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What of the night ?"-They answered not a word, Those faithful women, hopeless, and heart-broken: With drooping heads, hands clasped, in sad accord, Heedless they sat, and not a word was spoken ; Till one her sweet and sorrowing face did raise,

And fixed upon the tomb her loving, steadfast gaze.

What of the night?"—She said: “Our night is come,

Here do we sit and weep in hopeless sorrow;

The Lord of life lies buried in the tomb,

And joy can gild no more our cheerless morrow.
What of the night !—Ah, can it e'er be morn,

To hearts o'erwhelmed like ours, and utterly forlorn ?”

What of the night ?—Oh, women meekly strong,
While others sleep, your wakeful vigil keeping,
Fearless and faithful 'mid the faithless throng;
A joyful morn succeeds your night of weeping!
Satan and death this night, in deadly strife
Fell vanquished by the Lord of everlasting life!

Mysterious strife! When God's eternal Son
Hell's fierce assault in human form sustaining,
For guilty man the glorious victory won,
Endured the cross in patience uncomplaining,
Then meekly yielded up His dying breath
To rise in glorious power, triumphant over death!

And now the evening star its signal shows

Of Sabbath peace, with evening's calm commencing;
The holy Sabbath dawns, its sweet repose

To those poor watchers, and to all dispensing,

Hailing the sacred sign, they rise to go,

And leave that mournful spot with faltering steps and slow.

But yet awhile they lingered there to pray,
And knelt, their Father and their Lord adoring;
Recalled the deeds of that mysterious day;
His grace and guidance earnestly imploring:
Then rose, and as the lonely tomb they past,

Tears filled their heavy eyes, and down came trickling fast.

What of the night! Its shadows swiftly fly,
The power of Hell's accursed reign is ended,

We raise our eyes to the deep cloudless sky

Whence Christ shall come, by all His saints attended.
Watchers till then, we wait in faith and prayer:

Lord! let Thy kingdom come! There shall be no night there!

THE TRANSFIGURATION.

BY THE REV. HUGH MCNEILE.

I. THE Transfiguration of Jesus Christ is recorded by three of the Evangelists, and by all in the same connection. Jesus was the Messiah; of this truth even his chosen disciples had been for a long time doubtful. It was, however, placed beyond all doubt, by his response to the confession of Peter. Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matt. xvi. 16., compare Mark viii. 29, and Luke ix. 20;) and Jesus answered, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." From that time he began to tell them of his approaching humiliation and sufferings unto death, (Matt. xvii. 21.) That is, from the time when they would naturally begin to expect his glory, and the glory of their nation, and of themselves, under him as their King: he began to tell