the Sunday, and continued to the Monday, and the day of the Lord washed out and expunged from the calendar of the week with the flood of drunkenness! And even when it has been kept with outward decency, is it not by many suffered to go clean out of mind again on the Monday, as the clothes appropriate to it from the body? But it should have come in to us with the perfume of the Lord's service during the past week, and then it would go out with an additional and essentially fragrant perfume of its own, and impart it to the coming week. Thus we may look to the example of these women, who hailed the Sabbath with eyes which had been taken off from the sepulchre of the Lord, and bought the perfumes for His body as soon as it was ended. Remember then on this day how its evening was passed by these devoted servants of the Lord, and do thou likewise, not only in this particular week, but throughout every week of the year. Be not among those who take advantage of its being the eve of a day of repose to dedicate it to Belial. "What concord hath Christ with Belial?" asks the Apostle St. Paul. (2 Cor. vi. 15.) On this evening thy Saviour was lying in the grave, and was about to rise next morning from the dead. If then you be truly a Christian, having Him dwelling in your heart by faith, and loving Him and keeping His sayings, how is it possible that you should do any thing which is not in accordance with the solemn thoughts which the occasion should weekly bring? Should you not be buried with Him in His grave by entering upon that especial part of the death unto sin, which consists in mortifying the heart by selfexamination, and the humble confession which must follow it? Then, and only then, will you have made proper preparation for the morrow. Then, and then only, will you be enabled to rise upon it, with that holy cheerfulness which marks him who has risen with his Lord. DEVOTION. IN great peace, O blessed Jesus, didst Thou rest this day from Thy very grievous work of very tender love. This was the Sabbath when Thou didst find rest for Thy crucified body in the stillness of Joseph's tomb. This was the Sabbath when Thy soul did enter into still better rest, going into Paradise, where Thou hadst joy and felicity with the spirits of Thy saints. This was the great Sabbath, the high day, when both in soul and body Thou didst rest for ever from all the suffering of all Thy earthly life, and especially from those last exceeding bitter sufferings wherewith Thou didst make peace through the cross. Blessed was the work which Thou didst finish; and on this, the day of Thy rest, Thou couldest look back and see that it was "very good;" very good as a showing forth of Thy divine goodness and love; very good in the fruits thereof, even the redemption and regeneration of mankind. And now Thou couldest rejoice over the finished task; now couldest Thou see of the past travail of Thy soul and be satisfied; now Thy Father could rejoice with Thee in Thy perfect love and in Thy perfect work of redemption. For Thou didst not break off Thy work in the midst; Thou didst not come down from the cross straightway to destroy those murderers and to burn up their city; Thou didst not pray Thy Father for legions of angels to deliver Thee; Thou didst not put away from Thee the cup of affliction, but didst drink it even to the dregs. Thou didst in all things and to the full, finish the work which Thy Father gave Thee to do. And now, Lord, Thou didst take Thy sleep. And this day we think of Thee in Thy repose after Thy great fight of afflictions, ere Thou didst openly triumph. This day we behold Thee where we would wish ourselves to be when our end cometh. In that rest of Thy body we have hope of resting in Thee with our bodies when they die. In that tarrying of Thy soul in Paradise we have hope of a joyful rest for our souls with the souls of Thy saints who have fallen asleep in Thee. O give us, Jesus, this rest. May we sleep in dust, even as Thou didst sleep; may our souls be preserved till the judgment in that good place where Thy soul did sojourn in great peace. We desire to be with Thee after death, and through Thy mercy to find our portion amongst the saints who are at rest. Enable us, O Lord, to follow Thy example in all godly living while we are in the world. Already we have once died and been buried, buried by baptism unto death. O grant that the old man may not be raised up in us, nor worldly affections revive; grant that we may continue dead unto sin, or die afresh unto sin if sin has revived. O Saviour, save us from living unto sin; save us from being dead to heavenly things; save us from dying eternally in soul, in body. Save us for Thy mercies' sake, Lord most merciful. Grant us to live unto Thee and to die unto Thee, that whether we live or whether we die we may be Thine-Thine in life, Thine in death, Thine after death, Thine eternally in the presence of God. JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON. |