and ever. In all the good, for time and eternity, which we receive from the Lord, you, dear brethren, shall have your part. Only come along with us and share our fortunes with us. Come drink at our fountains, repose in our valleys, and bring your little ones to partake of our harvests, our sacred feasts, and the delights of our tabernacle. We shall rejoice to embrace you as brethren. With overflowing hearts we will welcome you to the maternal care of our mother, the Church. We shall delight to show you all the rare things which we discover in these new climes, the mysterious regions of Zion. We will carry you around and show you the glory of the temple and all its sacred order. We will lead you to Calvary, and show you a Saviour reeking in blood. If we depart first, perhaps we may become your guardian spirits. And when we have attended you home, we will lead you around the upper skies, and show you the magnificence of the New Jerusalem. This done, we will choose out one common abode in some fair immortal field, and dwell together like one soul through the unmeasured ages of eternity. You see our hearts are ready to take part with you in all things. Only come and be with us and we will be with you.

And now who among you all will consent, and this day set out with us for the promised land? Will none consent? Must we go alone, and gather the grapes and reap the harvest of Canaan without you? We confess to you our whole souls, we know not how to leave you behind. Often shall we look back and sigh for your company. O gratify our anxious de

sires and come along with us.

Forsake your idol gods and your father's house, and come and take shelter under the wings of the God of Israel.

There is a voice gone out; an alarm is heard, that tempests are gathering over the land of Midian. I see the perturbations of the troubled sky,-the fury of the winds driving together the high-charged clouds; and now a general stillness holds the pulse of nature;—dreadful syncope before the bursting of the angry storm. "Up, get ye out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city." Vast and eternal will be the difference between those who set out for Canaan and those who stay behind. The impassable gulf will divide many a father's house; a parent on one side and a child on the other,—a brother on one side and a sister on the other; and what is most affecting of all, this line will break the nuptial tie and forever divide the husband from the wife of his bosom. Are none affected at the sight of such crowds setting out for Mount Zion while they are left behind? And why, my dear

friends, will you not also go?

Are not your souls

as precious as theirs? Have you not as much need to go? Would it not be as much to your advantage? And have you not as good a right? for all are equally invited to share in the promised land. Come ye then with us and we will do you good. And it shall be, if you go with us, yea it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto you. Amen.

SERMON XX.

RETURNING FROM THE CRUCIFIXION.

LUKE, XXIII. 47-49.

Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off beholding these things.

At the time of our Saviour's advent the sceptre had so far departed from Judah, that all their civil affairs were managed by a Roman governor set over them without their consent. Though the sanhedrim was still invested with ecclesiastical authority, they no longer retained the power of life and death: and when the chief priests and elders had conspired to crucify the Son of God, they could not execute their purpose without the consent of the Roman

governor.

In all the provinces of the Roman empire bodies of soldiers were stationed to keep the conquered

*Preached in a revival of religion.

nations in subjection. These were divided into companies of from sixty to a hundred and twenty, and each company was commanded by a first and second centurion. Such a one was Cornelius of Cesarea. Such a one was the believing centurion of Capernaum whose servant Christ healed. And such a one was the man who commanded the ruffian band that insulted and crucified the Lord of glory.

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The wicked Pilate, who had been reluctant to deliver up an innocent man to death, not more from love of justice than from an unaccommodating spirit towards the Jews, at length, for fear of being accused to Cesar, scourged him and resigned him to be crucified, and appointed his own soldiers to execute the horrid sentence. "Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall," called the pretorium. There were four that acted as special executioners on this occasion; who, "when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part.' These four are thought to have been those who were with the Roman lictors. The lictors were officers attendant on the Roman magistrates, who not only acted as marshals, but, by means of soldiers under them, arrested and executed criminals. But those who took Jesus into the pretorium "gathered unto him the whole band." That band, which we find under the command of a centurion, was deemed necessary to keep the peace and to guard as well as insult the prisoner. Whatever control an intermediate lictor might have had over