their continued rebellion against God, the Jewish nation became involved. In reference to it the same Evangelist writes, "Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.”

The multitude rejected him, and the chief priests and pharisees conspired to put him to death. Of this awful event our Lord had repeatedly forewarned his disciples, and instructed them that the Son of man should "be delivered to the Gentiles, to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him,” and that, on the third day he should rise again. “He spake that saying openly." But "Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." Then the Lord sharply reproved Peter, because, said he, "Thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." On another occasion, when the same zealous disciple endeavoured to prevent

the suffering of his Master, Jesus said to him, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?" But, although Jesus was by wicked hands crucified and slain,” yet the apostle declares that this was done

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by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." And Jesus himself said, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." The disciples were slow, and perhaps unwilling, to believe the things "which Moses and the prophets did say should come, that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead.” For the Jews had, during a long period of time, been accustomed to interpret the prophecies concerning the Messiah as relating to an external Saviour-one who should redeem them from the dominion of nations who held them in bondage; and when, in consequence of the

miracle which Jesus wrought, in feeding five thousand with five barley loaves and two small fishes, the people were persuaded that he was the promised deliverer-" that prophet which should come into the world"—they were disposed to come and take him by force to make him a king;" for they did not perceive that his "kingdom is not of this world." And even those disciples who had been the favoured witnesses of the transfiguration of their Lord, when, on the mount, "his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light," were not able to comprehend the mission of glorified saints-Moses and Elias-" talking with Jesus," and speaking " of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." In common with their fellow-countrymen, the immediate followers of Christ appear to have contemplated a personal reign of glory-a rescue from their subjection to the Roman power-as said Cleopas, when mournfully detailing the circumstances of the Lord's death, "We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel."

When the passover feast drew nigh Jesus

went up to Jerusalem with his disciples. As he entered into the city much people "went forth to meet him," and they "cried Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." Jesus now spake of his crucifixion as being nigh at hand, and said, "The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified." In the prospect of that unutterable weight of anguish which, for the sake of sinful man, he was appointed to endure, his human nature was ready to shrink, and he exclaimed, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour."-Yet, remembering, that in the infinitely wise counsel of Jehovah, his co-operation with the Father's will involved the redemption of a fallen world, he recalled the petition; saying, "Yet for this cause came I unto this hour;"—adding the petition, "Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said an angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me,

but for your sakes." Then followed the concluding scene in the personal ministry of Christ-the memorable passover supper-of which, on the night before he suffered, Jesus partook with his disciples. He showed them the typical nature of that ordinance, and its fulfilment in himself-the Lamb of Godwhose blood-shedding was the seal of the New Testament-or New Covenant-by which "remission of sins" is secured to all who savingly believe in him. The spiritual character of the doctrine which he deduced from the bread and the wine which he then gave to his disciples, may be clearly inferred from his declaration, "I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Whatever may be the forms by which the participation of the Lord's supper may be conscientiously symbolized by professing Christians, there is, under the gospel dispensation, but one medium through which the soul can truly partake of the bread and wine of the kingdom-can "eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood:" as Christ himself de