that he might die for our sins, and rise again for our justification*.

But as I have neither right nor intention, to fix for this season of the year, perpetually and invariably, on myself and my successors, a greater weight of parochial duty, than our Church-establishment requires us to perform; I intimated to my hearers, when I delivered these Lectures last year, that a recurrence of such devotional exercises was not to be expected from me annually; although I had four successive yearst engaged their attention in my Church on the evenings of the Passion-Week. And as a reason more particularly local has since occurred, I have now determined not to repeat my discourses, but to commit them to the eye of the publick; hoping at the same time, that the motive which first induced me to deliver them from the pulpit, will screen me from very severe criticism, now that I commit them to the press; and that, as they were heard with very great attention, they

* As the piety of individuals has frequently led some to leave by their wills benefactions for preaching sermons on particular days, though not always marked by any parti cular occurrence, (two or three instances of which there are in this parish) I take the liberty of intimating to such as are so disposed, that they could not fix on a more generally useful season for that purpose, than that which is the subject of our present consideration; when the minds of well-disposed Christians might be led to more intense meditations, and more impediments might be cast in the way, to prevent an infringement of the solemnity of the week by unseasonable

amusements.

+ In the year 1805 I did not intend to open my Church in the evenings of the Passion-Week, as I had the two preceding years; till finding that some of my own parishioners, and also of the other inhabitants of the town, wished it, I complied with their desire: and thinking that these Lectures would not bear a third publick reading so soon, I substituted in their room Bishop Sandford's aforesaid Lectures on the Epistles for that week. I mention this as an acknowledgement to that gentleman of the liberty I took, and of the great satisfaction I received from the perusal of them.

may, in some degree, prove useful in private families, by affording those who may read them, some assistance in their devout meditations on the momentous transactions of the Great and Holy Week, the solemnity of which it is my earnest desire to preserve.

CONTENTS.

LECTURE I.

Delivered on Palm-Sunday Morning, April 3,

1803.

Introductory. Occasion of these Lectures.---The
solemnity of the Passion-Week not to be in-
fringed.---A strict observance of it, and a par-
ticular attention to Good-Friday, recommended.

1 COR. v. 7, 8.

CHRIST our passover is sacrificed for us, therefore
let us keep the feast.
page 1.

LECTURE II.

Delivered on Palm-Sunday Evening, April 3,
MATT. xxi. 4, 5.

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold thy king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the fole of an ass.

p. 19.

LECTURE III.

Delivered (with recapitulations of the two former Lectures, which are here omitted) on Monday Evening, April 4, 1803.

JESUS returning to Jerusalem, hungers---curses the barren fig-tree---visits the temple again---drives out the buyers and sellers again---(see note in page 44)---asserts his mission and authority.--The scribes and chief priests are offended.---In the evening JESUS retires.

MATT. xxi. 18, 19.

And in the morning, as he returned into the city, he hungered.

And when he saw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. p. 35.

LECTURE IV.

Delivered on Tuesday Evening, April 5, 1803. JESUS returning into the city in the morning, his disciples observe that the fig-tree was withered away..--The chief priests and others question his authority.---JESÚS proposes a question concerning the baptism of John the Baptist.---The parable of the two sons---of the vineyard let out to unfaithful husbandmen---of the marriage-feast. -JESUS answers the question of the Herodians about the lawfulness of paying tribute to Cæsar. The Sadducees advance a difficulty about the resurrection.---JESUS answers a question about the great commandment in the law.

MATT. xi. 20.

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots.

MARK xii. 1.

And he began to speak unto them by parables. p. 49.

LECTURE V.

Delivered on Wednesday Evening, April 6, 1803.

JESUS puts a question to the Pharisees, Whose Son iS JESUS CHRIST ?---denounces several woes against the scribes and Pharisees---prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem---commends the poor widow's offering---enforces the duty of watch. fulness by several parables.---The feast of the passover within two days.----The chief priests and others consult how they may take JESUS.---. Judas offers and covenants to betray him---this concludes the fourth day.---Some of the occurrences of thursday, the fifth day, anticipated.--The first day of unleavened bread.---Jesus prepares to keep the passover-sits down with the twelve--rebukes them for their ambition--washes their feet---declares that one of them should-be