now looking back upon the whole, it seems trifling; and more so to them: they are met again, and no trace of it is to be seen. A sick man, who passes a night without sleep, thinks that night to be without end; but the night, in reality, is no longer than another: and when it is gone, he himself will be convinced of it. Life rolls along like a torrent. The past is no more than a dream; the present, when we think we have fast hold of it, slips through our hands, and mingles with the past; and let us not vainly imagine, that the future will be of another quality; it will glide by with the same rapidity. You have seen the waves of the ocean pressing each other to the shore. You then beheld an emblem of human life; days, months, and years, crowd forward, in like manner. Yet a little while, yet a few moments, and all will be at an end. "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."