T. Judas doubtless remained to hear the result of our Lord's trial in the palace of the high-priest. What were his feelings when he saw that Christ was condemned?

S. He repented himself, saying, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood:" thereby confessing his knowledge of Christ's innocence throughout.

T. What may we call the besetting sin of Judas? S. Covetousness, or love of money, which, strengthened by indulgence, gave him up to work the will of Satan. T. How had he done the work of Satan?

S. He was a thief and a liar (John, xiii. 29); and, finally, he was the murderer of his Lord.

T. Was his repentance too late?

S. Yes. He had betrayed the Lord; and even those he had wickedly served answered him, "What is that to us? see thou to that."

T. What do we notice in the conduct of the chief priests?

S. Their hypocrisy, for they would not put the money into the treasury, as not lawful; though they had not scrupled to offer it to Judas to induce him to betray the innocent.

T. (We must reconcile this account of Judas' end with the fearful description in Acts, i. 18, supposing the rope with which he hanged himself broke, and he fell from a great height.) What is the fearful peculiarity of suicide? S. It is a sin which can never be repented of.

T. Where do we find the prophecy concerning the use made of the thirty pieces of silver?

S. In Zechariah, xi. 12, 13. "So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."

T. (This prophecy is said to be by Jeremy, but we do not find it in his writings. Zechariah repeats it and many other things of this prophet, for which it was said by the Jews that the spirit of Jeremy rested upon him.)

MONDAY BEFORE EASTER.

For the Epistle. Isaiah, lxiii. 1.

WHO is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat ? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness towards the house of Israel, which he hath

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bestowed on them, according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love, and in his pity, he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit; therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him? that led them by the right hand of Moses, with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting Name? that led them through the deep as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble ? As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious Name. Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness, and of thy glory where is thy zeal, and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me?

Are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, thy Name is from everlasting. O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways? and hardened our hearts from thy fear?

Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy Name.

T. (The name of Isaiah signifies "Salvation of Jehovah," which is singularly appropriate to him who foretold the advent of the Messiah; His miracles, rejection, sufferings, death, and burial, and, lastly, His final glory, and the increase and perfection of His kingdom.) What does the Prophet describe in his vision?

S. A warrior returning from Bozrah (the chief city of the Edomites, the greatest enemies of Israel), his garments dyed with blood.

T. Was this from his own wounds?

S. No; "He was in the greatness of his strength," sprinkled with the blood of his enemies, whom he had conquered.

T. To what is the conflict likened in which he had been engaged?

S. To one treading the grapes in the wine-press, and trampling them down.

T. What is described under the figure of the vintage and wine-press in Rev. xiv. 19, 20 ?

S. The gathering in of the world at the last day, and God's wrath accomplished. "The angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and the blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs."

T. How is he described that "treadeth the wine..

press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God?" Rev. xix. 13, 16.

S. 66 He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God. He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

T. Who is this?

S. Jesus Christ.

T. Who are His enemies whom He has conquered?

S. Satan, sin, and death, over whom He returned victorious from the grave: "glorious in His apparel, and in the greatness of His strength."

T. Was He alone, and the conflict severe ?

S. Yes; He suffered God's wrath against sinners alone, and in His agony "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke, xxii. 44.) "There was none to help," when He cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken

me?"

T. On whom will Christ again take vengeance?

S. On His enemies; who yet love the world, the flesh, and the devil.

T. When that day cometh, what is the promise to His people?

S. The "year of his redeemed" is come also.

T. Will Christ come alone in that day?

S. No; He cometh "with ten thousand of his saints." Jude, 14; Rev. xix. 14.

T. What does Isaiah describe from the seventh verse? S. God's mercies to His chosen people, Israel.

T. What are these the figure of?

S. His love and care for His Church.

T. To whom did God declare that He shared the afflictions of His Church?