ever that be, the Jews haughtily answered, if he had not been a very great · and extraordinary malefactor we should not have given thee this trouble at all, much less at so unseasonable an hour as the present.

JESUS was then examined by Pilate, who finding he had not been guilty either of rebellion or sedition, but that he was accused of particulars relating to the religion and customs of the Jews, grew angry, and said, What are these things to me? Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your own law; plainly insinuating, that in his opinion, the etime they laid to the prisoner's charge was not of a capital nature; and that such punishments as they were permitted by Cæsar to inflict, were adequate to any misdemeanor that Jesus was charged with. But this proposal of the Roman governor was absolutely refused by the Jewish priests and elders, because it condemned their whole proceeding, and therefore they answered, We have no power to put any one to death, as this man certainly deserves, who has attempted not only to make innovations in our religion, but also set up himself for a king. This eagerness of the Jews to get JESUS condemned by the Roman governor, who often sen tenced malefactors to be crucified tended to fulfill the saying of our great Redeemer, who, during the course of his ministry, had often mentioned what kind of death he was appointed to die by the predetermination of the Omniscient God.

As Pilate now found it impossible to prevent a tumult, unless he proceeded to try JESUS, he therefore ascended again the judgment-seat, and commanded his accusers to produce their charges against him. Accordingly, they accused him of seditious practices, affirming that he had used every method in his power to dissuade the people from paying taxes to Cæsar, pretending that he himself was the Messiah, the great king of the Jews so long expected: but they brought no proof of this assertion. They only insinuated that they had already convicted him of this crime; which was absolutely false. Pilate, however, asked him, “Is it true, what these men lay to thy charge, that thou hast indeed attempted to set up thyself as king of the Jews?" To which Jesus replied, hast thou ever during thy stay in this province, heard any thing of me, that gave thee any reason to suspect me guilty of secret practices and seditious designs against the government? Or dost thon found thy question only on the present clamour and tumult that is raised against me? If this be the case, be very careful lest thou be imposed on merely by the ambiguity of a word; for, to be King of the Jews, is not to erect a temporal throne in opposition to that of Cæsar, but something very different from it; the kingdom of the Messiah is of a spiritual nature.

Pilate replied, Am 1 a Jew? Can I tell what their expectations are, and in what superstitious sense they understand these words? The rulers and chiefs of their own people, who are the most proper judges of these particulars, have brought thee before me, as a riotous and seditious person, if this be not the truth, let me know what is, and the crime thou hast been guilty of and what they lay to thy charge.

To which Jesus answered, I have indeed a kingdom, and this kingdom I have professed to establish; but then it is not of this world, nor have my endeavours to establish it any tendency to cause disturbances in the government: for, had that been the case, my servants would have fought for me, and not suffered me to have fallen into the hands of the Jews: but I tell thee plainly, my kingdom is wholly spiritual, consisting only in the obedience of the wills and affections of inen to the laws of God.

Pilate said, Thou acknowledges then in general, that thou hast pretended to be a King! To which the blessed JESUS replied, In the sense I have told thee I have declared, and do now declare myself to be a King: for this end I was born, and for this purpose I came into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth; and whosoever sincerely loves, and is

always ready to embrace the truth, will hear my testimony and be convinced by it. Pilate said, "What is truth ?" and immediately went out to 'the Jews, and said unto them, I have again examined this man, but can find him guilty of no fault, which, according to the Roman law, deserves to have the punishment of death inflicted for it.

Though the governor made this generous declaration of the innocence of our blessed Saviour, it had no effect on the superstitions and bigotted Jews; they even persisted in their accusations with more vehemence than before, affirming that he had attempted to raise a sedition in Galilee:

He stirred up," said they, the people, beginning from Galilee to this place." JESUS, however, made no answer at all to this heavy charge: nay, he continued silent, notwithstanding the governor himself expressly required him to speak in his own defence. A conduct so extraordinary, in such circumstances, astonished Pilate exceedingly; for he had great reason to be persuaded of the innocence of our great Redeemer. The truth is, he was altogether ignorant of the divine council by which the whole affair was directed, and the end proposed by it.

Many reasons induced the blessed JESUS not to make a public defence. He came into the world purely to redeem lost and undone mankind. by offering up himself a sacrifice to appease the wrath of his Almighty Father: but had he pleaded with his usual force, the people had in all probability been induced to ask his release, and consequently his death had been prevented: besides the gross falsehood of the accusation, known to all the inhabitants of Galilee, rendered any reply absolutely unnecessary.

The chief priests continued in the mean time, to accuse him with great *noise and tumult; and the meek and humble Jesus still continuing mute, Pilate spake again to him saying, Wilt thou continue to make no defence? Dost thou not hear how vehemently these men accuse thee? But Pilate recollecting what the chief priests had said with regard to a sedition in Gal ilee, asked if JESUS came out of that country; and being informed he did, he immediately ordered him to be carried to Herod, who then resided at Jerusalem; for the governer supposed that Herod, in whose dominions the sedition was said to have been raised, must be a much better judge of the affair than himself; besides his being a Jew, rendered him more expert in the religion of his country, & gave him greater influence over the chief priests and elders; he therefor econsidered him the most proper persen to prevail on the Jewish council to desist from their cruel persecution: but if, contrary to all human probability, he should at their solicitation, condemn JESUS, Pilate hoped to escape the guilt and infamy of putting an innocent person to death. He might also propose by this action to regain * Herod's friendship, which he had formerly lost by encroaching in all probabillity, on the privileges he was invested with.

Whatever might be the motive that induced Pilate to send our great Redeemer to Herod, the latter greatly rejoiced at this opportunity of seeing JESUS, hoping to have the pleasure of beholding him perform some great miracle. In this he was mistaken; for as Herod had apostatized from the doctrine of John the Baptist, to which he was once a convert, and had even put his teacher to death, the blessed Jesus however liberal of his miracles to the sons and daughters of affliction, would not work them to gratify the curiosity of a tyrant, nor even answer one of the many questions he proposed.

Finding himself thus disappointed, Herod ordered our blessed Saviour to be clothed with an old robe, resembling in colour those worn by kings, and permitted his attendants to iusult him; perhaps to provoke him to work some miracle, though it should prove of a hurtful kind. From Herod's dressing him in this manner, it evidently appears, that the chief priests and elders had accused him of nothing but his having assumed the character of the Messiah; for the affront put upon him was plainly in derision of that pretension.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Pilate gives the Jews their Choice of JESUS or Barabbas to be released: Upon the Clamour of the common People, Barabbas is loosed, and JE sus delivered up to be crucified: He is crowned with Thorns, spit on, and mocked.

THE Roman governors at the passover made it a custom to court the favour of the populace, by gratifying them with the release of any one prisoner they pleased. And at this feast there was one in prison named Barabbas, who at the head of a number of rebels, had made an insurrection in the city, and committed murder during the tumult.

There being now again a great multitude of people assembled before the governor's palace, they began to call aloud on him to perform the annual office of mercy customary at the festival they were now celebrating. Pilate glad of this opportunity, told them, that he was willing to grant the favour they desired; and asked them whether they would have Barabbas or JEsus released unto them? But without waiting for an answer he offered to release JESUS knowing that the chief priests had delivered him through envy; especially as Herod had not found him guilty of the crimes he had been accused of.

During these transactions Pilate received a message from his wife, then with him at Jerusalem, and who had that morning been informed of some thing in a dream which gave her great uneasiness. Perhaps it presaged the vengeance of the Almighty pursuing her husband and family on account of the injustice he was going to commit. But whatever the dream was, it had so great an affect on the Roman lady that she could not rest till she had sent an account of it to her husband, who was sitting on the tribunal in the pavement, and begged him to have no hand in the death of the rightcous person who was then brought to his bar.

As the people had not yet determined whether they would have JESUS or Barabbas released to them; Pilate therefore, when he received the message from his wife, called the chief priests and rulers together, and in the bearing of the multitude, made a speech to them in which he gave them an account of the examination which JESUS had undergone both at his own & Herod's tribunal, declared that in both courts he had turned out honourably to his character; for which reason he proposed to them that he should be the object of the people's favour, and be acquitted.

The intent of Pilate, in doing the priests the honour to consult their in. clinations in particular, might, in all probability, be with a design to soften their stony hearts, and if possible, to move them for once to pity an unhappy an innocent man. But he was persuaded that if pity was absolutely banished from their callous breasts, his proposal would have been acceptable

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to the common people, whom he expected would embrace the first opporLunity of declaring in his favour. Yet in this he was disappointed. They cried out all at once, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas.

Ye apostate mortals, a few hours ago ye listened with rapture to his heavenly discourses, beheld with transport the many salutary miracles wrought by this benevolent son of the Most High, and earnestly importuned him to take possession of the throne and sceptre of David! Now nothing will satiate your infernal malice but his precious blood! But remember ye miscreants, ye monsters in human form, that this same Jesus, whom ye beheld with such contempt before the tribunal of the Roman governor; this Jesus, whose blood your infernal mouths so loudly requested, shall one day come in the clouds of heaven to take vengeance on his enemies! And how will ye be able to bear the sight of his appearance, when the very heavens themselves will melt with his presence, the sun become black as sackcloth of hair, the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fly from their spheres? How will ye then repent of your unjust demand, and call to the rocks and the mountains to fall on you, and hide you from the presence of that immaculate Lamb of God, the tremenduous judge of the quick and dead!

The governor himself was astonished at this determination of the multitude, & repeated his question; for he could hardly believe what he himself beard. But on their again declaring that they desired Barabbas might be released, he asked them, "What he should do with Jesus, which is called Christ ?" as if he had said, you demand that Barabbas should be released: but what shall I then do with JESUS? you cannot surely desire me to crucify him, whom so many of you have acknowledged to be your Messiah?" But they cried, saying, crucify him, crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly crucify him." They were so resolutely determined to have him destroyed, that notwithstanding Pilate urged them again and again to desire his release, declared bis innocence and offered several times to dismiss him, they would not hear it, uttering their rage in sometimes hollow distant inarticulate murmurs, and sometimes in furious outcries; to such a pitch were their passions raised by the craft and artful insinuations of the priests, and their own thirst for his blood.

Finding it therefore in vain to struggle with their prejudices, Pilate called for water, and washed his hands before the multitude, crying out at the same time, that the prisoner had no fault, and that he himself was not accessory to his death.

Pilate, by this act and declaration, seems to have intended to make impression on the Jewish populace, by complying with the institutions of Moses, which orders,in case of an unknown murder, the elders of the nearest city to wash their hands publicly, and say, "Our hands have not shed this blood," And in allusion to this law, the Psalmist says "I will wash mine hands in innocency." According therefore to the Jewish rites, Pilate made the most solemn and public declaration of the innocence of our dear Redeemer, and of his resolution of having no hand in his death. Perhaps he flattered himself that by this solemn appeal, he should have terrified the Jewish populace; for a person of his understanding and education could not but be sensible, that all the water in the universe was not sufficient to wash away the guilt of an unrighteous sentence. But notwithstanding the solemnity of this declaration, the Jews continued inflexible, and cried out, with one voice" His blood be on us & on our children." Dreadful imprecation! It shocks humanity! An imprecation which brought on them the dreadful vengeance of Omnipotence, and is still a heavy bur den on that prefidious people, who are dispersed all over the earth!

Pilate finding it impossible to alter their choice, released unto them Ba rabbas. And as it was the general practice of the Romans to scourge those criminals they condemned to be crucified, Pilate ordered the blessed JESUS to be scourged before he delivered him to the soldiers to be put to death. The soldiers having accordingly scourged JESUS, and received orders to crucify him, carried him into the Prætorim, or common hall, where they added the shame of disgrace to the bitterness of his punishment; for sore as he was by reason of the stripes they had given him, they dressed him in a purple robe, in derision of his being the King of the Jews. Having dressed him in this robe of mock majesty, they put a reed in his hand, instead of a sceptre, and after plaiting a wreath of thorns, they put it upon his head for a crown; forcing it down in so rude a manner, that his temples were torn, and his face besmeared with his most precious blood. To the Son of God in this condition, the rude soldiers bowed the knee, pretending to do it out of respect; but, at the same time gave him severe blows on the head, which drove the prickles of the wreath afresh into his temples, then spit on him, to express their highest contempt and disdain.

The office of governor, obliging Pilate to be present at this shocking scene of inhumanity, he was ready to burst with grief. The sight of an innocent and virtuous man treated with such shocking barbarity raised in bis breast the most painful sensations of pity: and though he had given sentence that it should be as the Jews desired, and had delivered our dear Redeemer to the soldiers to be crucified, he was persuaded, that if he shewed him to the people in that condition, they must relent, and petition him to let him go. Filled with this thought, he resolved to carry him out and exhibit to their view a spectacle capable of softening the most envenomed, obdurate, enraged enemy. And in order to render the impression still more poignant he went out himself, and said unto them, Though I have sentenced this man to die, and have scourged him as one that is to be crucified; yet 1, once more bring him before you, that I may again testify how fully I am persuaded of his innocence, and that ye may yet have an opportunity of saving his life, and clearing the guiltless.

No sooner had the governor finished his speech than Jesus appeared on the pavement, with his hair, his face, his shoulders all clotted with blood, and the purple robe bedaubed with spittle. And that the sight of Jesus in this distress might make the greater impression on the people, Pilate, while he was coming forward, cried out, "Behold the man!" As if he had said, will nothing make you relent? Have you lost all the feelings of humanity and bowels of compassion? Can you bear to see the innocent, a son of Abraham, thus injured? Perhaps also the soldiers were suffered to buffet JESUS again on the pavement before the multitude, in order to excite their pity, or at least their pride for though they might not pity JESUS as a person unjustly condemned, yet when they saw one of their countrymen insulted by heathens, it was natural for the governor to suppose, that their national pride being provoked it would induce them to have demanded his enlargement: but all this was to no purpose. The priests, whose rage and malice had extinguished not only the sentiments of justice and feelings of pity natural to the human heart, but also that love which countrymen bear for each other, no sooner saw JESUS than they began to fear the fickle populace might relent, and therefore, laying decency aside, they led the way to the multitude, crying out with all their might, Crucify him! Crucify him! Release not this man, but Barabbas!

The governor, vexed to see the Jewish rulers thus obstinately bent on the destruction of a person from whom they had nothing to fear that was dangerous, either with regard to their church or state, passionately told them, that if they would have him crucified, they must do it themselves; because he would not suffer his people to murder a man who was guilty of