145 HOW TO READ THE SCRIPTURES. No. IV. THE preceding Article is the CONDENSED INDEX OF THE GOSPELS promised in the last number, as a more complete detail of the GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE GOSPEL HISTORY; by which an easy reference may be made to any portion of the four Gospels. They are harmonized according to the arrangement of the Rev. Edward Gresswell, and the dates and places are taken from his admirable dissertation on the subject. The divisions are made according to the portions into which the whole history is divided in the Cottager's Guide to the New Testament. 1. The first column contains the numbers of these portions. A letter in italic character is placed before some of the numbers: these letters distinguish the beginning portion of each of the divisions of the GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE GOSPEL HISTORY already given (see page 109.) There are 32 of these divisions, marked from a to ff. 2. The second column shews whether the portion contains an account of any of our Lord's miracles, parables, discourses or conversations. These are stated in numerical order; and in the whole there are recorded 46 Miracles, 28 Parables, 31 Discourses and 76 Conversations, an index of which will afterwards be given. 3. The third column specifies the general subject of the portion. This is stated in the fewest possible words which may serve to recall to memory the main feature of the passage. Thus the eye of a student of Scripture running down this column, will catch at once the thought that directs him to any particular passage for which he may be searching. 4. The fourth column states the place at which the circumstances related in the portion took place. The abbreviations are such as will sufficiently mark the name of the place to a person but moderately versed in Scripture. 5. The fifth column states the time at which the circumstances related in the portion happened. Where Mr. Gresswell gives a minute date of the month or day it is noted; and on the day of our Lord's Passion the hours are marked. For the proof of these dates the reader is referred to the works above quoted. These minute dates are stated by placing, first the number of the day of the month, and then the number in which the month stands in order in the year, dividing the two numbers by a comma: thus 5,10 means the fifth of October. Where two such dates occur in the same line, they shew the days of the two prominent events mentioned as the subject of the portion : thus "Birth and Circumcision of John 5,10 12,10" means, that the birth took place on the fifth of October, and the circumcision on VOL. II.-NO. XVII. M the twelfth of that month. So "flight into Egypt, and return 9,8 B.C. 3 31,3 means, that the flight took place on the ninth of August in the year 4 before the common calculation, and the return on the thirty-first of March in the following year. The capital letters connected with such dates express the days of the week, S. being always placed for Saturday and T. for Tuesday. 6. The sixth division of the Index contains the Scriptures, and is divided into four columns for the four Gospels, arranged in harmony. The figures denoting the chapters are sufficiently distinguished from those denoting the verses, the former being always followed by a period, the latter by a comma or break, and never by a period. It may be useful to add the following, as Gresswell's statement of the places and dates of the original publication of the four Gospels. CONFIRMATION CONVERSATIONS. No. VI. 28. MARY POTT, aged 17. I put her in mind of the hopefulness of her school days, and the way in which I used to encourage her. I told her that my hopes had been clouded for a long time she seemed to feel and acknowledge that there was a time when things did not go well with her; but that time she said was gone by-that she saw things in a more serious light now; especially since the confirmation instruction: had decided that she would follow Christ's way-give up the things which led her wrong, &c. I believe that there is a sincerity in this girl. I think, however, the present circumstances in her family have some effect upon her, independently of that degree of serious interest in which she really partakes. She had made up her mind to come to the Sacrament. I warned her as to sincerity, and exhorted her to continuance. -Approved. May 7th.-Sunday. THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTter. 13th. Saturday. (General Union for Private Prayer.) SECOND WEEK. May 14th.-Sunday. FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. Epistle, James i. 17-21. Gospel, John xvi. 5-15. First Lessons, Morn. Deut. vi. Afternoon, Deut. vii. Second Lessons, Morning, Matt. xii. Afternoon, Rom. xiii: Suggested Texts. Morn. Sermon, 2 Cor. vii. 10. (See Christ our Passover, No. 10, Twentieth Portion.) Afternoon Sermon-John vi. 44, 45. (See Text Paper, No. 33.) 20th. Saturday. (General Union for Private Prayer.) THIRD WEEK. May 21st.-Sunday. FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. Epistle, James i. 22-27. Gospel, John xvi. 22-33. First Lessons, Morning, Deut. viii. Afternoon, Deut. ix. Second Lessons, Morning, Matt. xix. Afternoon. 1 Cor. iv. Suggested Texts. Morning Sermon-Rev. i. 20; ii. 1. (See Compendium, No. 23.) Afternoon Sermon-Acts i. 11. 25th.-Thursday. ASCENSION DAY. Afternoon, 24, 47, 108. Proper Psalms, Morning, 8, 15, 21. Epistle, Acts i. 1-11. Gospel, Mark xvi. 14-20. First Lessons, Morn, Deut. x. Afternoon, 2 Kings ii. Second Lessons, Morning, Luke xxiv. 44-54. Aft. Eph. iv. 1-16, 27th. Saturday. (General Union for Private Prayer.) For Pastoral preparation—Gal. vi. 14. FOURTH WEEK. May 28th.-Sunday. SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION Day. Epistle, 1 Peter iv. 7-11. Gospel, John xv. 26 to xvi. 4. First Lessons, Morn. Deut. xii. Afternoon, Deut. xiii. Second Lessons, Morning, Matt. xxvi. Afternoon, 1 Cor. xi. Suggested Texts. Morning Sermon-John xvi. 7. Afternoon Sermon-Prov. x. 24. (See Proverb No. 5.) June 3rd.-Saturday. (General Union for Private Prayer.) For Pastoral preparation-Phil. iv. 19. CHRIST OUR PASSOVER, No. X. NINETEENTH PORTION. (Read Luke xxii. 66–71; xxiii. 1. Matt. xxvii. 1, 2. Mark xv. 1. John xviii. 28.) THE SANHEDRIM'S SENTENCE. THE last examination of Jesus Christ had occurred in the palace of the High Priest. This was not the appointed place for holding the meetings of the Sanhedrim or Council; there was a chamber in the Temple itself for that purpose. That every thing might be done in the strictest manner according to law, the High Priest now proceeded to hold the council in the proper Councilchamber, to which place they accordingly took their prisoner. There was now no occasion for delay, because they knew upon what ground to proceed; and instead of attempting to bring any witnesses to prove the charge of blasphemy against him, they began his trial at once in the way which they knew would succeed. They first asked him whether he was the Christ, the Anointed One, prophesied of in the Scriptures. To this question he replied by exposing the motives which induced them to put it. "If I tell you," he said, " ye will not believe ❞—neither would they give him the opportunity of convincing them by answering his questions upon the subject, because they were determined not to release him. Then he referred them to the time when they should be convinced after a different manner; when He who then spoke to them, being a man, should sit on the right hand of the power of God." 66 As this answer could not so plainly be considered blasphemy as that which he had before given in the palace, they put the question to him again more directly: "art thou the Son of God?" To this he plainly answered that he was; upon which the council having obtained all they wanted, sentenced him to death for this blasphemy as they called it; and ordered that he should immediately be taken, bound as he was, to Pilate, the Roman governor, that the sentence might be put in execution. REFLECTIONS. In the care which the council took that every thing should be done in the execution of Jesus according to law, we see an instance of that cunning by which the sleeping consciences of wicked men often cheat them. Having hardened themselves in some sinful course, for which they have found a plausible pretence, they are extremely careful to fulfil every tittle which may be necessary to support that pretence in their minds. But in such a state they are not open to conviction; especially to such conviction as arises from religious truth. There are multitudes of persons who cannot bear the religion of Christ because it will not sanction their way of living. These persons will nevertheless look into the Bible, as if they were inquiring whether Jesus was the Christ; but whatever they may find in that. blessed word will never convince them so long as they are determined to go on in a course which crucifies the Lord Jesus. There is a time however, when all such persons will know that to be true, which they refuse now to believe-the time when the same Lord Jesus shall come in judgment, "sitting at the right hand of the power of God." TWENTIETH PORTION. (Read Matt. xxvi. 3-10. Acts i. 18, 19.) THE REPENTANCE OF DESPAIR. WHEN the Apostle Judas had made a bargain with the chief Priests, to take a convenient opportunity of delivering Jesus to them, and had received the money in consequence (Matt. xxvi. 14-16. Luke xxii. 3-6.), he had no notion that our Lord would suffer himself to be taken and ill-treated. He must have known how often He had escaped from the violence of the Jews, by making himself unseen, and passing through the midst of them (Luke iv. 28-30. John viii. 59.); and besides, Judas had himself exercised a power over evil spirits, given him by the simple word of Christ, which must have convinced him that one who gave such power, could have done what he liked to his enemies. (Matt. x. 1, 4. Mark vi. 7, 12, 13.) The object of the traitor then, was as much to cheat the chief Priests, as to betray Jesus; and most probably, he was anxiously watching the council, to observe when Jesus would make himself unseen, and pass away from them, while they were examining Him. When however he saw that the trial was carried on to the end; that sentence of death was passed upon him; and that he was |