LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility;

Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Phil. ii. 5.

ET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a

man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also

THE COLLECT.-The redemption of mankind is a theme on which the mightiest minds, aided by the illumination of the Divine Spirit, have rested with a deep and ever-growing delight. But if the subject be thus sufficient to satisfy the loftiest intellects, it is equally calculated to fill the heart, however susceptible of right emotions, with the best and most affecting sentiments. Thus in the present Collect we are led to pray by the most animating of all suggestions, by motives of the greatest weight, and by appeals to our love and gratitude,-irresistible if we have any part or lot with the people of God. The scheme of redemption could have no other origin than His mercy, which was from everlasting. That love which thus originated the plan was the living spirit of its fulfilment. His Son alone could bring into operation a system conceived by the eternal love and all-perfect wisdom of God. No inferior being could have received the complete impression of the scheme, or contained the mighty influence of the grace essential to success. The Son of God, therefore, undertook the work. He emptied Himself of His glory; assumed the nature of man; and became obedient unto death. And thus He humbled Himself that we should follow the example of His great humility; and that not simply, according to the lowest meaning of the words, but in their most spiritual application. He who obeys them in this sense, will take up his cross, strive to overcome evil by good, and in all things manifest that he has died unto sin. The Sunday before Easter is usually called Palm Sunday, in reference to the triumphal entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem. Palms were formerly used in the processions of the Church; but the custom was discontinued in England in the reign of Edward VI.

THE EPISTLE.-The Epistle affords a beautiful illustration of the sentiment expressed in the Collect, and teaches us where to find the root of all Christian holiness and morality. In other systems, the doctrine or the precept is everything. The leader of the sect may inspire by his fervour the minds of his followers with a corresponding energy; but in Christianity, the very spirit itself of the master is to become, by more than a metaphor, the spirit of his people. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," is a precept springing immediately from the nature of the Gospel. The recovery of man from the legal consequences or penalties of sin is but a part of this scheme of mercy. His complete renewal is the final object of the love of God; and to this end it is that the Holy Spirit which descended upon Christ at His baptism, and which requickened His humanity in the grave, becomes the indwelling power of life and holiness to every regenerated believer in the Gospel. The mind of Christ was the perfect mirror of heavenly perfections. Righteousness, benevolence, and wisdom, entered into all its determinations, and were the strength and glory of what it wrought. To have this mind in us, is not to follow its dictation merely, but to have the conforming spirit, the pervading life which gives holiness and wisdom an animation in the human soul of the same kind as that which bestows its everlasting power on the mind of Christ.

hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name; that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Gospel. St. Matth. xxvii. 1.

HEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governour. Then Judas who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.) And Jesus stood before the governour; and the governour asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not

how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word, insomuch that the governour marvelled greatly. Now at that feast the governour was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? ? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governour answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governour said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governour took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away

to crucify him. And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a scull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; and set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him; one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save: if he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened,