1 PET. ii. 22-24.

FOR Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an Example, that ye should follow His steps. -Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by Whose stripes ye are healed.

Prayer.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord; and by Thy great mercy defend us in all perils and dangers, for the love of Thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Three o'clock.

"The Ninth hour."

JESUS DIETH.

ST. MATT. XXxvii. 46-53; ST. MARK XV. 34-38; ST. JOHN xix. 28-30; ST. LUKE xxiii. 45, 46.

AND at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,

Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?

Which is, being interpreted,

My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me.

And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, He calleth Elias.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith,

I thirst!

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, (a reed,) and put it to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished!

And He bowed His head-and said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit!

And having said thus, He gave up the ghost.-And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.

Prayer.

O GOD, whose blessed Son did vouchsafe to yield up His soul by death upon the Cross for our salvation; I humbly com

mend my soul into Thy hands, beseeching Thee that it may be precious in Thy sight, and that whenever it shall depart from the body, it may be without spot presented unto Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

O Lamb of God That takest away the sins of the world,

HAVE MERCY UPON US!

JESUS IS CONFESSED BY THE CENTURION TO BE THE SON

OF GOD: HIS SIDE IS PIERCED.

ST. MATT. xxvii. 54; ST. MARK XV. 39; ST. LUKE Xxiii. 47; ST. JOHN xix. 31–37.

Now when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying,

Truly this was the Son of God.

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came thereout BLOOD AND WATER -that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken; and again another Scripture saith,