Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: say to many among us, as He did to His disciples of old, in a tone of mingled sorrow and reproach —" What! could ye not watch with me one hour!" Let us then briefly look at some of the motives which should induce every Christian to avail himself of the week-day services of the Church during this period. The Season Itself presents its earnest appeal. When God delivered the law upon Sinai, the people of Israel were commanded for three days before, to sanctify themselves, that they might be prepared to behold, even from a distance, the glory of Jehovah, as the mountain was wreathed with clouds, and " quaked greatly, because the Lord descended upon it in fire." When therefore we are called upon to approach that more wonderful mountain, on which, by the tears and blood of the Incarnate Son of God, was wrought out the sublime mystery of man's redemption, should we not be earnest to put away from us our earthliness of feeling, and to purify our hearts in anticipation of that solemn scene ? Yes, as the time draws near, when we are to be led to the Cross — to contemplate the Passion and bitteragonies of our Lord — and to behold Him dying for our salvation, it seems but proper, that we should undergo some additional preparation of heart. We should not rush at once from the tumult of this noisy world, to the foot of Calvary. When still far distant, we should veil our heads, and put our shoes from off our feet, realizing that we are on holy ground. As we slowly approach that spot, to which even angels would look with intense emotion, a holy fear should fall upon us, and in the depth of our souls we should meditate upon the solemn scene which is to be unfolded to our view. Is it then asking too much, if during the brief period of these forty days we are invited to assemble in the hous... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.