The last passover had been celebrated, and the Teacher had passed to the Eleven with Him a broken loaf with these words:"This is my body which is broken for you;" then the cup of wine, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; as oft as ye drink it, do it in remembrance of Me." After this He had engaged their minds and hearts with tender words and instructions, as one about to go away and leave them, whilst they expected He was about to re-establish the kingdom of David which had fallen. Only six days before, a multitude had joined with them in exultant acclamations, as they came down Olivet, and entered Jerusalem with shouts of, "Blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord! Blessed be the kingdom of our father David! . . . Hosanna in the highest!" the children themselves joining in the joyous acclamations.

True, they saw the malice and rage of the priests and rulers against their Teacher, especially in those last few days when He had driven out all the traders from the holy precincts, openly charging that they had turned God's house of prayer into "a den of thieves!"

So the Master's ways and words on that night weighed heavily upon their spirit. He understood them well ; He felt the pain which thoughts of His going away, they knew not where, had produced in their hearts; so He said, " Because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth:it is profitable for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you;" and, "I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."

Thus He comforted them:but who shall comfort Him? -when all that was signified by the bread and wine which He had given them, was now hanging over Him? And, as if some unseen power pressed upon His soul, He said, "Arise, let us go hence."

But hark! a voice of song comes from that upper room, "And when they had sung a hymn, they went to the Mount of Olives."-Sing, in view of Gethsemane!- where soon, in agony prostrate upon the ground, "with strong crying and tears"* He would plead, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me!"* Heb. 5:7.* Sing, when they were about to "smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek"(Mic. 5:1)-spit upon Him-drag Him from one place of insult to another-falsely accuse Him and urge His death before the Gentile ruler-take Him to Golgotha, crucify Him between thieves, and mock and taunt Him there where He is to yield up His life, "bearing the iniquity of us all!"

Sing!-how could it be? Scripture alone can explain the mystery:"Who far the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame;" and again, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied;" and yet again, "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." Was He not "the merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it?" He looked through the ages to that fair scene when His dearly-bought and loved ones shall be gathered unto Him, when,

"Like the stars of the morning,
His bright crown adorning,
They shall shine in His beauty-
Bright gems for His crown."

O Christian reader, shall not such love compel our hearts to yield themselves unreservedly to Him, and say,

"Thine, Jesus, Thine, No more this heart of mine,
Shall seek its joy apart from Thee;
The world is crucified to me, And I am Thine!"