fort in a case like this-a case alas, too common-where long sin has seared the heart, and dried up the water springs of effectual repentance.

But with this caution, the history before us is rich in consolation; and we have already seen where it may be applied. In the case of the condemned but penitent criminal of the man whose sands are running swiftly down, whose sins have found him out, and are being visited upon him-in his case there will be no wresting of this Scripture to a wrong issue—there will often be the wisest and soundest use of it. Duly and tenderly applied, it will prove to such a man a true word of God -a real Gospel, preaching deliverance to the captiveopening a door into Paradise for one, whose erring path had led him to the very brink of hell!

Yes, and for others besides him we want the comfort of this history.

Who does not know among his acquaintance characters, in which, with much of evil is mingled something of good-men who, wild and reckless, are yet not wholly hardened-who exhibit, for all the soiling effects of sin, some traces of a better nature-in whom we see, as in the penitent thief, amid all their licence, some sense of shame, some respect for goodness in others, some uneasy feeling that all is not right with themselves?

Now it is, I think, with respect to these, that this part of the Gospel may afford us some gleam of comfort. They have in them the right material out of which penitents are made.

Some day, let us hope and pray, a spark from the Divine Spirit will kindle it into flame. Some day—

"late" perhaps "very late "--but not "too late," the Face that was so marred shall look upon them, and they shall feel Its power, and draw away from their bad companions, and cease to persecute Jesus, and lay down their sins at His feet, and cry mightily to Him to save them-" By Thine agony and bloody sweat, by Thy Cross and Passion, by Thy precious death! . . Good Lord deliver us! Spare us when we deserve punishment! Lord remember us when Thou comest into Thy kingdom!"

For all, then, who though they may have erred and still be erring, have still in them the capacity of improvement, and are not wholly dead in trespasses and sins, this incident in the Gospel has been recorded. God has shewn us here, as elsewhere in His Book, that He does not desire the death of a sinner, but would rather, yea, at the last possible moment, that he should turn from his sin and be saved.

And further God shews us here the means by which such a sinner may be enabled to turn-even by looking unto Jesus, and to Jesus on the Cross!

And now one more word in concluding. The penitent thief was heard in that he feared. He passed that night with his Lord, into Paradise, and the great use of his example, is, as we have seen, to give us hope for the much erring, but not hardened of our brethren.

But there was another who was crucified by the side of Jesus-another malefactor.-And this man died' in a very different frame of mind—he died blaspheming his Lord, uttering mocks and scoffs with his latest breath.

And this too is written for our learning. The impenitent thief, as well as the penitent, may read us a weighty

lesson-his end is the end of those who have no good reclaiming points about them; who die, as they have lived enemies to God by wicked works, and if enemies to God and unreconciled, appointed to everlasting destruction.

We think with horror of such an ending. We think, with our advantages and helps, it cannot possibly be our

own.

But, brethren, be not high-minded, but fear-" Who,” writes a bishop of our Church, "Who would not tremble for himself, when he sees a man perish in his sins, who died by his Saviour's side, within reach of that Blood which was poured out for his redemption, but wanting faith to stretch out his hand and be saved!"

Verily the cross of Christ has two aspects, according as we approach it in belief or in unbelief. To the unbelieving it is all darkness, a stone of stumbling and rock of offence-a savour of death unto death. To the believer it is a savour of life unto life—a "light" in all our journey through this world's wilderness, guiding our feet into the way of peace!

God grant, that we may be of those to whom its bright side is turned! God grant that we may see in His Son's cross, now and ever, what, alas! many a wise man, many a disputer of this world has missed seeing in it-divine power, and divine wisdom-the means devised by Him whereby we must be saved; delivered out of the hands of them that hate us-from sin, from the world, from our ghostly enemy, and from everlasting death!

GOOD FRIDAY.

CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

1 CORINTHIANS I. 23.

We preach Christ crucified.

TO-DAY again we are met, according to the custom of our Church, to remember the death of Christ upon the

cross.

There is no day of our life when this remembrance is not called for―no day when it does not befit us to give God thanks for our redemption through the sacrifice of His dear Son.

But on this day such a remembrance is an especial duty. For it is the day on which the sacrifice was made-when the Passover was killed-the anniversary of our Lord's death-that death for us upon the tree-the cruel, lingering agony of crucifixion.

On such a day there is but one topic for the Christian preacher-We preach-and we must preach-Christ crucified! May God give us grace to handle with all reverence such a subject, and to set it before you ever as it is plainly delivered in the Scriptures!

I say plainly-for if there be one doctrine more surely in the Bible than another, it is this of Christ's death for sinners on the cross. Through both the Old and New Testament it is made the centre on which God's revelation turns. We see it shadowed out beforehand in the sacrifices of the Jewish law-we see it in the prophecies, waxing more and more distinct as the time drew on—we see it in the Gospels-in the words used by Christ Himself signifying what death He should die-we see it commented upon in the Epistles. Each and every part of the inspired Book bears its testimony: and that united concurrent testimony cannot by any subtlety be set aside.

To a plain man reading the Bible with an honest desire to get at its true meaning, I will be bold to assert that this great fact will become clear-that Christ died for our sins: that we are redeemed to God not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world.

And this brings me to speak of the absolute necessity of our Lord's death arising out of God's determinate pre-appointed counsel.

He is called in Holy Scripture the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Even from the beginning the great plan was laid. Even then, as it would appear, it was arranged by the Almighty that Christ should suffer!

We ought not to overlook this. It adds greatly to the interest, greatly to the awe with which we contemplate the closing scene of our Lord's mortal life.