Darkness now began to fold more closely its mantle around the scene. No sun, or moon, or stars were visible. Night in heavy gloom veiled the earth.

At length Jesus said, "I thirst;" whereupon one filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and touched his parched lips. This was too much for the infants; and at the sight, they drooped as if immortality had failed; their guardians took them in their arms and supported them.

While witnessing the scene, which only revealed cruelty added to cruelty, a form, terrible in appearance, approached Jesus, around whose ghostly visage, like satellites, revolved unnumbered lesser creatures the image of himself. "Thou shalt triumph, thou triumphant king," was written in broad capitals upon the sphere that encompassed him. His appearance was like one sure of victory when engaging in the final conflict—a conflict

upon the issue of which depended the interests of ages. With a hoarse, sepulchral voice, a voice of terror, and in a manner characteristic of a never-failing conqueror, he addressed Jesus, who hung upon the cross, saying, "I arise and meet thee in this thy day of folly. Thou art chained. Thou art a victim. Angels, saints, and men have shouted thy triumph over death. Death is my name. Thou hast engaged to reverse that law by which I exist that law which feeds the hungry tombs with the bodies of infants,

youths, and hoary age; that law which has moved in might, and none can hinder; that law which this day grapples with thee, and thou too shalt perish. Lo, I come to seize this vase, and dash it against the marble rock of dissolution." Then reaching forth his hand, he seized the body of Jesus, whose sensitive nerves quivered from the touch of his cold contracting fingers.

Then Jesus cried, "Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." Upon which a voice said from above, "He treadeth the wine-press alone."

"Nevertheless," answered another voice, "he suffereth, the just for the unjust." "Then," shouted Death, "I have gotten the victory. He who was in the beginning with God, entereth the destructive elements where violated law breaketh in pieces the violator. He entereth that he may rescue, and shall also perish. He faileth. Let hades arise and behold my triumph; and ye angelic hosts who came to witness, behold and wonder while Jesus struggles in my right hand. Ye have sung through all heaven that he should vanquish death. Yea, see how he struggles while I hold him with my might. I alone grasp this ‘God-man,’ and leap with him amid the tombs. Ah ha! ah ha! chant ye his victory! Chant rather his defeat. I hold the conqueror. Give back ye heavens, ere I ascend from sphere to sphere, and shake the eternal throne, and make of celestial worlds a cemetery for the dead." Then with wild exultant glare, he met the Savior’s face, and with menacing reproach said, "How vain for thee to seek this issue? Have I not slain unnumbered legions? And thinkest thou to escape? Nay, Jesus, thou ‘God-man,’ I sacrifice thee, my last foe."

Around this scene had again congregated the hosts of vile spirits-Apollyon leading in his triumph-waving in the infernal breezes their black banners, upon which appeared the figures of Apollyon, the embodiment of evil, and Death the fell destroyer, embracing each other over the image of the cross and bleeding sacrifice. Then followed bold blasphemies, boisterous shouting, and wild demoniac laughter. The messengers of evil moved like waves of thick and black waters to and fro; while their hellish jubilee burst forth as from a compressed sea of madness and fiendish delight.

They moved around Jesus, shouting "Ah ha! ah ha!" while Death was addressing him, and their triumph appeared sure.

The infants, upon beholding this scene, inquired, "Shall they triumph, and Jesus die?"

"If Jesus perish," answered an angel, " the heavens fail. He holdeth the universe in his right hand."

"But," said Apollyon in distant reply, "he faileth in this decisive hour. Strike your death song, Ye congregated millions! for, lo! Jesus the boasted Son of God is at last subdued. Death prevaileth!"

Then the divinity of Jesus said, "No man taketh my life. I lay it down of myself. Ye who seek me, employ men in the external world as agents of slaughter and execution; but they have no power over me save what is given them. Lo! I come through death’s portals to bind thee, thou destroyer; and from thy power, rescue my people—those whom I redeem.

"That I may prevail, I meet thee in thy dominions. Lo, I come! Thou art involved in thine own design. I meet thee, not in vengeance, but to open the tomb and set the captives free; to open the prison-door of those bound and imprisoned; to bind thee and destroy thy power. I have descended amid dissolving elements: humanity being the chariot in which I enter the dark dominions where mortality faileth. Thou art conquered. The law of life and harmony shall entwine thy form, and establish the boundaries of thy dominions. And thus shalt thou await that day when death and hell shall be cast into the bottomless abyss, and they shall no more afflict my people."

Thus saying, he bound Death with a chain of light.

Then raising his eyes toward Justice, who witnessed from the cloud, he said, "Behold! the Spirit of Life prevaileth over death." And addressing the roaring tempest of dissolving nature which gathered its mighty maelstrom around him, and broke in fearful whirlpools upon him, he said, "Stay, thou angry flood! Roll back your waters ye death currents! Unloose thy grasp thou boasting conqueror, thou prince of terrors! Lo! I come to rescue the fallen orb, ere it plunge into the bottomless abyss." Then raising his right hand of divine strength, while standing in the mighty cataract of dissolving nature, he touched an orb, which, in its wandering revolutions, had neared, and by attraction from the abyss, hung upon the brink ready to plunge, with its swarming and distracted millions of inhabitants, amid the surging billows that drive madly down the gulf of death. While thus holding the suspended orb, he said, "Stay thou tempest, terrible in might! Although thy waves fearfully gather around the fallen world; although thy current draws with immensity of strength; although thou hast forced that Earth along the death surges of ages, be thou still! Earth, reverse thy movement. Arise! the day of thy salvation dawneth. Ye mighty winds of heaven, fan into life the expiring orb. Ye pure waters, ever flowing from life’s ceaseless fountains. let your cooling tides move over her parched and barren soil. And ye angels who minister in love, gather quickly around the discordant race, administer life’s cordials, and with truth, antidote the evil of false and perverted hearts. Bar ye the gateway to immortal slumbers, that forlorn man may not enter there. And thou Death;" he continued, "although thou dost boast thy millions slain, upon thee I fix my seal; thou art bound, and thy days are numbered. Hades, thy kingdom of mortality, the trophy of victorious ages, shall fail. And thou, at the time appointed, having no more kingdoms to demolish, shalt die."

Then addressing Apollyon, he said, "Thou foe of equity, harmony, peace, and heaven, depart quickly to regions whence thou art. Lead thy forces deathward, for at the time appointed, thou too, shaft feel restraining power. Lo! I come to rescue my people."

Jesus then moved his hand, and Apollyon with his legions departed, and a dark cloud which accompanied, concealed them from our view.

The Lord then said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit;" and with a loud voice, cried, "It is finished;" and then holding Death subject to his will, descended to the spirits in prison.

The scene of the crucifixion had scarcely passed, when the land of Canaan appeared, manifesting that inactivity consequent upon over-excitement, occasioned by the agitation of some momentous question of national policy.

A soft light gently descended, revealing a solitary tomb, around which were stationed armed guards. To that tomb was entrusted the body of Jesus. An angel standing near, touched the tomb with a sceptre he held in his right hand, and it became to us transparent, revealing the body in its quiet rest.

It calmly reposed in the lone sepulchre, shrouded in clean linen unstained by blood. The still and noiseless atmosphere, undisturbed by the clamor of the shouting rabble, and the sweet sleep of that body, as now presented in its unmolested home, conspired to give that relief which could not fail to soothe the minds of those who had been overwhelmed by the revolting scenes of cruelty and slaughter, which had been displayed during that awful period in which the Lord suffered.

"How calm, how composed is now the body of Jesus!" said the chief guardian, while we were enjoying rest of spirits as we looked upon it.

"Yea, Jesus resteth," answered a voice, and Mercy appeared above the tomb: "Yea, he resteth, He maketh the tomb his bed. With his people he slumbereth in the grave. He sanctified the sepulchre of his saints. But he sleepeth to awake again. He also shall awaken all who sleep in death."

Then one of the celestial choirs. descended and chanted over the tomb where Jesus lay.

"Peace and quiet slumber, holy rest, fold gently in thy gracious arms the body of the Lord, which no more endureth pain forever. Holy angels, guard the sacred tomb. Let no intruder pass the portals of this temple where the body of the Redeemer resteth. Stay the dissolving elements, that they change it not. Let it not see corruption. Let not worms feed upon it. It hath been sanctified through suffering."

Then in a loud acclaim, another company of angels chanted, "It shall arise again. It shall ascend to the highest heaven. It shall be the attractive center around which saints shall gather. It shall attract unto itself, in the realms of immortality, the sanctified dust, the renovated bodies of the saints."

Again, chanted the choir above, "Let the heavens resume their lyres, and strike their highest notes to lofty anthems. Jesus shall awake and ascend in clouds of glory. Universes shall join the song of his ascension. Echo, ye everlasting hills, echo ye his name in triumphant song."

It was joy beyond measure to see the body of Jesus rest. It was sacred quiet. It was fulness of harmony to listen to the soft anthems of the angel band that watched the tomb. Surely it ‘may be said that Jesus sanctified the grave. I can never reflect upon that scene without a desire that my poor body should rest there also. I wish to lay it down in the tomb. The grave no longer wears a gloom. To me it is the most sacred place of all on earth. There Jesus my Redeemer slumbered. There his body rested. There it was free from pain. Only let me be worthy, and cheerfully, at the time appointed, will I step into the grave, and lay my body down to rest, where, in peace, it shall await the morning of the resurrection.