When they came to Calvary, the soldiers made the blessed JESUS lie down on the beam of wood, and they stretched His arms out on the cross-beam, and drove a large nail through each of the palms of His hands into the wood, and another nail through His feet; and then they lifted up the cross, with Him upon it, and planted it in the ground, that He might hang there till He should die. And all He said while they were thus nailing Him were the words, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!" That was the great pain He bore to save us! QUESTIONS. 1. Where was our Lord to be crucified? 2. Who led Him there? 3. Where was it? 4. What had He to carry? 5. But who had to be called to help Him? 6. Why was He so worn out? 7. What had they done to Him? 8. What was the cross? 9. How was He fastened to it? 10. What was done to it then? 11. What prayer did He make? 12. For whom was He praying? 13. For whom was He dying? [Illustration: JESUS FALLS UNDER THE CROSS.--Luke 23:27, 28.] SECOND READING. "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews."--_John 19:19._ OVER the head of the blessed Lord on the cross was a tablet, with the words, "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS;" and on each side of Him was another cross, with a robber upon it. There He hung patiently, while the chief priests and Pharisees passed by, mocking and laughing at His pain, and crying out, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him." Even the robbers at first joined in the cry; but by-and-by one of them began to feel that He who was so patient and so great in all that agony must truly be the Son of God; and he rebuked his fellow, and said, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom!" And the Lord answered, "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise!" [Illustration: THE CRUCIFIXION.--John 19:30.] His holy mother had come to stand by the foot of His cross, and with her, her sister and some other women, and His beloved apostle John. The Lord looked down at her, and said, "Woman, behold thy son!" and He looked at St. John, and said, "Behold thy mother!" And John took the blessed Virgin home with him, and was always like a son to her afterward. At noon-day, a dreadful darkness came over all the earth, and it lasted for three whole hours, as if the very sun mourned for Him who made it. Just at three o'clock, the blessed Lord said, "I thirst;" and as one of the soldiers was touching His lips with a sponge full of vinegar, He gave a great sad cry, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!" Then presently he added, "It is finished! Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit!" And He cried with a loud cry; and so He, who was God and man in one, died for us men, and for our salvation. QUESTIONS.