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ON THE

SUFFERINGS OF tfua LORD AND SAVIOUR

JN WHICH THE

HISTORY OF THE PASSION,

AS GIVEN BY THE FOUR EVANGELISTS, IS HARMONISED
AND EXPLAINED.

BY J. RAMBACH, D.D.

Late of the University of GIESSEN.

oUi

AS FIRST TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN.

THE SECOND EDITION.

Printed by Thomas Wilson and Sons, High-Onsegate;

FOU J. WOLSTEN HOLME, MINSTER-GATES, YORK ;

AND SOLD BY BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY, LONDON.

1819.

07?
3&7

TO THfe

, WILLIAM RICHA&DSOK,

Dear

On this, the seventy-fourth Anniversary of
your birth, I pfesent to you the second Edition
of RAM BACH'S MEDITATIONS. That your life and
your usefulness may be still continued, is the wish
and prayer of

Your affectionate Friend and Servant ,

YORK, FEB. 20,

PREFACE

BY THE REV, WM. RICHARDSON, OF YORK,

1 O " know Jesus Christ and him crucified,*' is to be
wise unto salvation. This is the sum and substance of
Christian doctrine, as taught by the first preachers of
the gospel. The two leading blessings which Christ
has purchased for men, and without which none can,
see the kingdom of heaven, are justification and sancti-
fication. By the first, wre are accounted righteous
before God, and entitled to his favour and eternal life ;
by the second, we are qualified to serve God acceptably
here, and to enjoy his presence hereafter. But we can
neither be justified nor sanctified in any other way, than
through the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus the Lord. It is by a spiritual view of all he has
done and suffered to atone for the guilt of our sins,
that we obtain peace to our afflicted consciences ; and
it is by the same view that we are changed into his
moral image, and become like him in our character
and conduct. Hence that kind of religious instruction
which sets before us, in the clearest manner, the doctrine
of the cross, the character of the Saviour, and the
manner in which he purchased eternal redemption for
us, is the most profitable to the soul, and most con-
ducive to its happiness and holiness. In this the
Meditations of Rambach peculiarly excel. Never did
the writer of this preface read a book that left upon
his heart so vivid, so distinct a perception of the mind

that was in Christ Jesus ; of the value, the propriety,
and the use of all the circumstances of his sufferings
and humiliation. The Author possesses the happy skill
of setting before our eyes the whole scene in which we
are so deeply interested. We see our Saviour; we
seem to be present with him, to follow him into the
Garden, to the high-priest's Palace, to the tribunal
of Pontius Pilate, and to that of Herod. We go with
him to Calvary, and behold him nailed to the cross,
We hear him speak, and are struck with the meekness
of wisdom which dictated all he said. We become, as
it were, personally acquainted not only with him, but
with his disciples, his judges, and his murderers. We
gain a clearer knowledge both of the character of God
and of man, and obtain a view of perfect moral beauty
and excellency in the Messiah, contrasted with the
deformity and imperfection of those whom he came to
seek and to save, No circumstance, however minute,
in the history of our Saviour's sufferings, escapes the
Author of these Meditations; every thing that the
Evangelists have recorded, is detailed in due order,
and suggests some edifying observations.

The Reader will not fail to remark one peculiarity
in the Author, and that is, the constant reference that
is made to the grand Christian doctrine of atonement,
in all that befel the Redeemer, not only upon the cross,
but in every other circumstance that preceded his cru-
cifixion. Thus he supposes that Christ's silence and
patience under unmerited injuries and provocations, has
atoned for our natural impatience and spirit of selfr
vindication, and his meritorious conduct in every other
particular for our demerit. This extended view of the
satisfaction made for human offences, certainly helps to
comfort the aifli«led conscience of a penitent sinner,

( vii )

and to show him, how "being justified by faith," he
may have " peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ." The Reader is led not only to follow the
example, and walk in the steps of his Saviour, but to
regard every part of his conduct through life, and in
death, as expiatory. And thus the two great points of
justification and sanctification, which every serious
Christian has constantly in view for his soul's health,
are never lost sight of by our Author.

The writer of this preface may perhaps feel too strong
a partiality for this book ; as it fell into his hands, and
operated as a healing medicine, in one of those seasons
of deep dejection and perplexity of mind, which most
persons experience in the course of their Christian pil-
grimage. The consolation and instruction it afforded,
led him to recommend it to others. One of his judicious
friends who united with him in admiring the book, but
thought that it was not free from that prolixity so justly
imputed to many German Divines, has taken pains to
abridge it, by leaving out some parts which seemed
fanciful and redundant ; and comprising the whole in
one volume. The present publication appears there-
fore better adapted than the former one, to the taste
of an English reader, and more calculated for general
utility in this country,

W. R

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE!,

1 HE&E meditations are the substance of several discourses
delivered by the Author at Jena and Halle, chiefly during
the season of Lent, in the years 1721 and 1723. His design
is, to lend his- readers, from a view of the sufferings of Christ,
to consider the abomination of sin, and the greatness of God's
displeasure against it; till by a godly and salutary contrition,
they are brought to the fellowship of their Saviour's suf-
ferings. They are directed to seek relief to a troubled con-
science, by contemplating the transcendant love of the
suffering Redeemer: to look on Jesus as the propitiation
for their sins: by repentance and faith to apply to them-
selves the obedience of Christ exemplified in his sufferings,
as covering the iniquity of their disobedience: to lay hold
on his meritorious satisfaction, and to implore forgiveness of -
sins at the Throne of Grace, on the ground of that satis-
faction. Lastly, they are directed to devote themselves, soul
and btfdy, to our crucified Saviour, as his property, pur-
chased by his precious blood; and to desire by the help of
his Holy Spirit, to imitate the divine virtues, and especially
the patience, meekness, and humility, exhibited in the suf-
ferings of Christ.

J. RAMBACH.
HALLE, Feb. 21, 1730.

PREFACE

THE GERMAN EDITION,
BY FEE SEN I US.

ALL divine truths rest on an eternal foundation, and con-'
sequently are in themselves unalterable ; but the ideas of men
concerning them are subject to many changes, owing to their
own weakness and imperfection. Hence it happens, that
from time to time these truths have been modelled by man-
kind into different systems, which, if the essence of religion
be preserved entire, we ought not absolutely to condemn.
But such is the frailty of man, that he presumes to adulterate
these eternal truths, by adding to them in some points, and
diminishing from them in others ; and amongst such errors we
must reckon the inculcating and dwelling upon some branches
of divine truth however important, to the exclusion of the
rest. The doctrine of reconciliation by Christ is the most
essential truth of Christianity. It is, as it were, the centre
of divine revelation ; to which not only all other divine truths
tend, but on account of which they were revealed. The
preaching of the New Testament is, in the strictest sense,
"• the ministry of reconciliation ;" and all other sacred truths
are to be represented according to their connexion with the
doctrine of redemption by Christ. The influence of this doc-
trine on the whole Christian system, and its intimate con-
nexion with the other doctrines and precepts of the Christian
Religion, should be always inculcated. Tf this be neglected,
the ministry of the preacher is not a ministry of reconciliation;

( X )

and his doctrines will, for the most part, be no more than a
mere system of morality. But should it be asserted, that in
preachingand teaching tbedoctrine of reconciliation by Christ,
nil other truths should be passed by, or only slightly noticed;
to this I answer in the negative, for the following reasons.

1. Such a method contradicts the preaching of which we
have specimens in the Holy Scriptures.

The doctrine of redemption by Christ is, indeed, set forth
in the Scriptures as the only ground of our salvation. Never-
theless, they reveal several other divine truths, and represent
the doctrines of salvation in an extensive view. Our Saviour
was unquestionably the wisest and most perfect preacher that
ever appeared in the world. Now if we take a view of his
ministry, we shall find, that though he proclaims salvation to
the lost, calls sinners to repentance and faith, and invites the
•weary and heavy laden to come to him ; yet he also illustrates
the moral law, exhorts to the practice of Christian virtues,
enjoins self-denial and indifference to the world, requires the
love of God and our neighbour, directs us to follow and imi-
tate him, and, in all his preaching, adapts himself to the cir-
cumstances of his hearers. This was also the method of his
apostles, who, next to Christ himself, were the most ex-
traordinary teachers that ever appeared on earth. They, in-
deed, every where extol the redemption by Christ Jesus ; yet,
at the same time, they do not forget very zealously to set the
other divine truths in a striking light, and to desire that their
converts " might abound in knowledge, and in all judgment ;
that they might approve things, (or virtues,) that are ex-
cellent." Not a single error in principle or practice is left
without animadversion.

2. This doctrine is injured, by a neglect of the truths con-
nected with it. — For instance ; what idea can we conceive of
the person of our Redeemer, without the doctrine of the

divine and human natures, and of the Holy Trinity? or, how
can we understand his satisfaction, without a knowledge of
the divine attributes of holiness and justice, and of the trans-
gression of our first parents? He who is ignorant, or en-
tertains false notions of the fall, as he knows not what he has
lost by Adam, so neither can he know what Christ has pur«-
chased for him. The law given by Moses, is a schoolmaster
to bring us acquainted with the grace and truth which came
by Jesus Christ. If we be ignorant of what the law requires,
and of the dreadful nature of transgression, in respect to its
guilt, punishment, and dominion, it is likewise impossible that
we should have a right knowledge of what Christ has done
for us, by his active and passive obedience. It is also useful
and important to inquire into the prophecies and types, by
which Christ is prefigured in the Old Testament. The be-
liever views him as his priest, who hath redeemed and
intercedes for him, as his prophet who instructs him, and as
his king who governs him ; as the mercy-seat to which he is
to draw near in faith, and as the pattern whom he is to follow
and imitate in his Christian calling. If the Scriptures speak
of the death of Christ, they also record his resurrection : if
they describe his humiliation, they likewise treat of his
exaltation : they acquaint us with his coming in the flesh,
and they foretel his coming again in the clouds of heaven.
Thus we find the whole system of divine truth is connected;
and that we cannot neglect one part, without injury to the
whole. We arraign the divine wisdom, if we treat any of the
truths which it has revealed, urged, and enforced, as un-
necessary.

A faithful minister of the gospel, therefore, will adhere to
that method of teaching, which continually sets forth our re-
demption by Christ, as it is connected with other divine truths,
and will always lead his hearers to the true foundation, which
is ,Jesus Christ.

In this class of divines, we may justly reckon the late
Dr. Rambach. The grand point which he aimed at in his
teaching, was the reconciliation accomplished by Christ Jesus ;
yet he omitted not in the pulpit and by his pen, diligently
to inculcate the other parts of the Christian system. The
present work, though expressly on the subject of our Saviour's
sufferings, will be found to confirm this assertion. It is
esteemed one of his best treatises; and, it is indisputably
the best book extant on the sufferings of Christ. Whoever
reads it with attention, must account it to be a most valuable
jewel, which God, through this his faithful instrument, has
given to his church. But there needs no long panegyric on
this excellent work: it is already well known and valued;
and the great benefit which has been received from it, is its
strongest recommendation.

May God be pleased to grant that his blessing may continue
to accompany this pious work, and out of the fulness of Christ,
may he send down on those who peruse it, the power of faith
and holiness.

CONTENTS,

Page

Preface by the Rev. Wm. Richardson, v

The Author's Preface viii

Preface to the German Edition, by Fresenius ix

THE FIRST PART.

THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, IN THE
GARDEN OF GETIISEMANE, AND BEFORE THE JEWISH SANHE.
DRIM.

1. THE INTERNAL SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST IN THE GARDEN.

Page

The narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised..* 1

CHAP. 1. The scene of the internal sufferings of Jesus Christ 3

2. Christ's first address to his disciples 10

3. The beginning of Christ's sorrowful anguish 17

4. Our Saviour's preparation for prayer, when oppressed

with sorrow 25

5. The prayer of Jesus in his sorrow and anguish of soul il

6. The first temptation of the disciples.... 37

7. The disciples visited again after our Saviour's second

• prayer 44

8. Christ's agony and conflict. '. 49

9. Jesus comes the third time to his disciples 57

2. THE EXTERNAL SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST IN THE GARDEN.

The narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised 64

CHAP. 1. The coming of the enemies of Christ to apprehend

him 66

Page

CHAP. 2. The treacherous behaviour of Judas 76

8. Christ's first discourse with his enemies 8t

4. A continuation of Christ's discourse with his enemies 90

5. Christ is apprehended, and Peter defends him 96

6. Christ's mild reproof of his disciples 103

7. The binding of Christ, and his remonstrance to his

enemies ; 109

8. 'Christ deserted by his disciples 118

3. THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST BEFORE THE JEWISH
SANHEDRIM.

The narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised 123

CHAR 1. Christ brought before the spiritual court of the Jews 127

2. The first fall of Peter the Apostle 135

3. Christ interrogated the first time before the spiritual

judicature , 143

4. The unjust treatment of Christ at his first examination

before the spiritual court 154

5. Peter's second and third fall 164

<>. The recovery of Peter after his fall 171

7. The behaviour of the Lord Jesus during the unjust

proceedings of the Sanhedrim 179

8. The farther examination of Christ ; and his good

confession before the Jewish Sanhe drim 189

9. Sentence passed on the Lord Jesus after his confession 205
10. The treatment of Christ after sentence was passed

upon him •

THE SECOND PART.

THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, BEFORE THE CIVIL TRIBUNAL OP
PILATE AND HEROD.

The narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised 221

CHAP. 1. Christ delivered up to Pilate the civil judge 227

& The despair of the traitor Judas ,.,.,.,,,,,,

Page
CHAP. 3. The" first conference between Pilate and the accusers

of the Lord Jesus 23*

A. The first examination of Jesus Christ before the tri-
bunal of Pontius Pilate 263

5. The good confession of Christ concerning his kingdom

before Pilate 27*

6. The consequence of our blessed Saviour's good con-

fession before Pilate « 289

7. The sufferings of Christ before Herod 29$

8. The unjust method taken by Pilate for effecting our

Lord's release B05

9. The murderer Barabbas preferred to the Lord Jesus 312

10. Pilate's fruitless endeavours to release the Lord Jesus 320

11. The indignities which the Lord Jesus suffered in

Pilate's judgment-hall „ 338

12. A farther attempt of Pilate to release Christ 337

1 J. Pilate's last discourse with the Lord Jesus 347

14. Pilate's last feeble endeavour to release the Lord Jesus

THE THIRD PART.

THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST ON MOUNT GOLGOTHA.

The narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised 370

CHAP. 1. The Lord Jesus led to his crucifixion „ 377

2. The last penitential sermon of the Lord Jesus ,. 339

3. The crucifixion of Jesus 4.03

4. The remarkable occurrences which followed the cru-

cifixion of Christ 4,17

5. The mental sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross ... 431

6. The gifts conferred by our Lord Jesus while he hung

upon the cross / 442

7. The last sufferings of the Lord Jesus 457

8. The last words and death of the Lord Jesus.,. «... 4f>.Q

Page
CHAP. 9. The prodigies which happened at the death of the

Lord Jesus 483

10. The last indignity offered to the body of the Lord

Jesus on the cross 499

11. The last honours paid to the body of the Lord Jesus 510

12. The burial of the Lord Jesus .. 522

APPENDIX.

1. The water which flowed from the rock, a type pf the

water which issued forth from our Saviour's side 534

2. The blood of the sacrifice of atonement, a type of the

blood of Jesus Christ 542

3. The sacrifice of Isaac, a type of the great sacrifice and
crucifixion of Christ ., ,,,,...... 552

MEDITATIONS, &c

PART I.

THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SUFFERINGS

OF CHRIST, IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, AND

BEFORE THE JEWISH SANHEDRIM.

1. OF THE INTERNAL SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST IN THE
GARDEN AT THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.

The Narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised.

HEN cometh Jesus with them into a place called
« Gethsemane, where was a garden, into which Jesus
" and his disciples entered. But Judas, who betrayed
" him, also knew the place ; for Jesus oft-times re-
" resorted thither with his disciples.

" And when he was come into the garden, he said
" to his disciples, sit ye here, while I go and pray yon-
" der. Pray that ye enter not into temptation,

" And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of
" Zebedee, James, and John, and began to be sorrow-
" ful, and very heavy. And Jesus said unto them,
" My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death :
" tarry ye here and watch with me.

" And he went a little farther, and was withdrawn
" from them about a stone's cast; and kneeled down

" and prayed, that if it were possible the hour might
" pass from him.

" And he said, Father, all things are possible unto
" thee ; take away this cup from me : nevertheless
" not what I will, but what thou wilt.

" And he cometh to his disciples, and findeth them
" asleep : and he saith to Peter ; Simon, sleepest
" thou ? Couldest thou not watch with me one hour ?
" Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into tempta-
" tion : The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
" weak.

" And he went away again the second time, and
" prayed, and spake the same words : O my Father ;
" if this cup may not pass from me, except I drink
" it, thy will be done. And he came and found
" them asleep again ; for their eyes were heavy,
" neither wist they what to answer him.

" And he left them, and went away again, and
" prayed the third time, saying the same words :
" Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from
" me ; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.
" And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,
"strengthening him. And being in an agony, he
" prayed more earnestly ; and his sweat was, us it
" were, great drops of blood falling down to the
" ground.

" And when he rose up from prayer, and came to
" his disciples the third time, he found them sleep-
" ing for sorrow. And he said unto them, Will ye
*' yet sleep, and take your rest ? Why sleep ye ?
" Behold, the hour is come ; and the Son of Man
" is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up,
M let us go ! Lo ! he that betrayeth me is at hand.
" Pray, that ye enter not into temptation."

A PREPARATORY PRAYER.

LORD JESUS ! the author and finisher of our faith,
who didst endure the pains of the cross, and embrace
sorrow, when thou mightest have reigned in joy ;
blessing and eternal praise be to thee for thy free love,
which moved thee, in our stead, to enter on the field
of battle, and to obtain a glorious victory, the benefit
of which aU thy spiritual Israel might partake. Illu-
minate our eyes, that they may rightly discern the
mystery of the internal agonies of thy soul, with
which thou hast pleaded our cause before the tribunal
of divine justice. Grant this for the sake of thy
transcendent love. Amen.

CHAPTER I.

THE SCENE OF THE INTERNAL SUFFERINGS OF JESUS CHRIST.

" Tlien cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Geth-
" semanc, where was a garden, info which Jesus and his
" disciples entered. But Judas, who betrayed him, also
"knew the place; for Jesus oft-times resorted thither
" with his disciples."

THESE words contain a summary account,

First, Of the place where Christ entered on his

spiritual conflict ; and,

Secondly, Of the company who attended him

thither.

The place was a farm or country-house at the foot
of the Mount of Olives, called Gethsemane, either

B 2

from the oil-presses in which the olives growing in the
adjacent grounds were pressed, or from the rich fer-
tility of the soil. As the singular providence of God
directed all our Saviour's sufferings, and the most mi-
nute circumstances attending them ; it may be reason-
ably supposed to be not a mere matter of chance, that
his internal sufferings happened in this place. It was,

1. A valley at the foot of a mountain, and con-
sequently a proper scene for Christ's humiliation. —
When our blessed Saviour intended to manifest his
glory to three of his disciples, he led them up to a
mountain ; * but now, when the same disciples are to
'be witnesses of his abasement, he retires with them to
an obscure valley. In the former case, the nature of the
thing seemed to require, that it should be represented
on an elevated conspicuous place ; in the latter, a
retired valley bore the greatest analogy to the transac-
tion.

2. It was the " valley of oil or of fatness." This
fertile valley may be a type of the spiritual fertility,
which was to be the consequence of Christ's passion.

3. But the place where Christ's spiritual sufferings
commenced is more particularly specified, by the ad-
dition, that it was a Garden. By this means, our
thoughts may be led to the garden of Eden, the place
of our unhappy fall. In a place similar to that where,
by sin, we had alienated ourselves from God, that im-
portant transaction begins by which the door of com-
munion with him was to be again opened. Where
the curse was first denounced, there the foundation for
obtaining the blessing is laid. Where sin first entered
into the world, there also is it first expiated.

* Matthew, xvii. 1.

Again ; To this garden Jesus resorted with his dis-
ciples.— The nearer the hour of suffering approaches,
the more closely ought we to associate ourselves with
the children of God. The Lord Jesus, before this
crisis, used to pray alone ; and for that purpose gene-
rally fixed on some solitary place in a desert, or on a
mountain apart:* but on the days immediately pre-
ceding his passion, if he did not pass the night in
Jerusalem, he frequently resorted, with his disciples,
to this place ; without doubt, in order to pray, and to
prepare himself for his last sufferings, which were
then approaching. Thus he has sanctified to his.
members communion in prayer, and recommended it
by his great example.

Another particular mentioned of this field of con-
flict was, that it was known to the traitor. " Judas
who betrayed him, knew the place." This is taken
notice of by St. John, probably to obviate any surmise,
that Jesus went into the garden with a view of con-
cealing himself, and of avoiding danger. The case was
far otherwise : he made choice of a place with which
the betrayer was well acquainted. This is a proof of
the willing cheerfulness with which the Saviour entered
on liis sufferings. Judas knew the place ; and Christ
was aware that he knew it. Our Lord might easily
have chosen some secret place of retirement ; but his
exceeding love to us, carried him to the very spot with
which his betrayer was acquainted. Thus he went,
like a lamb to the slaughter, prepared to meet his mur-
derers. Here the following observations occur.

1. It is one of the aggravations of Christ's suffer-
ings, that one of his intimate friends, who had eaten of

* "Matthew, xiv. 22, 23; Luke, vi. 12.

his bread, lifted up his heel against him. As the
prophecies were fulfilled* in this circumstance, so the
justice of divine retaliation eminently shows itself.
Our first unhappy fall was preceded by the most fla-
gitious perfidy : man, the intimate friend and guest of
God, violated his fidelity and allegiance to his indul-
gent Creator. To atone for this, the blessed Jesus was
permitted to suffer this afflicting incident ; which, we
may conclude, occasioned the severe reflections of his
enemies. « Now it may be seen, (they would say,)
what manner of person this Jesus of Nazareth is;
whose very disciples come to offer him for sale.' Such
events are still not unfrequent in the church of God ;
his faithful servants and children are often betrayed
by those, whom they have treated with the greatest
confidence and affection. This calamity has been sanc-
tified in the sacred person of Christ. Yet on such
occasions, we may justly say, " Woe to that man by
whom the son of man is betrayed" in his members.

2. A single sin, when deeply rooted in the heart,
may be productive of many heinous crimes. Judas
was extremely covetous. He embezzled and con-
cealed part of what he receivedf . This, by repetition,
became a habit ; and the love of money increased to
such a degree, that at last he sold his Master. Oh,
that by this detestable example we may be rendered
cautious ! Satan does not always make use of seven
cords to bind a soul + for destruction. One alone is
sufficient for his purpose. The bulk of mankind un-
happily suppose, that if they do not commit gross and
scandalous crimes, they are safe ; and may indulge their

Psalm, xli. 4«j and Iv. 14. t John, xiL 6.

•9 t Judges, *vi. 8.

favourite sin without danger. Judas, to his unspeak-
able grief, found the contrary to be true. His beset-
ting sin was avarice, and this cost him his life and
eternal salvation. Such was the chain in which Satan
bound the unhappy Judas. One he entangles in the
snares of intemperance, another he captivates with
ambition, a third with voluptuousness and secret im-
purity ; but he leads them all to utter ruin, unless
sincere conversion and repentance intervene. This
should animate us with a desire to cast off the chains
of the devil, and to prostrate ourselves at the feet of
the blessed Jesus, with prayer and intercession that he
would loose the bonds of sin, before we * become fast
bound in misery and iron.'

II.

Here also are mentioned the companions, who at-
tended our blessed Saviour to his place of conflict.
Jesus, indeed, was the chief person in this transaction ;
and of him it is expressly said, « Then cometh Jesus.'
He comes himself: he does not send an angel or any
of his followers in his stead ; for, in this important
affair, no created being could supply his place, or
fulfil the arduous task. He appears in his own adora-
ble person, and fulfils the word which had long since
been spoken by the mouth of David, ' Lo, I come to
do thy will, O my God !'*

1. Observe here, That the actions of our Saviour,
particularly his procession to his ignominious death,
should frequently be present before our eyes. We
should never be wearied of reflecting on the suffer-
ings of Christ as of a story of slight importance ; but

* Psalm, xl. 8, 9-

should continually derive new strength, comfort, cou-
rage, and incitements to duty, from all the weary
steps which his feet trod for our salvation. How
should we be preserved from the commission of sin,
if we continually set before our eyes Christ's mourn-
ful progress to a painful, accursed death !

2. In our meditation on the history of the passion,
our eyes must be fixed on Jesus as the principal
figure in the representation. In this passage many
persons are concerned, each of whom acts his respec-
tive part -, but amidst the group we are never to lose
sight of Jesus. When we come to make a faithful

application to ourselves of the Redeemer's sufferings,
Judas, and the high-priest, Herod, and Pontius Pilate,
should be, comparatively speaking, overlooked by us ;
that, like the disciples at the transfiguration, we may
have our Lord and Saviour alone in view.* Yet
though Jesus be the principal person amongst those
who enter the garden, he is attended by a small com-
pany of disciples, who are to Jbe witnesses of his
sufferings. How wide the difference between the
leader and his companions ! Christ went forth volun-
tarily in obedience to his Almighty Father, out of
tender love to mankind, and animated with divine
strength. His disciples were all weakness, and torpor,
fluctuating betwixt temerity and fear ; companions
fitter to increase, than to mitigate his sorrow.

3. In following the Lord Jesus, we are to prepare
ourselves for a participation of his sufferings. This is
pointed out to us in these words, ' cometh Jesus with
his disciples.' If we acknowledge Christ, and what
he has suffered for us, our resolution must be, ' let us

Matt. xvii. 8.

also go, that we may die with him !'* We are not to
be backward or unwilling when our master shall lead
us to the Mount of Olives : we must follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. If we would be his true dis-
ciples, we must prepare ourselves in his school for
such difficult lessons, and with St. Paul, " desire to
know him — and the fellowship of his sufferings, that
we may be conformable to his death." f

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour ! we bless thee for that infinite
love, which induced thee in thine own glorious and
adorable person, to undergo the painful progress on
which our redemption depended ; and to retire to the
garden of Gethsemane, there to expiate the sins, which
we, by our first parent had committed in the garden of
Eden. Grant us grace, to preserve this thy agonizing-
walk in our remembrance. Inspire us with a willing-
ness to go with thee wherever thou leadest. Preserve
us from being ashamed of the ignominy of thy cross.
If our flesh prove weak and reluctant, draw us after
thee with the cords of thy love, that we may not re-
main behind, nor loiter in the path to future rest,
which lies through sorrow and sufferings. Be also
one day our guide through the gloomy vale of death,
and animate and support us in our last combat. Be
ever merciful to us, O Lord, and lead us in the way
everlasting ! Amen. •

* John xi. 16. t Philipp. ii}. 10.

CHAPTER II.

CHRIST'S FIRST ADDRESS TO HIS DISCIPLES.

f< And when he was come into the garden, he said to his
" disciples, sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
" Pray that ye enter not into temptation."

THESE words exhibit to us,

First, The presence of Christ at the place of con-
flict.
Secondly, His address to his disciples.

The presence of Christ at the scene of his trial and
conflict, is described by St. Luke in these remarkable
words, ' When he was at the place :' that is, the
place of combat. He is now actually in the garden,
on the spot where, by the Father's appointment, his
Son was to drink the cup of mental agony. Here
something extraordinary was to be exhibited : the son
of man was here to become ( a worm ; the Creator
to be lower than the creature ; and the source of all
consolation to be exhausted of every comfort. It was
that we might no longer be what we had been before ;
sinners, rebels, enemies of God, and children of wrath,
that Christ thus suffered. It was in our stead that he
became a victim ; in our stead, that he trod the dreary
path of grief and anguish, that we might be brought
to glory and triumph. Observe here ;

A true follower of Jesus Christ must not draw back
from any place, which Heaven has appointed for the

seene of his sufferings. Our blessed Lord voluntarily
presented himself. He did not attempt to make his
escape, nor withdraw from his heavenly Father's
determination. He now calls to us, as Gideon did
to his men, ' Look on me, and do likewise !'* When
the providence of God leads us to any place appointed
for suffering, we are not to hesitate : " If any man
draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." f

Christ entered on his sufferings with a resignation,
free from all backwardness or repugnancy. He was
not dragged by force to the place, but came by a free
spontaneous motion. O my Saviour ! though the
combined strength of the world could not have forced
thee, thy unspeakable love drew thee to Gethsemane.
With us, alas ! it is quite otherwise : to St. Peter it
was said, * Another shall carry thee whither thou
wouldest not. \ Flesh and blood naturally start back
at the thoughts of suffering. But as by thy readiness,
O blessed Jesus, thou hast atoned for our reluctancy ;
may thy example impart to us strength and power
joyfully to conquer our unwillingness to suffer for
thy sake !

II.

In our Saviour's words to his disciples, it is ob-
servable, that his first care is about tJiem, before he
takes the least thought about his own particular con-
cerns. The care of his poor flock lay nearest to the
heart of the good shepherd ; and ' having loved his
own, he loved them to the end.' As the high-priest,
in the Old Testament, bore the names of the twelve
tribes of Israel on his breast-plate when he entered
into the holy of holies, on the great day of atonement;

* Judges, vii, 17. tHeb. x. 38. J John, xxi 18.

so this faithful high-priest, the chief of the spiritual
Israel, bore his disciples on his heart, when he was
about to present his supplications at the sanctuary
of God.

These words of Christ intimate, what he himself
was preparing to do ; and also what he would have
his disciples to do at this great crisis.

* Whilst I go, and pray yonder.' He intends to
withdraw from them, and pray ; to pour out his sup-
plications to his Father in private. It was fitting
that the most important of all events should begin
with prayer. When King David, one of the express
types of Christ, in his flight from Absalom, was to
pass over this same Mount of Olives, it is said, ' when
David was come to the top of the Mount, he wor-
shipped God.' * On the same Mount of Olives, the
Son of David also offers his prayers. The Holy Ghost
had before caused it to be written concerning the
Messiah by the pen of David, that in his most bitter
sufferings he would look for help to the sanctuary
of God. The book of Psalms exhibits the agonies of
Christ under a sense of the divine wrath : " O my
God, I cry unto thee in the day-time, and in the
night-season I am not silent." f " My prayer is unto
thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time !" J " But I give
myself unto prayer ;" || or, as it may be rendered,
* I am prayer itself ;' § that is, * All that I do is to
recommend my cause unto thee in prayer.' Though
he had been so lately engaged in prayer to his
heavenly Father, he did not think it irksome to re-
turn to that exercise ; it was the element in which
his soul lived. He presents himself before his Father,

* 2 Sam. xv. 32. t Psalm, xxii. 2. J Psalm, Ixix. 13.

|| Psalm, cix. 4. § Et ego sum oratio.

as the oblation for the sins of the world, and the
import x of his prayer is, « Lo ! I come to do thy will/
O God.' Hence we learn,

1. That prayer is our best employment in the hour
of temptation. Did Christ himself in the affliction
of his soul adopt this as an employment best suited
to the occasion ? Certainly then we cannot pretend
to discover a better expedient. Prayer is reckoned by
St. Paul as part of the spiritual panoply to be used
in an evil hour. * Whoever ventures amongst the
fiery darts of the wicked one without this weapon,
can hardly escape unhurt. But alas ! it is a frequent
error of the children of God, to be so anxious about
human means in their distress, as utterly to forget
this best expedient. It is true the Almighty seldom
stretches out his arm from heaven to relieve his dis-
tressed creatures in an extraordinary manner, but
makes use of men as his instruments. Yet, let us
beware of seeking relief from these, so as to exclude
prayer and reliance upon God ; a fatal error, which
cannot be avoided with too much circumspection.

2. As public or united prayer has its particular
promises and blessings ; so personal and private prayer
is sometimes not less necessary and beneficial. Christ
himself has afforded us an example, that one must not
supplant the other. He had prayed with his disciples,
and in their presence, f and now he pours out his
supplications alone. We ought therefore to do the
one, but not to leave the other undone. It is proper
that families should perform their public devotions
together morning and evening ; but it is likewise
necessary that besides this united sacrifice of prayer,
each individual should pour out his heart to God in

* Ephes. vi. 18. t John, xvii.

private, * and with the simplicity of a child, converse
with his heavenly Father.

Our Lord further intimates what he would have
his disciples do at this important crisis.

' Sit ye here/ says our blessed Lord. At the same
time, we may suppose, he pointed to a place, perhaps
at the entrance of the garden, where his disciples were
to stay. The like circumstance occurs at the in-
tended sacrifice of Isaac, f These words are par-
ticularly addressed to eight of his disciples, who
possibly might be the weakest, and the least capable
of beholding his dreadful agonies. He therefore
directs them to remain at a distance ; but the other
three disciples he takes along with him, that they
may -be nearer his person, and be eye-witnesses of
his sufferings. Hence the following observations
arise.

1. It is not adviseable for a servant of God, when
under sufferings, to lay his heart open indiscrimately
to all. Christ did not allow all his disciples to be
present at his inward agonies, but directed the greater
part of them to keep at a distance; well knowing,
that they might be offended by a nearer view of his
unspeakable anguish and agonizing conflict. The
children of God, when under severe sufferings, and
especially when pressed by violent inward trials and
temptations, sometimes cause pious souls to fall and
be offended ; so that under such circumstances, some
caution is necessary, nor ought they to disclose inad-
vertently the secret motions and anguish of the heart
to every by-stander.

2. It is a sign, that we are not yet mature for

* Matt, vi. 6. t Genesis, xxii, 5.

sufferings, when we are allowed to stand at a distance,
and view the sufferings of others. A Christian should
consider his exemption from the cross, not so much as
a sign of God's particular favour, as of his own weak-
ness. If we would become worthy to bear the * marks
of the Lord Jesus,' we must be diligent in the use of
those means which will fortify us to endure temptations
and sufferings.

Our Lord further says, 'Pray that ye enter not
into temptation.' Christ would not have them to be
indolent, or to fall asleep ; but to join in prayer with
him, though absent. He directs them to pray, that
their prayers might guard them against an approach-
ing temptation. Prayer is doubtless the most effec-
tual preservative in these seasons. It is the breast-
work with which we must defend ourselves on the
approach of trials. Hence we infer :

1. Under trouble and affliction we are not to with-
draw from God ; but to approach nearer the throne
of grace. They, who attend to the secret workings
of their souls, must have observed, that in a crisis
of trouble, Satan endeavours to divert them from
prayer; so that even good men are apt to neglect
it. But their consciences afterwards sting them with
remorse, and the tempter himself reproaches them
for the omission. The attacks of Satan are most dan-
gerous to those who, instead of resisting, suffer him
to use his utmost efforts, and unconcernedly wait
the issue. When pressing troubles, or the unwilling
flesh, would deter us from the duty of prayer, we
should resolutely enter upon it, in the divine strength,
imploring an effusion of the spirit of supplication.

2. Christ's intercession, and that of our fellow-
Christians, does not exempt us from the duty of per-

sonal prayer. Our blessed Lord prays for his disciples,
yet he enjoins them to pray for themselves likewise.
When others pray for us, they are to pour forth their
supplications with as much zeal and fervour, as if we
did not pray at all ; and when we pray ourselves, our
petitions should be offered with the same earnestness,
as if the weight of the duty rested whoUy on us.

3. Prayer is not to be deferred till the trial has
actually overtaken us, but must be used as a preser-
vative to ward it off. It is one of Satan's devices, to
reduce us to a careless security before temptation;
to render us cold and lifeless in our petitions for re-
lief when we are under its pressure. If he can thus
bind our feeble hands, he is sure to carry his point.
Let us then be vigilant and on our guard. Let us
set before our eyes the blessed Jesus praying most
fervently, and we shall derive resolution and strength
from his example.

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour ! unfeigned thanksgiving and
praise be ascribed to thee, that by thy petitions as our
high-priest, thou hast sanctified prayer, and imparted
to it an efficacy by which we may combat the assaults
of our spiritual enemy. May thy Holy Spirit incite
us to prayer when an hour of trouble approaches,
that we may not be remiss in arming ourselves with
this powerful weapon, when the enemy is preparing to
assault our souls. And do thou, blessed Jesus, assist
us with thy prevailing intercession ; that our weak
imperfect prayers may be sanctified, and rendered ac-
ceptable to the Father for thy sake. Amen.

CHAPTER III.

THE BEGINNING OF CHRIST'S SORROWFUL ANGUISH.

" And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee,
" James and John, and began to be sorrowful, sore
" amazed, and very heavy. And Jesus said unto them,
" My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death ; tarry
" ye here and watch with me"

THESE words describe the sorrow and anguish of
our Lord Jesus : We observe,

First, The persons who were present ; and
Secondly, The intenseness of our Saviour's sorrow.

The spectator of the sorrow and anguish of Christ
were Peter, James* and John, the three principal dis-
ciples. The first was Peter, who had before pro-
fessed such intrepidity, and had set himself above
the rest of the disciples, saying, " Lord I am ready
to go with thee both into prison, and to death ;
though all shall be offended because of thee, yet
will not I." Accordingly now the trial approaches,
and he must be present at this extraordinary trans-
action. Here, amidst these perturbations and agonies
of our blesstd Lord, he had an opportunity of ap-
proving his courage and resolution. Hence St. Peter
styles himself ".a witness of the sufferings of Christ."*
After him follow James and John, who are here called
the sons of Zebedee ; probably in reference te the

* 1 Petei'j v. 1.

question which on a former occasion Jesus had put to
them, ' Are ye able to drink of the cup which I shall
drink of?' when they readily answered, * we are able.'*
Here, therefore, they had an opportunity of giving a
proof of their boasted fortitude. Whilst the rest of
the disciples were to remain at some distance, perhaps
at the entrance of the garden, these were permitted
to attend our Lord, not only that they might be wit-
nesses of lu's agony, but possibly, that he might receive
comfort by conversing with them. The other disciples
we may suppose were within sight ; from them the
transaction was not concealed, but there was some
difference in the degree of knowledge imparted to
them! The three favoured disciples were probably
endued with a greater portion of strength and grace.
We know from the evangelical history, that on ex-
traordinary occasions our Lord had these disciples near
his person; as when he raised Jairus's daughter to
life,f and at his transfiguration on the Mount, f They
had then seen the majesty of Christ displayed in its
greatest glory, and they were now to be witnesses of
his lowest debasement and humiliation. Hence we
remark,

1. The wisdoih of God usually proportions our
temptations to our respective degrees of strength. He
gradually enures his weaker children to the cross, and
frequently permits them to view for a time the con-
flicts of others, before they themselves are engaged in
the battle. This wise and gracious discrimination
our blessed Saviour observes in the instance before us.
The disciples who followed him, were a poor, illiterate
set of men. None of them were yet prepared to

* Matt xx'. 22. t Luke, vili. 51. | Matt. xvii. 1.

endure sufferings for his sake ; and therefore it was
provided that they should not at that time be brought
to the trial. Again ; some amongst them were weaker
than others. The weakest he stations at a distance :
those who were somewhat stronger, he takes along
with him, and in some measure admits to a fellowship
in his sufferings. It is said, " he will not suffer us to
be tempted above what we are able."* This ceconomy
he alone understands, who searches the heart, and tries
the strength of every individual ; and therefore we are
to acquiesce in his dealings, without expostulating or
saying with Peter, * Lord but what shall this man
suffer ?' f Otherwise we shall receive the same answer,
' What is that to thee ? follow thou me.'

2. In severe trials and temptations, it is not advise-
able to desire solitude. Christ might not stand in
need of his disciples on his own account; but, by
taking some of them to be near him, he probably
intended to recommend and sanctify social relief in
distress. They judge amiss who, under severe tempta-
tions, rely on their own strength ; and slight the
discourse, consolation and prayers, of other good men.
To such may be addressed the advice of Solomon;
" Two are better than one ; for if they fall, the one
will lift up his fellow : but woe to him that is alone
when he falleth ; for he hath not another to help
him up." |

3. The greatest and severest spiritual trials often
happen to those whom God has either already highly

* i Cor. x. is

t OVTOS Se -ri. The English translation renders it, ' What shall this
man do.' John, xxi. 21.
J Eccles. iv. 9.

favoured, or intends to employ on some important
occasion. These three Apostles had been with Christ
on the holy mount, before they attended him to the
mount of Olives. They are called " pillars ;" * and
were afterwards employed in extraordinary transac-
tions. Peter led the way in declaring the gospel
message to Jews and Gentiles, f James was the first
of the Apostles who sealed the truth of the doctrine
with his blood, t John was to survive all the dis-
ciples, and to be favoured with sublime revelations of
the state of the church of God to the end of the
world. — These disciples, therefore, were admitted to a
nearer view, a more intimate knowledge of their mas-
ter's mental sufferings than the rest. In like manner,
Abraham, who was appointed by God to be the Father
of the faithful, passed through such trials, as, in the
judgment of Luther, not one of his descendants would
have been able to bear. St. Paul, who was most emi-
nently distinguished and blessed in his apostolical
office, laboured and suffered more than all the other
apostles. The great reformer, Luther, was likewise
prepared for his important work by great and arduous
trials. — Most of us would wish, without labour or
conflict, to attain to a high degree of holiness, and be
made illustrious instruments in the hands of God;
but this must not be ; the favours of God are dealt
only to those whom he has tried and approved.

* Gal. ii. 9. t Acts, ii. and x.

J Acts, xii.— He is supposed to have suffered martyrdom in the
fairth year of Claudius, and the forty-fourth of the vulgar a?ra.

II.

The vehemence of the sorrow and anguish of our
L,ord, as described by the Evangelists, was such, that
he both felt it inwardly, and likewise discovered it
by his words.

1. That the internal sorrow of the blessed Jesus was
very bitter and vehement, appears from the language of
the evangelists. He began " to be overwhelmed with
sorrow, to be sore amazed;" which word in the
original, denotes the most painful anguish, depression,
and terror. * As man, in whose stead this sacred per-
son offered himself, consists both of soul and body, so
his representative was to suffer in both.

2. He discovered this anguish by his words : " Jesus
said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even
unto death ; tarry ye here, and watch with me." The
chief seat of agony was his soul, which was now, as it
were, hemmed in with sorrow, like a city pressed on
all sides by an enemy. Thus the Messiah in the book
of Psalms is introduced, pouring forth his complaints ;
" Innumerable evils have compassed me."f And this
sorrow was " unto death," because either it was great
enough to have broken his heart, or because it would
not cease till death put an end to it.

He requires his disciples to watch with him, that
they might be witnesses of his agony, and -arm
themselves against the trial which was coming on
tli em.

Christ in the internal sufferings of his soul, is to be
considered as bearing the sins of the whole world, and
the wrath of God, in our stead. Our eyes must be eiv

* E>c9a/*Cejfl-9ai. t Psalm, xL 12.

€3

lightened by the Holy Ghost, to view him in his sor-
rows as the " Lamb of God which taketh away the
sin of the world." * Other martyrs have gone cheer-
fully to tortures and death ; whence then arises such
sorrow and trembling here ? Is this chief of martyrs
more timorous and faint-hearted than they ? Is he
afraid of contempt, or of death ? God forbid ! But
he was to suffer a death not yet divested of its
sting; whereas the death of saints and martyrs has
beforehand lost its sting in Christ. God placed him,
as it were, at his judgment-seat, and caused him to
feel that dreadful wrath which burns to the lowest
hell. He had nothing before him but God's awful
tribunal, and the horrible imagery of all the sins, past,
present, and future, of the whole race of mankind.
This circumstance is to be improved,

1. For promoting a salutary contrition and sorrow.
Behold, wretched man ! thou committest innumerable
sins with pleasure, yet the Son of God was to expiate
them with inexpressible pain. Let the greatness of
his sorrow teach thee how horrible sin must be,
which could provoke the righteous God to inflict
such rigorous punishment on his only Son. What
thou seest him endure, thou thyself must have suf-
fered. With this anguish and sorrow thou wouldest
have been oppressed for ever. And, indeed, all this
agony, in an eternity of darkness and torment, awaits
those sinners, who do riot, by repentance and faith, be-
come partakers of the benefits of these sufferings.
Forbear, O sinner, to heap up those treasures of wrath,
which an infinite and omnipotent God will inflict upon

* John, i. 29.

thee, if. by this agony of his Son tliou art not moveo*
to sorrow and repentance.

2. For promoting a true and lively faith. Behold !
thou who hast a sincere hatred against sin ; thy trans-
gressions lie on the head of that sacred victim,, the
Lamb of God. They are included in the heavy load
which oppresses him. They have no more right in
thee; fear not, thou shalt never be required to atone
for them. God is not unrighteous to demand of thee
a debt, wliich his Son has generously discharged. Ac-
knowledge thy wickedness ; acknowledge that thou
didst occasion this sorrow to thy Saviour. By his
extreme anguish he has procured for thee a title to
everlasting felicity. As thou never wouldest have
had cause to rejoice either in time or eternity, if Christ
had not endured this for thee ; so now, not even under
the cross hast thou occasion to continue in sorrow,
if thou standest in the faith of Christ.

3. For promoting a cordial and unfeigned love to
the Lord Jesus. Who will not love him, who, from
the free impulse of his exalted love, underwent such
sorrow and anguish for our sakes ? The more painful
to him was his love towards us, the more ardently
should it constrain us to love him and to suffer for
his sake.

4. For a powerful source of comfort under trials
and afflictions. Tempted and afflicted soul ! confide
in thy merciful high-priest, who, from experience,
knows thy distress and trouble ; and having himself
been touched with thy infirmities, knows how to help
and support thee. In thy sorrow and dread of God's
judgments, there is intermixed a sinful repining ; but
he bore his inexpressible anguish without murmuring

6r impatience ; and by his blameless and undeserved
Sorrow, he has covered the spots and imperfections
which accompany thy sorrow, so that they shall
not be laid to thy charge at the divine tribunal.
When thou art under anguish of mind, remember
the agony of thy mediator ; and be confident, that
as certainly as he did not sink under it, but was
supported and finally delivered, so certainly shalt
thou again lift up thy head with joy, and by his
sorrow become entitled to everlasting joy and peaee.

PRAYER.

ALL praise and thanksgiving be rendered to thee,
O adorable Jesus ! for the anguish and heaviness with
which thy soul submitted to be oppressed ! May we
enjoy the fruits of thy sorrow, during our lives, and
particularly at the tremendous hour of death ; that
we may walk without fear through the gloomy vale,
which thou hast sanctified by thy blessed footsteps.
Grant this for the sake of thy love to mankind.
Amen.

CHAPTER IV.

SAVIOUR'S PREPARATION FOR PRAYER, WHEN OPPRESSED
WITH SORROW.

" And he went a little farther, and was withdrawn from
" them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and fell
" on his face to the ground, and prayed, That if it were
" possible, the hour might pass from him"

THESE words exhibit to us our Saviour's prepara-
tion for prayer in his agony. In which we may
observe,

First, His attitude.

Secoiidly, The purport of his prayer.

As to the attitude of our Saviour during his prayer
and conflict ; it is observable,

1. That he withdrew from his disciples; for it is
said ' he went a little farther.' At first he was in
company with his eleven disciples ; afterwards he
chose three of them, whom he took along with him,
leaving the rest behind. To these three he made
known the sorrow and anguish of his soul. And
now he also left these and retired from them, though
but a short distance, so that he would probably be
within their view;, and by the light of the moon, then
at the fuD,* they might discover how he was em-
employed. But it is soon afterwards said, that he
" withdrew from them about a stone's cast." This
denotes a still farther removal, intended to prevent

* The Passover was usually at the tune of the full moon.

his disciples from taking offence at his extreme sorrow,
and to enable him more freely to pour out his heart
before his heavenly Father. He was seized by ve-
hement anguish, overpowered, and as it were, im-
pelled forward. This retirement suited our blessed
Lord's present situation, when he would plead with
his heavenly Father. Now his most faithful friends
were to stay behind ; for in this important crisis no
created being could afford him any assistance.

2. * He kneeled.' St. Luke says, " that he kneeled
down," bent his knees down to the ground. We find
it recorded of other holy persons in scripture, that
they prayed kneeling, as Solomon, * Ezra, f Paul ; J
Solomon was a king, Ezra a priest, Paul a prophet
or teacher. But he whom we here behold kneeling,
was at once king, priest, and prophet. They were
dust and ashes, and their honour did not suffer by
their kneeling in the dust; but here the Lord of
heaven and earth kneeled, to whom " every knee
shall bow."

3. "He fell on his face to the ground" What
a spectacle is here ! The only Son of the Father ties
prostrate in the dust. When David besought God
for the life of his child, he lay all night on the
ground ; § here, we behold the Son and Lord of David,
lying with his face on the ground. Hence we are
taught,

lv That the reconciliation of fallen man was to be
attended with circumstances quite opposite to those
of his revolt. The fall was occasioned by the most
audacious presumption ; man refused to be any longer

* 2 Chron. vi. 13. tEzra. ix. 5. J Acts, xx. 3&
§ 2 Sam. xii. 16.

. 27

subject to or dependent on his Creator, but would at
once, as it were, climb up to heaven ; and would, had
it been possible, have dethroned that God, before
whom the angels veil their faces. In the commission
of this crime all was arrogance and presumption : in
the expiation of it nothing is seen but humiliation
and abasement. When any aspiring or presumptuous
thoughts arise in us, let us think of the debased Jesus,
with his body extended on the earth, and humbling
himself, like a worm, before Divine Justice.

2. The inward awe and reverence, with which we
should be filled in prayer, must show itself outwardly
in a reverential posture. The Son of God, whilst
pleading our cause with his Father, kneels on the
ground ; why then are our knees so stiff and in-
flexible, that they do not bend before the supreme
Majesty of heaven, when we are addressing him in
prayer ? This indeed is not the essential part of de-
votion; yet where the heart is possessed with real
humility and reverence it will certainly show itself
outwardly. A bold, careless or familiar behaviour
in performing this duty, is too common.

3. The followers of Christ may fall into such cir-
cumstances that they must relinquish every expec-
tation of comfort in the creature. Christ himself,
the Head and Captain of the church militant, was in
his sufferings, destitute of all human comfort. But
we may learn from these words, " I am not alone ;
for the Father is with me,"* that we have a God,
with whom, in an hour of desertion, we may converse
with reverential intimacy.

* John, xvi. 32,

II.

As to the purport of the prayer, it is said, " He
prayed, that if it were possible, this hour might pass
from him."

The expression, < He prayed,' is often repeated in
this history ; as if the evangelists wished us to notice
the prayer of the Lord Jesus. Tlje more his sorrows
pressed upon him, the more he persevered in prayer to
his Father, and humbled himself before the offended
Majesty of heaven. When our Saviour at the begin-
ning of his ministry was tempted by the devil, the last
and most audacious assault Was made in these words :
" All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall
down, and worship me." Christ, having repelled the
attack with — « Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,'
the tempter departed from him : but as St. Luke re-
markably adds, ' It was for a season.'* He now
returns again in the gloomy hour of trial, and renews
the temptation. But Christ, in this instance also,
continues true to his Father, and worships God only.

What was the purport of our Saviour's prayer?
" That if it were possible, this hour might pass from
him." He calls the sufferings allotted to him, and of
which he had already a foretaste, an Houn.f It had
before been said, " His hour was not yet come.":}:
But now it was come, as our blessed Lord himself
says in his prayer, * Father, the hour is come.' This
was indeed an important hour, set apart in the eternal
decrees of God for the sufferings of his Son ; an hour,
or time which the Spirit in the prophets had long

* Luke, iv. 13. t John, xii. 27.; riii. 1. J John, vii. 30.

before signified ; * an hour which our blessed Lord
had before his eyes, and expected, as a woman expects
the hour of her travail. It includes the whole torrent
of sufferings with which his feeble humanity was to be
overwhelmed, the insults, pain, and death he was to
endure : but it more particularly denotes the present
hour of his inward agony, his anguish of soul ; when
the floods of God's wrath were discharged on him ;
when he stood before the Divine tribunal as the great-
est of criminals, bearing the sins of the whole world.

Concerning this hour, he prays, * that it might
pass from him.' The desire of being freed from pain,
or at least of receiving some mitigation of it, is in
itself a natural and blameless affection ; a state of
suffering being what human nature was not originally
designed for. Christ was not liable to suffering, but
by his voluntary submission ; for he had not the
least taint of sin. But our miseries moved him to
suffer for us; and he felt the accumulated burden
in such an oppressing manner, that he was constrained
to seek some alleviation. It does not however appear
that he petitioned his Father, that all the sufferings
he was to undergo might pass from him, as it has
been sometimes expounded ; but that he might obtain,
in the present hour of extreme inward anguish, an
abatement and shortening of his agony.

He further adds, « If it be possible ;' that is, if it
can be done consistently with thy holiness and justice,
and without breaking thy pre-established decrees.
Such was the purport of our Saviour's prayer ; and
we may learn from it,

* 1 Peter, i. 11.

1. That oral prayer is by no means to be neglected
or undervalued. Some persons, pretend to say, we
ought only to pray mentally ; and that it savours of
superstition, to think that we either stand in need of
words to give utterance to our prayers, or are bound
to set apart certain times for this duty. But these
evasions are invalidated by the example of Christ
himself. Prayer requires a separation from the world,
and serious recollection of our scattered thoughts,
which are dissipated by the labour and hurry of
business. It is indeed proper and necessary at all
times to lift up our hearts to God, and to walk as in
his sight ; but this does not supersede the use of oral
prayer ; whoever neglects it will gradually find him-
self estranged from God and religion.

2. Christianity does not consist in a stoical in-
sensibility under afflictions, but in an humble sub-
mission and resignation to the will of God. The
world is apt to imagine, that Christians are devoid of
feeling or sensibility ; but here we see, in the very
highest example, that ' no chastisement for the present
can be accounted joyous.' It is true the men of
the world may calumniate us on the opposite side,
and say, " we thought you Christians had despised
suffering; we see that when touched, you murmur
and complain like others." Christians cannot, how-
ever, but feel the pressure of their present burden,
though they may possess their souls in patience under
its weight.

PRAYER.

THANKS be to thee, O Saviour, that thou hast borne
our griefs and carried our sorrows, and wast tempted

in all things as we are, though without sin. All
praise be to thee for thy deep humiliation in prayer, by
which thou hast atoned for our proud disdain, and
left us a perfect example. Favourably look upon
us in the hour of trial ; and may we arm ourselves
with prayer, and by the strength of thy victory be
conquerors in all things ! Amen.

CHAPTER V.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS IN HIS SORROW AND ANGUISH OF SOUL.

" And he said, Abba, Father ! all things are possible unto
" thee. If it be possible, Itt this cup pass from me :
" nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

THESE are the words of our Saviour's prayer in
his sorrow and conflict.

« And he said, Abba, Father."

As to the appellation of Abba, it is to be observed,

1. That the word Abba, in the Chaldean translation
of the Old Testament, is never used to denote a civil
title of respect and honour, but a real and natural
father.

2. That it is particularly used by children, as an
expression of tenderness and endearment, and had long
before been typically uttered by Isaac, a lively type
of Christ, when he was going to be sacrificed by his
Father. * For though Christ is here a victim under
the sentence of the wrath of God ; yet he penetrates
through the darkness which surrounds him, and calls
God his Father. And this he does in a sense too sub-

* Gen. xxii. 7-

lime for any of the sons of men to repeat it after him ;
he having in his divine nature derived his origin from
the Father by eternal generation, as well as in his
human nature obtained the dignity of his Son by
adoption.

We proceed to the petition itself " If it be pos-
sible, remove this cup from me." The Lord Jesus
previously lays down a fundamental truth, namely,
that " all things are possible" to God ; but the sen-
sible influence of the divine effulgence being for a
time obscured, he was not able clearly to perceive the
decrees of heaven, or to know how long the infliction
of his wrath should continue ; he therefore adds, " if it
be possible," if this prayer can be granted consistently
with thy eternal decree. After this dutiful resignation
to the will of his Father, he proceeds in these words,
" Let this cup pass from me," according to St
Matthew ; or as it stands in St. Mark or St. Luke,
" Take or remove this cup from me." In the illustra-
tion of this passage, two cautions are particularly to
be observed. The one is, that we do not lessen the
sufferings of Christ ; and the other, that no sinful im-
perfection or unwillingness be attributed to him. For
if the least criminal wish, or sinful disposition, had
had any place in Christ, he would himself have been
subject to the penalty of the law, and consequently
could not have redeemed us from its curse. It was
necessary for him to be without the least taint of sin,
like Adam in his state of innocence.

A difficulty arises as to the right meaning of the
phrase, * this cup.' Christ in general calls his whole
passion a cup,* according to the usual phraseology

* Matt. xx. 22.

of the scriptures ;* and therefore many commentators
are of opinion, that Christ by this expression is, for
the moment, deprecating his whole approaching pas-
sion, his agony, and death itself; yet in such a
manner, that he immediately recollects himself, and
acquiesces in the divine will. But Christ had already
foretold to his disciples the principal parts of his out-
ward sufferings,! and consequently had fully resolved
to undergo them. And further, his petition must
have been of such a nature that he might conceive it
possible to be granted ; whereas the removal of all his
external sufferings was absolutely impossible, without
frustrating the whole work of reconciliation. Again ;
it must have been a petition in which he was heard, \
which cannot be said if he prayed for the removal of
all his sufferings in general. These circumstances
oppose the common exposition of the text.

By the cup, therefore, we are rather to understand
the present excruciating sense of the wrath of God,
and the withdrawing of the sensible and comfortable
assistance which, at other times, his human nature used
to derive from the divine. Hence all the evangelists
express it " This" cup. All the other cups of his
passion he was most willing, and ready to drink ; J but
this cup which he now first began to taste, in which
were poured the dregs of the wrath and curse of God,
was so extremely bitter, that his spotless but feeble
humanity shuddered at it. Hence he cries out, ' Let
this cup pass from me ;' in which words he seems only

* Isaiah, li. 17. ; Jer. xxv. 15. ; Psalrrt, Ixxv. 0.
t Luke, xviii. 22.

% " He was heard in that he feared." Heb. v. 7.
§ John, xviii. 11.

to pray for a shortened duration of his inward agony ;
that it might soon pass from him, and that the dread-
ful tempest of the divine wrath might quickly blow
over and be hushed. We may observe.

1. That Christ was tempted in various conflicts
and trials, though without sin, that he might have
compassion on those who are tempted.* This affords
a sure ground of consolation to a soul vmder tempta-
tion. When the mind is depressed, the eyes must be
fixed on the immaculate Lamb of God, who also felt
the same affliction ; but preserved a filial confidence
in his Father. He knows how to bear with his dis-
tressed members, and to succour them in those temp-
tations, with which he was himself exercised.

2. It is to Christ and his meritorious sufferings
that we owe the privilege of being allowed to pray
for an abatement of our sufferings. Never can God
lay so much upon us as we deserve. With our
sufferings, there are intermixed the impatient and dis-
obedient motions of the will : nor should we have
had any right to pray to God either for shortening
the duration, or abating the pressure of our sufferings,
had not an innocent and holy person, who deserved no
punishment, presented himself to suffer in our stead.

Lastly, The conclusion of the prayer is, * Never-
theless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' The Father's
will, and the will of Jesus Christ, though different,
were by no means opposite ; as in Christ himself, the
will of his divine and human natures were different,
yet so that the human will was in a holy subjection to
the divine. His human will felt the anguish which

*Heb. ii. 17, 18.

arose from the divine displeasure. Therefore, our
Saviour seems to say ; " My human nature has, indeed,
some aversion to suffering, particularly at present,
when the sense of thy wrath presseth me sore ; so that,
if it be consistent with thy will, I could wish to be
soon delivered from this agony. But if it be thy will,
that I should bear this load of mental suffering still
longer, and drink of this bitter cup to the last drop, I
heartily submit to thy sentence, and desire nothing
but that, « thy will may be done.'

Here the third petition of the Lord's prayer is truly
performed and consecrated by the sacred lips of our
Mediator and High Priest. It was his desire that his
Father would not judge of him from his present state
of pain and anguish, but according to the thoughts of
his heart, in which the law of his Father was written.*
Under all these violent temptations, the will of Christ
continues submissive, and at length rises superior to
any reluctancy. It is a filial, not a forced submission,
accompanied with a confident reliance and resignation ;
so that his love to the Father remains undiminished.
Hence let us learn,

That the submission of the human will in Christ to
the divine, is an important article both of lu's propitia-
tory sacrifice, and of the great example which he has
left for our imitation. Christ in this sacrifice of his
will, is to be considered as a Reconciler atoning for our
opposition to God and his will. Alas ! how frequently
on any contrariety betwixt God's will and ours, the
former is set aside, and our own sinfully preferred !
Even the children of God, especially when under
temptations and trials, feel in themselves the remains

* Psalm, xl. 8.

of this deeply rooted evil. Herein appears the force
of original sin, displaying itself in an enmity against
God and his ways. This should convince us of the
necessity of a Reconciler, that our inward resistance
against the will of God, which alone would be sufficient
to condemn us, may be forgiven, and our enmity
against God be mortified, by the appropriation of
Christ's ransom. When we partake of that blessing,
and when our minds are enlightened and taught to
look on God as a Father in and through Christ, then
we learn according to our Saviour's perfect example,
to address our heavenly Father from the heart, saying,
" Not mine, but thy will be done."

PRAYER.

To thee, blessed Saviour, thou tempted and merciful
High Priest, all praise and thanksgiving be ascribed,
that thou hast been pleased by the sacrifice of thy will
to make satisfaction for, and expiate our enmity
against the will of God. Be pleased, by virtue of this
thy propitiatory offering, and through the influence of
thy Holy Spirit, to purify and regulate our corrupt
and unruly wills, and to restore them to that state of
conformity to the divine will in which they were at
first created ; that so it may be our meat and drink to
fulfil the will of thy Father, and to resign ourselves to
him. Amen.

CHAPTER VI.

THE FIRST TEMPTATION OF THE DISCIPLES.

" And he cometh to his disciples, -and findeth them asleep ;
" and he saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou ? What,
" could ye not watch with me one hour ? Watch and
" pray, that ye enter not into temptation : the spirit in-
" deed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

THESE words relate the first visit of Christ to the
disciples ; and describe first, their condition, secondly,
our Lord's address to them.

Their condition is exceedingly wretched, and de-
serving of pity. It is said, ' He came to his disciples
and found them sleeping.' Their visitor was the suf-
fering and agonizing Jesus, who was now enduring the
effect of God's wrath, and was about to plead our cause
before the tribunal of heaven : in all his agonies, he
watched over his poor unthinking followers, that they
might not fall into the hands of the tempter. Having
accordingly poured out his heart into his Father's
bosom, and offered up his own will to His, he returns
to visit his three disciples, Peter, James, and John.

The condition in which he found them was very
improper at such a crisis : they were sleeping. It was
with them as with the ten foolish virgins, who, when
the bridegroom delayed his coming, all slumbered and
slept.* ft is true it was late at night, so that their

* Matthew, xxv. 5.

eyes were heavy ; but this was doubtless owing in some
measure to the tempter, Christ having before said that
Satan desired to sift them like wheat. We may sup-
pose the blessed Jesus to have been greatly affected on
finding his most intimate friends in a state so unsuit-
able to that awful crisis. Hence we learn,

1. That it should be esteemed a singular benefit,
when God by the visitations of his grace rovses the
lethargic soul from its spiritual security. The disciples
were probably loth to have their repose disturbed, but
it was the greatest kindness which their Lord could do
them, at a moment of such imminent danger. We
should likewise acknowledge it to be a sign of the
tender love of Christ to our souls, when he does not
allow us to indulge in sloth ; when he visits us by
the secret reproofs of his Spirit ; when he disturbs our
sleeping consciences, and rouses us from a false security.
Woe to that man with whom the Spirit of the Lord no
longer strives ; who is buried in insensibility ; whose
heart does not smite him, when he commits any action
displeasing to God. These are melancholy signs of
approaching obduracy. O blessed Jesus, thou great
Shepherd of Israel, keep a watchful eye on our souls !

2. We have in Satan a subtle enemy, who knows
how to make use of all opportunities. The disciples
were now tired and dispirited, and it was late at night.
The tempter avails himself of these circumstances to
lull them to sleep ! It behoves us then, to be continu-
ally on our guard.

3. Drowsiness, sloth, and indifference in religious
duties, are the usual forerunners of a great fall. It
was so with the unhappy disciples ; for soon after,
Peter denied his master, and the rest forsook him and

fled. When therefore we perceive in ourselves such
dispositions as these, it should alarm us, and make us
fearful lest we should be entering on a path which, un-
less we retreat in time, will plunge us in perdition.

4. God's children are not the less in danger of falling
into heinous sin, after having experienced an extraor-
nary spiritual revival. The tempter never watches
the soul more closely, than after it has received some
particular favour from God. The fall of the disciples
was now drawing very near ; but it was preceded by
frequent visits from the Lord Jesus. Before Peter de-
nied his Master, he had been visited, awakened, and
warned. Man must therefore be convinced, that his
fall is not to be imputed to .God. He previously gives
sufficient grace ; he uses due precautions for preserving
the soul ; and if a fall happen notwithstanding his care,
we ourselves must bear witness that it is to ourselves,
and not to him, we are to impute it. To think other-
wise is to charge God foolishly, and to make him the
author of sin.

II.

The discourse of our blessed Saviour is addressed,
first to Peter in particular, and then to the other dis-
ciples in general.

The particular address to Peter is this : " Simon !
sleepest thou ?" Peter had, above all the rest of the
disciples, made a show of great courage and resolution,
and had promised that with Christ he would go to
prison and to death. The Lord Jesus, therefore, first
turns to him, and reminds him that this lethargy little
agreed with his sanguine promise ; and that he set but
an indifferent example to his brethren. As if he had

D 4

said, " Ah ! wretched Simon, where will this end ?
If thou canst not on my account, break thy natural
rest for a short time, how wilt thou lay down thy life
, for my sake ? If thou art not faithful in matters of
small consequence, how wilt thou be faithful in those
of greater moment ?" Hence we learn,

1. That the greater promises we have made of
fidelity to Christ, the more sensible reproaches must
we expect if we do not acquit ourselves accordingly.
The arrows of Christ's reproof are chiefly pointed at
Peter, who had given him the greatest assurances of
fidelity. Of him who has promised much, much will
be required ; and if it be not performed, the clamours
of conscience will be the more importunate. Let us
reflect how many vows of holy obedience we have
made in the course of our lives, and how few of them
we have fulfilled. Whither should we fly to save
ourselves from shame and grief, were our consciences
to set all our perfidy and baseness before our eyes !

2. Whoever cannot deny himself in small matters,
will be much less able to do it in those of greater
consequence. This our blessed Lord intimates to his
drowsy disciple, by reproaching him with his sleep.
He that cannot bear a frown, a hard word, a reproach-
ful name, for the sake of Christ, will scarcely stand
his ground, when he is called upon to give up his life
for the sake of the Gospel.

As to the speech addressed to the disciples in gene-
ral, it contains,

1, A reproach. " Could ye not watch with me
one hour?" In St. Mark, these words are indeed
spoken to Peter ; but this is easily reconciled with St.
Matthew's account. Undoubtedly his eyes were fixed
on Peter ; but he speaks to all the other disciples, and

upbraids them with their slothfulness. *« Had ye then
not strength enough (as the Greek word expresses it)
to watch with me one hour* ? You, who have arro-
gated to yourselves sufficient strength and resolution to
die with mef, have shown, that ye have not strength
enough to watch with me a single hour. Formerly,
when employed with your nets, you could pass whole
nights without closing your eyes ; \ but now you are to
watch with me, you are overpowered with sleep. You
have not been able to watch one single fleeting hour
with me, your Lord and Master, whom on account of
so many kindnesses conferred, and such affectionate
love and tenderness shown, you are bound faithfully
to assist in tliis his extreme anguish."

2. An admonition, with proper motives.

The admonition is, " watch and pray." By watching,
the snares of the devil are discovered and avoided ; by
prayer, we seek the protection of Providence. By the
former, danger is discovered ; by the latter, assistance
is obtained. Christ recommends both duties to the
disciples who were sleepy and indolent : as if he had
said, " What is past shall be forgiven you ; but for the
future be cautious, and amend." To this admonition
are annexed two motives.

The first is taken from the greatness of the danger :
" that ye enter not into temptation." A greater
temptation was now approaching them ; a trial in
which they were to prove their fidelity towards their
Lord and Master, and put in practice that lesson,
which they had hitherto been learning in his school.
As this trial was now at hand, they were, by watch-
ing and prayer, to keep on their guard, that they

Ovrui; oux i<r%v<r»Tf. t Matthew, xxvi. 35. J Luke, v. 6.

-> 42

might not be surprised. We are not to expect in
answer to our petitions, a total exemption from trials ;
these are often sent to teach us our own weakness ;
but we may hope by prayer to obtain strength from
on high to support them.

The second motive is taken from their weakness and
inability. Our blessed Lord allows, that in them
" the spirit is willing :" he grants that it was their
intention faithfully and courageously to stand by him ;
but at the same time reminds them, that " the flesh is
weak." They had still within them the corrupt nature,
which loves itself, and is for preserving itself in an
unlawful manner ; which lags behind and retards the
spirit, when it would proceed with vigour and activity.
Their intention was good, but their own natural
strength was unable to execute it : they needed that
divine succour, which is to be obtained by vigilance
and prayer. Hence we infer :

1. That the heart of man is so wholly corrupt,
that it is inclined to sloth and indolence, not only
under the enjoyment of God's favour, but also under
his chastisements. These three disciples had before
fallen asleep on Mount Tabor,* and now also in the
garden of Gethsemane. Alas ! is it not lamentable
that we should be so unfeeling, and so addicted to
sloth, that neither the mercies of God, nor his correc-
tions, can rouse us ?

2. That which is innocent, and even commend-
able in itself may be sinful under particular circum-
stances. Though sleep be lawful, and the night was
given for man to rest, yet the disciples are justly

* Luke, ix. 32,

reproached for indulging in sleep at an emergency
like the present.

3. In strong temptations, the surest preservative
is vigilance, united with prayer. Hereby the sting of
the temptation is blunted, and the enemy disarmed.
Hence St. Paul, among other parts of the spiritual
armour, recommends, " Praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance."* If we were more careful to
use these heavenly weapons, the enemy would not
obtain so many victories over us ; wre run to and fro,
and seek assistance, whilst this simple remedy pre-
scribed by the supreme physician, is often neglected.

4. In our conflicts against sin, good resolutions
alone do not determine the issue. If we content our-
selves with these, or if we go forth relying on our
own strength, without seeking to God for assistance,
we shall be overcome before we are aware. Hence
Luther observes, that " the road to hell is paved with
good resolutions."

5. The weakness of flesh and blood should not
induce us to look on Christian duty as impracticable,
but should rather drive us to prayer for divine assist-
ance. Many misapply these words of Christ, * The
spirit is willing,' as an excuse for not watching and
praying ; whereas it is, because * the flesh is weak,'
that Christ exhorts us to these duties, as the appointed
means of obtaining strength from above.

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour ! who like a watchful shepherd,
visitest thy careless sheep, and warnest them of ap-

Ephes. vi. 18.

proaching danger; may we, when inclined to sloth,
hear thy pastoral voice sounding in our ears, * Watch
and pray.' Grant to each of us a just sense of his
inability and weakness, that we may not rely on our
own strength or good intentions, but be diligent in
prayer for obtaining thy succour, and by thy strength
may be conquerors in all things. Amen.

CHAPTER VII.

THE DISCIPLES VISITED AGAIN AFTER OUR SAVIOUR'S
SECOND PRAYER.

" And he went away again the second time, and prayed,
" and spake the same words: O my Father.' if this cup
" may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will
" be done! And he came and found them asleep again,
"/or their eyes were heavy, neither wist they what to
" answer Aim."

HERE are described the continued internal sufferings
of Christ; and,

First, The repetition of his prayer ;
Secondly, His coming back to his disciples.

The repetition of his prayer is described in these
words, and " he went away again, and prayed." This
going away refers to what had been said before, " he
came to his disciples." Having awakened and ex-
horted them to watch and pray, he again went some
paces from them, and a second time sought a retired
solitary spot. Again he prostrated himself before the
throne of his Heavenly Father, and poured into his

bosom the sighs of his oppressed spirit. We observe,

here,

That prayer must be continued without ceasing.
Notwithstanding our request be not granted, we are
yet to persevere. What our blessed Saviour taught,
namely, " that men should always pray and not
faint," * he has here confirmed by his illustrious ex-
ample. He had already prayed, that the duration of
his inward sufferings might be shortened, but he re-
ceived no answer ; yet that does not discourage him
from renewing his addresses. Thus he has acquired
for us the privilege of making repeated supplications
to God for the same favour. With what timidity
does Abraham address the Divine Being, " Oh let
not the Lord be angry, and I will speak !" f But
now through Christ we may boldly approach the
throne of grace. Unwearied perseverance in prayer
is not only our privilege, but our duty. Let us
then, by our importunity, do, as it were, holy violence
to heaven ; and though our prayers be not imme-
diately heard, let us not be weak in faith, but say
with Jacob, " I will not let thee go, except thou
bless me." And like the woman of Canaan, let us cry
after the Lord, until he show us a token of mercy.
As to the substance of the second prayer, it occurs,
First, In general ; for St. Mark tells us, " He
spake the same words." Our blessed Lord does not
seek for any elegant change of language ; but by con-
stantly retaining the same expressions, he shows his
fixed and unchangeable desire. We must not think
that by dint of eloquence we can persuade an om-
niscient God : humility, and poverty of spirit, will

* Luke, xviii. 1. t Genesis, xviii. 30.

most powerfully prevail in drawing down Divine aid
in time of need. What comfort must it be to a
Christian under temptation, to reflect that even his
inarticulate sighs and inward groanings are accepted
by his heavenly Father, who perfectly knows his
wants !

Secondly :, St. Matthew relates the words of this
second prayer; whence we see that they are exactly
of the same import with the first. " Oh, my Father,
if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink
it, thy will be done !"

In persevering in prayer, we are always to show an
humble resignation to the good pleasure of God. In
this second prayer of the Lord Jesus, there appears
even a greater resignation and sacrifice of his own will
to that of his Father, than in the first. There it is
said, " If it be possible, remove this cup from me ;"
but here, " If this cup may not pass away from me,
except I drink it, thy will be done !" By continu-
ance in prayer, his resignation increased; and thus
it will be with us. When the mind first forms a
a wish for any thing, and requests it of God, it is often
strongly bent on obtaining it. But God may see fit to
deny our requests. Thus we are taught patience and
submission to the divine will ; and when we can say,
" thy will be done !" then God vouchsafes to hear us.

II.

We are now to consider our Lord's second coming
to his disciples.

" He came again." After providing for his own
affairs, (which indeed, were also the universal concern
of the whole race of mankind,) he returns again to his
disciples. Christ is here found in fashion as a man.

Persons under great afflictions go to and fro ; and
cannot stay long in the same place.* All these actions
of feeble humanity, Christ took on himself, yet with-
out sin. However, it was not only on account of his
own trouble and anguish, but likewise from a tender
love for his disciples, that he went so often to inform
himself of their situation.

The condition of those he visited was very wretched.
He found them again sleeping. Something is in-
timated, by way of extenuation of their fault : — " for
their eyes were heavy ;" or weighed down with sleep.
Sleep and fatigue had so overpowered them, that
when they were roused from their lethargy, they
could scarcely recollect themselves. Sorrow had
clouded their minds. Therefore, as St. Mark adds,
" They wist not what to answer him." Hence it ap-
pears, that our blessed Lord again spoke to them, and
exhorted them to prayer and watchfulness. We may
suppose, with what pity and compassion the blessed
Jesus beheld this melancholy scene. We do not read
of any harsh reprimand from him, but he acts con-
formably to the prophecy of Isaiah, " a bruised reed
shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not
quench." f We remark,

1. That to indulge their convenience and ease, at
a time when the Saviour is suffering, must be highly
unbecoming the people of Christ. He now no longer
suffers in his own person ; but in his mystical body,
the church, and in his members, he is often afflicted
and distressed. The sleepy disciples represent those
careless persons, who do not lay to heart the suf-
ferings of the church militant. St. Paul calls on us

* See St. John, xiv. 31. t Isaiah, xlii. 3.

48 .

to " remember them that are in bonds, as bound with
them ; and them who suffer adversity, as being our-
selves also in the body."* Dost thou dwell in a
house of ceMar ? Reflect with David, " That the ark
of the Lord dwelleth within curtains." f Hast thou
rest from all thine enemies ? Yet in spirit go with the
host into the field. Does the world caress thee?
Think that thy brethren meet with the worst usage
from that false friend. If the daughter of Pharaoh
own thee for her son, choose rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season. ^ In a word, by all means take care,
that thou be not one of those whom the prophet
describes, saying, " They lie upon beds of ivory, and
stretch themselves upon their couches — but they are
not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." $

2. It is dangerous to give way to spiritual sloth.
The disciples, who had not roused themselves at
Christ's first exhortation, afterwards sunk into deeper
aleep. Sloth, and a disinclination to good, insinuate
themselves like intoxicating poison, and gradually
deprive the mind of all thought and reflection.

8. The effects of trouble on our animal frame, ought
to be distinguished from the workings of inward cor-
ruption. The Holy Spirit here describes the melan-
choly condition of the sleepy disciples with com-
passion. " Their eyes were heavy ;" and they had an
oppressive load on the heart. The like apology occurs
also in another place, " Sorrow hath filled your
hearts." || Christ attributes their lethargy to sorrow,
and pities his disciples, for " he knew their frame." **

* Heb. xiii. 3. t2 Sara. vii. 2. J Heb. xi. 24.

§ Amos, vi. 4. || John, xvi. 6. ** Psjtfm cii. 1*.

From him a minister of the gospel must learn,
how to deal with afflicted souls ; not bruising them
by unseasonable severity, but raising them by gentle
means, and the application of well-grounded comfort

PRAYER.

O merciful Jesus, thou faithful High Priest, who
treatest thy people with such infinite compassion ; we
lament that our corrupt nature is so inclined to evil,
and so slow to good, that we often leave thee, in thy
members, afflicted and sorrowing, whilst we indulge
in sloth and indolence. Of thy tender mercy, forgive
us this neglect ; by thy example, animate our hearts
with devotion ; by thy persevering constancy, impart
to us perseverance in prayer; and by the often re-
peated sacrifice of thy will, incline our stubborn wills
to submission. Grant this for the sake of thy suf-
ferings. Amen.

CHAPTER VIII.
CHRIST'S AGONY AND CONFLICT.

" And he left them, and went away again, arid prayed ihf,
" third time, saying the same words : Father, if thou be
" willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my
"will, but thine be done ! And there appeared unto him
" an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being
" in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat
.". was, as it were, great drops of blood falling dvwn lb
" to the ground."

HERE is described the third part of our Sfaviour'£
conflict, in which we observe, first, The repetition of

the prayer. Secondly, The Lord Jesus visited and
strengthened by an Angel. Thirdly, The increase of
his agony and conflict ; his fervent prayer, and bloody
sweat.

The circumstances of this transaction are pecu-
b'arly interesting : we will consider them distinctly,
and suggest meditations suitable to each particular.

1. As the -blessed Jesus, at his second coming to
his disciples, could not rouse them from sleep, it is
at last said, " and he left them." A melancholy
^circumstance indeed ! It was as if a skilful and good
physician should sit down by the bed-side of a patient,
and entreat him for his own sake to forbear a noxious
diet or regimen; but at length, finding him deaf to
his precautions, should be obliged to go away, and
leave the obstinate patient gratifying his depraved ap-
petite. Alas ! how desperate and fatal must the dis-
order be, when this great spiritual physician gives up
the diseased soul, and ceases to strive with the sinner !

O blessed Jesus ! preserve us from such a condition,
in, which all thy admonitions and warnings are lost !
In thy tender mercy forgive us, who have so often
suffered thee to knock at the door of our hearts in
vain ; who have so often either not admitted thee at
all, or by obstinacy and perverseness obliged thee to
withdraw. Henceforth may we pay .greater regard to
the awakening visits of thy grace, and with joy wel-
come thee as the blessed of the Lord.

2. Yet at the same time how consoling is it, that
though it be said, ' he left them,' he did not cast them
-away ! He still owned them as his disciples, and did
not.discontinue his solicitude and care for them. How
faithful, how mild, how loving is the blessed Jesus,
and how patient with weak, indolent, and wretched
offenders'

C) thou mild and gracious Saviour ! extend to us thy
patience and compassion. When we feel the weakness
and frailty of the flesh, and sink under our burdens,
cast us not away, but be present to support and
succour us, and continue thy sacred influences on our
souls.

3. " He went away again, and prayed the third
time." How carefully does the Spirit of God enume-
rate the precious sighs of our High Priest, which he
poured out in the anguish of his soul into the bosom
of his Father. This the Psalmist had predicted, when
he introduced the Messiah speaking in this manner*
"Put my tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy
book?"* Our sufferings are far inferior to those of
the Saviour ; but as he vouchsafes to sanctify them by
his intercession, our heavenly Father condescends to
notice and record our penitential sighs.

O blessed Lord ! rhay we send up our continual
prayers to thee, knowing that they are noted in the
book of thy remembrance. Are the hairs of our head
numbered, and wilt thou not much more take account
of those sighs and tears which are produced by thy
Holy Spirit?

The Lord Jesus prayed thrice, that the cup of .his
sufferings might soon pass over. Paul likewise prayed
thrice, that the messenger of Satan might depart from
him ; and at last obtained for answer, that God's
" grace was sufficient for him." j- Let us " ask until
we receive, seek until we find, and knock until it be
opened unto us."

4. " And he spake the same words." How fixed
and determined is the Lord Jesus in his prayer !

* Psalras., Ivi. 8. t 2 Cor. xii. g.

E %

Thanks be to thee, blessed Saviour, who by thy con-
stancy in prayer didst atone for our inconstancy and
weariness. When oppressed with temptations, and at
a loss in what language to address thee, let thy Spirit
plead for us with sighs unutterable.

5. " And he said, Father, if thou be willing, remove
this cup from me : nevertheless, not as I will, but as
thou wilt !" How bitter must be the cup of the divine
anger, since our blessed Lord prayed thrice that it
might be removed !

O Lord and Saviour, how could we then have
borne what thy human nature could scarcely bear!
Would not this load have pressed us down to the
abyss of hell, if thou hadst not in our stead taken it on
thee, and borne its oppressive weight ! Eternal thanks
be ascribed to thee for drinking the dregs of the cup
of God's anger, that the pure waters of his comfort
might be plentifully poured into it for us. We will
therefore take the cup of salvation, and call upon the
name of the Lord.

6. " And there appeared unto him an Angel from
heaven, strengthening him." How must this Angel
have been amazed at the abasement of his Creator !
Wjth what humility must he have adored the purity
and holiness of God, in this stupendous transaction.

Blessed Jesus ! as the Angels with admiration de-
lighted to behold thy stupendous love to mankind,
grant that we may also with gratitude and wonder be-
hold the amazing transaction. May thy bitter passion
be the frequent subject of our meditations !

How deeply we behold the Saviour abased ! The
Son of God is here beorne lower than the angels. The
beloved Son is afflicted ; and his ministering servant
comforts and supports him.

O blessed Lord and Saviour ! thou didst so descend
in thy humiliation, that we stand afar off, and wonder
at thy stupendous love. Praised be thy name, that
thou didst stoop so low, as to stand in need of the con-
solation of an angel, that by thy merits we might
enjoy the service and protection of those blessed spirits,
against the assaults of the powers of darkness. Give
us, we pray thee, such consolation and strength in all
our conflicts, that we may obtain the victory. When
the sons of men forsake us, let thy holy angels surround
us, and thy blessed Spirit assure us of thy love.

The angel strengthened our Saviour, most probably
by bringing to his remembrance the consolatory pro-
mises of his heavenly Father, that he should see of the
travail of his soul, and be satisfied : that his sufferings
should be attended with the most transcendent and
salutary effects, to the glory of God, and the eternal
salvation of an infinite number of souls. And the
Father undoubtedly accompanied these words of his
refulgent messenger with such efficacy and power,
that the human nature of our blessed Lord was greatly
strengthened.

Thus, O our Saviour, may we be favoured in our
difficulties and distresses with the visits of such pious
Christians, as may support us by their consolatory'dis-
course. Give to the words of thy messengers and ser-
vants such force and energy, that we may be sensible
that thou hast sent them to strengthen and support us.

Again ; This comfort administered to our blessed
Lord appears as it were, the granting of his prayer,
and a gracious recompense of his voluntary sacrifice of
his own will to the will of God.

May we be convinced by this illustrious example,
that it is not in vain to possess our souls in patience ;

E 3

but that a new portion of grace follows on every sacri-
fice of the will.

The cup, indeed, was not removed from the blessed
Jesus, for the bitterest dregs of it were still reserved
for him. Nevertheless his prayer was not ineffectual :
for by the consolation of an angel, in the name of his
heavenly Father, he received a pledge, that he should
not sink under his sufferings.

May we be content, when, instead of that which we
ardently prayed for, something much more beneficial is
granted ; or when we receive only an earnest of the
divine favour. Let us always be satisfied with present
-comforts, and patiently wait for further relief.

?. " And being in an agony." What a dreadful
spectacle here offers itself. Life struggles with death :
not with temporal death, that not being yet inflicted ;
but with eternal death, with the wrath of God, the
terrors of the Almighty, and the assaults of all the ma-
lignant powers of darkness. In this arduous combat,
the curse of the law, and the innocence of the victim ;
the manifestation of divine justice taking vengeance,
and of divine love melting with pity ; the malice of
Satan, and the love of the Redeemer, appear in astonish-
ing contrast.

Since every sin deserves death, what must have been
the sufferings of Jesus, who had the intolerable weight
of the unnumbered sins of the whole world, pressing
upon his soul ! We behold the beloved Son of the
Father, so overwhelmed by the vials of God's wrath,
that his human nature appears as if in the excruciating
pangs cf death. What an accursed thing must sin be,
which caused this depth of misery ! How dreadful
to the guiltless soul of the Saviour, when all the curses
and agonizing torments, denounced by the law against

the sins of the whole world, were inflicted on him /
Eternal praise be ascribed to thee, O Saviour ! for per-
mitting thyself thus to be accused and punished before
the just tribunal of God. Let this thy atoning conflict
preserve us from the curse of the law. As thou hast
taken on thee the curse, let thy blessing descend on
our guilty heads.

Again — In this dreadful encounter, the devil may
be supposed to have exerted his utmost efforts against
our blessed Lord ; yet the divinity which resided in
his human nature, prevented it from being subdued by
the prince of darkness. Though Satan discharged all
his fiery darts against the soul of Jesus, his divinity
extracted their poison, and rendered their attacks in-
effectual. Thus the rage of the powers of darkness was
so baffled, that henceforth none of their envenomed
darts will be able to hurt the souls of believers.

Unfeigned thanks be ascribed to thee, O Most
Mighty, who in this encounter, hast deprived of his
strength the strong man armed, who had the power of
death, even the devil. Evermore preserve us, that we
may no longer serve a tyrant, over whom thou hast
gained so glorious, so painful a victory ; but may ac-
knowledge thee our victorious Redeemer, for our only
Lord and Master. Above all, give us the shield of
faith, that we may be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked.

Undoubtedly, this agony of our Lord was increased
by his tender concern for the loss of so many thousand
souls, who he foresaw would give themselves up to
the enemy of God and man, and tread underfoot the
precious blood by which they were purchased and re-
deemed. If a patriot, in order to free his country

E 4

from miserable slavery, should generously devote his
life ; and yet should foresee that out of thousands
groaning in captivity, a large proportion would refuse
to be freed from chains and wretchedness, and choose
perpetual slavery ; would not this affect his generous
and heroic soul, more than even the sacrifice which he
made for their sakes ? How great then must thy love
have been, O my Saviour, when, though thou didst
foresee the ingratitude of so many souls who would
thus voluntarily run into perdition, thou wast still re-
solved to accomplish the painful work of our redemp-
tion. O preserve us, that to us at least, this thine
agonizing conflict may not have been in vain.*

8. " And he prayed more earnestly," or properly
'* more intensely." As the agony increases, the more
humbly and ardently we see the Saviour approach the
tribunal of God's justice.

9. " And his sweat was as it were great drops of
blood." What agonizing sorrow must that have been,
which caused such a supernatural sweat !

O blessed Jesus ! we here behold in thee wonders
beyond comprehension. We would abhor those sins,
which occasioned thee such unparalleled anguish : and
with thankfulness, admire the ardour of redeeming
love, which caused thy blood to flow so freely.

10. " And they fell on the ground." Alas ! shall
such precious drops fall to the ground ? O let us open
our hearts, that they may be moistened with this
sacred, this heavenly dew ! Let us sprinkle the posts

* Quaerens me, sedisti lassus,
Redcmisti, crucem passus,
Tantus labor non sit cassus !

Dies Iree.

of our doors with the atoning blood of the Lamb of
God, that the destroying angel may pass over !

In thee, blessed Jesus, we have redemption, and in
thy blood the forgiveness of sins. Thou hast rolled
thy garments in blood, that in this free and perennial
fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, our sins which
are as scarlet, may be washed white as snow. Thanks
be to thee for the unspeakable benefit !

CHAPTER IX.

JESUS COMES THE THIRD TIME TO HIS DISCIPLES.

" And when he rose up from prayer, and came to his
" disciples the third time, he found them sleeping for
" sorrow. And he said unto them, Will ye yet sleep,
" and take your rest ? Why sleep ye ? Behold the hour
" is come ; and the son of man is betrayed into the hands
" of sinners. Rise up, let us go ! Lo ! he that betrayeth
" me is at hand. Pray, that ye enter not into temptation."

IN these words are related Christ's third visit to
his disciples ; their condition ; and his discourse to
them.

" He rose up from prayer, and came to his dis-
ciples." $y the disciples are here to be understood,
not merely the three whom he had admitted to be near
his person ; for as his enemies were now near, he un-
doubtedly came also to warn the other disciples.
The true Shepherd, in his bitterest agonies, retains
a tender concern for his poor defenceless sheep. — In
the preceding chapters, several inferences have been
already deduced from this subject ; some points of
instruction still remain.

1. A Christian must not so give himself up to
prayer, as to neglect the duties of love to his neigh-
bour. Christ has not only, by his regularity and
fervour in prayer, atoned for the wandering and cold-
ness of our petitions ; but has likewise taught us that
this duty should not encroach on those of a relative
and social nature. He arose from prayer, when the
situation of his disciples called for his presence.

2. When we have received grace and strength
from God in prayer, we ought to impart it to our
neighbours. Christ having in his prayer been strength-
ened by an angel, is desirous of animating his disciples.
The strength which we derive from prayer is not only
to be made use of for our own support, but we must
communicate a portion of it to our weak brethren ; for
by such a faithful use of our spiritual strength, it will
receive an abundant increase.

3. Inward trials and temptations ought not to render
us selfish, morose, and careless of our neighbour's
welfare. The blessed Jesus in his inward sufferings
had the sins of the whole world, and the wrath of
God, laid on his sacred shoulders ; yet we see that
he does not relinquish his care and solicitude for his
disciples, but, " having loved his own, he loveth them
unto the end."

4. After exerting our faith, in prayer, there can be
no better employment than that in which our love
is exercised. This we observe in our Lord Jesus
Christ, not only on the present, but on other occa-
sions; as after praying, he delivered Peter and the
other disciples from danger in a storm : * after pray-
ing, he healed the lunatic, f Christ is to be con-

* Matt. xiv. 23. t Luke, ix. 29, 37.

sidered both as expiating our frequent dissipation after
prayer, and as the great exemplar whom we are to
imitate in the due performance of that duty.

II.

•

As to the condition of his disciples, " he found
them sleeping for sorrow." Christ in his severest
sufferings, was left without help or comfort from his
friends, perhaps to expiate the excessive confidence,
which we in our distress place in men, and especially
in friends or relatives. It was indeed no small aggra-
vation of the sufferings of Christ, that in his agony
he had not only no conversation with, and comfort
from his disciples, but likewise found that all his
efforts to rouse and awaken them were to no purpose.
This circumstance ought however to afford comfort to
those, who find themselves abandoned by the world, and
left without human succour, in a season of calamity.

Though the disciples are compassionately excused,
because they slept for sorrow ; yet did they not go
without a reproof : " Why sleep ye ?" They did not
strive against the sorrow with which they were op-
pressed, but gave themselves up to it without resist-
ance: on the contrary, the more violent the grief
which oppressed the soul of our blessed Lord, the
more earnest were his prayers, and the greater his
struggles.

III.

Our Saviour's words, at his coming the third time
to his disciples, contain,

1. A reproof: " Will ye yet sleep and take your
rest ?" As if he had said ; " Will you sleep away the
small remainder of time left you for securing your

souls ? At another time I willingly left you to take
your natural rest, but now the time is too precious for
this indulgence. Now, as you see me struggling and
bleeding with agony, it becomes you to drive away
sleep from your eyes, and be vigilant. Therefore
arise ; why sleep ye ?"

2. He gives them notice of the approaching danger,
which at first he intimates in general. " The hour
is come ;" the hour which the Father has appointed
for my sufferings ; the hour which I told you of
before, is now come. " Behold ! the Son of man is
betrayed into the hands of sinners." By the word
« Behold,' our blessed Saviour would rouse their at-
tention to the danger which was before them. But
what were they to see ? The Son of man was to be
delivered up. Hitherto Christ had stood before the
supreme tribunal of God's justice ; now was he also to
be delivered into the hands of men.

But our Lord particularly adds. " Lo ! he that
betrayeth me is at hand." By this betrayer he means
the perfidious Judas, though without mentioning his
name. He was now at hand, approaching at the head
of the officers of justice, in search of Jesus, in order
to deliver him into their hands. — After this follows,

3. A twofold exhortation.

The first is, " Rise up, let us go !" By these words,
the Lord Jesus shows his willingness to present him-
self to his enemies, according to the decree of his
Father. The strength which he had derived from
prayer, appears from his willingly submitting to the
sufferings, which now presented themselves to his
view.

The second exhortation is, " Pray that ye enter not

into temptation." This warning, which Christ had
before given, and which has been already illustrated,
he again repeats for the last time. As the temptation
was now ready to overtake them, he would have them
to arm themselves with prayer, and by this means
guard against a surprise. Hence we learn,

1. That the neglect of a duty, or the commission
of a sin, is the more culpable, at a time when it is
most incumbent on us to exert ourselves. The le-
thargy of the disciples during Christ's former conflicts,
was not without sin ; but the continuance of it when
he was in his agony and bloody sweat, and when the
danger was at hand, was still more criminal. Hence
our Lord says, " Will ye still sleep ?" Sensual indul-
gences are at all times offensive to God ; but the guilt
of them is aggravated if they be indulged in by one,
who from his character and office ought to be careful
and sober, and to walk unblameably ; and, if indulged
in too, at a time when the troubled state of the church
denotes that divine judgments are impending, and
that we should repent in dust and ashes. *

2. When we have unhappily wasted much time,
the rest of our precious moments ought to be carefully
redeemed, and usefully employed. This our Lord
intimates to us in the question, " Will ye yet sleep ?"
When there is but a short time for the dispatch of an
important affair, a prudent man makes the most of
every moment. We have the most weighty business
before us, a preparation for eternity. How much
time have we already lost ! Oh, let us well improve
the remaining moments ; and as Peter (after he had
recovered from, his shameful lapse) exhorts, Let us

* See Numbers, xxv, 6, 7, 8.

«' no longer live the rest of our time in the flesh, to
the lusts of men, but to the will of God." *

3. When one hour of suffering is past, we must
hold ourselves in readiness for another conflict. The
inward agony of Christ was already past ; now he
speaks of another hour that w^s coming on, of which
he afterwards says, "This is your hour, and the power
of darkness." Our blessed Saviour thus would teach
us that we should never think ourselves secure.
Though we have overcome one temptation, another
may unexpectedly present itself. Skilful mariners
after weathering out a storm, immediately repair the
vessel and tackling, that they may be able to ride
out the next gale. Thus should we prepare for fresh
trials and temptations.

4. To imagine that temptations or judgments are
at a distance, renders a man careless and remiss. The
wicked man is thus described by the Psalmist, " Thy
judgments are far above out of his sight." f And
whilst men cherish such vain delusive thoughts, they
slumber and sleep, like the foolish virgins in the
parable. Christ, on the contrary, earnestly calls upon
us, telling us, that " the hour is at hand." The
Apostle Peter says, that " the end of all things is
approaching." St. Paul affirms, that " the day of the
3Lord is nigh :" and St. John forewarns us, " Little
children, it is the last time." Happy is he, who
by so many concurrent voices, and awakening calls,
is roused to vigilance and active exertion.

* 1 Peter, iv. 2. t Psalms, x. 5,

PRAYER.

To thee, O Lord and Saviour, be ascribed endless
thanks for thine internal sufferings, and for the care,
which amidst thy sorrows, thou didst manifest for thy
disciples, and for all those who should believe in thee
through their word. May the remembrance of thy
bitter agony, and the transcendent love, which was
exemplified by thy sufferings, never be absent from
our thoughts. Prepare us cheerfully to undergo any
suffering for thy sake ; and may we never account
our lives dear to us, so we may finish our course with
joy. Amen.

2. OF THE EXTERNAL SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST IN THE
GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

The Narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised.

" A

XJLND while he yet spake, behold, he that was
" called Judas, one of the twelve, having received
" a band of men and officers from the chief priests
" and pharisees, came, and with him a great multitude
" with swords and staves, lanterns and torches, from
'* the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the
" people ; and he went before them. Now he that
'* betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, whom-
" soever I shall kiss, the same is he ; take him, and
" lead him away safely.

" As soon as Judas was come, he went forthwith
" to Jesus, and said, hail master, master ! and kissed
" him. And Jesus said unto him, friend, wherefore
" art thou come ? Betrayest thou the Son of man with
<fc a kiss ?

" Jesus therefore, knowing all things which should
" come upon him, went forth, and said unto them,
" whom seek ye ? They answered him, Jesus of Na-
" zareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he. And
" Judas also, who betrayed him, stood with them.
" As soon as Jesus had said unto them, I am he, they
" went backward and fell to the ground.

" Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye ? And
" they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have
" told you, that I am he : If therefore ye seek me,

'* let these go their way ; that the saying might be
" fulfilled, which he spake, Of those whom thou hast
" given me, have I lost none.

" Then came they and laid hands on Jesus, and
" took him. When they who were with him, saw
" what would follow, they said unto him, Lord shall
" we smite with the sword ? And behold, one of them
" who were with Jesus, namely, Simon Peter, having a
" sword, stretched out his hand, and drew it, and smote
" a servant of the high-priest, and cut off his right ear :
" the servant's name was Malchus.

" But Jesus answered, and said, Suffer ye thus far.
" And he touched his ear, and healed him. Then said
" Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath ;
" for all they that take the sword shall perish with
" the sword. The cup which my Father hath given
" me shall not I drink it ? Thinkest thou that
" I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall pre-
" sently give me more than twelve legions of angels ?
" but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that
" thus it must be ?

" Then the band, and the captain, and the officers
" of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him. And Jesus
" said unto the chief-priests and captains of the temple,
" and the elders who were come to him, Are ye come
" out, as against a thief, with swords and staves to take
" me ? I was daily with you teaching in the temple,
" and ye took me not : But this is your hour, and the
" power of darkness. And all this was done, that the
" scriptures of the prophets niight be fulfilled.

" Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. And
" there followed him a certain young man, having a
" linen cloth east about his naked body, and the young

" men laid hold of him ; and he left the linen cloth,
" and fled from them naked."

A PREPARATORY PRAYER.

O Saviour and Redeemer of mankind, who not only
didst plead our cause before the tribunal of Divine
justice, and bear the displeasure of thy heavenly
Father ; but also wast contented to be delivered into
the hands of cruel men, to be buffeted, mocked, and
scourged ; enlighten our eyes to contemplate the i\ n-
ders of thy love, patience, and tenderness, in thy exter-
nal sufferings : may we lay hold of thy merits by faith,
and be disposed cheerfully to tread in the steps of thy
passion ! Amen.

CHAPTER!.

THE COMING OF THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST TO APPRE-
HEND HIM.

" And while he yet spake* behold, he that was called Judas*
" one of the twelve, having received a band of men and
" officers from the chief -priests and pharisees, came, and
" with him a great multitude with swords and staves, lan-
" terns and torches, from the chief -priests, and the scribes,
" and the elders of the people ; and he went before them.
" Now ke that betrayed him had given them a sign, saying,
«' Whomsoever 1 shall kiss, the same is he ; take him, and
" lead him away safely"

THESE words describe the coming of our Lord's ene-
mies to apprehend him. We have an account given,

First, Of their leader,

Secondly, Of his attendants,

Thirdly, Of the instruments with which they were
furnished.

As to the leader of Christ's enemies it is said ;
** while he yet spake, behold, Judas, one of the twelve,
came." The coining of the traitor is thus connected
with the preceding words, in which Christ had warned
his disciples against sleep, and, amongst other motives
to vigilance, had made use of this : " Lo ! he who be-
trayeth me is at hand." While he spake, Judas, and
his party were approaching. The ringleader of this
multitude is more particularly described,

1. By the high dignity, which he enjoyed. He was
" one of the twelve ;" and consequently a chosen
apostle of Jesus Christ ; who had conversed with this
his Lord and Master above three years ; had seen his
miracles ; and had even preached the gospel to others.
This man had gradually suffered selfishness and avarice
to take such entire possession of him, that he went
over to our Lord's enemies, and from being an apostle,
become a base perfidious betrayer of his Master. To
denote this dreadful fall, St. Matthew and St. Luke
introduce their narratives of the circumstance with a
note of admiration, frequently used by the holy pen-
men ; " Lo ! Behold !" Thus was fulfilled the prophecy
in the Psalms ; " Mine own familiar friend in whom I
trusted, who did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel
against me." * He is also distinguished

2. By his name,. Judas ; or, as St. Luke expresses it,
" he that was called Judas." Nothing could be more
opposite to the signification of the name than his per-
fidious character ; for he was not a confessor, as the

name imports, but a denier and betrayer of Jesus
Christ.

3. By the place which he assumed among the band
of our Saviour's enemies. " He went before them ;"
having placed himself at the head of this armed multi-
tude : hence he is called " the guide to them that took
Jesus." * He might however advance some paces be-
fore the rest, that he might not appear to act in con-
cert with them.

4. By the sign he makes use of. •* He that betrayed
him had given them a sign." Here the right appella-
tion is given to this traitor, who, in consideration of
the pieces of silver which he had received of the chief-
priests, engaged to deliver into their hands the person
of his Lord. As the Roman soldiers, who were to
seize the blessed Jesus, did not know him personally,
proper care was to be taken that they should not mis-
take the person, and instead of the master, lay hold of
one of the disciples : the traitor had therefore concerted
with them, that he would point out the person of
Christ by a certain sign ; and he made choice of a
kiss, a symbol of love and friendship, and used
among the eastern nations as a form of salutation be-
tween friends on their meeting. " Whomsoever I shall
kiss, that is he whom you seek, take him and lead him
away safely." As if he had said, ' all my business is
to deliver him up to you ; if you suffer him to escape,
the blame must lie at your door : I shall have done
my part, and cannot in any event be expected to re-
turn any of the money, which I have so well deserved.'
Thus he probably might think he had managed mat-

* Acts, i. 16.

ters with great cunning and sagacity ; that the disciples
would not know that this salutation of Jesus was in-
tended to betray him ; and that as to his master, he
would find means to make his escape, and to pass
through the midst of his enemies, as he had done more
than once before.* In the mean time, Judas hoped he
might safely appropriate to his own use the thirty
pieces of silver. We may here observe,

1. It is a sign of our corrupt nature, that we are
more apt to be moved by the apprehension of outward
and bodily danger, than by the admonitions of God
and his Holy Spirit. How often had our blessed
Saviour warned his disciples to watch ; yet they were
deaf to his awakening calls, and continued to indulge
in sleep. But now, their enemies being in sight, they
were roused. This is frequently the case. To reclaim
sinners from the evil of their ways, God gives them
repeated warnings in their consciences, by their mini-
sters or friends, but without effect. At length he
sends some calamity or misfortune, or visits them with
a dangerous or mortal sickness. Then it is that they
first come to themselves ; open their slumbering eyes,
bewail their mispent life, and make promises of amend-
ment.

2. God does not usually surprise any man with judg-
ments, till friendly admonitions have been disregarded,
and the respites of indulgent grace neglected. The
disciples were allowed several opportunities to have
recovered from their lethargy; but as they did not
make use of these, they were suddenly surprised, and
had scarcely time to recollect themselves. Hardly had

• John, viii. 58. ; Luke, iv. 30.

F 3

our blessed Saviour given them his last, exhortation,
when the armed multitude was in full march towards
them ! Thus the human race before the deluge, had
first a respite of a hundred and twenty years ; after
which, no amendment or reformation ensuing, * all the
fountains of the great deep were broken up.' * Such is
the case also in our days. We see the judgments of God
executed on particular nations or individuals, yet no one
lays them to heart. Voluptuousness, sensuality, and
wickedness of every kind increase, and the kind warn-
ings and awakening calls of God are disregarded. We
may without difficulty conclude what will be the issue :
that his spirit will not always strive with man. The
divine chastisements will at length be poured down
like a torrent ; and those sinners who ROW imprudently
delay their repentance, may probably be taken so un-
expectedly as to have no time for recollection. O that
we may better employ our season of grace, and rightly
improve the present opportunities !

3. There is no office or character so sacred, as to be
secure from the assaults of satan. Even among the
apostles, there was a thief, f a traitor, £ nay a devil. § —
What office can be more sacred than that of a bishop
or minister ? Nevertheless antichrist, the man of sin,
the son of perdition, has insinuated himself into the
sacred office, and thus hath " seated himself in the tem-
ple of God." || Therefore, let no one pride himself, and
be lulled into security, on account of the sacredness of
his office; but in order that satan may not gain an ad-
vantage over him, let him watch, and " not be igno-
rant of hLs devices."

* Genesis, vii. 11. t John, xii. 6. $ Matthew, x. 4.

§ John, vi. 70. || 2 Thess. ii. 4. x

4. The vices of men ought not to be charged to
their office or situation in life. Judas was one of the
twelve. Now on the fall of a person so distinguished
by the divine favour, we may suppose the general cry
would be, " See of what description of men are these
apostles of Jesus of Nazareth, who pretend to superior
sanctity of life and purity of manners." But if this
was really said, who will assert that such scoffers, who
judged only according to the appearance, judged
righteous judgment? — With regard to the vices of
persons in the ministerial office, two errors may be
committed :

The one, in attempting to excuse or vindicate their
faults, though they are notorious to the world ; wishing
their vices to be concealed or overlooked, in order to
save the credit of the ministerial office. How can
the credit of the office consist with its being made a
cloke for wickedness and vice ? Is it not much more
to the honour of the sacred order, not to countenance
any notorious crimes in its members, but openly show
our disapprobation of that which is evil ?

The other error of which we may be guilty, is that
of aggravating the faults, and blackening the characters
of the ministers of the gospel, and casting contempt on
the sacred office itself, when thbse invested with it act
unworthily of their holy function. — Both these ex-
tremes are very culpable. However ; as the ill-natured
world is much more inclined to the latter, St. Paul's
advice is the more carefully to be observed : " Giving
no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not
blamed."*

5, Many wicked men affect an appearance of virtue

* 2 Cor. vi. 3.

F 4

and religion. Judas had contrived the most unjusti-
fiable schemes ; yet he would conceal his perfidy under
a show of love, and friendship. Few persons are so
abandoned, as to throw off the appearance of virtue
and piety ; or choose to appear in the eyes of the
world so bad as they actually are. Hence they en-
deavour to palliate their vices with specious names :
avarice, for instance, is styled frugality ; and sensuality
is deemed the innocent indulgence of our natural
appetites.

II.

As to the companions and attendants of Judas, they
may be divided into three classes.

1. The band or multitude. By these are under-
stood the Roman soldiers in garrison near the temple ;
who particularly on the great festivals, when there
was a vast concourse of people at Jerusalem, were to
guard the vicinity of the temple, lest any insurrection
or tumult should happen in that quarter. Of this
Roman garrison, some officers were sent with a party
of soldiers to apprehend Jesus.

2. The officers of the Sanhedrim, which consisted
of the chief-priests and pharisees. These probably
comprised not only the ordinary officers of justice,
whose business was to apprehend and bring criminals
before the court, but also the domestics and attend-
ants of the members of the Sanhedrim.

3. There appear likewise to have been some par-
ticular persons deputed by the high-priests, scribes,
and elders ; to whom Christ particularly addressed
himself in the, garden. The whole constituted a
mixed multitude, of different ranks and professions,

headed by Judas, as their guide. Hence we may
learn,

1. That when Christ and his interest are to be
withstood, the most opposite descriptions of men
readily combine for the purpose. In this multitude
was united a strange medley of Jews and pagans ;
for the temple guard, which consisted of Roman
soldiers, was generally obnoxious to the Jews. The
spirit of persecution shows itself indiscriminately in
all ranks and degrees.

2. A suppression of the remonstrances of conscience
is usually followed by acts of scandalous transgres-
sion. The high-priests and pharisees had hitherto
been restrained by fear from apprehending Jesus.
They were, on the one hand, convinced of the divine
power exhibited in his miracles, as Nicodemus, m the
name of them all, acknowledges ;* on the other hand,
they saw the veneration of the people towards him.
and feared that any violence offered to him might
be attended with dangerous con sequences.! But a
few hours before, they had determined not to appre-
hend him on the feast-day, lest there should be an
uproar of the people : but so fair an opportunity
was now presented by Judas of getting Jesus into
their hands, that their fears were forgotten, and the
prudent suggestions of their consciences were sup-
pressed ; they became hardened, and lost to all sense
of shame. An inward consciousness of right and
wrong is the check by which the bulk of mankind are
usually restrained : when this is thrown aside, and
they will no longer listen to the intimations of con-
science, they trample on all laws human and divine,

* John, iii. 2. i Matthew, xxvi. 4.

*nd lose aH "sense of shame. Let this excite in us
a dread of the beginnings of sin, and make us seri-
ously attentive to the admonitions of our consciences.

3. It is very common, but, at the same time,
highly absurd, to be influenced to commit sin by the
example of persons high in rank, character, or repu-
tation. Any slight pretence for lulling to rest the
conscience, is too eagerly embraced. The multitude,
no doubt, concluded, that as one of Christ's own dis-
ciples and constant hearers was the leader in this con-
spiracy, Jesus of Nazareth must have been a pestilent
and seditious fellow. Others would reason thus:
" The high-priests, elders, and pharisees, who have
deputed their officers, are men of learning and
integrity." Thus the majority would satisfy their
scruples on engaging in this execrable service. Alas !
how frequently does Christ still suffer in a similar
manner in his members, when the great, the learned,
and the noble, oppose religion, and persecute the ser-
vants of God !

III.

For the sake of caution, the multitude were fur-
nished with torches, and lamps or lanterns. The pass-
over of the Jews usually happened at the full moon,
so that though it was night, it probably was not dark ;
yet they brought with them lanterns and torches in
order the better to discover our Lord, in case he should
conceal himself.

They had likewise offensive weapons ; swords and
staves. The former were, for the most part, in
the hands of the Roman soldiers ; the latter belonged
to the officers of the priests and pharisees. It should

seem they were under some apprehension, lest Christ
and his disciples or adherents, should make resistance ;
and therefore they came prepared, if necessary, to carry
off their prisoner by force. By coming in the night
amidst a blaze of torches, they would also represent
Christ as one of those miscreants who usually lurk in
the dark : and by their swords and staves they would
intimate that he and his followers were a company of
robbers and murderers, and likely to make an obsti-
nate defence. Hence we may learn,

1. That craft and violence are the usual arms,
which satan and his instruments make use of against
Christ and his people. Satan is represented to us both
as a serpent, and as a roaring lion, lying in wait both
to deceive and to devour. Happy is he who is
armed against him, on the right, and on the left, with
the whole armour of God, so as neither to be beguiled
by his subtilty, nor terrified by his rage.

2. The people of Christ are still reproached, as
avoiding the light, and carrying on clandestine prac-
tices, by those who are themselves children of the
night and of darkness. The men of the world often
boast of their good conscience, and of having nothing
to fear. Yet many of these pretended children of the
day, will be obliged hereafter to ' conceal themselves
in the dens and caves of the rocks, and to say to the
mountains fall on us, and hide us from the face of him
that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the
Lamb."

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour ! whatever sins we have com-
mitted in darkness, thou hast expiated ; and as we
have offended the justice of Heaven not only with

the powers and faculties of our souls, but also with
the members of our bodies, so thou hast been pleased
to make satisfaction, not only by the anguish of thy
spotless soul, but by permitting thy sacred body to
be assaulted. Grant, for the sake of thy love, that
by these thy sufferings, we may attain the eternal sal-
vation of our souls. Amen.

CHAPTER II.

THE TREACHEROUS BEHAVIOUR OF JUDAS.

- A? soon as Judas was come, he went forthwith to Jesus,
" and said, Hail master, master! and kissed him. And
" Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?
" Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss .?"

THESE words describe,

First, The hypocritical salutation of Judas.

Secondly, Our Lord's answer.

We observe, The betrayer's coming. " As soon
as Judas came, he forthwith went to Jesus."

Judas appears to have preceded the armed mul-
titude at some distance, in order to look out for his
master, that he might deliver him up. Accordingly,
when he was come to the place where our Saviour
was, " he went straightway to him."

2. His speech. As soon as he came up to Jesus,
he said, " Hail Rabbi," or " Master." This was the

usual title which scholars gave to their teachers, and
in conformity to the custom of those times, Christ
accepted of this appellation from his disciples. The
Jewish doctors held this title in such high esteem,
that they sometimes even excommunicated those who
refused it to them. Their vanity in affecting this
title our blessed Lord reproaches them with;* but
he might, with the greatest justice and propriety,
allow himself to be so styled by his disciples ; being
that supreme teacher, whom even Moses had foretold, f,
By the repetition of this title, master ! master ! the
hypocritical Judas would intimate the joy and love,
with which his heart overflowed. He accosts Christ
with this salutation, when he was in the very act of
betraying him.

3. The traitor's outward behaviour. " He kissed
him." In the writings of the Jews we have instances
of scholars expressing their reverence and esteem to
their teachers, by this form of salutation, which ac-
cordingly Judas observes to his master. We may
observe,

1. Sin allowed of and indulged, urges the man
forward like an impetuous stream. Judas having ad-
mitted treachery into his heart, had no longer any
power over himself. Satan allowed him no time for
recollection : " forthwith he came to Jesus/' He
was like one, who having slipped on the edge of a
declivity, is unable to stop his course, but falls to
the bottom. Surely we ought to watch the first be-
ginnings of sinful propensities, and be cautious not
to acquiesce in them.

*Matt. xxiii. 7. tDeut. xviii. 15,

2. The children of this world, in the activity which
they display in their pursuits, often put to shame the
children of light ; the latter seldom showing so much
zeal for good, as the former for evil. We see how
readily and undauntedly Judas came up to Jesus, to
abuse him by his insidious salutation : but how few
are sincerely zealous and ardent to run into the open
arms of the Saviour. He graciously invites sinners,
saying, " Come unto me all ye that labour and are
heavy laden ;"* yet how few comply with this friendly
invitation ! He may repeat the lamentation which he
once made over ungrateful Jerusalem, " How often
would I have gathered you together, and ye would
not ?" f Certainly it must reflect great disgrace on us,
that Judas should show more ardour and readiness in
betraying his Lord, and delivering him up to his
enemies, than we do in receiving him. When he
says — " My son give me thine heart" — how slow are
we in offering it ! How often, and how long, is he
obliged to intreat for it ! This promptitude of Judas
should reprove us, and excite our minds to an im-
mediate and willing obedience. Why should we
hesitate ? If we knew that the avenger of blood were
behind us, we certainly should not stand gazing
around, but should make haste, and stretch every
nerve to reach the city of refuge, and save our souls
alive.

3. To address Christ with Lord ! Lord ! and not to
do the will of his heavenly Father, £ is a deceit exactly
resembling the perfidy of Judas. He cried, Rabbi !
Rabbi ! and yet had the worst designs in his heart
against his master. Thus thousands of outward pro-

* Matt. xL 28, t Matt, xxiii. 37. J Matt vii. 21 .

fessors say, Lord ! Lord ! who do not obey his pre-
cepts, but follow their depraved appetites, and are the
slaves of sin and satan. What is this but treading
in the footsteps of Judas, who had the name Rabbi,
on his tongue ; yet was at the same time the treach-
erous friend, the betrayer of Christ ?

4. For the falsehood and deceit committed by the
first Adam at his fall, and daily repeated by his pos-
terity, the second Adam was to atone. The false
compliments and pretended marks of respect paid to
Christ in the garden, could not but give him pain ;
his eyes being so pure, that they cannot behold
iniquity. Even amongst mankind the more sincere
any person is, the more uneasiness does it give him
to find others behaving deceitfully; especially those
to whom he has shown tenderness, and done kind
offices. Hence we may conceive, how such dissimu-
lation and treachery must have grieved our blessed
Saviour's heart. — The universal treachery of the
human heart is exemplified in the kiss of Judas. —
Christ has thus expiated the various species of dis-
simulation and hypocrisy which are too often practised
by men, with the design of imposing on God, or on
each other. These in the sight of God, are no trivial
sins ; though by the world accounted lawful and
prudent. If on self-examination we should find our-
selves infected with this sin, let us open our hearts
to our blessed Lord, who is true and faithful, and in
whose mouth was no guile ; and let us pray to him
that he would inspire us with an abhorrence of all
treachery and dissimulation.

II.

We come next to Christ's mild answer to the
traitor. He calls him by the endearing title of * friend ;'
thus reminding him of the former friendship and con-
fidence in which they had lived,* and of the duty
and affection which was therefore due from him ; and
he accosts him by his name * Judas !' probably to im-
press on his mind the signification of that name, ac-
cording to which he was to confess his master, and not
to betray him. He adds,

1. "Wherefore art thou come?" As if he had
said, * You would not have it to be publicly known,
for what end you are come here ; you wish to conceal
your falsehood under the show of respect and friend-
ship : but I know your design, and the treachery of
your heart.' Our Lord, even in his deepest hu-
miliation, shows that he is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart.

2. " Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss ?"
Here he gives the action its proper name, and plucks
off the mask from the dissembling traitor. * Thou
betrayest that Son of man whom thou thyself hast
preached to the world, and from whom thou hast
received so many favours ; and, what is still worse,
thou dost it under a token of peace and friendship.'
This gentle address appears calculated for softening
the heart of Judas, and recalling it to a sense of duty.
But all was in vain ! He was totally hardened. He
had already heard so many pathetic discourses from his
master, without paying any regard to them, that satan
had now obtained over him an absolute power.

* Psalms, xli 9,

The mildness and indulgence shown by the Lord
Jesus towards the greatest of sinners, should reprove
our hardness of heart. Christ calls Judas his friend,
who had acted the part of an enemy towards him.
Why does he not denounce the dreadful catastrophe
that was about to befall the betrayer of the Son of
man ? Had the best and meekest of us been in
our Saviours place, should we have shown such un-
paralleled gentleness ? Let not our eye, then, be evil,
because the Lord is good. — When Satan would inspire
a repenting sinner with terrifying ideas of the divine
justice, his contrite heart may derive comfort from
this reflection — " Did my Saviour speak with lenity
to a false friend ? He will by no means sternly reject
me, whose intentions are sincere." — -The gentleness of
our blessed Lord ought also to soften our impetuosity
of temper, and teach us to preserve patience towards
the worst of men ; and this duty is particularly in-
cumbent on the ministers of Christ. * — We should
beware of that imprudent vehemence in reproving
the sins of others, which tends to produce irritatioa
rather than any beneficial effect ; and by which we
often imbitter the heart of him, who might have been,
reconciled by the language of brotherly love.

PRAYER.

O most mild and forgiving Jesus ! who didst show
kindness to thy greatest enemy ; let me also \vlio have
greatly offended thee, partake of thy tender mercies.
Give me grace to love mine enemies, and to bear the
greatest injuries with patience and gentleness, after thy
great example. Amen.

* 2 Tim. ii. 24,

CHAPTER III.

CHRIST'S FIRST DISCOURSE WITH HIS ENEMIES.

" Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come
" upon him, went forth, and said unto them, whom seek
" ye? They answeied him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus
" saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, who be-
" trayed him, stood with them. As soon as Jesus had
" said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell
" to the ground"

THESE words exhibit to us the first discourse of
Christ with his enemies ; and it is related by St. John
only, who is particularly attentive to point out every
display of Christ's dirinity. We observe,

First, The devotedness of Jesus to this work.

Secondly, His discourse with his enemies.

Thirdly, Its wonderful effect.

" Jesus knowing all things that should come upon
him." Our blessed Lord might see the blaze of
the torches at a distance, and hear the confused noise
of the multitude approaching. But had they come
in the dark, and with the greatest silence, his om-
niscience would have penetrated into their hidden de-
vices. He not only knew, that the enemy was at
hand ; but likewise " he knew all things that should
come upon him :" all the inhuman insults, and affronts,
and savage barbarity, which would attend this armed
multitude.

The readiness of our blessed Lord to suffer is ex-
pressed in these words, " He went forth :" indicating
his willingness to meet his enemies, and surrender
himself into their power. By avoiding death hitherto,
his design was to teach us, that we are not to tempt
God, by wilfully running into danger. But now his
hour being come, by voluntarily presenting himself,
lie teaches us that when we know the will of God, we
are to acquiesce in it.

Christ made use of his omniscience, the more readily
to meet his sufferings ; being well assured, that nothing
would befall him, but what was determined in the secret
counsels of God concerning the Messiah. His willing
submission to meet a painful and ignominious death, was
to atone for our presumptuous fall. Our first parents
were not ignorant, that in the forbidden tree they should
eat death. They had been told, " on the day thou
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." Notwithstand-
ing this, they followed their own imagination, and
sinned against knowledge. Even now, though we
know what will be the consequence of sin ; though
the Scripture clearly and expressly says, " He that be-
lieveth not shall be damned — if ye live according to
the flesh, ye shall die — the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, hatred,
murder, &c. of which I tell you before, that they who
do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God"
— yet we dare to commit these heinous sins, and look
upon the threatnings of God's word as empty sounds.
To atone for such presumptuous sins, the Son of God
freely gave himself up to suffer.

Christ's willingness to undergo his sufferings is to
be considered as enhancing the merit of his sacrifice.
The victims in the sacrifices of the Old Testament were

dragged to the altar with cords ; but Christ presented
himself knowingly and voluntarily. Many have wil-
lingly encountered dangers the extent of which they
did not foresee ; when perhaps had they fully known
beforehand, what calamity and torture was awaiting
them, they would have been staggered. But in this
appears the superiority of Christ : he did not enter on
his sufferings blindly, but enlightened by his divine
omniscience. How meritorious a power lies in this
circumstance of our Lord's sufferings, we learn from
St. Paul ; * who assures us that by this willingness of
Christ to accomplish the good pleasure of the Father
in our redemption, we are reconciled and sanctified ;
this being the sweet smelling savour, which, in the
sacrifice of Christ, was so acceptable to his heavenly
father, f Thus too, he has atoned for all the murmur-
ing and reluctance, with which our impatient nature
submits to the sufferings which God has appointed for
us ; and at the same time, he has given us a shining
example for imitation.

II.

We come now to consider,

1. The question put by our L«rd to the multitude,
** Whom seek ye?" These words indicate resolution
and intrepidity. Satan had just before discharged his
fiery darts at our blessed Lord ; and he had been filled
with terror and anguish. But now this agony is sub-
sided, and he displays serenity and resignation. His
enemies no sooner appear, than he boldly asks them,
** Whom seek ye ?" Not that he was ignorant whom

* Heb. x. 9. t Ephes. v. 2.

they sought, " Jesus knew all things that were to
come upon him ;" but he wished to have the oppor-
tunity of making himself known to the multitude.

2. They answered him, " Jesus of Nazareth." This
name is frequently given to our Saviour by way of
contempt ; as he had been educated by obscure parents
at ^azareth, a mean town in Galilee, and had there
spent most of his life. The despicable opinion which
the Jews entertained of this place appears from the
question put by Nathaniel, " Can there any good thing
come from Nazareth ?" * Nay, Christ himself was little
respected there, for he owns that " a prophet is not
without honour, but in his own country."! Therefore
these words, ' Jesus of Nazareth,' were undoubtedly
spoken by way of contempt, and showed the pride
and malice of the multitude ; as the modern Jews
in their writings contemptuously style our blessed
Saviour The Nazarene.

3. We have the declaration of Christ, ' I am he.'
" I am that Jesus of Nazareth whom ye seek." This
is a fresh proof of his cheerful readiness to meet his
sufferings.

When the first Adam became obnoxious to the
divine justice, he fled, and hid himself; and God
called, " Adam, where art thou ?" But the second
Adam, when he was to be delivered into the hands
of the enemy, called out, " Here am I." We may
observe,

1. Christ was the principal mark at which all the
assaults of Satan were levelled. He is the King on
mount Sion, against whom the " Jews take counsel,
and the heathen rage.":}: He is the mark aimed at

* John, i. 46. t Mark, vi. 1. $ Psalms, ii. 1.

in all the persecutions wjiich the world raises against
goodness. They may pretend quite different motives,
and charge the servants of God with disaffection to
government in church and state, with enthusiasm, or
hypocrisy ; but these are the inventions of their own
malice and rancour against Christ. Would they
frankly own whom it is they seek in all their art-
ful attempts, it would plainly appear that it is Jesus
of Nazareth. It should be* therefore no cause of
wonder to us, that when we enlist under the banner,
and amongst the followers of Jesus Christ, we become
members of a sect which is every where spoken
against.* IkVhile a man conforms to the world, and
follows its pomps and vanities, and dissipations, he
will be courted and esteemed by all who resemble him
in dissoluteness of manners, and he may avoid the
displeasure of the rest of the world. But whenever
the pure temper of Christ displays itself in his con-
duct, he will become the mark of obloquy and ill
will. The world cannot endure those virtues which
bear the distinguishing features of the Lord Jesus.

2. When a persecuting spirit is excited against
the saints, calumny and ridicule generally accompany
it. In the instance before us they are united. As
the impious hands of Christ's enemies brought wea-
pons to assault, and cords to bind him ; so their
envenomed tongues loaded him with the contemp-
tuous name of a Nazarene. Thus St. Paul, in the
history of his sufferings, is called * a ring-leader of the
sect of the Nazarenes.'f Others have been treated no
better ; for the world is continually branding with new
names of contempt those who are actuated by the

* Acts, xxviil 22. t Acts, xxiv. 5.

religion of Christ. But who would lay to heart such
empty sounds ? What detriment was it to Christ in
his sufferings to be called a Nazarene ! God hath now
given him a name, * at which every knee must bow."
He that cannot bear an opprobrious name for the sake
of Christ, is not worthy of him.

III.

The evangelist, before he relates the wonderful ef-
fects of our Lord's words, adds, "And Judas also,
who betrayed him, stood with them." From these
words we may conclude, that he had now boldly
placed himself at the head of the multitude, with-
out feeling any remorse; for though he had been
better instructed than the rest, his heart was grown
obdurate by long opposition to the motions of grace.
It ought to impress us with fear, when we behold one
who had been in the school of Christ, and had heard
the words of eternal life from his own mouth, arrived
at such an astonishing pitch of wickedness. Sad ex-
perience teaches us, that when those who are daily
conversant with the word of God relax in their morals,
they become more abandoned, and run greater lengths
than other sinners.

But to proceed to the effect of Christ's words. "As
soon as Jesus had said to them, I am he, they went
backward and fell to the ground." Such is the force
of a single word of the Lord Jesus, that like a flash of
lightning, it strikes to the ground a body of armed
soldiers. Christ in this instance displays

1. His omnipotence. By the simple declaration,
" I am he/' he strikes to the ground a tumultuous

* Phil. ii. p.

crowd. This display of the divine power should
convince us of the high dignity of the suffering person,
and that he is qualified to be the supreme Judge of
quick and dead. % For if these wxrds « I am he,"
spoken with a mild accent, had such an astonishing
force, what a dreadful thunder-bolt, in the ear of the
trembling sinner, will that fatal sentence be — " Depart
from me, ye cursed !" If his xvords had such effect
when he was to be judged, what amazing power will
he display when he cometh to judge the world !

Our Saviour here also manifests

2. His willingness to suffer. For from this proof
of his omnipotence it is evident, that he could easily
have repulsed his enemies ; but he only gives them
a specimen of his Almighty Power, arid instead of
doing them any farther hurt, permits them to rise —
" For the Son of man came not to destroy men's lives,
but to save them." * We observe,

1. That even extraordinary events have not always
power to move the hearts of men. Here a striking
miracle was wrought ; but what effect did it produce ?
Judas and his desperate band were not deterred from
their purposes : they rose up probably more incensed
than ever ; nor were the other disciples strengthened
against the offence of the cross, by witnessing this
extraordinary event.

2, The same words of the Lord Jesus can inspire
his servants with joy, and strike terror into the wicked.
These few words " It is I," in a moment freed the
hearts of the disciples from fear on another occasion ;f
and here, words of the same import; fill the hearts of
his enemies with consternation.

* Luke, ix. 56. t Matt. xiv. 27. Luke, xxiv. SQ.

* The original words are the same in both places.

3. The weakness of man is never so conspicuous
as when it opposes the will of God. Of what service
to this great multitude is the apparatus of staves,
swords, and torches, when they are employed against
the power of Christ? Yet men are vain enough to
boast of their strength. " All the nations, before
God, are as nothing, and they are counted to him less
than nothing." * This awful consideration should
move the potentates of the earth to cease from striving
against God, and raging against Christ and his mem-
bers, lest they be thunder-struck with these words, as
St. Paul was ; " I am Jesus whom thou persecutest."f
The gracious promise which God has given to his
church remains fixed and unchangeable — " No weapon
ibrmed against thee shall prosper."^: Blessed is he,
who has such an Almighty Being for his Lord, his
Patron, and Protector ! " Who is he that will harm
him, if he be a follower of that which is good ?" J
The prince of this world, how malicious soever he
may be, is already judged, and cannot hurt or annoy
us without the divine permission.

PRAYER.

Almighty Saviour, before whom all the wicked
are scattered as chaff before the wind, may our hearts
be so thoroughly convinced of thy transcendent power
and greatness, that we may willingly fall down at thy
feet, and worship thee. Thou rulest amongst thine
enemies ; rule also in our hearts : and may that carnal
mind, which is enmity against thee, be made thy foot-
stool. Grant that thy sacred word may not be unto
us a savour of death unto death, but a savour of life
.unto -life, for the sake of thine infinite love! Amen.

-* Isaiah, xl. 17. t Acts, ix. 5. J Isaiah, liv. 17, § 1 Peter, iii. 13.

CHAPTER IV.

A CONTINUATION OF CHRIST'S DISCOURSE WITH HIS ENEMIES.

" Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye ? And they
'• said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told
" you thai I am he: If therefore ye seek me, let, these
" go their way ; that the saying might be fulfilled, which
'•'•he spake; of those whom thou hast given me, have I
" lost none"

THE Evangelist here proceeds to relate a repetition
of our Lord's question. " Then asked he them again,
whom seek ye ?" In this narrative it is tacitly im-
plied, that the Lord Jesus had permitted his enemies
to rise, after his word had laid them prostrate on the
ground. Having a little recovered from their con
sternation, our Lord observed that they did not per-
ceive, or durst not address him ; he therefore again
audibly repeats the former question — " Whom seek
ye ?" " They said, Jesus of Nazareth." Thus after
feeling the wonderful power of Christ, they persisted
in their former execrable design, and were resolved to
apprehend Jesus. Hence arise the following obser-
vations.

1. On escaping any imminent danger, we ought
to ask our consciences, what future course of life we
intend to lead ? That very word, which had laid the
enemies of our Lord on the ground, might have pre-
cipitated them into hell. Did the earth once open,
and swallow up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, witfc

their adherents, for raising a sedition against Moses,
who was only a servant of God? Much more might
it now have opened wide its mouth, and swallowed
these rebels, who were leagued together in a conspiracy
against the Son of God himself ! How often are we
saved from evident peril, or recovered from some dan-
gerous disease, by the indulgent care of Divine Provi-
dence ! Such a happy opportunity every one of us
should lay hold of, and put these questions to himself:
" What is thy present pursuit ? How wilt thou now
dispose of thyself? If God had snatched thee away
in the midst of thy sins, thou wouldest now have been
in the dark and dismal prison of a wretched eternity.
But as thou art still in the land of the living, how wilt
thou employ the precious remainder of thy time?
What thanks wilt thou render to thy gracious Creator
and Preserver, for his forbearance and long-suffering ?"
Such an enquiry would probably have a happy influ-
ence on our lives.

2. It is dangerous to persevere in wicked designs, in
spite of repeated admonitions. The sin of these men
was greatly aggravated, because they persisted after so
evident and sensible a conviction of the Divinity of
Christ. But, alas ! this conduct is daily repeated.
How often are we warned, when we have formed a
design of committing some great sin ! How often
does conscience suggest to the mind — What art thou
about ? What advantage dost thou seek in sinning ?
What will be the end ? — Yet do we repeatedly renew
our impious designs, though we have been once and
again prevented, and have even suffered in the attempt.
This the Son of God here atones for, in permitting
himself to be a second time assaulted by his enemies,
though they had already felt the effects of his power. —

For in the sufferings of Christ we always observe the
justice of divine retaliation. In the same manner as
we sin, is our Surety punished to make expiation.
Every circumstance of our sins superinduces a new
circumstance in his sufferings. What Christian will
therefore knowingly commit any sin, the expiation of
which cost the Son of God so much pain and igno-
miny!

St John proceeds to relate our Lord's voluntary
surrender of liimself. " 1 have told you that I am he."
Here he repeats his former confession, and offers him-
self to the sufferings appointed for him. He immedi-
ately declares the truth, and shows himself that
immaculate Lamb, in whose mouth was no deceit.
This frank confession in such a terrifying exigency,
when bonds and stripes, mockings and buffetings
awaited him, was to atone for our frequent untruths
and evasions in trying circumstances. We may
remark,

That Christ willingly makes himself known to those,
who seek him from their hearts. Does our blessed
Saviour permit himself to be found by those who
search for him to put him to death ? How much more
readily will he say to those, who implore his blessings,
and seek him in faith, " Here I am." Does he discover
himself to those who hate him without a cause ? With
what satisfaction and complacency will he fulfil that
gracious promise to a faithful soul, " To him who
loveth me will I manifest myself !"

Lastly ; Christ procures a dismission for his disciples.
This is to be considered, first, as a proof of his Omni-
potence. " If ye seek me, let these go their way."
Certainly these words greatly display the Majesty of
Christ. This is no request, (for that would have been

little attended to by the raging multitude,) but a com*,
mand. They are the words of one who could give law
to his enemies. Before he yields his own hands to the
cords, he, by his powerful word, binds the hands of the
armed multitude, so that they cannot lay hold on his
disciples ; whom they certainly would not have spared,
had they been permitted to follow the impulse of their
malice. This was the powerful passport, which he
procured for his disciples ; and was not less a miracle
than the effect produced at the creation, when he
fixed the limits of the ocean, saying, " Hitherto shalt
thou come, and no farther ; here shall thy proud waves
be stayed."

But this safe conduct is also to be looked upon as an
accomplishment of his preceding prayer ; which the
evangelist intimates, by adding, " that the saying
might be fulfilled which he spake, of those whom thou
hast given me, have I lost none."* These words of
St. John allude to the prayer of Christ, a few hours
before, for the preservation of his disciples. Though
our Saviour in that pathetic prayer, unquestionably
had in view something much higher than their tem-
poral safety, yet this also was included in it. Had the
disciples at this time unhappily fallen into the enemy's
hand, they would not only have died a temporal death,
but perhaps a spiritual and eternal one ; as in some
measure may be inferred from the example of Peter,
who, in his distress, basely denied his master. We
remark here,

1. That Christ, by his surrender of himself, procured
acquittal at the divine tribunal. This is implied

•John, xvii. 12,

in those words of love and tenderness ; " If ye seek
me, let these go their way." For though they imme-
diately relate to his disciples, yet in this expression is
also comprehended all his faithful confessors, who,
through his divine appointment, were to believe on
him.* That they may go free, he gives himself up in
then* stead. This was the end of his sufferings. Hence
the prophet Isaiah says, " The chastisement of our
peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.'*
He exposes himself as a mark to the arrows of God's-
wrath, that we may be safe behind the impenetrable
shield of his merit. He permits the curse of the law
to fall on himself, that we may inherit the blessing.
He stands in our stead, and we in his. He was made
a sin-offering for us, " that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him."

2. The power or number of our enemies can never
hurt us, unless it be by God's permission. We are
often withheld from doing our duty by the fear of
drawing on ourselves the enmity of relations, or the
displeasure of patrons and benefactors ; but why should
we be afraid of men ? Were multitudes to rise up
against us, if Christ does but pronounce this sentence
of our deliverance, * let these go,' — we shall be safe
from then* attempts. Why do we not much more fear
him, who can destroy both body and soul in hell ; him
who can say, " bind this man hand and foot, and cast
him into outer darkness ?" Should the gates of hell
pour forth legions of evil spirits against us, they can-
not hurt a hair of our heads, if Christ be our protector,
and interpose on our behalf, saying, «« touch not mine
anointed."

*John, xvii. 20.

3. Christ's prayer for his faithful servants is graciously
heard and accepted by his Heavenly Father. It was
but a few hours before that the Lord Jesus had put up
a petition for his disciples ; and behold, it is already
answered : for they were the words of him that could
say with confidence, " Father, I know that thou
nearest me always."* Now Christ had not only prayed
for his disciples and apostles, but expressly " for those,
who through their word should believe on him." We
also were in his heart ; and that faithful High Priest
then bore on his breast the names of all his spiritual
Israel. Was he then so speedily heard in this prayer
for his apostles, and shall not his prayer for the whole
company of believers be granted ? The former is a
sure pledge of the latter. Therefore, as Luther jsays,
" We may justly write this comfortable text in letters
of gold, as it relates to us all. For it is our glory and
consolation, our treasure and pearl ; so that for us Gen-
tiles, the whole Scriptures do not afford a more com-
fortable saying than this."

4. Our merciful High Priest so orders our temporal
circumstances, that they may not hurt or endanger our
souls. Of this we have here a plain proof; which
should excite in us a firm assurance, that Christ is not
unmindful of our temporal concerns. How inconsi-
derate are we, to place all our confidence in men ; and
to make no account of this Almighty Friend, who has
so affectionate, so tender a concern, both for our tem-
poral and eternal welfare !

* John, xi. 42.

PRAYER.

O faithful and merciful Saviour ! Thou who lookest
on every soul which the Father hath given thee, as a
precious jewel, and makest it thy concern to secure and
return it to him unhurt at the last day ; let this inspire
us with holy confidence, and exceeding joy, knowing
that no one can snatch us out of thine Almighty hand ;
and that thy prayer will be fulfilled in us, if we do but
continue in thy ways. Keep us then as the apple of
thine eye, that none of us may be lost ; but that one
day, we may be where thou art, and behold thy glory.
Grant this, O Lord, for the sake of thy meritorious
intercession ! Amen.

CHAPTER -V.

CHRIST IS APPREHENDED, AND PETER DEFENDS HIM.

" Then came they and laid hands on Jesus, and took him,
" When they, who where with him, saw what would follow,
" they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword ?
" And behold, one of them who were with Jesus, namely,
" Simon Peter, having a sword, stretched out his hand, and
" drew it, and smote a servant of the high-priest, and cut
" off his right ear : the servant's name was Malchus"

HERE is described,

First, The apprehension of Christ.

Secondly, An attempt to defend him.

1. It is said, " Then came they ;" meaning the soldiers,
and officers who, at the desire of the chief priests, and

elders, bad been sent thither. Some of them, possibly,
from a blind zeal, were glad to be employed in this
business ; especially the officers of the high-priests
and pharisees, who, from hearing continual invec-
tives against Jesus of Nazareth, had doubtless, im-
bibed the strongest prejudices against his person;
Others bore a part in this tragedy only from an implicit
obedience to the command of their superiors ; and of
such it may be said, as of Absalom's companions,
" They went in their simplicity." * It is here farther
related that

2. " They laid hands on Jesus, and took him." From
these words it is easy to infer with what rude violence
they collected around our blessed Lord, and how bar-
barously they hurried him away ; especially, as they
had been disappointed before, and notwithstanding
their swords and spears, had been by a single sentence
thrown prostrate on the ground. This would sharpen
their malice and desire of revenge. The psalmist
compares the attack of the enemies of Messiah, to the
being surrounded by bees.f Observe here,

1. It is a melancholy sign of obduracy, to sin imme-
diately after having felt God's chastening hand. It
was just so with Pharaoh ; he scarce began to breathe
after a grievous plague from the Lordj when his
stubbornness returned : and so it is with the generality
of mankind. When they feel the hand of God heavy
iipon them, and consuming their strength by lingering
disease, they become submissive ; but as they resume
their strength and spirits, their obstinacy and depravity
return. There is no state more dangerous than that
of such incorrigible offenders.

* 2 Sam. xv. 11. t Psalms, cxviii. 12.

2. It is a judgment from God on a sinner, when his
wicked intentions are permitted to succeed. Evil men
indeed put another construction upon it : " the wicked
boasteth of obtaining his heart's desire." * The chief
priests and pharisees exulted not a little on this oc-
casion, having long waited in vain for an opportunity
of laying hands on our Lord :f but by this very act
they sealed the fate of their devoted nation.

3. To Christ's being bound as a prisoner, we owe
our spiritual freedom. Thus should we have been
bound, and dragged along by a multitude of evil
spirits, as the voluntary slaves of Satan, and should have
been eternally led captive at his will. | Our freedom
could only be obtained, by our Redeemer and Surety
in our stead submitting to a wretched imprisonment.
O that we may rightly use this inestimable benefit
purchased for us at so dear a rate ; cast off the yoke
of sin and Satan, and with willing and thankful hearts,
serve the great restorer of our liberty during the whole

course of our lives I

II.

An account is moreover given of an attempt made
by the disciples to rescue their master, and prevent his
being carried away by the multitude.

1. The disciples had most probably imagined
that Christ would save himself by flight, and
pass through the crowd, as he had done at other
times. <j But when they saw him actually in the hands
gf his enemies, they thought it was high time to

* Psalms, x. 3. t Lukcj, xx. ip.; John, x. 39.

% 2 Tim. ii. 26. § John, via. 59.

rescue him, or do something in his defence. Therefore
they ask, " Lord shall we smite with the sword ?" —
In this proceeding, there was something commendable,
and something to be blamed. They were to be com-
mended for first asking this question ; probably they
had not wholly forgotten their master's reiterated pre-
cepts of submission and resignation. But on the other
hand, it was a rash attempt, with two swords (which
were all they had) to oppose a strong party of soldiers.
They might perhaps misunderstand those words of
Christ, " let him that hath no sword sell his garment
and buy one ;" f an expression by which our Saviour
had intimated, that they should come into such dan-
gerous circumstances, as to be like persons travelling
amongst robbers ; that instead of having the conve-
niences of life, their very lives should be in jeopardy :
and that they should be deprived as out-laws, of the
protection of the magistrates, and should suffer every
species of outrage. It may be observed,

That feelings of anger and revenge, in the time of
outward sufferings, are dangerous instigations of Satan.
It is true that in seasons of danger, proper means of
defence are to be used : but still we are not to forget
that in the Christian warfare we are called to suffer.
These impulses to revenge and rash resistance our
blessed Lord has atoned for ; and he has also taught
and strengthened us to check and overcome them.

The hour of suffering is the test, which displays the
inward disposition of the heart. The disciples might,
at other times, imagine that thev were become like

O «*

their master, n .Ha and gentle, yet they here attempt

* Luke, xxii. 36.

100

to -rescue him by ill-judged violence. God permits us
sometimes to fall into circumstances, by which the
secret dispositions of our minds are laid open to us.
Do we imagine ourselves possessed of extraordinary
patience and mildness ? We receive some injurious
treatment, and our impetuous nature immediately be-
trays itself. When God gives us opportunities of
knowing ourselves, we should consider it as a mark of
his favour. Under such circumstances we should com-
mune with ourselves, take a general review of our
hearts, and search what other mistakes are lurking;

there; and these we must encounter, and carefully
exterminate.

2. We are to notice more particularly the rash be-
haviour of Simon Peter on this occasion. We may
conceive, how it must have concerned our blessed
Saviour, that one of his disciples should commit such a
fault; the very person too, whom he had so often
warned against rashness, violence, and presumption.
But Peter continued the same character, and being
full of zeal for his Lord and Master, he proceeded,
without considering the means, to execute his good
intentions.

His attack was violent and impetuous. He did not
stay for his master's answer to the question ; but, ac-
cording to his usual warmth and precipitancy, was
instantly ready. We may suppose, that he now recol-
lected the promise he had made, and thought that
something was to be risqued for the deliverance of his
master. Seeing the multitude lay hands on Jesus, he
resolved to act with courage ; drew a sword, " smote
Malchus, a servant of the high-priest, and cut off his
ear." This man, possibly, showed himself remarkably
forward and eager in apprehending the Lord Jesus ;

101

and therefore Peter attacked him first. Probably his
intention was to give a mortal blow ; but Christ averted
the rash stroke, so that it only cut off his ear. This
temerity cost Peter dear, when he was afterwards
recognized in the high-priest's palace, by a kinsman of
this Malchus. Hence we learn,

1. That a good intention, if joined with blind zeal
and rash conduct, often occasions much evil. That
Peter meant well on this occasion, cannot be questioned.
He probably concluded, that now was the time for
giving a public proof of his love to his master. But in
reality it proved otherwise ; for he only increased the
sufferings of Christ, injured his cause, and brought
him into a suspicion of rebellious designs ; as if he had
taught his disciples to repel force by force, and oppose
the existing government. Thus he gave a handle to
the enemies of his master, to charge him with stirring
up the people.

2. God frequently over-rules the faults of his ser-
vants, that the consequences may not be fatal. Here
he turns aside Peter's rash blow, so that it only cuts off
an ear. Novices in religion frequently commit many
faults, which God, for wise purposes is pleased to per-
mit ; but he so moderates and restrains them, that his
cause may not be materially injured. How gracious
is the Lord, who stretches forth his arm to support us
when we inadvertently fall !

3. The faults of weak Christians ought not to be
charged on religion. Christ no doubt was blamed and
censured for this action of his disciple. ' Here,' it
would be said, * you have a specimen of the doctrines
of Jesus of Nazareth. This is one of his old disciples ;
where should he have learned such behaviour, but

from his master ?' But who will presume to say, that
the enemies of Christ argued justly on this occasion ?
Yet this is the way of the world ; when any religious
person commits a fault, Christianity is reproached
with it.

PRAYER.

Eternal thanks be ascribed to thee, most faithful
Saviour, for thy patience, long-suffering, and forbear-
ance towards thy poor children May we also partake
of it amidst our temerity and impatience, our prone-
ness to anger and revenge ! Cast us not from thee for
our manifold infirmities ; strengthen thou us by thy
Holy Spirit, and make us more patient, wise, and con-
siderate, so that we may reflect honour on thy holy
religion, and make our light to shine before men.
Amen.

10S

CHAPTER VI.
CHRIST'S MILD REPROOF TO ins DISCIPLES.

« Jesus answered, and said, Suffer ye. thus far. And he
( touched his ear, and healed him. Then said Jesus unto
* Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath ; for ail they
' that take the sword shall -perish with the sword. The
' cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it ?
« Thinkest thou thai I cannot now pray to my Father, and
1 he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of
1 angels? but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled,
' that thus it must be £"

BY these words we find, that Christ reproved his
•disciples, who were for repelling force by force ; and
this he does

First, By his action.

Secondly, By his words.

The action was our Lord's kind reparation of the
fault of Peter, by healing the ear which he had cut
off. Jesus said, " Suffer ye thus far." Some suppose,
that Christ addressed these words to his disciples, en-
joining them not to oppose the accomplishment of his
sufferings, but to permit the Roman soldiers to fulfil
what the Father had decreed. But the expression
seems rather directed to the soldiers, intimating a wish,
to have his hands at liberty, until he had healed the
man's ear.

" And he touched his ear." It was usual with the
Lord Jesus to touch those diseased persons whom he
cured, and by his miraculous touch to impart his

104

healing virtue to them.* Thus, in this instance, by
touching the ear, it is instantly restored and healed.
By working this miracle he intended to show, that he
by no means approved of Peter's indiscreet zeal.
Hence we may draw the following inferences.

1. The children of God should behave with circum-
spection in all things, and be the more cautious, as
many eyes are watching them, and many slanderous
tongues are ready to proclaim their mistakes. — Though
Christians are reproached by the world, as if they
accounted themselves perfect, yet none more ingenu-
ously acknowledge, that they offend in many things,
and stand in need of a mediator to expiate their
daily faults.— ^We should in all our actions proceed
with prudence and caution, and reflect that we are
surrounded by dangers. But when it happens that
we transgress, let us not be utterly discouraged. As
Satan is particularly on the watch for souls of a melan-
choly disposition ; is very dexterous in magnifying
the guilt of their errors, and representing them to be
of an unpardonable nature ; they should encourage
themselves in the Lord their God ; and after sincere
repentance for the fault committed, lay hold on the
merits of Christ by faith, and follow after a greater
holiness of heart and life.

2. To do good to our enemies, is an important
point in our imitation of Christ. Here with his
healing hand he touches the ear of a man, who had
stretched out his impious hand to seize and bind him.
This bitter enemy of our Lord had well deserved to
have the hand, which he had stretched out, withered, as
was the hand of Jeroboam, when he signified his order

* Matthew, viii. 3. ; ix 20.

105

for seizing the prophet:* for certainly one greater
than a prophet was here. But the meek and merciful
Saviour over-looks all the outrages committed against
himself, touches the wounded ear, and heals it. Should
any of us have behaved with such unparalleled mild-
ness ? Alas ! with what difficulty does that lesson,
" Love your enemies, do good to those that hate you,"
find admission into the human heart ! The bare absti-
nence from revenge, is a hard and disagreeable task to
human nature ; whereas God is offended every day,
and yet is patient and long-suffering. Most men
would consider it unreasonable (especially whilst the
sense and pain of the injury is still recent) to be
applied to for their assistance in behalf of a person
who has injured them. The pure doctrines and bright
example of our divine teacher are slighted, among
most of those who call themselves Christians !

II.

Christ having repaired the fault committed by his
sanguine disciple, reproves him in words, which,
though particularly addressed to Peter, were spoken
within hearing of the other disciples. In this reproof
is contained,

First, a command : " Put up thy sword in its
sheath." Our Lord thus restrains him from proceed-
ing to further violence ; and subjoins the motives
which should induce Peter to comply : viz.

1. The danger attending it. " All they that take
the sword shall perish with the swrord." To take the
sword, in an illegal manner, is to assume the power
of self-revenge. God has committed the sword to the

* ] Kings, xiii. 4.

106

<iivil magistrate ;* and whoever intmdes on his office,
takes the sword out of his hand, so that of such an
one, it is here said, " he shall perish by the sword ;"
that is, the civil power must use the sword against
him. How easily might Peter have taken away the
life of the high-priest's servant, and consequently have
fallen into the hands of the civil power, and been pu-
nished as an assassin.

2. Our blessed Lord also represents to him, that
this proceeding is unbecoming and sinful, as it tended
to obstruct him in his obedience to his Father, and in
the accomplishment of his great design, the redemp-
tion of mankind. " The cup which my Father has
given me, shall not I drink it ?" He calls his sufferings
a cup ; and considers them as sent by his Father ;
who, according to his predetermined counsel, had ap-
pointed them.f Our Lord therefore asks, * Shall I
not submit? Shall I withdraw myself from them,
after having in the counsel of the Father offered my-
self for this purpose ? Blush, Peter, that thou would-
est, by violence, make me break my promise.'

3. Christ shows him, that this resistance is unneces-
sary : " Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to
my Father, and he shall presently give me more than
twelve legions of angels ?" « I do not stand in need
of your defence ; were I desirous of it, I might have
much more powerful assistance. It is but speaking
the word, and the Father would send me, instead of
twelve apostles, twelve legions of angels; a host,
which in an instant could crush all the power of my
enemies,'

* Rom. xiii. 4. t Acts, ij. 23.

107

4. He represents to Peter, that it is impossible to
accomplish his design : " Thus it must be." God has
determined it, and foretold it in the holy scriptures.
He cannot act contrary to his word, nor forfeit his
veracity. Besides, the human race can tie redeemed in
no other manner : to endeavour to obstruct the decree
of God would be a vain and fruitless attempt. Hence
let us learn the following truths.

1. The Lord Jesus forgives the sins of his ser-
vants, but at the same time he reproves the defect of
their intentions.* The error committed by Peter, and
the other disciples, was pardoned ; but they did not go
without a mild reproof. He knows our frame with
all its weaknesses ; and indulgently pardons the fail-
ings of his poor servants ; especially when they are
under difficulties and afflictions. It is a consolation
to Christians, that they have a merciful High Priest,
who, by the merit of his patience, atones for the
errors which they commit under the pressure of afflic-
tions.

2. Our reproofs of our neighbour should proceed
from a concern for his welfare, and be mixed with
mildness and gentleness. Christ might have given
Peter a severe reprimand, and reproached him with the
injury he did to his master's cause : but our blessed
Lord contents himself with forbidding him to proceed
in his indiscretion. This disapprobation does not
carry him beyond the bounds of meekness ; neither
does he reproach Peter with having thus aggravated
his sufferings. By this instance we may learn how to
endure the sufferings occasioned by the indiscretion of

* Psalms, xcix. 8.

1-08

«ur acquaintance, and of those with whom we are con-
nected.

3. When our Saviour says, " Shall I not drink the
cup which my Father hath given me?" he directs
Peter's thoughts from human agency, to the counsels
of God, who had appointed his sufferings. If we
consider by whom afflictions are sent, and that our cup
is mixed by the healing hand of our heavenly Father,
this reflection will sweeten the bitter potion.

4. In the greatest sufferings, it is a comfort to
the servants of God to know, that they have a Saviour
to whom all the angels of God are ministering spirits.
Here our blessed Lord declines the services of angels,
because the decisive hour of his sufferings was now
come. He has however acquired for us their protection.
He now is in an exalted state, in which angels, prin-
cipalities, and powers, are subject to him, and reveren-
tially adore the human nature united with the Godhead.
When a Christian is in danger or affliction, he views
his Saviour surrounded by unnumbered legions of
angels ; and doubts not that he who has these glorious
messengers at his command, will vouchsafe to support
him in Jiis distress. " For the angel of the Lord en-
campeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth
them ;" * and these ministering spirits are " sent forth,
to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation." f

PRAYER.

Blessed Saviour ! who knowest our frame, and re-
memberest that we are' dust ; adored be thy name for
thy long-suffering and tender mercy towards thy of-

* Psalms, xxxiv. 7. + Heb. i. 14.

109

fending servants. Thanks be to thee, who wouldest
not permit the course of thy sufferings to be obstructed*
lest at the same time our redemption should be pre-
vented; and who didst readily drink of the cup of
affliction, that we might not eternally drink the vials
of God's wrath and indignation. May we patiently
submit to all sufferings for thy sake, and may thy holy
angels assist and support us ! Amen;

CHAPTER VII.

THE BINDING OF CHRIST, AND HIS REMONSTRANCE TO HIS'

ENEMIES.

" Then the band, and the captain, and the officers of the
" Jews, took Jesus, and bound him. In the same hour,
" Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains of the
" temple, and the elders, who were come to him, Are ye
'• rotne out, as against a thief, with swords and staves
" to take me? J was daily with you teaching in the
''• temple, and ye took me not : But this is your hour,
" and the power of darkness. And all this was done,
" that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."

WE have here described,
First, The binding of Christ.
Secondly, His remonstrance.

The instruments of this cruelty, were the Roman
soldiers, with their captain ; and the officers of the

Jewish Sanhedrim, and other domestics of the scribes
and pharisees.

" They bound Jesus :" the savage ferocity with
which this was done, may be conjectured from the
prophecy; "Many bulls have compassed me, strong
bulls of Bashan have beset me round : they gaped
upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a
roaring lion." * " They thrust sore at me that I
might fall." This binding must have been the more
painful, our blessed Saviour having, but a little before,
been weakened by his violent agony and bloody sweat,
when he lay with his face on the ground, when " the
sorrows of hell compassed him about, and the snares
of death prevented him." f We shall here make the
following observations.

1. The greater love any one has for Christ, the more
attentive will he be in considering the particular
circumstances of his sufferings. John, the disciple
whom Jesus loved, and who loved Jesus with a most
ardent affection, is the only evangelist who takes notice
of the binding of our Saviour. An affectionate soul,
not only considers the sufferiogs of Christ in general,
but dwells on every circumstance of his passion.

2. The true followers of Christ, when they expe-
rience treatment resembling that which he here re-
ceived, are meek and patient, not repelling force by
force, not returning railing for railing ; but according
to the pattern set by their Lord and Master, resigning
themselves to sufferings : yet the world is ready to abuse
their patience and submission. " Let us, say they,
examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we
may know his meekness, and prove his patience." J:

* Psalm*, xxii. 1?. f Psalms, xviii. Z. % Wisdom, ii. 19-

Ill

3. The minutest circumstances in the sufferings
of Christ, receive an importance, from the dignity of
the suffering person. He, who is here bound, is the
" Captain of the Lord's host ;" * " the Prince of the
Kings of the earth." f Here those hands are fettered,
which " spread out the heavens, and founded the
earth ;" which " loosed the bands of Orion :" { those
hands, which never did any hurt, or rather, which are
continually open to " satisfy every living thing with
plenteousness ;" those hands whose all-healing touch
had cleansed lepers, and restored feet to the lame, and
eyes to the blind. We must consider these particulars,
before we can set a due value on the bonds of Christ.
This is the method which the Holy Spirit observes in
foretelling the sufferings and contemptuous treatment
of the Messiah. He is first introduced speaking in
this manner : " At my rebuke I dry up the sea : I,
make the rivers a wilderness : I clothe the heavens
with blackness; and I make sackcloth their cover-
ing." J Then it follows, " I gave my back to the
smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the
hair : I hid not my face from shame and spitting."

4. Whoever duly considers the bonds of Christ,
is excited to a voluntary obedience to his commands.
The scripture says, " the love of Christ constraineth
us." || He will esteem it an honour to serve the Lord
Christ, whose service is perfect freedom ; and if he be
still under the dominion of enslaving appetites and
passions, he will (like the woman bound by Satan)
apply to Christ for freedom and relief. **

* Joshua, v. 14. tRev. i. 5. J Job, xxxviii. 31.

§ Isaiah, 1. 2. || 2 Cor. v. 14. ** Luke, xLii. 11.

II.

We are now to consider the purport of our Lord'3
remonstrance. He first reproves the armed multitude
for coming out against him with such a force, as if
he were one of those murderers or robbers who were
then frequent in Judea ; and shows that by such a
proceeding, they misrepresented him as if he in-
tended to oppose the civil power. Our Lord reminds
them, what his former behaviour had been : "I was
daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye took
me not." Christ, or the Messiah, had been promised
as a prophet, and teacher of righteousness ; * which
sacred office he had well discharged. What were the
doctrines which he taught, we may learn from his
very enemies ; " Thou teachest the way of God in
truth :" f and how he inculcated his divine doctrines,
we may gather from St. Matthew, " He taught them
as one having authority, and not as the scribes." |

The place where he taught, was the temple. By
the temple, is here understood the court of the con-
gregation ; in which there was a synagogue, where,
on the sabbath days, and great festivals, the law was
read and expounded by the priests and Levites ; and
this was the place, where our blessed Lord, when he
was but twelve years of age, was found amongst the
doctors. There were also several cloisters or por-
ticoes ; particularly that called Solomon's Porch, to
which Jesus often repaired with his disciples. §

The time when he taught, is expressed to have
been " daily." It is plain, that this is to be limited

* Deut. xviii. 18 t Matt. xxii. 16. + Matt. vii. 29.
§ John, x. 23.

113

to " the periods when Christ visited Jerusalem, and
especially to the days immediately preceding his pas-
sion; during which time, St. Luke tells us, that " he
taught daily in the temple." * This circumstance
Jesus adduces to his enemies as a convincing proof
that he is no plunderer or plotting assassin ; for such
persons generally shun the public eye. He intimates,
that their present proceeding was wrong ; since if
he had taught any erroneous tenets, or pernicious
doctrines, they might before have silenced him, or
have taken him in the temple, and brought him to a
legal trial ; instead of calling in the military power,
and coming upon him in the night. We shall here
make the following observations.

1. The world, though it may bind the hands of
the persecuted witnesses of truth, cannot prevent
their tongues from confessing the truth. Christ gives
up his hands to the cords, but his tongue remains
free, according to his previous resolution, " I will not
refrain my lips." f Thus in the history of the martyrs
we frequently find, that in the midst of their suffer-
ings they exhorted the spectators in the most im-
pressive manner.

2. The profanation of edifices consecrated to divine
worship, should not prevent our frequenting them.
The temple was at that time profaned in the
most abominable manner, so that Christ himself calls
H " a den of thieves :" J nevertheless, our blessed Lord
was daily present in the temple, and there performed
his prophetic office. Some rigid religionists may
absent themselves from places of worship, on account

* Luke, xix. 47- t Psalms, xl. 9. J Luke, xix. 4&

, 114

of defects in the conduct or manner of their minister,
or the careless behaviour of the congregation, alleging
that they are more offended than edified ; but the
great example of the Saviour should teach persons
on no account to forbear coming to hear the word of
God, and to worship him in his sanctuary ; on the
contrary, they should seek to be edified, and show a
good example to others. •

3. Christians should not shun the light; but con-
duct themselves so, that their actions may bear the
public view. Christ's teaching was public ; nor did
he exclude any one who was willing to hear him. He
taught publicly in the temple, where every one might
know and examine his doctrine. Our Lord and Mas-
ter had no need to conceal himself, or carry on his
designs clandestinely ; neither should Christians deviate
from his great example. How glorious an apology is
it, when one can say with St. Paul, " I have lived in
all good conscience before God to this day !" * How
honourable is it to be able, with godly simplicity, to
carry on our affairs openly and in the eyes of the
whole world ! The children of darkness can by no
means bear the public eye ; for " he who doeth evil
hateth the light." Those alone skulk, and hide their
actions, whose conduct will not bear the light ; " it is
a shame to speak of those things that are done of
them in secret." If the secret thoughts and actions of
many were to be publicly known, they would be over-
whelmed with confusion. Where is the man to be
found, who is always ready to declare his secret
thoughts and intentions ? What sinful, atheistical,
Canton, or impious thoughts would then be made

* Acts, xxiii. I.

115

public ! Let us endeavour to be children of the light,
and check every thought and inclination of which
we should fear the exposure.

4. Wicked men will be charged with such sins, as
they would willingly have committed, but could not
through want of opportunity. The enemies of Christ
had not laid hands on him in the temple, only because
it had not been in their power: their hands were
withheld by fear of the people. When the sinner
laments that he cannot perpetrate the wickedness
which he intended, God will impute it to him as if it
had been actually committed. The true Christian
must willingly and freely, for the honour of Christ,
abstain from, and shun evil ; even with every oppor-
tunity and ability for its commission.

Our Lord adds, " This is your hour." By the hour,
is to be understood, the time appointed for our
Saviour's sufferings. He says to his enemies, " This is
your hour ;" that is, the time which you have long
wished for, and in which you are permitted to put
your purposes in execution, and to set aside God, anc|
the fear of him, from before your eyes ! In their
opinion this was a fortunate hour, in which the scheme
they had been so long contriving was to be executed.
But it was a very unfortunate hour for them ; for it is
added, " and the power of darkness :" that is, the time
when God had permitted the prince of darkness to
prompt them to an unparalleled crime. This hour is
to be considered,

With respect to the divine decree. " And all this
was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be
fulfilled :" namely, those passages in which it is fore-
told that Messiah should be surrounded by ravenous

116

dogs and roaring lions ; * should be apprehended and
ill-treated. It must not hence be concluded, that the
Jews were under a necessity of' sinning, that the scrip-
ture might be fulfilled. This inference would be
incompatible with the holiness and justice of God,
whose prescience foretold the wickedness of the Jews,
by the mouths of the inspired writers. If the Jews
had acted otherwise, the event would have been other-
wise predicted : but their behaviour on this occasion
showed, that the prophets had foretold the circum-
stances of our Lord's passion with the strictest
accuracy. From this passage we deduce the following
truths.

1. He who looks on the hours as his own, will be
seduced to many sins. Time is not our own property,
but belongs to God. Of every hour, every moment of
time, we are to give account to him : for as we are but
stewards of all his other gifts, so likewise are we of
this ; and it is of infinite value, because our eternal
welfare depends upon the right use of it. With what
care and caution ought we to improve our time, that
no fleeting hour may pass in which we do not sow
some good seed for our future harvest in a blessed
eternity !

2. When men imagine themselves to be acting
freely according to their own corrupt inclinations, they
are generally the greatest slaves of Satan. The Jews,
in the instance before us, seem to have their hands at
full liberty, and without controul to lay hold of and
bind our blessed Lord; but he tells them they are
under the power of the prince of darkness, whom the

* Psalms, xxii.

11T

Almighty permits to rule them at his will. " Who-
soever committeth sin, is the servant of sin."*

3. The character and doom of the wicked are faith-
fully set forth in the sacred scriptures. " There is no
peace, saith my God, for the wicked." " When the
wicked spring as the grass, it is that they shall be
destroyed for ever." How deplorable a consideration
is it, that these threatenings are fulfilled in so many !
That the punishments denounced by God against his
enemies should fall on such multitudes ! On the other
hand, how joyful is it to see and experience the accom-
plishment of those precious promises, which God has
graciously made to his people.

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour, who didst permit the hour of
affliction to come upon thee, in which thine enemies
stretched out their hands to bind thee ; thou hast
delivered us from bondage to the powers of darkness,
so that they shall not triumph over our souls. Thanks
be to thee for this unspeakable grace ! Grant that we
may live as true subjects of thy kingdom of light and
peace, and serve thee in holiness and righteousness
of life, for the sake of thy meritorious submission.
Amen.

* John, viii. 34.

118

CHAPTER VIII.

CHRIST DESERTED BY HIS DISCIPLES.

Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. And Ihere
"followed him a certain young man, having a linen ctoth
" cast about his naked body ; and the young men laid hold
" on Him : and he Ujl the linen cloth, and jlcd from them

HERE it is related how the disciples deserted their
Lord and Master.

Hitherto, probably, they had imagined, that the Lord
would disengage himself from the hands of his enemies ;
that, like Samson, he would break their cords, or that
he would pass through the multitude unobserved ; and
entertaining these flattering hopes, they might be ready
to risk all for his sake. But seeing that their master
yielded to his enemies, and that he was bound and hur-
ried along like another man, their courage failed them,
and all their thoughts turned on their own safety.
All the disciples fled ; and consequently the intrepid
Peter himself, who had made such mighty protestations
that he was ready to die with Jesus ; John, the disciple
whom Jesus loved, and who, but a few hours before,
at the eating of the paschal lamb, had leaned on his
sacred bosom ; and James, who together with John his
brother, had offered to drink the cup which Jesus was
to drink of, and be baptized with his baptism.* ,Christ

* Matt xx. 22.

119

had foretold this flight, saying. " All ye shall be
offended because of me ;" * so that it was accom-
panied with an offence taken at their Lord and Master.
* Alas !' said they amongst themselves, * what mis-
taken men are we ! We looked on Jesus of Nazareth
as the Son of God. and the promised Messiah, who
was to redeem Israel from slavery; but in all appear-
ance, our expectations were ill-grounded, and our
hopes will be frustrated. If he were the Son of God,
surely his heavenly Father would not let his enemies
triumph over him.' Thus were they offended at the
sufferings of Christ, and by flight hastened to save
themselves ; and thus was Messiah deserted by his
friends, as had been predicted of him.

St. Mark also mentions the flight of a certain young
man.

This affrighted youth is expressly distinguished
from the disciples of our Lord, and therefore it is not
probable that he was one of the twelve ; for the dis-
ciples had left their master ; whereas, this young man,
for some time followed him. He probably lived in a
village near Gethsemane, through which the blessed
Jesus was hurried away ; and being awakened out of
sleep by the noise of the multitude, had gone out to
discover the cause of the tumult, with a linen cloth
cast about his body. The occasion of his flight is also
mentioned.

His extraordinary appearance had excited the at-
tention of the young men, viz. the Roman soldiers ;
they suspected him to be one of our Saviour's disciples,
and probably apprehended he might raise a disturbance
in the streets of Jerusalem, and stir up the people to

* Matt. xxvi. 31.

120

rescue Jesus, and on this account, they laid hold on
him. The apparent design of this narrative is to
show how inveterate the enemies of our Lord were,
in not sparing any one whom they suspected to be
a disciple; and that it was not to be imputed to
the lenity of the soldiers, but to Christ's command,
" Let these go their way," — that they did not also
seize the disciples, or pursue them when they fled.
From the flight of our Lord's disciples and followers
we learn ;

1. That men are not aware of their weakness, until
God permits them to fall into such circumstances
as to give evident proofs of it. How often had our
Lord declared to his disciples the weukne&s of their
nature?* Peter contradicted his master repeatedly,
boasted that he would bear him company to prison
and to death ; and with this sanguine presumption
inflamed the rest of the disciples, so that they all made
the same protestation. £ut what they would not believe,
they were to experience to their sorrow. Thus also it
is with us. We entertain such a high opinion of our
own hearts, that we think them proof against every
attack. The secret delusion that lurks in them, we
are slow to believe. When God would bring us to
a knowledge of ourselves, and our own inability, he
permits us to fall into such circumstances as discover
the inmost recesses of our hearts.

2. The disciples, in their flight, afford a proof of
human inconstancy. One moment elate; the next
spiritless and desponding. In the prospect of danger,
they were rash and daring ; when it arrived, they
-were faint-hearted and irresolute. Though the dis-

* Zach. xiii. 7. Mark, xiv. 27.

121

ciples had an assurance from Christ himself, that their
enemies should not hurt them, yet they basely fled.
We have not one only, but numberless great and
precious promises, that God will be with us in dis-
tress ; yet in time of danger, how timorous and fluc-
tuating are our hearts ? On the first appearance of
any calamity, like Jacob, we prepare for flight. It
becomes us with sorrow to own, that we have but'
little confidence in God, or reliance on his promises,
which notwithstanding, are all " yea, and Amen."

3. Christ, by being thus forsaken by his best and
most intimate friends, has atoned for the unfaithfulness
which we have been guilty of towards God. We
have forsaken the inexhaustible source of life and
happiness, our best friend, and greatest benefactor,
and therefore have deserved to be eternally forsaken
by him. But the blessed Jesus has interposed to
expiate our ingratitude, by this desertion which he
suffered.

4. When we are abandoned by all men in our
distress, the remembrance of our blessed Lord's having
been forsaken should powerfully support our spirits.
This desertion aggraved his sufferings, but at the
same time imparted to them an heroic dignity ; for
by this means, the honour of the victory obtained
over death belongs to him only; not one of his dis-
ciples or adherents being at hand to assist or sup-
port him. As he has experienced the anguish arising
from this desertion, we may rest assured he will never
neglect or forsake us : and if from extreme trouble,
and under severe persecutions, we unhappily forsake
him, yet he is faithful, and on our return to him, will
receive us, and will be our unerring guide, even unto
death.

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour, praised be thy name for all
the external sufferings which thou wert pleased to
endure for our sake. Let us not forget at \vhat an
inestimable price our redemption was procured, that
we may set the higher value on our immortal souls.
May every painful circumstance of thy sufferings be
deeply impressed upon our minds ; and may thy Holy
Spirit enlighten, support, and strengthen us, that we
may courageously follow thee, and not be ashamed of
the reproach of thy religion. To thee, the victorious
captain of our salvation, who art perfected and glo-
rified by sufferings, be ascribed unfeigned thanks and
praise, for ever and ever ! Amen.

123

3. CONSIDERATIONS ON THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST
BEFORE THE SPIRITUAL COURT OF THE JEWS.

Narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised.

they that had laid hold on Jesus led him
" away to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to
" Caiaphas who was the high-priest that same year.
" Now Caiaphas was he, who gave counsel to the
" Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die
" for the people. And they led Jesus away to Caiaphas
" the high-priest, where the scribes and elders were
" assembled.

" Simon Peter followed Jesus afar off, so did another
-( disciple, to the palace of the high-priest. That
" other disciple was known unto the high-priest, and
" went in with Jesus into the palace of the high-
" priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then
" went out that other disciple who was known to the
" high-priest, and spake unto her that kept the door,
" and brought in Peter. And the servants and of-
" fleers stood there, who had made a fire of coals for
" it was cold ; and they warmed themselves : and
" Peter went in, and sat amongst the servants, and
" warmed himself at the fire : that he might see the
" end. Then the damsel that kept the high-priest's
" door beheld Peter, as he sat by the fire, and
" earnestly looked upon him, and said, Thou also
" wast with Jesus of Nazareth the Galilean. Art

124

" thou not one of this man's disciples ? But he denied
" it before them all, saying, Woman, I am not, I
"know him not; neither understand I what thou
" sayest. And he went out into the porch ; and the
" cock crew.

" The high-priest then asked Jesus of his disciples,
" and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake
*' openly to the world ; I ever taught in the synagogue,
" and in the temple, whither ^the Jews always resort,
" and in secret have I said nothing. Why asked thou
" me ? Ask them who heard me, what I have said unto
" them : Behold they know what I have said.

" And when Jesus had thus spoken, one of the
" officers, \vho stood by, struck Jesus with the palm of
" his hand, saying, answerest thou the high-priest so ?
". Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear wit-
" ness of the evil : but if well, why smitest thou me ?
" (Now Annas had sent him bound to Caiaphas the
" high-priest.)

" And a little while after, as Peter was gone out to
" the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto
" them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus
" of Nazareth. Then one said unto him, Art thou not
" one of his disciples ? But Peter again denied with an
" oath : Man, I am not ; I know not the man. And
" after a while, about the space of one hour, another
*' confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow
" also was with him ; for he is a Galilean. Then
" they that stood by came up, and said to Peter,
" Surely, thou also art one of them ; for thou art a
" Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto, and be-
" wrayeth thee. One of the servants of the high-
" priest (being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off.)

125

" saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him ?
" But Peter began to curse and to swear, and again
" denied it, and said, Man, I know not what thou
" sayest : I know not this man of whom ye speak.

" And immediately, while Peter yet spake, the cock
" crew a second time. And the Lord turned, and
" looked upon Peter : and Peter remembered the word
k< of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the
" cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And
" he went out and wept bitterly.

" Now the chief priests and elders, and all the
" council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put
" him to death ; but found none, yea, though many
" bare false witness against him, their testimony agreed
" not together. At the last came two false witnesses
" and said, we heard him say, I am able to (I will)
" destroy this temple of God that is made with hands,
" and within three days I will build another made
" without hands. But neither so did their witness
" agree together. Then the high-priest stood up in
" the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, answerest thou
" nothing ? What is it that these witness against thee ?
" But Jesus held his peace, and answered nothing.

" And straightway in the morning, as soon as it was
" day, the chief priests, the elders of the people, and
" the scribes, took counsel against Jesus to put him to
" death, and they led him into their counsel ; and the
" high-priest asked him, Art thou the Christ ? Jesus
" said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe ;
" and if I ask you. ye will not answer me, nor let me
" go. Then the high-priest answered and said unto
" him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell
" us, whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
" Then said they all, Art thou the Son of God?

126

*' Jesus saith unto them, Thou hast said ; I am. Never-
" theless I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the
" Son of Man sitting on the right-hand of power, and
" coming in the clouds of heaven.

" Then the high-priest rent his clothes, saying, He
" has spoken blasphemy, what farther need have we of
" witnesses ? Behold, now ye have heard his blas-
" phemy. What think ye ? They all condemned him,
" and answered and said, He is guilty of death.

" Then some began to spit on him, and they did
" spit in his face. And the servants, and the men who
" held Jesus, mocked him, smote him and buffeted
" him. And they blindfolded him, and struck him on
" the face ; and asked him, saying, Prophesy unto us,
" thou Christ, who is he that smote thee ? And many
" other things blasphemously spake they against him.

A PREPARATORY PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour, whose merits are infinite ! as
we proceed in the consideration of the history of thy
sufferings, we humbly pray thee to grant us the assist-
ance of thy good spirit, to enlighten our understand-
ings, and to incline our wills to submit to the influence
of all those valuable truths which are here taught.
Impart a blessing to our meditations, to the praise of
thine infinite love, which moved thee to suffer for our
sake. Amen.

127

CHAPTER I.

CHRIST BROOGHT BEFORE THE SPIRITUAL COURT OF
THE JEWS.

" And they that /tad laid hold on Jesus led him away to
' Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas who
' was high-priest that same year. Now Caiaphas wan
' he who gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient
' that one man should die for the people. And they led
' Jesus away to Caiaphas the high-priest, where the
' scribes and elders were assembled."

IN these words we have an account of the bringing
of our blessed Lord before the spiritual court of the
Jews. We find that he was brought,

First, Before Annas, one of the chief priests.

Secondly, Before Caiaphas the high-priest.

" They that had laid hold on Jesus led him to
Annas."

With respect to the persons who brought him
thither, they are not expressly specified; but are
mentioned in general terms. Both Jews and Gen-
tiles had laid hands on Christ in the garden, and both
were doubtless engaged in hurrying him to the place
where the unjust sentence of death was to be passed
upon him.

Our blessed Lord, after eating the paschal lamb
with his disciples at Jerusalem, had gone out of the
city, over the brook Kidron, and passed through the
valley of Jehoshaphat, to the Mount of Olives ; where,

128

after his agonizing conflict, he was delivered into the
hands of his enemies by the treachery of his disciple
Judas. Now, he was again led from Gethsemane into
the city. Some are of opinion, that the multitude,
instead of going the direct way with him, took a circuit
by the sheep gate. Through this gate, the sheep
which were designed for sacrifices and kept in the
adjacent pastures, were brought into the city, to be
sacrificed in the temple, which stood opposite to this
gate. By this same way, the true Lamb of God,
which was to be offered up for the sins of the whole
world, is supposed to have been led into the city.

Secondly, The persons, before whom our blessed
Lord was brought, are described.

" They led him away to Annas first." This Annas,
whom the Jewish historian Josephus calls Ananus, *
was a person of high dignity at Jerusalem ; for he had
not only been high-priest for several years, but had
five sons who were all successively advanced to that
office ; to which he now saw even his son-in-law,
Caiaphas, promoted. But the particular circumstance
by which he is here described is, that he was father-
in-law to Caiaphas. This, seems to have been the
motive for bringing our Lord first to Annas's house,
who probably might have advised the measures adopted
for the apprehending our Lord. What passed in this
house, with regard to our blessed Lord, the evangelists
do not specify. Some indeed, are of opinion, that he
was here interrogated, and was denied by Peter for
the first time, and struck on the face by an officer ;
because St. John, after relating these particulars, con-
cludes this part of the narrative with these words.

* Jews' Antiquities, Book 20, chap. 8.

129

"•'• And Annas sent him bound to the high-priest
Caiaphas." But it was not in Annas's house where
these things happened ; and these words of St. John
ought therefore to be included in a parenthesis.* —
We shall here make the following inferences.

1. The children of darkness, in many things, show
themselves wiser than the children of light. How
careful were the soldiers and officers of the Jews to
hold fast tlie Lord Jesus, and lead him away, after he
had fallen into their hands ! How willing likewise was
the former high-priest, Annas, to renounce his sleep,
and sit up till midnight, to enjoy the malicious satis-
faction of seeing Jesus of Nazareth secured and bound !
Which of us uses such diligence in the service of our
blessed Saviour ? And when we are blessed with the
visits of this divine guest, where are those who say
with Jacob, " I will not let thee go, except thou bless
me;"f who willingly forego their ease, and their sleep,
when an opportunity offers of showing kindness to
Christ in his distressed members ; and who, with
David, rise up at midnight to praise the Lord " for his
righteous judgments ?" ^ Is it not true, that we are
surpassed by these children of darkness, who were
much more active and diligent to injure our blessed
Lord, than we are to serve and hold communion with
him ?

2. The many weary steps of the blessed Jesus, are
also to be reckoned among his meritorious sufferings.
We behold him led from the garden of Getbsemane
to the house of Annas ; from Annas to Caiaphas, from

* The English translators render this verse, very properly, (Now
Annas had sent him bound to Caiapha?, the high-priest.)

t Gen. xxxii. 26. J Psalms, cxix. 62.

130

Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, from Herod
again to Pilate, from Pilate's seat of judgment to
Mount Golgotha. He was led bound like a public
malefactor, and a disturber of the peace. His sinless
soul was sensibly touched by the rude sarcasms, taunting
reflections, and bitter imprecations and blasphemies,
which were poured out by the outrageous multitude.
His body, which, but a few hours before, had been
extremely weakened by his agony and bloody sweat,
was barbarously handled, bruised, and spurned by the
inhuman soldiers ; so that the Messiah's complaint in
the Psalms, " They thrust sore at me, that I might
fall ;" * was here literally fulfilled.

3. The suffering Redeemer has, in his sacred person,
sanctified the abusive treatment, which his suffering-
members meet with ; who may often say with St. Paul,
" We are made a spectacle to the world." f It is
a great comfort to Christian martyrs for the truth's
sake, to consider, that such sufferings are sanctified by
the adorable Son of God, who trod the thorny path
before them.

II.

The person before whom our blessed Saviour was
next brought, was Caiaphas, . " who was the high-
priest that year." It was not the first year of
Caiaphas's pontificate, he having some years before
been raised to that high office by the favour of the
Roman Governor ; but this circumstance, that he
" was the high-priest that same year," seems to allude
to the great irregularities practised at that time,
with regard to the high priesthood. It seldom hap-
pened in that age, that any one held this office until
death, according to the divine institution ; but the fa-

* Psalms, cxviii. 13. 1 1 Cor. iv. 9.

131

mily of Herod, and the Roman Governors, used to dis-
pose of it to the highest bidder ; or, from other indi-
rect motives, to take it away from one, and bestow it on
another. In the space of one century, which intervened
from the reign of Herod to the destruction of Jeru-
salem, twenty-seven high-priests were deposed out of
twenty-eight, some of whom scarcely bore the dignity
a year. In the year of our Saviour's passion, Caiaphas
was still high-priest, and continued such for several
years after. — We here behold the true high-priest
over the house of God, whom God had appointed and
confirmed with an oath, standing as a prisoner in bonds
before the Jewish high-priest, whose office was only
a shadow of the real dignity and importance of his
priesthood.

Caiaphas is described by a very remarkable circum-
stance ; for St. John observes, that it was he who had
advised the Jews, " that it was expedient that one man
should die for the people." * Our Lord naving raised
Lazarus from the dead, by which miracle multitudes
were induced to believe on the name of Jesus, the
scribes held a consultation in order to put a stop to this
growing evil. " What do we ?" said they, *' for this
man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone,
all men will believe on him ; and the Romans shall
come and take away both our place and nation." f Upon
this, Caiaphas the high-priest delivered his sentiments
in the remarkable words here quoted. Though this
counsel of Caiaphas was uttered in the spirit of prophecy,
yet he himself appears to have been actuated by bitter
enmity against our Lord. His own meaning seems to
.have been this : ' Supposing this Jesus of Nazareth to

John, sviii. M. t John, ii. 47.

be an innocent person ; yet it is better, for once, to
set aside the rules of justice and equity, and make a
sacrifice of them to the public welfare, than that the
Jewish nation should be deprived of its liberty ; for it
is to be apprehended, that the Romans will avail them-
selves of the disturbances arising from this man's doer
triues, and come and take away both our place and
nation.' He appears to have spoken with the greatest
acrimony, reproaching his colleagues with their weak-,
ness and want of penetration, because they did not see
the necessity of putting Jesus of Nazareth tp death at
all events. " Ye know nothing at all." As if he had
said, * When imminent danger hangs over pur heads,
we must not stand consulting with conscience, but bring
the affair to a speedy conclusion/ Thus Caiaphas
appears to have been a person of a hardened conscience,
full of hatred and malice against the Lord Jesus. It
was probably a cause of great joy to him that this
iniquitous advice was carried into execution during
his pontificate. Nay it may be presumed he received
many congratulations on the event, as having saved
the Jewish nation.

The rest of the assistants who composed the council
are described in the following words : " The chief
priests, and elders of the people, and the scribes came
together." Hence it appears that most of the members
of the Sanhedrim were present, to consult on the means
of bringing Jesus of Nazareth to a trial. This meet-
ing was the more extraordinary, as it was not cus-
tomary in cases where life was concerned, to hold a
sessions in the night ; it was also a very august as-
sembly, consisting of the most distinguished characters
of the Jewish nation. But the prince of darkness
was the president of this court ; so that justice was

133

not to be expected there. It was an assembly, of
which Jacob would have said, as he did of Simeon
and Levi, " O my soul, come not thou into their
secret ; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou
united ! Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce ; and
their wrath, for it was cruel." *

It was not without the divine decree, that the Son of
God was now brought before this judicature. Shiloh
was to make his appearance, whilst a lawgiver was still
among the Jews f. Accordingly he who " was made
under the law" was now brought before judges sitting
in Moses's chair. We shall make a few further ob-
servations on the passage now considered.

1. The folio wers of Christ, like their Divine Master,
have been frequently sacrificed, under pretence of
restoring public tranquillity. The men of the world
still excite opposition and clamour, and pretend that
true Christians are such dangerous men, that it is
necessary for the public welfare that they should be
discountenanced or degraded. These stratagems of
the world were conspicuous in the sufferings of out
blessed Saviour.— Let not the children of God be
offended, if such should happen to be their case.

12. He, who considers only the external dignity of
the enemies of Christ, may easily be misled. Great
personages were assembled in the house of Caiaphas
the high-priest ; yet Satan made use of these as his
instruments to condemn the Son of God. These aged
and refined politicians, and profound scholars, not
withstanding all their wisdom, knew not God; but
rejected and " crucified the Lord of glory." + There-
fore let no one be deceived by such external advan-

* Gen. xlix. 6. t Gen. xlix. 10. 11 Cor. ii. 7.

feges -as a high character, an eminent post, splendid
titles, profound learning, and apparent candour ; qua-
lifications which we often meet with in the enemies of
God's cause ; while their hearts are filled with hatred,
and a dislike of the truth.

3. It is to Christ's standing before a human tribunal,
that we owe our discharge from the just tribunal
of God. We had transgressed the divine law, anil
for that violation were liable to condemnation. But
our Surety, who had fulfilled all righteousness, here
condescends to be falsely accused, and unjustly sen-
tenced to die, that we, by his innocence might be
freed from the just accusation of a broken lawr.
Whoever with true penitence acknowledges his trans-
gressions, though he be condemned by the law as a
malefactor, if he humbly pray to the Lord not to
enter into strict judgment with his servant, and if
by a lively faith he lay hold on the merit of his
Redeemer, " shall not come into condemnation, but
is passed from death unto life." * But this salvation,
which was purchased at so dear a rate, is of no
benefit to the impenitent and unconverted. These
must be brought before the supreme tribunal, and
receive the just sentence of death. " Judge there-
fore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of
the Lord."

P R A Y E I!.

O Lord and Saviour ! we thank thee for suffering
thyself to be brought before an earthly tribunal, to
deliver us from judgment before the tribunal of heaven.
Preserve us from taking offence at thee or thy cross.

* John, v. 24.

135

and give us grace, from thy sufferings before this
relentless tribunal, to derive strength to endure perse*
i'utions, and to continue faithful till death ! Amen.

CHAPTER II.

THE FIRST FALL OF PETER THE APOSTLK.

" Simon Peter followed Jesus afar off, and so did anc;
•• disciple, to ike palace of tlie high-priest. Th.al other
" disciple was known unto (he high-priest, and went in
" with Jesus into the palace of tlie high-priest. But Pe/tr
" stood at ike door without. Then went out that oilier dis-
" ciple who was known to the high-priest, and spake unto
" her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. And the
" servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of
" coals, for it was cold; and they warmed themselves:
" and Peter went in and sat among the servants, and
" wanned himself at the foe, that he might see the end.
" Then the damsel, who kept the door, beheld Peter, as
" he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and
" said. This man teas atvo with him : Thou also wast
" wifh Jesus of Nazareth the Galilean. Art thou not o-ac
" of this man's disciples? But he denied it before them
" all, saying, IVojnan, 1 am not ; I knoic him not, neither
" understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into
"' ike porch ; and ilu coc/i crew.'''

THIS account of the occasion of Peter's fall, relates
first, the causes of it ; and secondly, the denial if self.

As to the remote cause of his fall, two circumstance*
prepared the. way for this heinous sin, namely, his

K 4

J36

following Christ; and his indiscreetly entering into-
the high-priest's palace.

1. The first remote cause then was, his following
Christ. But is it credible, that the following our
blessed Lord should so far mislead Peter, as to occasion
his denying his master? yet it was even so. He who
followed Jesus was Simon Peter, the oldest of all the
disciples. At first all the disciples " forsook him, and
fled :" but Peter recollecting his promise, " Lord, why
cannot I follow thee now ? I will lay down iny life for
thy sake:* though all should be offended because of
thee, yet will I never be offended ;"f turned back, and
followed Christ at a distance. This appears, in the first
instance, a commendable action ; as it showed, that
the love he bore to his Lord was not extinguished ;
but Peter in following Christ at this juncture fell into
several sins. He sinned against God's providence, by
plunging into danger on the strength of his own good
resolutions : he sinned against his master, by pre-
sumptuously acting contrary to what Jesus had ex-
pressly told him, " Whither I go, thou canst not follow
me now ;" £ which words of Christ he by this action
would confute, and show that what his master had de-
clared impossible, he could nevertheless perform. He
also erred by mixing among the enemies of Christ ; and
by wishing to exalt himself above the other disciples,
and to display a superior courage and resolution in
following his master.

His companion was another disciple. By that other
disciple most commentators understand St. John : but
some conjecture, that this was not one of the twelve
apostles, but some inhabitant of Jerusalem, who was

* John, xiii. 57- t Matt. xxvi. .M. ± John, xiii. 3(>.

137

in hts heart secretly convinced of the truth of our
Saviour's doctrine, but for fear of the excommunication
with which the Sanhedrim had threatened all that
should profess the doctrine of Christ, concealed his
sentiments.

2. The second remote occasion of Peter's fall was
his entering into the high-priest's palace.

The other disciple of Christ was admitted into the
court, among those who brought Jesus thither. In the
mean time, Peter was obliged to stand without at the
door. It may seem that the door was carefully
guarded, lest a tumult should arise, and some of his
followers should force their way into the palace, with
a view of rescuing Jesus. " Then went out that other
disciple, who was known to the high-priest* and spake
to her that kept the door, and brought in Peter."
This disciple cannot be supposed to have had any ill
intention, and might imagine that he conferred a favour
on Peter, by procuring him admission into the high-
priest's palace. Peter likewise would be happy to get
admitted ; but it proved his greatest misfortune.

A good inclination, if not under the direction of the
word of God, is often very dangerous. Peter thought
lie acted a laudable part in following the Lord Jesus,
and venturing into the high-priest's palace. But as in
this his good intention he paid no regard to the word
of God, viz. " Thou canst not fqllow me now," it
proved a dangerous snare to him. This is the case of
thousands. If they intend well in any particular
action, you can never convince them that they act
amiss, though they cannot produce any command or
promise of God to warrant their proceeding ; at length
their fall unhappily proves their temerity and want of
reflection. Good intentions are mere blind impulse;

138

•when they are not under the guidance of God's will,
as declared in his word.

3. As to the more immediate cause of Peter's fall,
it is observed; " And the servants and officers stood
there, and had made a fire of coals, for it was cold ;
and they warmed themselves." Peter also went, and
sat among the servants, and warmed himself by the
fire.

His intention was, to see what would be the issue ;
and in the mean time to hear what the servants
thought of Jesus, and what was their expectation as to
the event. But he had long before heard from the
mouth of the blessed Jesus himself, that he should be
delivered into the hands of the Gentiles ; that they
should scourge him, revile him, and put him to deatli
on the cross. This prophecy he seems to have forgot-
ten.— By mingling in the crowd he might hope to
escape observation; but it happened here, as it fre-
quently does when a man despises the means which
God has pointed out for his preservation, that the
plan by which he hoped to escape, proved the occasion
of his fall.

Another immediate cause of Peter's sin, was the
speech of the damsel, who kept the door ; of whom it
is said, that " she earnestly looked on Peter;" and
asked him, " Art thou not also one of this man's dis-
ciples? Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth."
The damsel draws the attention of the officers and
servants to St. Peter, «' This'man was also with him."
We may suppose the eyes of all the company to be
fixed on Peter. The only crime with which he was
here accused, was that he was one of Jesus's disciples.
But this accusation, in such a place, and at such a
juncture, was sufficient to endanger his life ; and Peter

did not he&itate to utter a direct falsehood, in* order
to avoid the threatening danger. We shall make .the
following observations.

1. When a person has once departed from the ways <
of God, every step he takes brings him nearer his \
fall. We see how Peter went on step by step into
temptation. He trusted to his own strength ; and
having said, he would go with Jesus to prison and to
death, his temerity prompts him to turn back and
follow his master, and at last to enter the palace, and
mingle among the servants. So proud is frail man,
that he will not confess his weakness. Thus a youth
admonished to beware of bad company, replies that he
is able to govern himself. He is unwilling to pass for
a precise, gloomy, or unsociable person ; and therefore
joins in conversation or in actions which are dis-
pleasing to God, and wound his own conscience. The
tempter soon seduces him still farther, till at last he is
led to the commission of gross sins. Let none then be
rash and presumptuous, or confide in themselves. We
cannot expect the divine protection and assistance, if
we run wilfully into danger.

2. The real disciples of Christ cannot long be con-
cealed among the people of the world. Had Peter,
like the rest, inveighed against Christ, and ridiculed bis
doctrines, he might have avoided all suspicion. But
as he remained silent, or possibly was sometimes un-
able to suppress his emotions, under his violent inward
perturbation, he was soon suspected to be one of the
disciples. Thus it is still with the children of God,
when they mingle with the wicked. They are not
long undistinguished from those about them, and
others think it strange that they run not with them
into the same excess of riot : so that however they

140

may wish to conceal themselves, they will not remain
long undiscovered. They must be put to the test,
whether they will suffer contempt and ill-treatment
for the sake of Christ.

II.

We come' now to the account of Peter's first denial
of Christ. " He denied it before them all," saying, (ac-
cording to the harmonized account of the evangelists,)
" I am not ;" I am no disciple of Jesus of Nazareth.
" I know him not ;" I have no acquaintance with the
man, and have no connection with him. * I know not
what thou sayest; I understand not your meaning.'
So strongly did Peter dissemble, as if he never had had
any thing to do with Jesus of Nazareth, and did not in
the least care what became of him. He was as it were
thunder-struck ; and all his boasted resolution dis-
appeared at this one attack* He began to faint at the
first appearance of danger.

After giving this first proof of his weakness, he
went out into the court, near the gate which opened
into the street, and behold, " the cock crew." His
conscience told him, that he had grievously sinned
against his master ; and the voice of conscience was
confirmed by this incident, since it reminded him of
his master's words ; namely, " This night, before the
cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." * Hence
we may draw the following inferences.

1. The Spirit of God calls sins by other names than
those which depraved reason gives them. Peter pro-
bably thought, « What right has this woman to ask me,
whether I am a disciple of Jesus ? As she has no

* Mark, xiv. 30.

141

authority to question me, I am not obliged to tell her
the truth. J have said nothing tending to scandalize,
or defame my master ; and what service would it do
him, if I should bring myself in danger of my life ?
As my confession can do him no good, he will not take
it ill, that I pretend I do not know him.' Thus would
he extenuate the sin of denying Jesus Christ before
men. Christ has said, " Whosoever shall confess me
before men, bin* will I confess before my Father who is
in heaven : but whosoever shall deny me before men,
him will I also deny before my Father who is in
heaven."* . Peter here committed a sin of the deepest
d-/e. In time of distress " he made lies his refuge," f
instead of relying on the protection of God. He
broke his solemn promise so recently made ; " Though
I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee."t
He was ashamed of that master whom he knew and
had publicly acknowledged to be the Son of God ;
and thus he strengthened the enemies of Christ in
their wickedness.

2. An immoderate love of life and worldly ease,
will lead us to deny our Saviour. When any danger
occurs for the sake of the gospel, if these are dearer to
us than Christ and his religion, nay if we are not ready
and willing to offer them up to him who has given
his life a sacrifice for us, we pave the way for a denial
of Christ and his word. We are not to think those
words of Christ a hard saying, " If any man come to
me, and hate not his own life, he cannot be my dis-
ciple." § It ^should be sufficient that the Lord Jesus

* Matt x. 32. t Isaiah, xxviii. 15. J Matt, xxvi. 35,

§ Luke, xiv. 26.

support and strengthen vis ; that lie has promised
to give us a better and more durable existence, in ex-
change for this wretched and transitory state ; and to
recompense the short momentary sufferings of this
life, with an eternal weight of glory.

3. Peter's denial of Christ was a considerable aggra-
vation of our Lord's sufferings. Certainly it was
not without design, that all the four evangelists
(though some more circumstantiallyjjthan the others)
have inserted this incident in the history of the pas-
sion. The spirit of prophecy had before declared, that
it would be a part of the Messiah's sufferings, that his
lovers and friends should stand aloof from his sore.*
How would this base ingratitude and perfidy of Peter
wound the faithful heart of the blessed Jesus ! How
deeply must it have affected him, that the subtil fiend
had prevailed over the most intrepid and the eldest of
the apostles ; for whom he had particularly prayed,
" that his faith might not fail."f We also must con-
sider that all our inconstancy and infidelity contributed
to increase the sufferings of Christ, We, in the person
of our first parents, entered into a connection with
Satan the grand enemy of God, and ventured into dan-
ger, actuated by an useless but fatal curiosity. We
too, denied the Lord our creator, and, as it were, im-
piously said, " I know thee not :" " Who is the Lord
that I should obey his voice ?" Often have we behaved
as strangers to our Lord and Master, when our pro-'
fession of attachment to him might have drawn some
inconvenience or danger on our heads. For all these
sins our Redeemer suffered ; praised be his holy name
for ever !

* Psalms, xxxviii, U. -f Luke, xxii. 32.

143

PRAYER.

O most faithful Saviour ! We bless thee that in
thy word thou hast given us lessons and examples,
which may make us wise unto salvation. Preserve us
from all rashness, sinful curiosity, and presumption,
and from reliance on our own strength. Withdraw
our hearts from the love of earthly things, and make
us to value nothing so inordinately, as to be willing
to forfeit thy favour to attain it. Enable us to re-
nounce that love of temporal ease, which might in-
duce us to deny thy truth. May we be ready to lay
down our lives, rather than to deny thee in the day of
trouble, or be denied by thee before thy Father and
his holy angels. May we henceforth show fidelity and
constancy in all trials and temptations ! Amen.

CHAPTER III.

CHRIST INTERROGATED THE FIRST TIME BEFORE THE
SPIRITUAL JUDICATURE.

£{ The high-priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of
" his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to
" the world ; I ever taught in the synagogues, and in the
" temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret
" have I said nothing : Why askest thou me ? Ask them
" who heard me, what I said unto them : Behold they know
" what I said "

THESE words inform us how our blessed Lord was
first interrogated before the spiritual court of the
Jews.

144

First, The person who put the question was
Caiaphas the high-priest. It had been the insidious
'practice of our Lord's enemies, to propose to him
ensnaring questions, in order to draw from him some
unguarded expression, for which they might accuse
him; and the same crafty method was observed in
this instance. It was indeed a duty incumbent on the
high-priest, to keep a watchful .eye on the purity of
the doctrines taught in Israel, lest any false prophet
should arise and draw the people to apostacy, intro-
duce pernicious errors, and disturb the peace of the
church. But in the present inquiry, this zeal for
purity of doctrine was a mere pretence. It was a
hypocritical question, in which the love of truth had
no share ; but which proceeded from inveterate malice.
It had been determined to destroy Jesus, however
innocent, as the only expedient, in the opinion of
Caiaphas, for saving the Jewish church. Here this
impious Pontiff endeavours by insidious questions to
draw something from our Saviour, on account of which
he might pronounce sentence of death upon him with
some appearance of justice. He does not venture at
once to accuse a person who was perfectly innocent ;
but first by examining him, would procure matter to
form a charge upon.

Secondly, The purport of his question is related:
" The high-priest asked Jesus concerning his disci-
ples, and his doctrine." Jesus had been brought hither
in the night with swords and staves ; but Caiaphas's
own conscience sufficiently convinced him, that Jesus had
done no evil. Our blessed Saviour was known through-
out Judea to be a public benefactor ; so that Caiaphas
himself could not charge him with any thing criminal.
He therefore thought it more politic, to question the

145

prisoner concerning his disciples and doctrine. He
first inquires respecting his disciples ; and would in-
duce our Lord to discover the names of his followers
and adherents, and to give an account by what au-
thority he had made choice of the apostles, and drawn
after him such a number of the people.

The high-priest further asked concerning his doc-
trine : what the substance and design of it was ; and
whether it agreed with the law of Moses, and the
traditions of the elders. As the drift of the first
question, concerning his disciples, was to accuse our
Saviour of seditious practices, of setting himself up to
be a king, or endeavouring to gain to himself a party ;
so the other question, relating to his doctrine, was
intended to convict him of heresy, as having deceived
the people, and seduced them to depart from the
law of Moses. Heresy, and departure from the law
of Moses, were offences punishable with death in
the spiritual court; and the charge of sedition was
calculated to induce the civil power the more readily
to put the sentence of death, passed by the ecclesiastical
court, in execution. Such appears to have been the
design of the high-priest in asking these questions.
We shall observe on this head ;

1. That the greatest injustice is practised in the
world under the most plausible pretences. Nothing-
could be more iniquitous than the whole process carried
on ao-ainst our Saviour. The resolution had been

taken that Jesus should die; and it was now con-
trived by captious and ensnaring questions, to extort
from him a confession, by which he might be impli-
cated in a crime worthy of death. There was the ap-
pearance of a candid examination and inquiry into the
nature of his doctrine ; but the whole was mere out-

146

side show, intended to deceive the people. Thus
the Son of God expiated the various kinds of in-
justice which are practised in the world under the
appearance of equity. How often is a zeal for the
honour of God and purity of doctrine made the pre-
tence, under which a faithful servant of God is
molested and injured ! This should teach us an ab-
horrence of all indirect proceedings, dissimulation, and
artifice ; and if we are already stained with such
iniquities, we should seek mercy in the atonement of
Christ.

2. A consideration of the insidious questions, which
the Son of God permitted to be put to him, should
check our proneness to useless and unprofitable
questions in the examination of divine truths. Christ
has thus atoned for the impertinent curiosity to which
we are often prompted in divine things ; and which
tends to no edification. How often do we summon
the Almighty before the tribunal of arrogant and
presumptuous reason, and require an account of his
decrees and proceedings, or even arraign his wisdom
and justice ! — In the instance before us, Christ has also
sanctified the sufferings of his faithful servants, when
in times of persecution they are ensnared by insidious
questions.

3. It is not unusual for the best designs, and most
laudable actions, of the servants of God, to be unjustly
suspected by the world. Christ in choosing his dis-
ciples had the most beneficent views ; the doctrine
which he taught was nothing less, than a declaration of
the counsel of God concerning our eternal salvation.
Nevertheless, both the choice of his disciples, and the
purity of his heavenly doctrine, were loaded with an
unjust suspicion. His appointment of disciples was

147

regarded as a seditious design, and his pure and sa-
lutary doctrine incurred the suspicion of heresy. Thus
he was to atone for our depravity, in being so ready to
put the worst construction on the designs, words, and
actions of our neighbour, and to impute to him in-
tentions of which he is innocent. Our blessed Lord has
sanctified the sufferings of his servants when they are
oppressed with false and undeserved suspicions, and
when their innocent views and designs are branded with
the worst constructions.. When a Christian meets with
the like ill-treatment, let him reflect : " Was my Sa-
viour no better treated ? Were his words and actions
misconstrued ? What am I, that I should be better
treated than my Lord and Master ?" This consideration
will also induce him to put the most favourable con-
struction on the conduct of others.

In our blessed Lord's answer to the foregoing
question, he passes over in silence the first part of it,
which concerned his disciples ; probably because this
point was answered in his defence of his doctrine :
for his view in appointing disciples was that they
might asssist him in its promulgation : so that by
proving that no suspicion of heresy or sedition could
be charged on the doctrine, he at the same time vin-
dicated the appointment of disciples to promulgate it.

As to the second part of this question, which related
to his doctrine, Jesus returned a more direct answer.
He informs the high-priest in what manner, and where
he taught ; " I spake openly to the world ;" or, as he
says in another place, " I spake to, or before the
world, what I have heard of the Father." * He had
declared the truth to all who were willing to hear it ;

* John, viii. 26.

148

and this was no more than his enemies acknowledged,
when they said to him : " Master, we know that thou
art true, and teachest the way of God in truth ;
neither carest thou for any man, for thou regardest
not the person of men."* He did not preach one
set of doctrines among his friends,, and another quite
opposite to it, when he observed any spic-s or in-
formers mingled with the crowd. On the contrary,
he uniformly adhered to the truth, and declared it
indiscriminately to the consciences of all men, before
audiences of every kind.

Our blessed Lord further mentions the places in
which he taught, namely, in the synagogues, and in the
temple, whither the Jews from all parts usually re-
sorted. He made use of those public places in which
God's word was read and explained. He adds, " And
in secret have I said nothing." Christ it is true often
preached in the desert, on mountains, and even in
private houses, but never in a clandestine manner.
Kvery one was at liberty to hear what was said; nor
were spies or informers debarred of access. And when
he sometimes discoursed privately with his disciples',
or with other persons, as with Nicodemus, f it was
on no other subject, but what he publicly taught and
inculcated. Some things were more clearly explained
to his disciples, that they might communicate them
to others, as we read in St Mark ; " And when he
was alone, they that were about him, with the twelve,
asked him of the parable. And he said unto them,
Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of God : but unto them that are without,
all these things are done in parables." J But it was

* Matt. xxii. 16. t Jghn, iii. J Mark, iv. 10.

149

his express injunction to his disciples, " What I tell
you in darkness, that speak ye in the light ; and
what you hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the
house tops ;" * and our Lord himself openly delivered
what he accounted conducive to the happiness, and
necessary for the salvation of mankind.

The second part of our Lord's answer, consists of a
remonstrance to the high-priest ; censuring his method
of proceeding, and proposing a more effectual means of
coining at the truth. " Why askest thou me?" As if
he had said, ' Can the person accused bear witness in
his own cause ? If I were to give you a detail of my
doctrine, and lay open to you the whole system, so that
you yourself could not make any just exceptions against
it, you would the^n accuse me of dissimulation. He
dares not, (you would say,) in our presence, avow his
heretical opinions ; but when he is among the poor
ignorant populace, he imperceptibly infuses into them
the poison of his doctrines.' Thus he shows that this
manner of inquiring after truth was neither just nor
satisfactory. Instead of it, he proposes the proper mode
of coming at the truth, " Ask them who heard me,
what I said unto them : behold, they know what I
said." These words manifest the justice of Christ's
cause : it was the answer, not of a dispirited, affrighted
criminal ; but of a person of wisdom, intrepidity, and
resolution. This divine teacher could appeal to the
consciences of his hearers ; nay, he is not afraid that
his cause should be tried by his enemies. Possibly,
the very officers who had been sent to apprehend Jesus,
but who returned without him, saying, " Never man
spake like this man,'5 f might be then standing before

* Matt x. 27. t John, vii. 46.

150

the door of the hall. These and any other witnesses
should have been heard ; and the truth might have
been discovered. Besides, this was the method of
proceeding appointed by the Jewish law; witnesses
were to be confronted with the person accused, that in
the n^outh of two or three witnesses the truth should
be established : and the high-priest is justly reproved
by the Lord Jesus for neglecting this prescribed me-
thod of proceeding in judicial cases.

Some important doctrines may be here inferred. —
1. A faithful servant of God ought to face the ene-
mies of truth, with 'becoming firmness and resolution.
Christ who has gone before us as an illustrious ex-
ample, has also obtained for us strength to imitate
him. A servant of God might be discouraged by the
consideration of his weakness, and the power of his
enemies ; but Christ, who with his spotless innocence
.covers the failings of his servants, has acquired for
them the power to appear undaunted before their
enemies. Freedom and courage, in a good cause,
are quite consistent with humility and discretion.
This discourse of our Lord flowed from a laudable
zeal for the honour of his character, which was un-
justly branded with the suspicion of heresy. Such
an undaunted answer the high-priest might little ex-
pect from a person who stood bound before him as a-
prisoner, and whom he had already pre-judged. — Our
Saviour has thus obtained for his people the privilege
of a firmness on such occasions ; nor are they in
the least culpable when they make use of it, within
the limits of discretion and decorum.

2. A good conscience is the source of true freedom
and resolution. Of this we have here an instance in
our blessed Lord. As he was not conscious of any

151

Tieretical or seditious designs, he could with boldness
repel such aspersions. Whoever will imitate Christ in
this particular, must have a pure conscience. The men
of the world often show themselves bold and resolute,
and put on the mask of confidence, which, in fact,
is mere presumption; nor does it 'last any longer,
than while conscience is asleep, and ceases to per-
form its office. But when the conscience is awakened
by the voice of God, . and presents before the sinner
the black catalogue of his secret sins ; then he is
appalled, and his assumed boldness and intrepidity
vanish. The children of God, whose consciences are
appeased by the blood of the Lamb, possess a true
firmness, which even the children of this world cannot
forbear secretly admiring, though they are strangers to
the cause from whence it flows. Have we then just
ground for such a boldness and confidence ? Is this
foundation laid in us ? Or do our consciences reproach
us with some heinous and unrepented sins, of which
we dread the discovery, as it would expose us to shame
and confusion ? If the latter be our case, we have rea-
son to be afraid. Let us hasten to the fountain, freely
opened for sin and uncleanness ; to the blood of the
Son of God, which is the only balm for an accusing
conscience. And let every one endeavour to preserve
a conscience void of offence. If we show no regard to
the voice of conscience now, it will one day be heard ;
filling vis with terrifying reflections, and painful re-
morse : if on the other hand, our conscience be purged
from dead works, and resigned to the guidance of
God's Holy Spirit, it will befriend us through life,
and comfort us at the awful hour of death, and in the
day of judgment. Whoever endeavours to walk before
God with a pure conscience, may follow the example

152

of his Saviour with humble confidence; and if his
words and actions are inisconstrued, may make a
similar appeal: ' I have spoken and acted ope>ly in
the face of the world ; I have no sinister designs ; I am
conscious of no bad intentions. The omniscient God
is the judge of my secret thoughts ; he knows that the
intents of my heart are sincere before him.' Thus
may a good Christian look his enemies in the
face, and nobly despise their groundless suspicions,
and calumnies ; for if he is absolved by his own con-
science, he is well assured that, in the day of the Lord
Jesus, his innocence will be made manifest in the pre-
sence of assembled men and angels.

3. A true Christian ought to avoid all appearance of
evil.* This maxim, which St. Paul lays down, the
Son of God has illustrated by his example ; and he has,
at the same time, imparted strength to his followers to
walk in his steps. They should therefore use all dili-
gence to walk cautiously and without offence, amidst
a sinful generation ; considering that many eyes are
intent on their actions, and that the world gladly lays
hold on very opportunity of calumniating them. If,
notwithstanding all their caution, their most innocent
words and actions are scandalpusly misrepresented by
the world, let them comfort themselves by the example
of their Saviour, , who was traduced without a cause:
and let them recommend their cause to God.

4. As the doctrines of Christ were openly promul-
gated, so are they to be openly and cheerfully pro-
fessed. St. Paul, in the name of all Christians, says :
" We are the children of light and of the day." f In-
stead of being ashamed of Christ's religion, we are to

* 1 Thess. v. 22. t 1 Thess. v. 5.

153

own it in the face of the world ; for it contains nothing
contrary to the principles of sound reason, nothing
which clashes with our ideas of God and his attributes.
Whoever is ashamed of the Christian doctrine ; nay,
whoever does not in heart and mouth profess it ; as it
were, reproaches his Lord and Master, and brings on
him an unworthy suspicion, like the false accusation in
the Jewish Sanhedrim ; namely, that he went about
clandestinely, propagating such doctrines as could not
bear the light. When no persecution arises, it may be
easy to profess the faith of Christ without reserve;
but in seasons when the profession of Christianity ex-
poses men to reproach and suffering, it requires more
real courage and fortitude than can be derived from
unassisted nature. Since our blessed Saviour, there-
fore, by his holy firmness and intrepidity, has acquired
the same gifts for his people ; let us humbly entreat
him, so to convince our hearts of the truth of his
heavenly doctrines, that we may not hesitate to make
an unreserved profession of his religion ; and as it be-
comes the children of light, and of the day, to lay
down, if required, our lives for his sake.

PRAYER.
O faithful and ever-living; Saviour ! write in our

hearts the wholesome doctrines which we have learned.
Bring to the light of thy gospel those who are prone
to hypocrisy, deceit, and the works of darkness. Dis-
cover to them the depravity of their hearts ; impress
on their minds salutary shame for their offences,
and renew them to salvation ; that they may hence-
forth walk before thee in real purity and uprightness
of heart. Make each of us strictly careful to preserve

154

a good conscience, as the source of all true courage and
confidence, that we may be comforted amidst the
groundless suspicions and accusations, with which
the world may load us for the sake of the gospel f.
Amen.

CHAPTER IV.

THE UNJUST TREATMENT OF CHRIST AT HIS FIRST EXAMINA-
TION BEFORE THE SPIRITUAL COURT.

** And when Jesus had thus spoken, one of the officers, itrho
" stood by, struck him with the palm of his hand, saying,
" Answerest fhou the high-priest so ? Jesus answered
" him, If 1 have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil ; but
" if well, why smitest thou me? (Now Annas had sent
" him bound to Caiaphas the high-priest.)"

THESE words exhibit to us the unjust treatment of
our blessed Saviour at his first hearing.

We may observe, first, wherein this ill-treatment
consisted ; secondly, the plea that was urged for it ;
and thirdly, our Saviour's behaviour on this occasion.

1. It is said, " When Jesus had thus spoken, one of
the officers, who stood by, struck Jesus with the palm
of his hand."

This officer was so provoked at the boldness of our
Saviour's answer, in the presence of the council, that
he insolently offered this injury to his sacred person.
Now it is not lawful for the officers belonging to a
court of judicature, to anticipate the sentence during

155

the trial of a prisoner. This miscreant, however, well
knew, that, on the present occasion, he might presume
thus far ; and that instead of being punished, or even
reproved, he would rather be commended and re-
warded for this insult done to the prisoner. Possibly,
the high-priest himself made a sign to him to strike
our Lord ? as Ananias, another high-priest, expressly
ordered St. Paul to be struck on the face, for answer-
ing him with the same undaunted freedom. *

The insult was a blow on the face, by St. John
called pair«7p2, i. e. a stroke given witli the palm of
the hand on the cheek. Of all the ill-treatment which
Job received from his friends, he accounts this the most
sensible indignity ; «.' They have smitten me on the
cheek reproachfully."! Whoever struck an Israelite
with his fist was obliged to pay a shekel, as a fine for
the affront ; but striking him on the face was liable to
a much greater mulct ; such a blow being accounted
still more reproachful, and contemptuous. The in-
dignity was the more heinous in this instance, if we
consider that the person struck was the only be-
gotten Son of God, the Lord of glory, whose face,
but a little before, shone like the sun on Mount Tabor,
and before whom the angels themselves veil their
faces ; and that the affront wras offered to Christ in the
presence of the high-priest and the judges of the
Sanhedrim, who represented the whole Jewish nation.

Yet we are not authorized to inveigh against, to
curse, and execrate the person who offered this indig- I
nity to our Lord ; but should consider, that our mani- \
fold sins and impieties also had a share in it. These
were the cause of all the contumely, disgrace, and pain,

* Acts, xxiti. 2. t Job, xvi. 1 0.

156

which the blessed Jesus underwent ; and consequently
must have contributed to the injurious treatment
under consideration. Hence we may be convinced
of the heinous and detestable nature of sin. We
should never have imagined that sin is so detestable,
were we not convinced of it by the sufferings of the
Son of God. We may also learn the greatness of the
love which Christ bore to mankind, in his willingly
submitting to injuries and affronts, to redeem our lost
souls, to deliver us from ignominious bondage, and to
save us from that infamy and disgrace, and those eter-
nal sufferings, which otherwise would have been our
lot. As in every deliberate sin, we, as it were, lift up
our sacrilegious hands against God, we must have been
covered with confusion at his awful tribunal, and have
been delivered up to be beaten with many stripes to
ah1 eternity, had not the Son of the Father, the angel
of his presence, presented himself in our stead, and
exposed his cheeks to the smiters. Oh, what im-
measurable love was displayed in this unparalleled
meekness and patience of the Lamb of God ! Let us
express our gratitude to our blessed Saviour for his
voluntary submission to this base indignity. Let us,
when under the severest temptations, when the mes-
senger of Satan buffets us, think on this impious blow
which Christ suffered, and derive comfort. Let us
also pray to our faithful Redeemer, that he would
make us willing, for his sake, to undergo the greatest
ignominy and contempt.

2. As for the plea that was urged for this injurious
treatment of our blessed Lord, it is contained in these
words : " Answerest thou the high-priest so ?" By
this plea, he who offered it would justify the action,

157

and represent it as an instance of his zeal for the ho-
nour and dignity of the high-priest.

3. We are to consider our blessed Lord's beha-
viour on this provoking occasion. Though he suf-
fered, he threatened not. Yet he was not entirely
silent at such a public insult, but with equal discretion
and mildness, complained of the injury.

" If 1 have spoken evil" — the phrase in the origi*
nal, * does not signify, * if I have spoken evil things,
lies, slander, calumny, against the high-priest;' but
* if I have spoken in an ill, rude, and indecorous man-
ner, and violated the respect due to the high-priest ;'
for in this consisted our Saviour's pretended crime.
They thought he grossly offended the high-priest,
in the form and manner of his defence. The de-
mand, therefore, appears a just one: * If I have
been wanting in the respect which the high-priest
requires, bear witness of the evil. I here stand in
the presence of the whole court. If I have violated the
respect due to the high-priest's person and dignity,
I ought to be accused of it, and convicted of the crime
this the rules of common equity and justice require,
and nothing can be more illegal and unjust than to
begin with the execution, and punish a crime which
has not yet been proved. Sid if well, i. e. if
my words contained nothing criminal, rude, or disre-
spectful ; if I have only spoken the truth with that
decent freedom, which becomes a good cause and
a good conscience, why smitest thou meT This
reproof is given by way of question, as it 'more
emphatically sets forth the injustice of the pro-

KCtX&'f.

158

cedure. ' Why smitest thou me ? Thou, who hast
neither right nor power so to do, smitest me, who am
not yet convicted of having committed any fault,
to deserve this public insult.' This reproof, indeed,
our Saviour directs to the servant who had given him
the blow ; but at the same time, it is his design to
touch the consciences of every member of the council :
for, however these judges might suppose that, as they
sat in Moses's chair, and administered justice in God's
name, all their decrees and sentences were to be
obeyed ; yet Christ intimates to them, that they al-
lowed of iniquitous practices in their court, and that
the fundamental principles of justice were here openly
violated.

This is the import of our Saviour's remonstrance.
He offered no resistance, and meditated no revenge.
He did not command fire from heaven on the head
of this impious wretch; nor that his hand should
wither like that of king Jeroboam, when he stretched
it out against the prophet : but our Lord stood un-
moved among his enemies ; ready to be struck on the
other cheek, if the malice of this wretch had gone so
far. So that the Lord Jesus acted conformably to the
doctrines which he himself had taught. From this
behaviour of Christ, we may learn the true meaning of
his command in the fifth chapter of St. Matthew.*
We see, that a discreet remonstrance, 'or a dissuasion
from offering further injury, is by no means forbidden ;
but our Saviour's meaning seems to be this; that
rather than have recourse to any violent methods, we
oughtx when denied the protection of the magistracy,
patiently to bear injuries. ' ,

* Ver. 39.

Moreover, we are not only to admire this gentleness
of the blessed Jesus, but also to propose it for our
imitation. When the question is, whether we must
conform to Christ, who did not retaliate the blow he
received ; or to the world, whose rnaxim it is, that a
man of honour should revenge an affront or injury
offered him, either with his tongue, his pen, or his
sword ; there is no one who has any real regard for the
name of Christ, but will confess, that it is not the
world, but Christ, whom he ought to imitate. If,
however, notwithstanding this confession, we in our
actions prefer the practice of the world to the example
of patience and gentleness exhibited by Christ, we shall
one day hear that dreadful sentence from our supreme
Judge, ' Out of thine own mouth will I condemn thee,
thou wicked servant. Thou thyself couldest not but
own my example was to be followed ; and yet hast
thou suffered thyself to be carried away by the corrupt
stream of wicked custom. Thou art justly condemned
with the world, since thou hast preferred its sinful
ways.' We shall here draw the following practical
inferences.

1. In bearing witness to the truth, we are to expect
nothing but contempt, injustice, and insult. If God
does not leave the hands of evil men at liberty to
assault the witnesses of the truth, and insult them by
acts of violence, they will exercise their malicious
tongues with the greater virulence, in ridicule and
calumny. The wicked will always hate those who
bear witness that their works are evil. But it is in-
finitely better to suffer ourselves to be insulted as our
master was, for a short time, than to be given up to
everlasting shame and perdition. Let us not fear to
bear witness to the truth, however obnoxious to the

160

world : and let us prepare to meet those sufferings
which are annexed to such sincerity. This ought
more particularly to be observed by those to whom
the ministry of the gospel is committed. They
must banish from their minds all fear of man, all
false shame, and must prepare themselves for oppo-
sition.

2. The world never disregards the rules of equity
and justice more, than in its proceedings against Christ
and his followers. The servant of the high-priest
probably durst not have taken the liberty of interfering
at the trial of the murderer Barabbas, or any common
malefactor. But against Christ and his members, the
wicked presume that they may commit any violence.

3. The vices of masters are generally copied by
their servants. As the high-priest, the head of the
Sanhedrim, was unjust and unmerciful, so were his
officers and servants. This officer well knew how far
he might venture ; and possibly, he might read in the
high-priest's looks that it would be very acceptable
to him if he thus checked the boldness of Jesus of
Nazareth. As therefore the ill-example of the head
of a family causes such offence, how great is the obli-
gation of such, to set the best examples of piety and
virtue to their servants and dependents.

4. The more ardently a person loves the Lord
Jesus, the more will he be affected by every part of
his undeserved sufferings. It is remarkable, that of
all the evangelists, St. John only has taken notice of
this blow, which was inflicted on our blessed Lord.
Not that the other evangelists and apostles had no
real love for their master; fcfut as St. John was the
Lord's bosom disciple, and, of all the apostles, loved
him with the most tender affection, so he was in a

lei

particular manner affected with every indignity, af-
front, and injury, offered to his beloved master. This
we shall also experience, if our hearts are inflamed with
an ardent love for the Lord Jesus. We shall par-
ticularly attend to every incident of his sufferings.
Every thorn that pierced him, every stripe or blow
which he endured, \vill sensibly affect us. An inti-
mate fellowship with his sufferings, will be the result
of a sincere love to him.

5. When we are more sensible of any injury done
to our own character, or that of a friend, than to the
honour of God, it is a proof that we do not love him
supremely. Many are like this servant, whose zeal
was all on fire at this supposed want of respect for the
high-priest. They are transported with indignation
at an affront done to a person for whom they have a
particular regard, or even at a want of due ceremony
towards him ; whereas they can with great coolness
see the honour of God violated in the most flagrant
manner. It behoves every one to examine himself,
whether he has a zeal for God, and is more concerned
for the honour of his Saviour than for his own, or that
of any other man ?

6. The patience and gentleness of Christ exceed
human comprehension. When we see the preva-
lence of wickedness and impiety in the world, we
are apt to say within ourselves, * How can God con-
nive at such proceedings ? How can he forbear hurl-
ing his thunder, and rousing the elements, to avenge
Ms offended majesty ?' But let us rather admire and
adore his patience, and reflect, that it is to his mere
mercy we are indebted for our own salvation.

We will now consider briefly a second instance of
the unjust treatment, which our blessed Saviour met

162

with at his examination ; and this consisted in his
being bound, when he was examined : " Now Annas
had sent him bound to Caiaphas the high-priest." By
taking notice of this circumstance, the evangelist
means to show, that they proceeded against Jesus
contrary to justice and equity, and to the customs of
the Jews. For prisoners, when under examination,
were loosed from their fetters, that they might answer
with the greater freedom ; but our blessed Lord was
obliged to stand before his judges bound, with the
manacles on his hands, as he was sent from Annas
to Caiaphas. This circumstance,, at the same time,
adds to the enormity of the injurious blow which he
received.

From the circumstance of Christ's having defended
the truth of his doctrine with his hands bound, we
may infer, that the truth of the gospel is not to be
maintained by force. That method of propagating
truth cannot plead the example of the founder of our
religion. He would not allow his disciple Peter to
use the sword in his defence : and when he himself
vindicates his doctrine, his sacred hands are bound,
and the only means he uses to defend the truth, are
argument and persuasion. It is therefore a sure sign
of an antichristian spirit, to use violence in propa-
gating our religion.

PRAYER.

O faithful and ever-living Saviour ! praised be thy
holy name for thine unparalleled patience, in bearing
all the injuries, affronts, and indignities, inflicted on
thee by cruel men. Thou art entitled to all honour,
and adoration, as the image of the invisible God : but

thou hast, for our sake, offered thy sacred face, before
which the very angels veil their faces, to be stricken
and covered with shame, that thou mightest obtain for
us boldness to lift up our heads before thee, and that
we might not be overwhelmed with shame and con-
fusion before thy tribunal. For this thine amazing
condescension, we bless thee ; beseeching thee, to make
us willing, for thy sake, to suffer contempt and ill-
usage from the world ; and to account it our glory
and crown, to be made like unto thee, the first-born
among many brethren. Grant that we may rather
choose to be despised, smitten, and reviled with thee,
than to have for our portion, the perishable, sinful
honours of the world; and finally, that after thy
great example, we may finish our course with joy,
Amen.

CHAPTER V.
PETER'S SECOND AND THIRD FALL.

" And a little while after, as Peter was gone out ifo the
" porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that
" were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
" Then one said unto him, Art thou not one of his disci-
" pies ? But Peter denied it again with an oath, Man,
" / am not; I know not the man. And after a while,
" about the space of an /tour, another confidently affirmed,
" saying, Of a truth, this fellow was with htm, for he
" is a Galilean. Then they that stood by came up, and
" said to Peter, Surely, thou also art one of i/tem ; for
" thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto, and
" bewrayeth thee. One of the servants of the high-priest,
" (being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut ojf\) saith, Did
" not I see thee in the garden with him ? But Peter began
" to curse and to swear, and again denied it, and said,
" Man, I know not what thou sayest : 1 know not this
" man of whom ye speak,"

IN these words are related Peter's second and third
fall. This wavering disciple had already denied his
Lord and Master, and publicly abjured him. As to
his second denial, it is said, " And a little while after,
as Peter was gone out to the porch, another maid
saw him.'* Thus, the second denial followed close
upon the first. A few minutes after he had denied
his Master the first time, he heard the cock crow.
"Now, as our Lord had before told him, that he should
-deny him thrice, before the cock should crow twice,
it behoved Peter, by this admonition, to recollect him-
self, and to guard against any farther temptation. But

165

such was the perturbation of his mind, that he knew
not what way to turn. He was sensible that he
had unwarily intruded into a place of extreme dan-
ger, and therefore retired from the crowd which stood
about the fire. St. Matthew informs us, that " he
went out into the porch," which opened from the
court into the street, in order to steal away un-
observed. But so many eyes were fixed upon him,
that probably he was thus prevented from putting his
design in execution.

"As Peter was gone out into the porch," he was
observed by the maid, (namely, she that kept the door,)
who, from the very first sight of this stranger, had
suspected him, and now began to say to those who
stood by, * This is one of them. However he may
deny it, I am positive that he is one of Jesus's dis-
ciples.' Upon this came another maid, who knew
him, and said to them that were there, " This man was
also with Jesus of Nazareth." Thus Peter had two
witnesses against him, who both agreed in charging
him with being a disciple. This again drew the eyes
of all upon him ; they attentively looked him in the
face, and put the question to him, " Art not thou one
of his disples :" and one of them, after a more par-
ticular examination of his face, peremptorily said,
" Thou art also one of them." This man either knew
him better than the rest, or by his confidence at-
tempted to frighten, him into a confession. Thus the
number of witnesses against Peter increased ; and no
doubt every word was a thunder-clap in his ears, and
made his timorous heart tremble.

On this, unhappily succeeded Peter's second fall,
which consisted in lies, and false oaths. At first it is
said, " he denied it :" not only that he was a disciple

166

of Jesus, but that he ever had any knowledge of him.
*' I do not know the man." He, who once would not
leave his Lord and Master, because he had the words
of eternal life, now pretends that he never had any ac-
quaintance with, or knowledge of him. He who
formerly had made this glorious confession, " Thou
art Christ, the Son of the living God,"* now calls him
only a mere man, and publicly denies that he even
knows him. But this is not all ; he confirms the
denial with an oath, because they had not believed
him before on his bare word. Thus he not only trans-
gressed the commandment of his master, f but called
God to witness a falsehood, profaning his name, and
defying his omniscience. We shall here make the
following observations.

1. Satan violently harasses timorous souls. He
knew how to make the greatest advantage of this
temptation ; and having succeeded in discharging bis
first arrow at Peter, he soon sent another, without
giving him time for recollection. He would be too
crafty for us all, did not a superior eye watch over us,
and confound his designs for our ruin. This should
induce us, when we have unhappily fallen, humbly to
implore the divine assistance.

2. A desire of concealing any sin, often causes a
greater to be committed. Peter having once pre-
tende4 that he did not know Jesus, could not easily
retract - but was induced from the fear of shame and
exposure, .and for the sake of his credit, to persist in
the lie which he had uttered.

3. Light and false swearing is not only forbidden

Christ, but we see that it contributed to the aug-

* Matt. xvi. 16. t Matt. v. 33.

167

mentation of our Saviour's sufferings. Every Christian
pught therefore carefully to avoid that sin. How
must the heart of the blessed Jesus have been pierced,
at hearing Peter thus abominably profaning the name
of his heavenly Father, and calling him, to whom all
things are known, as a witness to a manifest untruth !
But alas ! nothing is more common among nominal
Christians than such oaths and attestations, in order to
gain credit in the most frivolous affairs, or to confirm
lies and falsehood. On trivial occasions the sacred and
awful name of God is profaned, or the soul, life, and
salvation staked as a pledge. Our blessed Lord, it is
true, has expiated these sins, and obtained pardon of
them for those who sincerely repent ; but if we would
avoid the threatenings annexed to such crimes in the
third commandment, let us abstain from this sinful
custom.

St. Peter's third denial of Christ succeeded, " after
a while," or as St. Luke says, " about the space of
one hour." So much time, for recollecting and recover-
ing himself, did ,the long suffering of God give to
Peter, before he permitted the third and most violent
temptation to assault him. This time should have
been employed in repentance and fervent prayer to
God, that he would draw his foot out of the snare, and
open to him a retreat from this dangerous place. But
his resolution to wait the issue of his Master's trial
still detained him. He probably grew more secure and
confident ; and thought, that as he had already escaped,
he should not again be suspected, and consequently
that no farther assault was to be apprehended. Per-
haps the better to conceal himself, he left the porch,
and again mingled with the officers and servants. —

168

In this interval of an hour, many things had passed
with relation to the Lord Jesus. False witnesses had
been suborned against him ; sentence of death had been
pronounced ; his sacred face had been spit on ; and
many opprobrious insults offered to him. All this
Peter, undoubtedly, cither heard or saw ; and this
shocking spectacle he could not behold without the
most violent emotions. We have an account of the
manner of his third assault.

" One that stood by," who by the light of the
fire had a full view of him, said aloud before all the
by-standers, " Of a truth, this fellow was also with
him ;" and as Peter had denied the charge, he adduced
a proof of the truth of it from Peter's provincial
dialect, " For he is a Galilean." The other ser-
vants who stood about the fire, pressed him more
closely ou this head., saying, " Surely, thou art a
Galilean, for thy speech bewrayeth thee."

The next attack made the greatest impression on
Peter, both .on account of the person who accosted
him,, and the charge itself. The person was a servant
of the high-priest, and a kinsman of Malchus, whose
ear Peter had cut off in the garden. This man re-
collecting Peter's face, says, " Did not I see thee
In ,tlie garden with him ?" Thus Peter was convicted,
not only of having formerly attended on Jesus, but of
having the same night, and only a few hours before,
Jbcen actively .engaged amongst his disciples.

This attack is followed by Peter's third and most
grievous fall. He denied the charge : " I know not the
man of whom you speak;" " I know not what thou
sayest." This ttenial he again confirmed with an oath.
'Nay iie began -to -€ivrse, to imprecate that God might
inflict some signal punishment OD him, and to renounce

169

his part in the kingdom of God, if he knew this Jesus,
or was one of his disciples. Thus Peter preferred his
life above his Lord and Saviour, and was more afraid
of men than of God. Instead of going into court, and
giving evidence in behalf of the accused, he stays
without, and swears that he does not so much as know
the prisoner, nor ever had any concern with him. We
may observe here,

1. Satan uses every artifice to render the entrance
into temptation easy, and the retreat difficult and ha-
zardous. Peter had little trouble in getting into the
high-priest's palace ; a single word from an acquaint-
ance procured admittance : but when he should have
retired, a multitude of obstacles prevented him. Alas!
how easily does sin allure us; especially when it
promises worldly advantages. We insensibly con-
tract an intimacy with it, and find it difficult to ex-
tricate ourselves. Let us lay this to heart, whenever we
are enticed to sin. Let us consider the consequences ;
the remorse of conscience, the anguish and sorrow,
which will ensue. Sin gathers strength by indulgence.
Peter gradually became more and more involved in
the temptation. His crime was first the denial of
his Master ; this he afterwards confirmed with an
oath, and at last with curses on his own soul. This
is a terrible instance of the different gradations of sin.
Let not then its deceitfulness beguile us. Are we
unhappily fallen ? Have we been surprised by sin ?
Let us rouse ourselves without delay, and call upon
God to deliver us.

2. The critical hour of temptation discovers the
evil which lurks in the human heart. Peter never
thought he could have fallen so deplorably. When
warned of denying his Master, he would not believe

170

it ; much less would he have been persuaded, that he
should deny him with oaths and imprecations. He
thought he had such a sincere love for Christ, that he
could cheerfully go with him to prison and to death.
But the temptation with which Satan sifted him, ma-
nifested the latent depravity of his heart. Possibly
some may say, ' Had I been in Peter's place, I should
have showed more courage and resolution.' To such
it may be justly answered, " Thou also art one of
them, for thy speech bewrayeth thee." Whoever
argues in this manner, little knows his own heart, or
how far his boasted strength will support him in the
hour of temptation.

3: The same crime as that of Peter, is still com-
mitted amongst Christians. Did Peter break his pro-
testation, that he was ready to go to prison and to
death with the Lord Jesus? We have instances of
thousands, who at baptism, or confirmation; at the
Lord's table, or on a bed of sickness, have vowed
to give up their lives to the service of Christ, but who
afterwards break those vows. Did Peter deny his
Lord and Master ? Alas ! what is more common than
for those who confess him with their lips, to deny him
in their actions. Do not the covetous and ambitious,
the intemperate and unchaste, the revengeful and pas-
sionate, deny the humble, pure, forgiving Jesus?
Though all these may make their boast of Christ, and
call themselves by his name, yet in their actions they
say, " I know -not the man." Was Peter by his pu-
sillanimity and fear of man prevailed on to utter a
falsehood ? What is more common amongst professing
Christians, than to make use of expressions contrary to
the purity of truth ? And if Peter, in a moment of

171

extreme danger, was prompted to grievous sins, and
surprised by sudden temptations ; many commit the
very same sins, only for the sake of a fleeting pleasure,
or petty advantage.

PRAYER.

Omniscient and ever-living God, who knowest
our hearts better than we ourselves, keep us, we
beseech thee, from an overweening opinion of our
own strength and sufficiency. May we every moment
learn to depend on thee, and to implore thy Almighty
aid to secure us from temptation. Grant, O Lord,
that from the example of Peter, and his grievous fall,
we may be more cautious in avoiding all opportunities
which may lead to sin ; and that when we are un-
happily fallen, we may implore thy mercy to raise us
up again, for the sake of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ,
our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

CHAPTER VI.

THE RECOVERY OF PETER AFTER HIS FALL.

" And immediately, while Peter yet spake, the cock crete
" the second time. And the Lord turned, and looked on
" Peter : and Peter remembered the word of the Lord,
" how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow twice,
" thou shalt- deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept
" bitterly"

HAVING considered Peter's fall, we now turn our
thoughts to his recovery, and observe how he was
again raised up by his Lord and Saviour. His fall

172

proceeded from his weakness ; and to rise again
beyond his own ability. We may notice,

First, The means by which he was awakened to
contrition ; and secondly, the signs and fruits of his
repentance.

As to the means by which he was awakened to
repentance, it is first said, " Immediately, while he was
yet speaking, the cock crew the second time." When
Peter had denied his Master the first time, he heard
the crowing of the cock : but his mind at that time
seems to have been so occupied with apprehensions of
danger, that it made no impression. The second crow-
ing of the cock however, made a deep impression.
He had begun to curse ; and to aver with the most
terrible imprecations on his soul, that he was not a dis-
ciple. But this sound interrupted his impious career.
" While he was yet speaking, the cock crew :" upon
which, Peter was immediately struck dumb ; his oaths
and imprecations were silenced, and he now bent his
thoughts on getting away from this dangerous place.

Another means of leading Peter to repentance, was
a penetrating look from the blessed Jesus : " The Lord
turned and looked on Peter." This look penetrated
into his inmost soul, and awakened his conscience.
What imagination is capable of forming an idea of
this look of the Son of God, the express image of the
Father ! Though an affectionate, and at the same time
a majestic sweetness always beamed forth from the
eyes of the Lord Jesus, yet there must have been
something extraordinary in this piercing look, which
had such a wonderful effect on Peter's heart. What
strong emotions would it express ! No doubt, a com-

173

passionate love mixed with grief, and an ardent desire
of reclaiming his disciple, appeared in the countenance
of Jesus ; and a beam of divine grace darted into the
soul of Peter. Though we do not read that our
Saviour spake a single word, his expressive look would
excite a train of reflections. Peter would read in his
Master's countenance his unalterable affection, not-
withstanding his own infamous perfidy. He would
imagine himself thus addressed : ' O Simon ! art thou
a stranger to this well-known face ? Have I deserved
this ingratitude at thy hands, which grieves my very
soul ? Is it not enough, that the traitor Judas has be-
trayed me ? Must I also be shamefully denied by thee ?
Where are thy promises, and boasted resolution of
going to prison and to death with me ?' These, or
ideas of like import, were doubtless suggested to the
conscience of Peter, roused and awakened by his Mas-
ter's piercing look.

A third motive to repentance was excited in the
mind of St. Peter, by the recollection of our Saviour's
words, forewarning him of his fall. His memory re-
called the prophetic warning of his Lord and Master,
" Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me
thrice/' It doubtless occurred to his mind, how inju-
riously and basely he had behaved towards the Lord
Jesus ; how arrogantly he had set himself above all the
other disciples, and what mighty things lie had pro-
mised, relying on his own strength ; without having
made good the least of his protestations. What an-
guish must have overwhelmed his soul at the recollec-
tion! The spirit of grace, at the same time, might
remind him, of some consolatory expressions of Christ;
that he was his Mediator, and had prayed for him,
that his faith might not fail : otherwise he probably

174

might have sunk into a dejection of mind, which
might have ended in despair. Hence we learn the
following truths :

1. It is a peculiar mark of the divine favour, when
God calls a second and third time to a soul, which has
once heard his awakening voice. Peter, instead of
attending to the first crowing of the cock, which should
have brought him to reflection, suffered it to pass un-
heeded ; yet the indulgent providence of God permits
him to be again admonished and summoned to repent-
ance, by the same incident. O the wretched folly of
those, who abuse the goodness of God, and make light
of the invitations and admonitions of his compassion-
ate love, calling them to repentance ! This fatal neg-
lect they often excuse under a pretence, that their
present circumstances will not allow of entering on
the work of repentance and reformation ; that these
awakenings and friendly motions will be followed
by others ; that God will bear with them some time
longer; and as they are not without a purpose of
being converted, they flatter themselves that access to
the throne of grace will still be open. They forget
that the heart Is gradually hardened in sin ; that God's
Spirit will not always strive with man ; and that if his
first inviting and gracious call be slighted, he gene-
rally accompanies any subsequent calls with sensible
chastisements, which might have been avoided by
compliance with his first invitation. Let every one,
therefore, -commune with his own heart, and reflect on
the frequent summonses to repentance, with which
God has favoured him in the course of his life. If
these intimations be neglected, he is in the utmost
danger of being finally hardened through the deceit-
fulness of sin.

175

2. Our indulgent and merciful Saviour turns to-
wards the sinner, even before the sinner turns to him.
Before Peter looked on Jesus with compunction, Jesus
had looked on Peter with eyes full of pity. Thus it
daily happens. Grace prevents the wretched sinner ;
touches his depraved heart, and even offers him life
while he is still in his blood. Let none plead, that
it is out of his power to convert himself: it is
only required of him not to reject the preventing
grace of the Saviour, when he kindly looks on him in
his misery ; but to allow it admission into his heart,
there to begin, carry on, and complete the work of
conversion. O tjiat men would attend to the gracious
voice of God, calling them to repentance by his spirit,
word, and ministry !

3. As this expressive look of our Lord awakened
Peter to a recollection of his Saviour's words, so the
word of God, like seed thrown upon the earth, often
lies buried in the memory for a time, without pro-
ducing any salutary effect, yet afterwards produces the
fruits of repentance and conversion ; when the Lord
by his Spirit impresses the sinner's mind with a con-
viction of its truth.

II.

What passed inwardly in Peter's heart, the evan-
gelists have left to our own reflections ; but they have
specified the external signs, which evidenced his re-
pentance. With regard to these, the three following
particulars occur in the gospel.

1. Peter quitted the high-priest's palace. He could not
think of continuing a moment longer in the place where
he had so basely denied his Lord and Saviour. The sight
of his Master's enemies grew insupportable to him.

176

2. He covered his face ; for that is the propel4 sense
of the Greek word used by St. Mark : he cast or drew
one end of his upper garment over his head,* so as to
cover his face ; as was usual with mourners, or persons
under affliction, that they might not see, or be seen by
others, f By thus covering his face, he showed his
grief and shame.

3. He gave vent to his tears : " He went out, and
wept bitterly." The anguish of his heart was too vio-
lent to be any longer suppressed ; but burst forth like
a torrent. The sincerity of Peter's repentance was
afterwards evidenced by abundant fruits. He never
relapsed into the like fault ; but boldly, and even unto
death, professed the faith of Christ. Hence we may
observe,

1 . That the first sign of a real conversion, is the for-
saking the society of the wicked. Thus Peter instantly,
and without delay, withdrew from the company of
those by whom his fall had been occasioned. It be-
hoves every one to ask his own heart, whether he is
entangled in society, from which he is so for from
reaping any benefit, that it is prejudicial to his purity
and peace of mind ? And whether, under the convic-
tion of this fact, he has the courage manfully to declare
for his Lord and Saviour, and separate himself? This
is one of the most usual obstacles to the conversion of
a sinner. The society of such persons often stifles all
the workings of grace in the well-disposed mind, and
creates an aversion to serious thoughts. Let no one

* In the English translation, " When he thought thereon/' *'. e,
when he cast (his thoughts), or according to others (his garments) ;
neither of the substantives being expressed in the original.

t 2 Sam. xv. 30., xix. 4. ; Jer. xiv. 3.

177

excuse himself, and say, 1 have not resolution to quit
such company, though I sincerely wish it ; for we may
be assured, that as God opened a way to Peter to
escape, when he was really inclined to do so ; he will
show the like kindness to us, and assist our endeavours
with his all-sufficient grace.

2. As Peter was pardoned and received into favour,
ho sinner ought to despair of mercy. Whilst those
Christians, who have the strongest faith and resolution
may be alarmed at Peter's fall, his repentance may
inspire the most wretched sinner with a hope of ac-
ceptance with God. That merciful hand, which was
held out to this sinking apostle, stopped him short
amidst the most terrible imprecations; and snatched
him from perdition, can also lay hold of thee, O sinner,
and draw thee out of the mire of sin, that thou sink
not. Peter's repentance should therefore be a source
of comfort to every wounded conscience, every trou-
bled and dejected mind, which begins to have a sense
of the greatness of its sins, and sees into what an abyss
of misery it has plunged itself. Christ is both able and
willing to deliver every soul that earnestly implores his
aid ; it redounds to the glory of his grace to wrest from
the dominion of Satan a sinner apparently lost beyond
all hope, to change his obdurate heart, arid to display
the wonders of mercy and redeeming love in rescuing
his soul from destruction. This instance of Peter's
reception into favour may afford the greater comfort
and joy to wounded spirits, if they reflect that our
Saviour, when he conversed with Peter after his resur-
rection, never upbraided him with his heinous offences.
No sooner had he bewailed his baseness and recovered
from his fall, than his merciful Saviour permitted the
whole transaction to be burred in oblivion, and received

178

him again into favour. Thus, O repenting sinner,
slialt thou also partake of his free mercy. Thy former
profligate life, and heinous transgressions shall be eter-
nally forgotten ; they shall not be objected against
thee at the tribunal of God; they shall be. cast into
the depths of the sea, so as never to rise tip against
thee in judgment. Thy compassionate mediator caused
the repentance of Peter to be recorded in the history of
his sufferings, that thou mightest thence know the
salutary fruits of his passion, and avail thyself of them,
to thy comfort and salvation. Arise from thy fall ;
thy Saviour is willing and ready to help thee. Ob-
struct not the influence of. divine grace, which will
produce in thee penitence and godly sorrow. Weep
bitterly, that thou hast denied the Lord that bought
thee : hope in his grace, and be assured that thy hope
shall not be disappointed.

PRAYER.

O blessed Jesus, faithful and adorable Saviour I We
praise thee for the glorious example of mercy, which
thou hast shown to thy fallen disciple Peter, to the
comfort and support of repenting sinners in all suc-
ceeding generations. Praised be thy .name, who, in
the midst of ignominy and ill treatment, when the
sentence of death was passed on thee, didst not forget
thine unhappy fallen disciple, but, by a look expressive
of pastoral care and tenderness, didst recall this strayed
sheep from his wanderings. We believe, O blessed
Jesus, that in thy present exalted state thou retainest
the same affectionate love and compassion towards the
meanest sinner, as in the days of thy huniiliation.
Visit our hearts with thy levin^ kindness ; and let

179

tliis example make such a deep impression on ouf
minds, as may inspire us with hope in thy mercy, and
preserve us from sinking into despair. Look on us
with pity and compassion, when we are unhappily
fallen ; and visit \is with thy grace, that we may return
into the way of salvation. Amen.

CHAPTER VII.

BEHAVIOUR OF THE LORD JESUS DURING THE UNJUST
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SANHEDRIM.

" Now the chief priests arid -elders, and all the council,
" sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
" but found none. Yea, though many bare fafae witness
" against him, their testimony agreed not together. At
" the last, came two false witnesses and said, We have
" heaid him say, L am able to destroy this tempic of God:
" that is made with hands, and within three days I will
" build another made without hands. But neither so did
" their witness agree together. Then the high-priest arcse
" and stood in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying* An*.
" swerest thou nothing? What is it that these witness
" against, thee ? But Jesus held his peace, and answered
" nothing"

THESE words exhibit to us the behaviour of the
Lord Jesus during the unjust proceedings of the San-
hedrim. In which we shall

First, Consider the iniquitous proceeding of thai
assembly.

Secondly, Christ's behaviour.

It may be thought strange, that the whole council
should meet at so late arid unseasonable a time of the
night in the palace of the high-priest, and that they
did not .appoint a select committee for conducting their
designs. But they might wish the people to believe,
that the prosecution carrying on against Jesus of
Nazareth was an affair of such urgent necessity, as to
require their members to forego their usual rest, and,
contrary to established custom, to sit in the night.
Another motive probably was, that Pilate, the Roman
governor, might conceive a higher idea of the impor-
tance of the trial ; and the more readily be induced to
order the execution of the sentence.

In the circumstances of the trial there was the show
of regularity and justice : the method prescribed by
the law of Moses was observed, and witnesses were
heard. Moreover, though the law required but two
or three witnesses in capital cases,'* they went beyond
this injunction, and produced numerous witnesses,
who accused the holy Jesus of tne most heinous
crimes. But these witnesses were the most abandoned
of men, hardened against all sense of shame. Some
of their depositions were utterly- false ; and by others,
they perverted the true meaning of the words of Jesus,
in order to prove a criminal intention.

We are informed that " the council sought false
witness against Jesus :" these either were bribed by the
council, or must have voluntarily offered themselves
for the sake of favour or advantage. The intention of
hearing them- was, not to ascertain the truth, but to

* Deut, xvii. £.

181

.give a specious pretext to that sentence of death, which
the council had long before determined among them-
selves to pass. But these means, contrived to effect so
wicked an end, were not successful. These suborners
of false witnesses were disappointed : for it is said,
" they found none," i. e. they did not rind sufficient
evidence, on which they might pronounce sentence of
death on the prisoner. Besides, after several false wit-
nesses had given in their evidence on oath, it is added,
" their testimony did not agree ;" but they contra-
dicted and invalidated each other. This first attempt
having proved abortive, the council proceeded to a
second contrivance, the examination of two witnesses ;
by whose testimony they might wrest and pervert
words which had been actually spoken by our Sa-
viour.

" There arose certain, and bare false witness." From
these words some would infer, that these two false
witnesses were members of the Sanhedrim ; who ha,d
hitherto kept their places, but now rose up in order
to make their depositions. " We heard him say, I
am able to (I will) destroy this temple of God, which
is made with hands, and within three d#ys I will build
another, made without hands." These words allude
to what Jesus had said in the beginning of his minis-
try ; which was, consequently, at least three years
before. Our Lord had then said, as recorded by St.
John, " Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up."* These words were now scandalously
perverted : for Jesus therein prophesied of his death
and subsequent resurrection. He showed, how the
temple of his body, in which his divinity dwelt, woul£

*John, ii. J9,

182

be destroyed by death ; but that on the third day,
by his almighty power, he would raise it up again, and
restore the breathless corpse to life. Their testimony
concerning these words was false in several particu-
lars. Our blessed Lord's words were, " Destroy this
temple :" but they pretended that he had said, * I will
destroy this temple.' As a proof that Christ meant
the temple at Jerusalem, they add, " that is made
with hands ;" words which our Saviour had not used.
They also depose, that he had said he would build
" another temple made without hands." On the con-
trary, our blessed Lord's words were, " I will raise it
[the same temple which they should demolish] in
three days."

But this second attempt to oppress the innocence of
our Lord succeeded no better than the former. We
find that their testimonies agreed not together. Though
there were only two witnesses, yet, it may be pre-
sumed, that they differed from each other in the cir-
cumstances of place, time, &c. Their design, however,
was to represent Jesus as a vain-glorious boaster, who
would undertake things beyond the power of man to
effect : thus the Jews had before reproached Christ,
saying, " Forty and six years was this temple in build-
ing, and wilt thou rear it up in three days ?"* They
would also represent him as an enemy to the whole
Jewish nation, which acknowledged the temple at
Jerusalem as the only place appointed for the public
worship of God ; as well as to the order of the priest-
hood, who served in the courts and sanctuary. Ano-
ther design of this accusation was, to represent our

* John, ii. 20,

183

Lord as an enemy to the God of Israel, who dwelt in
the Holy of FTolies, the most sacred part of the
temple, and whose majesty was insulted by the menace
to destroy that edifice : and our Lord's assertion, that
he should build another temple, would be interpreted
into a scheme to abrogate the temple- worship pre-
scribed by God, and introduce a religion of his own
invention. The effect of all these calumnies and mis-
constructions was however prevented, since the wit-
nesses did not agree : and the judges must have been
extremely perplexed, on finding that the innocence
of Jesus still shone with unsullied lustre. Here the
following observations arise.

1. The accusation of our Saviour, by false wit-
nesses, ought to be looked upon as a considerable part
of his sufferings. All these persons, by whom the
blessed Jesus saw himself surrounded, were so many
instruments of the devil, who instigated the judges ta
condemn him, and the witnesses to give false tes-
timony. Satan's aim was, to fix a blemish on the
person and doctrine of Christ, and to stagger the minds
of those who believed on him. That our blessed Sa-
viour was not unconcerned at these grievous accusations,
but had a very painful feeling of them, is evident from
his bitter lamentations, long before uttered in the pro-
phetic Psalms of David. " False witnesses did rise
up ; they laid to my charge things that I knew not." *
'• The mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the de-
ceitful, are opened upon me. They have spoken
against me with a lying tongue." f If St. Paul reckon
among the sufferings of Christ the contradiction of

* Psalms, xxxv. 11. t Psalms, cix. 2.

184

sinners, * how much more grievous must the per-r
jury of these false witnesses have been ! But it was
to atpne for our perjury, lying, and falsehood, that the
Son of God suffered a host of false witnesses to rise
up against him. His merit, however, belongs to none
but true penitents, who mourn and weep for the many
sins they are conscious of, and have an utter abhor-
rence of all the works of Satan. To such persons this
meritorious suffering of the blessed Jesus is a city of
refuge, where they shall find safety from the pursuit
of the avenger of blood.-

2. Never did the innocence of the hjessed Jesus
shine with greater lustre, than when the utmost efforts
were used to obscure it. God confounded some of the
enemies of Christ by the means of others, and so per-
plexed the false witnesses, that, quite contrary to
their intentions, they evinced our Saviour's inpocence.
Chough many false witnesses presented themselves, yet
none agreed in their depositions. If only two had
so agreed, no doubt sentence would have immediately
been passed, according to the law of Moses, which
says, " At the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall
the matter be established."! But the very contrivances
of Satan, for oppressing the innocence of Jesus, were
over-ruled by the wonderful providence of God, so as
to display his innocence. Unquestionably the Son of
God saw the hand of his heavenly Father in this pro-
ceeding ; and this would prove a powerful consolation
to him ; and animate him to enter on his sufferings
with the greater resignation and cheerfulness. Such
a high-priest of unsullied innocence, and perfect ho-
liness, in whom no guilt could be found, did our case

* Heb. xii. 3. t Deut. xix. 15..

185

require. The innocence of our Mediator thus appearing
through all false charges, must be our shield against
the just accusations of the Jaw and our own consciences.
Alas ! with what a crowd of witnesses does a sinner
find himself surrounded ; when accused of having
offended the majesty of God, and wilfully transgressed
his commandments ; of having hated God, injured his
neighbour, and polluted his own body, which ought
to have been the temple of God ! Heaven and earth, all
the creatures \\hom he has abused, and the places
where he committed his abominations, either alone
or in concert with others, witness against him. " For
the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of
the timber shall answer it." * The very members of his
body, which he yielded as instruments of unrighteous-
ness, reproach him for his sins. Then the sinner may
say from fatal experience, " Thou renewest thy wit-
nesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon
me."f Then it is, that he first learns to place a due
value on the innocence of Christ, which was so viru-
lently assailed ; then he becomes acquainted with the
transcendent benefit of these meritorious sufferings;
and finds that behind this shield only he can be safe
from the accusations of the law and of his own con-
science. If his gracious Mediator interpose ; if he in-
validate the accusations, by offering himself in the
sinner's place ; if he say to his heavenly Father, " De-
liver him from going down to the pit ; I have found a
ransom ;" ^ the sinner, who already felt the sentence
of death in his conscience, is raised to hopes of life and
immortality ; and by faith triumphing over the terrors
of death, cries out with holy confidence, " Who shall

* Habak. ii. 11. t Job, x. 1?. t Job, xxxiii. 24.

1*6

lay any thing to my charge ? It is God that justifieth !
Whp shall condemn me? It is Christ who (after
being unjustly sentenced to be crucified) died, and
rose again, and now sitteth at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for me.:5 *

II.

We are to remark the silence of the blessed Jesus,
under the accusations of the Jewish Sanhedrim.

It is said, " Then the high-priest stood." He arose
from his seat full of anger and pretended zeal, his
mind being violently agitated. As he now despaired
of procuring a sufficient foundation for convicting
Jesus of any capital crime by the deposition of wit-
nesses, he turned his thoughts on extorting some-
thing from our Saviour's own mouth, in order to con-
demn him. He therefore asked him, «•" Answerest thou
nothing to what these witness against thee?" By this
question, he hoped to induce Jesus to answer to the
charge. It was the duty of the high-priest to have
punished the perjured witnesses: " if a false witness
rise up against any man, to testify against him that
which is wrong, the judges shall make diligent in-
quisition ; and behold, if the witness be a false witness,
and hath testified falsely against his brother, then
shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done
to his brother; so shalt thou put the evil away from
among you. Thine eye shall not pity him." f But the1
high-priest, on the contrary, countenances and protects
the witnesses who had deposed against our Lord, and
by his authority supports their evidence, as if it had
contained accusations worthy of an answer.

* Rom. viii. 33. tDeut. xix. 16.

187

Upon this, the Lord Jesus was silent : " Jesus
held his peace, and answered nothing." As these
lying testimonies carried their own confutation with
them, Jesus, who well knew when to speak and when
to be silent, did not open his mouth, to vindicate
his innocence. His silence implied a sufficient answer
to this incoherent evidence. Besides, an answer was
useless ; for the council had already pre-judged Christ,
and had suborned these witnesses merely for a show,
or rather a mockery, of justice. They had allowed one
of the officers of the court to strike Jesus en the
face, when he desired to be legally tried. He there-
fore wraps himself up in silence; recommends his
cause to his heavenly Father; and, with a serene,
tranquil mind, patiently waits the issue. As his un-
righteous judges had unknowingly fulfilled what had
been predicted by the spirit of prophecy concerning the
subornation of false witnesses against the Messiah ; so
now the Lord Jesus designedly accomplishes what had
been foretold by the prophet concerning Messiah's
silence on that occasion : " As a sheep before his
shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." *
Hence we may learn the following truths.

1. A person, whose mind is disturbed by passion, is
most unfit for inquiring after truth. Of this we have
an instance in the Jewish high-priest, whose agitation
of mind on this occasion would not permit him to sit
calmly during the trial.

2. A lie usually confutes itself. It is inconsistent,
and built on a sandy foundation. Whatever evil is
spoken of us by others, if it be false, let it never disturb
our peace. It is the language of pride, indeed, to

* Isaiah, liii. 7.

188

•bject, * How ! shall I suffer such calumny ? what
will the world think of me ? will it not be said, that
my silence is a confession of guilt ?' But the meek fol-
lowers of Jesus, though they know, that in matters
which concern the honour of God, discreet apologies
and vindications are not prohibited, yet have learned
to forego their own honour, and in silence and suffer-
ing to imitate the Lamb of God, who opened not his
mouth. When lies and calumnies are so notorious
and palpable, a« to carry with them their own con-
futation, we should choose rather to be silent: to
recommend our cause to God, and patiently to wait
for his aid ; and in the mean time, proceed unmoved
in a course of innocence and integrity. This is the
best way to overcome envy and slander ; for the fire
quickly dies, for want of fuel. It is the true Christian's
constant maxim in such circumstances : " I will be
dumb, and will not open my mouth, because it is thy
doing." *

P H A Y E B.

Merciful and gracious Father ! blessed be thy name
for bringing to light and publicly manifesting the
innocence of thy beloved Son, by the contradictory
testimony of his enemies ; and for applying his spot-
less perfection as our defence and shield against the
accusation of Satan and our consciences. Bring us
to the knowledge and confession of our depravity.
Convince us of our guilt, that we may cease from
justifying ourselves at thy tribunal, and seek pro-
tection under the shadow of our sinless Mediator's
wings. May his innocence be our refuge at the hour

* Psalms, xxxix, p.

©f death, when the enemy accuses us, raises up false
witnesses against us, and places before our eyes all the
wickedness which we have committed during the
course of our lives. Then sprinkle our consciences
with the propitiating blood of our Lord and Saviour,
so that our accuser may be utterly confounded, and we
may depart hence secure of thy favour, and full of a
lively hope of eternal felicity. Grant this, O Lord,
for the sake of the innocence of thy beloved Son.
Jesus Christ. Amen.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE FURTHER EXAMINATION OF CHRIST; AND HIS GOOD CON*
FESSIOV BEFORE THE JEWISH SANHEDRIM.

*' And straightway in the mnrnin?. as soon as it was day,
" the chief priests, the elders of the people, and the scribes,
" took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and
" they led him into Iheir council; and the high-priest
" asked him, Art thou the Christ ? Jesus said unio them,
" If I tell you, ye wiU not believe; and if I ask you, ye
" will not answer me, nor let me go. T/wn the high-priest
*' answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living
" God that thoa tell us whether thou be the Christy the Son
" of God. Then said they all, Art thou the Son of God ?
" And lie answered, Thou hast said: I am. Nevertheless
" I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man
" sitting on the right-hand of power, and coming in fhe
" clouds of heaven."

IN these words we have an account of the further
examination and good confession of Christ, before the
Jewish Sanhedrim.

190

1. Here is mentioned the time when this was trans"
acted. It was " early in the morning, as soon as it
was day." During the night, the Sanhedrim had
spent some time in examining our Saviour,* and after-
. wards had delivered him into the hands of soldiers
and servants. But no sooner did the day begin to
dawn, than the whole council assembled again ; either,
as some think, in a large apartment in the temple,
where they commonly used to meet ; or, as others, with
greater probability imagine, in the house of Caiaphas.
They assembled before sun-rise, that no time might be
neglected for the dispatch of their wicked purpose.

Oh ! that the children of light were as careful ta
redeem the time, as these children of darkness, " who
sleep not except they have done mischief; and their
sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall." f
These ought to put many thousands of indolent pro-
fessors to the blush, who had rather omit the service
of God, than in the least abridge themselves of their
natural rest. Are the slaves of Satan so early abroad
for the execution of their wicked designs, which they

* Dr. Macknigbt is of opinion that Christ was brought to the high-
priest's palace about midnight ; that the trial did not commence till
about three in the morning ; and that the interval was occupied in
convening the council, procuring witnesses, &c. He supposes the
day would begin to dawn between 3 and 4- a. m.

Dr. Ram bach not only adopts the idea of two distinct examinations,
one about midnight, and the other at an early hour of the day, but
supposes that after the first trial and condemnation of our Lord, by the
Sanhedrim, they were again convened ; and that they again examined
and condemned him. — The Editor has incorporated the 8th and llth
chapters of Dr. Rambach, into the present chapter ; so that the second
examination may precede the condemnation of our Saviour.

t Proverbs, iv. 16.

191

not delay ? And shall not the children of light,
who have such important affairs on their hands, and
are candidates for a never-fading crown of glory, avail
themselves of the morning hours, when the mind is
calm and serene, and best disposed for spiritual me-
ditation, prayer, and devout exercises ? Our Saviour,
vvh;> appeared so early before the judgment-seat of the
Jews, has obtained for us the privilege of early ap-
proaching the throne of grace. Let us therefore,
henceforth use this precious privilege with greater
humility, gratitude, and assiduity.

2. The examiners and their assistants are here men-
tioned. All the chief priests, i. e. all those persons
who either were descended from any of the high-
priests' families, or had themselves actually held that
office ; the scribes, who studied the law of Moses, and
explained the writings of the prophets ; and the elders^
who sat in Moses's chair, and enforced the observance
of the political law. Thus, all the members of the
Sanhedrim or great council were assembled. What is
in itself sinful and iniquitous, is not however rendered
more just or legal, by a great number of suffrages. A
bad cause is still bad, though it be patronised by thou-
sands, and have the sanction of the most respectable
and numerous assemblies.

3. We are informed what was the design of their
meeting. " They took counsel against Jesus to put
him to death." It was their fixed resolution that he
should die ; and they now met to consult further on
the readiest and safest means for putting this design in
execution. The condemnation of the Messiah was not
a sudden thing, but was done with mature delibera-
tion ; a circumstance which highly aggravated their
guilt in the sight of God.

4. We proceed to consider the behaviour of
high priest. No doubt, he was exasperated beyond
all patience, when not only his subornation of witnesses
had proved abortive, but also his new expedient of
drawing something from the mouth of the party
accused was frustrated, by the silence 6f our Saviour.
He now accosts the prisoner with another question ;
to which he adds a solemn adjuration to confess the
truth : " Art thou the Christ ?" i. e. « Dost thou publicly
own thyself to be that Messiah, whom God promised
by his servant Moses and the prophets, and whose
coming has hitherto been expected by the Jewish
church?' "Art thou the Son of the Blessed?1' i. e. * Dost
thou pretend to be a person of the same essence with
the blessed God, and standing in such a near relation
to him as that of a son to a father ?' These Jewish
doctors knew, that God, in the writings of the Old
Testament, had made mention of his Son. They were
well acquainted with those passages in the Psalms,
" Thou art my Son, this day have 1 begotten thee." *
" He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father : Also I
will make him my first-born." f They likewise re-
membered, that Jesus had declared himself to be the
Son of God : for on restoring sight to the blind man,
he asked him this question : " Dost thou believe on
the Son of God?" And when the man demanded,
« Who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him ?"
Jesus replied, " It is he that talketh with thee."
They also remembered, that he had publicly said, '
and my Father are one." § As Jesus was now in his
power, the high-priest again brings forward this im-

* fyalms, ii. ?. t Psalms, Ixxxix. 26. { John, ix. 35.

§ John, x. 30.

193

"portant point, which had given so much offence ; and
inquires, whether our Lord will now acknowledge
himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God. Happy
would it have been for the Jewish pontiff, if this
question had proceeded from a well-disposed heart, a
sincere love of truth, and a desire of believing in Jesus
if he should prove to be that divine person. But this
was an ensnaring question, and designed only to draw
a confession from our Saviour, The chief priests had
long since made a decree, that if any man should con-
fess that he was Christ, or the Messiah, he should be
put out of the synagogue ; * and had more than once
threatened to stone him, for pretending to be the Son
of God. f So that the question was designed to pave
the way for accusing our Saviour of blasphemy, that
they might pronounce on him the sentence of death.
To this important question Jesus replied : and his
answer contained a mild reproof of his judges, re-
presenting to them their unbelief and obstinacy.

Their unbelief is reproved in these words : " If
I tell you, ye will not believe." * If ye will not
acknowledge me to be the Messiah, from the works
which I have done, especially the divine miracles
which I have wrought, much less will ye believe me
on my bare word.' This reproof the Saviour uttered
with the most sensible concern for the unbelief and
obduracy of his judges. He had earnestly laboured,
during the course of his ministry, to bring the Jews to
a belief that he was the Messiah. He had declared to
them the terrible consequences of their unbelief; " If
ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." f
On the other hand, he had represented to them the

* John, ix. 22 t John, viii. 59-, x. 30 + John, viii. 24.

194

glorious privileges, and inestimable benefits, of faith
in the Messiah : " He that believeth on me hath
everlasting life." * But all these endeavours of the
benevolent Jesus had made no impression ; and he was
inwardly grieved to see how these wicked men would
die in their unbelief, and consequently would perish.

Their invincible obstinacy is represented : " And
if I ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go."
The meaning of these words is, ' If by proposing
other questions, I should endeavour to put you in the
way of truth, yet such is your obstinacy that ye \vill
give me no answer,' This behaviour of the Jews,
Christ had more than once experienced. Thus, it is
said by St. Luke, ** And behold there was a certain
man before him, who had the dropsy. And Jesus
answering, spake unto the lawyers and pharisees, say-
ing, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day ? And
they held their peace." f This had been usual with
them before, when Jesus freely conversed with them,
and he knew they would behave in the same manner
now that he was their prisoner. However unable
they might have been to answer his questions, or
to resist their force, they would not have set him
at liberty, for it was already determined to put him to
death at all events. He therefore represents to them
their iniquitous designs, showing at the same time,
that he knew their secret thoughts and intentions.

Upon this followed a solemn adjuration by the high-
priest, " I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell
us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God :" and a
question from all the assembly ; " Art thou the Son
of God?" Our Lord's reply is contained in these

* John, vi. 47. t Luke, xiv. 2.

195

Words, " Thou hast said : I am ; nevertheless I say
unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting
on the right-hand of power, and coming in the clouds
of heaven."

Being adjured by the sacred name of his heavenly
Father, the reverence which he bore to it would not
permit him to be any longer silent ; so that he now
gave a direct answer to the high-priest's question.
This reply of our Lord includes,

A plain and unreserved confession ; and a farther
illustration and confirmation of it.

The confession is made in these words, " Thou
hast said." The import of these words is as if our
Lord had answered, 'Yes ; it is as thou sayest/ Hence
St. Mark expresses it thus, " I am ;" i. e. 'I am the Mes-
siah, foretold and described by the prophets, and whom
they have described as a king, a high-priest, and
a prophet: I am the essential Son of the blessed
God.' This manner of expression is very emphatical;
for it is the same as if our Saviour had said : * I
am the Christ or Messiah, and the Son of God, in
the very sense in which you use these words in your
question.' Now, the idea which the Jews at that
time annexed to this high title, the Son of God,
was that it implied an equality with God; so that he
who declared himself to be the Son of God, made him-
self equal with God in honour, majesty, and essential
perfections. This is evident from the following pas-
sages in St. John's gospel : " Therefore the Jews
sought the more to kill him, not only because he had
broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his
father, making himself equal with God." * And again,

*John, v. 18.

196

" The Jews answered him, saying, for a good work
we stone thee not; but for blasphemy, and because
that thou, being a man, makest thyself God :" * namely,
because Jesus had said, ' I am the Son of God.' The
high-priest, therefore, by asking Jesus if he was the
Son of God, was desirous to know, whether he claimed
an equality with the God of Israel in divine attributes
and perfections, and consequently to be adored and
worshipped as the God of Israel.

Upon this, our blessed Saviour answered, " Thou
hast said :" ** I arn ;" i. e. * I do acknowledge myself
to be the Son of God ; and this not in that low sense
in which all believers are termed Sons of God, but
in that exalted sense which you signify by this title in
your question.' It were wrong to imagine, that our
blessed Saviour, who was the true and faithful witness*
had recourse to mean subterfuges on so solemn an
occasion. It evidently appears that the high -priest
and the council actually took Christ's answer in this
tfense ; not as a dubious one, but as an explicit ac-
knowledgment, that he wras essentially the Son of
God, and equal with the Father ; for the high-priest
rent his clothes, and cried out, as it were, in phrenzy,
" He hath spoken blasphemy : what farther need have
we of witnesses ?" With this we may compare another
passage,f where our blessed Saviour was before ac-
cused of blasphemy on the same grounds, namely,
for having declared himself the Son of God. Hence
it incontestably appears, that the high-priest from
this confession concluded, that Jesus, whom he looked
on as a mere man, arrogated to himself, under the
title of the Son of God, the divine essence, and ex-

•John, x. 33. f"John, x. 36.

197

alted himself to the throne of God. Therefore this
confession of our Lord is particularly remarkable, as it
overturns the Socinian system, and corroborates our
faith, which acknowledges Jesus of Nazareth to be
very God, whom all created beings are bound to honour
as they do the Father.

Our Lord adds a confirmation and illustration of
his divine Sonship : " Hereafter shall ye see the Son
of Man sitting on the right-hand of power." Here
Jesus refers to the Psalms, " The Lord said unto
my Lord, sit thou on my right-hand." * The Supreme
Being is frequently represented, in the Old Testament,
sitting on a lofty throne, and as a king ruling over
all. f Now when our Lord says he shall sit at the
right-hand of God, this can mean nothing else but
that he shall reign jointly with his Almighty Father,
and have a share in the accomplishment of his decrees,
the administration of his government, and the con-
quest of his enemies. He was to sit at the right-
hand of power ; or, as St. Matthew expresses it, " to
him all power was to be given in heaven and on
earth." ^ Another proof is taken from his returning
in the clouds ; for our blessed Lord adds, " And
coming in the clouds of heaven." Here he seems
to refer to a passage in the prophet Daniel : " I saw
in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son
of Man came with the clouds of heaven ; and he came
to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near
before him. And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and
languages should serve him." § The clouds of heaven

* Psalms, ex. 1. 1 2 Chron. xviii. 18. ; Isaiah, vi. 1.; Psalms, xcix. 1.
| Matt, xxviii. 18. § Dan. vii. J3.

198

are represented in the poetical imagery of scripture, as
the chariot of Jehovah : " He maketh the clouds his
chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind."
" Behold, the Lord rideth on a swift cloud," saith the
prophet, f Now the Son of Man, by appropriating
to himself this description, and assuring the Jews
that he should hereafter be seen coming in the clouds
of heaven, shows that he is the Son of God in such
a sense, as in honour and dignity to be equal to his
Father.

He also speaks of his coming forth from the Father,
to manifest his great glory, and alludes not only to the
last judgment, when his glory will be displayed in the
most conspicuous manner, and when he shall judge
and -condemn those who impiously condemned him,
but to his coming on various occasions, from his
ascension to the end of the world, and especially his
coming to enlarge his kingdom, and abolish the Jewish
. polity. Of this coming, he speaks as an event, which
some of his hearers would live to see t- Therefore the
• meaning of these words of our blessed Saviour seems to
be ; * I stand, indeed, at present before your tribunal
like an accused malefactor, and must submit to answer
. your presumptuous questions ; but in a short time, in
this my human nature, will I sit on the throne of
God, take in hand the government of my church,
send down my Holy Spirit, ex-tend my kingdom over
the world, and execute on your devoted city and church,
-those judgments which God has long since deter-
mined. I am not ignorant, that my contemptible
.and abject appearance is the chief cause of your un-
belief; for such an obscure condition by no means

*Psalms, civ. 3. t Isaiah, xLx. 1. . J Matt. xvi. 28. ; Luke, ix. 27.

199

agrees with your expectations of a powerful Messiah,
surrounded by all the ensigns of majesty. But you
ought to consider, that the Messiah, in the writings
of the prophets, is represented to you in a two-fold
character ; the one a state of the lowest abasement,
and the other of the highest exaltation. I have hitherto
conversed with you in a low, abject state ; but a few
hours more brings this state of abasement to a period.
For when you have executed the sentence of death
which you are about to pass on me, this despised Son
of Man, who at present stands before you bound like
a criminal, shall rise from the dead, ascend to heaven
in triumph, sit on the right-hand of God, and be
admitted into the participation of his unlimited power
over heaven and earth. Then shall you see, feel, and
experience such proofs and manifestations of my divine
glory, as will force your assent to the truth.' Two
particulars are here to be observed.

1. That Christ here does not call himself the Son of
Man, as if the title of the Son of God did not of right
belong to him in his state of abasement ; on the con-
trary, he here directs the attention of his judge to the
mystery of his person ; intimating tha't the abased Son
of Man, who now stood bound before him, was like-
wise the real Son of God. When Christ asked the
apostle Peter, " whom do men say that I, the Son of
Man, am ?" Peter answered, " Thou art Christ the
Son of the living God :"* and such the Mediator
betwixt God and man must surely be. He must be
man, that he may be capable of suffering ; and God,
in order to impart an infinite value to his sufferings :
man, to humble himself to the earth ; and God, to

* Matthew, xvi. 13.

200

(raise us up to heaven : man, that he may represent
mankind, and stand in their stead ; and God, that he
may reconcile and propitiate divine justice.

2. The Jews, who thus accused our Lord as a
blasphemer, were shortly afterwards witnesses of the
wonderful effects of his exaltation. They saw the
many miracles which the apostles wrought in the
name of Jesus, in confirmation of his resurrection.*
They saw the great change effected by the preaching
of the apostles in the minds and dispositions of thou-
sands of Jews, and multitudes of heathens, who were
turned from idolatry to the service of the God of
Israel. They saw the Roman Legions, and Imperial
Eagles, besieging and destroying their city. These
were all visible effects of Christ's exaltation to the
right-hand of God, and proofs of the truth of his
mission, and the transcendent dignity of his person ;
and thus the House of Israel were taught to know
assuredly, that God had made that same Jesus of
Nazareth, whom they crucified, both Lord and Christ.
— We may deduce the following inferences.

1. Obstinate infidelity is so far from being heroism,
that it is the most culpable folly.

Our Saviour here expressly reproves the chief priests
and scribes for not believing him to be the Messi.:h,
after he had given sufficient proofs of it by his won-
derful works, and divine miracles. Nay, lie was
highly offended at the unbelief of his own disciples ;
for on some appearance of it in two of his followers,
after his resurrection, he thus reproves them ; •' O
fools ! and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken."f Here Christ gives their incredulity

* Acts, v. 12» t Luke, xxiv. 25.

201 v

the appellation of folly. There is, however, a class of
men among whom infidelity is considered a proof of
wisdom, and who highly value themselves on their
singularity in not believing as others do. They would
persuade us they have a deep insight into the nature
of things; and are superior to vulgar prejudices. But
these free-thinkers who affect to distinguish themselves
from the vulgar by infidelity, and who, without any
candid inquiry after truth, reject the fundamental
principles of Christianity as fit only for credulous
minds, are represented by the unerring Spirit of God
as mere* fools : " The fool hath said in his heart there
is no Go-a." *

2. When the word of God reveals to us our con-
dition, we should beware of hardening our hearts in
unbelief and self-love, lest that reproof of our blessed
Saviour should be applicable to us, " If I tell you, ye
will not believe."

i»iany when they read the word of God, experience
its illuminating power on then* understandings, dis-
covering to them their condition, so that they plainly
perceive they are not in that state of salvation which
it describes. But how unhappy are they who close
their eyes against the light of the divine word, and
their ears against the testimony of unerring wisdom.
Let every one, as he values the salvation of his soul,
beware of this error, since it leads to hardness of
heart and final impenitence ; and let him reflect
seriously on these words which the Holy Spirit ad-
dresses to every sinner, " To-day if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your hearts." f It is a melancholy
case, when the conscience is so hardened that divine

* Psalms, xiv. J . t Hebrews, iii. 7.

202

truths make no impression ; yet, alas ! how many are
there to be met with that call themselves Christians,
with whom this is the case! If we discourse with
them on the dangerous state of their souls, and
endeavour by the strongest arguments to bring them
to a sense of their sins, and by the most earnest and
pressing exhortations to touch their hearts, they remain
unmoved! These are certainly mortifying proofs of
the depravity of the human heart ; and of the power
of sin in rendering men insensible to instruction, and
deaf to the calls of God's word.

3. Truth ought to be confessed, though great incon-
veniences, and even loss of life, are expected to be the
consequence. This is the pattern set by our Saviour.
He was sensible of the consequences of this confession,
that he would be buffeted and mocked, and that even
the sentence of death would be passed on him. Never-
theless, he declares the truth. Thus he atoned for our
fear of man, and that timidity which so often with-
holds us from confessing the truth of his religion ; and
he has acquired for us strength and resolution to
profess his truth through life, and even to seal it with
our blood.

4. We here view the dreadful consequences of
rejecting the divinity and atonement of Christ. The
Jews of that age refused to believe, that Christ was
the Son of God ; but it was foretold to them, that
they should soon see and experience it : and in less
than forty years, a series of calamities overtook them,
exhibiting the power and dignity of the person they
had despised and rejected. How terrible will be the
glorious appearance of the Son of God at the last,
to those who have not performed that service which
he required, who have denied him in their hearts, and

203

refused to obey him ! What have the wicked to ex-
pect from their judge, who have not only denied him
the honour and worship which was his due, but given
themselves up, soul and body, to the service of Satan?
They will be struck with terror at the exaltation of
the child of God, and cry out, " groaning for anguish
of spirit : this was he whom we had sometimes in
derision, and a proverb of reproach : we fools accounted
his life madness, and his end to be without honour :
how is he numbered amongst the children of God, and
his lot is amongst the saints !"* With what agonies
will their consciences be seized, when thev see the

•J

only begotten Son of God, coming in his glory, and all
his holy angels with him ! What dreadful emotions
will this sight produce in their minds ! That we may
not have such a fatal experience of the glory of Christ,
let us now believe in his name ; thus shall wre acquire
the privilege of becoming the sons of God, and heirs
of heaven.

5. He who is partaker with the despised Son of
Man, in his abasement and sufferings, shall also par-
take of his glory. Whoever is not ashamed of Christ,
but follows him in this perverse and adulterous gene-
ration, of him the Son of God will not be ashamed,
but will own him before assembled men and angels.
His glory, though terrible to his enemies, is highly
consolatory to his friends and servants. They are even
in this life, convinced of the infinite efficacy of his
sufferings when they reflect, that Christ the anointed
of the Lord, the only Son of God, has for their sake
poured out his soul unto death ; and that his blood
cleanseth from all sin.f This consideration makes

* Wisdom, v. 3. t 1 John, i. 7-

them serene in danger, and comforts them in the hour
of death. He who sitteth at the right-hand of power,
who is raised to his Father's throne, to whom the
clouds of heaven are a chariot, is their friend and pro-
tector : the friend of mankind, who vouchsafed to call
himself their brother, will be their judge. Let us
then endeavour, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to
attain to a true knowledge of Jesus Christ, and a
lively hope of his glory.

PRAYER.

O faithful and ever-living God, we bless thee for
giving up thy beloved Son to be judged by the wicked,
that we might not come into eternal judgment, and
be sentenced to everlasting death. We also praise
thee, O Son of the Father, for that good confession
which thou madest before this unrighteous tribunal ;
when thou didst acknowledge the truth of thy divine
glory, and didst thereby lay the corner-stone of our
faith, so that it cannot be moved. Strengthen and
comfort thy true disciples and followers, in all the
dangers and sufferings which they are to undergo for
thy sake. Make them sensible that thou sittest at the
right-hand of power, and that thy arm is not shortened
to help and deliver them. Hear us, O Lord, and
by thy good confession give us resolution to confess
thy name before men, and to follow thee even to death.
Amen.

CHAPTER IX.

SENTENCE PASSED ON THE LORD JESUS AFTER HIS
CONFESSION.

" Then the high-priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath
" spoken blasphemy ; what farther need have we of wit-
" nesses f Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy : for
" tee ourselves have heard of his own moufh. What think
" ye? They all condemned him, and answered and said.
" He is guilty of death"

IN these words is related the condemnation of the
Lord Jesus, which immediately followed his confes-
sion.

The charge or accusation, on which the sentence of
death was grounded, is contained in these words:
" Then the high-priest said, he hath spoken blas-
phemy." Blasphemy is a sin of the deepest die, as it
is committed immediately against God. When this
all-glorious Being is spoken of with contempt and
mockery, and profane words are uttered against him,
this is direct blasphemy. When any thing unbecom-
ing, or absurd, is imputed to the Supreme Being, or
when a man arrogates to himself what properly belongs
to God, and is incommunicable to any creature, it is
nothing less than indirect blasphemy. In the latter
sense our Mediator, according to the perverse judg-
ment of his enemies, had blasphemed God, in claim-
ing to be the Son of God ; consequently robbing
the God of Israel of his honour, by sharing it with

him, who had expressly said, " I will not give my
glory to another."* This accusation was the effect
of extreme blindness and ignorance, increased by pas-
sion ; so that as St. Paul says, " They knew not the
Lord of glory ."f

We may here observe, that the Son of God by
suffering himself to be sentenced to death as a blas-
phemer, gave the highest proof of his love for us.
By this he has expiated the sin of our first parents, and
the guilt of which all their descendants are partakers.
Their fall was an indirect blasphemy against the ma-
jesty of God. Man sought, by the instigation of the
devil, to rob God of his honour, and to arrogate it
to himself. He would fain be like God, and obtain
a knowledge of good and evil, equal to that of om-
niscience itself. He would acknowledge no superior
to prescribe laws to him, and control his freedom ;
but would be an independent spirit, like God himself.
Thus the father and representative of mankind, and
we all, with him and in him, fell under the sentence
of temporal and eternal death. Now, for the atone-
ment of that blasphemous sin, and to discharge us
from the sentence of death annexed to it, the Son of
God suffered himself to .be sentenced, as one who
would rob God of his honour, by making himself
equal with God. — Blasphemy too often lurks in the
human heart. Our Lord declares, " That out of the
heart proceed evil thoughts and blasphemies."^: This
bitter root shoots forth in the wicked and unconverted
in profane obloquy against God and his word. St.
John observes, " that wicked men, being scorched with
great heat, blasphemed the name of God, who had

* I$aiah, xlii. 8. t 1 Cor. ii. 8. + Matt xv. 19.

207

power over those plagues, and they repented not to give
him the glory : they gnawed their tongues for pain,
and blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their
pains, and of their sores." * Hence some are of opinion,
that it will be the only sin of the condemned spirits
in hell to lift up their tortured tongues to all eternity
against God, and blaspheme the author of their being.
— From this eternal torment, the Son of God, in
suffering himself to be sentenced as a blasphemer,
hath delivered those who truly repent and believe on
his name. — Even pious souls are sometimes surprised
with blasphemous and evil thoughts, at which they
themselves shudder, and on account of which they
endure great trouble of mind. Satan, even whilst
they are praying, reading, meditating on the word of
God, or attending public worship, suggests such evil
thoughts, as give them more pain than outward temp-
tations. For the remission of both kinds of blasphemy,
namely, that committed by the profane and uncon-
verted, and those evil thoughts which intrude them-
selves on the children of God, Christ suffered him-
self to be accused of blasphemy. Through him
pardon is offered to the most obstinate and profane
blasphemers, if they will heartily repent and flee for
refuge to Jesus their Mediator and Intercessor. With
still greater assurance may they, who against their
w7ill are assaulted with blasphemous thoughts, apply
to the merits of Christ ; believing that in consequence
of his spotless innocence, who was accused as a blas-
phemer, their heavenly Father will not impute to*
them those evil thoughts which they themselves
abhor.

* Rev. xvi. 9-

208

In order to render this horrid accusation more pro-
bable, and worthy of credit, the high-priest rent his
clothes. This was a custom practised among the Jews,
to express their extreme trouble at hearing any blas-
phemy against God : as Hezekiah and his servants
rent their clothes at the blasphemy of Rabshakeh.*
The high-priest showed by this action, that he was
moved and transported with zeal at the supposed
blasphemy uttered by Jesus.

He rejected all other witnesses as unnecessary and
superfluous, and said, " What farther need have we of
witnesses ?" Why hear any further evidence, when his
crimes are as clear as the sun ? The court by all their
false witnesses had not been able to compass their
design, so that now they eagerlv seized upon our
Saviour's own confession, as a short method of con-
victing him.

The high-priest appealed to the whole assembly,
w Behold ! now ye have heard his blasphemy." * You
yourselves are the most unexceptionable witnesses ;
this very instant we have heard blasphemy from his
own mouth.'

He desired their opinion : " What think ye ?" He
had already by his own judgment artfully anticipated
theirs, had declared Christ's confession to be blas-
phemy, and, in his hypocritical zeal, had rent his
clothes. After having thus dictated to his colleagues
and assistants how to vote, he asks their opinion ;
whereas had lie proceeded equitably, he should first
•have examined whether the confession of Jesus con-
tained any thing contrary to the writings of Moses
and the prophets, or that could justly be construed

* Levit. xxi. 10. ; 2 Kings, xviii. 37., xix. 1.

209

as blasphemy. But instead of making any farther
inquiry, we find sentence of death precipitately pro-
nounced.

" They all condemned him, and answered and said,
" He is guilty of death." Here it may be objected,
* Was not Nicodemus, was not Joseph of Arimathea"
among the number ?' How then does St. Mark affirm,
that they all condemned him. To this it may be
answered, that either these good men were not pre-
sent, or were looked upon only as cyphers by the rest.
This conjecture is confirmed by St. Luke ; for to the
honour of Joseph of Arimathea, it is said, " The same
Jiad not consented to the counsel and deed of them."41
And though, by his opposition, he could not avert the
sentence of death from our blessed Saviour, yet is his
protest entered in the book of God, and, on the day
of the appearance of the Lord Jesus, will be publicly
made known, to his unspeakable comfort. Moreover,
we may suppose, that among the other members of
the council there were not wanting some who were
convinced of our Lord's innocence ; and if they joined
in condemning him, their compliance did not proceed
from ignorance, hatred, or envy, but from the fear of
man, that they might not incur the high-priest's
displeasure, or be reproached as Nicodemus was, " Art
thou also of Galilee ?" f " Many of the chief rulers
believed on him ; but, because of the Pharisees, they
did not confess him ;" but concealed their sentiments ;
" for they loved the praise of men more than the
praise of God." \

Christ, indeed, was unjustly condemned in a human
court of judicature ; but even according to the sen-

* Luke, xxiii. 51. t John, vii. 52. t. John, xii. 42.

210

tence of divine justice, he was accounted worthy of
death. For he became a surety for the whole race
of sinners, who had deserved to die. He took upon
himself the crime of rebellion against God, committed
by our first parents ; permitted the guilt of it to be
imputed to him at the judgment-seat ; and freely
offered to submit to the sentence of death, which was
to be executed on blasphemers. Therefore it is here
said, " He is guilty of death," The eternal Son of
God? having with the consent, and according to the
will of his heavenly Father, allowed our guilt to be
imputed to him, and consequently our punishment
to be inflicted on him, became by imputation the
greatest of sinners ; and in this view was worthy of
this ignominious sentence. Have we ever, during the
course of our Jives, cordially thanked our blessed
Saviour for such an unparalleled instance of his love
to the human race ?— rWe will conclude with a brief
application of the subject.

1. Tremble, all ye that still serve sin ; tremble at
the rigour of divine justice against it, which did not
pardon the beloved Son of God, when he allowed
our sins to be imputed to him. Will ye still make
it your delight, seeing it has drawn upon him the
sentence of death ? How just and reasonable then will
your condemnation be at the tremendous day of judg-
ment, if neither the rigour of divine justice has pre-
vailed on you to forsake the practice of sin, nor the
love of him, who permitted himself to be sentenced to
death for you, can induce you to devote your lives to
his service ?

2. But as for you, who feel in your consciences the
curse and sentence of death, passed on you by the law,
comfort your minds with these considerations. Lift

211

up your eyes to the Lamb of God, the sacred victim
on whom his heavenly Father imposed this sentence.
Your Mediator and Surety was, according to the law,
sentenced as guilty of death, and declared a malefactor,
unworthy to live any longer among God's people.
" The chastisement" by which your peace is effected,
" was laid upon him:" and the sentence having been thus
executed, you are for ever discharged. Believe on this
Jesus who was sentenced to death ; and ye " shall not
come into condemnation, but shall pass from death
unto life." He is now taken from prison and from
judgment : he, as the Son of God, is by the resurrec-
tion acquitted and discharged from the sentence of
death. As you are already sentenced in his sacred
person, so are ye also acquitted and absolved with
him by his resurrection. He could justly say, " Be-
hold the Lord God will help me, who is he that shall
condemn me ?" So likewise may you with all boldness
say, Who shall condemn me ? Christ who died, or
rather who is risen again,* was condemned in my
stead ; and " there is now no condemnation to them
who are in Christ Jesus." f

3. You who are already in the fellowship of Jesus
Christ, express your praise, love, and gratitude to your
Saviour, who, out of his great love to your immortal
souls, took upon himself the sentence which you
had so justly deserved ! Count not your lives dear for
his sake, who counted not his own life too dear to be
delivered up for your salvation. Enure yourselves to
the imitation of your Lord and Master; and arm
yourselves with his sentence against all the accusations
of sin and of the law. Let the love of Christ compel

* Romans, viii. 34. f Romans, viii. 1.

212

you to execute that sentence of death, which has heen
already passed on the old man in baptism. Account
it base and dishonourable to permit this enemy of God,
who for rebellion against the divine Majesty is worthy
of death, to live any longer in you : manifest in your-
selves the distinguishing marks of those to whom
there is no longer any condemnation, " who walk not
after the flesh, but after the spirit."

Lastly ; our Saviour in suffering himself to be sen-
tenced to death for his declaration, that he was the
Son of God, obliges us to adhere to this important
truth unto death.

To this great truth, a noble army of martyrs have
already witnessed with their blood. It therefore be-
hoves us to be thoroughly convinced of, and strenuously
to defend, this important article of our faith ! This is
particularly necessary in the present age, when Soci-
nian principles are spreading, and obtain the sanction
of many persons of learning and genius. Let us then
implore God, that he. will give us a steadfast faith in
his Son, and strengthen us against all the power of the
gates of hell. It is an unspeakable comfort to us, that
Christ, by being thus condemned to die, acquired
strength and boldness for so many of his faithful ser-
vants to sign this his good confession with their blood ;
who now are received into the presence of the adorable
Son of God, who sitteth at the right-hand of the
Father.

PRAYER.

Thanksgiving and praise, and honour, and glory,
be ascribed to thee, O Lamb of God, who didst take
upon thee the sentesce under which the whole race
of mankind lay, and didst suffer thyself to be cut

213

off out of the land of the living, that we might
be delivered from tlie sentence of everlasting death,
and be declared heirs of eternal glory. Let thy Holy
Spirit discover to us the riches of this incompre-
hensible love. Amen.

CHAPTER X.

THE TREATMENT OF CHRIST AFTER SENTENCE WAS PASSED

UPON HIM.

" Then began some to spit in his face. And the servants,
" and the men who held Jesus, mocked him, smote him, and
" buffeted him. And they blindfolded him, and struck
" him on the face ; and asked him, saying, prophesy un~
" to us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee ? And
" many other things blasphemously spake they against
" him."

THESE words exhibit to us the illegal and contume-
lious treatment of the blessed Jesus, after sentence had
been passed on him. The members of the Sanhedrim,
after having pronounced the Saviour guilty of death
as a blasphemer, being prevented by fear of the people
from proceeding to execute the sentence, resolved to
recommend the execution of it to Pilate, the Roman
governor. So much favour was not shown to the
condemned Jesus, as to allow him a little rest after his
fatigue and painful agony. On the contrary, he was
turned over to the servants and officers of the court, who
continued to insult him in the most inhuman and bar-
barous manner. Thus during the whole of the last night
and morning of our blessed Saviour's life, his eyelid?

£14

were never closed in sleep. And as the high-priests did
not use to sleep on the night preceding the great
day of atonement; so the true high-priest of the New
Testament, was a stranger to sleep, the night preceding
the important day on which the sins of the whole
human race were to be expiated. By this circum-
stance, our Saviour has sanctified the restless nights of
his servants, when either in the pangs of repentance,
or outward sufferings and afflictions, they cannot for-
bear crying out with the Psalmist, " thou holdest mine
eyes waking." * When on any of these accounts our
rest is disturbed, let us think on the sleepless hours of
our blessed Lord and Saviour, on the night when he
was betrayed.

As to the persons by whom our Lord was in-
juriously treated, it is observed, that " some began to
spit on him, to cover his face, and to buffet him, and
the servants did strike him with the palms of their
hands." " And the men that held Jesus mocked him."
It is very probable, that either the chief priests them-
selves, or some other members of the Sanhedrim, as
they went out of the hall,, began this unjust treatment,
and, as it were, gave the signal for it, by spitting in
the face of Jesus as they passed by, and venting im-
precations against him, as a blasphemer ; for according
to the connection of St. Matthew's account, they who
had before said, " he is guilty of death," led the way
in this abusive treatment. Now this was not said by
the servants, but by the members of the council. If
these set the example of insulting Jesus, and of giving
him up to ill usage, the inferior officers of course
would follow.

* Psalms, Ixxvii. 4.

That they who did not know the Lord of Glory
should revile him, is not to be wondered at ; but is it
not astonishing, that he should often be reviled by
those who acknowledged him to be the Son of God ?
St. Paul says of the rulers of the Jews, " that they
would not have crucified the Lord of Glory, had they
known him." * With much more reason may it be
said of these rude, ignorant servants, they would not
have insulted the blessed Jesus, had they been sensible
of the adorable dignity of his person. We may witll
reason conclude, that in the day of judgment it will
be more tolerable for these soldiers and servants, than
for those wretched nominal Christians, who by their
behaviour insult him whom with their lips they con-
fess.

At the high-priest's palace the prophetic office of
Jesus Christ was the mark at which these reproached
were chiefly levelled, as his regal dignity was after-
wards insulted in the palace of the Roman governor.

The Messiah now experienced what is foretold in
the following passages of Scripture : " I am become
a worm and no man ; a reproach of men, and despised
of the people."! He was despised " by man, abhorred
by the nation, a servant of rulers." i He is " despised
and rejected of men ; a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from
him ; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." §
Here the Messiah's prophetic complaint was fulfilled,
" I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to
them that plucked off the hair ; I hid not my face
from shame and spitting." j| Here was also fulfilled

* I Cor. ii. S. t Psalms, xxii. 6. $ Isaiah, xlix. 7

& Isaiah, liii. S, II Isaiah, 1. 6.

816

what the Lord Jesus himself had foretold, namely
" The Son of Man shall be mocked, and spitefully
treated, and spitted on."* Hence it appears, that
nothing happened on this occasion, but what God
in his wise counsel had predetermined concerning the
Messiah by the mouths of his holy prophets.

Let us proceed to take a separate view of the several
kinds of insults offered to our Saviour.

1. " The men who held Jesus mocked him, and
smote him." It is probable, that among other insults
they took the blessed Jesus by the beard, and pulled it
so as to tear off the skin with the hair. That this was
one of the most painful and ignominious insults used
by the ancients, appears from many passages in pro-
fane authors.

2. " They did spit in his face." . This, both by Jews
and Gentiles, has ever been accounted a mark of the
utmost contempt. It sensibly grieved the patient
Job, " that the children of base men did not spare
to spit in his face."f What an affecting sight must
it have been, to see the amiable, benign countenance
of Jesus, which even angels delighted to behold,
covered with loathsome spittle !

3. " They smote him with the palms of their hands,
or with rods."

4. " They buffeted him, or smote him with their
fists."

5. " They blindfolded him," i. e. They either
covered his face, or held their hands before his eyes.
Their view in this insult was, to make a pastime of
the sufferings of our Saviour, by striking him, and
asking who gave him the blow ; for it is added,

* Luke, xviii. 32. t Job, xxx. 10.

217

" They struck him on the face, and asked him, saying,
prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote
thee?" Thus they ridicule his prophetic office for
which the Father had sanctified him, and sent him
into the world. Our blessed Lord had been acknow-
ledged throughout Israel as a great prophet and
teacher ; and but a few days before, at his entrance
into Jerusalem, the people had publicly proclaimed,
" This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee."*
They now require him to give a proof of his pro-
phetic knowledge, by telling them, who were the
particular persons that struck him while he was blind-
folded.— This indignity offered to the Lord of Glory
may remind us of our own depravity. What is more
customary, than for the Omniscient Creator to be
treated by sinful men as if he were blind, and ignorant
of their doings ? They vainly imagine that they can
conceal their sin, and conduct it with such secrecy,
that God will not know it. " Woe unto them that
seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord ; and
their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth
us, and who knoweth us ?"f

Thanks be to thee, our Saviour and Redeemer,
for suffering thy sacred face to be so reproachfully
covered, that we might not be eternally clothed with
shame.

6. Lastly, it is said, " And many other things
blasphemously spake they against him." St. Luke
seems to have been so affected with the subject, that
he could not particularly enumerate all the sarcasms,
invectives, and reproaches with which, in this hour
of darkness, our blessed Saviour's ears were assaulted.

* Matt, xxi. 11. t Isaiah, xxix. 15.

218

He therefore breaks off abruptly, and says, " Many
other things blasphemously spake they against him ;"
which the evangelist, probably, thought not worthy
to be had in remembrance. Here were tongues set
on fire of hell, which like bent bows, discharged ar-
rows of defamatory words against the Saviour.

How is a true believer humbled at the consideration
of this inconceivable abasement of the Son of God !
" Oh ! the incomprehensible prodigy, both of divine
love and human wickedness !" He himself has revealed
to us the generous views, which induced him to sub^
mit to this abasement, when he says : " the reproaches
of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." *
Hence we learn, that the honour of his Almighty
Father, to whom he was to make satisfaction, together
with the greatness of our sins, required that he should
be thus outraged. Praise and honour be to thee, O
Lamb of God, for these proofs of thine obedience to
thy heavenly Father, and thy tender love to man.

A pious soul may justly admire not only the
long-suffering of the heavenly Father, who for some
hours saw his beloved Son, the express image of his
pers9n, thus mocked, outraged, and beaten ; but the
patience of the Son, who, though he could by one
word have struck these miscreants dead, yet stood like
a silent lamb despising reproach and contempt ; and
amidst all the uproar of scoffers and revilers, remained
composed and undisturbed. Notwithstanding all the
injuries done him, both by words and actions, he
never showed the least inclination to revenge: on
the contrary, he serenely lifted up his eyes to his
heavenly Father, and " committed himself unto him,

* Psalms, kix. 7,

who judgeth righteously." How unlike are professing
Christians to the pattern set them by their Lord and
Master ! How does a poor worm kindle into rage
even at a reproachful look ! It is made a point of
honour to put up with no affront ; and meekness,
though sanctified by the example of the Son of God,
is accounted mean and scandalous, so directly contrary
to our Saviour's commands are many of the received
maxims of the world. I lament, O my Saviour,
that I have a haughty and impatient heart, and am
far from imitating the pattern of thy gentleness. I
feel in myself the motions of anger at the least
insult. But I beseech thee, to quell these turbulent
and rebellious emotions ; and grant me grace that,
as in all other virtues, so likewise in gentleness ajid
meekness, I may be conformed more and more to
thy image !

PRAYER.

O Eternal Wisdom, blessed be thy name for
giving up thyself to the hands of sinners, that we
might be freed from the cords of Satan. Thanks be
to thee, O Lord Jesus, for all the mockeries, in-
sults, and indignities, which thou didst endure. Cover
our sins of pride and impatience with the merit of
thy meekness and patience. Give us such an ardent
desire of following thy example, that we may choose
gather to suffer affliction for thy sake, than to enjoy
the pleasure of sin for a season. Deliver from the
snares of Satan those who are yet entangled in them ;
discover their danger to those who still despise thy
gospel, that they may flee to thy merits, and with tears
of repentance seek thy righteousness. Draw every

220

penitent soul to thyself; and fill It with the comforts
which flow from thy sufferings. Preserve, by thy
grace, those who have hitherto served thee in sincerity
and truth, and grant that they may remain faithful
unto death. Finally, be pleased to bless the truths
which have been here delivered : may they be sealed
by thy Holy Spirit, so as to be to none of us a savour
of death, but unto each the savour of life, to the glory
of thy name, and our eternal salvation. Amen.

PART II.

THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST BEFORE THE CIVIL
TRIBUNALS OF PILATE AND HEROD,

Narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised.

AND

the whole multitude of them arose, and
" bound Jesus, and led him from Caiaphas unto the
*' hall of judgment, and delivered him to Pontius
"Pilate the governor: And it was early in the
*' morning.

" Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he
•" saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and
" brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
*' priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, in that I
" have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said,
" What is that to us ? See thou to that. And he cast
" down the pieces of silver in the temple, and de-
" parted, and went out and hanged himself. And
" the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It
" is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, be-
" cause it is the price of blood. And they took
" counsel, and bought with them the potter's field to
** bury strangers in : wherefore that field was called
" the field of blood unto this day. Then was fulfilled
" that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,
*' saying, They took the thirty pieces of silver, the
*' price of him that was valued, whom they of the

" children of Israel did value, and gave them for the
" potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

" And the chief priests themselves went not into
" the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled, but
" that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went
" out unto them, and said, What accusation bring
" you against this man ? They answered and said unto
" him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not
" have delivered him unto thee. Then said Pilate
" unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according
" to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him,
" It is not lawful for us to put any man to death :
" That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which
" he spake, signifying what death he should die.

" And Jesus stood before the governor. And they
" began' to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow
" perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute
" to Caesar, saying. That he himself is Christ a King.
" Then Pilate entered into the judgment-hall again,
" and called Jesus, and asked him, saying, Art thou
" the King of the Jews ? Jesus answered him, Sayest
" thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee
" of me ? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew ? thine own
" nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto
" me : what hast thou done ?

" Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world :
" if my kingdom were of this world, then would my
" servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the
" Jews : but now is my kingdom not from hence.
" Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a King
" then ? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a
" King. To this end was I born, and for this cause
" came I into the world, that I should bear witness

223

" .unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth
" heareth my voice.

" Pilate saitli unto him, What is truth ? And when
ff he had said this, he went out unto the Jews, and
" said unto the chief priests and the people, I find
" no fault in this man. And the chief priests were
" .the more fierce. And when he was accused of the
" chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then
" said Pilate unto him, Answerest thou nothing ? be-
" hold, nearest thou not how many things they witness
" against thee ? Jesus answered him to never a word ;
" in so much that the governor marvelled greatly.

" And the chief priests said, He stirreth up the
" people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning
" from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of
" Galilee, he asked, Whether the man were a Galilean ?
" And as soon as he knew that he belonged to Herod's
"jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself was
" at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw
" Jesus^ he was exceeding glad : for he was desirous
" to see him of a long season, because he had heard
" many things of him ; and he hoped to have seen
" some miracle done by him. Then he questioned
" with him in many words ; but Jesus answered him
" nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood,
" and vehemently accused him. And Herod and his
" men of war set him at nought, and mocked him ;
" and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him
" again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod
" were made friends together ; for before they were
" at enmity betwixt themselves.

" And Pilate, when he had called together the
" chief priests and rulers, and the people, said unto
w them, Ye have brought this man unto me as one

224

" that perverteth the people : and behold, I having ex-
" amined him before you, have found no fault in this
" man, touching those things whereof ye accuse him ;
" no, nor yet Herod : for I sent you to him, and
" lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I
" will therefore chastise him, and release him. Now
" at the feast of the Passover, the governor was wont
" to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they
" would. Therefore, of necessity he must release one
" unto them at the feast. And there was one named
" Barabbas, a notable prisoner, who lay bound with
" them that had made insurrection with him ; who
" had committed murder in the insurrection.

" And when they were gathered together, Pilate
" saith unto them, Ye have a custom that I should
" release unto you one at the Passover. Then the
" multitude crying aloud, began to desire him to do
" as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate an-
" swered them, saying, Whom will ye that I release
" unto you ? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ ?
" Will ye that I release unto you the King of the
" Jews ? For he knew that the chief priests had de-
" livered him up for envy. And when he was set
" down on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him,
" saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just
" man, for I have suffered many things this day in
" a dream, because of him. But the chief priests and
" elders persuaded the multitude, that they should ask
" Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. Then they cried out
" all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release
" unto us Barabbas : now Barabbas was a robber.

" Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, saith
"again to them, What will ye then that 1 shall do

22.5

'* with Jesus who is called Christ, and whom ye call
" the King of the Jews ? And they all cried out,
" Crucify him ! Crucify him ! And he said unto thern
" the tliird time, Why, what evil hath he done ? I
** have found no cause of death in him : I will there-
" fore chastise him, and let him go. But they cried
" out the more exceedingly, Let him be crucified '
" And they .were instant with loud voices, requiring
" that he might be crucified : and the voices of them
" and of the chief priests prevailed. And so Pilate.
'• willing to content the people, gave sentence that it
" should be as they required. And he released unto
" them him that for sedition and murder was cast
" into prison, whom they had desired ; but he de-
M livered Jesus unto their will.

" Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged
'« him. And the soldiers of the governor led Jesus
" away into the common-hall, and they called together
« the whole band. And they stripped him, and clothed
" him with a purple robe. And when they had! platted
" a crown of thorns, they put it about his head, and
" a reed in his right-hand ; and they mocked him,
" and began to salute him, saying, Hail King of the
" Jews ! And they did spit upon him, and took the
" reed and smote him on the head, and bowing the
" knee, worshipped him : and they smote him with
" their hands.

" Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto
" them, Behold I bring him forth unto you, that ye
" may know that I find no fault in him. Then came
" Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the
«« purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold
61 the man ! When the chief priests therefore and

S26

f: officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify
" him ! Crucify him ! Pilate saith unto them, Take
" ye him, and crucify him ; for I find no fault in
fi him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and
" by our law he ought to die, because he made him-
" self the Son of God.

'• When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he
'* was the more afraid ; and he went again into the
"judgment-hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art
" thou ? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith
" Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me?
" Knowest thou not, that I have power to crucify
" thee, and have power to release thee ? Jesus an-
" swered, Thou couldst have no power at all against
" me, except it were given thee from above : there-
" fore, he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater
" sin.

'" And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release
" him : but the Jews cried out> saying, If thou let
" this man go, thou art not Cesar's friend : whoso-
" ever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
" When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought
" Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat,
" in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the
" IJebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of
" the Passover, and about the sixth hour : and he
" saith unto the Jews, Behold your King ! But they
" cried out, Away with him ! Away with him ! Crucify
" him ! Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your
" King ? The chief priests answered, We have no
" King but Caesar. When Pilate saw that he could
" prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made ;
" he took water, and washed his hands before the
*' multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of

227

" this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all
"the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on
- our children ! Then delivered he him therefore unto
** them to be crucified."

PREPARATORY PRAYER.

O gracious Saviour ! who art inexpressibly great
and glorious, and hast been appointed by God to be
the Judge of quick and dead : bless the consideration
of the sufferings, which thou didst endure before the
tribunal of Pilate, that our souls may be edified, and
that we may become partakers of the fruits of thy
sufferings, and enjoy the benefit of them botli in life
and death. Amen,

CHAPTER!.

CHRIST DELIVERED CP TO PILATE THE -tIV.il,

" And tJie whole multitude of them arose, and bound Jesus,
" and led him from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment,
" and delivered him to Pontius :Pilate the governor : and
" it was early in the morning."

IN these words we have an account of the delivering
up the Lord Jesus to Pilate, the civil judge.

Hitherto our Saviour had stood before the ec-
clesiastical court of the Jews. The great council
had examined him at the house of Caiaphas the liigh-
priest ; had suborned false witnesses against him;
and on liis owning Jiimself to Jbe the Messiah and the

Son of God, had condemned him to die as a blas-
phemer ; leaving him in the merciless hands of the
officers and servants, who spent the time in committing
insults and outrages against his sacred person. It was
then, after a consultation, resolved to send him early
in the morning to Pilate the civil governor, that he
might be crucified after the Roman manner.

1. The persons who led our blessed Saviour away
are here specified ; " And the whole multitude of
them arose." St. Mark -Informs us, they " were the
chief priests, with the elders and scribes :" the most
considerable persons of the Jewish nation. That these
chiefs should take the trouble of delivering Jesus
to Pilate with their own hands, and walking in pro-
cession with him, when other malefactors were only
sent to the governor by their officers, was extraordinary:
but for this method of proceeding they might have
sufficient reasons. Their presence might keep the
people in awe, lest any attempt should be made to
rescue Jesus. Besides, they intended to move Pilate
by appearing in person ; and to induce him, without
further inquiry, to order the execution of the sen-
tence, pronounced by an assembly of persons eminent
for their sanctity, and knowledge of the law. These
were probably their motives for associating with the
officers of justice and executioners, and personally
conveying Jesus before the temporal judge. We may
conclude that great numbers of the common people
also joined this extraordinary procession.

2. We have an account of the manner of leading
our blessed Lord : " When they had bound him,
they led him away." He had been already bound in
the garden of Gethsemane, when he was first ap-
prehended ; and he was also sent in bonds from Annas

229

to Caiaphas. It is not improbable, that the Lord
Jesus had been kept bound ever since he had been
apprehended; but that, as he was now condemned,
they bound him with stronger cords, lest he should
attempt to escape, or the people should offer to rescue
him by the way. If Jesus would have used his
strength, he could have broken these bonds asunder,
much easier than Samson did the cords with which
his countrymen bound him, in order to deliver him to
the Philistines. * But his love withheld his omnipo-
tence, and made him willing to obey his Father, by
submitting not only to chains, but to death ; even the
death of the cross.

3. Mention is here made of the place whither our
blessed Saviour was led: " They led him from Caiaphas
to the hall of judgment," i. e. to the palace where the
Roman governor used to hold his court of judicature.
This, according to some commentators, was near
Antonius's castle, and for its spaciousness and elegance
exceeded all other palaces in the city.

4. The person to whom the Lord Jesus is delivered
is styled a governor, i. e. the person appointed by the
Roman emperor to govern a province subject to the
empire, in the quality of the emperor's lieutenant.
This governor was to take account of the emperor's
revenues, and to administer justice in criminal cases.

The name of this governor or vicegerent was Pon-
tius Pilate. This person was sent to Judea to be
governor of that province of the Roman empire in
the thirteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, and was
the fifth in succession of those who had been invested
with this dignity. He bears a character in history

* Judges, xv. IS.

^ _ " •: •**<>

6f injustice, avarice, 'and cruelty : and amongst other
crimes, is charged with receiving bribes, and even
with having put to death several innocent persons
without any previous trial. If, in our blessed Saviour's
case, he made a show of equity and regard to justice,
and not only gave our Lord a full hearing, but for
souie time stood out against the unjust clamours of the
great council of the Jews; this must be attributed
to the hand of God, which for a while restrained this
man, who had ordered the execution of so many
persons without any inquiry into their case. Thus
the innocence of Jesus was rendered manifest at his
tribunal ; a manifestation in which the whole race of
mankind was so nearly concerned.

But here it may it be proper to inquire, What could
move the Jewish Sanhedrim, which at other times had
such an aversion to the Roman governor, to deliver
up Jesus to Pontius Pilate ? and why they did not
themselves put in execution the sentence they had
passed on Jesus, as they did afterwards in the case
of St. Stephen the protomartyr? *

The first and principal cause of this uncommon
^procedure was unquestionably their extreme malice
and hatred against the Lord Jesus. They thought
all the capital punishments used among the Jews
were too mild and favourable for such an execrable
malefactor. They chose therefore that he should die
by a painful and ignominious crucifixion : and that
consequently he might be rendered an object of
abhorrence to all the Jewish people, then present at
the feast of the Passover ; so that no one might here-

* Acts, vii. 5®.

after venture to profess a belief in Jesus, or speak
favourably of him or his doctrine. .

Another motive to this action was their fear of the
populace. Of this apprehension they had, the day
before, given a sufficient intimation, by saying, " Not
on the feast day, lest there be an uproar amongst the
people." * They justly concluded, that if any tumult
should happen, the garrison would interfere. — By pro-
ceeding before Pilate they would also be better able
to justify themselves to the people, and to throw the
blame on the Roman governor.

But the over-ruling cause of this transaction was
the wise decree of God ; for St. Peter informs us, that
Jesus was delivered by the determinate counsel and
fore-knowledge of God into wicked hands, which cru-
cified him. f God was pleased to permit what now
happened ;

1. That the types and prophecies expressive of
this circumstance of our Saviour's passion might be
fulfilled. Hereby were to be accomplished the type
exhibited by Joseph, whom his invidious brethren sold
to foreigners ; J the type of Samson who. was deli vered
up by his own people to the uncircumcised Philis-
tines ; § and the type of Jonah, who was thrown out of
the ship, and given up to the raging waves of the sea. ||
Not only the types, but also several prophecies of the
Old Testament were hereby fulfilled. Here Jews and
Gentiles conspired against Christ the anointed of the
Lord. ** Here was fulfilled what our blessed Lord
had some time before declared to his disciples in these
words : " The Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the

* Matt, xxvi. 5. t Acts, ii. 23. J Gen. xxxvii. 28.

§ Judges, XT, 13. H Jonah, i. 15. ** Psalms, ii. j.; Acts, iv. 25.

232

•••'•» -**i 8ti^'\. '

chief priests and scribes, and they shall deliver him up
to the Gentiles." *

3. That the innocence of our Lord and Saviour
might be rendered more conspicuous. Had he been
immediately dragged out of the Sanhedrim, and
tumultuously stoned, his innocence might not have
appeared in so clear a light.

3. That the measure of our Saviour's sufferings
might be completely filled up. Had Jesus been im-
mediately stoned as a blasphemer, his sufferings would
have been short : but being crucified after the Roman
manner, his death was preceded by a painful scourging,
and a series of indignities and insults. Besides, this
kind of death was of such a nature, that the blood
of Christ, appointed as a ransom for our sins, was
profusely shed ; which could not have properly hap-
pened by any punishment usually inflicted by the
Jews.

Lastly, The Lord Jesus was delivered up to the
Gentiles, that by this a foundation might be laid for
the salvation of all people, and that Jews and heathens
might be made partakers of the merits acquired by his
sufferings. He was to be the " propitiation for the
sins of the whole world." f To render this glorious
truth more worthy of belief, God was pleased to per-
mit both Jews and Gentiles to be stained with his
blood, and the heathens to put the finishing hand to
those sufferings which the Jews had already begun
to inflict. The high-priest was the chief of the Jewish
nation ; and Pilate was representative of the Roman
emperor, the supreme head of the world at that time,

*• JdatL *x. 18. t Jojm, ii. 2

233

The blessed Jesus being condemned both by the spiri-
tual court of the Jews, and the civil tribunal of the
heathen governor, both Jews and Gentiles were guilty
of his blood; and as they were equally guilty,
they may alike seek, and be entitled to pardoning
grace.

The above text informs us of the time when the
Lord Jesus was delivered up. St. John observes that
it was early, i. e. about six of the clock in the morn-
ing, according to our division of the day. In such
haste were these blood-thirsty men ! Early in the
morning, when they ought to have been at their devo-
tions, or in the temple, preparing for the celebration of
the Passover, they are occupied with blood-shed and
murder. The proprtet Zephaniah appear* to have
in view the judges of the Messiah in these words,
" They rose early, and corrupted all their doings." *
Such was the impatience of this multitude, that they
would not allow the blessed Jesus an interval to pre-
pare for death ; an indulgence usually granted male-
factors. This precipitancy was probably likewise an
effect of their cunning ; being intended to anticipate
the assembling of the people in a tumultuous manner,
or the intervening of other affairs which might divert
Pilate from putting the sentence in execution. — We
may draw the following inferences :

1. The Holy One, by permitting himself to be
delivered up to the hands of the uncircumcised, has
taken away the reproach of our spiritual uncircumci-
sion, and gained for us Gentiles a right to be denizens
of Israel. To die by the hands of the uncircumcised
was, in the Old Testament, accounted an accursed

* Zephaniah, iii. 7-

234

death.* Accordingly Samson makes this bitter com-
plaint : " Lord, thou hast given this great deliverance
into the hand of thy servant ; and now shall I die
for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircum-
cised?"f Nay, King Saul chose rather to fall by his
own sword, than to be taken prisoner and insulted by
the uneircumcised. | Here the most sacred and glori-
ous person who ever appeared on earth, suffers himself
to be delivered into the hands of the uncircumcised,
in order thereby to atone for the uncircumcision of
our hearts, and to acquire for us Gentiles a participa-
tion in the privileges of the people of God, and ad-
mission into that covenant of grace, of which circum-
cision was once the seal.

2. It is no new thing for the seat of judgment
to be made an engine of injustice, through the cor-
ruption of human nature. This is not an abuse of
modern date, but existed so early as the time of
Solomon ; " Moreover, I saw under the sun the place
of judgment, that wickedness was there ; and the place
of righteousness, that iniquity was there." § This
melancholy circumstance, should by no means prompt
us to deny the existence of a Providence : on the
contrary, we should console ourselves by reflecting,
that the Son of God, the supreme Judge of quick
and dead, was made to feel in his sacred person the
effects of injustice ; and by those means prepared the
way for his followers, that they should not stumble at
this rock of offence. A day of judgment will come,
when every act of injustice will receive its due reward.
To this Solomon alludes in the passage above quoted,

* Ezek. xxxii. 1Q. t Judges, xv. 18. ^
§ Eccks. iii. 16.

235

where lie adds, " Then I said in my heart, God shall
judge the righteous and the wicked ; for there is a
time for every purpose." *

PRAYER.

O holy and most merciful God! Make us, we
beseech thee, partakers of all the benefits purchased
by the sufferings of thy dear Son. Excite us to a
sincere and effectual repentance : let none of us put off
his conversion ; but grant that those who are yet in
the morning of their lives, instead of wasting their
youth and strength in the service of Satan, may be
roused from their lethargy, and come to him who
alone can wash away their sins. Grant also, that
those who have already devoted themselves to thy ser-
vice, may find their souls refreshed with new light
and comfort, for the sake of thine infinite mercy.
Amen.

* Eccks. iii. 17.

236

CHA PTER II.

THE DESPAIR OF THE TRAITOR JUDAS.

" Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that he
" was condemned, repented himself, and brought again
" the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
" saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the inno-
" cent blood. And they said, What is that to us ? See
" thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in
" tJie temple, and departed, and went out and hanged him-
" self. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and
" said, It is not lawful for to put them in the treasury,
** because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel,
" and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers
" in : wherefore that field was called the field of blood
" unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was
" spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, They took the
" thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued,
"• whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave
" them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."

ST. MATTHEW here makes a digression to inform
us of what happened to Judas, the betrayer of our
blessed Lord. As he was one of the chief instruments
which Satan made use of to promote the sufferings of
Christ, the whole church was concerned to know what
became of this " son of perdition." The evangelist
therefore gives us a particular account of his end as a
warning to those who against conscience and the
clearest conviction, oppose Him, whom the Father
hath sanctified and sent into the world.

237

We have here related what happened previous to
the catastrophe, with regard both to the traitor him-
self, and also to those who had bribed him to betray
his Master.

As to the traitor, he was seized with remorse :
" Then Judas who betrayed him, when he saw that
he was condemned, repented himself." Hitherto
Judas had probably flattered himself, that Jesus would
have escaped, for he had frequently seen him pass un-
hurt through crowds of his enemies, and by that
means disappoint their rage. St. Luke tells us, that
the Nazarenes " thrust him out of their city, and led
him to the brow of the hill whereon the city was built,
that they might cast him down headlong; but he,
passing through the midst of them, went his way." *
And St. John informs us, that at Jerusalem, " the
Jews took up stones to cast at him : but Jesus hid
himself, f and went out of the temple, through the
midst of them, and so passed by." | This our blessed
Lord did, because his appointed hour of suffering was
not yet come. On these circumstances Judas probably
built the vain hope, that Jesus would again set him-
self at liberty, and break the bonds of his enemies ;
and in the mean time, that he might safely keep the
thirty pieces of silver, and apply them to his own
use.

But now the traitor was convinced too late, that he
had been mistaken. He saw that his Master was con-
demned to die by the Jewish spiritual judicature, and

* Luke, iv. 29.

t The text says, 'I<r«u« exfvfy, i. e. Jesus was hid ; probably became
invisible ; and so passed through the midst of his enemies.

$ John, viii, 59,

238

that they were going to deliver him up to the civil
power. Upon this, his obdurate heart began to relent.
His conscience, which had been long insensible, began
to awake, and represented to him the heinousness of
his crime. The innocence of the blessed Jesus, the
innumerable kindnesses which he had received from
him, the timely admonitions given him against this
base ingratitude, the approaching ignominious death
which he foresaw his Master was to suffer, the con-
tempt and detestation in which he would be held as
the betrayer of his Master, and the everlasting punish-
ment which would be the consequence of his treachery,
presented themselves to his distracted mind. He now
wished, but in vain, that he had never engaged in this
horrid plot; and, if it had not been already carried
on too far to be recalled, he would fain have pre-
vented it. That this remorse of Judas was a painful
and heartfelt sensation, an insupportable reflection on
what he had done, proceeding from an awakened con-
science, appears from the signs by which it displayed
itself.

First, He made a sincere confession of his- crime.
He went to the chief priests and elders of the people,
probably whilst they were yet in Caiaphas's palace,
preparing to conduct our Lord to the tribunal of
Pilate. He acknowledged with grief and sorrow, that
he had acted a perfidious part : " I have sinned, in
that I have betrayed the innocent blood." Thus he
confessed his own guilt, and his Master's spotless inno-
cence. By this confession, he openly arraigned the
judgment of the Sanhedrim, and their sentence on our
blessed Lord. Probably, he entertained the vain hope
that the chief priests and elders would relent, and
revoke the sentence.

239

Secondly, After this confession, he returned the
bribe which he had received : " He brought again
the thirty pieces of silver." This money, which before
had given him so much joy, was now an insupportable
burden to his conscience. He could not bear to keep
it ; and would have been happy, if on his returning to
them the pieces of silver, they would have restored
liberty to his Master. Nay, when they refused to
receive the money, Judas hurried to the temple, cast
down the pieces of silver near the treasury, and there
left them. Thus impatient was the traitor to get rid
of the price of innocent blood, hoping by that means
to ease his burdened conscience. These are the signs
by which Judas evidenced the reality of his remorse.
How inconsiderable are the signs of repentance, even
in many who call themselves Christians, when com-
pared with these ! How deficient are they in a
thorough conviction of their sins, and a candid con-
fession of them ! They, indeed, have little difficulty
in acknowledging in general terms, that they are
sinners ; but to own themselves guilty of this or that
particular offence, though notoriously practised by
them, is what their proud spirits will not submit to.
They are very ingenious in excusing or covering their
sins under the softer name of foibles, and they show
no heartfelt sorrow, no real hatred of sin. Such per-
sons may join in using the language of confession in
the prayers of the Church, but their hearts flatly con-
tradict their professions, and remain unhumbled.
Their consciences continue to slumber. Instead of
resolving to restore ill-gotten wealth, they persevere in
a course of extortion, and injustice ; and go on adding
sin to sin.

tifut some may object, If Judas was so sincere a

penitent, why was not mercy shown to him ? Peter,
who with horrid oaths and imprecations, had denied
Jesus, obtained forgiveness : whereas the unhappy
Judas is given up to such insupportable despair, that
he puts an end to his life. What other signs could
have been required of him, to demonstrate the sincerity
of his remorse ? — On a more attentive consideration of
Judas's sorrow, we shall observe several imperfections,
to which the rejection of his repentance may be
reasonably imputed.

1. His acknowledgment of his sin was defective.
He, indeed, made a declaration of his sin before men ;
but we do not read of any confession to God ; though
it was that all-perfect Being whom he had chiefly
offended.

2. His trouble proceeded from a wrong cause. It
was not so much his crime that troubled him, as the
unfortunate consequences of it. Had Jesus extricated
himself from the hands of his enemies, it is probable
that Judas would have enjoyed the reward of his
perfidy without remorse.

3. His returning the bribe, the infamous price of
blood, seems to have proceeded not from any honest
disdain or abhorrence of this reward of iniquity, but
from self-love, and a desire of easing his oppressed
conscience. Thus a master of a ship throws his cargo
over-board in a violent storm ; but he does it with
great reluctance, and only with a view to save him-
self.

4. It does not appear that Judas sincerely humbled
himself under the hand of God. Instead of con-
sidering the reproofs of his awakened conscience as the
just punishment of his villany, and submitting to its
corrections, he impatiently deprives himself of -that

241

existence for which he was accountable to the author
of it.

5. In this account of the traitor's sorrow, we read
nothing of prayer, without which repentance can never
attain to maturity.

Lastly, His repentance was destitute of a pious con-
fidence in the mercy of God ; which would have
taught him that for the sake of the Messiah, he,
though a notorious sinner, might have obtained mercy
and forgiveness. On the contrary, his gloomy mind
abandoned all hope of mercy. These were the prin-
cipal defects in Judas's repentance, to which the reject
tion of it may be attributed.

The chief priests and scribes were infected with
the most relentless insensibility, when Judas applied
to them. When he formerly had waited on them
with his offer of delivering Jesus into their hands,
they no doubt received him graciously ; but now,
having attained their object, they despise him, and are
so far from endeavouring to console him under his
trouble, that they treat him with a supercilious haugh-
tiness. This barbarous insensibility appears in their
shifting off the fault from themselves, " What is that
to us ?" ' We have authority to condemn Jesus of
Nazareth as a blasphemer : if thou art of so scrupulous
a conscience, as to be troubled for having delivered
him into our hands, it is no concern to us.' This
was not unlike the impious speech of Cain, who
said with equal unconcern, "Am I my brother's
keeper ?" *

They also lay the whole blame on Judas in these
words, " See thou to that." * If you have committed

* Gen. iv. 9-

a fault, in delivering up this man, you must take the
consequences.' Miserable comforters indeed ! they
here display an obdurate heart, in their inhumanity
.towards a member of their own church ; one whom
they themselves had bribed to commit a heinous crime,
and whom, on that account, they now saw in the
agonies of despair. Unfaithful pastors ! careless shep-
herds, who had no concern for a lost sheep ! Yet this
was a just punishment on Judas for the hardness of
his heart. He would not hear the voice of the good
Shepherd, nor profit by his gracious admonitions. He
now falls into the hands of inhuman guides and false
shepherds ; who are so far from binding up his
wounds, that they treat him with exasperating con-
tempt and disdain.

As to the sad catastrophe of Judas, St. Matthew
thus relates it : " He departed, and went out, or went
away," (to seek a convenient place, where, he might
put an end to the tortures of his conscience) " and
hanged himself."

St. Luke informs us in the Acts of the Apostles,
that " falling headlong, or rather prone, he burst
out in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And
. it was known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem." *
Hence it may seem that having hanged himself on the
brow of a hill in some retired place, and the halter
breaking by the force with which he threw himself
off, he fell down the precipice, and burst asunder with
the force of the fall, so that he lay expiring in a most
painful and terrible manner, a spectacle of horror to
all that beheld him.

The traitor Judas may be considered both as a wit-

* Acts, i. 18.

•

243

ness of the innocence of Jesus Christ, and as an un
happy instance of a deluded and wretched sinner.

First, Judas is to be considered as a witness of the
innocence of our Saviour : for his awakened con-
science extorted from him this acknowledgment, " I
have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood." This testimony of Christ's innocence deserves
the greater credit, as it proceeds from one of his
enemies, who does not speak out of favour to our
Lord ; but condemns his own perfidy, at the same
time that he acquits the blessed Jesus from all fault,
and acknowledges his innocence : and further, as it
comes from one who, as he was a disciple, had an
opportunity of being daily with his Master for above
three years, and consequently was witness of all his
discourses and most secret transactions. Had Judas
not made this confession, an opposer of the cross of
Christ might have thus argued : * who knows, but the
man might be urged by his own conscience, to dis-
cover the mystery of iniquity, hitherto concealed in
the school of Jesus of Nazareth ? Possibly he might
have discovered, in his private conversations with his
Master, many secret crimes and pernicious designs,
which were not known to the generality of the Jewish
people ; and found himself compelled to report them
to the high-priests and elders.' But this open con-
fession of his Master's innocence, and his own guilt,
at once obviates all such unjust suspicions. Had he
been privy to any criminal proceedings, any thing
worthy of punishment committed by Jesus or his
disciples, he would, without doubt, have made it
known to the world when he saw Jesus sentenced to
die, in order to excuse his treachery in the eyes of

244

men. But he was so thoroughly convinced of the
perfect innocence and sanctity of Jesus Christ, that
he makes an open voluntary acknowledgment of his
own guilt, and his Master's innocence. We may here
observe,

1. That it is a wonderful instance of the wisdom
of God, so to order contingencies, that the betrayer of
our blessed Saviour should give a public and unsus-
pected testimony to his innocence. Thus from the
evil which he committed, good accrues to mankind.
This method of deriving good from evil, is often
manifested in the divine proceedings. Hence we may
form some idea of the motive which induced our Lord
to admit into the number of his twelve disciples, a
man, whose treachery he foresaw ; and to give him an
opportunity of being daily with him, and privy to all
his proceedings ; for thus his subsequent testimony of
Christ's innocence carried with it the greater force.
Let every one, in surveying his own life, and the lives
of others, observe how frequently God, in his infinite
wisdom, hath caused good to proceed out of evil. But
let no one from this consideration, think it lawful to
do evil that good may come: of such, St. Paul
declares their condemnation to be just. *

2. A speculative conviction of the innocence of
the suffering Jesus, is not sufficient to shield us from
the wrath of God, and the sentence of condemnation
due to sin. What did it avail the wretched Judas
that he was convinced of Christ's innocence, when
he did not believe on him, whose innocence he so pub-
licly acknowledged ? What will it avail us, that in
•ur prayers we daily invoke the name of Christ, if

* Rom. iii. 8,

245

we do not properly apply the merit of his inno-
cence ?

Now, in order to reap the Salutary effects of the in-
nocence of Christ, we must, with deep repentance,
acknowledge our original depravity, and our actual
transgressions. We must consider, how God has im-
puted all our guilt to the blessed Jesus, our surety,
and laid on him the iniquity of us all ; * as the tres-
passes of sinners under the Mosaic dispensation were
laid on the victims destined for sacrifice. We must
with humble faith apply to our Mediator, to sprinkle
our hearts from an evil conscience, praying for the
assistance of his Holy Spirit, to make us righteous and
holy in our hearts and lives.

Secondly, Judas may be considered as an unhappy
instance of a deluded and wretched sinner. He lost
his character and reputation ; he lost his possessions
and life ; his body and soul. He reaped not the least
advantage or delight from this heinous sin. The
thirty pieces of silver, which he received as the reward
of his perfidy, his conscience compelled him to refund ;
so that he experienced nothing but trouble, anguish,
and remorse. He was tormented by his own con-
science ; and was forsaken by those who should have
comforted him. We observe here,

1. That a sinner does not attain at once to extreme
lengths of wickedness. God shows all patience and
long-suffering even towards the vessels of wrath who
are preparing themselves for destruction, and checks
them in their progress. The treachery of Judas
was not his first crime. We first observe in him a
hankering desire after unjust gain and illicit profits,

* Isaiah, liii. 6.

246

which his office gave him an opportunity of indulg-
ing ; he being the purse-bearer, who received and paid
money on account of his Master and fellow-disciples.
His insatiable desire of riches would not permit him
to forego any opportunity of acquiring wealth, and
at length seduced him into theft. As Judas was
insensible to the admonitions of Christ, * and palliated
his covetousness under pretence of a care for the
poor, f he fell into a state of obduracy, and became
lost to all sense of shame. He still associated with the
other apostles ; nay, he ate the paschal lamb with
Jesus and the disciples, and suffered his feet to be
washed by his Master. But when our Lord revealed
to the other disciples the evil purposes of Judas's
heart, and detected his villany, he abruptly quitted
the company. Satan entered into him, blinded his
mind, and prompted hi;n to put his malignant design
in execution. No sooner was the crime perpetrated,
than he fell into a state of despair, and plunged into
eternal perdition. Thus agreeably to the words of
St. James, " Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death." J O that, from the example of Judas, we may
learn the danger of the least transgression ! O that
every one of us may be on his guard against the
stratagems of the devil, who thus insensibly leads the
soul step by step to destruction ! O that they, who are
inclined to covetousness, may seriously reflect to what
enormities this vice may seduce them, even to the
making shipwreck of salvation.

2. It is the artifice of the devil to suggest to the
sinner, that the meditated sin is only a trifle, and
the mercy of God inexhaustible ; but when the sin

* John, vi. 70.; xiii. 18. "t John, xii 5. J James, L 15.

247

is committed, the tempter presents it to the sinner's
conscience in most dreadful colours. This the un-
happy Judas experienced. To betray Christ, at first
seemed to him but a slight fault ; and he hoped that
his Master would forgive him. But Satan, having
seduced him into sin, represents his conduct in a
different light. The sin, which before seemed a trifle,
now oppresses his conscience with an insupportable
load. The mercy of Christ, which he before thought
to be without bounds, is forgotten ; and he no longer
entertains any hopes of forgiveness. Thus it is with
the careless and secure. Satan first allures them with
a hope of God's mercy, and induces them presump-
tuously to sin, in expectation of pardon and forgive-
ness ; but after the sin is committed, he fills them
with terror, representing to their consciences the'
divine justice, and those dreadful threatenings which
God has denounced against sinners. Happy are they
who maintain such a sense of the justice and holiness
of God, as deters them from sin ; and those who, if
they have sinned already, preserve such a view of his
infinite mercy, as may keep them from falling into
despair !

3, A sinner may proceed far in the work of repen-
tance, and yet come short of salvation. The traitor
discovered several marks of contrition ; but his heart
remained unconverted. He was intent on assuaging
the pangs of his conscience ; not solicitous to be
absolved of his guilt. Let those sinners, whose con-
sciences have been awakened from a state of security,
take warning from this example ; and give themselves
no rest, until they are truly humbled before God ;
until they are passed from the law to the gospel. Let

them hasten to the fountain freely opened for sin and
uncleanness ; and seek not so much to appease their
wounded conscience, as to be delivered from that guilt
which oppresses and disturbs it.

4. A person may be possessed of extraordinary gifts
of the Spirit, as well as great natural endowments,
and yet be a child of perdition. Judas unquestionably
\vas not \\ithout his peculiar talents. The blessed
Jesus, who had chosen him for the work of an apostle,
undoubtedly imparted to him the qualities necessary
for the discharge of that high office. Yet he went, as
the scripture informs us, '• to his own place." There-
fore, let no one trust to his natural endowments or
splendid gifts, but endeavour that his heart may be
sanctified by grace ; otherwise, while he preaches to
others, he himself may be a castaway.

5. The horrid inclination to suicide, with which
some gloomy minds are tempted, must be opposed by
diligence in duty, by prayer and watchfulness, and
the word of God. Had the unhappy Judas armed
himself with these spiritual weapons, he had not fallen
into so fatal a snare of the devil. Let his example
render us cautious ; and as we have seen that the
greater the former security of an impenitent sinner,
the more insupportable is his despair when his con-
science is awakened, let us beware of being lulled into
a state of false security. It may not indeed always
happen, that actual despair follows a state of false
security ; many thousands die tranquil and easy, in
the presumptuous reliance on God's mercy : but their
horror and disappointment will be the greater and
more intolerable when they awake in a miserable eter-
nity. It therefore behoves us to be on our guard

against the opposite extremes of mistaken confidence

and hopeless despondency.

6. Covetousness, and an inordinate love of the things
of this world, are often the causes of bitter disappoint-
ment. " The love of money is the root of all evil,"
which draws men into temptations and snares; and
finally drowns them in destruction and perdition.*
When a man withdraws his heart from God, and fixes
his affections on temporal things, if he is afterwards
deprived of these by any of the vicissitudes of life, he
cries out with Micah, " Ye have taken away my
Gods, and what have I more ?" Let us, if we would
not make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience,
avo'd covetousness, and an overweening attachment

to the world.

After the death of Judas, the chief priests and
scribes consulted together how to dispose of the money
which he had cast down in the temple : " The chief
priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful
for us to put them into the treasury, because it is the
price of blood." Thus they abhor the fact, which
they themselves had caused to be perpetrated by
bribing Judas with this money. They then agreed
that it should be laid out on some charitable founda-
tion, and accordingly purchased with it a field, which
they appropriated as a burying-place for pilgrims
or foreign Jews, who should happen to die at Je-
rusalem. -For as every Jew in that city had his
particular burying-place for himself and his family,
great difficulties often arose about interring in these
private cemeteries the bodies of foreign Jews who
happened to die at Jerusalem ; they therefore bar-

*1 Tim. vi.9.

250

gained with a potter, who parted with his field for
the purpose at so low a rate as thirty pieces of silver.
«' They took counsel, and bought with them the pot-
ter's field to bury strangers in."

St Matthew, in his account of the above transac-
tion, has observed, that the counsel of God over-
ruled the Jewish council in this circumstance. It was
displayed,

First, In the name of the field, by which the
memory of this impious action of the chief priests and
elders was transmitted to posterity. For it was called
the field of blood, in commemoration of its being pur-
chased with the price of blood. This name given to
it could not but displease the chief priests and elders,
who would rather have had the remembrance of their
crime buried in oblivion, had it been in their power.
This foundation for the benefit of strangers, was per-
haps intended by them to transmit their names
with honour to posterity; but God directed that a
name of infamy should be indelibly fixed on the
purchase.

Secondly, The counsel of God manifested itself
more particularly in the accomplishment of an ancient
prophecy, to which St. Matthew refers, when he adds,
" Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by [Je-
remy] the prophet, saying, They took the thirty pieces
of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they
of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for
the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me." These
words occur in the prophecy of Zechariah, * where
they are connected with the prediction concerning the
selling of the Messiah for thirty silver pieces. This

*Zech. xi. 13.

251

prophecy is by the evangelist attributed to the prophet
Jeremy, perhaps because he was reckoned the first
among the prophets, and on that account all the
writings of the prophets collectively were called by
his name; or because this prophecy had been de-
livered down by oral tradition from Jeremiah, like
that of Enoch quoted by St. Jude, * until at length
it was recorded in the canonical writings by the pro-
phet Zechariah. f From the accomplishment of the
prophecy it is evident, that the circumstances of this
transaction happened according to the pre-determined
L'ounsel and will of God, long before declared.

PRAYER.

Praised be thy name, O gracious God, who, in thy
holy word, hast caused to be set before us many ex-
amples, by which we may learn to avoid those fatal
rocks on which others have made shipwreck of their
salvation. May the example of the betrayer make a
deep impression on our souls. Preserve us from pre-
sumptuous sins ; and when, through the temptations
of Satan, and the solicitations of our flesh, we stumble
and fall, keep us from filling up the measure of our
transgressions, by heaping sin, upon sin, or despairing
of that mercy which thou hast promised to sinners.
May the contemplation of the sufferings of thy dear
Son, create in us that godly sorrow which worketh
repentance unto salvation not be repented of. And

• Jade, 1 L

" t Many learned men, on very probable grounds, are of opinion,
" that no name was originally in the text, — : Then was fulfilled that
" which was spoken by the prophet, saying, &c.'

(Scott's Commentary on Zech. a;i.—Sec Dvddridgcs Family Expositor.)

252

when we see and feel the heinousness of our sins, and
hear the clamours of conscience, may we flee to the
righteousness of our great High Priest for refuge!
Amen.

CHAPTER III.

THE FIRST CONFERENCE BETWEEN PILATE AND THE ACCUSERS
OF THE LORD JESOS.

<c And the chief priests themselves went not into the judg-
" ment-hall, lest they sliould be defiled ; but that they
" might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out unto
" them, and said, What accusation bring ye against
" this man? They answered and said unto him, If he
" were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered
" him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take
" ye him, and judge him according to your law. The
" Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us
" to put any man to death : that the saying of Jesus
" might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what
" death he should die."

THE Holy Spirit seems to have been particularly
careful, that this part of the history of our Saviour's
passion should be accurately and circumstantially re-
lated by the four evangelists, that it might refute
the false and spurious accounts of this transaction
afterwards dispersed both among the Jews and Gen-
tiles. The emperor Maximinus, from an inveterate
rancour against the person and religion of Christ,
ordered a book to be expressly written under the title

S53

of the Acts of Pilate. This spurious account was
filled with the most impious blasphemies against our
blessed Lord ; and the emperor caused several copies
of the book to be transcribed, and dispersed through
the Roman empire, and directed it to be introduced
into the schools of the Christians, that their children,
learning it by heart, might be early prejudiced against
the doctrines of Christ.

We shall, in the first place, consider what is re-
lated previous to this conference, both as to the Jews
and Pilate.

Concerning the Jews, it is said, " They themselves
went not into the judgment-hall. The chief priests,
scribes, and elders, having brought Jesus to Pilate's
house, where he used to hold his court of judicature,
remained without, and requested Pilate to come out,
in order to hear their charge against Jesus.

St. John mentions their reasons for this behaviour.
The first is, that they might not be defiled. The
Jews, by their ceremonial law, were liable to numberless
defilements. They were defiled by going into an un-
clean house ; by touching a dead body, and by many
other circumstances which Moses particularly enu-
merates in the book of Leviticus. * Yet it does not
appear from the Mosaic law, that they would have
defiled themselves by going into the house of a
heathen. This was probably one of those traditional
rites enjoined by the scribes and pharisees, in the
observance of which, many were more punctual than
in their obedience to the express commands of God
himself. Thus when Peter went into the house of
Cornelius, a pagan officer, those Christians who still

* Lev. xi. to XY.

254

adhered to the Jewish traditions reproached him with
it, saying, " thou wentest in to men uncircumcised." *
This institution of the scribes and elders originated

partly in their detestation of the idolatry, and partly
in their extreme contempt for the Gentiles. And
as the law enjoined that pollutions were particularly
to be avoided at the feast of the Passover, f they had
this additional motive for not entering the judgment-
hall, namely, that they were to eat the Passover. They
had indeed, eaten the paschal lamb the evening before,
at the time when Jesus was celebrating that institu-
tion with his disciples ; so that by the Passover here
is understood, not the paschal lamb, but the paschal
sacrifices, which were offered during the seven days
of that festival. | It was now the first day of the
feast, on which the Jews used to kill a great number
of sheep and oxen; parts of the victims being laid
on the altar as a burnt-offering, and the remainder
eaten in the courts of the temple. $ But no unclean
person was to eat either of the paschal lamb, or of
the flesh of the paschal offering. || They therefore
pretend that their tender consciences will not permit
their entering Pilate's house, and send a request, that he
would confer with them at the door, as being the
utmost their law allowed of at such a period.

" Then Pilate went out unto them." Had this
heathen governor been inclined to maintain his dig-
nity, and to adhere to ceremonial, he might have
dismissed them with a reproof; particularly as the
high-priest could not have produced any divine law
which prohibited his going into the house of a heather*

* Acts, xi. 3. t Numbers, ix. 6. J Deut xvi. 2, 3.
§ Numbers, xxviii. 16. || Levit xxii. 4.

255

judge. But here he acted like a prudent and cautious
politician ; conforming to this usage of the Jews, that
he might not provoke them by insisting on a punctilio,
which might render them his enemies : for he well
knew, that this superstitious people would rather die,
than deviate in the least tittle from their ceremonies
and traditions. We observe,

1. That it is the usual practice of hypocrites to pay
a greater regard to human traditions, than to the re-
vealed law of God. The commandments of God are :
" Thou shalt not kill." " Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbour." " The innocent and
righteous slay thou not." * But these divine com-
mands, the enemies of Christ here slight and trans-
gress ; while they pretend conscientiously to observe
the injunctions of their forefathers, which declared
that to go into the house of a heathen, polluted them
and rendered them unfit for the celebration of the
Passover. The divine law, which enjoined that no
unclean person should eat of the paschal lamb, or the
paschal offering, was intended to denote, that no per-
son can have fellowship with the unclean and un-
fruitful works of darkness. These hypocrites throw
away the substance of the divine law, and grasp at
the shadow. They abhor the pollution of the Gentiles;
and yet make use of their assistance to condemn the
innocent blood. Their care to keep themselves from
outward defilement extended even beyond the bounds
which God required ; but they were strangers to purity
of heart and conscience, as was evident from their
unjust and blood-thirsty designs. Thus our Lord
justly upbraided them with laying aside the corn-

iii. 7.

356

mandments of God, and holding the traditions of
men. * This is still the usual practice of hypocrites,
and particularly prevails in the church of Rome, in
which Christianity is, as it were, Overwhelmed by a
deluge of human ordinances, and the decrees of the
Pope are more implicitly obeyed than the command-
ments of God.

2. When Christ and his members are to be op-
pressed, Satan easily persuades men of the world to
forego all the respect due to their rank and character,
which, at other times, they so strenuously insist on.
In the instance before us, Pilate, the Roman governor,
deigns to comply with the desire of the Jews : he
condescends to come out of his palace, to confer with
them, and hear their complaint in the court before
his door. The chief priests and elders also forget
their high rank and dignity, and mix with the meanest
of the people. All disputes about precedency are set
aside ; and every thing is transacted without cere-
mony. Such an union as this, the hatred of Christ
often brings about amongst bad men. Should not,
then, the love of Christ, move his people to deny
their own ease and honour ; to merge their petty
differences, and unite in promoting his cause and ad-
vancing his kingdom ?

We come, in the next place, to consider the con-
ference between the Jews and Pontius Pilate.

First, " Pilate said, What accusation bring ye
against this man ?" The members of the Sanhedrim,
having come in person to deliver up the prisoner
to Pilate, he could not but look on them as plaintiffs
or accusers ; and therefore would know the ground

* Mark, vii. 8.

257

of their charge. This had a favourable appearance,
and afforded some hopes that Pilate would proceed
equitably and conscientiously in the trial. But it is
well known from history, thai he had unjustly put
many persons to death without a hearing ; so that
this question might proceed from a mere formal com-
pliance with the Roman law. For, as Festus, another
Roman governor, observed, It was not the manner of
the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that
he who was accused had the accusers face to face,
and had licence to answer for himself concerning
the crime laid against him. * In this proceeding
of Pilate, we are likewise to look to an over-ruling
providence, which influenced this unjust judge to
demand a proof of the accusation, that the innocence
of the blessed Jesus might be fully displayed ; and
that the world might be convinced it was not for
his own sins, but for the sins of others that Christ
suffered.

2. To this question of Pilate, the Jews made a
rude answer : " If he were not a malefactor, we
would not have delivered him up unto thee." They
were offended, that the Roman governor should pre-
sume to ask them on what account they would have
Jesus of Nazareth crucified, since this implied a sus-
picion of their impartiality and justice. They there-
fore expostulated with Pilate : as if they had said,
' Do you not know that the Roman emperors have
left us the privilege of taking cognizance of crimes
committed against our law, and of passing sentence on
the criminals ? We are not obliged to give you, who
are a heathen, the reasons of our judicial proceedings.

* Acts, XXY. 1 6.

258

It is our business to try causes, and your part to put
our sentences in execution, without questioning their
legality. This is an infringement of our privileges.'
Thus they oppose their privilege to the power of
the civil judge, hoping that Pilate, intimidated by
their resolute behaviour, would, without further in-
quiry, in deference to their judgment, give orders for
the immediate execution of the prisoner.

3. In the next place, we observe Pilate's reply.
" Take .ye him, and judge him according to your
law." Pilate saw through their crafty designs, and
that they wished him to proceed contrary both to the
Roman law, and to justice and equity. He was of-
fended at their wishing to make him their tool,
blindly to ratify the unjust proceedings they had car-
ried on ; and therefore he retorts, " Take ye him,
and judge him according to your law." — * If you
have a law, by which a man may be sentenced to die,
and executed, without a trial, judge your malefactor
according to it. We, Romans, have other laws,
more agreeable to equity. If you think me not
worthy to be informed of the reason of your passing
sentence of death on this man, (since, possibly, you
are conscious it will not bear examination,) I will not
become your tool, to put in execution your illegal
sentences. Execute what you have decided, at your
own peril ; I declare against having any concern in
the matter.'

4. The Jews make an evasive answer, " It is
not lawful for us to put any man to death." There
is a dispute concerning the import of these words
of the Jewish priests and elders; namely, whether
the Jews were at that time totally deprived of the
privilege of trying capital cases, or whether they still

259

retained it with certain limitations. This contro-
versy we shall wave ; observing however, that there
are examples of the Jews having delivered up per-
sons to death, after our Saviour's crucifixion ; as
St. Stephen and St. James, who were beheaded by
the order of Herod, king of the Jews. It is probable,
that the power of punishing capitally such crimes
as concerned the Jewish nation, and against which
their law denounced death, had not been wholly
taken away, but was enjoyed with many exceptions ;
and that those crimes by which the tranquillity of
the commonwealth was endangered, coming more
directly under the cognizance of the civil power, were
therefore punished by the Roman governor, accord-
ing to the laws of the empire. The Jews might have
an eye to this circumstance when they said, " It
is not lawful for us to put any man to death," i. e.
any man whose crimes are of a political nature, who
stirs up sedition, and endeavours to alienate subjects
from their obedience to the Roman emperor ; for these
were the points they insisted on, when Pilate inquired
into the grounds of their accusation. By their own
law, they might have stoned Christ, as they had de-
clared him a blasphemer ; but it appears from St. Luke,
that, some time before, when they would have put him
to death, they feared lest they should themselves be
stoned by the people, * and therefore they might think
it more adviseable to make Pilate the instrument for
the execution of the sentence. — But all these circum-
stances did not come to pass fortuitously ; for,

5. The counsel of God in this event is pointed out
by St. John, who adds, " That the saying of Jesus

* Luke, xx. 6.

might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what
death he should die." * God had appointed that the
redemption of the world should be wrought by the
death of the cross. This had been predicted by
the prophets, and declared by Christ himself, who
told his disciples, that he was to be delivered up
to the Gentiles, and to be crucified, f This restrained
the hands of the Jewish rulers, by whom that painful
punishment was not inflicted. St. John makes the
observation for the confirmation of our faith ; and
shows how wisely the counsel of God directed every
particular circumstance of our Saviour's passion. We
shall conclude with the following observations.

L. Hypocrites generally bring an odium on religion.
We have already observed the ironical answer which
Pilate returned to the Jews : " Take ye him and judge
him according to your law." * You make a boast of
your law, as if it were more perfect than the laws
of all other nations ; but if it allow putting a man
to death, without a hearing, our Roman law is far
preferable, which admits of no such unjust practices.'
Thus what St. Paul says of the Jews was here verified,
" Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through
breaking the law dishonourest thou God? for the
name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles
through you."t The law, which God gave to the
Jews, by no means permitted that any one should
be condemned without a fair trial. Hence Nicodemus
asks, " Doth our law judge any man before it hear
bim, and know what he doeth ?" But as the Jews
in this instance, urged Pilate to direct the crucifixion
<ff Jesus without any previous examination, it raised

•-John, xviii. 32. t Matt. xx. 19. ; xjxvi. 2.; John, xii. S2.
+ Rom. ii. 23.

261

in him a suspicion that their law allowed of such an
iniquitous proceeding. This is the conclusion usually
drawn by the %vorld from the behaviour of those
hypocrites, who make much outward profession of
religion, without obeying its divine precepts from
the heart. Their sin is the more aggravated as it dis-
credits the profession of religion, and causes the way
of truth to be evil spoken of.

2. The providence of God over-ruled the circum-
stances attending our Saviour's passion, and will also
direct whatever befalls his people, in life or in death.
The enemies of Christ could not move a step farther,
than the divine providence permitted. They could
not act exactly as their malice prompted them ; but
the events of his life and death were directed by the
predetermined counsel and decree of God. In vain
did they endeavour at Nazareth to precipitate Jesus
down the rock ; * in vain did the impious Jews at-
tempt to stone him ; f and in vain was it that Pilate
said, " Take ye him, and judge him according to your
law." The manner of our -Saviour's death was exactly
to correspond with the predictions of the prophets,
and the previous declaration of the Lord Jesus himself.
Satan and his instruments acted, indeed, according to
the impulse of their own wicked minds ; yet divine
wisdom conducted every part of this important transac-
tion. Hence many things fell out contrary to the
designs and wishes of the enemies of Christ. It is
therefore said in scripture, " Truly the Son of Man
goeth as it was determined." | The same providence
which accompanied our Saviour from his birth to his
death, will also direct all contingencies through life

* Luke, iv. 2<>. f John, viii. 59. $ Luke, xxi. 22.

262

for our good, and will be our guide unto death, if
we resign ourselves to the divine guidance. Let us
commit our ways to the Lord ; so shall we find by
experience, that every thing which befalls us is directed
by eternal wisdom and infinite love.

PRAYER.

O faithful and ever-living God, blessed be thy holy
name for permitting thy beloved Son to fall into the
hands of wicked men, and to be led before unrighteous
judges. Bless that part of thy sacred word which
we have now discussed ; and imprint on our hearts
the important truths which have been drawn from it,
for Jesus Christ's sake our Mediator and Advocate.
Amen.

CHAPTER IV.

THE FIRST EXAMINATION OF JESUS CHRIST BEFORE THE
TRIBUNAL OF PONTIUS PILATE.

" And Jesus stood before tJie governor. And they began
" to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting
" the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Ccpsar,
" saying, that he himself is Christ a king. Then Pilule
" entered info the jiidgmcni-hall ag&in, and called Jesus,
" and asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jric* -J
" Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself,
" or did others tell it thee of me"? Pilate answcrerf,
"Am I a Jew? thine own nation, and the chief priests
«' have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done?"

IN these words we have an account of the first in-
quiry into our Saviour's cause before Pontius Pilate.

.263

The enemies of Christ were displeased with Pilate,
because he did not immediately believe their assertion,
that Jesus was guilty, but took upon himself to in-
quire into the nature of the accusation brought against
him. But when they found that the affair was not
likely to come to so speedy an issue as they had hoped,
they were under the necessity of laying before the
Roman Governor the nature of the charge,

1. " Jesus stood before the governor." When
Pilate, at the request of the Jews, went out of the
hall of judgment to confer with them, they presented
Jesus to him bound as a malefactor. He, who was
appointed of God to be the judge of quick and dead,
stood before Pilate as a criminal. A person of exalted
and transcendent merit, permitted himself to be con-
fronted with malulous accusers before .an unrighteous
judge, that we might obtain boldness to stand before
the righteous Judge, and that our accusers might be
ashamed -and confounded. How astonishing the spec- >
tacle, that the " heir of all things," who from eternity
is exalted above all, should stand at the bar of a
creature.

2. The accusation urged against our Saviour Hk
related by St. Luke. The substance was this : " We
found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding
to give tribute to Ceesar, saying, that he himself is
Christ a king."

By the first part of the charge, that of perverting
the nation, their design might be to represent the
Lord Jesus as a false prophet, who wished to seduce
the people from their ancient religion, and perplex
them by his doctrine. But the principal object was
to represent him as a promoter of sedition, a re-

264,

bellious person, who alienated the Jewish nation from
their obedience to the Roman emperor, forbade
them to contribute to the support of government,
and assumed the title of king, to the prejudice of
the sovereign of the country. They concluded that
Pilate would be extremely incensed at this ; he being
appointed by the Roman emperor to superintend what
related to his interest, and to keep a watchful eye
over any appearance of sedition or tumult among the
Jews. All these allegations were however false, and
destitute of proof.

3. They couched their accusation in terms, ex
pressive of the most virulent contempt of our Lord,
not deigning so much as to mention his name ; and
spoke with such confidence, as if they had surprised
our Saviour in the very fact, in the actual execution
or avowal of his seditious designs. Hence we may
deduce the following remarks.

1. It is the practice of hypocrites to charge the
faithful servants of God with crimes, of which they
themselves are guilt}*-.

The teachers of the Jews were at that time guilty
of all the crimes which they lay to the charge of
our Saviour. They were the persons who alienated
the people from the true religion and service of God,
and perverted their minds, by enjoining the traditions
and ordinances of men. * They were the persons
who fomented the seditious inclination of the Jewish
people ; for they made it a subject of dispute in their
schools, whether the tribute imposed on them by the
Roman emperor was consistent with the freedom of
the people of God. They were the persons who

* Matt. xv. 4.

265

instilled into the minds of the people the expectation
of the temporal kingdom of the Messiah, as a puissant
prince ; consequently, they were guilty of the very
crimes which they laid to the chafge of the Lord
Jesus.

2. The most innocent and irreproachable behaviour
is not a sufficient security against calumny and false
accusations. What more could our blessed Saviour
have done to avoid the suspicion of rebellion and
seditious practices ? When the people would have
taken him by force, to make him a king, he fled from
them.* He paid tribute money for himself and
Peter ;f and when, about four days before his passion,
he was asked, whether it was lawful to pay tribute to
Cassar, he replied, " Render to Cassar the things which
are Csesar's, and to God, the things which are God's."
Even his enemies could not make the least exception
against this decision, but were astonished at his
answer, and went away without saying a word.| But
all this caution was not sufficient to secure our Saviour
from the imputation of entertaining rebellious designs.
— If the great captain of our salvation was thus basely
treated, his members can certainly expect no better
treatment from his and their inveterate enemies.
Therefore be of good courage, all ye that are deter-
mined to follow Christ as your leader, and to walk
innocently and unblameably amidst a perverse and
wicked generation. Do not expect that your utmost
precautions will secure you against calumny, lies,
and slanderous imputations ; think not such treat-
ment strange or uncommon ; but comfort yourselves,
since your blessed chief was thus treated, and be

* John, vi. 15. t Matt. xvii. 17. £ Luke, xx. 26.

266

content to resemble the first-born among many bre-
thren, whom Christ will translate into his glorious
kingdom.

3. It is a comHion practice with nominal Christians,
and men of the world, when reports are spread to
the prejudice of pious men, to suppose, that such
reports must have some foundation, otherwise they
would not be so current ; that what all the world says
must be true. But a facility in crediting such re-
ports arises from nothing but enmity against Christ
and his members. Let us examine ourselves, and
ask our own hearts, how comes it to pass, that we are
so ready to believe the worst calumnies, and the most
scandalous reports against the faithful servants and
followers of Christ ?

4. The behaviour of Jesus, in' patiently bearing
false accusations, must be a source of great comfort
to his faithful servants : for by this part of his suf-
ferings, he has expiated our fall, and the depravity
which we derive from our first parents. We have
naturally an evil refractory heart, full of rebellion
against God and our lawful superiors. We have
refused to pay the tribute of gratitude and obedience
which we owe to our Creator. Many of us are also
impatient under the yoke of allegiance to the civil
powers, and would defraud them of their tribute and
dues, by illegal practices. * We all by nature desire
greatness ; we are inflamed with ambition and pride ;
and would rather command than be subject to lawful
authority. All these faults our Mediator has expiated,
on our sincere repentance and faith in his name. He
has also sanctified the sufferings of his faithful ser-

* Rom. xiii. 7.

267

vants, who are often calumniated by the world, as a
rebellious, seditious description of men ; because they
cannot blindly submit to human ordinances in mat-
ters which affect their own consciences and the honour
of God; but adhere to the apostle's rule, viz. " We
ought to obey God rather than men." Upon such
occasions, they must expect to be accused as men who
pervert the people, trample on authority, -and disturb
the public peace.

Let us give thanks and praise to our faithful
Saviour and Redeemer, for submitting to such accu-
sations, and thus opening for us a source of comfort.
Let us show our gratitude, in a readiness to undergo
any calumny or unjust accusation for his sake. At
the same time, let us be cautious, that we neither
raise or countenance any false report against others,
nor, by seditious and rebellious practices, bring a re-
proach on the doctrines of the gospel. — We proceed
to consider,

The behaviour of Pilate. " Then Pilate entered
into the judgment-hall again, and called Jesus, and
asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews ?"
In this conduct of Pilate, he is to be commended for
hearing both sides, and for examining into the affair
himself, and not shifting off the trouble by appointing
others to report the case to him. — We find him par-
ticularly insisting on the last article of the accusation,
" Art thou the king of the Jews ?" He could not but
know that the Jews expected a Messiah, who, as a
king and conqueror, was to deliver them from foreign
dominion, to subject other nations to them, and to
procure them great earthly blessings. He therefore
wished to know whether Jesus was that Messiah, or

triumphant prince, whom the Jews expected. If our
blessed Saviour were king of the Jews, Pilate doubt-
less thought it natural for him to use endeavours to
gain the affections of his subjects, and to alienate them
from their allegiance to the Roman emperor ; and in
Case of his success, that the refusal of paying tribute
to the Roman government would have followed of

course.

It appears also, that Pilate put this question with
some degree of surprise, " Art thou the king of the
Jews ?" As if he had said, * from thy outward ap-
pearance, thy bonds, and fetters, it is what I should
never have imagined.' The great and wise of this
world judge of the kingdom of Jesus Christ from
its external appearance ; and as they observe in it
no outward pomp or splendour, they despise or revile
it.

Before this question of Pilate was answered by
the Lord Jesus, he, in return, put another question
to Pilate : " Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did
others tell it thee of me ?" As if he had said, ' Have
you observed in me or in my behaviour at Jerusalem,
any thing which could raise in you a well-grounded
suspicion, that I attempt to make myself king of
Judea, or to seduce the people from their obedience to
the Romans ? Or, have others who are my enemies,
charged me with this, without giving you any proof
of their allegations, and so far imposed on your judg-
'ment, that you are prepared to believe it ?'

By this question, our Lord intimates that Pilate
does not scrupulously adhere to the rules of equity.
For, it was not just to proceed to interrogate the
prisoner on the bare accusation of the Jews, unsup-

269

ported by any legal proofs, and without inquiring into
the grounds of their charge. It was likewise an irre-
gular proceeding to refer to the declaration of the
party accused for the truth of a fact, which ought to
have been proved by witnesses ; since no party can be
a witness in his own cause. By this question, our
Lord endeavours to clear up the ambiguity of Pilate's
question ; and prepares a way for the confession which
he afterwards made concerning the true nature of his
kingdom. The Messiah had, in the writings of the
prophets, been often represented as the king of Israel..
" Thus saith the Lord, the king of Israel, and his
Redeemer." * — " The king of Israel, even the Lord is
in the midst of thee."f — " Shout, O daughter of Jeru-
salem, behold, thy king cometh unto thee."^: Hence it
was, that even the Eastern Magi, when they inquired
after our Saviour, said, " Where is he that is born
king of the Jews ?" $ But Pilate, who was a stranger
to the writings of the prophets, could certainly by the
title of king of the Jews, understand no other than
a temporal sovereign. Jesus therefore inquires, Whe-
ther Pilate spoke this of himself, and gave him the
title of king of the Jews in a political sense, or, whe-
ther the Jews had suggested it to him, (who were
bound to form their idea of the king of the Jews ac-
cording to the prophetic writings,) and consequently
whether he meant a spiritual king ? If our Lord had
directly answered the question in the negative, it would
have admitted, that he was not that king of Israel,
whose coming had been predicted by the prophets ;
and if without adding any illustration, he had answered

? Isaiah, xliv. 6. t Zephaniah, iii. 15. J Zechariah., ix. 9.
§ Matt. ii. 2,

270

in the affirmative, it might have been concluded that
he claimed to be a temporal king. Therefore before
our Saviour makes his confession, he would ascertain
the sense of the question put to him by Pilate.

This is followed by Pilate's answer : " Am I a
Jew ? Thine own nation, and the chief priests have
delivered thee unto me : What hast thou done?"

Pilate shows that he was displeased at the question
of Jesus. As if he had said, * What have I to do
with the wranglings of the Jews about religion ? It
is no concern of mine to know what king they may
expect. 1 have more important business than to read
their books, and inquire into their superstitions.' In
this appears his contempt of the Jewish people, and
their religion ; this they had partly brought on them-
selves by the degradation of their moral character.
He no doubt spoke in a tone of contempt and haugh-
tiness ; considering it a great scandal to be a Jew ;
and being offended that our Lord, being a Jew,
should have the boldness to put such a question to
, him. — We often observe politicians and statesmen
treating the most important and fundamental truths
of the Christian religion, as mere theological alter-
cations, and speaking of religion itself witli contemp-
tuous levity.

Pilate mentions the persons who had put him upon
asking this question : " Thine own people, and the
chief priests have delivered thee unto me." ' Thou
mightest have gone throughout Judea, preaching and
teaching, without any molestation from me. But
thine* own nation, the most venerable and learned
among thy people, have brought thee hither, and ac-
cuse thee of having given thyself out to be a king.'—

271

He adds ; " What hast thou done ?" « Thou must
have given a handle for some such accusation ; or thou
must have offended the people, and by some flagitious
crime drawn their hatred upon thee.' — We hence may
learn the following truths.

1. Christ's magnanimity, in his behaviour towards
Pilate, may comfort his suffering members. He will
graciously impart to them the courage and firmness
which he shall see necessary for their respective cir-
cumstances. Let no Christian, though naturally timo-
rous and fearful, say within himself, ' Alas ! should
persecution arise for the sake of the truth, should
it be my .lot to be brought before magistrates and
courts of judicature, to give an answer of the reason
of the hope that is in me, I am afraid that I shall
greatly prejudice the cause of Christ.' Let none
give way to such desponding thoughts; for Christ
will, in the hour of trial, communicate the fortitude
and holy confidence which you stand in need of.
Hence the weakest of Christ's people, in violent per-
secutions, have declared the truth in an undaunted
manner. No less consolatory is the consummate wis-
dom and prudence which shone forth in Jesus, who
was not perplexed by an ambiguous question ; but
cleared up its obscurity, and used the utmost caution
not to prejudice the truth. Satan is very industrious
and artful in his endeavours to confound our ideas of
the essential truths of religion, that he may afterwards
take the advantage of our doubts and perplexities.
In this work, none do him more service than those
learned men wrho, by abstruse notions and scholastic
subtilties, so obscure the clearest truths, that others
of less sagacity are entirely at a loss how to unravel

272

them. Jesus Christ the eternal word, who at the first
creation caused the light to shine out of darkness,
accounts it a part of his prophetic and mediatorial
office, to extricate truth from perplexity, and to reduce
to order that confusion which sin has introduced. It
is well for us that we have such an all- wise Mediator,
seeing we have to contend with a subtil enemy, who
tries a thousand ways to circumvent us, and would
take advantage of our simplicity, did not the watchful
care of the blessed Jesus prevent us from falling. It
is a comfort to persecuted Christians, harassed with
ambiguous questions, that Jesus Christ, their Lord,
who was himself tempted as they are, has a compas-
sionate tenderness for his conflicting servants, and will
give them a mouth and wisdom.*

2. It is our duty as the followers of Christ to walk
circumspectly.

Our Saviour could with all boldness meet the
charges of his accusers. This undaunted firmness was
the effect of )iis innocence. He has given an admira-
ble pattern for our compliance with the apostolic in-
junction ; " Abstain from all appearance of evil." f
Many are the malignant observers that narrowly watch
every step of the children of God, and put the worst
construction on their actions. It behoves them there-
fore carefully to avoid whatever may be construed
to their disadvantage. To this end, it is requisite
to preserve a tender conscience, a constant self-denial,
and a continual watchfulness over our inward thoughts
and outward demeanour. These precautions must also
be accompanied with incessant prayer, that the om-

* Luke, xxi. 15. t 1 Thess. v. 22.

273

niscient God, who counteth all our steps, will establish
our goings by his word ; for whoever sets about this
arduous task, relying merely on his own strength,
wisdom, and prudence, may expect to fall.

3. Each of us may apply this question of Pilate to
himself: " What hast thou done ?"

Of the blessed Jesus it is said in scripture, " He did ,
no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth;*
he went about doing good." f The malefactor, who
was crucified with him testified : " This man hath
done nothing amiss." Yea, Christ himself says in the
face of the enraged multitude, " Many good works
have I showed you of my Father ; for which of those
works do ye stone me ?" | But when any one of us
shall ask his own heart, " What hast thou done ?
what a multitude of sinful actions will present them-
selves to the conscience, as recorded in God's book of
remembrance ! Now amidst the confusion which covers
us at the recollection of our many and aggraved of-
fences against God, let us not forget to lift up the eye
of faith to Jesu^s the Lamb of God. To his innocence
we may flee for refuge, from the complaints and ac-
cusations of conscience.

PRAYER.

We thank thee, O gracious and merciful God,
for the comfort which we derive, as guilty and con-
demned sinners, from the arraignment of our Saviour
before the tribunal of the Gentiles. Bless this part
of thy word to our souls, that it may bring forth in
us the fruit of good living, to the honour and praise
of thy name. Amen.

* Isaiah, liii. 9. f Acts, x. 33. $ J°hft, x- 32.

274

CHAPTER V.

THE GOOD CONFESSION OF CHRIST CONCERNING HIS KINGDOM,
BEFORE PILATE.

" Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world : if my
" kingdom were of Ihis world, then imuld my servant*
" fight> that I should not be delivered to the Jews : but
" now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore
" said unto him, Art thou a king then ? Jesus answered,
" Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born.
" and for this cause came I into Hie world, that / should
" bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the
" truth heareih my voice"

IN the first part of our Saviour's confession, he rec-
tifies the false idea which Pilate had of his kingdom,
acknowledging at the same time, that he really has a
kingdom. " My kingdom is not of this world, — if my
kingdom were of this world — but now is my kingdom
not from hence." His kingdom is indeed in the world ;
since the communion of saints who acknowledge him
for their king, is already formed in the world : but it is
not o/'this world, i. e. it is not of the same nature with
earthly kingdoms. Tt is not governed according to
human laws and institutions, nor defended by carnal
weapons or temporal arms, nor conducted "with external
pomp and ceremony; consequently the Roman em-
peror had nothing to fear from it. It would not
alienate his subjects from their allegiance, nor encroach
on his temporal rights. It is true, the kingdoms of
fhis world are under the control of the Son of God.

275

who disposes of them so as best to contribute to the
chastisement of his people, and the protection of his
church. " By him kings reign, and princes decree
justice." * They all hold their dominions as fiefs from
the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and must ac-
knowledge, " that the Most High ruleth in the king-
doms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will." f
But the proper kingdom of Jesus Christ, which he here
emphatically calls "My kingdom," (the kingdom which
he governs as Mediator between God and man, and the
subjects of which he purchased with his blood) is no
worldly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom, as it is fre-
quently termed in the gospel. — This kingdom is, in
several respects, directly opposite to the kingdoms of
this world. In it no unrighteousness has place. The
tears of the oppressed are not seen, nor are the groans
of suffering innocence heard. It is founded on truth
and righteousness, and is governed with mildness, love,
and equity. In this kingdom, " the kings strength
loveth judgment." | Worldly kingdoms derive their
origin from men ; but the kingdom of Christ has
the immortal God for its founder, who by an eternal
decree hath appointed it to the Mediator of the new
covenant. J — The laws by which worldly kingdoms
are governed, are instituted by men, and the ob-
servance of those laws is enforced by pains and pe-
nalties ; but the laws of the kingdom of Christ derive
their sanction from heaven, and are written in the hearts
of his subjects by the spirit of love. — The kingdoms of
this world affect external pomp and splendour ; they
dazzle the eye, and thus command respect ; but the

* Prov. viii. 15. t Dan. iv. 17. { Psalms, xcix. 4

§Luke, xxii 29.

T 2

276

kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of the cross, and its
ornament consists in the holiness of its subjects. * —
The power of temporal kingdoms extends only to the
bodies, lives, and possessions of the subjects ; but the
kingdom of Christ extends its authority over the hearts
of his people. — The subjects of the kingdoms of this
world consist of a mixture of good and bad men ; but
the subjects of Jesus Christ are all born of God, and
are kings and priests to his heavenly Father. — The
kingdoms of this world stand in need of arms and for-
tresses for their security ; but it is not so in the king-
dom of Christ, for " the Lord is a wall of fire round
about his people." f His subjects may therefore sing,
" We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint
for walls and bulwarks." ^ The greatest happiness in
earthly kingdoms consists in outward ease and af-
fluence : the kingdom of Christ is righteousness, peace,
and joy in the Holy Ghost. <J The kingdoms of this
world have their bounds and limits, and are confined
to particular nations : but of the kingdom of Christ
it is written, " All kings shall fall down before him,
all nations shall serve him." || Lastly, To earthly
kingdoms an appointed time is fixed for their duration;
but " of his kingdom there shall be no end." **

Our Lord mentions a proof of the spiritual nature
of his kingdom ; not drawn from prophecy, or from
the authority of the Scriptures, with which Pilate
probably had no acquaintance; but such a proof as
was adapted to convince a Roman governor. " If
my kingdom," says he, " were of this world, then
would my servants fight, that I should not be de-

1 Psalms, xciii. 5. t Zech. ii. 5. J Isaiah, xxri. 1. §Rom. xiv. 1?
|| Psalms, Ixxii. 11. ** Luke, i. 33.

277

livered to the Jews." As if our Lord had said; ' The
kings of this world have armies for the protection of
their persons and subjects. If I had any design to
be an earthly king, I should have provided soldiers
to defend my person. My dependants, when the
Jews apprehended me, would have made a vigorous
resistance. But no such scheme ever entered my
thoughts, and my followers are unfit for the execution
of such enterprising projects ; I myself enjoined them
to make no resistance, and you may from this circum-
stance easily conclude, that I am rio earthly monarch,
and that from me the emperor has nothing to appr.e-
hend.' Hence we may learn the following truths.

1. It is an unspeakable comfort to Christians, that
the kingdom of Christ is not of this world. If his
kingdom were an earthly kingdom, how hard would
be the fate of the poor and wretched ! If Christ were
an earthly monarch, how difficult would they find
it to be admitted into his presence, with their humble
petitions; and how often would they be repulsed
by the officers of his court ! But, as he is a spiritual
king, no such difficulties are .to be apprehended in
approaching him: for it is written of him, "He
shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also,
and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the
poor and needy, and save the souls of the indigent.
He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence." *
This description of our king should endear him to our
.souls, and induce the weakest of his people to place a
firm trust in him, and to comfort themselves with the
thoughts of being under his almighty protection.

2. As our king is not of this world, so must we.

* Psalms, Ixxii. 1 2.

T 3

278

if we be his true subjects, be separated and distin-
guished from the men of the world, in our tempers
and conduct. " As the king is, so are his subjects."
Our blessed Lord himself saith of his disciples, " They
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." *
May this important truth sink deep into our hearts !
We own Him to be our king, who was a pattern of
humility and self-abasement ; who not only descended
from his throne to poverty and bonds, but also pub-
licly renounced the thrones and kingdoms of this
world ; who fled from the people when they were for
making him king by force; who willingly suffered
himself to be apprehended, bound, and insulted. If
we would be the true and faithful subjects of such a
king, we must put on the same meek and lowly dis-
position ; we must rather shun than pursue the honours
of this world, banish pride and ambition from our
breasts, and be clothed with humility. If we profess
ourselves the subjects of a king, who was so poor, that
he had not where to lay his head ; who was so far
from making it his business to amass wealth, and heap
up treasures on earth, that for our sakes he became
poor ; we must, after his example, despise the perish-
able riches of the world, lay up for ourselves treasures
in heaven ; and " remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than
to receive." Lastly : if we serve a king, whose life was
full of troubles and hardships ; who came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life
a ransom for our souls ; we, according to his example,
should exercise ourselves in self-denial, temperance,

*John, xvii. 16.

279

and purity of heart. Thus, from the very nature of
the kingdom of Christ, arise the strongest motives
for denying the inordinate love of honours, riches,
and pleasures; motives of infinitely greater weight
than any which reason or philosophy can suggest.
Let us, then, seriously ask our own hearts, whether
we are subjects whose temper and conversation bear
a resemblance to those of our Lord and King ? We
greatly deceive ourselves, if we suppose that all those
who call themselves Christians are true subjects of
Christ, or citizens of that kingdom which is not of
this world. Whoever suffers proud, covetous, or sen-
sual dispositions to exercise dominion over him, is a
slave of Satan, the God of this world. Let every one,
who still finds himself in this miserable state, lift up
his hands and heart to the King of kings, and pray
to him, that he would renew a right temper of mind
within him, and make him truly subject to that sceptre
of righteousness, which is the sceptre of his kingdom.

3. The faithful servants of Jesus Christ must fight
valiantly for their king, and the honour of his king-
dom.

When our blessed Saviour says, " If my kingdom
were of this world, then would my servants fight, that
I should not be delivered up to the Jews," he alludes
to the duty which is justly imposed on the subjects
of earthly sovereigns to fight for their king, when
he is threatened with any danger. Hence the in-
ference is obvious, that if we would be real servants
and subjects of Jesus Christ, our spiritual king, we
must fight for him in a manner conformable to the
spiritual nature of his kingdom; not with carnal
weapons, but with the weapons of God, which are

280

mighty to the casting down of every high thing, that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and the
obedience of Christ. * This is, indeed, in a more par-
ticular manner, the duty of ministers of the gospel,
who are not to be cold and indifferent ; or from a love
of outward ease and security, to withdraw themselves
from the combat. On the contrary, they must con-
tend for the truth, as St. Paul exhorts Timothy,
*' Endure hardness, as good soldiers of Jesus Christ." f
In this combat for the sake of the gospel, sufferings
must be expected. When the cause of Christ and
his kingdom is assailed, we must be ready to meet
the attacks of slanderers and malicious libellers : ac-
cording as our situations may be, we must defend
the truth with our prayers, our tongues, and our
pens; and in this spiritual warfare, be prepared to
sacrifice character, ease, and substance, nay, even life
itself; we must put on the armour of prayer, and
take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of
God. By these distinguishing marks, every one may
prove himself, whether he be a faithful servant of Jesus
Christ ; whether he has resolution and spirit to risk
every thing for his honour; or, whether, when the
honour of his sovereign is injured, and divine truths
attacked, he will stand as an unconcerned spectator,
and thus betray the honour of his King.

Our blessed Saviour proceeds to explain the true
nature of his kingdom. This part of our Lord's con-
fession was occasioned by Pilate's second question,
" Art thou a king then ?" The governor probably
surmised at first, that the Jews accused Christ of pre-
tending to be a king, out of mere malice. But now

* 2 Cor. x. 5. 1 2 Tim. ii. 3.

281

he hears Jesus thrice make mention of his kingdom.
This perplexed Pilate, who concluded that Christ
must be a temporal king; and no doubt thought
it strange, that there should be kingdoms which were
not of this world. Me therefore repeats his question.
Our Lord replied, " Thou sayest that I am a king."
Thus, as our blessed Saviour had acknowledged him-
self to be the Son of God, in plain and explicit terms,
!>e:'>re the spiritual court of the Jews ; so does he here
before the civil tribunal of Pilate, with the same
clearness, declare himself to be the king of Israel.
Had life been dearer to him than the truth, he might
easily have procured a release from his bonds, by an
ambiguous evasive answer, and might have said, I am
no king, i. e. I am not a king in your sense of the
word. But the blessed Jesus disdains all subterfuge ;
and instead of giving any sanction to equivocations
and mental evasions, he shows by his behaviour on
this occasion, that truth is boldly to be acknowledged
before kings and rulers. Our Lord proceeds to set
forth the true nature of his kingly office, and the dis-
tinguishing character of the subjects of his kingdom.

The true nature of his kingly office is explained
in these words : " To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear
witness unto the truth." His dominion is not con-
fined to the goods and earthly possessions of men,
but extends itself to the conscience ; and the design of
his government is to bring his people to the acknow-
ledgment of the truth. It was a truth unknown
to human reason ; a truth which his heavenly Father
iiad declared by Moses and the prophets in types
and figures, by promises and predictions. The sub-
stance of this great truth, is, that as no man can

282

be justified, and consequently entitled to eternal hap-
piness, by the works of the law, God, out of his
infinite love to mankind, has given his Son as the
Saviour and reconciler of the world, to the end that all
who acknowledge their own total inability, believe on
the name of the great Mediator, and give themselves
up to be renewed, by the Spirit, in the image of God,
may not perish, but have everlasting life. This doc-
trine of the gospel is emphatically styled the truth, not
only as it derives its origin from God, who is truth
itself, but likewise as it is a well-grounded infallible
truth, and worthy of all acceptation. Of this great
truth, the blessed Jesus was to bear witness both in
his words and actions ; and therefore he is called " the
faithful witness ;" * and the Father hath declared,
" Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peo-
ple." f He has likewise all the qualifications requisite
for a witness. If it be necessary that a witness should
have heard or seen the things which he testifies, the
Son of God was himself present in the council of
the Father, in which it was graciously determined,
that the world should be redeemed by the Son. Jesus
voluntarily promised to take on himself the work of
redemption, and his Almighty Father in return pro-
mised that he would anoint and establish him, as a
kino- over the human race. Therefore he might justly
say, " We speak that we do know, and testify that we
have seen." + Hence also, John Baptist says of him,
" He that cometh from above is above all ; and what
he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth." §

Moreover, our Lord subjoins, with a peculiar energy.

* Rev. i. 5. t Isaiah, Iv. 4. J John, iii. II.

§ John, iii. 31.

283

• hat " for this end he was born, and came into th?
u'orld," as the great ambassador of God, " to bear
witness unto the truth." These words imply his
prior existence, and that he was in possession of his
regal dignity before he became visible in the world.
He came to convince mankind, that he is the only
-sacrifice for the sins of the world ; that whoever will
be saved, must believe on his name. He came to free
mankind from the dominion and tyranny of the spirit
of error, to enlighten them with the true light, and
to fit them for the service of God, in spirit and in
truth. Our Lord describes, also,

The distinguishing characteristic of his subjects;
" Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."
Their characteristic is that " They are of the truth."
That is, in other words., they receive the testimony
which God has given of his Son, and which the Son
himself has given of the truth, so as to be enlightened,
converted, and renewed from the heart ; to hate evil,
and to love and obey the truth. The duty of the sub-
jects of Christ is to hear his voice : " Every one that is
of the truth heareth my voice," acknowledges me for
his sovereign, and obeys my precepts from the heart.
When Christ says, " Repent and believe the gospel !"
he hears and obeys. When Christ says, " Whoever
will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross and follow me : Love your enemies ; do good
to them that hate you : Render unto Caesar the things
that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are
God's :" the Christian omits no opportunity of com-
plying with these commandjs.

This was such discourse as had never before been
heard in Pilate's hall of judgment. By this testimony

284

ef the truth, Christ intended, not only to remove
Pilate's groundless apprehensions, of his having insti-
gated the emperor's subjects to revolt ; but likewise to
make an impression on his heart, to awaken his con-
science, and to inspire him with a love of truth. We
shall make the following observations.

1. Our blessed Saviour, by declaring his real dignity,
has publicly claimed us as his subjects. We must
therefore approve ourselves such, by forsaking the
world and its evil customs. If Christ our king de-
clared, that he was born and came into the world to
bear witness unto truth, his people wjill love the truth,
and bear witness to it in their words and actions.

2. As the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of
truth, no one can be admitted into it, who loveth
or maketh a lie. Satan is in scripture called the father
of lies ; * and the account given of his subjects by St.
Johnf is, that they love and take a pleasure in forging
lies. In Satan's kingdom there is nothing but false-
hood and deception. He infatuates men by giving
them false ideas of God, whom they vainly imagine to
be like themselves. Hence God says to the wicked ;

' " Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one
as thyself." :(: Satan also deceives men with false ideas
of repentance : he teaches them to be content with the
confession that they are miserable sinners ; that they
are sorry for their misdoings, and that they will amend
their lives ; while the heart, in the mean time, is not
touched, nor is there any change wrought in it. He
infatuates men with false ideas of faith : they vainly
suppose they shall be saved by the merits of Christ,
although they continue under the dominion of sin,

* John, viii. 44. t Rev. xxii. 15. }. Psalms, 1. 2J.

285

and never show the reality of their faith by love to
God and to their neighbour. Such is the power of
the spirit of darkness over the understandings of those
whom he hath led captive. But his chains full off
vrhen a man is regenerated and translated into the
kingdom of Jesus Christ. Then he learns to look on
the things of the Spirit of God in a new and a differ-
ent light. Then he is sensible what an absurd and
unworthy idea he had entertained of God, of repen-
tance, and of faith. The light of truth shines upon
his understanding ; and his error, prejudice, and false
conceptions of spiritual things, are dissipated. The
image of God in Jesus Christ is formed in his will ;
and the Spirit of God restores his soul to the divine
resemblance, in wisdom, righteousness, and truth. He
now loveth and speaketh the truth from his heart ; and
is not ashamed to confess it, at whatever risk.

3. A mere acknowledgment of the truth is not
sufficient : it must have a salutary effect on our lives
and conversation.

Hence our blessed Saviour does not say, " He that
acknowledges the truth is my subject and disciple ;"
but " Every one that is of the truth," i. e. to whom
truth and probity are become, as it were, habitual, so
as to influence all his thoughts, words, and actions :
" hears my voice," or obeys me as his sovereign.
There must be such an inward and universal obedience
of the heart, an attention and sincere obedience to all
his commands, a lively faith in all his promises, and a
conviction of the value and certainty of the invisible
rewards expected from him, as to make us ready to
renounce and part with all temporal enjoyments for
his sake.

*86

Dost thou therefore boast, that thou hast heard the
voice of the Lord Jesus ? What happy effect has it
had on thy soul ? Thinkest thou that the voice of the
Son of God is a dead and ineffectual sound, suffering
men to stagnate in carnal security ? By no means : the
voice of Christ is said to be like the " sound of many
waters." * Has that sound therefore awakened thee
from the sleep of security ? " The voice of the Lord
divideth the flames of fire ; the voice of the Lord
shaketh the wilderness ; the voice of the Lord disco-
vereth the forests."! Has that glorious voice shaken
thy heart ? Has it cast down thy high imaginations ?
Has it torn up the ill habits so deeply rooted in thee ?
These effects are not like the fleeting images of a
dream, but leave a lasting and indelible impression
on the heart, during the whole course of a man's life.
Look on others who have heard the voice of Christ, and
see what a change it has wrought in them. Matthew
the publican heard his voice, saying, " Follow me !"
and immediately he left all, and followed Christ ;
Simon and Andrew heard his voice, and they forsook
all, and followed him ; the young man, who died
at Nain, heard his voice, arose and revived. His
voice spoke Lazarus into life ; the man afflicted with
the palsy heard it, and took up the bed on which
he had been laid. Saul heard his voice ; and of a
persecutor and destroyer of the Christians, became a
champion for the truth of the gospel. Nay, it is said
in St. John's gospel, " The hour is coming, and now
is, when all that are in their graves shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall
live." £ And dost thou, O man, live the life thai is or

* ftev. i. 15. t Psalms, xxix. 5. 1 John, v. 25.

287

God, or art thou still dead in trespasses and sins?
Examine thyself well on this point ! It is no incon-
siderable fault for a man to stop his ears, and close
his heaFt against the voice of Christ ; for whoever
refuses to hear him, the same also he will not hear,
nor answer in the hour of extreme distress.* Alas!
whither then canst thou betake thyself, if thou hast
not obediently heard the Saviour's voice, and con-
formed to it ? What dependance canst thou have, that
he will hear thy faint and broken accents at the ap-
proach of death ? How dreadful will be thy case if
He, who alone has power to save and condemn, should
then turn his ears from thy cries ! O let us hear his
voice to-day, this instant ; and while we hear his
voice, let us not harden our hearts. Let us turn our
ears from the delusive voice of Satan and the world.
It is enough that we have spent the past years of
our lives in such courses. Let us now penitently
approach the blessed Jesus, acknowledging and be-
wailing our former disobedience. Let us entreat him
to give us the attentive ear, and the obedient heart.
Let us sincerely believe his promising voice ; let us
obey the precepts of his commanding voice ; so that
one day it may be our happiness to hear his affec-
tionate voice, saying unto us, " Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world."

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour, whose merits are infinite, thanks
be to thee for the good confession of thy kingdom,

* Prov. i. 24*.

288

which thou madest before Pilate ! Praised be thy
name for teaching us the nature of thy spiritual king-
dom ! Thou seest, O Lord, what gross conceptions
and carnal ideas we are apt to entertain of it ; be
pleased therefore to inspire us with a salutary know-
ledge of thy kingly office, and to impart to us
that heavenly temper and disposition which is the
distinguishing badge of thy true subjects. Make
us truly attentive to thy voice, that by our walking
in the truths and abhorring ah1 false ways, it may
appear to ourselves, and to the world, that we are thy
subjects, and consequently joint-heirs of thy glorious
kingdom. And to those who suffer for thee here,
and contend for thy truth, by the confession of thy
religion, grant that they may eternally reign with thee
on thy throne, as thou hast overcome, and art exalted
to the throne of thy Father ! Amen.

289

CHAPTER VI.

THE CONSEQUENCE OF bint BLESSED SAVIOURS GOOD
CONFESSION BEFORE PILATE.

" Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had
" said this, he went out unto the Jews, and saith unto the
" chief priests and the people, 1 find no fault in this man.
" And the chief priests were the more fierce. And when
" he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he
" answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, An?
" sweresl thou nothing? hearest thou not how many
" things they witness against th-ee? Jesus answered hi t;i
" to never a word, insomuch that the governor marvelled
" greatly."

Two things followed our Lord's confession : First,
A question from the Roman governor ; and secondly,
an acknowledgment of our blessed Saviour's innocence.

1. The question was : " What is truth ?" Jesus
had several times mentioned the word truth ; " To
this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the
world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
Every one who is of the truth heareth my voice.'*
Upon this, Pilate starts the question, " What is
truth ?" One would, from these words, be inclined to
entertain a favourable opinion of Pilate, and to admire
his willingness to be instructed. One should be apt
to think, that the words of Jesus had kindled in him
such a desire of knowing the truth, that he wished for
nothing more passionately than to be instructed by
this divine prophet, of whom he had heard such a

290

character. But this good opinion, which might be
conceived of Pilate, is in some measure affected by his
subsequent behaviour. It does not appear that he
waited for an answer, for he went forth to the Jews
who were standing without the judgment-hah1. Hence
it is too probable, that he did not ask this question
from any desire of information ; but in an ironical
manner, and with a mind filled with prejudices
against the truth. To this question, Pilate added,

2. A confession of the innocence of Jesus. For
when Pilate had said this, he went out again to the
Jews, who were gathered together before his judg-
ment-hall, and called out in the hearing of the chief
priests and all the people, " I find no fault in this
man." * I have examined this man apart, concerning
the things of which you accuse him, and have carefully
sifted the whole matter; but I find him guilty of
no crime. You say, you found him perverting the
people; but I can find no shadow of truth in this
accusation. He, indeed, owns that he is a king ; but,
at the same time he declares, tbat he makes it his sole
business to bear witness to the truth. This confession,
by the Roman law, is no capital crime. If that were
the case, all the philosophers throughout the Roman
empire would deserve to be crucified ; since every one
of them thinks he teaches nothing but the truth. If
this person has too high a conceit of his doctrines,
and thinks that he alone is so quick-sighted as to
see clearly into truth, this is a failing common to
philosophers, and rather deserves pity than punish-
ment. At least with regard to the faults you charge
him with, I find him entirely innocent.' Such,
probably, was the opinion of Pilate ; and this declara-

ration of our Saviour's innocence lie publicly made
before all the people. This was a measure of policy :
for as he knew that the rulers of the people had
delivered up Christ out of envy, he thought it best
publicly to declare his innocence, that the people
might have an opportunity of taking the innocent
prisoner under their protection.

This testimony, which Pilate gives of our Lord's
innocence, is of great importance : for he was a person
acting in a public character, and the Roman em-
peror's vicegerent; consequently it was incumbent
on him to punish all rebellious and seditious persons.
He also appears to have been impartial in this affair,
and not prejudiced either for or against Jesus ; he
gave testimony of his innocence, after having heard
the charge and examined the prisoner ; and he did it
voluntarily, and not at the request of any one.

The scene of things continues the same in our days,
as it was before Pilate's judgment-seat. On one side
stood the blessed Jesus, in defence of the truth, which
he maintained, and at last sealed with his blood ; on
the other side stood the Jews in opposition to the
truth, which they hated and persecuted in the person
and doctrine of Christ : and between these stood
Pilate, ridiculing and despising both parties. Thus
in our days these three parties still exist. Some have
a sense of the transcendent value of the truth ; they
esteem it an invaluable jewel committed to mankind ;
and accordingly they openly profess it, and are ready
to sacrifice their lives and fortunes, and all that is
dear and valuable in its defence. Others show thenv
selves its declared enemies ; endeavour to suppress it,
by changing it into error and falsehood, and hate and
persecute its professors. Others again observe a cul-

292

pable neutrality, ridiculing both parties ; and pre-
tending that each is equally in the wrong, and that
the truths which excite so much contention, are of
no importance. Controversies about the truth appear
to them mere cavils about words ; and if matters go
well with them, if they enjoy riches, honours, and
pleasures, they care not how it fares with the truth.
The cause of this is assigned by St. Paul in these
words : " They received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved ; for this cause God shall
send on them strong delusion, that they should be-
lieve a lie; that they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighte-
ness." * It is but just that they who despise the
truth, should be deprived of its light, and cast into
darkness. — A scandalous indifference to the truth pre-
vails not only amongst the wise, the learned, and
the great, who treat religion as not worth inquiry,
but likewise amongst the lower classes of society, the
generality of whom are more taken up in providing
for the necessaries of life, than in inquiring how they
may obtain a knowledge of the saving truths of the
gospel.

We come, in the next place, to consider what fol-
lowed with regard to the accusers of Christ. It ap-
pears that they were still more irritated ; for they
would by no means have it supposed, that they had
condemned an innocent man. St. Mark says, that
the chief priests accused him of many things. They
not only repeated their former charge ; but enlarged
and aggravated the accusation, by many new and
fictitious articles. They concluded, that the greater

*2Thess. i). 19.

293

number of crimes they laid to his charge, the more
probability there was of overwhelming our Saviour's
innocence ; that if one complaint should not incense
Pilate against him, another might /prove more effec
tual ; and that if a single charge should not have the
desired effect, yet all the articles taken together might
turn the scale. We may here remark that,

As we have accumulated sin to sin, so in our
Saviour's sufferings, one offence upon another was
laid to his charge. What innumerable sins have
been the consequence of the fall! How has the
venom, which lurked in the disobedience of our
first parents, spread itself into numberless channels,
and infected their unhappy descendants ! The Son
of God suffered one accusation upon another to be
heaped on him, in order to cover the multitude of
our sins. This comfort is best valued by the awakened
conscience, which on a view of its transgressions is
ready to cry out, " My sins are more in number than
the hairs of my head, or the sand on the sea-shore." *
The sinner thus terrified at the number and heinous-
ness of his sins, may be comforted with the assurance
that he shall be safe under the protection of his Sa
viour's innocence, whatever accusations Satan may
bring against him.

Lastly, We remark the silence of our Lord under
these repeated accusations. The governor exclaimed,
" Answerest thou nothing ?" * Art thou quite insen-
sible to thy reputation and safety, since thy life and
character are at stake? Dost thou not hear thyself
accused of crimes, which the law punishes with death ?
How canst thou be silent at such a crisis, and suffer

* Psalms, xl. 13. — Prayer of Manasseh.

294

thine enemies to accuse thee without making any de-
fence ?' " Hearest thou not how many things they
witness against thee ?" Hence it may, witli some pro-
bability, be inferred, that the chief priests and elders
brought witnesses with them before Pilate, to confirm
their charges. Notwithstanding all this, our Lord
continued silent. It seems as if Pilate had some com-
passion on Jesus, and imagined that his silence might
proceed from fear and despondency ; and these words
may be considered as an encouragement to him, to
vindicate himself in the best manner he could. — The
evangelist however informs us, that " Jesus answered
him never a word." Neither the high rank of his
accusers, nor the heinousness of the accusation, nor
yet Pilate's encouraging question, could induce the
blessed Jesus to break his silence. Now this silence
was founded both in propriety and justice. He had
before made an ample confession of the truth. He
knew that the judge himself was perfectly convinced
of his innocence. The charges too, which the Jews
alleged against him, consisted of things either ma-
nifestly false, or of such a nature, that they did not
properly fall under the cognizance of Pilate. Our
Lord was also desirous to show his willingness to die
for us, by suffering the sentence of death to be ex-
ecuted, without offering any plea in arrest of judg-
ment ; and he was to fulfil the prophecies which had
before declared, that " as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb, so he opened not his mouth." *

We have here an account of the effect which our
Saviour's silence had on Pilate. " The governor
marvelled greatly." It must have appeared strange

* Isaiah, liii. 7. ; Psalms, xxxviii. 14

295

to Pilate, that a criminal should be silent at such
a juncture. He therefore wondered at the extreme
timidity, or rather at the magnanimity of Jesus ; 'who
seemed to despise all the accusations brought against
him, and suffered them in silence. In conclusion,
we shall make one remark.

Christ in his silence before Pilate appeared in the
form of a sinner, and atoned for our clamorous im-
portunities, and false justifications in our defence.
When a sinner is awakened by his conscience, and his
secret sins are placed before his eyes, he no longer
pretends to excuse and justify himself; but lays his
hand on his mouth, and owns himself guilty. Now
Christ, having permitted the sins of the whole world
to be imputed to him, by his silence on this occasion
before Pilate, appeared as a sinner, who, under the
condemnation of conscience, dares not open his mouth.
And as our petulant tongues are so ready, and our
voices so loud in palliating our sins, when perhaps
our hearts at the very time are convinced that we are
guilty, our blessed Saviour was silent for the expiation
of this depravity of human nature. Let us therefore
thankfully acknowledge, that our Redeemer was silent
in our stead, and praise him for this instance of his
love. Let us henceforth cease to justify our faults,
and excuse our offences. Let us say with holy Job,
" I have uttered that I understood not, therefore I
abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." * Oh,
that we may thus judge ourselves ! and then we shall
not be judged, nor condemned of the Lord.

* Job, xlii. ?.

296*

PRAYER.

" We praise tbee, O faithful and ever-living Saviour,
for all the sufferings which thou didst patiently en-
dure, to procure for us the forgiveness of our sins.
May every insult, every indignity and unjust treat-
ment, to which thou didst submit in our stead, be
for our eternal advantage ! When we acknowledge
our guilt, clothe us with the spotless robe of thy in-
nocence. When the consciousness of our numberless
misdeeds alarms us, and renders us incapable of plead-
ing for ourselves, be thou our intercessor ; and grant
that fleeing to thee we may find safety, and be ac-
quitted from all the accusations brought against us
at the Divine tribunal. Grant this for thy mercy's
sake ! Amen.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST BEFORE HEROD.

" And the chief priests were the more fierce, saying, He
" stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry,
" beginning from Galilee to thin place. When Pi talc
" heard of Galilee, he asked, Whether the man were a
*' Galilean ? And as soon as he knew that he belonged

" to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him fo Herod, who
ct himself was also at Jerusalem at that lime. And
" when Herod saw Jesus, he teas exceeding glad ; for
" he was desirous to see him of a long season, because
" he had heard many things of him ; and he hoped to
" have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned
"with, him in many words; but Jesus answered him
" nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and

297

" vehemently accused him. And Herod and his men of
'/ war set him at nought, arid mocked him ; and arrayed
" him in a gorgeous robe, arid sent him again to Pilate.
" And the. same day Pilate and Herod were made friends
" together ; for before they were at enmity between them-
" selves"

WHEN the chief priests observed that Pilate not
only was convinced of our Lord's innocence, but had
made a public declaration of it, they were still more
exasperated, and assailed the blessed Jesus with re-
newed violence. They had still nothing new to urge
with any appearance of truth, to induce Pilate to
comply with their desires ; they therefore repeat their
former charge of rebellion, " He stirreth up the
people." Though Pilate had not the least proof of
his having hitherto occasioned any tumults or insurrec-
tions, they would insinuate that his doctrines tended to
excite among them a dangerous spirit, which might
at last terminate in revolt. These words, " beginning
from Galilee to this place," were added with a crafty
design. To discharge themselves from the obligation
of bringing proofs of the charge, they appeal to
Galilee, which lay at a distance on the confines of
Judea, from whence witnesses could not soon be pro-
cured. They likewise intended to give Pilate a worse
opinion of Jesus, because he was of that province ;
the Galileans at that time being considered as a se-
ditious, turbulent people. Some years before, Judas,
a Galilean, had excited a revolt, on account of some
new tax imposed upon that country. * Even Pilate
himself, not long before, had been troubled by the
Galileans ; and when some of the revolters came to

* Acts, v. 37.

298

Jerusalem, he massacred them in the temple : so that
their blood was mingled with that of their sacrifices. —
By this hint, however, the accusers of Jesus occa-
sioned his being sent to Herod, because Galilee was
under his jurisdiction. Pilate the more readily em-
braced this opportunity, as he was very desirous
to get rid of the affair. He immediately asked,
" Whether the man were a Galilean ?" The Jews
made no difficulty to answer in the affirmative ; and
Pilate, concluding that Jesus was a subject of Herod,
sent him to that king, who was then at Jerusalem,
probably on account of the Passover. This Herod,
who was surnamed Antipas, was the son of Herod
who massacred the innocent children at Bethlehem.
He was the same who had caused John the Baptist
to be beheaded, * and who had likewise endeavoured
to destroy Jesus, f The authority of Herod par-
ticularly extended over that part of Judea which
was called Galilee ; f hence he is styled Tetrarch of
Galilee, and on this account disputes might be sup-
posed to arise, between him and the Roman governor
Pilate, as to the extent of Herod's jurisdiction.

To this Herod the blessed Jesus was now sent.
Pilate availed himself of this expedient, to avoid on
the one hand, condemning a person whom he looked
upon as innocent, and on the other, incurring the
hatred of the Jewish priests and people by releasing
him. He concluded that as Herod was a Jew, he
could best decide the cause, which seemed principally
to relate to the Jewish religion. Pilate wished at the
same time to pay a compliment to Herod ; in hopes,
perhaps, of some mutual accommodation. Such seem

* Matt. xiv. 10. t Luke, jriii. 31, J Luke, iii, l.

to have been his views and designs in this pro-
ceeding. On the other hand, the greatest injustice lay-
concealed under this political prudence. For Pilate
thus delivered up an innocent and righteous person,
whom it was his duty not only to acquit, but to pro-
tect against the rage and malice of his enemies. He

O C3

sent the blessed Jesus to a judge, who, it was well
known had before sought his life, and who had ren-
dered himself odious to all good men, by the scandalous
and unjust execution of John the Baptist. * On this
account, the accusers of the Lord Jesus desired nothing
more, than to be referred to Herod ; being persuaded,
that it would be no difficult matter to obtain his order
for putting Jesus to death. We may deduce the fol-
lowing truths.

First, The enemies of true piety deal with the
members of Christ, as they formerly did with the Head.
As our blessed Saviour's enemies were continually re-
peating their former accusations dressed in a new garb,
so it is still the way of persecutors and opposers of
the truth to renew old calumnies which have long
since been refuted by the most convincing apologies,
and to send them forth into the world under a new
form. As the accusers of Christ charged him before
the governor with moving seditions and tumults, so
at present, designing men infuse into those in power
a bad opinion of the good and virtuous. They re-
present them as wanting in due respect to the sovereign,
speaking evil of dignities, and endeavouring to in-
troduce a new system of religion. And as the enemies
of our Saviour mingled some truths with their false
accusations, (as, for instance, that Jesus began to teach

*See Josephus's Antiquities, Book 18, c. 7.

300

in Galilee,) but perverted those truths to a bad pur-
pose ; so likewise many things are erroneously laid
to the charge of the faithful servants of God, as per-
nicious consequences arising from the opinions which
they really profess ; consequences which they wholly
disavow ; and conclusions which never entered into
their thoughts. By this conformity between the
ancient and modern opposers of truth, wre see that the
scene continues much the same to this day, though
the persons who act in it arc changed.

Secondly, God conducted these incidents so as to
accomplish his decrees. For by the sending of Jesus
to Herod was fulfilled that prophecy concerning the
Messiah, " The kings of the earth set themselves, and
the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and
against the Messiah, or his anointed." * And by this
circumstance, Christ's innocence became still more
conspicuous.

II.

We now come to consider the sufferings and in-
dignities which Jesus endured before Herod. Our
blessed Lord had already suffered much. He had been
led about the city in bonds, reviled and insulted, and
had been brought in that manner from Pilate to Herod.
His sufferings before Herod consisted in the following
particulars.

1. In the disadvantageous opinion which Herod
conceived of him. This profligate prince looked on
our Saviour as a sorcerer, who performed surprising
wonders by his skill in magic. He was exceeding
glad when he was informed, that the famous magician,

* Psalms, ii. 2. ; Acts, iv. 27.

301

of whom he had already heard such strange things,
was to be brought before him. He expected to be
entertained with the sight of some wonderful per-
formances. To hear the pure doctrine of the blessed
Jesus, and to be instructed by him how to live in
temperance, righteousness, and holiness, was no part
of Herod's desire : his impatience to see Jesus arose
from a persuasion, that our Lord would readily ex-
hibit some surprising specimens of his art before a
person of his high rank, in order to gain his favour, as a
means for his deliverance. That such mistaken and
unworthy ideas should be entertained of our Saviour's
character, is to be reckoned a part of his sufferings.
How deep was the abasement of the Son of the Most
High ! As afterwards he was crucified between two
thieves, and was numbered among the transgressors,
so here he suffers himself to be reckoned among
sorcerers and magicians, that he might open a way
to grace and repentance for the most deluded engines
of Satan.

2. The sufferings of Christ before Herod further
consisted in many unnecessary, curious, and con-
temptuous questions, which were put to him. We
are told by St. Luke, that Herod " questioned him
in many words :" the purport of which questions, the
evangelist has not specified, but they may be pre-
sumed to have been suitable to his expectations of
seeing Jesus perform some magical wonders. How
sensibly must our blessed Lord have been grieved by
so many vain, idle, or sarcastical questions ; at a time
when he was taken up with the most important
thoughts, of reconciling heaven and earth, and, by
the shedding of his precious Wood, of establishing

302

everlasting peace between God and man ! He there-
fore neither returned any answer to Herod's questions,
nor gratified his culpable curiosity by any signs or
wonders. He would not cast pearls before swine, nor
use his divine power of working miracles to entertain
the eyes of a contemptuous scoffer.

3. Our Saviour's sufferings consisted also in the
violent accusations of his adversaries. It is said by
the evangelist, " the chief priests and scribes stood,
and vehemently accused him." They bent the bow
of malice to its utmost stretch, and consulted to set
forth their accusations in the most probable, as well
as the most virulent manner.

Lastly, The sufferings of Christ before Herod
consisted in many barbarous insults and mockeries.
" Herod and his men of war," as the evangelist in-
forms us, " set him at nought and mocked him ; and
having arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, sent him again
to Pilate." Herod resented our blessed Lord's silence ;
looking upon it as a contempt of his dignity, that
he would not return an answer to the many questions
he had asked him ; and therefore was determined
to make Jesus feel the weight of his displeasure, and
mocked and abused him in a barbarous and inhuman
manner. He not only insulted him with contumelious
words, and opprobrious names, but ordered a gorgeous
or white robe * to be put on him, as a mock ensign
of royalty. In this garb he was first presented to
Herod's court as a laughing-stock, and then sent back
through the streets of Jerusalem to Pilate.

A white garment, indeed, was no reproach to the
blessed Jesus. He was the pure, unspotted Lamb

. vestcm spkndidam,

303

of God, who was clear from all guilt ; which Herod
undesignedly acknowledged by this mockery. He
was the Prince of Peace, the antitype of the high-
priest of the Jewish church, who, on the great day of
atonement, went into the Holy of Holies, clothed in
a white vestment. But of these mysteries, Herod was
ignorant : and this white robe was put on Jesus amidst
the laughter and mockery of Herod and his soldiers.

The evangelist adds, that " Pilate and Herod were
the same day made friends together, though before,
they wrere at enmity between themselves." They had
been more particularly inveterate against each other,
since Pilate had caused some of Herod's subjects to
be barbarously massacred at Jerusalem. Christ was
to be the pledge of reconciliation, and the means
of renewing the friendship between these personages.
Thus when Christ and his interest are to be opposed,
the spirit of persecution declares itself indiscriminately
in all ranks and degrees. At the same time an in-
timation may be here given, that through this same
Jesus, the enmity between Jews and Gentiles should
be abolished, (Pilate being a Gentile, and Herod a
Jew,) and the peace, which had been interrupted,
restored.

From Herod's treatment of our blessed Lord, we
may learn,

That the great ones of this world are apt to take
offence at the abasement of Christ, and the simplicity
and plainness of the Christian religion. This con-
sideration should move us to be fervent in our prayers
for all men, and especially for kings and rulers, that
divine grace may preserve them from stumbling at
this corner stone which God hath laid in Sion, and
from taking offence at the simplicity of the gospel.

304

It should also check our desires after high stations,
and teach us to rest contented in humbler circum-
stances, in which we are less liable to take offence at
the reproach of Christ, and the humbling, but salutary
doctrines of his religion.

PRAYER.

Blessed be thy name, O heavenly Father, for giv-
ing up thy beloved Son to mockery, insult, and con-
tempt for our sakes. Grant, O Lord Jesus, that
every one of us may, in the conduct of thine enemies,
see the image of his own depravity, and own with
shame and sorrow, that he has in his heart the latent
seeds of all those corrupt dispositions which appeared
in them; that so we may humble ourselves before
thee, and earnestly seek the forgiveness of our sins,
by the merit of the reproaches and sufferings, the
bonds and indignities, which thou didst endure!
Amen.

305

CHAPTER VIII.

THE UNJUST METHOD TAKEN BY PILATE FOR EFFECTING
OUR LORD'S RELEASE.

" And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priest.?
" and rulers, and the people, said unto them, Ye have
" brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the
" people : and behold, I having examined him before
" you, have found no fault in this man, touching those
" things whereof ye accuse him ; no, nor yet Herod :
" for I sent you to him, and lo ! nothing worthy of death
" is done unto him. 1 will therefore chastise him and
" and release him. Now at the feast of the Passover,
" the goverjior was wont to release unto the people a
" prisoner^ whom they would. Therefore, of necessity
" he must release one unto them at the feast. And there
" was one named Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, who
" lay bound with them that made insurrection with him,
" who had committed murder in the insurrection. "

PILATE had already begun to deviate from the
course of justice, by sending to Herod the Lord Jesus,
of whose innocence lie was perfectly convinced, with
a view of extricating himself out of his embarrassment.
But divine Providence disappointed this contrivance ;
for Herod sent Jesus back to him ; and Pilate had
now to try a new expedient. He began: by making
another public declaration of our Saviour's innocence.
To this end, he not only summoned the chief priests
and elders, but likewise the people who stood before
his judgment-hall. It is probable, that by thus so-
lemnly declaring Christ's innocence, Pilate supposed
he should at least work on the populace, so that they

306

would insist on his release. Let us listen to this
public testimony of our Redeemer's innocence. We
may observe in it these particulars.

1. Pilate summarily repeats the charge, which the
chief priests and elders had preferred against Jesus.
" You have brought this man to me as one that per-
verteth the people."

2. He expressly asserts, that Christ was innocent :
" I find no fault in this man, touching those things
whereof ye accuse him."

3. He confirms his assertion by appealing to his
own examination of Jesus : " Behold, I have examined
him before you," i. e. 'I have qviestioned him, in-
quired into his case, compared his confession with
your charge, and the depositions of your witnesses,
and done every thing which could be expected from
an impartial judge. And as by the Roman law the
opposite parties are to be confronted, * I have acted
agreeably to this, and have examined him before you.
Would you but speak the truth, you must own, that
you cannot prove the man guilty of those crimes of
which you accuse him.'

4. He appeals to Herod's judgment, adding, " No
nor yet Herod." ' Herod ( has not found him guilty
of any crime :' " for I sent you to him, and lo, nothing-
worthy of death is done unto him." ' I did not ac-
quaint him with my opinion of the man's innocence ;
but left the whole to him. You yourselves were
there, and doubtless did not fail to urge your ac-
cusation. But he has been found guilty of nothing
worthy of death. You cannot but acquiesce in the
judgment of Herod, who is of your own religion,

* Acts, xxv. 16.

307

and sovereign of Galilee, where you pretend this man
has been most busy in sowing sedition. If this were
true, Herod, as the ruler of his country, must have
had the best information.' Such was Pilate's testimony
of our blessed Saviour's innocence; from which we
shall deduce the following truths.

1. As the innocence of Jesus Christ was to be im-
puted to Jews and Gentiles at the divine tribunal, so
it was here made manifest at the tribunals of both.

The perfect innocence of our blessed Saviour was
the means of reconciling guilty man to God. Now,
as the whole human race, until tlie incarnation of
Christ, had been divided into Jews and Gentiles, the
testimony of his innocence was to be corroborated by
the unanimous consent of both. Pilate was a Gentile,
Herod a Jew. Both, though they differed v* idely in
their religion and politics, though they were at open
enmity with each other, yet agreed in this, that Jesus
had done nothing wrorthv of death. Indeed, the In-

c? •/

nocence of Christ was infinitely beyond what his
judges could possibly conceive. He \vas not only
free from any crimes punishable with death, but there
was not the least shadow of guilt in him. For, as
St. Paul observes, "Such a High-Priest became us,
who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens." * It was suf-
ficient, according to human laws, that he was acquitted
of the charge brought against him. But notwith-
standing, he was afterwards sentenced to die. The
cause of his death lay not in himself, but in us. O
that we may be truly sensible, that our transgressions

* Heb. vii. 26.

308

were the Cause : that we laid the foundation of the
sentence, which God pronounced against his Son.

2, Charity requires that we should clear our neigh-
bour when he is slandered, and bear witness to his inno-
cence. As Christians we are bound to love our neigh-
bour as ourselves ; and as we are sufficiently ready to
justify our own innocence, when aspersed by calumnies,
and malicious reports, it is equally our duty to be
concerned for the character of our neighbour, and,
as much as in us lies, to protect it from injury. In
the instance before us, Pilate publicly clears our
blessed Saviours character before all the people, and
contradicts the rulers of the Jewish nation, who
charged him with being a malefactor. This heathen
governor therefore, will rise up in judgment against
many Christians, who have behaved very differently
towards the members of Christ. Many, though con-
vinced of the innocence of those servants of Christ,
whom the world asperses, yet will not venture to
speak a single word in their defence, from a pusil-
lanimous fear of being suspected of connexion with
them. Others, still more culpable, are so far from
taking the part of innocence, that they join in loading
it with calumnies.

Pilate, having publicly borne witness to the in-
nocence of the blessed Jesus, makes use of two un-
warrantable expedients, in order to procure his release.
Had he acted agreeably to the conviction of his con-
science, he would have discharged our Lord, notwith-
standing the accusations of the chief priests; and
would have resolutely protected him against their
rage. But abject fear, and worldly policy, induced
him to attempt his point by craft, that he might
not make the chief priests his enemies by an open

309

affront. For this purpose he makes two proposal
to them.

The first proposal was to chastise Jesus, and let him
go. The rules of justice required, that he should dis-
charge the innocent ; but to offer to scourge him, was
great injustice. If Jesus were guilty, why release
him ? if innocent, why scourge him ? But Pilate
would satisfy his conscience, and yet humour the
inveterate hatred of the Jews against Jesus, as well
as support the reputation of his accusers : he therefore
proposed to scourge him, that it might not be thought
he was found entirely innocent. This he concluded
to be the best expedient, for paying some regard to
justice, and yet saving the credit of the chief priests
and elders; who might justify themselves to the
people, by representing that Jesus had been found
guilty, though Pilate out of clemency was pleased
to spare his life. — Besides, he hoped, that the chief
priests would the rather be contented with "this pro-
ceeding, since by scourging, which was an ignominious
punishment inflicted only on slaves, Jesus would be
rendered contemptible, would lose his credit with the
people, and be deserted by his adherents. But God
directed this circumstance contrary to the intention of
Pilate, that the innocence of the blessed Jesus might
appear with the greater lustre.

In Pilate's second proposal, he unwarrantably put
the Lord Jesus on the same footing with Barabbas,
a notorious malefactor; and offered the people the
privilege of choosing which of the two they would
have released. This scheme was the more likely to
succeed, as it put it in the "power of the people
to release Jesus. Many of them had received ex-

310

traordinary benefits from him, and they were in
general more favourably disposed towards him than the
chief priests and elders. This subtil politician knew
that the chief priests had delivered him out of envy ;
and he therefore concluded that with them nothing
was to be done ; since it was their object to destroy
Jesus, whose doctrines had exposed their vices and
hypocrisy.

His proposal was in conformity with an established
custom. " At the feast of the Passover, the governor
was wont to release unto the people a prisoner whom
they would. Therefore, of necessity he must release
one unto them at the feast." It is somewhat dubious,
whether this custom wras introduced by the Jews, or
by the Romans. From the passage in St. John,
" Ye have a custom that I should release one unto
you at the Passover," some conjecture, that it was of
Jewish origin, in memory of their deliverance out
of Egypt, of which the feast of the Passover was a
commemoration ; and that the Romans, after subduing
Judea, had indulged the Jews in the continuance of
this custom. Others are of opinion, that this custom
was introduced by the Romans, as a favour to the
Jews, who resorted to Jerusalem from all parts of
the world at the Passover, that they might meet in
good temper, and be less liable to revolt against the
Roman government. As the custom had been
established, the Jews were tenacious of it ; and there-
fore Pilate, to prevent any disturbance, must release
to them a prisoner.

The criminal, whom Pilate put in competition with
Jesus, deserves our notice; he is thus described:
«' And there was at that time one named Barabbas, a
notorious prisoner, who lay bound with them that
had made insurrection with him ; who had committed

Sll

murder in the insurrection." Two of his crimes are
here specified, namely sedition and murder, both
which rendered him utterly unworthy of any favour
or intercession. Pilate had also at that time other
prisoners, (since two other malefactors were crucified
with Jesus,) but he selected this notorious offender,
flattering himself that the people would never sue
for the discharge of such a wretch ; since a man-
slayer, according to their law, was to die without
mercy. The chief priests and elders, Pilate did not
imagine, would so far disgrace themselves, as to in-
tercede for a rebel and a murderer. — From what has
been here said, we may deduce these truths.

First, Christ, by this circumstance of his passion,
was to expiate the sin of those who act contrary to
their convictions, either to gratify tlieir own passions,
or to please others.

Secondly, It is dangerous to commit the least act
of injustice. Pilate was ready to scourge an innocent
man, though he was unwilling to put him to death.
Afterwards, for want of the firmness becoming his
office, he was led to commit the greater act of in-
justice, which he was for preventing by doing the
smaller. To contend for the commission of a small
sin, in order to prevent a greater, is false and dan-
gerous reasoning. A Christian will choose to lay
down his life rather than offend his Saviour by the
deliberate commission of any sin. The Lord give us
this resolution, and so establish and strengthen it, that
the gates of hell may never prevail against us.

PRAYER.

O faithful and ever-living Saviour, praised be thy
name for condescending to permit thy sacred person

to be rejected by the Jewish nation, and a murderer
to be preferred before thee. May we with grateful
hearts acknowledge the benefits thus derived to us ;
and may we be constrained by this instance of -thy
Jove, willingly to renounce the evil customs of the
world, and all those sins which brought thee to such
an abyss of suffering. Grant this for the sake of those
sufferings which thou didst endure for us. Amen.

CHAPTER IX.

THE MURDERER BARABBAS PREFERRED TO THE LORD JESUS.

" And when they were gathered together, Pilate saith unfp
" them, Ye have a custom, that I should release unto you
" one at the Passover. Then the multitude crying aloud.,
t" began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto
" them. But Pilate answered them saying, Whom will
" ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who
" is called Christ ? Will ye that I release unto you the
" king of the Jews ? For he knew that the chief priests
" had delivered him for envy. And when he was set
" down on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him,
"saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man;
"for I have suffered many things this day in a dream
" because of him. But the ch/ief priests and elders per-
" suaded and moved the multitude, that they should ask
" Barabbas and destroy Jesus. Then cried they all at
" once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto
" us Barabbas ! Now Barabbas was a robber."

IN the last chapter we observed, how Pilate had
recourse to various expedients for promoting the re?

lease of our Lord ; how lie put it to the people's choice,
whether they would have Jesus released, or Barabbas,
a notorious rebel and murderer ; hoping that the mul-
titude would prefer our blessed Saviour to that
atrocious criminal. But the event was contrary to
Pilate's expection, as will appear from that part of
the history of our Saviour's passion now to be con-
sidered.

1. We have a proposal on the part of Pilate. The
Jews being gathered together, Pilate said unto them,
" Ye have a custom that I should release unto you
one at the Passover." Pilate was no stranger to the
zealous adherence of the Jews to the customs trans-
mitted to them from their ancestors.

2. Hereupon followed what St. Mark relates of
the people ; according to some copies in these words :
" And the multitude went up :" i. e. they drew nearer
to Pilate's house. In other copies of the Greek text,
the words are, " The multitude cried aloud" * — and
" began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto
them." The minds of the people seem to have been
hitherto so much occupied with the proceedings
against Jesus of Nazareth, that they never thought
of their customary privilege ; nor had they claimed
it of the governor. But when they were reminded
of it by Pilate himself, their desire that this ancient
custom should be observed, appeared with great force,
and broke out into tumultuous outcries, demanding
that their customs and privileges might not suffer any
prejudice.

We come, in the next place, to consider the conduct

* It is thus rendered in our translation, according to the printed
Crreek text, and most of the manuscript copies.

314

of Pilate. He put this question to the people. " Whom
will ye that I release unto you ? Barabbas, or Jesus,
who is called Christ ? Will ye that I release unto you
the king of the Jews ?" Never were two persons of
characters so different, placed on the same footing,
'one, the eternal Son of God, a pattern of innocence
and holiness, and the other a robber and murderer.

This scheme of Pilate's seems well concerted. Tie
confines their choice to two persons ; Jesus, whom
lie knew to be innocent, and who, by healing the
sick and raising the dead, had endeared himself to
the people ; and an infamous malefactor, who had
committed murder, shed innocent blood, and had been
taken in the very act of rebellion. By this con-
trivance he also in some measure took the affair out
of the hands of the chief priests, who had delivered
Jesus for envy, and he placed it in the power of the
people, among whom he knew that our Lord had not
a few disciples and adherents,

In his address to the people he gave our Saviour
such names or titles, as might recommend him to
their favour. His words are, " Jesus," of whom it is
said he is, or who is called, " Christ," i. e. the Messiah
whom ye have so long expected. He likewise entitles
him, " the king of the Jews," reminding them how
a few days before, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, they
had with shouts and acclamations proclaimed him king
of Israel.

By putting a rebel in competition with Christ,
Pilate was in hopes that the chief priests ^\ould be
deterred from interfering for Barabbas, who had been
taken in the act of sedition : since by declaring for
him, and advising the people to procure his release,
they must incur a suspicion of favouring his seditious

315

designs. — Still however in these schemes of Pilate,
there was a great mixture of injustice. For he thus
exposed and hazarded the life of a person of whose
innocence he was convinced ; and delivered him up
to the caprice of the populace. " He knew that the
chief priests had delivered him for envy." Ought he
not to have considered the great influence which they
possessed over the people ?

Pilate by this action, precluded himself from urging
with effect any thing in favour of Christ's innocence,
after having born a public testimony to it. When
the Jews had once desired Barabbas to be released
to them, Jesus stood actxially condemned, and rejected
by the majority of the people. Hence We see the
danger of consulting the opinions of men in dubious
cases, without regard to the divine will. Pilate asks
the people, Will ye that I release unto you Barabbas,
or Jesus? Whereas he ought to have acted accordino-
to the laws, and the dictates of his own conscience :
both which would have informed him that the in-
nocent ought to be released. — By these circumstances
of his passion, our Lord has expiated that pusil-
lanimity which from a desire of worldly favour, gives
up the cause of Christ and his members to the will
of a licentious populace, from whom no justice is to
be expected. Thus too he has atoned for the sin of
acting contrary to conviction ; and of conforming to
popular opinion, and the corrupt taste of the times,
rather than to the dictates of conscience. As these
sins contributed to aggravate the sufferings of Jesus,
they should excite our detestation.

We are further to observe an intimation from heaven
to Pilate. St. Matthew relates it thus : " When he
was set down on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto

S16

Mm, saying, " Have thou nothing to do with that
just man ; for I have suffered many things this day
in a dream because of him." Thus Pilate received
an admonition from a quarter in which he could not
suspect prejudice or partiality. This dream appears
to be a divine intimation to him, when he \vas on
the point of committing the most flagrant act of
injustice.— We may observe, that the intimations
given in dreams, are neither to be totally disregarded,
nor absolutely credited. It b'ehoves us on the one
hand, not to be hasty and credulous, or to be open
to every representation of fancy ; nor, on the other,
wholly to reject impressions which may convey some
secret intimation from providence.

Lastly, We are to consider the effect of this proposal
of Pilate on the chief priests and people.

The chief priests and elders urged the people to
require that Barabbas should be released, and Jesus
be put to death. On the common people, who had
hitherto been better affected to Christ than the chief
priests and scribes, their misrepresentations produced
the intended effect, so that the whole multitude cried
aloud, " Away with this man, and release unto us
Barabbas." What a spectacle was this, that the prince
of life should be rejected, and a murderer released !
How wonderful was the wise appointment of God,
that the Son of his love should become the object of
universal hatred, that he might regain for us that love
which we had unhappily forfeited ! We shall conclude
with the following observations.

1. During the persecutions of Christ and his mem-
bers, the sentiments and inclinations of mankind are
discovered. By this competition between Christ and

sit

Barabbas, were laid open the latent corruptions of
the human heart. The chief priests had accused Jesus
of stirring up the people ; but it is here said of them,
that they " moved the people." Their misrepresen-
tations were the winds which stirred up the sea of
popular rage. This is still the way cf artful men.
They cry out against sedition, but are the first to
raise disturbances, if they can thus compass any
sinister end. By the instance before us, we may
likewise see what an unsteady reed is popular ap-
plause, and how easily shaken ; how little the acclama-
tions and applauses of mankind are to be relied on ;
how uncertain their approbation, how precarious their
favour, how variable their inclinations, how short-lived
their gratitude. Hence also we learn what the world
in general is, which could prefer a flagitious murderer
to the prince of life.

2. Jesus Christ is still rejected among Christians.
Though our ears do not hear those dreadful words,
" Away with Jesus," yet many thousands prefer Barab-
bas to him ; for as often as we obey our sinful lusts
instead of the commands of our Saviour, and fulfil
the former, while we postpone the latter, we hold with
Barabbas, and reject Jesus. The cry of all the proud
and ambitious is, ' Away with this Jesus, who would
have us sacrifice our honour to his 1' The cry of the
voluptuous is, ' Away with this Jesus, who would
have us renounce the pleasures of this world, to take
up our cross, and mortify the flesh !' The cry of the
whole multitude of the covetous is, ' Away with
this Jesus, who would have us renounce our mammon,
and devote our substance to his services : we will
follow no such leader.' On every allurement to sin,
Christ and Satan stand in competition : the former

318

admonishes, the latter entices ; Christ enjoins, Satan
forbids. If we give way to the temptation, we side
with Satan, who was a rebel and murderer from the
beginning, and reject the blessed Jesus. Every one
who will not submit to the easy yoke of Christ, and
obey his precepts, rejects him, and makes choice of
Barabbas. Every one who delights in and counte-
nances vice, and suppresses true religion and virtue,
every one who persecutes the godly, and connives at
the impiety of the wicked, (especially when they are
persons of rank, or' protected by men of power) re-
jects Jesus, and prefers Barabbas. If we are guilty
of this dreadful sin, we shall be rejected by Christ
when he comes in the glory of the Father at the
last day.

3. The disciples of Christ are not to expect better
treatment from the world, than their Lord and master
met with. As the whole multitude cried out, "Away
with him ; give us Barabbas ;" so likewise they cried
out against St. Paul : * and the same outcry was Re-
peated afterwards against the primitive Christians;
"Away," said their persecutors, "with these Atheists !"f
because they would not acknowledge the idols of the
heathen to be Gods. How often is the name of the
saints traduced as evil ! But Christ says, " Blessed
are ye when men shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely for my sake !" $ We are not therefore to
take offence when this happens to other faithful
servants of God; nor are we to think it strange,
when we see every thing dark ,and tempestuous around
us, and when the world casts out our names as evil.

* Acts, xxi. $6. t Aift tee, «&€«?. See Polycarp'g Epistle to the

Church of Smyrna. $ Luke, vi. 22.

319

Happy are we when this comes upon us for Christ's
sake ! It is infinitely better to be rejected by the world
in fellowship with Christ, than to enjoy its esteem,
love, and applause for a season, and afterwards to
hear these dreadful words proceed out of the mouth
of our Judge : " Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity." *

PRAYER.

We thank thee, O Lord, for this part of thy
sufferings which we have now considered. Grant
that by these reflections we may be filled with hatred
of sin, and excited to a cordial love of thee. Preserve
us from rejecting thee, and from preferring the service
of Satan to the fellowship of thy sufferings. Give us
by thy spirit, the will and ability constantly to reject
the evil and choose the good, to bear thy reproach,
to take upon us thy cross, and willingly to submit
to be rejected with thee, by the world, that we may
be acknowledged by thee before thy Father and liis
holy angels. Grant this for the sake of thy meritorious
sufferings. Amen.

* Matt. vu. 23.

320

CHA PTER X

HLATE'S FRUITLESS ENDEAVOURS TO RELEASE THE LORD

JESUS.

"Pilate, therefore, willing to release Jesus, saith again
" unto them, What will ye then that I should do with
" Jesus, who is called Christ; whom ye call the king
" of the Jews ? And they all cried out, Crucify him !
" Crucify him! And he said unto them again the third
" time* Why, what evil hath he done ? I have found
" no cause of [death in him : I will therefore chastise him,
" and let him go. But they cried out the more exceed-
" ingly, Let him be crucified! And they were instant
" with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified:
" and the voices of them, and of the chief priests pre-
" vailed. And so Pilate, willing to content the people,
" gave sentence that it should be as they required. And
" he released unto them him that for sedition and murder
" had been cast into prison, whom they had desired ; but
*' he delivered Jesus unto their will"

PILATE'S intention is intimated by St. Luke in these
words : " Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus."
It would have been more agreeable to Pilate, if the
people by their own choice had declared for Jesus.
But when contrary to his expectations, the repeated
cry of the multitude was, " Away with this man,
and release unto us Barabbas," he still, for a time,
adhered to his first purpose of endeavouring to procure
our Lord's discharge. Had he been truly in earnest
in his designs, he would have proceeded according
to law, and made use of his judicial power. For

321

.., ^T fa

he afterwards boasts of his authority, when he says
to Jesus, " Knowest thou not that I have power to
crucify thee, and have power to release thec." But
Pilate was wavering and irresolute. He was unwilling
to condemn an innocent person ; but at the same time
wished to be on good terms with his accusers, that
he might not incur their resentment. He obstructed
the execution' of his own purpose, by transferring his
power into the hands of the people ; and betrayed the
cause of innocence and justice, by leaving it to the
option of a tumultuous mob, whether they would have
the innocent Jesus released, or the rebel and mur-
derer Barabbas. Wishing to release Jesus, he said to
the people, " What will ye that I shall do with Jesus
who is called Christ, and whom ye call the king of
the Jews ?" He seems not unwilling to permit them
to release two, instead of one at the Passover, if they
would but give him the least intimation of their
assent. He might imagine that the Jews, who were
so tenacious of their privileges, would have eagerly
embraced this opportunity of enlarging them, by in-
terseding for the discharge of Jesus of Nazareth. He
also mentioned Jesus by such titles as might in-
fluence the people in his favour. He styles him
« Christ," and " king of the Jews." As if he had said,
; The other day, at his entry into Jerusalem, you pub-
licly proclaimed him to be a king. Consider therefore,
that it will little redound to your honour to suffer him
to be crucified as a slave.' But it appeared by the
event, what little effect his representation had on an
inflamed, outrageous multitude: the people imme-
diately cried out with one voice, " Crucify him !
Crucify him !"

Hereupon Pilate again bears witness to tke innocence

of Jesus ; " What evil hath he done ? 1 have found
no cause of death in him." As if he had said, « It
is not a sufficient reason for me to order Jesus to
be crucified, that you cry out crucify him ! Ho must
have been found guilty of some crime, deserving of
such a painful and infamous death. Now I have
not found any such crime in him ; and you yourselves
have not been able to prove him guilty. If you
have any thing to urge, speak out ; I am ready to
enter on a fresh examination. What evil hath he
done ? All which has hitherto been alleged against him,
does not amount to a capital crime.' Pilate then pro-
poses an expedient by way of compromise. " I will
therefore chastise him, and let him go." How unjust
this proceeding was, has been already shown.

We find, however, in the behaviour of Pilate, some
things to commend. In his repeated remonstrances to
the people, to preserve the life of the innocent Jesus,
he is a pattern to us, who should stand up in behalf
of God's injured honour, and the welfare of our
neighbour. We should spare no pains, avoid no
labour, but risk all the storms which malice can
raise against us, when engaged in so good a cause.
Pilate's question, " What evil hath he done ?'; is
commendable and worthy of imitation. If this question
were put on proper occasions, many persons wrongfully
defamed would be vindicated ; the mouth of malice
would be stopped, infamous calumnies discouraged,
and many scandalous falsities against good men would
no longer be propagated. But though Pilate on
this occasion did something which may put to shame
many who call themselves Christians, yet we must
admit, that he only opposed the rage of the multitude
in words, without making use of the authority, which

323

God had put into his hands for delivering the innocent
victim of popular rage. From the behaviour of PUate
therefore we may learn the following truths.

1. God has imprinted on the conscience of man,
such an abhorrence of injustice, that the mind often
makes a long resistance before it consents to violate
that principle. Corrupt as our nature is by the fall,
natural conscience holds out for a time, before it
suffers itself entirely to be overcome. But by habit
the conscience becomes inured to sin, and the ab-
horjence of evil gradually wears off. By opposing
this divine principle, we act in opposition to God him-
self, and incur the dreadful judgment of an obdurate
insensibility.

2. The greater opposition a man has met with in
committing any sin, the greater is the guilt he incurs
in the commission. The chief priests had many dif-
ficulties to contend with, before they compassed their
design. Pilate, for a long time, opposed them : an$
it must have cost them no small pains, before they
oould bring over the people to a compliance. Ac-
cordingly, St. Peter says to the Jews, " Ye denied
Jesus in tjie presence of Pilate, when he was deter-
mined to let him go. Ye denied the Holy One, and
the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted to you."*
St. Luke enumerates the impediments which God threw
in tlie way of the Jews to divert them from this horrid
injustice. " And Pilate said a third time, why, what
evil hath he dpne." Thus all the obstructions, which
were placed in a signer's way, to prevent the per-
petration of a$y crime, $re .registered in God's book
<•>£ femenibra-ncie, and there charged to his account-

* Acts. iii. IS, 14.

324

God often attests sinners in their progress, (as formerly
the angel of the Lord met Balaam, with a flaming
sword,) with dreadful threatenings and agonies of
mind. He not only gives them warnings of con-
science, but throws in their way many obstacles to the
accomplishment of their purposes, winch they cannot
overcome without great struggles. When a man,
notwithstanding all these obstacles, breaks through the
bounds by which God would have restrained him, and
b'ke a headstrong horse, throws off the reins, it is a
guilt of the deepest die. It behoves every one of us
to examine himself, v/uetlier he has thus sinned against
God, and the gracious warnings of his spirit.

Secondly, We come to consider the manner in
which the Jews prevailed over Pilate : and this was
by a tumultuous outcry of the multitude assembled
around his house. Not being able to produce a
single fault of which they can accuse our blessed
Lord, with any appearance of truth, they have
nothing to urge, but a repetition of their senseless
clamour ; Crucify him ! crucify him ! Pilate's proposal
of chastising Jesus and letting him go, they take no
notice of; but insist on his crucifixion. Whatever
unsteadiness Pilate might show on this occasion, the
Jews immoveably persisted in their purpose. The
outcry grew so loud, that the evangelist can scarcely
find words to express the impetuosity of it. «« They
were instant with loud voices." As the judge, in-
stead of the firmness becoming his office, began to
waver and give way to their clamours, they became
more bold and urgent in their demands ; and since
they had no proofs to adduce of our Saviour's guilt,
they made up that deficiency by the vehemence of

their voices. It is added, " requiring that he might
he crucified." They n«w no longer made use of a
submissive request, but assumed to themselves the
authority of dictating to the governor, and peremptorily
insisted on his compliance. " And the voices of them
and of the chief priests prevailed." Hence it appears,
that the hoary chiefs of the Jewish people were not
ashamed to join in one tumultuous cry with the rude
populace. The voices of the people and of the chief
priests combined, prevailed over Pilate's irresolution
and timidity. Here was fulfilled the prophecy in the
Psalms, where the Messiah complains of this out-
rageous multitude, " they gaped upon me with their
mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion." * Thus
we see that sin is of such a nature, that the more
it is indulged, the more violently it rages. The
more Pilate represented to the Jews the innocence
of Jesus, the more vehemently did they cry, Crucify
him ! — How should it humble every one of us to
think, that by nature he has within him the hidden
seeds of this hatred of goodness. If he lias not been
carried to the same excess, it is owing not to his
own caution and prudence only, but to the grace
of God, which has hitherto kept him from such oc-
sions of sin.

Pilate at length, after an ineffectual resistance,
yields to the will of the people. He pronounced sen-
tence that Jesus should be crucified, and discharged
Barabbas. — The condemnation of the Lord Jesus, and
tiie releasing of Barabbas, may serve to illustrate our
freedom and release by the condemnation of Christ.
Barabbas represents the first Adam and his sinful

* Psalms, xxiL 13.

326

progeny. As this Barabbas was a rebel, so likewise
was Adam; and in him all mankind were guilty of
rebellion against God. As Barabbas was a murderer,
so Adam, as it were, murdered All his posterity, by
subjecting them to the sentence of temporal and
eternal death. As Barabbas • had hitherto lain in
bonds arid chains ; so the whole human race naturally
lies captive Under the power of Satan, and bound
with the chains of sin. Moreover on Adam and his
posterity the sentence wa,« denounced, and was to
have been executed, " on the day thou eatest thereof,
tho'i shalt surely die," — not only a temporal, but an
eternal death. But as Barabbas is here exchanged
for Jesus ; as the former is set at liberty, and the
latter crucified; so is the first Adam with all his
descendants exchanged for the second Adam who
stood in his stead. He is sentenced to death, and
fliey are discharged. This is the incomprehensible
inystery of divine love, in which justice and mercy
have kissed each other, and joined in harmony.
Justice is satisfied ; since the sentence which it had
pronounced is executed, yet not on the sinner, but
oh the Surety. Mercy receives the sinner into favour,
ind sets him at liberty ; si'rtce the Surety has per-
mitted the sentence of death to be executed on him-
self. O miracle of love, which it becomes us humbly
to admire, and gratefully to adore ! How can we suf-
ficiently praise our merciful Saviour for thus standing
as a victim in our stead, and submitting to be sentenced
to death amidst the outcries of an outrageous mul-
titude ! — But let Us be careful that we do not repeat
the crime of the impious Jews. We have within us
a Barabbas ; " the old man," who is a rebel against
the divine majesty, and a transgressor of his commands,

327

and therefore deserves to be crucified. Far be it from
us, that by suffering him to live, we should crucify the
Son of God afresh. Far be it from us, to fulfil the
lusts of the flesh, and to suppress the motions of the
spirit. May the Lord of all mercy ever preserve us
from treading in these footsteps of Pilate and the
Jews ! Amen.

PRAYER.

O faithful and ever-living Saviour ! blessed be tky
holy name for standing as a victim in our stead, and
submitting to be condemned to die, that we might
be acquitted. We adore thy stupendous love, and
beseech thee, to make us partakers of all the salutary
fruits of it. May it unite us the more cordially to
love thee, and to order our lives according to thy good
pleasure. May we, by godly sorrow and repentance,
mortify the old man, as already condemned with thee ;
that he may never recover his dominion, but that thy
Holy Spirit may live and dwell in us : and thus mayest
thou take pleasure in us as thy redeemed, and
receive us into the mansions pf glory.

CHAPTER Xi.

TFE INDI«MTIES WHICH THE LORD JESUS SUFFERED IN
PILATE'S JUDGMENT- HALL.

Then Pilale therefore took Jesus and scourged him.
" the soldiers of the governor led Jesus or way info the
" common-hall, and they called together the whole band.
t{ And the;/ stripped him, and clothed him in a pur pi**
" robe. And when th*y had plaited a croicn of f horns,
" they put it about his head, and a reed in his right
"hand; and they mocked him and began to salute him ,
" saying, Hail, Kt7ig of the Jews. Am! they spit upon
" him, and took the reed and smote him upon the head ;
" and bowed the knee, and worshipped him : and they
" smote him with their hands"

HITHKHTO our Saviour since he had been led to
the governor's house, was free from any rude insults.
Pilate had laboured to deliver him out of the hands
of his blood-thirsty enemies. He had given testimony
to his innocence by repeated declarations, and though
he had proposed to chastise Jesus, and let him go,
no violence had as yet been offered to him. But a
more cruel, bloody scene now presents itself, where
the Son of God is left in the hands of savage and

merciless soldiers. Let us attentively consider the
painful and contemptuous indignities offered to the
Lord of glory. Let us see what good effect the con-
sideration may produce in a soul, possessed with real
love and affection for his crucified Saviour.

The painful indignities which our Saviour endured,

329

were, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, and
the rude blows of the soldiers.

The scourging is thus noticed by St. John : " Then
Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him." He
had before said to the Jews, " Take ye him, and
judge him according to your law ;" but as the Jews
had declined this, it is afterwards said, " Then Pilate
took Jesus." Pilate would never have been permitted
thus to act, had it not been for our sins, and the love
which our heavenly Father manifested to the human
race in delivering up his Son for us all. Thanks be
to thee, O heavenly Father, who, for our salvation,
hast sent thy beloved Son, and given him up to be
reviled, insulted, and put to death ! Thanks be to thee,
() Son of the Father, who didst permit thyself to be
led away, when by the least exertion of thy Almighty
Power, thou couldst have easily prevented it. O
tliou most precious gift of heaven, grant, that in hum-
ble faith and pure love, we may lay hold on thee as
our salvation. Grant that all who have received thee
in faith may diligently keep thy commandments, and
walk worthy of thy gospel.

When -Pilate had taken our Saviour, he scourged
him ; i. e. by the hands of the soldiers to whom he
delivered him. The Lord Jesus was beaten, not only
with rods, which were reckoned least ignominious by
the Romans ; but with thongs or cords, a punishment
peculiar to the meanest slaves ; especially those who
were sentenced to be crucified. For this end, the
criminal was not laid on the ground, and stretched out
as among the Jews ; but stood with his hands bound,
and fastened to a post or pillar, so that both the breast
and back were expo'sed. Then the soldiers appointed
to execute this punishment, scourged his naked body

330

with though, to the ends of which pieces of iron-wire*
were sometimes tacked. God had expressly com-
manded the Jews, that they should not give a malefac-
tor more than forty stripes ; but amongst the Romans
the number was not limited, and varied according to
the crimes of the malefactor, and the discretion of the
judge. It is not to be doubted that the soldiers in-
flicted this punishment with the utmost severity, * for
they had no orders to spare the body of the Lord
Jesus. On the contrary, Pilate might possibly direct
that this scourging (which usually preceded crucifixion)
should be unusually severe, that the sight of the lace-
rated body of Jesus might move the Jews to pity the
prisoner, and to desist from opposing his release. This
appears the more probable, as our Saviour was so en-
feebled by this scourging, that afterwards he had not
strength enough to drag his cross to the place of exe-
cution. Thus, O my Saviour, thy own prophecy,
" They shall scourge the Son of Man," f was fulfilled :
thus was accomplished what thou didst foretel by the
mouth of the prophet : " I gave my back to the
smiters."^: O blessed Redeemer, why didst thou thus
expose thy sacred person ? It was I that deserved to
have received these stripes, and to have felt the scourge
of divine wrath to all eternity. But thou, O merciful
Son of the Father, didst stand in the stead of thy
guilty servant, and recejvedst the strokes which were
due to my sins. Praised be thy name for the stripes

* Qua saevitia olim Roman! in flagellationes usi sint, ex loco Euse-
bii colligi protest, Hist. Eccles. Lib. IV. c. 15. Obstupescebant omnes
qui aderant, quum illoe viderent partim flagris ad intimas usque venas
et arterias laniatos, adeo ut corporis membra penitus recondita et
viscera ipsa conspectui pattrent.

t Luke, xviii. 32. J Isaiah, L 6.

331

thou didst receive ; and for the blood, which was shed
by the scourges of the inhuman soldiers ! This thy
heavenly Father hath appointed to be a fountain for
sin and uncleanness. Whenever I am tempted to sin,
let me think on these sufferings till my eyes run down
with tears of repentance ; and enable me daily to crucify
the flesh with its affections and lusts.

The second painful insult offered to the Son of God,
was the crowning him with thorns. The rage and
cruelty of the soldiers were not satisfied by the bloody
furrows which they had plowed on his back. They
do not spare his sacred head, but make a wreath of
thorns, and press it on his head, so that the point*
were forcibly pierced into his temples, and the blood
ran down his face in purple streams.

Here a faithful soul may say, *A fountain is opened
to wash away the pollutions which I have contracted.
It was the decree of my Creator, that, after the fall, the
ground should bring forth thorns and thistles, as a
token of the curse. Here I behold my Saviour crown-
ed with thorns, and as it were, clothed in my curse, to
procure me a blessing. Here I see the ram that was
to be offered in my stead, caught in a thicket. * How
amazing is thy love, O my Saviour ! When a regal
crown was offered to thee, thou didst fly from it ; but
thou didst willingly bow thy head under a crown of
thorns, hereby confirming the testimony which thou
hadst given, that thy kingdom is not of this world.'

The third indignity which our blessed Saviour en-
dured, was the frequent blows on his face and head,
which drove the thorns deeper into his temples.

?is, xxii. 13.

332

O, my Saviour, these insulting blows were to have
fallen on me. It was I that should have suffered
eternally under the bufferings of Satan ; but thou, my
blessed representative, didst take them upon thee. It'
therefore thou shouldest be pleased to afflict my body
with painful sufferings, impart to me a measure of that
patience which thou didst show on this occasion. I
am ashamed of my impatience and want of courage,
\vhen I consider how many martyrs have for thy sake
undergone the acutest pains, and most cruel tortures,
not only with patience, but even with joy and triumph.
Did they patiently suffer such inflictions for thy sake,
O my Saviour, and am I so impatient, that 1 can
scarcely bear an insulting look, or an opprobrious
name? Strengthen me with thy Spirit, and arm me
with courage and constancy, that I may be able, if
called upon, to glorify thee, by trials and sufferings.

We now proceed to consider the contemptuous
indignities which were offered to the Lamb of God.
These were chiefly in derision of his kingly office. As
his prophetical office had been ridiculed in the house
of Caiaphas, by blind-folding him, striking him with
the palms of their hands, and saying to him, "Prophesy
unto us, who is it that smote thee ;" so here in the
house of the civil judge, his regal office is ridiculed,
and his confession of his kingdom before Pilate made
the subject of insulting mirth.

This profane mockery must have affected the blessed
Saviour ! If a pious Christian, who has a due esteem
for the honour of God's word, is pierced to the heart
when he hears divine truths abused by the tongues of
scoffers, how must the soul of the blessed Jesus have
been pained, at hearing these miscreants exercise their
raillery on that sacred decree of his heavenly Father,

333

" I have set my King upon my holy hill of

We may observe two circumstances which aggravated

this mockery of our Lord.

First, It took place in the hall of judgment, the
palace of the imperial governor. It gives a keener
edge to abuse and injustice, when it is offered in a
place where innocence ought to claim protection.

Secondly, The whole band of the Roman soldiers*
which consisted of several hundreds, were assembled,
for it is said, " they called together the whole band."
How great must have been the outrages of a number
of soldiers, instigated by the spirit of malice ! The
Roman soldiers were generally the most abandoned
among the people. Was holy Job grieved that he
should be mocked by those, whom he would have
disdained to have set with the dogs of his flock?*
How must it have affected the blessed Jesus, to be
given up to the outrages of these soldiers ! Yet, for
our sake, the Son of Man was thus delivered into the
hands of sinners.

O my Saviour, thy love to mankind must have been
infinite, which could bring thee to undergo such num-
berless abuses, and horrid outrages for their sakes!
Thanks be to thee, for humbling thyself so low, that
we might be exalted. Praised be thy name, for suf-
rering thyself to be reviled and insulted by the refuse
of mankind, that we might be glorified with thy saints.
Unfeigned thanks be to thee, for suffering thyself to
be brought into the council of the ungodly, that we
might be delivered from their company, and advanced
to the assembly of the firstborn, whose names are
written in heaven. Make us willing to submit for

* Job, xxx. 1.

^ -^ 334

thy sake to abuse and mockery. Arm us with pa-
tience, when the undiscerning world treats us with
scorn and derision for the sake of the gospel. Thou
hast sanctified reproach : grant that we may bear it
with joy, and prefer it to the sinful pleasures and
honours of the world. — Let us enumerate more parti-
cularly the instances of contemptuous treatment of
the Lord Jesus.

1. It has already been remarked, that the soldiers,
(instead of a crown of gold, or a wreath of laurel or
ivy, which conquerors u^ed to wear,) bound his sacred
temples with a crown of thorns ; this was not only,
as already observed, extremely painful, but likewise
implied a most severe mockery.

2. They put on him a purple vest, and a scarlet
robe. Purple was a colour used by emperors and
kings ; and thus the soldiers intended an insult on the
kingly dignity of our Saviour.

3. Instead of a sceptre, they put a reed in his
hand ; to denote, probably, that his kingdom, which
St. Paul justly terms " a kingdom which cannot be
moved,"* was weak and unstable; and that those
who expected any protection from him, leaned on *
broken reed, f

4. After the soldier* had thus dressed him up as «,
mock-king, they bowed the knee before him, pretend-
ing to do him homage. These mockeries were acconv
panied with taunting reflections, levelled at Christ's
kingly dignity. -As the Romans used to say to their
emperors, Hail, Caesar! so these seofi^rs, with ludi-
crous tone and gesture, cried out, " Hail, king t>f the
Jews !"

* Heb. xii. 28. * Isaiah, xxxvi. 6.

383

* I bless thee, O my Saviour,' may a pious Christian
say, 'for suffering thy sacred head to be disgraced
with a crown of thorns, that my head might be
adorned with a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Thanks be to thee, who didst suffer thyself to be
mocked by an ironical salutation and bowing of the
knee ! What they did in mockery, I will do in
reverence. I adore thy glorious majesty, to which
every knee shall bow. I willingly do thee homage,
thou King of kings, and Lord of glory !'

5. Another reproachful abuse, was, that they spit
in his face. The same indignity had already been
offered in Caiaphas's house. How must the benignant
countenance of the Lord Jesus have been disfigured
with streaming blood, cruel bruises, and the spittle
of this insolent multitude !

O my Saviour, did it cost thee so many indignities,
to obtain for me the favour of lifting up my face
before God with confidence and joy ? Hast thou, for
my sake, suffered that glorious face to be spit on,
whose effulgence shone like the sun on the mount of
transfiguration? I adore thy stupendous love, and
condescension ! May that countenance which was once
covered with shameful spitting, present itself to me
at the hour of death ; and do thou then comfort and
animate my soul with the light of thy countenance
How can I sufficiently praise thee for all the proofs
of thy love, patience, and long-suffering, which, for
the atonement of my sins, and as a pattern of pa-
tience, thou didst show under all these painful abuses
and indignities !

336

PRAYER.

Eternal thanks be to thee, O Lamb of God, who
in obedience to thy heavenly Father, and out of un-
speakable love to our souls, didst enter on such a
series of sufferings. Thou didst stand like a Lamb,
that openeth not its mouth. Every one was allowed
to vent his malicious rage against thee ; yet thou didst
patiently endure all, as from the hands of thy Father,
committing thyself to him who judgeth righteously;
and being certain that he would deliver thee from
this hour, would crown thee with praise and honour,
and command every knee to bow at thy sacred name.
Grant, O Lord, that thy sufferings may not occasion
a mere transitory emotion, but may make an in-
delible impression on our hearts. May they be a
lesson to the secure, the licentious, and impenitent,
what sin is, and how severely it has been punished
in thy sacred person. May tliey also be a comfort
to the humble, contrite, and troubled spirit, that it
may in faith lay hold on the merits of thy sufferings,
and become willing to follow thee even through re-
proach and insult ! Amen.

837

CHAPTER XII.

A FARTHER ATTEMPT OP PILATE TO RELEASE CHRIST.

** Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto tht

* Jews, Behold, I bring him, forth unto you, that ye
1 may know that 1 find no fault in him. Then came

* Jesus forth, wearing the crown of ihvrns, and the

* purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the

* man ! When the chief priests therefore and officers

* saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him ! Crucify

* him ! Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify

* him ; for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered
' him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die,
(< because he made himself the Son of God."

IN these words we have an account of a new at-
tempt by Pilate to release the Lord Jesus. He again
gave testimony to the innocence of Jesus ; and he
presented our Lord to the Jews in a very deplorable
condition, in order to move their pity.

1. Pilate repeated his public testimony of our Sa-
viour's innocence. He went out of the hall, taking
the blessed Jesus with him, and addressed the Jews
in these words : " Behold I bring him forth unto you,
that ye may know that I find no fault in him." Pilate
had before given orders that Barabbas should be re-
leased, and had delivered Jesus to be crucified ; being
urged by the vehement demands of the people. He
had caused our Saviour to be scourged by the soldiers,
according to the Roman custom, as a prelude to the

338

execution. But his conscience still struggled against
putting an innocent person to death ; and he wished
to try, whether Jesus might be released, without
undergoing any further punishment. Divine Provi-
dence certainly over-ruled this circumstance, and so
ordered it, that Pilate, after such an abuse of our
Saviour by the hands of his soldiers, should again
make a public declaration of his innocence. By this
means, the sacrifice of the sins of the whole world
is presented by Pilate to the priests of the Jewish
people, in its spotless innocence ; that, before it is slain,
they may take a viev/ of it, and see that it is without
blemish.

But tire heavenly Father never would have per-
mitted his beloved Son to have been thus barbarously
treated, if no trespasses had been imputed to him.
Though the eyes of the Roman judge wrere utterly
incapable of seeing into this mystery ; yet the Holy
Spirit assures us, " That God has made him to be
sin for us, who knew no sin." * Hence Christ is
likewise termed, " the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world." f It was for our sins therefore,
that the Son of the Most High was insulted, buffeted,
and cruelly scourged. Though the civil judge could
find no fault in him ; yet, as our surety, he was held
guilty at the divine tribunal of all the crimes which
the race of mankind had ever committed.

2. Pilate made use of another expedient, which
was to present the blessed Jesus to the Jews in a
very deplorable condition, in order to move their com-
passion. The appearance which our LorcF made is
described in these words : " Then came Jesus forth,

* 2 Cor. v. 21. t John, i. 29.

339

wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe."
The wreath of thorns, which had been pressed on
his head, and the purple robe which had been hung
about him by way of ridicule, were not taken off:
but Jesus was publicly brought forth to the people
with these marks of contempt, and presented to them
as a pretended king, who had been sufficiently mor-
tified and chastised, for his affectation of sovreignty.
Here were, indeed, verified these .words of Isaiah :
" He hath no form nor comeliness ; and when we
shall see him, there is no beauty, that we should
desire |iim." *

Pilate said unto them, «< Behold the man ! .see what
a deplorable condition this unhappy man is in ; even
allowing that he has been guilty of some faults, or
has offended you. We shall here observe,

1. That the Saviour's being exhibited as a spectacle
to the people, ought to be considered as a part of
his meritorious sufferings. The Lord Jesus was now
full of pains and wounds, and outwardly in so dreadful
a condition, that as the Messiah, in the Psalms, he
seems in effect to say, " I am a worm, and no man ;
a reproach of men and despised of the people. All
they that see me laugh me to scorn ; they shoot out
the lip, and shake the head." f But inwardly his soul
was lifted up in prayers and ejaculations to his
heavenly Father, before whom he here presented him-
self covered with blood and stripes, in order to move
his paternal tenderness to a reconciliation with us.
His afflicted soul cried out, ' Behold the man ! the
man who suffers himself to be thus inhumanly treated

* Isaiah, liii. 2. t Psalms, xxii. 7, 8.

Z 2

340

for men; and has taken upon him the punishment
which they deserved, that they may obtain thy pardon.
Father, forgive them the debts which they have con-
tracted, and in acquittance of them, accept of the blood
which streams from my lacerated body. Discharge
at me the arrows of thy displeasure : I most willingly
and from my heart, submit to bear thy chastise-
ments.' Such thoughts as these no doubt employed
our blessed Saviour at this juncture. His heart was
full of filial confidence in his Father, being thoroughly
persuaded that he would deliver him from ignominy
and reproach ; exalt him to honour, and present him
to be adored by the heavenly host. — No sight is so
profitable to the soul, as that of the blessed Jesus,
thus wounded for our iniquities. In the eyes of un-
renewed men, indeed, it is an image of disgust and
horror. They see nothing in it, which can give com-
fort. If the contemplation of it raise in them some
emotions of pity, these vanish without leaving any
impression on the mind. But when a pious Christian,
through the power of a true faith, beholds his mediator,
he, like the diseased Israelites, who looked on the brazen
serpent, is healed by the sight. — Impenitent sinners,
behold the man ! Observe how sin has caused your
Redeemer to be treated ! Here you may see, what
will be your condition, unless you forsake your sins.
If you die in unbelief, you will one day be exposed
to reproach and disgrace, before Christ and his elect
angels. But from this eternal ignominy your Saviour
offers to deliver you. You must truly turn to God,
acknowledge yourselves deserving of his heaviest judg-
irients, and present yourselves before the throne of
grace as criminals, worthy of death. O beware that
you trifle not with this opportunity, until Jesus, who

341

once appeared as 'a worm and no man, shall seat
himself on his throne of judgment; and pronounce
sentence of eternal condemnation on those who have
despised the merits of his blood. Behold, then, with
looks of passionate longing after mercy ; behold the Sa-
viour ! and implore him to deliver you from that ruin
into which you are sunk, and to make you sons of
God, and heirs of glory. — Ye covetous, behold the Sa-
viour, who is debased and poor, in order to make
many rich ; who in his boundless liberality, hath
poured out his precious blood for your salvation. —
Penitent and faithful souls, behold the man ! See how
low his unspeakable love to you brought him. Turn
your eyes from the sins with which your conscience
is oppressed, and direct them to this Lamb of God,
the sacred victim that has borne your sins, and pre-
sented himself to the divine justice, as the great sa-
crifice of atonement. Contemplate his deplorable ap-
pearance, by which he has removed the deformity of
your guilt, when you were an abhorrence in the
sight of God and in your own ; and has made you
acceptable to the Father. Reflect on his ignominious
crown of thorns, by which he has acquired for you
a right to a never-fading crown of glory. Consider
his mean purple robe, by which he has obtained for
you the garment of righteousness. Contemplate his
wounds and stripes, as the remedy for the wounds
of your conscience. Behold his countenance covered
with blood, but beaming forth looks of tender love
to your souls. With all your powers, give yourselves
up to this faithful Saviour ; and as he voluntarily
suffered himself to be exposed to cruelty and rage,
willingly devote yourselves to his service. Do not
hesitate to suffer reproach in following Christ. If the

342

world insult and ridicule you, rejoice that you are
made conformable to the suffering Jesus ; and be
assured, that he will one day present you to the
Father in glory, saying, << Behold, I and the children
whom thou hast given me." *

Let us now consider the effect of Pilate's endeavours
to procure the release of our Lord.

1. They occasioned a tumultuous outcry. For
" when the chief priests arid: officers saw him, they
cried out, saying, Crucify him ! crucify him !" The
people seemed, at first, to have felt some compassion
at the deplorable appearance of the blessed Jesus;
insomuch that they stood in silent astonishment at
the dismal spectacle. But the chief priests were too
malignant and cruel to be susceptible of any com-
passion. In them were verified these words of the
Psalmist, " Many bulls have compassed me ; strong
bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped
upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roar-
ing lion." f Here was accomplished what the Lord
Jesus had, in a parable, before declared to this per-
verse generation, saying, " When the husbandmen
vsaw the Son, they said among themselves, This is the
heir, come let us kill him." t " When the chief priests
saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him !"

Thus the spectacle had quite a different effect on
them from what Pilate had imagined. He hoped
by so deplorable an object, to have moved them to
compassion ; but on the contrary, at the sight of the
blood issuing from our Saviour's wounded body, their
thirst after his blood was the more inflamed. The

* Isaiah, viii. 18.; Heb. ii. 13. t Psalms, xxii. 13.

t Matt. xxi. 38.

343

men of this world are inexorable in their rage against
the faithful servants of Christ, who bear witness to
the truth. When the Asiatic Jews saw St. Paul in
the temple, " they stirred up the people, and laid hands
on him, crying out, men of Israel help ; — and all the
city was moved, and the people came together." *
And when St. Paul made his defence, the whole mul-
titude lift up their voices, and said, " Away with such
a fellow from the earth ! for it is not fit that he should
live. They cried out, and cast off their clothes, and
threw .dust into the air." j- The histories of the
martyrs particularly prove, tliat the Romish clergy
never showed themselves more outrageous than when
.they had Christ suffering before their eyes., in the
persons of his members and faithful witnesses. But
alas ! it little becomes us sinners to rail against the
enemies of Christ. The malignant spirit of Cain,
which naturally dwells in us, cried through the Jewish
people, Crucify him ! What the deluded Jews did is
,daily repeated. AH those, especially, who are not
moved by a suffering Saviour, to renounce the world,
and flee from those sins for which he suffered to make
atonement, do, in effect, cry out, Crucify him ! — O
blessed Jesus ! grant that the consideration of thy
manifold sufferings may have a more salutary effect
on our souls ! May every insult, and every pain which
thou didst endure for our sakes, inspire us with fresh
motives to obedience and gratitude.

2. We have, in the next place, an expostulation of
Pilate. Pilate grew so impatient at this last outcry
of the Jews, that he broke out into these passionate
expressions, " Take ye him and crucify him ; for I

* Acts, xxi. 27, t Acts, xxii. 23.

344

find no fault in him," In this he was so far to be
commended, that he again publicly repeats his tes-
timony of our Lord's innocence. But on the other
hand, he is to be blamed for not exercising his au-
thority to save the life of an innocent person, but on
the contrary, giving them a permission to put him
to death. Pilate had before scourged Jesus ; and now
he is willing to permit others to crucify him. What
did it avail Pilate, that he was convinced of our Sa-
viour's innocence ? To what purpose did he now cry
out the third time, " I find no fault in him ;" since he
acted contrary to his conviction ? Thus, it will be of
no benefit to us to cry out, " O Lamb of God, that
takest away the sins of the world ;" unless we forsake
our sins, come unto him for life and salvation, and
suffer his Spirit to guide us, that we may serve him
in holiness and righteousness all our days. Preserve
us, O Lord, from hypocrisy, that we may not confess
thee with our mouths, and yet crucify thee by our
manifold sins and impieties ; or without concern see
thee reproached and crucified by others. This ex-
hortation of Pilate was followed

3. By the answer^ of the Jews ; ** We have a law,
and by our law he ought to die." Hitherto, the
accusation of the Jews against our blessed Saviour
had turned chiefly on crimes against the civil govern-
ment. They had charged him with forbidding the
people to pay tribute to Caesar, and making himself
a king. But Pilate finding no ground for such a
charge, repeatedly declared htm innocent. The Jews
therefore prefer a complaint of a different nature,
arising out of the law of Moses, and which could not
come under the cognizance of Pilate who was a
heathen. They appeal to their law : " We have a

law, and by that law he ought to die." They had
indeed a law, which condemned blasphemers and false
prophets to be punished with death : * but this charge
was most \vrongfully applied to Christ, who had always
highly honoured his heavenly Father.

How amazing is the reflection, that the great Angel
of the Covenant, who himself gave the law on Mount
Sinai, should here be accused as a transgressor of the
law ! We, alas ! had broken the divine law, and by
that law deserved to die. But, behold, he comes in
our stead, who could say, " Thy law, O God, is
within my heart ;"f and permits the priests and people
to cry out against him, " by our law he ought to die."
He thus suffers himself to be condemned by the law,
that we may be acquitted by the gospel.

Further: our blessed Lord has hereby sanctified
the sufferings of his faithful servants, who have fre-
quently been condemned as heretics, by declarations
out of the word of God wrested from their true mean-
ing.— Christ is daily crucified even among professing
Christians by those who have the scriptures in their
mouths, and appeal to them as the Jews did, to excuse
and palliate their sinful actions.

The Jews represented Jesus as one, who not only
exalted himself above the head of the Roman empire,
but above all created beings, and made himself equal
with God. Consequently they pronounced him guilty
on a double account, namely, by the Roman law, as
a rebel, and by the Jewish law, as a blasphemer.
Yet it was not our blessed Saviour who made him-
self the Son of God, but He who said unto him,
" Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee ;" £

*Levit. xxiv. 15. ; Deut. xviii. 20. t Psalmt, *I. 8.

} Psalms, ii. 7.; Heb. v. 5.

346

and who enjoined all "the kings and judges of the
earth to kiss, or worship, his Son." — We, indeed, had
arrogated an equality with God. Our first parents
in their state of innocence were happy in the favour
and presence of their Creator ; but instead of resting
satisfied with this honour, they would be as Gods. *
By this attempt, they became like their seducer the
devil, and with their posterity, fell under the sentence
of temporal and eternal death. This arrogation of the
divine perfections was here imputed to our Surety ;
on whom the Father laid the iniquity of us all.

PRAYER.

Thanks be to thee, O blessed Jesus, for thine un-
speakable love, which moved thee to debase thyself,
and to permit false accusations to be brought against
thee, by which thou didst obtain for us the privilege
of being acquitted at the divine tribunal. Bless that
part of thy word which we have been considering.
Grant that the contemplation of the mournful spec-
tacle, exhibited to the people after thy painful scourg-
ing, may powerfully move the hearts of all those who,
in their carnal security, are going forward in sin with-
out any dread of the divine wrath, and may impress
on them a deep sense of its accursed nature. Remind
us more particularly of these thy sufferings, at the
awful hour of death, that we may thence derive
comfort and confidence to recommend our souls to
thee, our merciful Saviour, and to die in thy faith.
Grant this for the sake of thy blessed name. Amen.

* Gen. iii. 5.

3-47

CHAPTER XIII.
PILATE'S LAST DISCOURSE WITH THE LORD JESUS.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more

" afraid ; and he went again into the judgment-hall,
and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus
gave him no answer. Then said Pilate unto him,
Speakest thou not unto me ? Knowest thou not, that
/ have power to crucify thee, and have power to release
thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at
all against me, except it tcere given thee from above :

" therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater

" sin"

IN this last inquiry which Pilate addressed to the
Lord Jesus, we may observe,

1. The occasion. " When Pilate therefore heard
that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again
into the judgment-hall." The chief priests being dis-
appointed in their first accusation, had brought a fresk
charge ; that he made himself the Son of God ; and
that consequently, according to their law, he ought
to die. This new charge occasioned uncommon emo-
tions in the mind of the Roman judge. It was the
belief, both of the Romans and Greeks, that the gods
used in a visible shape to come down from heaven,
and converse with men. Thus the heathens at Lystra,
took Paul and Barnabas to be deities, and cried out,
" The gods are come down to us in the likeness of
men."* When Pilate heard that Jesus made hiin-

* Acts, xiv. 11, 12.

348

self the Son of God, he concluded, that if he were the
offspring of the gods, some dreadful vengeance would
fall on himself and his family : for he had already
caused this divine person to be scourged, and had
permitted his soldiers to treat him with indignities
and abuse. His conscience now reproached him, and
excited in him that fear of which the evangelist takes
notice. By the words* " he was more afraid," it ap-
pears, that he had been uneasy during the whole of
the proceedings against Christ. Notwithstanding all
the meanness and ignominy which then surrounded
the Lord Jesus, some majestic rays of glory beamed
forth from him, and made such an impression on
Pilate that he could not but conclude, that the person
who now stood before his tribunal was something
more than human. He probably at the same time
recollected to have heard of the many surprising
miracles which had been wrought by this Jesus.
Something like this has often happened to Pagan
judges, in their persecution of the members of Christ.
They have been struck with awe and consternation
at the undaunted appearance, and noble behaviour
of martyrs and confessors ; and have thus been com-
pelled to bear their testimony to the majesty and ve-
neration, which true religion carries along with it.

2. We observe the question put by Pilate to the
Lord Jesus. Pilate went again into the judgment-
hall, and said unto him, "Whence art thou?" He
does not by these words inquire after his country,
for he knew him to be of Galilee, and had on this
account sent him to Herod. But by this question,
Pilate's design was to inform himself of our Saviour's
lineage and descent, whether he was of divine or
human extraction ; and if the former were true, from

349

what branch or family of the gods he was descended.
We further remark,

3. The silence of our blessed Lord. " But Jesus,"
saith the evangelist, " gave him no answer." It was
a question foreign to the purpose, and did not properly
belong to any court of human judicature ; nor did
it proceed from a sincere love of truth, or a desire
of knowing it ; but from a mixture of curiosity and
fear. Further ; our blessed Lord well knew, that
his eternal generation from the father, was beyond
Pilate's comprehension. He has thus likewise con-
firmed his own prohibition : " Give not that which is
holy to dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before
swine."* Though wisdom be found of those that
seek her, she is not to be allured or acquired by
questions of mere curiosity. On the contrary, she
turns aside from the frivolous, the self-sufficient,
and the licentious. After this silence of the Lord
Jesus, follows

4. A fresh expostulation of Pilate. The silence of
Christ offended him, and he construed it as a con-
tempt of his dignity. Accordingly he says to Jesus,
"Speakest thou not unto me?" Thus he reproves
Christ for not thinking him worthy of an answer ;
and adds, " Knowest thou not that I have power to
crucify thee, and have power to release thee ?" Such
behaviour at this crisis, he intimates, was contrary to
prudence, and that it behoved our Lord to endeavour
to gain Pilate over to his interest. — Pilate vainly boasts
of his power, notwithstanding the servile fear which
prevailed in his heart. He affects an air of haugh-
tiness, the better to conceal his inward perplexity. — As

* Matt. vii. 6.

350

Pilate here encroached upon the prerogative of heaven,
by vainly boasting of a power, which was intrusted to
him by God, Jesus was called upon to vindicate the
honour of his Father, which he did by a short answer.
" Thou .couldest have no power at all against me,
except it were given thee from above : therefore he
that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." In
this answer of our Lord, we may remark the follow-
ing particulars.

1. He admits that Pilate, in quality of a judge,
was invested with authority ; but intimates to him
that he derives it from God; so that consequently,
he ought not to act arbitrarily, but to use his power
according to the laws and will of God.

2. Our Lord acquaints Pilate, that his power in the
ordinary course of things did not properly extend to
Him; for he says, "Thou couldest have no power
over me." The Jews indeed, were under the dominion
of the lioman emperor, and consequently were subject
to Pilate's jurisdiction : but though Christ, according
to the flesh, was a Jew, yet, at the same time, he was
"over all, God blessed for evermore."* In taking
upon himself the form of a servant, he " submitted
himself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's
sake ;" but according to his divine nature, he was
Lord and Creator ; and Pilate was so far from having
any power over him, that he had a full and absolute
power over Pilate ; and of this he gave a remarkable
proof, in the consternation which the presence of his
prisoner occasioned to him.

3. Our Lord informs Pilate from whence his power
was derived. " Thou couldest have no power at^ all

* Rom. ix. 5.

351

against me, unless it were given thee from above,"
i. e. from God. Thus the design of our Saviour is
to refer to the counsel of God, to a higher hand, by
which he was brought to the painful death which
now approached. God, from the foundation of the
world, had determined that his Son should take the
Iranian nature upon him, and die a violent and ac-
cursed death, as an atonement for the sins of the
world. In this transaction, the work of God, and the
proceedings of Pilate are carefully to be distinguished.
God, as the supreme judge, made use of the judicial
power of Pilate in order to execute his sentence on
our Surety. But in the injustice of Pilate, God had
no share ; nor did the Author of all good prompt him
to those unjust proceedings, of which he was guilty
in this trial : on the contrary, they were the work-
ings of his own corrupt heart. — Our Lord however
admits, that the chief priests and scribes, by deliver-
ing him to Pilate, were guilty of the greater sin, and
had the more to answer for. Indeed, they had already
condemned him to die, and only employed the civil
judge as the instrument to put their sentence in
execution. The sin which these men were guilty of
was of a deeper dye than that committed by Pilate,
since they ought to have known from the writings
of the prophets, who Jesus was. Nay, they must
occasionally have felt a conviction that he was of
God ; and that no man could do those miracles which
Jesus did, except God were with him. *

Our Lord does by no means exculpate Pilate, by
making this acknowledgment; on the contrary, his
design is rather to work on his conscience, and con-

* John, iu. 2.

- 352

Vince him of his crime. Pilate knew that Jesus
innocent, and that the chief priests had delivered
him out of envy, yet he acted contrary to this con-
viction. He staked the life of an innocent person
against that of a notorious murderer, caused him to
be inhumanly scourged, and permitted his soldiers
to revile, and insult him. Notwithstanding all this,
Pilate could still presumptuously boast of his power,
and say, " Knowest thou not, that I have power to
crucify thee, and have power to release thee ?" Yet, if
Christ was innocent, Pilate had no legal power to
punish him ; nor if he was guilty, had he any right
to release him. — But the righteous God did not leave
this injustice of Pilate unpunished ; for, shortly after,
on a complaint of the Samaritans against him, he wras
sent prisoner to Rome by Vitellius ; and was deprived
of his post by the Emperor Caligula, and then ba-
nished. At length, according to some historians, he
put an end to his wretched life with his own hands, in
exile. * Thus the divine vengeance pursued this un-
righteous judge, and he was justly punished for the
abuse of his power, in condemning the innocent Son
of God. From this last discourse of Pilate with our
Saviour, we may learn,

1. That servile fear may cause great emotions in
the human heart, but can never work a thorough
change. Pilate was struck with a secret fear by
the rays of the divinity which beamed forth in Jesus
Christ. He was greatly afraid when he found that
it was the Son of God against whom he had
proceeded so far ; and his conscience foreboded him
some calamity, for his having suffered his servants

* Eusebius in Hist. Eccles. Lib. II. c, 7.

853

to use JeSus in a contemptuous and inhuman makineV.
But Pilate was only actuated by a base and servile
fear. He felt no concern for having committed acts
of injustice and cruelty ; but his fear proceeded from
an apprehension, that the gods might punish him for
the indignities he had offered to a divine person. This
fear had not cured the malignity of Pilate's heart; and
we find all his natural pride breaking forth soon after, in
these words : " Speakest thou not unto me ?"

Still, however, Pilate by his compunctions on this
occasion may put thousands of Christians to the blush.
This heathen was afraid, because he had suffered a
son of the gods to be scourged. But who among us is
afraid, when he is informed by an apostle, that by his
sins he crucifies the Son of God afresh ? * A mel'e ser-
vile fear, however, is not sufficient to convert the
heart. On the contrary, experience shows that those,
in whom such a fear may have caused temporary con-
victions, afterwards usually become more bold, licen-
tious, and secure. A sinner accused by his own con-
science, may be afraid of God, as a righteous judge,
and of his temporal and eternal punishments ; and
this fear will compel him to abstain from many out-
ward sins. But in order to produce repentance td
salvation, it must be changed into a filial awe and
reverence, by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ ; and
must be tempered with love, which produces a delight
in that which is good. Let such then, who by the
convictions of conscience are awakened to a servile
fear, reflect that they are yet advanced no farther thai!
Pilate was ; and that if they break off here, and pro-
ceed no farther in the work of conversion, they wiH

f * Heb. vi. 6.

354

be as little benefited by such convictions, as Pilate
was by his conviction of our Saviour's innocence. Let
them come unto God by Christ, the Son of his love,
who will fill their hearts with that perfect love, which
casteth out slavish fear. *

2. There are many in our days, who like Pilate,
start curious questions on the sublime mysteries of
religion, but yet show a contempt of its fundamental
truths. Pilate, as we have observed, had paid no
regard to the confession which Christ had made con-
cerning his kingdom ; but had slighted that important
truth which Christ came into the world to promulgate:
yet now Pilate would penetrate into the dealings of
God, and that mystery of faith, the eternal gene-
ration of the Son from the Father. How many are
there, who in our days pretend to explain the mys-
teries of religion, before they know the first elements
of Christianity, and while they are slaves to their lusts
and passions. Young students in divinity, by the
Conceit which they entertain of their own reason, are
often in danger of presumption. Many vainly dis-
pute about nice points in religion, whilst they are
strangers to repentance, self-denial, taking up the cross,
and carrying it after Christ ; and indeed have no wish
to leam or practise such things. God reveals his secrets,
as far as it concerns them to know, unto babes, and to
the humble ; but not to those proud spirits, who would
unfold every thing by the natural light of reason,
and arrogantly soar above the native simplicity of
God's word.

Blessed Jesus ! preserve us from all presumption and
vain curiosity in spiritual things. Grant that we may

* Jolmiv. 18.

355

know ourselves, and our sinful origin, before we take
upon ourselves presumptuously to explain thy myste-
rious generation, and say, * Whence art thou?' May
we rather, after the example of thine elect angels, as
often as we look into the mysteries of thy sacred per-
son and office, bow our heads in devout reverence.

3. The wisdom of speaking and being silent at
proper seasons, must be learned in the school of
Christ

Here we find remarkable instances of both. This
wisdom no man is naturally possessed of. We often
speak when we should be silent, and are silent when
we should open our mouths. We are ready enough ta
speak whenever our own honour is called in question,
and we then launch out into diffuse apologies : on the
other hand, we have not a word to say, when we
should stand up for God's honour, and vindicate the
character of our neighbour, if wrongfully accused. But
the inordinate desires of the heart are crucified at the
cross of Christ ; so that they no longer extend their
dominion over the tongue, to make it express the
workings of self-love, and self-interest. The grace of
Christ confers an undaunted freedom to open our
mouths and speak boldly, when the honour of God
and the good of our neighbour require it ; even though
we 'foresee that it will draw down on us hatred and
contempt.

Teach us, O blessed Jesus, that wisdom which no
human skill can confer. Keep the door of our lips,
that we may learn to be silent when thy honour will
not be promoted by our speaking. On the other hand,
open thou our mouths by thy ' Ephphatha,' when we
are called upon to defend thy honour, and to bear wit--
ness to the truth.

A a 2

356

4. He who knows the danger of being invested
with power, will not boast of such power if possessed
of it, or desire it, if he has it not. Probably, Pilate
would have had less to answer for in the great day of
account, if his power had been less extensive. This
will also be the unhappy case of many others. As
carnal men abuse all the precious gifts of heaven ; as
they employ their riches in riot or self-indulgence, and
dedicate their talents to the cause of impiety and licen-
tiousness, so they often abuse the power committed to
then* care, by persecuting or discouraging God's true
servants. Let them reflect, that God will one day
require of them a strict account, how they have used
their power ; that he will show mercy to the poor and
oppressed, but, as the book of Wisdom expresses it,
will " mightily torment the mighty men ;" * i. e. those
who have used their power contrary to the end for
which it was ordained. If these things were duly
considered, those who are in authority would use it
with fear and trembling. We should not envy others
that pre-eminence to which an awful responsibility is
attached, but rather sit down contented in a low and
humble station, as exposing us to less danger, both
here, and in our eternal interests. Give us herein to
be of one mind, O thou blessed Jesus, who in th^y
humble state of abasement, wast subject to every
ordinance of man, and in thy glorious state of ex-
altation, usest thine unlimited power for the benefit
of mankind, and the good of thy church. Grant that
all subjects may imitate thee in the former, and that
all in authority may follow thy illustrious example in
the latter.

* Wisdom, vi. 2.-

857

5. It was our pride and rebellion against the divine
law, which caused the Son of God to be subject to the
power of an earthly tribunal. Our minds are filled
with aspiring thoughts ; and this haughty temper is
innate in all of us, however humble our situation in
life. But if we would receive any benefit from Christ's
abasement, we must be ready to bring every thought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and pray
that our ungovernable pride may be changed into the
spirit of meekness. Lord, subdue our hearts, break
our stubborn tempers, and make them conformable to
thine !

6. Though he, who suffers himself to be seduced
to sin, is by no means innocent in the sight of God,
yet the seducer has more to answer for. " He who
delivereth me unto thee," and thus seduced thee to
all these acts of injustice, " hath the greater sin !"
The more knowledge a person is endowed with, the
more premeditation he acts with, and the more warnings
and admonitions he has had, the greater is his sin.*
In all these respects, the guilt of those who delivered
up our Lord, exceeded that of Pilate. Let such as
are conscious of deep and aggravated guilt, of sins
against light and knowledge, of having corrupted and
seduced others, acknowledge their depravity ; humble
themselves before their Lord and Saviour, and be
earnest in prayer, that they may be so changed by
divine grace, that in future others may be edified
by their example, and brought into the way of life ;
that in future their " light may so shine before men,

_* Luke, xii. 47.

A a3

358

that others seeing their good Works, may glorify their
Father who is in heaven."

P R A Y E B.

We thank thee, O Father, for giving up thy dear
Son to the power of an earthly tribunal, that he
might expiate and atone for our fall, by which we had
withdrawn from our obedience to thee. We beseech
thee, by thy Holy Spirit, to soften our stubborn
hearts, and refractory wills, and move us to a sincere
repentance and faith in thy Son. We also thank
thee, O faithful Saviour that thou didst submit to
be thus humbled and abased, that we might be ex-
alted. Make us partakers of thy merit for the re-
mission of our sins, and grant that we may follow thy
example here, and may reign with thee hereafter.—*
Amen.

359

CHAPTER XIV.

PILATE'S LAST FEEBLE ENDEAVOUR TO RELEASE THE
LORD JESUS.

" And from thenceforth Pilate sotight to release him : but
" the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go,
" thou art not Caesar's friend : whosoever maketh himself
" a ki7ig, speaketh against C&sar. \Vhen Pilate there-
"fore heard that saying, he drought Jesus forth, and
" sat down in the judgment-seat, in a place that is
" called tlie Pavement, but in the Hebrew^ Gabbatha.
" And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about
" the sixth hour : and he saith unto the Jews, Behold
" your king! But they cried out, Aicay with him! Away
" with him ! cracify him ! Pilate saith unto them, Shalt
" / crucify your king? The chief priests answered,
" We have no king but Caesar. When Pilate saw that,
" he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult
" was made, he took water, and washed his hands before
" the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of
" this just person : see ye to it. Then answered all
" the people, and said, " His blood be on us, and on
" our children ! Then delivered he him therefore unto
" them to be crucified.'1

IN these words, we have an account of the last
fruitless attempt of Pilate to release our Saviour.

Pilate's design is expressed in the following words :
" From thenceforth Pilate sought to release him."
Pilate had already laboured with this view, partly
by unwarrantable means. This fresh attempt, we may
suppose to have been occasioned by our Lord's words,

360

' Thou couldest have no power at all against me,
except it were given thee from above. Therefore
he that delivered me unto thee, hath the greater sin."
Thus Jesus intimated to him, that if he abused his
power, he would draw upon himself punishment from
above. Pilate's conscience was touched ; and he was
alarmed, under the apprehension, that Jesus was the
Son of God. He therefore made a fresh effort to
release him. The chief priests had imagined, that
by accusing Jesus of having made himself the Son of
God, they should overcome Pilate's reluctance ; but
this accusation on the contrary, only made him the
more afraid of condemning Christ, and more solicitous
for having him released. Thus the plans of evil men
are often disappointed. Satan and the world frequently
combine to do all the hurt they can to a soul, that is
earnestly bent on turning to Jesus Christ, The former
assails it within, the latter attacks it from without.
But» by God's superintending providence, their ma-
chinations have quite another effect ; the soul agitated
by the temptations of Satan and the world, is driven
to prayer and repentance, and thus obtains refuge.
The goodness and wisdom of God, are able to turn
the most pernicious views of Satan to the good of
our souls. What an invaluable privilege is this of
the children of God, that amidst all the devices of
their spiritual and temporal enemies, they may trust,
and not be afraid : and may joyfully say with the
patriarch, " Ye thought evil against me, but God
meant it for good." *

In the next place, we are to consider the violent
effort, which rendered the purpose of Pilate ineffectual.

* Gen. L 20.

861

As he did not set out right at first, nor walk in the
plain and direct path of justice, his subsequent en-
deavours to release Jesus proved abortive. The Jews,
perceiving what he had in view, cried out, " If thou
let this mari go, thoii* art not Ca?sar's friend : whoso-
ever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar.'1
Here they have recourse again to their former accu-
sation, charging our Lord with crimes against the
Roman government ; and endeavouring to give fresh
force to the accusation, by an alarming inference,
which might well stagger Pilate's resolution. Who-
soever making himself a king, speaketh against Cassar,
i. e. opposes the Roman emperor's right over the pro-
vince, and thereby lays a foundation for tumults and
rebellion. They infer, that if Pilate should let this
man go, he was not Caesar's friend : for how should
he be a friend to the emperor, who protected his
open enemy ; and when the prisoner is brought before
him, was for letting him go, and giving him oppor-
tunity again to carry on his seditious practices ? This
argument operated strongly on the mind of Pilate.
He forgot that Christ's kingdom was not of this
world ; and the fear of the emperors displeasure,
with which he was indirectly threatened, shook his
good intention. Hence we shall deduce the follow-
ing observations.

Satan is very dexterous in attacking every man
on his most vulnerable side. This was his method
with Pilate. The menace of the emperor's displeasure
struck him with consternation. The tempter knows
our natural constitution and predominant inclinations,
and directs his temptations accordingly, He knows
when to lay baits to allure, or to apply threatening*
to terrify the sinner. The proud and ambitious he

362

entices by the hopes of temporal honours, or terrifies
with the fear of disgrace, and a deprivation of their
dignities. He allures a voluptuous sensualist by the
prospect of carnal delights and entertainments ; or,
on the other hand, alarms him, with the fear of af-
fliction, imprisonment, distress, and pain. He affects
the miser by the hope of gain, or the fear of losing
his possessions. When a prosperous worldling is
placed in such circumstances, that, on the one hand, he
has the opportunity of making great additions to
his fortune, by renouncing the gospel, or on the
other, by adhering to the truth, is in danger of being
stripped of every possession, Satan lays hold of him
by his fondness for earthly things, so that unless
some higher strength enable him to withstand the
temptation, and his soul be fortified by grace, he
surrenders. We shall be continually exposed to
Satan's assaults, whilst we are attached to temporal
advantages. This Pilate found to be the case. The
favour of the Roman emperor being, as he thought,
of the chief concern to him, he sunk under the trial.
By one indirect menace of the emperor's displeasure,
he is over-awed. His haughty spirit which, but a
little before, had burst forth in those arrogant words,
" Knowest thou not that I have power to release
thee," was at once subdued by the distant appre-
hension of exposing his authority to risque. Thus
it must happen, when a man accounts the friendship
of the world, and the favour of the great, indispen-
sable to his happiness. To avoid the loss of these,
integrity and a good conscience are forfeited, and
virtue and justice are attended to no further than
is consistent with self-interest, Let the conduct of
Pilate* be a warning to us. Happy are they, who

363

by the miscarriage of others, learn to know their
own weakness, before the enemy take advantage of
it to their destruction. The world ought to be of
so little importance in our eyes, compared with the
Saviour, that we should be ready to part with all,
rather than offend him or injure his honour. This
renunciation of the world, is the touchstone of genuine
Christianity. Whatever progress a person may make
in the government of his passions, and the practice
of moral virtues, if he do not deny himself, and re-
nounce the world, he cannot be Christ's disciple, and
will be in danger of yielding to the first suitable
temptation. He who does not fear and love God
above all things, and place his chief confidence in
him, wants that steady governing principle, which is
the only effectual security against making shipwreck
of faith and a good conscience ; jior is he able to per-
form aright one single Christian duty.

We come now to consider the consequence of
Pilate's timidity and irresolution ; and here the three
following particulars deserve our notice.

1 . The preparation made for condemning our Lord.
This is described in these words : " When Pilate
therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth ;*
out of the hall of judgment where he had privately
examined him, " and sat down in the judgment-seat,
in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the
Hebrew, Gabbatha." There was probably an elevated
tribunal erected adjoining to Pilate's house, where
ho usually pronounced sentence of death on malefac-
tors. In this seat of judgment he places himself;
and as he had weakened his credit with the Jews
by his former indecisiveness, he was desirous to re-
cover their good opinion, by formally pronouncing
sentence on Jesus.

364

St. John specifies the time of the day, and the
season of the year. It was the preparation, i. e. the
day before the Sabbath, and the Friday preceding the
Passover ; when they prepared themselves for the ap-
proaching Sabbath, which was a high day, and to
be observed with great solemnity. " It was about
the sixth hour." In some ancient manuscripts the
fourteenth verse of the nineteenth chapter of St. John
runs thus, " It was about the third hour," and this
agrees with St. Mark's account. " It was the third
hour, and they crucified him :" that is, according to
our computation, nine o'clock in the morning : and
it is evident from the accounts of St. Matthew,
St. Mark, and St. Luke, that the crucifixion had
taken place previous to the sixth hour, or twelve at
noon. * After this follows,

Secondly, Pilate's, last effort to release our Lord ;
but this was very faint, and proved ineffectual. " And
he said unto the Jews, Behold your king." As if
he Jiad said, ' Look on him again ; consider how
severely he has been handled : supposing lie has acted
indiscreetly, he has been sufficiently punished. Would
it not be better to show him mercy and spare his life,
than to punish him any further ?' But the Jews cried
out, " Away with him ! Away with him !" He is not
our king ; " Crrtcify him !" Hence it appears, that
these words of Pilate only added fuel to the flames.
« Pilate then saith unto them, shall I crucify your
king?" He would work upon them, by suggesting,
that it would be an indelible stain on their nation, if
they suffered their king to be crucified. But such
motives had little weight with a tumultuous assembly,

*Matt. xxvii. 45.; Mark, xv. 25— 33.; Luke, xxiii. B.

365

frantic with rage and cruelty ; their reputation they
willingly sacrificed to their hatred against Christ. On
this remonstrance of Pilate, the chief priests broke out
into this declaration, " We have no king but Caesar."
At other times they loudly murmured against the
lioman yoke, and held it inconsistent with their
honour and liberty to pay tribute to the emperor; but
their hatred against Christ made them now pretend to
be loyal subjects to Caesar, rather than acknowledge
for king, the victim of their malice, who now stood
before them. Thus they publicly disown the hope
of Israel ; the Messiah who had been promised to
them under the title of a king ; and deny this impor-
tant article of their religion before the Pagan governor.
Upon this followed,

Thirdly, The condemnation of the Lord Jesus,
which is thus described : " When Pilate saw that he
could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was
made ; he took water, and washed his hands before
the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of
this just person : see ye to it. Then answered all the
people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our
children ! Then he delivered him to be crucified."
In this account we may observe,

1. The motives that induced Pilate to condemn
Jesus. These were not any crimes which our Lord
had committed ; for of those which had been laid to
his charge, the judge had publicly acquitted him.
Pilate therefore was at last induced to pronounce this
sentence, partly because there were no hopes of bring-
ing the Jews to consent to his release, and partly be-
cause there was reason to fear, lest further opposition
might occasion tumult.

&. Pilate's declaration and protest, antecedent to

366

the sentence. {: Pilate," as the evangelist observes,
"took water, and washed his hands before the multi-
tude." It was an usual ceremony, both among the
Jews and heathens, to wash the hands, as a token of
innocence. This custom Pilate here observes ; and,
besides the mere ceremony, expresses in words what
he intended by the symbol : " I am innocent of the
blood of this just person ; see ye to it." He once
more publicly acknowledges the innocence of the Lord
Jesus, whom he styles a just man ; an appellation which
the wife of Pilate had before given to our Saviour.
Me shifts the blame of Christ's death from himself,
and lays it on the consciences of the Jews. As if he
had said, 'You have absolutely compelled me to
order this innocent person to be crucified, and put to
death ; and you must be answerable for it before God
and man.' Upon this, these infatuated wretches
without any scruple took the guilt of this horrid crime
on their own consciences ; crying out, " His blood be
on us, and on our children !" By this they signified,
that Pilate had no reason for any apprehensions, since
they would be answerable for the whole blame before
God and man. Nay, they pledged their own persons
and those of their children, that whatever vengeance
or punishment should follow, they would take the
whole of it on themselves and their posterity. " His
blood be on us, and on our children." O dreadful
words, which indicate the greatest infatuation and
obduracy ! How soon did this wretched nation feel
the load of that curse to which they impiously devo-
ted themselves, and which fell in a most signal manner
on the heads of them, and of their descendants, who
have been groaning under its oppressive weight, nearly
eighteen centuries !

367

3. "He delivered him to be crucified." Pilate,
sitting on his judgment-seat, pronounced sentence in
a place which, from its elevation, was called Gabbatha.
Tims the sentence of condemnation was publicly pro-
nounced, in the eyes of the whole world. We may
here observe,

1 . That as we often illegally place ourselves on the
judgment-seat of private censure, to arraign and con-
demn our innocent neighbour ; so the Son of God
suffered himself to be unjustly condemned. He has
solemnly warned us, saying, " Judge not ; condemn
not :"" but who pays a due regard to these precepts ?
Of all our Saviour's injunctions, not one is more fre-
quently violated. What is a more usual topic of con-
versation than censure ? We condemn our absent
neighbour ; his words and actions are canvassed, ex-
posed, censured, judged, without the least indulgence.
Now as we so often sit in the seat of judgment, and,
instead of judging ourselves, and strictly examining our
own actions, rashly sondemn our neighbour ; the Son
of God was pleased to submit to condemnation, pro-
nounced from an unjust tribunal. May this conside-
ration awaken in us an abhorrence of harsh judging,
and calumny !

2. The sin of the Jews in rejecting Christ as their
king, is daily renewed among Christians. It is repeat-
ed by those worldlings, who prefer the service of their
lusts and temporal enjoyments to that obedience of
Christ, to which they are called in the gospel. The
Jews cried out, " We have no king but Caesar !" And
arc not the covetous, the proud, the ambitious, and
the sensual, all of them the subjects of their different
lusts and passions ? Do not they deny the Lord,
and say in effect, « We will not have him to reign

368

over us?" Those also who seek deliverance from
wrath, forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation, in
any other way than through Christ, presumptuously
reject the only Mediator and Saviour of mankind, and
choose other saviours, as impotent as themselves.
May the Lord keep us from such infatuation, that we
may npt feel the truth of these words of the Psalmist,
" Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after
other gods."*

3. The blood of Christ has both a vindictive and
conciliatory power. It is poured down in vengeance
on those who trespass against it, either by placing in
it a carnal and presumptuous confidence, notwith-
standing their wicked lives and impenitent hearts ; or
by treading it under foot, and accounting the blood of
the covenant an unholy or unnecessary thing. Such
sinners will, by the divine justice, be pursued as mur-
derers of Christ ; and that blood which was shed for
the purifying of the conscience, and the forgiveness of
sins, will be poured on them in vengeance and judg-
ments. On the other hand, its healing conciliatory
power, is manifested to all humble, broken, and con-
trite hearts. It is to them the means of justification,
and all their sins will be forgiven in consideration of
this precious blood. It is poured upon them for
sanctification and holiness, cleanses them from all
filthiness of flesh and spirit, f and opens to them a
passage from death unto life. J

May God of his infinite mercy grant, that the blood
of Christ may, in this blessed manner be on us, and on
our children, and that it may manifest its reconciling,
\ justifying, and sanctifying power in all our hearts !

I.
* Psalms, xvi. *. 1 1 John, i, 7.; 2 Cor. vii, 1. J John, v. 24.

369

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour ! May we partake of thy blood,
not in its vindictive, but in its conciliatory power, to
the quieting of our consciences, the sanctifying and
purifying our hearts. Bless our consideration of this
part of thy sufferings, and grant that we may not lose
any grace wrought in us, by the operation of thy
good Spirit. We commend to thee the seed of so
many important and saving truths, now sown ; water
it with the dew of thy blessing, that it may bring
forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honour and
praise of thy name ! Amen.

PA R T 1IL

THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST ON MOUNT
GOLGOTHA.

The Narratives of the four Evangelists harmonised.

it ri"i

J. HEN the soldiers took off the purple robe from

" Jesus, and put his own raiment on him, and led him
" away to crucify him. And Jesus went forth bearing
" his cross. And there were also two malefactors led
" with him to be put to death. And as they led Jesus
" away, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name,
" the father of Alexander and Rufus, who passed by,
" coming out of the country. And they laid hold
" on him, and compelled him to bear his cross ; and
" they laid on him the cross, that he might bear it
" after Jesus. And there followed him a great com-
" pany of people, and of women who also bewailed
" and lamented him.

" But Jesus turning unto the women said, Daughters
" of Jerusalem, weep not for me ; but weep for your-
" selves, and for your children. For, behold, the
" days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed
" are the barren and the wombs that never bare,
" and the paps that never gave suck. Then shall they
" begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to
" the hills, cover us. For if they do these things in
" a green tree, what shall be done in the dry ?

371

" And they bring him unto a place called in the
" Hebrew, Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the
" place of a skull. And they gave him to drink
" vinegar (or sour wine) mingled with myrrh and gall:
" and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink;
" and he received it not. And they crucified him
" there, and two other malefactors with him, one on
" the right hand, and the other on the left, and Jesus
" in the midst. And the scripture was fulfilled, which
" saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
" Then said Jesus, Father ! forgive them ; for they
" know not what they do.

" And Pilate wrote a superscription of his accusation,
" and put it on the cross. And the writing was,
'* Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. This title
" then read many of the Jews ; for the place where
" Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city ; and it was
" written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then
" said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write
" not, The king of the Jews ; but that he said, I am
" the king of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have
" written, I have written. Then the soldiers, when
" they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and
" made four parts (to every soldier a part) and also his
" coat : now the coat was without seam, woven from
" the top throughout They said therefore among
" themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it
" whose it shall be. And they cast lots upon it, what
" every man should take ; that the scripture might be
" fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among
" them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These
" things therefore the soldiers did. And sitting down,
" they watched him there ; and it was about the third
" hour when they crucified him.

372

" And the people stood beholding him ; and they
" that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
" and saying, Thou that destroy est the temple, and
" buildest it in three days, save thyself; if thou be
" the Son of God, come down from the cross. Like-
" wise also the chief priests, mocking him with the
" scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself
'* he cannot save. If he be the Christ, the king of
" Israel, the chosen of God, let him save himself, and
" now come down from the cross, that we may see it,
" and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let
" him deliver him now, if he will have him ; for he
" said, I am the Son of God. And the soldiers also
" mocked him, coming to him and offering him
"vinegar; and saying, If thou be the king of
" the Jews, save thyself. The thieves also, who
" were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
" And one of the malefactors, who were hanged,
" railed on him, saying, If thou be the Christ, save
" thyself and us.

" But the other malefactor answering, rebuked him,
" saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in
" the same condemnation ? And we indeed justly, for
" we receive the due reward of our deeds ; but this
" man has done nothing amiss. And he said unto
" Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into
" thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily,
" I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in
«* Paradise. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus,
« his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife
" of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus
" therefore saw the disciple standing by, whom he
"• loved, he said unto his mother, Woman, behold thy
"son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy

«{ mother ! And from that hour that disciple took hev
" unto his own home.

" Now from the sixth hour, there was darkness over
'• all the land unto the ninth hour; and the sun was
" darkened. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried
*' with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani, that is
" to say, My God ! my God ! why hast thou forsaken
" me ? Some of them that stood there, when they
" heard that saying, said, Behold ! this man calleth
" for Elias. After this, Jesus knowing that all things
" wrere now accomplished, that the scriptures might be
" fulfilled, said, 1 thirst. Now there was set a vessel
" full of vinegar ; and one ran, and took a sponge, and
" filled it with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and
" stuck it on a reed, and held it to his mouth, and gave
" him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether
" Elias will come to save him, and take him down.

" When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It
" is finished. And he cried with a loud voice, and
" said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit :
" and having said this, he bowed his head, and gave
" up the ghost.

" And behold, the vail of the temple was rent in
" twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did
" quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were
" opened, and the bodies of many saints which slept,
" arose, and came out of the graves after his resur-
" rection, and went into the holy city, and appeared
" unto many. Now when the Centurion who stood
" over against him, and they that were with him
" watching Jesus, saw that he so cried out, and the
" earthquake, and those things that were done ; they
" feared greatly, and glorified God, saying, Certainly,
" this was a righteous man ; truly this was the Son

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" of God. And all the people that came together to that
" sight, beholding the things which were done, smote
" their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaint-
" ance, and the women that had followed Jesus from
" Galilee, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary
" the mother of James the less, and and the mother of
" Joses, and Salome, and the mother of Zebedee's
" children, who also when he was in Gallilee followed
" him, and many other women who rame up with him
" to Jerusalem, stood afar off beholding these things.

" The Jews, therefore, because it was the prepara-
'* tion, that the bodies should not remain upon the
'« cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath was a
<< high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be
" broken, and that they might be taken away. Then
" came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first,
" and of the other, who was crucified with him. But
«« when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead
*' already, they brake not his legs : but one of the
«* soldiers with a spear pierced his side ; and forthwith
" came thereout blood and water. And he that saw
" it bare record, and his record is true ; for these things
" were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, A
<* bone of him shall not be broken ; and again another
" scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they
" have pierced.

" And now, when even was come, because it was
" the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
" came a rich man, named Joseph, of Arimathea, a
" city of the Jews'; he was an honourable counsellor,
" and a good man and a just. The same had not
" consented to the counsel and deed of them : who
"also was a disciple of Jesus, (but secretly for fear
«,«f the Jews,) and waited for the kingdom of God.

375

" He went in boldly unto Pilate, and besought him
" that he might take away the body of Jesus. And
" Pilate marvelled if he were already dead ; and calling
" unto him the Centurion, he asked him, Whether
" he had been any while dead ? And when he knew
" it of the Centurion, he gave the body of Jesus
" to Joseph, and commanded it to be delivered to him.
" And Joseph bought fine linen. And there came
" also Nicodemus, (who at the first came to Jesus
" by night,) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
" about a hundred pounds weight. Then took they
" the body of Jesus, and wrapped it in clean linen,
" and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as
" the manner of the Jews is to bury.

" Now in the place where he was crucified, there
" was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre
" hewn out of a rock, wherein never man before was
" laid. There laid they Jesus, therefore, because of
" the Jews preparation day ; for the sepulchre was
" nigh at hand. And they rolled a great stone to the
" door of the sepulchre, and departed. And the
" women also, who came with him from Galilee fol-
" lowed after. Among these were Mary Magdalene,
" and Mary the mother of Joses, who sat over against
" the sepulchre, and beheld how and where the body
" was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices
" and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day, according
" to the commandment. Now the next day that fol-
" lowed the day of the preparation, the chief priests
«' and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir,
" we remember that that deceiver said, while he was
" yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Com-
" mand therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure
" until the third day, lest his disciples come by night

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376

" and steal him away, and say unto the people, He
" is risen from the dead : so the last error shall be
" worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye
" have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as you
" can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure,
" sealing the stone, and setting a watch."

PREPARATORY PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour, who wast crucified in weakness,
but now livest in power, and savest to the uttermost
all those who come to God through thee, be pleased
to favour our weak attempt to consider the concluding
scene of thy sufferings, and make it conducive to
the glory of thy name. Grant that a sense of our
weakness may awaken in us an earnest desire of
divine assistance, and the influences of thy Spirit ; and
satisfy this desire, by giving us those talents and
graces, which thou knowest to be necessary to an
edifying consideration of thy sufferings. Amen.

377 )

CHAPTER I.

THE LORD JESUS LED TO HIS CRUCIFIXION.

WE have already discoursed of the several sufferings
which our Mediator endured on the Mount of Olives ;
before the spiritual court of the Jews ; and the civil
tribunals of Pilate and Herod. It now remains that
we consider his sufferings on Mount Golgotha, the
place appointed by the wisdom of God for the con-
clusion of his meritorious undertaking. The beginning
of this remarkable transaction runs thus :

" Then the soldiers look the purple robe off from Jesus,
" and put his own raiment on him, and led him away
'* to crucify him. And Jesus went forth bearing his
" cross. And there were also two other malefactors led
" with him to be put to death. And as they led Jesus
«' away, they found, a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, the
"father of Alexander and Rufus, who passed by, coming
" out of the country. And they laid hold on him, and
" compelled him to bear his cross, and on him they laid
" the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there
"followed him a great company of people, and of women,
" who also bewailed and lamented him.11

THESE words exhibit to us the mournful procession
of the blessed Jesus to his crucifixion. Our Lord had
during his sufferings been already forced to take
several painful and ignominious walks. From the
Mount of Olives he had been hurried as a prisoner,
to Annas; from Annas to Caiaphas, from Caiaphas
to Pilate; from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod

S78

back again to Pilate ; and consequently he rfiust have
passed through several of the streets of Jerusalem.
Now he was to take his last mournful walk, led as
a malefactor from Pilate's house to the place of ex-
ecution.

Jesus was led away immediately after sentence had
been pronounced on him. " Then," i. e. immediately
after this, Pilate delivered him up to the Roman
soldiers, to be crucified ; for amongst the Romans,
the soldiers were usually the executioners in such
cases. The Roman emperor Tiberius, who then
sat on the throne, had, about seven years before,
issued an order, that no criminal should be executed
until ten days after sentence had been pronounced.
But the benefit of this edict did not extend to mur-
derers and rebels ; it being judged necessary for the
public tranquillity, that such delinquents should be
immediately put to death. Our blessed Saviour there-
fore was not intitled to this privilege ; for he had been
indicted as a mover of sedition and a rebel, and the
Jews urged the Roman governor with such vehemence,
that he was obliged to give orders for the immediate
execution of the sentence. No one interposed in his
favour, or spoke a word of exhortation or comfort
to him ; but he was dragged to death with the utmost
precipitancy. He, indeed, stood in no need of pre-
paration for death ; but he denied himself all human
comforts, that he might acquire for us a right to ex-
pect divine consolation in our last hours. By the
precipitancy with which he was led to death, he
sanctified the sufferings of his faithful servants, when
they are suddenly surprised by the impatient bar-
barity of their persecutors, who allow them no time
for recollection or preparation. Thus even' ckcuin-

379

stance of our Saviour's sufferings is a source of com-
fort to his followers.

But let us take a nearer view of the last mournful
walk of Jesus to his execution, and remark,

First, In what manner he was led to Golgotha.

Secondly, The company which attended him.

Thirdly, What happened to him by the way.

As to the manner in which our Saviour was led
away to execution, the evangelical history informs us,
he was clothed in his own raiment, and bore his cross.
"The soldiers took tjie purple robe off from Jesus, and
put his own raiment on him, and led him away to
crucify him." The Lord Jesus had a little before,
amongst other mockeries and insults, been dressed in
a purple mantle ; and in this garb he was afterwards
led away, and shown to the people, as a mock king.
But now when he was to be carried to the place of
execution, the soldiers took off from ham this purple
mantle, and put on him his own upper garment, that
he might be the more easily known by the spectators ;
otherwise, probably, his sacred face was so disfigured,
that few, who had seen him before, would have
known that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was led
to execution. We may conclude, that the wreath
of thorns remained on his head, as a public mark
that the crime for which he was crucified, was the
having pretended to be king of the Jews. As the
purple robe must have adhered to the body now
bloody and cruelly torn by scourging, the taking
it off in a rude manner would afford new matter
ef sport to the unfeeling soldiers, as it must have

380

caused sensible pain to the Lord Jesus, by tearing
open his wounds. Being again clothed in his own
raiment, the cross was laid on his shoulders ; and
he was obliged to carry that heavy piece of timber.
It was a custom among the Romans, that the crimi-
nal to be crucified carried his own cross to the
place of execution. As the cross consisted of a long
beam of timber, and a short transverse piece, the
criminal's arms were extended, and the transverse
piece fastened to them. To this the blessed Jesus
seems to allude, when he thus forewarns Peter, "When
thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands,
and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither
thou wouldest not."* And in this manner, we may
suppose the blessed Jesus " went forth, bearing his
cross." Pain and ignominy attend his weary steps in
this mournful walk. Often must his knees, already
spent and enfeebled, have sunk under this oppressive
weight! At the same time, to bear the cross, that
instrument of punishment, as an abhorrence and ex-
ecration to the people, was a circumstance of the most
sensible reproach and ignominy. Oh, the inconceiv-
able depth of the humiliation of the Son of God,
who goes forth in the character of a Wretched slave
condemned to death, and bearing his own cross ! On
this cross he was to become a curse for us; to be
forsaken of God, and as it were to taste the bitterness
of eternal death. We shall hence infer the follow-
ing truths.

1. The mournful walk of our blessed Lord to the
place of his crucifixion, has been productive of many
blessings to mankind. Every step was marked with

* John, xxi. 18.

381

blood ; but at the same time, every step dropped com-
fort to our souls. Many painful, weary steps did the
blessed Jesus take for our sake ; but all would have
availed us nothing, had he not determined on this
last sorrowful walk. We were under sentence of
death ; and this sentence could no other way be re-
versed, th^n by our Mediator's suffering himself to be
led to death in our stead. To this he submitted with
the most cheerful complacency ; the Son of God, was
able to say to his Father, w Lo, I come : I delight to
do thy will, O my God ; yea, thy law is within my
heart."* He was "obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross." He suffered himself to be led out
of the earthly Jerusalem, to procure an entrance for us
into the heavenly. He submitted to be led as a sheep
to the slaughter, that the precious souls of men might
not be dragged to the slaughter by their spiritual ene-
mies. Kvil spirits would have dragged thee, O sinner,
from the grave to judgment, and from thence to ever-
lasting punishment. But since thy Redeemer was
thus led to death, thou wilt never be led away by the
powers of hell, if thou believest in the name of the Son
of God, and givest up thyself diligently to follow him,
and obey his precepts. O then praise and adore that
Saviour, who, by thus submitting to temporal death,
hath rescued thee from death eternal !

2. Nothing can make a Christian more willingly
and cheerfully take up his cross, than the considera-
tion that his Saviour bore it before him. Who
will now refuse to take upon him the cross, when he
sees his Lord and Master bending under the weight

* Psalms, xL 7.

of it ? When a person of such transcendent dignity,
whose love to mankind was so great, sets us the ex-
ample, and calls to us, saying, "Whosoever will be my
disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me," it
would be the basest ingratitude to refuse to bear it for
his sake. Consider that the eternal Son of God, who
upholds all things by the word of his power, who
always dwelt in the regions of bliss, and had dominion
over innumerable hosts of adoring angels, humbled
himself so low, and bore the ignominious cross, that
we might be delivered from the curse of God, and
crowned with eternal blessings. Are we not ashamed
of our timidity and ingratitude ? Let us humbly im-
plore of the Redeemer, strength to follow him, and
bear his cross : and if we would have comfort in the
cross, let us resolve to enter into fellowship with him,
both by the inward crucifixion of the flesh, and by
outwardly taking up his reproach. As he suffered
both in body and soul ; so must his followers taste of
both kinds of sufferings in some degree, and resign
themselves to his will. These are our Saviour's own
words, "Whosoever doth not bear liis cross, and follow
me, cannot be my disciple." * If we are exempt from
outward reproach and persecution, we are to show our-
selves the more faithful, by daily crucifying the old
man of sin, with its affections and lusts, and by sub-
mitting to any inward sufferings, which it may please
God to lay upon us.

II.

We come, in the second place, to consider the com-
pany which attended the Lord Jesus to Golgotha.

* Luke, xiv. £7«

283

A multitude of people was collected on this occa-
sion, which generally happens even when common
malefactors are carried to execution. Curiosity brought
many ; others came from a malicious desire of enter-
taining themselves with the pains and sufferings of
Jesus of Nazareth. Nevertheless we shall find that
the spectacle produced a salutary effect on the behold-
ers. Thus a blessing often accompanies attendance on »
the Lord Jesus in his word and ordinances ; though
our attendance at first may not proceed from proper
motives.

Besides this mixed multitude, there were two male-
factors led with the Lord Jesus to be crucified. They
must have been murderers and robbers ; crucifixion
being the punishment of those crimes among the
Romans. These notorious criminals, Pilate probably
reserved for the feast of the Passover ; that their exe-
cution before an extraordinary concourse of people
might make the greater impression.

Our Lord, by this circumstance of his passion, has
sanctified the sufferings of his followers, who are often
classed with heretics, rebels, and the worst of mankind,
and are treated as if they deserved to suffer the same
punishment.

III.

We come now to consider what happened to the
Lord Jesus in the way to his crucifixion. The treat-
ment he met with was veiy different from that which
he had experienced six days before, at his public en-
trance into Jerusalem. He then entered the city
amidst the joyful acclamations and applauding Hosan-
nas of the people. Then their cry was, " Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord." Now curses,

384

insults, mockeries and bitter sarcasms pursued him as
he went forth to Golgotha. The evangelists however
notice two incidents of rather an alleviating nature,
which happened while our Saviour walked to the place
of execution ; that he was eased of the weight of his
cross, and that he was publicly lamented by the com-
passionate women of Jerusalem.

'1. Jesus is eased of the heavy load of the cross, it
being taken from him, and laid on another. The ene-
mies of our blessed Lord perhaps did not intend to show
him any kindness by taking the cross from him ; but,
on the contrary, either to hurry on the faster to Mount
Golgotha, or to reserve our Lord for more acute pangs
and tortures. Their eagerness for the execution of the
sentence was not able to bear the slow pace with
which Jesus, by reason of weakness and fatigue, pro-
ceeded : and perceiving that his strength was exhaust-
ed, they took the burden from him, that he might not
sink under it, and thus prevent the slower and more
painful death which they had prepared for him. Be
this as it may, we do not suppose that any motives of
compassion actuated their minds. Yet his heavenly
Father so directed this circumstance, as to procure
some alleviation of his sufferings. ( The soldiers looked
out for a fit person to carry the cross with the desired
expedition. There happened to pass by a man called
Simon, a native of Cyrene, a city of Lybia, which,
though about a thousand miles distant from Jerusalem,
was inhabited by Jews, who had a synagogue there.
This man might be coming to Jerusalem, to perform
his devotions in the temple. He might be a secret
disciple of the Lord Jesus; who seeing him sink under
the load of the cross, either by words or gesture ex-
pressed some compassion for him. This would be a

k^ld S85

sufficient inducement with the soldiers to lay hold of
Simon, and to fasten the cross on his back. He was
compelled in the first instance to carry it perhaps by
way of ridicule ; but if he was a disciple of Christ, he
would patiently submit to be mocked and ridiculed
with his Saviour, and learn of Christ to possess his
soul in patience.

The second particular incident, which happened
while our blessed Saviour walked to the place of exe-
cution, was a public testimony of pity and compassion.
A great company of women who were inhabitants of
Jerusalem, or had followed him from Galilee, accom-
panied him, bewailing and lamenting. Probably, in
some of them this was only the effect of a humane
sympathetic feeling, which generally shows itself in
compassion to condemned malefactors. In others this
natural tenderness might be mixed with self-love ; and
arise from a concern that a person who performed such
surprising miracles, who healed the sick, the lame^and
the blind, and was their physician and helper, should
be put to a shameful and ignominious death. But in
some of then}, it may be supposed to have taken its
rise from purer and more disinterested motives. Be
this as it may, their gestures betokened passionate
grief; for they beat their breasts,* wrung their hands,
wept and lamented. We may doubtless suppose them
to have been ignorant of the mystery of the cross, and
of the purposes of God with regard to the sufferings of
his Son, and that they concluded all the hopes of Israel
would be buried in his grave. The tears of the specta-
tors however bore witness to his innocence, and were

* Id indicat verbum {xovroire, quod proprie percusserunt, raetony,
jnice planxerunt significat, quia lugentes pectiis percutere solebant,

\.' C

386

preludes to the accomplishment of the prophecy of
Zechariah, who declares, that all the women of the
tribes of Israel should one day mourn for the Messiah.*
We may deduce the following truths.

1. God is so gracious, that he never suffers us to-
be oppressed beyond what we are able to bear ; but
when it is most necessary, he provides some relief.
Thus it happened to Jesus, in the instance before us.
When his human strength was so exhausted, that he
was unable to bear his cross, God so directed, that he
was eased of its weight. Thus will it be with every
sincere disciple, who with patience and resignation
bears the cross of Christ. His faithful and compassion-
ate Saviour, who from his own experience knows what
it is for human nature to be loaded, so as to sink under
its burden, will have mercy on him ; will prevent him
from being oppressed beyond his strength ; will lighten
the burden under which he groans, and support him
with his all-sustaining hand. If it be enjoined in the
Mosaic law, that even a beast shall not lie under the
weight of his burden, but be helped up, f much more
will our blessed Lord, in his tender love, hold out his
hand, to those who bear his cross, and support them
when fainting under it. Of this timely relief all the
foDowers of Christ may be assured.' Let us therefore
cheerfully take up that burden, which love will render
easy and light.

2. It is not improbable that Simon the Cyrenian at
first made some opposition ; for it is said, they com-
pelled him to bear the cross of Christ. This is an
emblem of the backwardness of human nature in taking
up the cross, and its fondness for ease, convenience, and

» Ztch, xii. 10, 14. t Exod. xxiii. *.

387

worldly esteem. We daily show our desire to be ex-
cused from bearing the cross, and thereby confirm the
observation of St. Paul, " That no .chastening for the
present is joyous, but grievous."* How willing soever
the spirit may be, the flesh is generally weak ; espe-
cially when the cross comes so unexpectedly as it did
on Simon. But blessed be God, who has compassion
on the infirmities of his children, and for Christ's sake
will forgive these natural motions of self-love, if we do
but earnestty strive against them, and pray to him for
greater willingness under persecutions and sufferings.
Let -us imitate Simon, not in his reluctance to take up
the cross ; but in deriving strength from the fulness of
Christ to overcome that reluctance. This man, seeing
the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who suffered
himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter, overcame
the reluctance of nature; and not only submitted to bear
the cross, but became, there is reason to hope, a true
disciple. It is not improbable that Rufus and his
mother, who are honourably mentioned by St. Paul in
Romans, xvi. 13. may be the son and wife of Simon. —
See Mark, xv. 21.

We shall hereafter consider the discourse of our
blessed Saviour as he was led to his crucifixion. Far
from being struck with terror and dejection, he per-
formed this painful and ignominious walk with a com-
posed presence of mind. Undoubtedly he conversed
more with his heavenly Father in secret, than with
men. No murmurings against his Father's decree
escaped his lips, nor any imprecations, menaces, or in-
vectives against his enemies. — The cross being taken
him, and laid upon Simon, our Lord made use of

* Hebrews, xii. 11.

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388

this interval of relief, to address the women who la-
mented and bewailed him, and in their persons the
whole Jewish nation, in the remarkable words which
will be the subject of the following chapter.

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour, praised be thy name, who didst
suffer thyself to be led away to death, that we might
have entrance into life. We bless thee for sanctifying,
in the person of Simon, the bearing of the cross, and
for taking away its reproach and curse by having
borne it thyself. Make us, we beseech thee, ready
and willing to follow our leader withersoever he
goeth. Teach us to set a proper value on the fel-
lowship of thy sufferings, and in love to bear the
burdens of others, that we may fulfil the law of Christ.
Grant this, for thy name's sake ; and bless, for our
edification, those circumstances of thy meritorious pas-
sion, which we have now considered. Amen*

CHAPTER II.

l< But Jesus, turning unto tJie women, said, Daughters of

" Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and

"for your children. For behold ihe days are coming, in

the 'which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the

wombs that never bare, and Ihe paps that never gave

siick. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains,

Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us ! For if they

do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in

"the dry?"

THESE words are the last penitential discourse of
the Lord Jesus ; in which we shall consider,
First, The sense and meaning of the words.
Secondly., Their use and application.

This last penitential sermon of the Son of God was
directed to the daughters of Jerusalem, i, e. the
women who lived at Jerusalem, or acknowledged it to
be the holy city. A prodigious multitude of people
accompanied our Lord to his crucifixion. Amongst
the crowd, probably, were many foreign Jews and
proselytes, who were at that time assembled from all
parts of the world, on account of the Passover. Most
of those who usually attend the execution of criminals,
are drawn thither, merely to gratify an idle curiosity ;
and the greater part of the multitude, which followed
Christ to Golgotha, cannot be supposed to have had
any better motive.

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390

Among this concourse of people were many women,
some of whom had followed Jesus from Galilee, and
others lived at Jerusalem. They lamented Jesus, as
he went along, and not only shed tears, but expressed
their grief by loud lamentations, and passionate ges-
tures. They beheld the barbarity which the Roman
soldiers exercised on our blessed Saviour. It was
customary among the Romans to torment those who
were to be crucified, as they went to the place of
execution, by pushing them to and fro, beating them
with their fists and with clubs, and sometimes strew-
ing sharp stones and nails under their feet. As this
was the usual way of treating such criminals, it is
hardly to be supposed that the soldiers, who hitherto
had used the sacred person of Christ with the utmost
cruelty, would act otherwise on this occasion. — The
compassionate concern of the women gave occasion
to this address: turning about to them with looks
full of pity and compassion, our Lord addressed them
thus : "Weep not for me, ye daughters of Jerusalem,
but weep, for yourselves, and for your children."
Though our blessed Lord directs these words to
the women, lie addresses at the same time, in their
persons, the whole house of Israel, as the rest of the
multitude were within hearing. H'e spoke with par-
ticular emphasis, as tlie prophets usually did in their
denunciations of God's approaching judgments.

Our Saviour's words contain

1. An admonition.

2. A denunciation of divine judgments.

3. An information of the true cause of those judg-
ments.

1. In the admonition to the women, our Saviour
forbids them to shed tears for him, and recommends

391

them to weep for themselves, and for their children.
The prohibition is expressed in these words : " Weep
not for me !" Not that he absolutely blames their tears,
which were to be esteemed a public testimony of
his innocence; and deserved the more regard, since
by the Jewish laws, persons condemned to death by
the Sanhedrim were not to be publicly lamented.
But such was the grief of these women, that they
were not afraid by their tears to condemn the unjust
sentence passed by the chief priests. We do not,
however, read that they were punished or insulted
on this account ; which might have been the case, had
not these feeble witnesses of our Saviour's innocence
been protected by a superior power.

But why should our blessed Lord forbid these
women to weep for him ? It was, first, because he
perceived that those tears sprung from a mistaken
pity. These compassionate daughters of Jerusalem
only looked on Christ's outward wounds, pains, and
ignominy, which excited in them a natural sym-
pathetic feeling; but they had no idea of the true
cause of these sufferings. They were not sensible
that the sins of the world, and consequently their
own, were to be laid on the head of this sacred
victim ; and that he was to offer them in his body
on the cross ; and thus publicly to make an atone-
for them. Secondly, He forbids this weeping, be-
cause in his present circumstances he did not deserve
any compassion. God himself hid his face from his
only Son, when he became our substitute, and was
loaded with the sins of the whole world. As a de-
jected sinner, whose conscience is awakened, accounts
himself unworthy of any consolation or attention ; so
•our Redeemer, being by the imputation of the sins

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392

of the world, made a curse and expiatory sacrifice,
accounts himself unworthy to receive any alleviation
of his grief from the compassion of others. TJitrdty,
He forbids them to lament, because he knew that his
short transitory sufferings would produce blessed
fruits, and would conduce to the glory of God, and
the eternal salvation of mankind ; so that there was
greater reason for joy than sorrow on this event.

On the other hand, our Lord advises them to weep
for themselves, and for their children. In this ex-
hortation he may allude to the imprecation which
the people had uttered, at the instigation of the chief
priests and elders : " His blood be upon us, and on
our children." * If you are to lament and shed tears,
weep for yourselves, not only for your sins, which
are the cause of my sufferings, but likewise for the
dreadful calamities which some of you shall live to
see, and which it behoves you betimes to deprecate
by contrition and tears. Weep for your children,
since on them the judgments of obduracy and un-
belief shall come; they shall live to see the miseries
of the nation, during the siege of Jerusalem, and shall
perish in them. Alas ! did you but know what dread-
ful judgments, both spiritual and temporal, are now
hovering over the heads of your children, and with
what rigour the divine vengeance will require my
blood at your hands, you would certainly spare those
tears which you now shed for me, and would deplore
the wretchedness of your unhappy descendants; in de-
nouncing whose calamities, I myself lately could not
refrain from weeping.' * Upon this follows,

2. A particular denunciation of the approaching

* Luke, xix. 41.

393

judgments : " For behold the days are coming, in the
which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the
wombs that never bare, and the paps that never gave
suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains,
Fall on us ! and to the hills, Cover us !"

In these words our Saviour foretells the destruction
of Jerusalem, and the devastation of Judea, by the
Romans, which he had before predicted upon several
occasions. " Behold," saith our Saviour, " your house
is left unto you desolate." * " For the days shall
come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench
about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in
on every side ; and shall lay thee even with the ground,
and thy children within thee ; and they shall not leave
in thee one stone upon another." f " O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them who are sent unto thee ! how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gather-
eth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not !" t " And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all
these things ! Verily, I say unto you, there shall
not be left here one stone upon another, which shall
not be thrown down !" § And now, a few hours before
his death, Jesus denounces these woes for the last
time ; and in order to set before the Jews in a clearer
and more emphatical manner, the greatness of the
misery which should come upon their children, he
makes use of two figurative expressions, borrowed
from the prophets.

First, Behold, the days are coming in the which
Jhey shall say, " Blessed are the barren," &c. Bar-

* Luke, xiii. 35. t Luke, xix. 43. J Matt, xxiii. 37.

§ Matt. xxiv. l.

304

renness was accounted by the Jews as a curse and
disgrace. Hence Rachael in the Old Testament, and
Elizabeth in the New, * in the prospect of having
offspring, praised God for taking away their reproach.
Children were looked upon as a singular honour, and
a mark of the divine favour. When Christ there-
fore declares that the time was coming, when barren
women would be accounted much happier than those
who had borne children, he intimates that a terrible
day of vengeance was approaching ; especially to
fathers; and mothers of families, whose personal ca-
lamities would be doubled by the misery of their
children* The prophet Hosea, when he had a vie\v,
in the spirit, of the misery of the ten tribes under
the Assyrian captivity, implores the Lord rather to
give them no offspring, than suffer their children to
be a cause of so much sorrow to the parents, f Hence,
our Saviour had before denounced this woe to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem : " Woe unto them that
are with child, and unto them that give suck in
those days ;" $ when flight will be the only means
of safety, and such persons will be less fit for it than
others. Those unhappy women would doubly feel
all the woes and calamities of the siege of Jerusalem,
on account of their belbved offspring. This pre-
diction was abundantly verified by the melancholy
event : for in less than forty years after this woe was
denounced, the day of vengeance came, attended with
all its terrors. Among other miseries, which the in-
habitants of Jerusalem suffered during the siege, they
were oppressed with such intolerable famine, that-
some mothers ate their own children, and others saw

* Gen. xxx. 23, ; Luke, L 25. t Hosea, ix. 14. J Matt. xxiv. 1 9.

395

their offspring pining with hunger, dying of the
pestilence, cut to pieces, or dashed against the stones
by the Roman soldiers.

2. Our Lord adds, " Then will they begin to say to
the mountains, fall on us ! and to the hills, cover us !"
The prophet Hosea gives a pathetic representation of
the wretchedness of the ten tribes, in similar words.*
The prophet Isaiah, in his description of the siege of
Jerusalem by the Babylonians, says, " And they shall
go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of
the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of
his majesty."! In these words, borrowed from the
prophetic writings, the Lord Jesus foretells the ca-
lamities which Jerusalem should endure, when attacked
by the Romans ; that their misery would be so great,
that many families of distinction would leave their
splendid houses, and fly with their wives and children to
the caves of the mountains, to avoid the cruelty of the
Roman army ; and that hunger and cold would render
those subterraneous retreats so insupportable to them,
that they would long for death.

This prophecy, whether taken in a literal or figu-
rative sense, was fully accomplished; for Josephus
informs us, that on the approach of the Roman army
the Jews fled in crowds to the mountains and hills, and
wandered about or concealed themselves in caves,
where, in all probability, most of them perished with
hunger ; others, weary of such a miserable life, ardently
wished for death. Those who survived the destruction
of Jerusalem were dispered into other countries, where
they in vain sought for refuge ; being persecuted every
where by the wrath of God and of the Lamb. These

* Hosea, x. 8. f Isaiah, ii 29.

396

heavy judgments the Son of God here publicly de-
nounces, that the Jewish nation might be awakened to
repentance, be roused from security, and moved by a
true conversion to God, to avert his heavy displeasure.
For this end,

3. He acquaints them with the true cause of such
terrible judgments ; " For if they do these things in a
green tree, what shall be done in the dry ?" The pro-
phet Hosea compares the Lord Jesus to a green and
fruitful tree.* Christ is called in the Revelation of St.
John, " The tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God."f On the other hand, the impeni-
tent Jews were as dry unfruitful trees, without any
sap of spiritual life, and consequently could bring forth
no fruit of repentance and grace. The cause of their
approaching judgments was twofold. They rejected
and crucified the Messiah; to which our Saviour
alludes, in these words, " If they do these things in a
green tree ;" ' if they thus deal with me, who am in-
nocent of the crimes laid to my charge.' This was
the capital sin of the Jewish nation. They had
already embrued their hands in the blood of many of
the prophets : but now they rilled up the measure of
their iniquities, by putting to death the Son of God
himself. — The other cause of their calamities was their
obstinate impenitence ; they wantonly abused the
patience and long-suffering of God, and notwithstand-
ing all the labours of the Baptist, of Christ himself,
and of his Apostles, continued the same dead and un-
fruitful trees as before. Therefore they could expect
nothing but the execution of that sentence, which
Christ had long since denounced against them in a

* Hosea, xiv. 8. t Revel, ii. 7.

397

parable, viz. *' Cut down [the barren fig-tree] why
cumbereth it the ground."* " Every tree that bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the
fire."f Moreover our Lord, by these words, called
upon the Jewish people to look on his sufferings, as
foreshadowing the wrath which should come upon
their city and nation. A green tree resists the fire ;
whereas a dry tree is quickly consumed. If then
Christ, by nature a green and fruitful tree, was dried
up by the fire of God's displeasure, on account of the
sins of others imputed to him ; if he was loaded with
a curse, and, as it were, rooted out of the land of the
living ; much more would the unbelieving Jews, who
were dead and barren trees, without any sap or spiritual
life, be consumed by temporal and eternal judgments.
It is recorded in history, that the Jews, who were be-
sieged in Jerusalem, unable to hold out any longer
against the miseries which raged within the city, went
out in multitudes to surrender themselves prisoners.
Their number being very great, Titus the Roman
General ordered them to be executed. Great numbers
after being tortured and scourged, were crucified before
the city walls in frightful postures. According to
Josephus, such vast numbers perished in this manner,
that at length there was neither room to erect crosses
near the walls, nor wood sufficient for crosses. Thus
the divine retaliation manifested itself; for God per-
mitted these dry and barren trees to suffer the same
treatment which the green tree had received from them.
Having thus illustrated the sense and meaning of
these words, let us, in the next place, turn our thoughts
to a salutary application of them, and consider the ad-

* Luke, xiii. 7. t Matt. iii. 19-

vantages which both impenitent and penitent souls
may derive 'from their consideration.

1. Among the impenitent we class those who im-
piously despise the covenant of grace, and live in a
total neglect of God's ordinances, and particularly of
the sacrament of the (Lord's Supper ; those who live in
the open violation of the divine laws ; regulating their
lives by the pattern of the world, and imitating its
example in the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh,
or the pride of life. Whatever the religious opinions
of such may be, it does not alter their case ; whether
they are ignorant of the truths of religion, or have
a knowledge of them, attended with conviction. Let
every one .examine himself; and if his conscience
should accuse him, may he be >the more ardently de*
sirous to derive benefit from this last penitential sermon
of our Lord.

.In ^the first place, examine yourself, whether you
jhave placed the whole of your religion in condemning
Judas, the chief priests, .and their officers, Pilate andihis
soldiers; in execrating their tirmoiety; and in expressing
a natural compassion for Christ, as an innocent and
just man. /Many there are, who from such emotions
•conclude themselves to be good 'Christians, and that
their .hearts are well disposed towards their 'Saviour ;
whereas they -never gave any real proofs of their love
to him or to his members ; they are only hypocrites,
and often enemies -to .the cross of Christ. iBeware
•therefore, that you presume not on these as .infallible
«marks of a state of grace : for as a mere natural tender-
.ness of disposition .often produces such ;effects, to be
approved a true disqple of -Christ you must goffurther.
Consider these words of .Christ : " Weep not for me,
but weep fbr yourselves!" Turn your eyes on yourself.

399

and in humble prayer to God, request the assistance of
divine light, in searching your heart ; and be assured,
that if you neither flatter, nor wilfully deceive yourself,
you will have cause to weep for your numberless sins.
If God is pleased to grant you a thorough insight into
your guilt, you will look on yourself as a dry, sapless,
dead, and barren tree, without the least fruit of the
Spirit, either pleasing to God, or beneficial to your
neighbour ; or, at most, with only a few leaves of an ex-
ternal profession of the truth, and observance of public
worship. If under a conviction of your natural indis-
position for any thing that is good, you lift up your
eyes, and examine the threatenings of the law, and
read how the divine justice threatens all dry and barren
trees, the voice which says, " cut it down, why cum-
bereth it the ground," will speak terror to your guilty
conscience. This alarm will be increased by reflecting,
how the justice of God, on account of imputed sin,
did not spare even Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life.
Behold, God spared not his own Son, but visited on
him the sins of the world, which he had consented
should be imputed to him ; and caused him to discharge
to the utmost farthing, those debts for which he 'had
become surety. As he took upon himself the whole
:burden of sin, so was he likewise obliged to bear the
whole weight of God's displeasure. -How did he
tremble, when he was to drink the cup of bitter suf-
ferings ! How did the sanguine streams issue from his
sacred body, and run down on the ground! How was
he reviled, insulted, abused, mocked, and spurned by
merciless hands ! When you seriously consider, how
your sins brought these sufferings upon him, your
awakened conscience will make this inference, " If they
do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in

400

the dry?" You will resemble a malefactor standing
before his judge, to hear the sentence of death pro-
nounced against him ; and will feel something of that
anguish of mind, which Christ describes in these words:
«' Then will they begin to say to the mountains, Fall
on us ! and to the hills, Cover us !" You will be ready,
for fear of an offended God, to hide yourself, if it were
possible, from his presence, in dens and caves of the
earth, convinced that a wretch who has crucified the
Son of God, is not worthy to walk on the earth, or
behold the light of the sun.

It is a legitimate use of Christ's sufferings, to alarm
and awaken the conscience, and we naturally begin
with this method of considering them. The hardened
sinner enjoys himself in full security, though he is the
object of God's displeasure. He says, " I shall have
peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart."
We therefore present to his view the numerous in-
stances recorded in scripture, which proclaim the divine
justice, and teach that the Lord is greatly to be feared.
In particular the heavy judgments which God poured
on the Jews, afford a striking admonition. If God has
not spared the natural branches, what assurance have
we that he will spare us?* But never has God so
awfully manifested his great anger against sin, as in
the sufferings of his beloved Son. « Terror of mind,
(says the pious Luther,) must necessarily arise from a
consideration of the severe displeasure of God against
sin, and his rigour in punishing sinners. Since he
would not acquit his own beloved Son, to whom the
sins of the world were imputed, without such a severe
expiation,— since the beloved Child was thus chastened,

**"" ~™
*Rona. xi. 21.

401

what will be done to actual sinners? Inexpressible
must be that guilt, which required a person of such
transcendent dignity to make satisfaction." Happy is
he, who, from the sufferings of Christ, is filled with a
salutary terror : who is induced to mourn for his sins,
and to implore forgiveness. Such an one will have no
occasion, in the day of wrath, to call on the mountains
and rocks to fall on him, and hide him from the face
of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath
of the Lamb.* — And when the sinner is thus awakened
from his carnal security, he ought in the next place
to learn the advantage which a penitent soul may
derive from the passage under consideration.

2. A penitent is one, who is deeply sensible of his
own depravity, and the heavy wrath of God which his
sins have deserved ; who acknowledges himself a dry
unfruitful tree, fit only for the fire ; and who inwardly
abhors and detests all sin, which caused the Tree of
Life to be so ignominiously treated ; who looks unto
him whom he hath pierced, and mourns. If this, O
man, be the state of thy mind, view thy merciful
^Redeemer turning to thee, and, with a look of tender
affection, addressing himself to thee in these or like
words : * Weep not for me, poor sinner ; for so glo-
rious will be the consequences of my bitter sufferings,
that thou hast cause to praise God for them. I have
discharged the debt of thy sins ; I have abolished the
curse ; I have inclined tke heart of my Father to look
on thee with love ; I have obtained eternal life and
salvation for thee. The punishment which thou didst
deserve I have borne, that thou mayest have peace.
Weep not therefore for me ; for thyself indeed thou

* Revel, vi. 15.

402

mightest well weep, because of thy sins ; but I am the
messenger of the covenant, bringing thee pardon and
grace from my heavenly Father. My blood cries not
for vengeance like that of Abel ; but continually in-
tercedes for reconciliation between God and man.
Therefore wipe thy overflowing eyes. I have counted
thy tears, and these things are noted in my book. I
have removed the sentence of condemnation denounced
against thee at thy birth, and have renewed thee to
eternal life. Thy mother therefore hath no cause to
wish she had not borne thee. — Art thou for seeking
safety among the rocks ? I will hide thee from the
wrath of God, and by my mediation thou shalt be in
perfect security. Art thou afraid of being hewn down
as a dry and barren tree, and therefore dreadest the axe
of God's wrath ? Know that I have suffered its stroke
in thy stead. I have permitted myself to be rooted
out of the land of the living, that thou mightest be
spared. My spirit, which I pour upon thee, shall
make thee green and flourishing ; so that thou shalt be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
its fruit in its season. The name of my Father shall
be glorified by thy bringing forth much fruit, and,
after standing thy appointed time in the garden of my
church on earth, I will transplant thee to my heavenly
Paradise, where thou shalt flourish in everlasting ver-
dure, and thy leaf shall not wither !'

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour ! thanks be to thee for this thy
last penitential sermon. Impress it deeply on our
hearts by thy Holy Spirit. May all sleeping consciences
be roused and awakened to a sincere repentance. Spare,

403

we beseech thee, those barren trees which thou still
findest among us, and by thy quickening power make
them fruitful in good works. As for those whom thou
had already quickened, give them to abound in the
fruits of faith and love, that the name of thy Father
may be glorified in them. Amen.

CHAPTER III.

THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS.

" And they bring him unto a place, called in the Hebrew,
" Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a
" skull. And they gave him to drink vinegar [or sour
" wine] mingled with myrrh and gall: and when he had
" tasted thereof, he would not drink ; and he received it
" not. And tfiey crucified him t/iere, and two other male-
(i factors with him; one on the right hand, and the other
" on (he left, and Jesus in the midst. And the scripture
" was fuffilled, which saith, And he was numbered with
" the transgressors. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive
" them ; for they knovo not what they do.

IN these words we have an account of the crucifixion
of the Lord Jesus.

The place of his crucifixion was Mount Golgotha.
Golgotha, or the place of a skull, and probably derived
that name from the skulls of those who had there been
put to death. How must the soul of the Son of God
have been affected, as he ascended this hijl, covered
with crowds of spectators rejoicing at his ignominious
death ! What a contrast was there between this ascent

404

to Golgotha, and his former descent on Mount Sinai,
when he was attended by hosts of adoring angels, and
displayed his glory to the people of Israel !

The evangelists further observe, that two malefactors
were crucified with him, one on his right hand, the
other on his left. Probably, this was at the instigation
of the Jewish Rulers, to cast the greater contempt on
our Saviour, and to make the people imagine, that he
was guilty of crimes more heinous than either of the
two malefactors. Here we may remark,

1. That it was a place without the walls of the
city. Jerusalem was then accounted the metropolis
of the people of God, where the Deity in a peculiar
manner resided. Jesus was therefore led out of the
city to the place of malefactors, to show that he was
excluded from the presence of God, and the fellowship
of his people. He was to bear our curse, and by
being cast out of the earthly Jerusalem, was to make
us free denizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city
of the living God. Besides, it did not seem proper,
that the great sacrifice of atonement for the sins of
the whole world, should be offered up within the walls
of the Jewish metropolis, like a Levitical offering.
An open place, not confined within walls, better suited
an universal sacrifice.

2. It was an unclean place, polluted with the blood
of malefactors ; a place, where death, as it were, had
set up his standard. Here the Prince of life was to
attack and overcome death in his own camp and
dominion, and to swallow him up in victory.

3. This Mount Golgotha was a part of Mount
Moriah, on which Isaac, that glorious type of Christ,
was to have been sacrificed, and where Abraham re-
ceived a singular demonstration of divine favour. In

405

this very place the great antitype, the true Isaac, the
vSeed of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the earth
were to be blessed, was slain, and by that circumstance
an illustrious pledge was given of God's watchful care
over his church.

4. It was a high place ; agreeable to the prediction,
that Christ should be lifted up as an ensign to the
nations. As Moses and Aaron both died on an emi-
nence, so here, the true High Priest of the new
covenant, and the supreme lawgiver, was to do the
same.

5. Our blessed Saviour was also crucified between
two malefactors, that these words of Isaiah, " He was
numbered with the transgressors,"* might, (as St. Mark
observes,) receive their literal accomplishment. That
we, who are evil doers, might be numbered among the
just, the Holy One of God was numbered among
transgressors.

6. That the place of the crucifixion was without the
walls of Jerusalem, and that Jesus went up to it out
of the city, is mentioned by St. Paul, who observes in
his Epistle to the Hebrews, that Jesus has thereby ful-
filled the type of the sin-offering, instituted in the
Old Testament. " The bodies of those beasts, whose
blood is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest
for sin, are burnt without the camp."f Hence he
draws this conclusion : " Wherefore Jesus, that he
might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered
without the gate." As the blood of the sacrifices on
the great day of atonement was brought into the
sanctuary, and their bodies were burned without the
city ; so Jesus, who also suffered without Jerusalem,

* Isaiah liii. 12. t Ileb. xiii. 11.

Dd 3

406^

is the true sacrifice of atonement ; and his blood was
carried into the heavenly sanctuary for the atonement
of the sins of the whole world. From this circum-
stance the Apostle draws this inference : " Let us go
forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his
reproach." By going forth without the camp, is denoted
a departing from the Jewish religion, which was at that
time extremely corrupt, and from all its outward cere-
monies, which were superseded by Christ. The Apostle
exhorts the converted Hebrews, that they should no
longer adhere to types and shadows ; but relinquishing
the Jewish worship, acknowledge Christ to be the only
High Priest, and his sacrifice the only atonement.
He advises them to appropriate that propitiatory
sacrifice to themselves by faith unto salvation, though
they might on that account be partakers of the re-
proach of Christ. By going forth unto Christ without
the camp, the Apostle also exhorts us to depart from
all the sinful ways of the world, which do not agree
with our profession, as followers of a crucified Saviour.
Let us then come out from the world, which lieth in
wickedness. Let us depart from the company of the
wicked, where the blood of the Son of God is trampled
under foot. Let us go forth from the Sodom of those
carnal delights, which are not consistent with our holy
profession. Let us go forth to Christ, that we may
bear his reproach, and be partakers of his sufferings.
Though the world should ridicule us, and look down
' on us with contempt ; though we should be numbered
among transgressors ; Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,
has already sanctified these hardships by his sufferings.
To these who believe in him, and suffer for his name,
he has made reproach and sufferings the steps to glory.
It should therefore be our fixed resolution, rather to

407

tlie with him on Golgotha, than to deny his truth, and
be ashamed of his reproach.

2. We come, in the next place', to consider the pre-
paration made for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, hy
giving him a disagreeable and bitter potion. For after
having with great difficulty brought the blessed Jesus,
now wearied and quite spent, to Mount Golgotha,
they endeavoured to make him drink vinegar, or sour
wine. It was customary among the Jews to give those
who were to suffer a violent death, a rich cordial of
wine mixed with spices. This custom might be derived
from these words of Solomon : " Give strong drink
unto him that is ready to perish, and wine to those
of a heavy heart ; let him drink and forget his poverty,
and remember his misery no more."* The Jews used
to put a few grains of frankincense into this liquor,
that the sufferer might be the less sensible of the pains
of dissolution. This custom was here so far observed,
that liquor was offered to Jesus to drink before his
crucifixion ; but the indulgence was inhumanly abu-
sed, for, instead of a cordial, the liquor offered to
Christ was bitter and distasteful. Whether the Jews
themselves mixed this liquor, or whether the Roman
soldiers did it at their instigation, it betrayed the
malice and cruelty of our Saviour's enemies.

But let us inquire how the Lamb of God behaved
on this occasion. The evangelists inform us, that
" When he had tasted thereof he would not drink ;"
so that " he received it not." He tasted this bitter
draught, and permitted some drops to moisten his
parched mouth ; hut he refused to drink it.

* Proverbs, xxxi. 6, 7-

We are not, however, to suppose that our blessed
Saviour refused this cup out of mere delicacy, because
the taste displeased &im. We observed above, that
intoxicating liquors were offered to malefactors before
they were executed, to throw them into a state of
stupor, and to make them less sensible of the pangs of
death ; but this was not to be the case with our
blessed Saviour. He dicl not desire to lessen his
sufferings ; but was willing to feel them to the last
instant, and for us to taste death in all its bitterness.*
He was induced by the most exalted love, to offer up
himself to his Father, and voluntarily to lay down his
life in the hour which he had appointed. He was
resolved to preserve his soul in serenity ; he had still
several important things to say on the cross, and many
remarkable prophecies of scripture to fulfil. If his
enemies therefore intended to have deprived him of
his senses, this expectation was baffled, by his declining
to drink the liquor. Hence we may learn the follow-
ing truths.

1. The men of this world are loth to render the
smallest and most ordinary kind offices to the members
of Christ ; and when they are under the unavoidable
necessity of doing them, they take care that their
cordials shall be mingled with gall, and under the spe-
cious appearance of doing good, they endeavour to
mok\st and afflict the children of God. To such
hardships his people must inure themselves. They
may be assured, that instead of any comfort from the
world, all they have to expect is reproach. Their
Chief fared no better, arid they are to expect similar
treatment.

* Hebrews, ii. 9.

2. Christ, by tasting tins nauseous potion, was to
expiate the voluptuous delicacy of our taste, and to
acquire for us the privilege of partaking of the cup of
divine consolations. He did not indeed drink this
liquor ; but he tasted it, and consequently experienced
its bitterness. Sin, and the curse which it entails, are
frequently compared in scripture to gall, vinegar,
wormwood, and other distasteful things. Hence the
prophet says, " Ye have turned judgment into gall,
and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock."* Hence,
also, the scripture attributes to God, a cup of fury or
trembling, the dregs of which all the ungodly shall
wring out and drink.f The Lord also threatens
sinners by his prophet. " I will feed this people with
wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.":j:
This bitterness, which would have been our eternal
potion, our Mediator has once tasted, in order thereby
to expiate the sins of the penitent, to administer to
them divine comfort at the hour of death, and to give
them an antepast of eternal felicity. Therefore, reflect
ye, who still drink the intoxicating cup of Satan, what
the blessed Jesus suffered, to obtain for you a right to
the grace of God, and his consolations. Oh forbear

greedily to drink iniquity like water. $ It will cause
woe and bitterness, perhaps in this world, and in the
next, assuredly torture without end ! Be not afraid
of the bitter gall of godly sorrow, which is far prefer-
able to the false peace of sinful pleasures. Is it not
better to mourn for a short time, than to grieve for
ever ? Is it not better here to drink a bitter potion
in the fellowship of" Christ, and afterwards to be eter-

* Amos, vi. 12. t Psalms, Ixxv. 9. ; Isaiah, li. 17-

J Jeremiah, ix. 15. § Job, xvi. 15.

rially exhilarated with the delights of paradise, than to
be intoxicated with the cup of sin ? — You, who have
tasted the love of God, and the sweetness of his con-
solations, remember that you owe it to that bitterness
of suffering, which your Mediator tasted in your stead.
Let this consideration move you to a more ardent love
of him, who has emptied your cup of its bitterness, and
alleviated your afflictions, by mingling with them
the sweets of his enlivening comforts.

3. In the next place, we are to consider the cruci-
fixion itself. St. John, who was present, thus de-
scribes this transaction : " Where they crucified him."
It seems as if this evangelist, when about to describe
the transaction, was so affected with the melancholy
subject, that love to his divine master would not suffer
him to dwell upon particulars. The Roman manner
of crucifying was as follows. The cross being first
raised perpendicularly, and firmly fixed in the ground,
the criminal who was to be fastened on it was stripped
naked, and so exposed to public view. The soldiers
lifted him on a piece of timber,* which projected from
the erect beam of the cross, like a seat, and placed him
on it, so that the legs hung down on each side. Then
they proceeded to stretch out the upper part of the
body, and to extend both arms ; and having first
bound them to the transverse beam of the cross,
secured them by large iron nails, driven through the

* Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho, in describing the
parts of the cross, speaks of a piece of wood, eV (MO-U T^yva/Aeyoj/, u<;
y.epo.$ x«* at/To e£e%ov, f<p u eire%8yT«< 01 i-JagnfMyat, Irenaeus writes to the
same effect ; and the testimony of both is worthy of full credit,
because in their time, the punishment of crucifixion Was still in use.
The same method is alluded to in the mode of expression of several
ancient writers ; ascendere crucem, insilcre crucem, &c.

411

palms of each hand. Lastly, the legs were stretched
out; and being placed close to each other, each of
them was separately nailed to the perpendicular beam
of the cross.

This punishment was ignominious. The Roman
laws ordered none to be crucified but the worst of
malefactors, who were deemed unworthy to tread on
the earth ; and the divine law annexes a particular
execration to this punishment, for it is written,
" Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." * The
punishment was likewise extremely painful. The
criminal was previously scourged ; and when his gar-
ments were taken off, they tore open the wounds.
The whole body wras so strained, that the bones were
almost dislocated, and the ribs became distinctly
visible, f The piercing of the hands and feet, was
also calculated to occasion excruciating pains ; and
after all, the body, torn by scourges and pierced by
the nails, remained for some hours slowly bleeding to
death, and languishing under inexpressible torture.

What an astonishing humiliation is this ! that the
Lord of glory should take on him such a painful
and ignominious death, and be obedient to his Father,
even to the death of the cross ; that those hands should
be pierced, which had healed so many impotent and
sick ; that the King of Israel should be an abomination,
and the Son of God become a curse !

Upon these circumstances let us observe, that as the
place where our Lord was crucified was not chosen
without God's direction ; so neither was the punish-
ment of crucifixion appointed without the wisest views.

1. It aptly represented Christ's mediatorial office.

* Deut. xxi. 23. ; Gal. iii. 13. t Psalms, xxii. 1?.

412

As he here hung between heaven and earth, so he
was that adorable person who was to reconcile both,
and to make peace between mankind and the offended
Majesty of heaven.

2. By this lingering punishment, our Saviour's
patience, resignation, and obedience, were most fully
tried ; and his inconceivable love to the human race
displayed to the admiration of angels and men.

3. By reason of the curse annexed to this death,
it was the best adapted to him who was to be made
a curse, to obtain for us a blessing ; and by such an
ignominious and painful death, the justice of God and
his extreme hatred of sin were signally manifested.

4. It was a punishment by which the blood of
Christ, which was to be our ransom, and to purify
our consciences from dead works, was abundantly
shed.

5. The wisdom of God had before^ by many types
and prophecies in the Old Testament, signified, that
the Messiah was to die by this mode of punishment.
The prophecies of David * and Zechariah f were par-
ticularly fulfilled by our Saviour's crucifixion. The
offering of Isaac, the erection of a Brazen Serpent,
the Paschal Lamb, and indeed all sacrifices, which
were lifted up, and laid on the altar, were types
which prefigured the death of Christ on the cross.
Our Lord himself had prophesied that the Son of
man should be lifted up : " And I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he
spake, signifying what death he should die." + Let
us humbly adore the infinite wisdom of God, which
appointed this punishment to be inflicted on our

* Psalms, xxii. t Zech. xii. 10. % John, xii. 32, 33. .

413

Mediator. Let us admire the Father's unspeakable
love, in thus giving up his only begotten Son to the
most ignominious death. Let us also gratefully revere
the transcendent love of the Son, in descending from
the throne to die on the cross, and humbling himself
beyond the comprehension of men or angels.

Further : The crucifixion of Christ is to be ac-
counted the most important part of his sufferings.

By our Saviour's suffering on the tree, the sin of
our first parent committed at the tree of knowledge,
and the innumerable transgressions which have been
the consequences of his fall, are expiated. Oh won-
derful love ! worthy subject of our continual medi-
tations, and deserving our most grateful acknowledg-
ments ! So deep a humiliation, so low an abasement
of a person of such transcendent dignity, must ne-
cessarily be productive of glorious and wonderful ef-
fects. On this cross our reconciliation was achieved ! *
On this cross, peace was concluded between heaven
and earth, f On this cross, the hand-writing that was
against us, was cancelled, blotted out, and taken away. $
On this cross, the curse was repealed, and the blessing
obtained. § This cross is, as it were, the ladder by
which man ascends to heaven, and the throne of grace
where the sinner finds pardon and forgiveness. This
is the triumphal car of the commander in chief
of God's host. Here he triumphed over sin, which
he bore in his own body on th'e tree. Here he
triumphed over the power of Satan, whose head was
bruised by the heel of Him, who trod the old serpent
under foot. Here he triumphed over the curse of the
Law, and placed his redeemed in perfect security.

* Eph. ii. 16. t Coloss. i. 20, J Coloss. ii. 14. § Gal. iii. 13, 14.

414

Here he extended his arms, to gather in and embrace
all the truly penitent ; saying, " Look unto me, and
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." Let us learn
from our blessed Saviour's crucifixion, to crucify the
old man, and to mortify self-conceit, self-love, and
every inordinate desire. Henceforth the world must
be crucified unto us ; and the lust of the eye, the
lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, must be as
loathsome in our eyes as an executed malefactor.
Henceforth we must harbour no sinful thoughts, no
vicious desires, which are displeasing to our crucified
Saviour. Henceforth the reproach of Christ must be
our glory, and his cross the standard under which
we must live and die. We must say to our Redeemer,
as faithful Ittai did to David, " As the Lord liveth,
surely in what place my Lord the King shall be,
whether in life or death, even there also will thy
servant be." * Oh blessed fellowship of the cross, the
consequence of which is a fellowship of glory !

4. We come now, in the last place, to consider our
blessed Saviour's intercession for his enemies. He
cried out, " Father, forgive them ; for they know
not what they do." These words probably were
uttered while the Roman soldiers Were extending
his body, and nailing it to the cross. While the
hands of his murderers were thus engaged, he, as a
merciful High Priest, is employed in praying for them,
and interceding with the justice of God to pardon
them : " Father, forgive them." How properly does
Jesus here use the endearing title of Father, when
by the most generous love of his enemies he so glo-
riously resembles his heavenly Father, whose good-
's Sam. xv. 21.

415

ness extends to the unthankful, and to the evil. *
He intercedes with his heavenly Father, that he
would forgive these his blind unthinking creatures
the grievous sin which they were now committing
against his beloved Son, and that he would grant
them time and grace for repentance. " They know
not what they do." As some alleviation for the act,
he alledges their ignorance, and supplicates his Father
to look on these wretched men \\ith eyes of compassion,
to pity their want of understanding, and to bring them
out of their blindness and ignorance into the light
of the gospel. Behold a prophet far surpassing Moses
in meekness and gentleness ! Behold a gracious mo-
narch, who takes more delight in pardoning and for-
giving, than in exercising rigour and severity ! Behold
a merciful High Priest, who has compassion on the
ignorant, and on them that are out of the way ; f and
who, even when he is on the point of offering himself
up for a sacrifice, prays that his enemies may have the
fruits of his atonement !

As these words of our blessed Saviour proceeded
from the most fervent love and affection, they should
leave behind them a salutary impression on our hearts,
and serve as a blessed encouragement to draw sinners
to the arms of his mercy ; those sinners who are, as it
were, within the jaws of death ; who have proceeded
so far as to seem past hopes of mercy ; those sinners
who have received mercy, but forfeited it again ;
and the people of the Lord, who are conscious of
many sins and infirmities. Blessed is the man whom
gratitude to his crucified Saviour constrains to re-
nounce sin and its accursed service, and to offer him

*Luke, vi. 28. tHeb. v. 2.

416

self up to Him who not only loved his own, but also
his very enemies.

PRAYER.

We adore thy love, O merciful Saviour, which
humbled thee even to the cross, that thou mightest
exalt us to the throne of God. Praised be thy name,
that for us rebels thou didst vouchsafe to become a
curse, that the Stream of divine blessings might flow
upon us. Be thou for ever praised, who didst con-
descend to be raised on the cross, as the great antitype
of the brazen serpent which was lifted up in the
desert, that all who look on thee in faith may be
healed and live. * O fulfil in us thy promise, that
after thy exaltation, thou wouldest draw all men after
thee ! f Draw to thy cross the carnal, the secure, and
the licentious; and convince them, that without
crucifying their lusts, they can have no share in the
blessings which thou didst procure by thy crucifixion.
Draw to thy cross, troubled, anxious, and timorous
consciences, and heal them by the salutary view of
thy sufferings. Draw to thy cross thy true disciples,
and grant that they may more and more increase in
grace and wisdom, and in the knowledge of thee.
O gather together those who are scattered abroad, far
from thee and the light of thy gospel, and embrace

them with the arms of thy mercy. Amen.

* John, iii. 1 4. t John, xii. 32.

( 417 }

CHAPTER IV,

THE REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES WHICH FOLLOWED THE
CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST.

<{ And Pilate wrote a superscription of his accusation, and
" put it on Ike cross. And the writing was, Jesus of
" Nazareth, the King of the Jews. This title then read
" many of the Jews ; for the place where Jesus was cru-
" cijied was nigh to the city; and it was written in Hebrew,
" and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of
" the Jews unto Pilate, Write, not, the King of the Jews ;
" but that he said, I am the King of the Jews. Pilate
" answered, What I have written, I have written. Then
" the soldiers, when they had crucijied Jesus, took his
" garments, and made four parts, (to every soldier a part,)
" and also his coat : now the coat was without seam, woven
"from tlte top throughout. They said therefore among
" themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose
" it shall be. And they cast lots upon it what every man
" should take; that the scripture might be fulfilled, which
'« saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my
" vesture did they cast lots. Ihese things therefore the
" soldiers did. And sitting down, they watched him there ;
" and it was about the third hour when they crucijied

Ix these words we have an account of two re-
markable occurrences, which liappened at our Lord's
crucifixion ;

First, The putting up a title or superscription on
the cross.

Secondly, Th« dividing our Saviour's garments.

418

Concerning the title of our crucified Saviour, the
following circumstances are mentioned by the evan-
gelists.

1. The author of it was Pilate. "Pilate wrote a
superscription," i. e. he gave orders that it should be
written and fixed to the cross. Pilate in this particular
acted according to custom. It was usual amongst the
Romans for the cause of the malefactor's punishment
to be written on a tablet, which was carried before him
when he was led to execution ; and after the malefactor
was fastened on the cross, the superscription was placed
over the head of the criminal.

2. The words of this superscription are mentioned ;
and these specified the pretended crime for which Christ
suffered death. Our blessed Saviour had indeed been
charged, both before the spiritual court and the civil
judge, with many crimes, not one of which could be
proved ; but Pilate, in the superscription, confined
himself to that article of the accusation, which the
Jews had mostly insisted on before his judgment-seat.
The capital crime alledged against the Lord Jesus
before Pilate was, that he said he was Christ, a king ;
and when Pilate afterwards laboured to release him,
being sufficiently convinced of his innocence, the Jews
upbraided him in these words : " If thou let this man
go, thou art not Ctesar's friend ; whosoever maketh
himself a king", speaketh against Civsar." XVhen Pilate
afterwards broug-ht Jesus out, mid exhibited him to
the people, saying1, Behold your king1 ; the Jews
publicly declared that they had -no king- but Ciesar,
and insisted with loud voices, that he should be cru-
cified, as a pretender to the sovereign power. Pilate

therefore having delivered Jesus to be crucified, gave
orders for inscribing this on the tablet as the cause of
his crucifixion. The superscription was, " JESUS OF
NAZAHETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." Pilate seems
also to have designed by this title to expose the Jews,
and ridicule their expectation of a king.

3. It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. It
was written in Hebrew, because that was the vernacular
tongue of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, where our
Saviour was crucified. It was written in Greek, be-
cause that language was become verv common all over

•r ^

the East, since , the time of Alexander, and was par-
ticularly spoken by those Jews who were dispersed
among the Gentiles, and of whom great numbers were
now at Jerusalem, on account of the feast. It was also
written in Latin, becailse Judea was then a Roman
province, and consequently under the dominion of the
Roman emperors, who in- their laws and edicts made
use of that language. It is probable, that there were
few persons then at Jerusalem, who could not read this
superscription in one or other of these three languages.

4. A dispute is mentioned, which arose between
Pilate and the Jews concerning this title. As the place
where Jesus was crucified was near Jerusalem, a great
number of Jews resorted thither, and read the super-
scription of our Saviour's accusation. It may be sup-
posed, that when so famous a prophet, the fame of
whose doctrines and miracles, had spread over the
country, was hanging on the cross between two male-
factors, it must have occasioned many surmises, and
awakened in the minds, both of foreigners and in-
habitants, a curiosity to know the cause of so strange
a catastrophe. The chief priests, observing that va-
rious remarks were made by the spectators on the

Ee 2

420

title "This is the King of the Jews," enter their
protest against the superscription, and desire the
governor will order it to be taken down, and another
to be set up in its place. They could not digest the
assertion which it contained ; since to style a crucified
malefactor their king, seemed an affront to the Jewish
nation. Therefore they request that instead of "the
King of the Jews," it should be written, " He said,
I am the King of the Jews." ' Jesus did indeed pre-
tend to be the king of the Jews ; but we are so far
from acknowledging him as such, that, as loyal subjects
to the Roman emperor, we have caused him to be
crucified.'

The chief priests however met with a repulse on this
occasion. Pilate, who was naturally churlish, and was
also chagrined and disgusted at the tumult raised by
the Jews, refused to comply with their demands, and
made this abrupt answer : " What I have written, I
have written :w— ' What has been written by my com-
mand I will abide by ; I shall not alter a single tittle
to humour you, who ought to be satisfied with having
obtained your principal design.' The Jewish rulers
thought they had got the power into their own hands,
and that as they had awed Pilate into a compliance
with their former demands, he would be always their
submissive servant. On this occasion, however, Pilate
put on the imperious air of a governor, who would not
be dictated to ; a resolution which he ought to have
shown before. Hut the hand of God was in this trans-
action ; and he already began to rebuke the enemies of
Christ, and to abate their exultations at his death by
this disappointment. In fact, all the circumstances of
the superscription were directed by the divine will. If
Pilate had his political views, God in his wisdom per-

421

laitted and ordered it. For it is said in the Acts of the
Apostles,* that Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and
the people of Israel, did against Jesus what the hand
and counsel of God had before determined to be done.
1. This superscription was overruled, to be a re-
markable testimony to our Saviour's spotless character
and divine mission. No guilt appeared in tljis holy
and innocent person, and Pilate could not charge him
with any crime in the writing. It likewise contained
a testimony to his divine mission ; for here JESUS hung
on the cross ; Jesus who was to save his people from
their sins ; of whom all the prophets testified, that
they •who believed in him should obtain remission of
their sins ; and of whom they predicted, that he should
be called a Nazarene : he was therefore to bear this
this title, JESUS OF NAZARETH. The title, KING OF
THE JEWS, alludes to the writings of the prophets,
where the promised Messiah is described as a King:
" Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will
raise unto David a righteous Branch, and A KING shall
reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and
justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is the name
whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteous-
ness."! " Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion ! Shout
O daughter of Jerusalem ! Behold, thy KING cometh
unto thee !" J Therefore, according to the language of
the prophets, this title wras the same as if it had been
expressed, " This is Jesus the Messiah." Moreover,
as this royal title was fixed upon the cross, it denotes
that his kingdom is not a worldly kingdom, but the
kingdom of the cross ; and that the preaching of the

* Chap. iv. 27, 28. f Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. J Zech. ix. 9.

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422

cross should be the means by which this kingdom
should be established among Jews and Gentiles. Other
sovereigns at their demise are deprived of their dignity,
and leave their power to others ; but this King ob-
tained even in death a glorious triumph over his
enemies ; and of him it may be said, that he did not
take possession of his kingdom till after his decease.
Further; as this title was written in the three languages
which were then most known in the world, we are to
understand that Jesus was not only the king of the
Jews, but was to be a king over the whole Israel of
God, which was to be gathered together from all
people, nations, and languages. That Pilate,' a person
of distinction, and the Roman governor of the pro-
vince, should himself cause the superscription to be
thus written, " Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the
Jews," was a prophetic intimation that Pagan rulers
and governors would acknowledge Christ to be the
Lord. And the objection which the Jewish rulers
made against this title, may intimate the opposition
which the doctrine of Jesus being the Messiah and
King of Israel, should afterwards meet with from the
unbelieving Jews.

2. The same omnipotent hand which directed Pilate
in drawing up the superscription, also restrained him
from giving way to the Jews, who wanted an alteration
in this title. For, since it was to serve as a declaration
of our Saviour's character, the Jews were by no means
to be gratified, who were for charging him as an im-
postor, and requested Pilate to write, " That he said,
I am the King of the Jews." Now, though this was
in some measure true, Christ having openly declared
that he was a king, yet it would thus have appeared
.as if he had falsely pretended to that dignity. The

423

title therefore remained without change, like the kingly
dignity of Christ, which is everlasting and unchange-
able. Though the world exert itself in noise and
tumult, and though Jews and Gentiles join together
in council, and use their united efforts to shake off the
yoke of this Almighty King ; yet, as the Psalmist
prophesies, their combined efforts to dethrone that
King, whom God has anointed, will at last turn to their
own confusion.

3. Whoever will acknowledge Jesus to be his
Saviour, and expect to be saved by him, must resolve
to take up his cross. How many are industrious in
endeavouring to separate Christ and the cross ! A Sa-
viour they would readily embrace ; but not a Saviour
who will lay the cross on them. How few can
adopt the language of St. Paul: "God forbid that
I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ !" * Yet the cross is now rendered honourable ;
since Christ our Saviour hung on it, with the kingly
title fastened over his sacred head ; and whoever owns
the crucified Jesus as his king, must also be willing
to enter into the fellowship of his reproach. Jesus,
as we have seen, was in the title, termed a king ; yet
behold him in reproach and ignominy, hanging be-
twixt heaven and earth. Thus believers likewise are
styled kings and priests to God ; and yet how des-
picable does this kingly dignity appear in the eyes
of the wrorld ! During the Pagan persecutions it was
usual, in leading a martyr to execution, to carry
before him a tablet, on which was written the cause

* Gal. vi. 14.

424

of his death, in these words : " This a Christian." *
If we had lived in those times, should we have been
ready to profess ourselves Christians? It is to be
feared, that if the consequence of such a declaration
were death, many of us would have hesitated. Yet
did our Saviour for our sakes undergo such a weight
of sufferings ; and shall we not for his sake, and for
the confession of his kingdom, endure the reproach of
that world, which still hates his cause and people ?

4. As God can so incline the hearts of his enemies
as to make them subservient to his decrees, we, who
are under his protection, ought to lay aside all fear of
man. What a remarkable proof was it of God's
power in turning the heart, that Pilate should write
the truth unknowingly ; and should, as it were, pro-
claim the gospel of the kingdom in three different
languages ! This should be an assurance to believers,
that all tilings are over-ruled by their heavenly Fa-
ther ; and that even the devices and schemes of their
enemies shall terminate in promoting his decrees.
Evil men and spirits are under his controul; and,
even against their will, must execute what God has
appointed.

5. When the cause of Christ seems to be in the
greatest danger, then God most eminently displays
his glory. The enemies of Christ expected, when lie
was fastened to the cross, that they should bear down
all before them. But behold ! while Jesus was yet
hanging on the cross, God begins to glorify his name

* Eusebius, in the 5th Book of his Ecclesiastical History, relates,
that a tablet was carried before the msrtyr Attains, as he was led
round the amphitheatre, with the inscription: Hie evt AttaJits
Christiamts.

425

by directing Pilate to say, " What I have written,
I have written." The case is still the same : when
things seem irretrievable, God draws a line, and sets
bounds to the desire of the wicked, saying, " Hitherto
shalt thou come but no further ; here shall thy proud
waves be stayed." *

II.

We proceed to consider the second remarkable
circumstance which happened at the crucifixion ;
namely, the dividing of our Saviour's garments.
The account of this circumstance presupposes, that
Jesus was stripped of his garments before he was
lifted up on the cross. Neither the pain, nor the
ignominy with which this indignity was attended,
caused the Lamb of God to make any resistance.
He patiently submitted to be exposed naked before
the assembled multitude; he was stripped of every
thing ; and as the Apostle saith, " he became poor for
our sakes, that we through his poverty might be
rich." f

The Lord Jesus being thus fastened to the cross,
his clothes, according to the usage of the Romans, fell
to the lot of the soldiers who had performed the ex-
ecution. His garments were two; namely, a lar<re
upper robe, which came down to the feet/ according
to the eastern custom, and under this, a close vest
St. John, who was present on Mount Golgotha, re-
lates the manner in which the soldiers proceeded in
dividing each of these robes. Of the upper garment
they made four parts, to every soldier a part. Some
commentators have observed, that such garments were

* Job, xxxviij. 11. f 2 Cor. viii. Q.

426

made of four pieces sewed together, and therefore
might be very conveniently thus divided. As for
the close vest or coat, as it did not consist of several
pieces sewed together, but was woven without any
seam, they wrould not rend it, but cast lots whose
it should be. By this division of our Saviours gar-
ments that remarkable scripture was fulfilled, in which
David introduces the Messiah making this complaint:
" They parted my raiment among them, and for my
vesture they did cast lots." * This prophecy, which
even the ancient Jewish church understood of the
Messiah, was now fulfilled; and its accomplishment
is here mentioned by St. John. If our Saviour's
garments had been only divided, it might be said,
that this was no more than David might very easily
have conjectured ; it being customary, almost in every
country, for the clothes of executed criminals to fall
to the executioner. But how could David, from mere
conjecture, foretell, that lots would be cast for the
Messiah's vesture? This circumstance entirely de-
pended on the choice of the Roman soldiers; and
yet the Holy Spirit caused it to be predicted many
hundred years before ; that, by the accomplishment
of it, we might be assured that these things did not
fall out fortuitously. No one that lived in the time
when this prophecy was delivered in the Old Testa-
ment, would have thought that it would so long-
after be fulfilled, thus literally, and in the very order
of the words as delivered by the Psalmist. Yet who
could have less intention of fulfilling the scripture
than these soldiers, who did not so much as know
that any such occurrence had been foretold by the

* Psalms, xxii. 18.

427

prophet! Thus the divine wisdom directs circum-
stances in such a manner, that men unknowingly
fulfil what he has determined ; and yet not by com-
pulsion, but still retaining a free agency. St. John,
who was an eye-witness of the whole transaction,
breaks out into an exclamation of wonder : " These
things, therefore, the soldiers did !" Luther, in his ex-
planation of the 22d Psalm, has a remarkable passage
on this proceeding. " It is my opinion," says he,
" that the soldiers did not divide our Saviour's gar-
ments for the sake of any profit or advantage, but
merely by way of ridicule and jest ; as a token that all
was over with Jesus, and that he was lost and de-
stroyed, extinct, and utterly forgotten, as the basest
and most contemptible of men. Therefore they not
only deprive him of life, but would not let his friends
or relations have even his clothes for a memorial of
him. These miscreants neither expected that he would
rise again, nor were afraid that his death would be
avenged by his heavenly Father."

The soldiers, after they had divided his garments,
sat by the cross, and watched the Lord Jesus. This
\vas the Roman custom ; for it was usual to set one
or two soldiers, and sometimes more, to watch such
as were crucified, lest their friends should carry them
off. Some are of opinion, that a stronger force than
usual was appointed to watch our Saviour on the
cross, at the solicitation of the chief priests ; yet, by
the divine superintendence, this precaution served
only to confirm before all the people, the reality, first
of his death, and afterwards of his resurrection.

Let us now turn our eyes to the Lord Jesus ; who
has both, atoned for our sins, and acquired grace for
us by his behaviour on this occasion.

428

1. He lias expiated the loss of the divine image,
and of that glorious innocence bestoAved on our first
parents. Man was then pure from all inordinate de-
sires and evil propensities, so that he was not ashamed
of his nakedness ; for he knew no sin, and conse-
quently experienced no shame. This invaluable jewel
we lost in Adam, at his fall. But Christ has obtained
for us a garment to cover the nakedness of our souls.
This was prefigured by the coats of skins, which God
provided for our first parents, after their eyes became
opened, to perceive that they were naked. * Jesus
Christ himself, is in scripture represented as a gar-
ment, which we are to put on ; " Put ye on the Lord
Jesus." f " As many of you as have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ." $ The scriptures
speak of " a garment of salvation, and a robe of
righteousness." J The righteousness of Christ is his
perfect obedience, by which he has fulfilled whatever
the sinner was to have done to acquire a right to
eternal life ; and suffered all that the sinner was to
have suffered, by making atonement to divine justice.
Now, as this righteousness is imputed by God to the
penitent sinner, and accepted by him through faith ;
so it may very properly be compared to a garment,
since it is of the same use to the soul, as a garment is
to the body, both cherishing and adorning it. The
righteousness of Christ covers the nakedness of the
soul, and protects it against the divine wrath. || It
is such a glorious ornament, that, in this dress, the
believer need not be ashamed to appear before the
throne of God, and to have fellowship with the

* Gen. iii 21. t Rora. xiii. 14. J Gal. iii. 27. § Isa. Ixi. 10.
|| Psalms, xxxii. 1. ; Rev. iii. 18.

429

citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. But as the
human body can receive no benefit from a garment
without putting it on ; so must the righteousness of
Jesus Christ be put on, before it can cover, protect, and
adorn the soul. And it is put on, when the soul by
faith and love becomes united to Christ Jesus, and
by obeying his precepts, brings forth the fruit of good
living ; so that putting on the Lord Jesus, includes
both our justification and sanctification. In the justi-
fication of believers, the righteousness of Christ is im-
puted to them at the divine tribunal, and received by
them through faith ; so that God no longer looks on
them as they are in themselves, in their corrupt, sinful
nature, but as they are in the Son of his love, in whom
his soul is well pleased. In their sanctification, the
spirit of Christ works in them an active righteousness.
A true faith by which we put on Christ, must produce
all the fruits of the spirit, and this is called in scripture
" putting on the new man,* putting on bowels of
mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-
suffering."! Thus Christ obtained for us a robe of
salvation ; and by putting on the garment of our first-
born Brother, we happily inherit the blessing. This
garment, like the coat of the Lord Jesus, is not to be
divided, but must be put on entire. Christ is not only
made our righteousness, but likewise our sanctification ;£
and therefore they who desire his righteousness as a
covering for sin, but deny his sanctifying power, and
do not seek after holiness, have no part or lot in the
Lord Jesus.

Moreover, our Mediator, by these ignominious cir-
cumstances, has sanctified the sufferings of his children

* Ephw. iv, 24. i Colois. iii. 12. % I Cor. i. 30.

430

in times of persecution, when they are destitute even
of clothes and shelter, and their goods are withheld
or taken away by the violence of strangers.
. He has also sanctified a state of spiritual nakedness
and desertion, when the soul lies without comfort,
strength, tranquillity, or joy; and when all it has to
rest on, is the word of divine promise.

Lastly, The Son of God, by this part of his suf-
ferings, has left us an example. We must be ready,
when God requires it, to be stripped of all temporal
things, and to give our cloak to those who would take
our coat, rather than sin, by revenging ourselves : we
must suffer injustice, rather than do an injury.

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour ! we thank thee for the lessons
which we have been taught from these circumstances
attending thy passion. Praised be thy name, who by
the title on the cross hast taught us, that even in
death thou didst still remain* our Saviour and our
King. Make us partakers of those blessings, which
thou hast procured for us. May we be truly sensible
of the shame of our spiritual nakedness: may we know
the insuffiency of our own righteousness, and desire to
be clothed with thine ; that, after being unclothed,
and laying aside the garment of the flesh, we may
be clothed upon and arrayed in the effulgent robe of
heavenly glory, and find mortality swallowed up of
life! Amen.

431

CHAPTER V.

THE MENTAL SUFFERINGS OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

" And the people stood beholding ; and tJiey that passed by
" reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou
" that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
" save thyself; if thou be the Son of God, come down from
" the cross. Likewise also, the chief priests, mocking him
" with the scribes and elders, said, lie saved others, him-
" self he cannot save. If he be the Christ, the king of
" Israel, the chosen of God, let. him save himself, and now
" come down from the cross, that we may see it, and we will
" believe him. He trusted in God ; let him deliver him
" now, if he will have him ; for he said, I am the Son of
" God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to himt
" and offering him vinegar; and saying, If thou be the
" King of the Jews, save thyself. The thieves also, who
" were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. And
" one of the malefactors, who were hanged, railed on him,
" saying, If thou be the Christ, save thyself and MS."

THE opprobrium and derision offered to Christ on
the cross, may be considered as the crucifixion of his
soul. For, if the nails that were driven through his
hands and feet put him to sensible pain, these mock-
eries, insults, and invectives, must have occasioned still
greater torture to his soul. David complains, that
" as with a sword in his bones, his enemies reproach
him, while they say daily unto him, Where is now
thy God ?" It is beyond our comprehension what the
Son of David felt, when many tongues, set on fire of
hell, discharged their mockeries against him. St. Paul

432

says of apostates, that " they crucify to themselves the
Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame ;" '
and he may very justly be said to have been, as it
were, crucified by those horrid blasphemies, revilings,
and mockeries which he heard on the cross. During
the sufferings of ChristJ all descriptions of men had
employed their tongues in persecution and torture.
The tongue of Judas had betrayed him to his enemies
by that hypocritical salutation, Hail, master ! Peter
had denied him with imprecations. False witnesses
had slandered him. The high-priest, Caiaphas, and
the other members of the Sanhedrim, had condemned
him as a blasphemer, had falsely accused him before
Pilate and Herod, and charged him with enormous
crimes. The officers of the council had ridiculed his
prophetical office, and the Roman soldiers his regal
dignity. Herod had insulted him by impertinent and
insolent questions. Pilate had pronounced sentence of
death on him, and ordered him to be scourged and put
to death. The whole Jewish people had cried, Cru-
cify him ! Crucify liim ! And now, when he was
actually fastened on the cross, and the hands of his
enemies could do no more, their envenomed tongues
were the more virulent. The spirit of darkness who
inspired them, now made his last attempt on the soul
of our blessed Lord, who was to feel the wrath of God
to the uttermost.

The persons who reviled our Saviour on the cross
were, the people, the rulers of the Jews, the Roman
soldiers, and the malefactors who were crucified with
him.

1. The people who stood about the cross of Christ

* Hebrews,, vi. 6.

433

were guilty of this enormous sin. We have observed
before, that our blessed Saviour was followed to the
place of crucifixion by a great multitude. It is pro-
bable, that not only Mount Golgotha, but the adjacent
eminences were covered with spectators ; especially as
Jerusalem was then filled with an immense concourse
on account of the Passover. Then was seen in the
great antitype, the accomplishment of what was
typically done on the animal feast of atonement; for
the whole congregation of the children of Israel stood
round the high priest, when he offered the sacrifice
for the sins of the people. Thus the High Priest over
the house of God, at the time when he offered himself
on the cross to his heavenly Father, was surrounded
' by a vast multitude ; who, according to the divine
decree, were to be witnesses of this universal sacrifice.

2. We also find involved in the guilt of reviling
our Saviour, the rulers of the people ; or, as- they are
specified by St. Matthew, the chief priests, the scribes,

and the elders. Thus the civil and ecclesiastical chiefs

of the Jewish nation were present. These persons, on
account of the approaching Passover, had, according to
the law of Moses, affairs of a different nature requiring
their attendance. Besides, this polluted place of ex-
ecution ill suited the pretended scrupulous consciences
of those who, but six hours before, would not set a,
foot within a Pagan court of justice, lest they should
be defiled. But an inhuman, rancour against Jesus
had brought them hither, along with the rabble ; and
they were witnesses of the sufferings of Christ, and ot%
the unexampled patience, mildness, and piety, which
he displayed, to the contusion of these his enemies.

3. The Roman soldiers likewise shared in this guilt.
St. Luke observes, that the soldiers also mocked him.

434

In the judgment-hall of Pilate, they had already com-
mitted several outrages against him, and vexed our
Saviour's righteous soul by profane and contumelious
reflections. Yet they were so far from having exhausted
their malice, that they still made the crucified Jesus the
object of their ridicule.

Lastly, « The thieves also, who were crucified with
him, cast the same in his teeth :" from which words one
would be apt to conclude, that both the malefactors con-
curred in reviling our blessed Saviour. Yet St. Luke
expressly says, one of them railed on him, but was
rebuked by the other. Hence some have supposed,
that the other also reviled him at first, but soon after-
wards was seized with compunction, reproved his com-
panion, and became a convert to our Lord.

We may observe,

1. That Christ suffered himself to be mocked and
abused by all ranks of men, to deliver all from the
spirit of mockery and abuse.

It is an awful consideration that all classes of spec-
tators sharpened their tongues against the ever-glorious
Son of God. He was mocked by Jews and Gentiles,
by young and old, by the learned and ignorant, by
teachers and hearers, by the priests and magistrates, by
private men and soldiers. This was to expiate that
corrupt inclination to mock and ridicule the most sacred
persons and things, which has generally infected the
human heart, and prevails in every rank, age, and sex.
What St. Paul says of carnal men, namely, that the
poison of asps is under their lips,* displayed itself in
the mockeries and invectives, which were poured forth
against our Lord. By patiently submitting to these

* Rom. iii. 13; Psalm?, cxl. 3.

435

reproaches, he has procured forgiveness of such offences
for all, whether Jews or Gentiles, who penitently ac-
knowledge these heinous sins, heartily bewailing and
sincerely abhorring them.

2. The same sins may be committed by different
persons, and yet their respective degrees of guilt may
be different. Here both Jews and Gentiles reviled and
mocked our Saviour ; but it is certain, that the .Jews
sinned much more grievously than the Gentiles ; since
they mocked that Jesus, whom they might have known
to be the Messiah from the writings of the prophets.
Besides, our Lord had hitherto conversed with and
lived among them, and wrought many surprising
miracles for the souls and bodies of their countrymen.
They, as the peculiar people of God, should have set
an example to the uncircu incised Gentiles. We find
also that the chief priests mocked him, together with
the people ; but it is evident that the former were
guilty of a greater crime than the latter. They had
the key of knowledge, and, from the prophetical
writings, ought to have been better informed con-
cerning the Messiah's state of humiliation. They
should have reproved the scoffing multitude, instead
of exciting them by their example.

3, Punishment does not work amendment without
the concurrence of divine grace- An instance of this
is seen in one of the thieves, who, notwithstanding
his sufferings, joined in mocking the blessed Jesus.
If the severest punishments could ensure amendment,
this malefactor would have been converted as well as
the other. Yet the contrary effect not only happened
in the instance before us, but may be observed daily.
Even the terror of the sword, the gallows, or the
wheel, is insufficient to convert a criminal, unless grace

Ff 2

436

interposes to change and mollify the heart. Nay it is
often seen that profligate sinners are rather hardened
than reformed, not only by temporal punishments, but
even by divine chastisements. Such is the corruption
of human nature ; so deeply rooted in many is the love
of sin ! O that to none of us this complaint of the
prophet may be applied : *• Thou hast stricken them,
but they have not grieved ; them hast consumed them,
but they have refused to receive correction ; they have
made their faces harder than a rock, they have refused
to return." *

We come in the next place to consider the means
used to aggravate our Lord's mental sufferings on the

oo o

cross. " The people stood beholding, and the rulers
also with them derided him." This melancholy spec-
tacle was an entertainment to many of them ; and their
eyes, which ought to have wept on account of the
pain and torture which the Lord of Glory endured,
sparkled with malignant joy at his bitter pains. It is
usual for persons to express a concern for a malefactor
under sentence, and particularly when they see him
languishing in the tortures of a lingering death. But

fj ^J C7 C7

there was not the least trace of any such humane con-
cern in the enemies of Christ. How must his generous
soul have been affected with the rudeness, insolence,
and cruelty, which appeared in so many thousands of
spectators ! Of this the Messiah had long before com-
plained by the mouth of David in these words : " They
stand staring and looking upon me:f they opened their
mouth wide against me, and said, Aha! Aha!":" The
evangelist adds ; " They who pas'sed by reviled him,
v/agging their heads." This gesture, among the Jt »w <

* Jer. v. 3. + IV.'ihus, xxii. 1?. + Psalms, xxxv. 5h

437

and other Eastern nations, was expressive of the utmost
contempt. In the 2d Book of Kings it is said, " The
virgin, the daughter of Sion, hath despised thee, and
laughed thee to scorn ; the daughter of Jerusalem hath
shaken her head at thee ;" * and it is remarkable, that
it was foretold that Messiah would experience this kind
of mockery : for he is represented in the Psalms as
complaining thus : " All they that see me laugh me to
scorn : they shoot out the lip, and shake the head." f
" I became also a reproach unto them ; when they
looked upon me, they shaked their heads." £ " The
rulers of the people derided him ;" which word in the
original" signifies, by turning up the nose, to express
disdain or contempt. $ The soldiers also, by way of
mockery, came to him, and offered him vinegar or sour
wine, instead of a cordial to support his spirits. That
these insults were very painful to his soul, may be
sufficiently inferred from the bitter complaints ascribed
to the Messiah in the Book of Psalms, of the reproach
of his enemies. — They derided

1. His truth and omnipotence, saying, *' Ah, thou
that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three
days, save thyself, and come down from the cross !"
The preceding night, when Jesus stood before the
Sanhedrim, the Jews had scandalously perverted these
words by their false witnesses. Here they are again
cast in his teeth. Their intention was to expose our
Lord as a chimerical boaster ; one who was not able to
make good his pretensions. Thus the Eternal Truth
submitted to pass for a liar, and the power of the
Most High was accounted vain and impotent.

* 2 Kings, xix. 21. t Psalms, xxii. ?. J Psalms, cix. 35.

§ E&</.vy.njpj£oy, ii t/.vY.rqr. nasus.

F f , 3

438

Further, They derided the honour of the eternal
Sonship of Jesus Christ. " If thou be the Son of God,
come down from the cross." * If he be the Christ, the
chosen of God, let him come down : for he said, I
am the Son of God.' Satan had formerly began
his temptation with this suggestion ; " If thou be the
Son of God, cast thyself down."* Here the instru-
ments of Satan say, " If thou be the Son of God, come
down from the cross." Satan thus challenged the Son
of God to come down from the cross, and attest the
truth of his eternal Sonship by a miracle. That very
action would however have proved him not to be the
obedient Son of the Heavenly Father. For by coining
down alive from the cross, he would have disobeyed
his Father; who required from him obedience unto
death, even the death of the cross.

3. They ridiculed the miracles wrought by our
Lord, by which he had sealed his doctrines, and re-
lieved such multitudes. " He saved others : himself
he cannot save." Thus they would render the truth
of his former miracles suspected ; arguing, that if his
miracles proceeded from God, he would be able to help
himself as well as others ; and as it was plain he could
not help himself, therefore his miracles did not proceed
from God. Our Lord in the first year of his ministry
had foretold, that he should be thus insulted : " Y.e
will surely say unto me this proverb : Physician, heal
thyself."! This prophecy was here fulfilled by his
-enemies. Our Saviour, indeed, did not want power
to help himself; but lie forbore to exert that power,
that he might help us ; for he preferred our deliverance
to his. own.

* Matt. iv. 6. t Luko, iv. 23.

439

4. Our blessed Lord's confidence in his heavenly
Father was here ridiculed. " He trusted in God ; let
him deliver him now, if he will have him ;* (i. e. if
God have pleasure in him, and acknowledge him for
his Son ;) for he said, I am the Son of God." Christ,
in his discourses, had often expressed a confidence in
his Heavenly Father, and declared that he loved him,f
that he sought and promoted his honour; that his
Father did not leave him alone, but was with him,
and assisted him. They therefore endeavour to over-
throw our Saviour's confidence in his Father. Almost
the very words used by these scoffers are found in the
Psalms : " He trusted in God, that he would deliver
him; let him deliver him, if he delight in liiin."^
Thus they again unknowingly fulfilled the scripture.

5. They ridiculed the kingly dignity of Christ.
" Let Christ the king of Israel descend now from the
cross, that we may see and believe." " If thou be the
king of the Jews, save thyself." ' If thou intendest by
thy military prowess to deliver the Jews from the do-
minion of the Romans, deliver thyself first, and thus
give a proof of thy power.' As it was out of the power
of the chief priests to erase the superscription, " this is
the king of the Jews," (which was a great offence to
them,) and as they could not prevail on Pilate even to
alter it, they were incited to ridicule it, by saying, * If
he be the king of Israel, as he is styled in the super-
scription, let him come down from the cross and prove
it.' To this they add, by way of derision, a promise
that they would then believe on him. Yet if Christ
had actually descended from the cross, these very

* E.1 Sre?.u avToy. t John, iii. 35.— viii. 16, 29, 50, 54.— xvi. 32,
J Psalms, xxii. 8.

Ff4

441)

persons would, in all probability, have imputed the
miracle to sorcery-

••

Lastly, Our Lord's office of Messiah was ridiculed.
The chief priests cried out, " Let him save himself,
if he be the Christ or Messiah." One of the crucified
malefactors also railed on him, saying, "If thou be
Christ, save thyself and us." Thus whatever was ve-
nerable, great, and glorious, in the person of the Lord
Jesus, was the subject of the most scurrilous reflections.
His omnipotence, his eternal sonship, his divinity,
his miracles, his confidence in his Father, his regal
dignity, and his office of Messiah, were all exposed to
ridicule. We shall conclude this consideration by de-
ducing two remarks.

1. The opprobrious words, by which the blessed
Jesus was insulted, are to be accounted amongst Satan's
severe temptations.

When Satan at the beginning of our Saviour's mi-
nistry had been repulsed by our Lord, it is said, " lie
departed from him for a season."* Now, at the close
of his life, he returns to the charge, and endeavours
by these his instruments, to move our Lord to im-
patience, or excite in him a desire of giving a proof
of his omnipotence, by coming down from the cross ;
by which means the whole coun.se! of God concerning
our salvation would have been frustrated. 15ut as the
Son of God remained faithful in the first trial, which
he underwent immediately after his baptism; so he
-showed the same firmness in this last encounter. The
'great Captain of our salvation submitted to these trials.
that he might triumph over Satan, notwithstanding
utmost efforts; that he might bruise his head,

v I,uke,iv. J.'>.

•141

extract the sting of his temptations, and obtain for us
strength to remain firm in all trials, and to come oft'
more than conquerors.

2. As the Son of God nailed to the cross was as-
saulted by the revilings of his enemies, so when his
members are, as it were, externally hanging upon the
cross, when the waves of affliction are running over
them, the tongues of their persecutors discharge their
poisonous arrows. But great will be the reward of
those, who in this particular are made like unto Christ,
the first-born among many brethren. They must,
after his example, keep silence, and amidst all the
rage of the world, possess their souls in patience ; and
all will end in their eternal triumph.

PRAYER.

WE thank thee, O Redeemer, who didst not only
suffer thy body to be crucified, but wast also wounded
and vexed in thy soul by the arrows of envenomed
tongues, that thou Brightest heal us in body and soul.
"Let this part of thy sufferings work in us a serious ab-
horrence of all derision and contumely ; and grant that
we may patiently suffer all the waves of abuse to pass
over us, and in all sufferings may remain faithful, and
willingly submit to be reproached with thee, that we
may be made partakers of thy glory. Amen.

442

CHAPTER VI.

THfc. GIFTS CONFERRED BY OUR LORD JESUS WHILE
HE HUNG UPON THE CROSS.

* But the otlier malefactor answering, rebuked him [u:ho
" railed on Jesus] saying* Dost than not fear God, seeing
" thoit art in the same condemnation ? And we indeed
" justly : for we receive the due reward of our dteds ;
" but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said
" unto Jesus, Lord, remember me) when thou comest into
" thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Eerily, 1 say
" unto thee, to-day shall thou be with me in paradise.
" Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mot/ter, and
" his mother's sister, Alary the wife of Cleophas, and
" Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his
" mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved,
" he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son !
*' Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother ! And
"/row that hour this disciple took her unto his own
" home."

THE blessed Jesus here distributes such noble gifts, as
none of the rich and powerful can bestow. For,

1. On a believing and penitent sinner, he bestows
the happiness of paradise.

2. To his disconsolate mother, he gives a faithful
Son.

3» To John, his beloved disciple, he gives a tender
affectionate mother.

The crucified Jesus confers paradise on a penitent
and believing sinner.

1. The person who obtained this gift was a robber

443

and murderer ! It is probable that he had been born
and educated in the Jewish church ; for, if he had been
a Gentile, he would have known nothing of the king-
dom of the Messiah, or of paradise. But as the Jewish
church was then extremely corrupt, and the country
was infested with banditti, who gave themselves up
to rapine and plunder, this man had probably belonged
to one of these gangs. It is not altogether improbable
that he might at some period of his life, have heard
the discourses of our Lord ; and though bad habits had
for the present suppressed every good inclination, yet
afterwards, amidst the leisure and reflections of his
confinement in prison, the good instruction of his early
youth might have worked upon his heart. For a
grain of the divine word frequently falls on an un-
cultivated soil ; so that it produces no fruit till after
the lapse of many years, when sufferings and afflictions
cause it to spring up.

As to this malefactor's state, while he hung on the
cross, it was outwardly very wretched : but inwardly,
his heart was under the influence of the Holy Spirit,
who was producing in him repentance and faith, and
who employed him as an instrument to glorify the
crucified Jesus, in the extremity of his sufferings and
reproach. Of his repentance indeed, the evangelists
give no express account ; but it is sufficiently ap-
parent from his reproof to his fellow-sufferer. For
that shows,

1. An abhorrence of sin ; which prompted him
to check his companion in his abuse of the crucified
Jesus. A holy zeal, and indignation against sin, is
numbered by the apostle St. Paul among the effects
of godly sorrow. *

*2 Cor. vii. 11.

444

2. It showed a devout fear of God. " Dost not
thou fear God ?" Had he still delighted in wickedness,
the fear of God would not have been before his eyes. *
Hut, having now a deep sense of the abomination of
sin, his mind was impressed with the divine majesty,
holiness, and justice. He was pained because his com-
panion joined in reviling Christ, and showed so little
fear of God, the Judge of all.

3. His discourse shows likewise a desire of re-
forming his neighbour, and reclaiming him from error.
He thinks it strange that » his abandoned companion
could revile Jesus, when he himself was in the same
condemnation, they both being sentenced by the civil
power to suffer the same ignominious death. He
thought it amazing and horrible, that a wretch who
was nailed to the cross, and within a few hours of
giving up the, ghost, should sharpen his envenomed
tongue against Jesus. He therefore rebukes his har-
dened companion, and would fain impress on his mind
a sense of his danger. Now to endeavour to bring
others into the right way, is a mark of penitence ;
as appears from the Psalmist, who says, " Thenr will
I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be
converted unto thee." f

4. Further ; here appears a vindication of the divine
justice : for he adds, " And we indeed justly." * That
we hang betwixt heaven and earth as a curse and
abomination, is no injustice. Though the sentence
is hard, and the death painful, it is no more than
we by our crimes have deserved.' He vindicates not
only the justice of the civil magistrate, who inflicted
this punishment ; but likewise the justice of God,

* Psalms, xxxvi. 1. ; Rom. iii. 18. t Psalms, li. 13.

445

whose minister and avenger the ruler is, to execute
wrath upon him that doth evil. * These words also
contain,

5. An open confession of the crimes he had com-
mitted ; " For we receive the due reward of our
deeds." He does not particularly specify the several
crimes which he had been guilty of, but speaks of
them in general terms, yet without palliation ; with-
out complaining that there is 110 proportion betwixt
his punishment and his crime, and without throwing
any blame on others for seducing him : he owns him-
self a notorious criminal ; pleads guilty ; and confesses,
that he well deserves the punishment, which he there-
fore bears with patience and resignation.

These were unexceptionable proofs of the genuine-
ness of this man's repentance. His faith, which the
Holy Ghost at the same time kindled in his heart,
was manifested by the following signs.

1. By his vindicating our blessed Lord ; for he
not only reproves the blasphemies of his wicked fellow-
sufferer, but gives a public testimony to the perfect
innocence of Jesus, in these words, " This man hath
done nothing amiss." Thus he looks on our Saviour
as a holy and innocent person, separated from sinners.

2. By a confidential address to our blessed Saviour ;
" Lord, remember me when then comest into thy
kingdom." Hitherto he had spoken to his wicked
companion, and by reproving him, endeavoured to
bring him to repentance. But now, full of faith
and reverence, he addresses himself to Jesus, against
whom innumerable tongues were discharging their
rancour.

* Rom. xiii. 4.

He desires a spiritual favour of the Lord Jesus, and
recommends himself to his gracious attention. " Lord.,
remember me:" he does not pray for the deliverance
of his body from the cross, but for the salvation of
his soul.

3. He manifests his faith by an acknowledgment
of the dignity and kingdom of Jesus Christ. Though
Christ was in his lowest abasement, he not only calls
him Lord, but ascribes to him a kingdom ; and such
.a kingdom as he was to possess and enter upon after
his death. He addresses one who had not even a
garment to cover him, and who was dying on the
cross, as a king who was to triumph and reign to all
eternity. By this request, the penitent malefactor
opposes those who were deriding the kingdom of
Christ; and glorifies the blessed Jesus, at a time when
his disciples were so silent and confounded, that they
did not dare to acknowledge him to be the king of
Israel. Could the thief have done this, unless his
mouth had been opened by the Spirit, without which
no man can say, that Jesus is the Lord ? * This
blessed Spirit enabled him to believe in his heart,
and to confess with his mouth, the Lord Jesus, f He
further manifests his faith,

4. By an humble resignation and poverty of spirit.
He does not pray for any high station or post of
honour in the kingdom of Christ ; but only for the
Lord's kind remembrance of him. He refers the rest
to the love and wisdom of this spiritual king. — Thus
he wras a signal instance, how soon the Spirit of grace
can accomplish its work, and bring it to maturity, in
a soul that does not resist its sacred influence. Such

* 1 Cor. xii. 3. t Rom. x. 9.

447

instances of conversion also occur in the Acts of the
Apostles ; particularly in the case of the Jailor, who
the very night on which he was about to lay violent
hands on himself, was, with his whole family, brought
to believe on the Lord Jesus.

What this gift was, which Jesus conferred, we learu
from the following words : " Verily I say unto thee,
To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." The gift
was nothing less than heaven, the desirable state to
which the souls of the blessed, or the spirits of just
men made perfect, after their separation from the
body, are admitted in the presence of God. This
humble sinner durst scarcely presume to pray, that the
Lord Jesus would receive him into his kingdom ; but
the Son of God in answer to his request promises that
on that very day, he should be with him in paradise.
Our Lord, by this answer shows, that he was the
second Adam, who now repaired the ruins caused by
the transgression of the first ; and opened again that
paradise, which our first parent had shut against him-
self and all his unfortunate descendants. He at the
same time forgives the criminal all his sins, by which
he had deserved the punishment of hell, and he pre-
sents him to his Heavenly Father, as the first spoils
which he had wrested on his cross, from the hands
of the devil. And that this trembling sinner, who
was snatched as a brand out of the fire, might be
the better assured of the accomplishment of the
promise made him, he gives him his royal word :
" Verily I say unto thee :" confirming his promise
•with this affirmative. — The transaction exhibits,

1. The power of faith working by repentance.
Faith kindled a new light in his understanding, and
opened the eyes of his mind, so as to penetrate through

448

the clouds of reproach to the glory of Jesus Christ ;
enabling him to own. Christ even in his lowest abase-
ment, as the Almighty Prince of Life, and King of
Glory, and, contrary to all outward appearance, to
account his word true, and worthy of all acceptation.
We see how it works in the penitent a hatred and
abhorrence of sin, a desire after Christ ; charity to his
neighbour, and an humble resignation. It extends
its government to the tongue ; the sinner publicly
acknowledges his own guilt, God's mercy, and the
innocence of the Saviour. It must, however, be ad-
mitted, that in this converted malefactor something
extraordinary was done ; and that the spirit of faith
in a short time completed, what in the ordinary course
of tilings it performs slowly and gradually.

Ye who boast of your faith in Christ, compare your
faith with that of the thief, which manifested itself by
so many precious fruits of the spirit. How much
cause will you find to be ashamed on the comparison !
You have long heard the word, and have had a
thousand opportunities which this poor malefactor had
not ; syet how far does he surpass you in the power
of faith ! How many of you are evidently, by your
practices, still in unbelief. Your understanding is
full of darkness, your will is swayed by the love of
sin, is full of hatred to God, abhorrence to Christ,
and a fear of his reproach ; and you give up your
tongues to the evil spirit, by uttering injurious and
opprobrious words. Lift up your eyes to Christ
Jesus, who is now no longer on the cross, but on his
throne of glory ; dealing out gifts, and imparting the
spirit of faith to those who pray for it. Implore him
to plant in your hearts this exalted and living power.

of which you here see a pattern; and which will
bring forth the fruit of good works.

2. The transcendent love of Christ is here con-
spicuously displayed. Behold, how willing he is to
receive the most wretched transgressors who sincerely
turn to him. How readily does he hold out his hand
to rescue the sinner from destruction ! No sooner does
this malefactor turn to the Prince of Life, than he
is not only discharged from the sentence of eternal
death, but declared an heir of paradise ! Trembling
sinner ! Why dost thou hesitate a moment to give
up thy heart to the Saviour, who has promised the
felicities of paradise to those who truly turn to him ?
Dost thou doubt whether he will receive thee? Be-
hold in the instance before us, his willingness to fulfil
the desire of a wretched but penitent offender. Do
not wilfully defer thy conversion to the last moment
of thy life. Think not, because this malefactor did
not turn to Christ till a few hours before his death,
that thou mayest safely follow his example, and put
off thy repentance till thou art laid on a dying bed.
Remember, that this is the only instance in the whole
scriptures of the acceptance of so late a repentance.
How dangerous then would it be to ground thy hope
on so extraordinary a case. Where repentance is
deferred to the last, and in the meantime all the faith-
ful admonitions of the Holy Spirit are rejected, God
frequently withdraws his gracious influences, so that
the heart becomes indisposed, or incapable to pray
for divine assistance. No man can quicken his own \\
soul; and repentance itself is the gift of God, and
beyond the natural power of man. It might be, that,
this malefactor never had such an opportunity before ;
and now he no sooner sees the patience and resig-

. 450

nation, and hears the powerful prayer and affectionate
words of Christ, than immediately instead of harden-
ing his heart, as his companion did, he relents, ac-
knowledges his guilt, and humbly seeks the favour
of God. But with many of us it is quite otherwise.
The Lord Jesus stands at the door of our hearts, and
waits, but in vain, for admission. — Consider, that death
frequently comes as a thief in the night, sudden and
unexpected. The body is often full of pain, the soul
overwhelmed with anguish, and the mental powers
languid and confused, so as to render the man in-
capable of any regular action, or recollection of the
errors of his past life. Therefore obey the present
i voice of God's word and Spirit ; repent in this your
day of grace, and use your precious time before it
is elapsed.

3. The instance before us exhibits the kingly glory
of Jesus Christ, which here beams forth amidst the
deepest abasement and ignominy. Our crucified Sa-
viour thus proved, that he not only has the keys of
death and hell, with which he opens the caverns of
eternal darkness for the despisers of his grace, but
also the keys of paradise, and of the glorious mansions
in his Father's house. Paradise is here promised to
one malefactor, and shut against the other. Acquaint
yourselves, therefore, with this Lord of paradise, who
having overcome the sharpness of death, has opened
the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Be not
ashamed of having fellowship with him in his abase-
ment, that he may not be ashamed of having fellow-
ship with you in his glory.

4. Hence also we may learn how to behave in ouy
List moments. We must, after the example of this
penitent malefactor, acknowledge our manifold sins,

451:

and confess that by them we have deserved God's
wrath, temporal death, and eternal condemnation;
we must turn to Jesus Christ, whose blood cleanseth
from sin ; and appeal from justice to grace, from
wrath to mercy. We must pray to our Saviour to
look on us with a favourable eye, as he looked on this
malefactor, and to remember us in his kingdom. We
must patiently bear the pains which God is pleased to
inflict on us ; and in order to alleviate them, fix our
thoughts on that paradise, which our dying Mediator
has obtained for his faithful servants ; and we must
acknowledge our blessed Saviour to be the Lord of
paradise, who has all power over life and death,

II.

Let us now consider the second gift, which Christ
bestowed while he hung on the cross ; this was a faith-
ful son, to be the guardian and protector of his dis-
consolate mother. The blessed Jesus, now at the
point of death, and suffering exquisite pain, is not
unmindful of his mother ; but expresses a tender re-
gard for her ; and " as he had loved his own who

were in the world, he loved them unto the end." '•
This affectionate parent had attended him to the place
of execution, and there stood near the cross to which
her beloved son was fastened. Then certainly was old
Simeon's prophecy concerning her fulfilled. " Yea,
a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also."f
Every opprobrious, deriding, and abusive word, must
have penetrated her maternal heart. But God sup-
ported her in these melancholy circumstances :

* John, xiii. 1. + Luke, ii. 35.

452

possessed her soul in patience. She had probably been
many years inured to the mystery of the cross, and
both from the prophetic writings, and her son's own
information, had learned that his sufferings sliould
have a glorious issue. For it is said, " Mary kept
all these things; and pondered them in her heart."
With the mother of our Lord stood two other devout
women, namely, her sister the wife of Cleophas, and
Mary Magdalene, out of whom Christ had cast seven
devils ; * tor which extraordinary favour she showed
her gratitude to her deliverer, and did not forsake
him even at the cross. These feeble women, by thus
approaching near the cross, put to shame our Sa-
viour's disciples ; none of whom now dared to show
themselves, St. John alone excepted. It is the nature
of love not to fear any danger, or to be separated from
the beloved object by any distress. — Jesus, looking
down from the cross, saw his mother, and St. John,
the disciple whom he particularly loved, standing by
her. Hereupon he said unto her, " Woman, behold
thy son ;" and thus gave his childless parent another
son, to cherish, protect, and take care of her in her
old age.

III.

Immediately after this follows a third gift, conferred
by our Lord. He turns to his beloved disciple, and
addresses him in these words : " Behold thy mother."
By this expression Jesus not only enjoins his disciple to
.behave to her as if she was his own mother, and to
perform all those duties, which an affectionate parent
can expect from an obedient son ; but he likewise

* Luke, viii. 2.

commits to St John a precious jewel, the " blessed
among women," who had found such favour with
God as to be the mother of the promised Messiah.
Thus our Saviour, in his last will, leaves to his beloved
disciple what was dearest to him in this world. The
disciple was far from looking on this as a chargeable
incumbrance, but accounted it a singular honour. For
we read, that, '« From that hour the disciple took her
unto his own home ;" where he supplied every thing
necessary for her support during the remainder of her
life. She lived with this disciple, according to some
commentators, till the sixty-third year of her age. Uy
these words, Christ has confirmed the fifth command-
ment, and set to children a pattern of the tender care
and affection, which they ought to show to their
parents. Hence we learn,

1. How richly the blessed Virgin and St. John
were rewarded for the fidelity which they showed to
the suffering Jesus by attending him in his last mo-
ments. Nor was the attendance of the other devout
women disregarded, for they had afterwards the honour
of being the first witnesses and promulgators of his re-
surrection. * Thus will the Lord requite all those who
are not ashamed of the fellowship of his sufferings.
The world would, indeed, persuade men, that they
incur great hazard by such a fellowship. But these
are groundless suggestions. Supposing even that all
human aid should fail, and persecution and distress
should attend us ; yet we may depend on his friend-
ship, who is the Lord of heaven and earth, who has
the keys of paradise, and is ever fulfilling what he
has promised in these words : " Verily I say unto you,

* Mark, xvi. 1.

Gg 3

454

There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or
asters, or father, or mother, or wife or children, or
lands, for my sake, and the Gospel's, but he shall re-
ceive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and
brethren, and sisters, and mothers and children, and
lands, with persecutions ; and in the world to come,
eternal life." * Let us then courageously enlist among
the followers of our crucified Saviour; for none of
us will repent of having done so through the days of
eternity.

2. Our blessed I ,ord lias shown it to be his express
*vill, that they who believe in his name, should be
joined in the bands of love and unity. AVe are not to
confine these words of Christ, as if they related only to
his mother and beloved disciple ; for the Lord has en-
joined, that every believer should do to another all the
kind offices which are in his power ; and that Christians
should show mutual love and benevolence. As he
has loved us, and given himself up to death for us, he
confirms the new commandment, that we should love
one another; and by this testamentary injunction
makes it irrevocable. How then can it be known
•that we are the disciples of Christ, unless we fulfil
his law, by loving one another, and bearing each
others burdens? This is a duty which we more par-
ticularly owe to the necessitous and the destitute, to
strangers, widows, and orphans ; and especially, to the
poor members of the Lord Jesus. Though the mother
of our Lord has been long since dead, yet many pious
Christians still remain, of whom he hath said, " Who-
soever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven,
the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."f

* Mark, x. 2<). t Matt. xii. 50,

.,:

455

Therefore when we take such persons in destitute and
comfortless circumstances under our care, the sym-
pathizing Jesus accepts of our kindness, not only as
if it were done to his parent, but as a favour bestowed
on himself; and will reward it accordingly. Let us
then express our love to our crucified Saviour, by
carefully observing this his last precept, and endeavour
to alleviate and sweeten this troublesome life to our
afflicted brethren, by labours of love, and tlie practice
of reciprocal kind offices.

3. A cheerful and ready obedience to the commands
of our Saviour, is the surest mark of the disciple whom.
Jesus loveth. St. John, in the instance before us,
shows himself to be that disciple, by immediately ful-
filling his master's last command with willingness.
We do not read that he excused himself and pleaded
his poverty ; or that he represented the several avo-
cations of his apostolic office; but, from that hour,
instantly, he took the virgin mother to his own home.
If therefore we would be the disciples of Christ, and
such disciples as he loveth, and in whom his soul is
well pleased, we must do his will from the heart, and
execute his commands with a ready obedience ; we
must set aside the excuses of the flesh, and the evasions
of unbelief; and must rejoice at an opportunity of
showing our love to our blessed Saviour, and those
who belong to his household.

4. Filial love ought to show itself in all obedience
and fidelity to parents. In spiritual things, it must
appear by praying for them, and caring for the welfare
of their souls ; and in temporal things, by promoting
their advantage as far as possible ; assisting them in
sickness, poverty, and age. The honour due to parents
consists in the sentiments of the heart, which should

Gg 4

456

be those of sincere reverence, and is manifested by re-
spectful words and behaviour, and a ready obedience,
without murmur, delay, or contradiction ; by com-
plying with their lawful commands, and submitting to
their reproofs and corrections ; by conforming to their
advice, patiently bearing their foibles, and throwing a
veil over their faults.

5. Our Saviour by his behaviour in his last moments,
lias exhibited an example for the imitation of dying
Christians. They should possess their souls in patience ;
administer comfort to their afflicted parents, children,
or friends ; and edify them by an example of patience,
piety, and devotion, under their sufferings. They
should settle their worldly concerns with composure ;
should show the sincerity of their faith and love, by
•acts of charity ; and endeavour to kindle in their
families the flame of brotherly love and affection, and
more closely unite their relatives in the bond of peace.

PRAYER.

O faithful and ever-living Saviour! we thank thee
who didst confer such invaluable gifts on the cross, by
which thou hast manifested not only thy love, but
likewise thy grace and power. Thou art now entered
on the government over heaven and earth. Thou hast
the keys of hell and death, and of the gates of heaven.
Eternal life and every good gift are in thy hands.
Draw us, we beseech thee, so powerfully to thee, that
we may be partake! s of thy manifold gifts. Thy
imperishable riches are so far from being exhausted
during the eighteen hundred years that have elapsed
since thy crucifixion, that thou hast yet in store gifts
for men, even for backsliders and enemies, and there

457

•a*e still mansions enough in thy Father's house, into
which thou wilt admit those who are not ashamed of
thy sufferings. Bless, O Lord, that part of thy word
which has been at present considered, that it may -sup-
port us under all the troubles and afflictions, which
we may meet with in following thee. Grant this for
the sake of that love, with which thou bast loved
thine own unto the end. Amen.

CHAPTER VII.

THE LAST SUFFERINGS OF THE LORD JESUS.

** New from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the
" land until tJie ninth hour ; and the sun was darkened.
" 4nd about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice,
" Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani, that is to say, My God!
" My God ! why hast thou forsaken me ? Some of them
" that stood by, when they heard that, said, Behold this
" man calleth for Elias. dfter this, Jesus knowing that
" all things were now accomplished, that the scripture
" might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Noio there icas set
" a vessel full of vinegar. And one ran, and took a
u sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it upon
" hyssop, for stuck it on a reed,) and held it to his mouth,
*( and gave hint to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us
" see whether Elias will come to save him, and take him
" down."

IN this part of the evangelical history of the Passion,
we have an account of the last sufferings of the Lord
Jesus. Here we may remark the following particulars.

1. The darkness and desertion which oppressed his
soul.

458

2. The mockery of the spectators, when he broke
out into those remarkable words, which his agony
extorted.

3. The painful thirst which he endured, and

4. The giving him vinegar to drink by way of
derision.

First, the darkness and desertion which oppressed
his soul. The dreadful sufferings which God now
inflicted on our blessed Saviour, were attended by a
supernatural darkness. " From the sixth hour there
was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour ;
and the sun was darkened. And about the ninth hour,
Jesus cried with a loud voice, My God ! My God !
why hast thou forsaken me ?" When a Christian here
observes the account which the Holy Spirit has re-
corded, of this extreme inward suffering of Christ, he
perceives how the providence of God over-ruled every
circumstance of the sufferings of his Son. The evan-
gelists observe, that this darkness lasted from the sixth
to the ninth hour ; or, according to our computation
of time, it began about twelve at noon, and ended
about three in the afternoon. The hours a*e not so
punctually set down in the account of any of the
transactions of our Saviovir's life, as they are in the
history of his sufferings. It might seem as if Jesus
had been given up to the will of his enemies ; but the
case was quite otherwise. The providence of God
had prescribed limits to their rage ; so that they
neither could lay hold of him before his hour was
come, nor torment him longer than had been pre-
determined by God. The same providence set bounds
to the prince of darkness, and limited the duration
of his rage and fury against the blessed seed of the
woman.

459

* O my God,' may an afflicted soul here sav, * my
sufferings are not to be compared to those of my
Saviour ; yet I know, that even the hours of my suf-
ferings are limited by thy providence, and that thou
countest them to me. Thou appointest their be-
ginning and end. Thou frequently orderest, that at
noon-day my soul shall be involved in darkness ; and
that it shall sometimes lose the comfortable assurance
of thy love, at a time when it shone brightest, and
when my soul was full of light, and rejoiced in thy
salvation. Grant that I may acquiesce with my whole
heart in what thou art pleased to inflict, who orderest
every thing for the good of thy creatures. Thou wilt
not only limit the period of my sufferings ; but wilt
never surfer me to be tempted above what I am able
to bear. Preserve me, O Lord, from the gloom of un-
belief, from the darkness of spiritual blindness, and
from the eternal night of the dark abyss. Grant that
I may walk and work in the light while it is day,
before the night come when no man can work.'

Justly is the soul astonished at seeing the Son of
God, the effulgence of eternal glory, and the source of
all light in the kingdom of nature and grace, hanging
on the cross amidst the horrors of darkness. What
can this mean, that the natural sun loses its brightness,
and all the land is involved in thick night ? This was
no common eclipse of the sun ; for that only happens
at the new moon, (or when the moon is in a direct
line between the sun and our earth;) whereas this dark-
ness happened at the full moon.*

' This extraordinary miracle wa<? remarkably typified by that, which
v.*a.5 wrought at the command of Joshua, during the conflict between
the Israelites and Amo rites. Jc ! -On the day when

460

1. With regard to the Jewish people, this total
darkness denoted, that by crucifying the Messiah, they
had committed such a work of darkness, that the sun
would not behold it; that God was in the highest
manner provoked against the murderers of his Son,
and would manifest his wrath from heaven on this
wicked and perverse generation : that he would with-
draw from them the light of his knowledge and grace,
together with all joy and comfort, and leave them in
the darkness of blindness and obduracy. The words
of Isaiah were to be fulfilled in the Jewish nation : "If
one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow,
and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof." "And
they shall look unto the earth, and behold trouble and
dimness of anguish ; and they shall be driven to dark-
ness." * To this also the prophet Amos possibly alludes,
when he joins the going down of the sun at noon, and
darkening the earth at clear day, with the famine of
the word of the Lord sent upon the land, f Thus this

the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, the
sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about
a whole day ;" even " till the people," under the conduct of Joshua,
were " avenged of their enemies." So on that memorable day, on
which the deliverance of a whole world was achieved by the second
Joshua, " from the sixth hour there is darkness over all the land unto
the ninth hour." Nor does the sun " hasten " to give his light, till the
dreadful conflict between Jesus and the powers of darkness is over ;
till he has " gotten himself the victory," and has " avenged his people
of their enemies." For " at the ninth hour, Jesus said, it is finished."
Surely then we may adopt the language of the inspired author of the
Book of Joshua, and say, " There was no day like that, before it, or
after it, that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man," even of the
true Joshua, the Captain of our salvation ; " for the Lord fought for
Israel !"

* Isaiah, v. 30— viii. 22. t Amos, viii. 9.

461

extraordinary darkening of the sun, was a dismal
presage of the spiritual darkness of that wretched
nation to this very hour, which the Lord Jesus had
predicted by saying unto them, " Walk while ye have
the light, lest darkness come upon you."*

2. With regard to our blessed Lord himself, this
outward darkness was an emblem of the inward dark-
ness, in which his soul was then involved. For as the
light of the natural sun was then withdrawn, and
darkness prevailed throughout nature, so the soul of
our blessed Saviour experienced something of the
terrors of eternal darkness ; which now overwhelmed
his conscience, from a sense of the imputation of the
sins of the whole world.

O my Saviour, thus was it represented in thy glo-
rious person, what a partition sin has made between
God and mankind ; how it obscured the light of God's
countenance, and at last would have cast the soul into
outer darkness. It was I, who deserved to be shut up
in this dark prison, who had forsaken the Father of
lights, and had loved darkness rather than light. But
thou didst appear in my stead, O thou bright effulgence
of everlasting light ! and didst permit the terrors of
eternal night to environ thee, and the powers of dark-
ness to assault thee; that thou mightest overcome
them, and thereby open to me the way to light and
glory, and acquire for me a right to the inheritance of
the saints in light. O fill me with hatred against the
unfruitful works of darkness, that I may never have
any fellowship with them, but rather reprove them.
Grant that I may walk in the light, and have fel-
lowship with thee. And if on account of an open

* John, xii. 35.

4" :

profession of Christianity, I should be deserted, and
left to walk in darkness ; or if the light of thy grace
should be hidden from my soul ; if the hope of my
adoption, and of the remission of my sins should be
extinguished, so as to make me cry out with the
Psalmist, " Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in
darkness, and in the deep;"* grant that according to
thy example, I may, in silent patience, wait for the
dawn of thy light.

When a pious soul further employs its thonghts on
our Saviour's address to his Father, •* My God ! My
God ! why hast thou forsaken me ?" it admires the
filial disposition of the Lord Jesus; who, notwith-
standing the agonies that surround him, addresses his
Father with cordial love, and " with strong crying and
tears,"! twice calls to him, * My God !' As if he had
said, 'Thou art still my Almighty God, Vv'ho canst
deliver my human nature from this extreme anguish.
However severely thou dealest with me ; though thou
hidest thy face, yet will I never turn from thee. The
eternal covenant for the redemption of mankind still
remains fixed and unmoveable ; and though all the
floods of Belial beat against me, my confidence shall
never be shaken.'

Moreover, our blessed Saviour asks, " Why hast
thou forsaken me ?" This was evidently done for our
sake, in order to awaken us to reflection. God never
forsakes any, but those who have first forsaken him. f
Now the blessed Jesus had never forsaken his heavenly
Father, but, on the contrary, had always done the
things that pleased him. $ Consequently, the cawse of
this desertion is to be sought, not in him, but m us.

* Psalms, Ixxxiii. 6. t Heb. v. 7. $ 2 Chron. xii. 5. § J«hn, viii. 29.

463

We indeed had forsaken our Creator, we had forfeited
his precious favour, his inestimable affection, and parted
with it as a thing of no worth, in order to satisfy a base
passion. God may justly complain of us, " They have
forsaken me, the fountain of living waters." We
daily observe multitudes who, for worthless trifles, for
a little money, some fleeting- or sensual gratification,
some empty honour, forsake the fountain of all blessings,
and transfer their love and confidence to the creature.
For the expiation of such heinous sins, for the re-
paration of the honour which the divine Majesty is
thereby robbed of, the only begotten Son of the
Father here laments, that he is forsaken of God. As
Christ had taken our sins upon him ; so was he for-
saken by God, not only outwardly, by giving him up
to his enemies, * but likewise inwardly ; the powers
of darkness and the agonies of death, being permitted
to assault him. As, in quality of our Surety, he was
to feel our pains, to bear our griefs, and carry our sor-
rows ;f so was his soul to be deprived, for a while, of
the brightness of God's countenance. He was to sus-
tain all the floods of the divine wrath, which would
have overwhelmed his human nature, had not the
divinity within him supported it. Under this grievous
depression of body and soul, God remained the strength
and portion of his heart ; J in his extreme mental
agony, he adhered to the Almighty with undismayed
confidence, wrestled with him during this darkness,
and did not leave him till he had obtained for us the
assurance of a blessing. As our gracious Saviour pro-
duced the merit of his innocence, and his perfect filial
obedience, to fill up the separation between God and

* Psalms, iii 2. t Isaiah, liii. 4, $ Psalms, Ixxiii. 26..

464

man; ne has thereby opened to us a way to the
friendship of God, and acquired for us a right to*
that fellowship with our Maker, which we had for-
feited.

O my Saviour ! I see in this mirror of wrath, the
effects and consequences of sin. May I hence learn,
how terrible a thing it is, in the sight of God, and
what a dreadful separation it has made between God
and man. May I highly value that fellowship with
God, to which thoti hast obtained for me a right ; and
that comfortable promise of thy Father ; " I will not
leave thee nor forsake thee." Stand by me, O blessed
Redeemer, in the hour of desertion ! Be with me in
that gloomy path which thou hast sanctified, by being
deserted of every comfort. Thou, as a merciful High
Priest, canst have compassion on those who are de-
serted. If, with distressed Sion, I sometimes cry out,
" The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath for-
gotten me,"* yet assure thyself, O my soul, that thou
shalt no longer be called forsaken and hated ; f but that
with St. Paul, thou shalt be enabled to say, " I am
persecuted, yet not forsaken." j: In such circumstances,
may the meritorious sufferings of my Redeemer benefit
me. May that affectionate exclamation, My God ! My
God ! be a preservative against despondency ; so that
my heart even in darkness, may wait the dawn of
heavenly light. And as, for my sake, Jesus descended
so low, and was plunged so deep in misery, may I be
willing to suffer the loss of every thing for his sake, that
I may be found of him at the last in peace.

* Isaiah, xlix. 14. t Isaiah, lx. 15. $2 Cor. iv. $.

465

II.

We come, in the next place, to consider the mockery
of the spectators, on occasion of the words which the ex-
treme anguish of the blessed Jesus extorted from him.
" Some of them who stood there, said, He calleth for
Elias." These scoffers must certainly have been Jews;
since the heathens knew nothing of Elias. But the
Jews, at that time, had many mistaken notions con-
cerning that prophet; for they imagined that before
the coming of the Messiah, he would be sent from
heaven, and would again appear personally upon earth,
and perform several remarkable actions. "When they
heard the crucified Jesus crying out in plaintive ac-
cents, Eli, Eli, though they well knew tiiat in these
words of the Psalmist,* he addressed himself to the
mighty God of heaven, they immediately perverted his
words; and converted Eli into Elias. Thus they
scoffingly charge him with imploring the assistance of
that prophet ; nay, they pretend, that in his distress he
departed from the living God, and placed his con-
fidence in the creature. These impious scoffers had
been for three hours successively, smitten with dark-
ness ; and had seen and felt the divine displeasure, in
the extraordinary miracle, by which the light of the
sun was extinguished ; yet, no sooner were they re-
covered from their consternation, than they renew their
former insolence, and make a mock of our blessed
Saviour's cries. In like manner we see many, who have
no sooner risen from a bed of sickness, or narrowly
escaped with their lives from some imminent danger,
than they immediately return to their sensual delights,

* Psalm?,, xxii. 1.

466

and profane or worldly pursuits. Be merciful, O my
Saviour, to such unhappy men, and grant that thy
judgments may make a deep and lasting impression
on our souls. And, O my Redeemer, if I should be
treated in some measure as thou wast on the cross ; if
I should experience mockery and derision, and my
enemies should pervert my words, grant that I may
think on thy patience and resignation under such
sufferings. Give me also a tender and compassionate
heart, that I may weep with those that weep, and
sympathize with the distresses of others.

III.

In the third place, we are to consider the painful
thirst which our Lord endured. How must the arrows
of the Almighty have, as it were, drunk up our
Saviour's blood ! How must his soul have laboured, and
liis body, exhausted by the loss of so much blood, have
been deprived of its strength, so that his tongue clave
to the roof of his mouth !

Thanks be to thee, O blessed Jesus, who wast so
earnest in the work of my redemption as to forget to
eat or drink ; labouring in that arduous task, till thou
wast quite exhausted. By this thy painful thirst, thou
hast atoned for my relinquishing the fountain of living
waters. Thou hast by thy sufferings, opened the way
into paradise, to the water of life which issues from
the throne of God, and to the rivers of heavenly
pleasures. — But did the Saviour, who was now taken
up in accomplishing the arduous work of our re-
demption, feel no other thirst besides that of his body ?
Yes, certainly, his soul thirsted after the springs of
God's comforts. It passionately longed to see his en-
livening countenance, which had been hidden from

467

him. His soul also thirsted after our eternal salvation-
Hast thou, O my Redeemer, thus desired my happiness?
How desirous should I be, in return, of thy grace !
Therefore, as the hart panteth after the crater brooks,
so panteth my soul after thee, O God ! * Kindle in me
an ardent thirst after righteousness ; and quench in me
all thirst after the pleasures of the world, its honours
and riches. Give me to drink of the water which thou
freely givest to the thirsty ; and at last lead me to those
fountains of living waters where thy saints shall thirst
no more, f

When a Christian farther considers, that the Lord
Jesus publicly made known his thirst, that the scripture
mirrht be fulfilled, he admires the reverence which the

eternal Word of God expressed for the written word.
Jesus well knew, that this declaration of his thirst
would draw on him a fresh insult ; yet he was far from
declining any additional suffering, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, and that the truth of it might be
confirmed by a new seal. O preserve me from un-
dervaluing the word of the living God, or con-
temptuously vising it as a dead letter! Grant that I may
rather honour it as the voice of the supreme Majesty
of heaven, and choose it for the rule of my faith and
practice ; and that I may be willing to suffer any thing,
that the scripture may be fulfilled in me. J

IV.

We are last to consider the insult offered to our Lord,
by giving him vinegar to drink. When the soldiers
heard him complain of thirst, they filled a sponge with

* Psalms, xlii. 1. t Rev. vii. 16. J 3 Tim. iii. 12,

Hh2

468

vinegar, (which was in a vessel at hand, as it was in
that age the common beverage of the soldiers,) and put
it on a reed, or, according to St. John, a stalk cut from
a large hyssop-shrub, and held it to his parched lips,
instead of a cordial to support his spirits. Our Saviour,
by this circumstance of his passion, fulfilled tlie scrip-
ture, which he himself inspired, -where this very cir-
cumstance was predicted of him ; and he says by the
mouth of the Psalmist, " In my thirst they gave me
vinegar to drink."* He likewise confirmed his own
words to his disciples : " I will not drink henceforth
of the fruit of the vine."f G my Kedeemer, thanks be
to thee for thine inconceivable love! Every thing
which was transacted on the cross, was done for my
good. Grant, that when thou thirstest in thy poor
members, I may relieve and comfort them, to the best
of my powrer. And if the world should give me a
disagreeable potion in my distress, may it be sweetened
by the memory of thy love^and patience !
• -The Jews, who stood near the cross, still mocked the
. Lord Jesus. For while the soldiers were pressing the
sponge filled with vinegar to his mouth, the Jews
called out in derision, " Let be, let us see whether
Elias will come to save him." According to St.
Mark's account, the soldiers likewise joined in tlv
mockery. The unbelieving Jews (as we have seen)
intimated, that the Lord Jesus was a false prophet,
who, since no one acknowledged him on the cross, ex-
pressed a desire that Elias would conic and perform a
miracle by taking him down, and declaring him thr
.Messiah. Thus did all the waves of affliction^ with
'combined impetuosity, pass over the Saviour in the

* J'ssilros, Ixix. 21. I' Matt xxvi. 2<).

469

last moments of his life. So dear did it cost him to
open to us the consolatory spring of life. Eternal
thanks be to him for such transcendent love. May we
readily determine to follow him in all things ; and not
think it strange that the world should embitter any
cordial it offers us, and under the show of kind offices,,
should grieve our souls with mockeries and insults.
May he preserve us in the hour of suffering, and grant
that \ve may not turn our confidence from him to the
creature, but trust to him to maintain our cause, and
vindicate our innocence !

PRAYER.

Lord Jesus, bless to our souls this consideration of
thy last sufferings ; and grant that it may leave on us
a holy and lasting impression. May our hours of
meditation be so profitably spent, that we may feel the
benefit of them in death, and praise thee for them in
eternity. Grant this, O Lord, for the sake of thy death
and passion. Amen.

CHAPTER VHL

THE LAST WORDS AND DEATH OF THE LORD JESUS.

" When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:
" and he cried with a lo ,d voice, Father, into thy fia??d»
" / commend my spirit; and having said this, he bowed
" his- head, and gave up the ghost**

THE sufferings of our Saviour were succeeded by
the separation of his soul and body, by death. After

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470

Jesus had received the vinegar, nothing further re-
mained to be transacted or suffered on the cross. He
had now drunk up the cup of sufferings ; the law v. as
fulfilled ; sin was cancelled, the guilt of it atoned for,
and the punishment endured. — We are now to con-
sider the last words of the Lord Jesus.

O the joy of a faithful soul, at hearing his Saviour
cry out, " It is finished !" Ever praised be thy name,
O my God, that I have a complete Mediator, " who
by offering one great sacrifice, hath perfected for ever
all those that are sanctified."* Therefore, O thou
Alpha and Omega, I will in faith embrace thee, the
great author and finisher of my faith. Thou hast
finished whatever appertained to my redemption ; this
thy meritorious work I will produce at thy tribunal,
and with it cover the defects of my imperfect obedience.
Grant, O my Saviour, that the work of grace may be
also finished in me. Give me not only to will and
believe, but likewise to do and accomplish what thou s,^.
commandest, according to thy good pleasure ; and
grant that I may keep the faith, and at last obtain the
crown of righteousness.

The evangelical history informs us, that he again
cried with a loud voice, and said, " Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit."

This last ejaculation or recommendatory prayer, with
which our blessed Saviour concluded his life on the
cross, contains,

1. A calm resignation of his soul into his Fathers
hands,

2. A joyful confidence and assurance of his sub-
sequent exaltation.

* Hebrews, x. 1 J .

471

1. The resignation of his soul into his Father's hands,
is expressed in these words. " Into thy hands I com-
mend my spirit." Our blessed Lord had said, " No
man taketh my life from me ; but I lay it down of
myself." * He accordingly delivered it up into the
hands of his Father ; to whose care and protection he
recommends his harassed spirit, which had laboured
and conflicted for the salvation of mankind. As a
jewel of inestimable worth, he deposits it in the hands
of God, in the certain hope of receiving it again on
the third day, re-united with his glorified body. In
the 31st Psalm, from which these words are quoted,
Messiah subjoins the motive which induced him to
deliver up his soul into the faithful hands of his
Father. This was the divine faithfulness, " Thou
hast redeemed me," and hast promised to raise me
from death and glorify me, " O Lord thou God of
truth !" f Thou wilt infallibly fulfil thy promise ; for
it is said, " When thou shalt make his soul an of-
fering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong
his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul,
and be satisfied : by his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many ; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong ; because
he hath poured out his soul unto death : and he
was numbered with the transgressors ; and he bare
the sin of many, and made intercession for the trans-
gressors." £

2. In the recollection of the divine goodness, the soul
gf Christ, as it were, rejoices, just before its departure.

* John, x. 18. t Ver. fc J Isaiah, liii. 10.

Hh4

472

assured that his Father would raise him again. Hence
he says in another Psalm, * " Therefore my heart was
glad, and my glory rejoiced ; my flesh also .shall rest
in hope : for thon wilt not leave my soul in hell,
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see cor-
ruption." All his agonies end in a calm resignation :
he closes his life with an affectionate recommendation
of his soul into his Father's hands, and a joyful as-
surance of a glorious resurrection. This is not the act
of a malefactor, or blasphemer ; this is dying like our
true Redeemer, uho is able to comfort others with the
consolation wherewith he was comforted in his last
hours ; who knows by experience what it is to die ;
who presents to God the petitions of his dying brethren ;
who can have compassion on their agonies ; who has
prepared mansions for them in his Father's house,
whither he sent before his owrn departed spirit ; and
has acquired for them an assurance, that through
death they shall pass into life, and go to his Father,
who will deliver them from pain and sorrow.

Thus has our blessed Saviour, in the last hours of
his life, sanctified the death of believers ; procured a
hearing for their last prayers and broken sighs ; and
acquired for them every thing appertaining to a serene
and joyful departure from this world to the heavenly
mansions. Therefore, ye who have received grace to
believe, make yourselves betimes acquainted with this
mighty Conqueror of the fears of death, that when
your change comes, you may, with the like resignation
and trust in God, enter the valley of the shadow of
death, and deliver up your souls into your heavenly
Father's hands. As for you, who are still so unhappy

* Psalms, xvi. 9.

473

as to be strangers to the knowledge and love of Jesus
Christ, be persuaded betimes to give yourselves up,
body and soul, to his reasonable service, and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. * Behold, how willingly
and cheerfully he endured the most painful death,
that he might acquire for you the divine mercy,
eterna) life, and happiness. Therefore enter into his
blessed fell or/ship ; follow him as your leader in his
God-like life, that, in your last hours, he may be your
great consolation.

From the example given us by our blessed Lord,
we may learn how a Christian should behave in his
last moments. — Indeed for a wretched sinner, surprised
in his career of vice, the example of the penitent
malefactor would be more suitable, than that of our
dying Saviour. Such an one standing on the brink
of eternity, and having the sentence of death in his
conscience, finds himself not prepared to die ; his heart
is entirely set upon this world, and yet he must imme-
diately leave it, and pass into a state utterly unknown
to him ; the wrath of God abideth on him, and he
is now to stand before his awful tribunal, and re-
ceive sentence. Such an one cannot better employ
the last hours of his life, than in seeking reconciliation
with his Creator. Let him take a retrospect of his
life, and compare it with the unerring rule of the
Word of God ; and add to this, fervent prayer, that
God would be pleased to open his eyes, and give him
a true sight of his situation. In thus turning his
thoughts on his past life, he will find that he has left
undone those things which he ought to have done,
and has committed innumerable sins in thought,

* Matt. xi. 29«

474

word, and deed, against God, his neighbour, and
himself. His former life will now appear to him to
have been the greatest madness, and the most brutal
stupidity. He will acknowledge, that he has acted
contrary to the rules and maxims of sound reason,
by despising the felicity offered in the gospel ; that
he has suffered himself to be turned aside by the most
wretched and trifling impediments, from the great
duty of seeking reconciliation with God : that perhaps
for the sake of petty worldly advantages, or sensual
indulgences, which must for ever cease with death, he
has forfeited the real and glorious possessions of a
blessed eternity ; or for the gratification of a momen-
tary sinful lust, has precipitated himself into an abyss
of misery. In his former behaviour he will observe
abominable ingratitude to that God who gave him his
being, and who from time to time has showered OK
him innumerable blessings ; whilst he has set at
nought God's worship, has not believed his promises,
nor feared his menaces ; and instead of making any
grateful return of love, to such a gracious, bountiful,
and benevolent Being, has shown himself a stubborn,
abandoned rebel. Let him however implore God to
work in him a salutary repentance and godly sorrow.
This would induce him to detest his former conduct ;
and to be heartily sorry for his base and unworthy be-
haviour towards God. Let him look to the infinite
mercy of God in Christ Jesus ; and for his sake
humbly implore forgiveness of all his sins. Let him,
like the dying thief, confess that he deserves the
weight of divine justice ; and place his only con-
fidence in the gracious promise of God, that he desires
not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should
be converted and live. Thus must he persevere, hun-

475

gering and thirsting after mercy, lamenting and be-
wailing his sins, and praying for remission, till faith
proves victorious over the accusations of conscience,
and the terrors of hell and death ; till he has obtained
peace with God, through Jesus Christ ; and some com-
fortable hope of the remission of his sins.

That a sinner who thus sincerely and hastily repents
in his last hours, may be snatched as a brand out of
the fire, is not to be doubted ; but we must reflect
how rare are such examples of late and effectual re-
pentance ! Many who have never experienced any
thing of repentance and faith, but who made religion
their jest during their lives, die with a lethargic and
insensible conscience, undisturbed on account of their
past lives. They depart with blinded eyes, and stoical
unconcern, to eternal perdition. Many fall into the
bands of false comforters, who mistake the natural
emotions of grief or fear, or lively animal feelings,
for the work of conversion ; and thus they are soothed
with false hopes of heaven. Many are so suddenly
surprised by death, that they are removed from this
world to the next, before they are aware. Therefore
defer not your repentance to such uncertain preca-
rious moments. How wise and happy is he, who
betimes regulates the concerns of his soul, and sets
his house in order ; so that when he comes to die, he
; may have nothing to do, but, after the example of
* his Saviour, to recommend his soul into the hands of
his heavenly Father ! But to return. — When a person,
who in the days of his health has been reconciled to
his Creator, and been fruitful in the practice of good
works, finds he is approaching his latter end, he will
desire to employ in a Christian preparation for death
those remaining hours, which God is pleased to favour

47G

him with. A sincere conversion to God, is here sup-
posed to have previously taken place, the genuine-
ness of which has appeared by its fruits ; yet if any
doubts or fears should arise in the minds of such per-
sons, they must endeavour to clear them up by careful
self-examination. It 'will be proper to take a review
of the ground of their hope, in order to know whether
they have built their house on the sand, or on the-
immoveable rock. It will be proper to examine,
whether they ever had such a sincere concern for the
favour of God, that they were ready to forego all the
advantages of this life in order to secure it. It will
be proper to search and inquire, whether they had
such a real hatred and abhorrence of evil, as not to
comply with any sin willingly and deliberately ; and
even concerning the daily sins and weaknesses which
cleave to the best of us, whether they humbled them-v,
selves before God, lamenting the want of fervency
in their love to that Saviour, who was so worthy of all
their affections. If they find in themselves these
tokens, there is sufficient proof of the genuineness of
their repentance and faith, though they may not be
able to pronounce the day or hour of their con-
version.

In this case, they have no reason to write bitter
things against themselves, unless God should humble
them on account of the recollection of some grievous
offence, or of their having backslidden from the ways
of God. Many Christians, however, undergo severe
conflicts for sins, which they formerly looked on as
trifles ; and it behoves ah1, even the best, to see and
lament the sins of their past lives, humbly acknow-
ledging their secret faults, and seeking remission of

477

them in the blood of Christ.— They ought also, during
their remaining hoars, to be diligent in the exercise
of .prayer, of faith, of hope, and of self-dedication to

God.

And, 1. In the exercise of prayer. Our blessed
Saviour began and finished his last hours on the cross
with prayer. His first words were, " Father forgive
them ;" and his last, <k Father, into thy hands I com-
mend my spirit.' Prayer is the chief business of the
dying Christian. He Vrill easily find abundance of
matter for prayer. With regard to what is past, he
will implore forgiveness of all his numberless sins and
infirmities. He will thank the Giver of every good
gift, for all temporal and spiritual benefits ; for all de-
liverances, encouragements, warnings, comforts, and
salutary chastisements, that have produced the peaceable
fruits of righteousness, which he is now going joyful-
ly to reap in eterniry. It will behove him to pray for
those whom he has inconsiderately offended ; that God
would efface from their minds the impression of such
offences ; for those who had hated and persecuted him
without a cause ; that God would convert and forgive
them : for those who have loved h'm, and showed him
kindness; thatGod would reward them in time and eier-
nity : and for his family and relations, whom he lea
behind in an evil and perverse world, among so many
snares and sedu cements ; that God would guide, com-
fort, bless, and support them. Lnstly, he should pray
for the whole church militant on earth ; that its bless-
ed Head may take it under his ear- and protection ;
defend, enlarge, and succour it.

If it be asked, May not a dying Christian supplicate
God for the abatement of his bodily pains, for the
recovery of his health, and the lengthening of his days ;

478

that he may be a further benefit to his family, and
better glorify his heavenly Father by a holy and use-
ful life : to this I answer, he may indeed make such
requests, provided it be with an entire resignation to
the divine will : in this he has a pattern set him by
his Saviour, who in his prayer on the Mount of Olives,
said, " Not my will, but thine be done." — A prepara-
tion for death requires,

2. The exercise of faith. A believer may say : ** It
is against thee only that I have sinned, O thou that
pardonest iniquity. Depart from me, Satan, thou ac-
cursed spirit, I know that I am the Lord's. O bless-
ed Jesus, 1 am thy property; thou hast redeemed
me from sin. What can these assaults of Satan mean?
Why does he threaten me with the terrors of divine
wrath at the tribunal of God ? Come and assert the
honour of thy meritorious passion : and since thou hast
so dearly purchased me, I will rest assured that thou
wilt not deliver me into the hands of an accursed
enemy. I am thine ; save me. Though the thunders
of the law, of hell, and of death roar against me, I will
not fear. In life I am thine, and shall continue under
thy protection after death. To others, death may
seem the king of terrors, but to me he wears, a milder
aspect ; for to thee I can commit my body, soul, and
spirit. I leave this gloomy wilderness, to enter into
those eternal mansions which are illuminated by the
glory of God, and of which the Lamb is the light."*

Faith embraces every promise revealed in the gos-
pel ; but more particularly the promise of the grace of
God in Jesus Christ, and of the salvation of those who
believe in his name. It may be of use to consider the

* Revelations, xxi. 2S.

479

former mercies, guidances, and deliverances, which we
have experienced in the course of our lives. A devout
participation of the holy Sacrament, has also often
been wonderfully efficacious in strengthening the faith
of dying Christians. .

3. To such a preparation for death, likewise, belongs
the exercise of hope, of which our suffering Saviour
left us a pattern. The hope of a dying Christian is
chiefly directed to the blessedness of the future life
promised in the gospel ; and is grounded on the re-
surrection of Christ, by which we are born again to a
lively hope of a heavenly inheritance. This hope
shows itself, both in an ardent desire to depart and to
be with Christ, and in a holy joy and composure of
mind.

4. There must be an entire dedication of the soul to
God ; a calm resignation to our wise Creator, referring
all circumstances relating to sickness, life, or death, to
him ; and particularly committing our souls into those
faithful hands, into which the Son of God recom-
mended himself. — This four-fold exercise of prayer,
faith, hope, and resignation, constitutes the preparation
of a pious Christian for death.

Consider, all ye who make it your employment to
fulfil the lusts of your flesh ; who make earthly things,
wealth, honour, ease, and voluptuousness, your supreme
felicity, and act as if you had a continuing city here, and
were to live for ever ; consider that you are preparing
fora miserable death; and if you proceed in this course,
your last moments, unless the grace of God should
interpose to awaken your sleeping consciences, will be
attended with terrible disquietude, and inexpressible
agonies. How wretched will be your condition when,
lifting up your eyes, you will see nothing before you

.480

but horror, misery, and torture ! If you look back
to your former life, all is sin and impiety ; if you look
forward, behold an eternity of agonizing torments and
despair ! Above stands an incensed Judge ; beneath,
the abyss of hell is opened ; you hear within you the
clamours, and feels the. stings of conscience, the witness
and accuser of your most secret thoughts and actions.
Do not flatter yourselves with a vain hope, or. think
that all may be remedied by a few broken sighs : think
not that crying out, ' God be merciful to me a sinner !'
is an atonement for a life of impiety. Repentance is
too arduous, too important a work to be thus hurried
over. When the body is struggling with the pains of
death, and the conscience is terrified with the wrsth of
God, what strength can be left for such a conflict ?
Therefore, while you are in health, renounce the ser-
vice of sin, and give up yourselves to him who has
shed his precious blood on the cross, to give you a
right to a blessed eternity. Settle your account with
Heaven now in the days of your youth and strength,
that nothing may remain to be done on your death
bed, but to depart in peace.

As for you who have received the grace of God, be
not remiss in your conflict against sin ; be not negli-
gent in perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Think
not that you may finish the remainder of your work
on a sick bed. You know not how many hours you
will have for preparation ; nor are you assured that
your distemper will be of such a nature, as to leave
you in full possession of your mental faculties till the
last moment. Habituate yourselves in due season to
the path of duty : so that if the Lord is pleased to
grant you time, your last hour may be an hour of
triumph; and that, if, on the other hand, you should

481

be suddenly surprised by death, your souls may bo
prepared to meet your God.

Timorous, but believing and upright souls, be not
cast down under the apprehension of death, nor ask
whence should joy come in "a dying- hour, after such
long and severe conflicts? God can suddenly roll
away the stone, remove the fear of death from your
hearts, and comfort you with the hope of a glorious
resurrection. Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of your faith, and obey his divine precepts ; this will
be the most effectual preparation for dying happily,
and thus in the hour appointed for your departure, you
may be able to say with joy, " It is finished ! Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit !"

Lastly, " When Jesus had cried with a loud voice,
he bowed his head and gave up the ghost." This
cry, with which our Saviour gave up the ghost, pro-
bably proceeded from extreme pain and agony. Death,
when it attacked him, was not divested of its sting,
which the Mediator was severely to feel. The pains
of death came on him, as pain on a woman in travail.
He was to taste of death in all its bitterness, and by
that means, to extract its sting and disarm it ; so that
it might be changed into a tranquil sleep to believers.
Thanks be to thee, O my Saviour, who by death hast
taken away the power of death, and hast divested him
of his sting. * May thy last words be my light, when
death shall oppress my soul with its horrors ! Let thy
loud cry speak for me, when my power of speech shall
fail, and may I enjoy the fruit of thy victory ; that
the shout of thy host, when thou shalt come to
judgment, instead of terror, may be to me a sound

* 1 Cor. xv. 55.

482

of joy and exultation ; and death be swallowed up in
victory.

P R A Y E R.

O faithful and ever-living Saviour, all praise be to
thee, who hast sanctified our last hours by thine,
and left us therein a glorious pattern for imitation.
Grant to every one of us a wise and understanding
heart, not to put off his preparation for death, till the
last moments of his life ; but in the days of health
to give up his heart to thee, and by thy grace, to
be transplanted from the kingdom of darkness into the
kingdom of light ; so that he may know whither to
flee for refuge when the terrors of death nssault him.
We pray for those who are already passed from death
unto life, and in whom the foundation of a lively hope
of a blessed eternity is laid, that thou wouldst daily
quicken them with the consideration, that every day
friay be their last ; so that they may always keep their
loins girded, and their lamps burning. Graciously
stand by them in their last conflict, that others may
behold their joy and tranquillity, and be edified by
their example. Grant this for the sake of thy name.
Amen.

483

CHAPTER IX.

THE PRODIGIES WHICH HAPPENED AT THE DEATH OF THE
LORD JESUS.

*' And behold, the vail of the Temple was rent in twain
"from ihe top to the bottom, and the earth did quake,
" and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened ; and
" the bodies of many saints who slept, arose, and came
" out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into
" the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the
" centurion who stood over against him, and they that
" were with him, watching Jesus, saw that he so cried
*' out, and the earthquake, and those things that were
" done; they feared greatly, and glorified God, saying,
*' Certainly this was a righteous man ; truly this was
" the Son of God. And all the people that came together
" to thctt sight, beholding the things which were done,
" smote on their breasts, and returned. And all his ac-
" quainlance, and the women that had followed him from
" Galilee, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary
" Me mother of James the less, and the mother of Joses,
" and Salome, and the mother of Zebedee's children, who
" also, when he was in Galilee, followed him and minis-
" tered unto him ; and many other women, who came up
" with him to Jerusalem, stood afar off, beholding these
" things^

IN explaining these words we shall consider,

1. The miracles which followed our Saviour's death.

2. Their effect on the spectators.

No sooner had the blessed Jesus bowed his head,
and commended his soul into the hands of his Father,

li 2

484

than a most extraordinary scene of wonders opened to
the unbelieving Jews, to certify that the person who
was just departed, was he, whom Isaiah emphatically
stiles Wonderful. * As our blessed Saviour's birth was
attended with a glorious apparition of the heavenly
host, so at his death, the earth felt strange convulsions,
unknown at the death of any other person. If we re-
flect a little on the causes and design of these wonders,
we may learn;

1. That they were calculated to awaken the at-
tention of thoughtless men ; - and to induce them to
consider the death of this extraordinary person, and
to inquire into the cause of it.

2. It was God's design, by these miracles, to re-
trieve the honour of his Son, which had been injured
by an ignominious crucifixion, and to give a public
testimony of his innocence. The Lord Jesus, when he
was nailed to the cross, would give no proof of his
miraculous power, nor deliver himself from death, as
his enemies required ; but referred the manifestation
of his innocence to his Almighty Father. He had
before said, " I seek not mine own glory ; there is one
that seeketh and judgeth." f Now this declaration of
Christ was here verified. For when he had expired
on the cross in ignominy and disgrace, the Father
came forth and vindicated the honour of his Son, by
commanding even the inanimate creation, in an ex-
traordinary manner, to celebrate his obsequies. By
these wonderful events, not only the innocence, but
likewise the divine majesty and glory of Christ were
eminently displayed. He had been sentenced to die
for falsely pretending to be the Son of God. But

* Isrvir.h, ix. 6. t John, viii. /><>.

485

when we observe how signally God glorified him at
his death, we cannot look on the crucifixion of the
Lord Jesus, as on that of a mere man. All nature
showed, by an universal tremour, that the Lord of
nature expired.

3. The prodigies were of such a nature as to have
a particular signification, both to the unbelieving Jews,
and also to believers in Christ This will the more
plainly appear, on considering each in then- order.

The first was the rending the vail of the Temple ;
" And behold, (says the evangelist,) the vail of the
Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom."
In the Temple were two vails, one of which hung be-
fore the door leading into the sanctuary, and the other
before the door or opening- into the Holy of Holies ;
and these were made of azure, purple, and scarlet silk-
threads, curiously interwoven, and embroidered with
flowers and cherubims. The latter of these vails
only is bere spoken of. * If one considers that, ac-
cording to the testimony of the Jews, this vail was of
strong texture, and was thirty ells in length, and four
fingers thick ; that is was a masterly piece of art lately
woven, (a new vail being hung up in the Temple every
year,) the hand of God must necessarily be acknow-
ledged to have been concerned in the rending of it.
What a terror must this sudden and unexpected rent
have struck into the priests, who probably were per-

* This vail, which St. Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews, IK. 3.
calls fcei-Tfsov y.aTstweToo-.wa, in the second Temple supplied the place
of the partition wall, which divided the Sanctuary from the Holy
of Holies in Solomon's Temple, mentioned 1 Kings, vi. iG. In the
second Temple there were two vails, which hung down from t\vo
large beams, one towards the Sanctuary, and the other towards the
Holy of Holies,

486

forming the service in the sanctuary, since it was
about the time for evening sacrifice ! How must they
have been terrified at the rending of the vail, and the
exposure torthe view of all the people, of the Holy of
Holies, which they had hitherto carefully concealed
from the eyes even of the priests ; the high-priest
alone being allowed to enter, and that only once a
year, on the great day of atonement. If we in-
quire into the signification of this first prodigy, we
shall find that,

1. With regard to the unbelieving Jews, it was an
awful event. Hitherto God had dwelt in the Tem-
ple within the Holy of Holies, and there manifested
his presence in a peculiar manner. Hence this place
was accounted so sacred, that no mortal eye was to
look into it. But now God having unveiled the Holy
of Holies, and exposed it to the eyes of the people,
it was intimated, that in just displeasure against the
wickedness of his people, and of their priests, in putting
the Lord of the Temple to death, he would from that
time leave this his dwelling, and profane his sanctuary,
by giving it up to unbelievers. * This afterwards was
fulfilled, when the Temple was destroyed by the Ro-
mans ; for the holy vessels were taken out of the
Temple by the soldiers, and exhibited as a public show
in the triumph of Titus.

2. But to the faithful, this rending of the vail is a
joyful type of an entrance opened to them into the
sanctuary not made with hands. When the vail of
his flesh was rent at the separation of his soul and
body by death, and the true High Priest had himself,
with his own blood entered into the holy place, i. e.

* Matt, xxjui. 38. " Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."

487

into heaven, the way to the throne of grace was
cleared ot all obstacles, heaven laid or>en, and the
covering which hung before the mysteries ot the J^e-
vitical worship removed. * The church- militant on
earth, which was prefigured by the sanctuary, and the
church-triumphant in heaven, the antitype of the Holy
of Holies, are now united with each other ; the wall
of partition between Jews and Gentiles, namely, the
ceremonial law, together with the whole Levitical
economy, is thrown down. " Having, therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which lie
has consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to
say, his flesh ; and having an High Priest over the
house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water."f A Christian, meditating on this in-
cident, may say, * I thank thee, O my Saviour, win >
for my good hast suffered the vail of thy flesh, which
hung as it were before the divinity within thee, to
be rent; so that through thee, my Mediator, I can
now not only look into the heavenly sanctuary will i
the eye of faith ; but likewise enter into it, and with
confidence approach the throne of grace. O my Re-
deemer, I rejoice that in thee I have a merciful High
Priest, who, with his own blood has entered into the
Holy of Holies, and accomplished the work of eternal
redemption. Stretch forth thy mighty hand, and from
the top to the bottom, rend all the coverings of hy-
pocrisy and wickedness which thou fmdest before
my heart, and which would preclude thine entrance,

* Isaiah, xxv. 7. t Heb. x. 1<).

488

And as a thick vail of prejudices still hangs before the
eyes and hearts of that wretched nation which crucified
thee, be pleased to rend this vail, that they may see
in thee the accomplishment of all the types of their law,
and behold thy glory with open face.'

The second prodigy, which happened at our Saviour's
death, was a violent earthquake. ' The earth did
quake,' or was moved. How far this violent shock
extended cannot be determined with any precision. *
It is however certain that it shook Mount Golgotha
with the neighbouring parts, and the foundations of
the city of Jerusalem. As the sun had before with-
drawn its brightness, so. now the earth trembles, on oc-
casion of this most astonishing event. This earthquake
not only manifested God's anger at the wickedness of
the Jews, but intimated that both their religion and
polity should experience violent concussions, should be
removed, and abolished ; as St. Paul observes in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, f On the other hand, this
earthquake may be an emblem of the blessed motions
to be caused by the preaching of the crucified Jesus,
in those hearts which had hitherto been hard and im-
movable; especially among the Gentiles. J As the
mountains skipped, and the earth trembled before the
Lord, § at the deliverance of the children of Israel out
of Egypt ; so this earthquake shows, that now the true
redemption.of mankind from the hands of their enemies
is accomplished. — Should not we be ashamed, if our
hearts remain unmoved at the consideration of our

* ' The greatest earthquake/ says Pliny, ' in the memory of man,
happened in the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when twelve cities of Asia
•were levelled in a single night.'

t Heb. xii. 2(5. £ Haggai, ii. 7. § Psalms, cxiv. 6.

489

Saviour's death, when the earth itself trembled and
shook on account of it? — May this important event
affect us with a holy trembling, and a salutary dread
of the severity of divine justice, which here appeared
so conspicuously. And let the consideration of this
comfortable truth, that by the death of Christ we are
reconciled to God, fill our hearts with emotions of
grateful love ! May we rejoice in the great salvation
thus obtained for us, and at the glorious liberty where-
with Christ hath made us free.

It is added, " The rocks rent." The country about
Jerusalem is very rocky. The rocks were so shaken"
by the earthquake, that masses of them fell into the
valleys ; others were rent with clefts and fissures. In
the adjacent parts, to this very day, are seen wide
chasms and fissures in the rocks ; memorials of this
prodigy. *

Another prodigy was " the opening of the graves."
The sepulchres of the opulent Jews were generally
hewn in rocks ; so that when these were rent, many
graves were opened. This however was a distinct
miracle from the former. The divine omnipotence,
which had displayed itself by rending the rocks, also
wrought on particular places where certain saints were
buried ; and with this opening of the sepulchres
another miracle was connected, which perhaps did not
come to pass till the morning when our Saviour arose
from the dead. For, by the power of Christ, " many
bodies of saints who slept, arose ; and came out of the
graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy
city, and appeared unto many." Who these saints
were, whose graves were thus opened, is only a matter

* See Maundrell's Travels from Aleppo to Jerusalem.

490

of probable conjecture. They are supposed to be, in
general, such devout persons, as, in their life-time, had
waited for the coming of Messiah, and had wished to
see his day ; and whose wishes were accomplished even
after their death. This honour might be conferred, in
the first place, on the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
and Joseph, the two last of whom had, at their death,
left a particular charge, that their bones should not be
buried in Egypt where they died, but in the land of
Canaan ;* on some of the prophets, f who had foretold
the Messiah ; and on some who were lately departed,
as Simeon, Anna, Zechariah, and John the Baptist,
who must have been known by those to whom they
appeared. These graves were opened by the death of
our Lord, as a proof of what he had before asserted,
that " the hour is coming, in the which all that are in
the graves shall hear his voice." f St. Matthew says,
that these saints came out of the graves, and made their
appearance to many in Jerusalem, after our Saviour's
resurrection. It is probable therefore, either that they
were not restored to life till the morning when Christ
rose from the dead, who was to be the first fruits of
them that sleep, § and are to rise to life everlasting ;
or else, that though they were restored to life, in the
instant when Christ expired on the cross, and arose
when the graves were opened, yet it was not till after
Christ rose from the dead, that they went into the holy
city and appeared unto many, as witnesses of the re-
surrection.

* Gen. xlvii. 29.— 1. 24.

t Ignatius in Ep. ail Magnesios. n^njrai, pa£r)Tai eyr€<,

&*8«0T<aXov avroy irpoo-eSoxsy, xa» 8*a TBTQ, ov 8txona;j em/*«»ycs<, ita-fuv if/fun*

vr»{ ex vfx^wv.
% John, r. 28. $ 1 Cor. xv. 20.

491

This miraculous opening of the graves was a re-
proach to the Jews, for having put Him to death,
whose coming all the saints of their own nation had so
ardently longed for. On the other hand, believers may
be hereby convinced that Christ has put an end to the
bondage of the Law, and brought the prisoners out of
the pit; * that by his death, he has destroyed the power
of death and hell ;f and that one day, he will again open
the graves of all departed saints, under the old and new
covenant, and bring them forth alive, glorify them, and
introduce them into the heavenly Jerusalem.

I O my Saviour, the longer I abide by thy cross,
the higher thoughts I entertain of thy sacred person.
By the prodigies after thy death, I am convinced
that thou art the real High Priest, who art entered
with thy blood into the Holy of Holies ; the Author
of nature, which here sympathized with thee, the
Prince of Life, and the Conqueror of death; that
thou canst force his strong prison, dispossess him of his

j spoil, and rescue his captives. Therefore rouse me
from my carnal security ; call me forth from the grave
of my sins ; and give me a lively hope, that in the day
of thine appearance, when thy voice shall sound through
the mansions of the dead, and when all the spoils of
death shall be torn from him, I also may come forth
from my grave, and behold thy face in glory.

II.

We are, in the second place, to consider the effect
which these miraculous events had on the beholders ;
among whom were,

1. The Roman Centurion, who commanded the party
of soldiers at the crucifixion, and now stood opposite

* Oral. iii. 23 ; Zach, ix.^11. t Hefc. il

492

the cross with his men, watching Jesus. This officer
had taken particular notice that the death of Jesus was
followed by some extraordinary convulsions of nature.
The effect which the sight had on him, as the evangelists
tell us, was,

1. " He feared greatly." His heart was inspired with
a holy fear of God, whose omnipotent hand was so
manifestly visible in these extraordinary phenomena.
He began to reflect with horror on what he and his
soldiers had been doing : that they had put to death a
person who, even in death, had more power than the
combined force of all the living, and whose last voice
shook the foundations of the earth.

2. "He glorified God." He praised the God of
Israel, and acknowledged that he docs great things :
that he can darken the sun, shake the earth, rend the
rocks, and open the graves ; things infinitely beyond
the power of the heathen deities.

3. He acknowledged the crucified Jesus, to be a
righteous man, and the Son of God. In this ac-
knowledgment or confession of Christ, we may observe
two degrees of illumination. In the first place, from
the extraordinary circumstances attending our Saviour's
death, he' acknowledges his innocence. He declares
that he was a righteous and good man, innocent of all
those crimes which had been laid to his charge, and con-
sequently, most undeservedly sentenced to death. But
from this first step, the Spirit of God leads him still
farther ; for he also acknowledges the divine glory of
Christ. He asserts that this righteous man was, in a par-
ticular manner, related to the Deity ; and actually was
what he professed to be, the Son of the Most High. Thus
God confirms by this Pagan officer, the declaration which
Cbrist had made before the Sanhedrim, and for which

493

he had been condemed as a blasphemer. As the lips
of the Jewish priests, which were " to keep the know-
ledge of the Messiah,"* poured out blasphemies against
Christ, God caused his glory to be proclaimed by the
mouth of a Pagan soldier; a presage, that the same
Saviour whom the unbelieving Jews had rejected,
should be known and acknowledged by the Gentiles.

Secondly, The pagan soldiers who were under the
command of this Centurion, and had mocked and in-
sulted Christ in Pilate's hall of judgment, were among
the spectators. The effect of these miracles was, that
they also, were afraid and terrified ; for St. Matthew
says, " When the Centurion, and they that were with
him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those
things that were done, they feared greatly." Perhaps
also the testimony of their commanding officer, and his
example, made an impression on the soldiers.

Thirdly., There were Jews among the spectators.
The greatest part of these stood about the cross out of
curiosity, and some of them had joined in reviling
Christ. St. Luke observes : " And all the people that
came together to that sight," where God so unexpectedly
glorified the abased and derided Jesus, " beholding the
things which were done, smote their breasts and re-
turned."

1. They " smote their breasts." That action did not
proceed from wonder and amazement ; but expressed
their concern, their grief, and repentance for what was
done. They regretted that they had suffered them-
selves to be so far misled by their rulers, as to reject the
Saviour; and to see him given up to injuries, indignities,
and abuse. Then was fulfilled the saying of the blessed

* Malachi, ii. 7.

494

'Jesus, '« When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then
shall ye know that I am He !" * i. e. the Messiah who
was promised to your fathers.

2. " They returned." By this expression may be
meant, not only that they returned to Jerusalem, to
their homes, to reflect farther on these things ; but

O '

likewise in some measure from their evil ways, into the
good way which Jesus had preached to them. They
alt, we may suppose, were not of the same temper and
disposition. In some this was no more than a tran-
sitory fright and fleeting emotion, which soon vanished,
without bringing forth any fruit. On others the im-
pression was deeper, and consequently had a better
effect. But it is remarkable, that we read not of the
chief priests, Pharisees, or rulers, being in the least
moved at these wonderful phenomena. We do not
hear of their beating their breasts, and returning.
These hardened hypocrites "regarded not the work
of the Lord, neither considered the operation of his
hands." f To avoid the supposition that they had acted
wrong, they would not own the God of Israel to be
in the right ; and even after the death of our blessed
Saviour, exclaimed against him as a deceiver.

Fourthly, Among the spectators were also some of
Christ's followers, of both sexes. St. Luke observes,
" that all his acquaintance were there, and the women
that followed him from Galilee." St. Matthew and
St. Mark particularly specify Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of James the less, and of Joses and Solome,
and the mother of John and James, the sons of Zebedee.
The last of these, with her sons, had declared, that she
would also drink of the cup which Jesus was to drink

* John, viii. 28. t Isaiah, v. 12.

495

of. * Therefore she had ROW been led by her love for
him, to attend our Saviour in the last moments of his
life, and by a sensible compassion she must have tasted
something of the bitterness of his sufferings in his last
agony. Of all these persons the evangelists observe,
that " they stood afar off." Probably they could not
with convenience come nearer, on account of the
crowd ; but in this distance those prophecies in the
Psalms were likewise accomplished : " My lovers and
my friends stand aloof from my sore ; and my kinsmen
stand afar off." f Thou hasjt put away mine acquaintance
far from me." $

No mention is made by the evangelists of the effect
which these prodigies had on their minds. They had
no occasion to beat their breasts, and to lament that
they had injured the blessed Jesus. Their consciences
witnessed better things to these devout women. There-
fore, though the earth shook and trembled, yet they
could lift up their heads with confidence. But it is
very probable that a violent conflict between hope and
despair, faith and unbelief, passed in their souls. They
saw Jesus die, of whom they had hoped that he was to
redeem Israel, and whom they had accompanied to
Jerusalem with a persuasion, that the kingdom of God
would immediately appear. § At this instant the idea
of the earthly kingdom of the Messiah must have been
extinguished in their souls, and their hope of seeing it
have vanished. But their faith might derive a powerful
encouragement from the miracles, with which God
honoured this catastrophe. Here all nature, as it were,
cried aloud in behalf of the innocence of Jesus, which

* Matt, xx 22. t Psalms, xxxviii. ] 1. j Psalms, btxxviii. 8.
~§Luke, xix. 11.

496

had been oppressed by the false accusations of the
Jewish Rulers. What an impression must it have
made on them, to see the people beating their breasts,
and to hear even the Roman officer and soldiers -pub-
licly owning the crucified person to be the Son of God !
They might hence Conclude that they had not followed
Jesus, and ministered unto him with their substance,
in vain; and that possibly the matter might have another
issue than his enemies expected. They saw; how sud-
denly the invidious joy of the Jewish rulers was in-
terrupted by dreadful prodigies ; and they concluded
that God could still do greatef things than these, and
that they might yet hope in his goodness. We shall
conclude with the following inferences.

1. A godly fear is usually the first effect of a serious
consideration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
*Thus the spectators of our blessed Saviour's death beat
their breasts for trouble and remorse ; and when
conscience accuses, it can be no otherwise with us.
When a person reflects, that for his sins the Son of
God suffered on the cross, what violent emotions must
it not awaken in his heart ! Such emotions will mortify
pride and self-love. Hence we shall learn to humble
ourselves before God, and stand in awe of his just dis-
pleasure. Thus the foundation of repentance is laid.
But we are not to stop here, as it is to be feared, was
the case of many of the spectators of our Saviour's
passion. We must proceed farther ; and dwell in con-
templation on the affecting subject, till the heart is
mollified and changed, so as to conceive a hatred and
abhorrence of sin.

2. As God glorified his Son after his great abase-
ment ; so when his children have fought the good
fight of faith, and endured sufferings, he will bring

497

them also to glory. Who would have conceived that
our blessed Lord, while hanging on the cross, covered
with shame and reproach, should have received such a
tribute of praise, as soon as he expired, and that from
a Pagan soldier ! " Certainly this was a righteous
man ! Truly this was the Son of God!" Yet such was
the issue. Thus, in the fight of affliction, . we must
continue true to the end. Such a conduct will make
a happy impression on others ; and even those, who
during life, have hated, mocked, or persecuted us,
will, at our death, bear witness that we have faith-
fully served our Lord and Saviour, and were his true
disciples.

3. The death of Christ has not produced its true
effect in us, till it has kindled the spiritual life in our
souls. This life is indeed, properly one of the fruits of
the resurrection of our Lord : hence St. Peter observes,
" we are begotten again unto a lively hope, by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.'y * Yet the
foundation of it is laid m Christ's triumphant death.
Thus, in the instance before us, at the death of our
Saviour, those good principles, which hitherto seemed
dead in the hearts of the spectators, revived ; and
incited them to proclaim the innocence and glory of
Jesus. The death of Christ should have this- blessed
effect in us, of imparting a new life to our souls,
which will also manifest itself in the members of our
bodies : so that they will no longer be instruments
of unrighteousness, but be devoted to the service of
him who died for us and rose again.

* \ Peter, i 3.

498

PRAYER.

O faithfal Saviour, we praise thee, who didst even
on thy cross begin to fulfil thy word, « when I am
lifted up from tl»e earth, I will draw all men unto me/
May it please thee, to draw to thyself those who are
farthest from thee. Teach them to acknowledge, that
thy death is the only means by which we can overcome
death, and have the guilt of our sins blotted out.
Incline all our hearts to contemplate thy meritorious
death ; and grant that we may, in due time, enjoy the
precious fruits of it. Rend the veil of our prejudices,
and shake our obdurate and refractory hearts. Grant
that we may smite our breasts, and return from our
evil ways. Have mercy upon us, O thou Lamb of
God, and hear us for the sake of thy meritorious death
and passion ! Amen.

( 499 )

CHAPTER X.

THE LAST INDIGNITY OFFERED TO THE BODY OF THE LORJ*1
JESUS ON THE CROSS.

" The Jews, therefore, because it was the preparation* that
" the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the
" sabbath day, (for that sabbath was a high day.) besought
" Pilate that their legs might be broken, that they might
" be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the
" legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with
" him : but when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was
" dead already, they brake not his legs, hut one of the
" soldiers with a spear, pierced his side ; and forthwith
" came thereout, blood and water. And he that saw it
*' bare record, and his record is true ; and he knowet/i that
" he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things
" were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, a bone
ft of him shall not be broken : and again, another scripture
" saith, they shall took on him whom they pierced."

IN these words, St. John, who was an eye witness of
the transaction, relates the last insult to the body of his
Lord and Master, while it hung upon the cross.

Another indignity had been intended against the
body of our Lord, namely the breaking of his legs.
This we learn from the request to Pilate, that the legs
of those who were crucified might be broken, and that
their bodies might be taken away. This proposition
was made by the Jews, by whom we are here to un-
derstand the rulers, chief priests, scribes, and elder**

500

As for the people, the miracles which attended the
death of the Lord Jesus had affected them ; but their
rulers still continued obdurate and insensible. The
earth had been shaken under their feet, and the rock&
were rent ; but their hearts were still unmoved,, un-
broken, and without the least apparent sign of sorrow,
or awe of the Divine Majesty. This is indeed a
melancholy circumstance. But let us withdraw our
eyes from those miscreants, and look into our own
hearts. How often has the death of Jesus Christ been
represented to us ! How often has our blessed Saviour
been evidently set forth, crucified among us f But are
our obdurate hearts softened by the representation ?
Is our evil disposition overcome ? The prodigies which
attended the death of Christ, have been illustrated and
explained ; but what is the effect and impression ?
Have our hearts trembled before God, on hearing that
the earth shook at our Saviour's death ? Have we
been led to consider our ways, and seriously to re-
solve on forsaking our former course of injustice or
covetousness, of uncleanness or intemperance, of pride
or anger?

That we may better understand the nature of this
request of the Jews, it is necessary to observe, that
those malefactors who were crucified, often died a very
lingering death ; so that it was not uncommon for
them to remain on the cross two or three days, till at
last they perished by hunger, or were devoured by wild
beasts. Here the Jews proposed the breaking of their
legs, to hasten the death of the unhappy malefactors.
As a motive for this proceeding, they represented to
Pilate, that this was the day of preparation for one of
their most solemn festivals ; which would be profaned,
if the bodies of the criminals should be suffered

501

to hang on the cross on that high day. How great was
their hypocrisy ! They would not profane the sabbath;
sand yet they had put to death the Lord of the sabbath,*
and profaned the sanctuary of Israel ! f They would
not let the sun set whilst the bodies of the executed
criminals were exposed, this being contrary to their
law ; f yet they suffer the sun to go down upon their
wrath against Jesus. This notorious instance of hypo-
crisy should awaken in us an abhorrence of that
vice, which affects a zeal for the externals of religion,
but makes no account of its essentials. — This in-
dignity of mutilating the body of Jesus, which the
Jews intended, was prevented by Providence. After
Pilate had given orders that their request should
be complied with, the soldiers first proceeded to break
the legs of die two malefactors who were crucified
with Jesus. The penitent fared outwardly no better
than the impenitent thief. They both felt the cruel
blows, and both expired in pangs and convulsions,
To the soul of the penitent malefactor, our blessed
Lord had promised paradise; but his feody, which
had been the instrument of his crimes, was to receive
its deserts. He probably distinguished himself from
his abandoned fellow-sufferer, by -a resigned com-
posure, and rejoiced in the persuasion, that however
painful this hastening of his death was, it would
forward his passage into paradise.

The soldiers having now dispatched the two male-
factors, approached the cross of Christ, intending to put
an end to his life also. — May we draw near to the Lord
Jesus with a better intention, and come unto him for
life and salvation ! — But the soldiers, observing that

* Luke, vi. 5. t Isaiah, viii. 14. J Deut xxi. 23.

Kk3

502

Jesus was already dead, they did not break his legs.
In this transaction, we must look to the hand of God,
by which these soldiers were withheld from committing
suck an outrage on the body of Jesus. His legs were
not to be broken, because though he was numbered
among transgressors or malefactors, yet he was not one
of them : because his sufferings and death did not pro-
ceed merely from the will and insolence of his enemies;
but he had power voluntarily to lay down his life,
before it was taken from him : * and thirdly, because
the scripture was to be fulfilled, which, as cited by the
evangelist, says, " A bone of him shall not be broken."
These words refer to the type of the paschal lamb ;
concerning which it is said in scripture, " Thou shalt
not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the
house, neither shall ye break a bone thereof." f From
this intimation of .the Holy Spirit here quoted by
St. John, it is plain that the chief view of that divine
ordinance was to prefigure our Saviour's passion. We
here observe,

1. That whoever judges of a man's spiritual state
from outward appearances, will be frequently mistaken.
The converted malefactor, as we have already observed,
suffered the same painful cruelty as his companion ;
and yet there was an infinite difference between them.
One was a friend of Christ ; the other, an enemy and
revilcr : one was translated from the cross to paradise ;
the other was cast into hell. Thus two persons may be
involved in the same misfortune, or under the same
sentence, between whose spiritual circumstances there
is a great disparity. One may be a faithful servant of
, the other the slave of Satan. The Lord knows

* John, x. 18. t Exod. xii. 46.

503

his own, who have departed from evil ; and a day wili
come, when the difference between the righteous and
unrighteous will be made manifest before assembled
men and angels. In the mean time, it is our duty to
show, by our calmness, patience, and resignation, that
we are governed by a different spirit from the men of
this world.

2. God by a timely death, often delivers his children
from sufferings. By the early death of the Lord Jesus
was prevented the cruelty of the soldiers, who designed
to break his legs. God still frequently takes away the
righteous from the evil to come, and removes them by
an early death, before his judgments spread desolation
over their country ; or before the wicked can execute
the impious schemes which they had planned against
them. In whatever way the infinite wisdom of God
may be pleased to dispose of us, we must rest satisfied
with his dispensations. If the Lord of life and death
is pleased by a sudden dissolution, to remove his ser-
vants, it is usually to deliver them from ^vil ; if they
are spared, and suffer calamity, they must rest assured,
that not a hair shall fall from their heads without his
knowledge and permission.

Instead of the intended insult of breaking the legs
of Jesus, another indignity was offered to his sacred
body. A soldier with a spear, pierced him in the
breast or side. This was done either out of wan-
tonness or insolence ; or, the soldier might have an
intention of trying, whether Jesus was really dead.
He therefore pierced him with a spear near the heart,
in order to dispatch him, in case life remained. That
it was no small wound, but a large inciaon, appears
from what our Lord s&id to the incredulous Thomas,

Kk4

. 504

after his resurrection ; " Reach hither thy hand, and
thrust it into ray side." *

What followed this piercing of our Saviour's side is
likewise related by St. John. " And forthwith came
thereout blood and water." St. John, who stood by,
could plainly distinguish both blood and water issuing
from the wound; so that probably the pericardium
was pierced.

Mention is made of the certainty of this remarkable
incident, (which confirms the fact of our Lord's death,)
in these words : •" And he that saw it bare record, and
his record is true ; and -he knoweth that he saith true,
tli at ye might believe," The circumstance is related
by one wlio had it not by hear-say, but saw it with his
own eyes, and is also a credible witness, who was ad-
mitted by Christ among his apostles, tiiat he might
bear a true testimony of the actions and occurrences of
his life, <leath, and resurrection. This record was also
delivered deliberately, and with the assisting light of
the Holy Spirit ; therefore it is added, "and he knoweth
that he saith true." St. John liere likewise mentions
the end, for which he bare record ; " that ye might
believe ;" that ye might be assured by this event, that
our Saviour did really die on the cross. This beloved
disciple saw blood and water issue from his Lord's
pierced side, which affecting sight must have made his
own heart bleed within him ; and as a faithful witness,
he relates it to us, that we may also believe. There-
fore " blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have
"believed."

Lastly, The evangelist mentions the counsel of God
concerning this matter. "These tilings were done,

* John/ xx. 27.

505

that the scripture should be fulfilled. They (the Jews)
will one day look on him whom (by the Roman
soldier's spear) they pierced. * Hence it appears, that
this incident had been predicted in scripture ; and con-
sequently that it did not happen fortuitously, and from
the mere insolence of a licentious soldier, but that the
counsel of God was concerned in its accomplishment.
The principal view of Providence in ordering this
event, and causing it to bo foretold, seems to be, that
the certainty of Christ's death might thereby be con-
firmed and ratified. Some may perhaps say, Is it of
such very great importance for us to know that Jesus
Christ really died on the cross ? To which it may be
answered, that if Christ be not really dead, the power
of death is not really destroyed ; since this was to be
effected by the Mediator's death. If he did not die
in reality, so neither is he risen in reality. And if
his resurrection be merely a delusion, St. Paul's in-
ference is, "that our faith is vain, and we are yet in
our sins." -f

If it be asked, What was the purpose of God in
ordering, that our blessed Saviour's side should dis-
charge both blood and water? It is answered, that
blood and water signify the two principal benefits
which Christ has acquired f r us. The blood re-
presents the benefit of atonement, which is applied to
us in justification. " For in him we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." f
The water represents the benefits of sanctification and
cleansing from sin, of which Christ has laid the foun-
dation, by obtaining and pouring on his disciples the
Holy Spirit, who is often represented in scripture

* Zech. xii. 10. 1 1 Cor. xv. 17. + Col i. 14.

under the figure of water, as softening, cleansing, and
fertilizing the heart. " Then will I sprinkle clean
water upon you, and ye shall be clean ; from all your
filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will
I put within you ; I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judg-
ments, and do them." * In order to enter into the con-
sideration of this mystery, we must,

1. Take a view of the condition to which we were
reduced by the fall. By the transgression of our
first parents, we are involved both in the penal guilt of
sin, and in its defilement. By reason of disobedience,
we are obnoxious to the sentence of death which God
passed on our first parents, and the punishment con-
tained in this threatening, " Thou shalt surely die."
We have likewise forfeited the glorious image of God,
and our whole nature is defiled. In order to recover
this divine similitude which we had lost, we must
apply to another both to deliver us from guilt and
punishment, and to repair that loss which we sus-
tained by the fall. Now this has been done by the
Son of God. He came in his mediatorial office with
Blood, without which there can be no remission.!
Therefore he shed his blood, and with it, at the same
time, poured out his soul unto death; and by his
death our debt is blotted out, God's justice is satisfied,
and remission of sins is obtained. He also came with
Water, i. e. with the Holy Ghost, by which the de-
filements of our nature are done away, its impurity

* Ezek. xxxvi. 25. t Heb. ix. 22.

507

effaced, good resolutions imparted, and the loss of
the divine image restored. " This is he that came by
water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only,
but by water and blood." *

Secondly, We are likewise in this mystery to turn
our thoughts to the design of the Levitical economy,
in which these two benefits acquired by Christ are
typified. There were particularly two things, ex-
pressive of the future benefits conferred in the new
covenant ;

1. Water, with which those who were under any
bodily pollution were washed arid cleansed from their
legal impurities.

2. The blood of the animal slain as a sacrifice, which
was profusely shed under the Mosaic dispensation.
Both these means were used, sometimes separately;
sometimes together. The water prefigured the puri-
fying of the heart by the Spirit of Christ. The blood
typified the atonement, and represented the power of
the blood of Christ, the true sacrifice for the sins of
the world. The priests by the Levitical law were,
at their consecration, cleansed with water and blood, f
But the real High-Priest of the new covenant, who
is holy and without sin, did not, like the Levitical
priests, make use of the blood of victims, and water
from without; but he came with blood and water
issuing from his own body ; and thus, by himself, he
purged our sins. \

This circumstance should likewise direct our thoughts
to the two sacraments of the new covenant, which are
manifest and powerful memorials of the two benefits
procured for us by Jesus Christ ; by which the death

\ John, v. 6. i Levit. viii. 6, 22, 23. t Heb. i. 3. ; ix. 12.

508

and merits of our Saviour are appropriated to us.
For the water which flowed out of his side, is set
forth to us in the laver of baptism, in which, by
water and the Holy Ghost, we are purified and re-
jiewed into the divine image ; and by the symbol
of wine in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, is
represented the blood which issued from his side, and
which was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. * We

shall conclude with one observation.

As our Saviour has opened a fountain for sin and
uncleanness in his body on the cross, we should dili-
gently apply to it in order to obtain eternal salvation.
By this blood and water which flowed out of pur
Saviour's side, is obtained what the Levitical puri-
fications and sprinklings with blood and water, typified
indeed, but could not in reality perform. Let us then
with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation, f
Let us approach this free and open fountain, convinced
of the dreadful guilt and pollution of sin, that we
may find forgiveness of its guilt in the blood, and be
washed from its pollution in the water. Let us at-
tentively consider St. Paul's exhortation to the He-
brews : " Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, let us draw
near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled, (with the blood of atone-
ment of the new covenant,) from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water." f

* Matt xx vi. 28. t Isaiah, xii. 3. $ Heb. x. 19, 22.

509

PRAYER.

O faithful Saviour, we praise thee for all the tokens
of thy love, and for the indignities which thou wast
pleased to endure for our sakes, both before and after
thy death. Grant that we may hasten to the streams
of blood and water which flowed out of thy side, and
obtain remission of sins through a worthy participa-
tion of the two holy sacraments which continue a per-
petual remembrance of thy great sacrifice. *

* This seems the proper place for referring the reader to the Ap-
pendix, in which some of the remarkable Old Testament types of
the sacrifice of Christ are considered.

When this work is used as a companion for the season of Lent,
or for Passion week, (the concluding week of that season,) the two
remaining Chapters of this part of the work should be reserved till
Easter Even ; for which their subject matter is applicable.

510

CHAPTER XL

f HI LAST HONOURS PAID TO THE BODY OF THE LORD JE3VS.

" And note, when the even was come, because it was the
"preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, came
" a rich man, named Joseph of Arimathea, a city of the
" Jews; he was an honourable counsellor, and a good
"man and a just: the same had not consented to the
" counsel and deed of them ; who also teas a disciple of
" Jesus, (but secretly for fear of the Jews) and waited
"for the kingdom of God. He went in boldly unto Pilate,
" and besought him that he might take away the body
" of Je*u*. And Pilate marvelled if he were already
•« dead; and calling unto him the Centurion, he asked
" him whether he had been any while deeut ? And when he
" knew it of the Centurion, he gave the body of Jesus
"to Joseph; and commanded it to be delivered to him.
" And Joseph bought fine linen. And there came als*
" Nicodemus, (who at the first came unto Jesus by night,)
" and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a
" hundred pounds weight. Then took they the body of
" Jesus, and wrapped it in the clean linen, and wound
" it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of
" the Jews is to bury"

IN these words are described the last honours paid
to the breathless corpse of the Lord Jesus.

1. By taking it down from the cross.

2. By preparing it for an honourable interment.

Concerning the taking down of our Lord's body
from the cross, the evangelical history notices the
time when it was done.

511 .

This is mentioned in general by St. John in these
words ; " after this," i. e. after Christ was in reality
dead on the cross. St. Mark specifies more par-
ticularly " that it was in the evening," when the sun
was near setting. It is further observed by the evan-
gelist, that it was the evening of the preparation, or
the day before the sabbath It was a vigil of a day
which was to be kept holy on a double account ; as
it was Friday, the day before the sabbath ; and as
it ushered in the feast of the Passover, which fell on
that sabbath : therefore it is termed the preparation
for the Passover. The congregation were now per-
forming their devotions in the Temple. But Joseph
and Nicodemus were employed in paying the last
honours to the corpse of our blessed Lord ; and in this
they acted agreeably to the words of Jesus, that mercy
is better than sacrifice. The eve of this sabbath was
a proper time for the interment of the Lord Jesus ;
since the Son of God now rested from his work of
redemption. It might be considered partly as the
conclusion of the sabbath instituted in the Old Tes-
tament; and partly as a preparation for the great
sabbath of the New Testament, on which the people
of God were to rest from the laborious service of the
ceremonial law.

2. The persons whom divine Providence was
pleased to employ on this occasion, had been fore-
told by the prophet Isaiah ; who says, that the Mes-
siah should, in his death, be with the rich.* But
what little appearance was there of the accomplish.
ment of this prophecy; since the principal person*
of the Jewish nation not only rebelled against this

* Isaiah, Jiii. £.

King, whom God had determined to set up in Sion ;
but even condemned him to die ! Yet the wisdom of
God provided the means to fulfil this prophecy. He
raised up two persons to perform this office, of whom
it was little thought that they would take on them-
selves the care of the body of a crucified person.
Thus, when in any instance we have the divine
promise before us, though we cannot see any one near
us who is likely to perform it, yet we must not
despair. The Lord will provide a proper instrument
and will fulfil all his promises.

The principal person whom God employed on this
occasion, was Joseph of Arimathea, who signalized his
faith in honouring the corpse of the " despised and re-
jected of men, who was numbered with the trans-
gressors."* He is described as a rich man, and a

counsellor ; one who filled an honourable post either
in the Sanhedrim, or in the city council of Jerusalem.
And thus was fulfilled what Isaiah had predicted.
Joseph is also styled, " an honourable man," and St.
Luke observes, that, among other good qualities, he
had so far shown his attachment to justice and equity,
as to act according to the dictates of his conscience,
in not consenting to the counsel and deed of our Sa-
viour's enemies. Hence it is evident, that he either
did not make his appearance when the council as-
sembled to condemn Jesus; or, if present, did not
join in the vote for his condemnation. Some commen-
tators indeed, suppose him to have been only a mem-
ber of the, city council ; and not of the great council
or Sanhedrim which .condemned Christ. To a dis-
approbation of these unjust proceedings, Le might be

* Isaiah, Kii. 12.

513

led by his mer6 natural probity, and the impulses of
conscience, which is naturally shocked at flagrant acts
of injustice and cruelty. But St. Luke, in terming
Joseph " a good man and a just," seems to allude to a
distinction which was common among the Jews, who
divided mankind into three classes, namely, just men,
good men, and sinnerfc.* The sinners were those who
committed acts of fraud, injury, and violence. The
just, were persons of probity, who were content with
what they had, and abstained from molesting or injuring
others. But none were styled good men, except those
who were distinguished for active benevolence, and
who communicated of their substance to the poor and
necessitous. This last was Joseph's character. He
was not only just, injuring no man ; but was good,
benevolent, and liberal. He was just, as he did not
consent to our Saviour's death. He was a good and
generous man ; since he defrayed the charges of an
honourable burial. But the evangelists have further
recorded,

1. That "he was a disciple of Jesus," i. e. he acr
counted Jesus to be a teacher sent from God, and his
doctrines to be true, and agreeable to the writings of
looses and the prophets. He was consequently, not
only a hearer of our Lord, but an obedient and zealous
observer of his doctrine ; but privately, for fear of the
Jews, and especially of his colleagues, who had passe4
a decree to excommunicate all who should acknowledge
Jesus to be the Messiah, f This fear of man was in-
deed a weakness and a failing ; but as he had a well
disposed mind, and a sincere love to the Saviour, God
in this weak instrument, manifested his power. While

* Romans, v. 6, 7. t John, ix. 22 ; xii. 42.

514

the blessed Jesus was alive, and while he was esteemed,
followed, and admired by multitudes, Joseph was a
secret disciple, for fear of the Jews ; whereas, now
when our Saviour was dead, and his cause was des-
perate, Joseph's fear vanishes* and he publicly shows
himself a zealous disciple of Him, whom the Jewish
rulers ha& crucified. Thus, his* faith ultimately gave
him the victory, and overcame the fear of man.

2, " He waited for the kingdom of God." Thus his
mind must have been free from the reigning prejudices
of the Jews ; for according to their notion, the king-
dom of the Messiah was to be a worldly and temporal
sovereignty. But Joseph waited for the kingdom of
God, that spiritual kingdom which was to be founded
by the Messiah. He was not offended at the sufferings
and death of Christ, like those who were filled with
chimerical notions of the conquests, pomp, and glory
of the Messiah's earthly kingdom.

Lastly, He is described by the regard he showed
to the Lord Jesus. " He went in boldly unto Pihte."
His faith inspired him with courage : and though
aware of the difficulties attending this affair, instead
of being deterred by them, he resolved at all events,
whatever judgment the public might pass on it, or
whatever danger he might incur from the cruelty of
our Saviour's enemies, not to be wanting in any en-
deavours for procuring the body of Jesus. And
though it could not but be disagreeable to a man of
his probity and conscience, to ask a favour of an unjust
and profligate judge, yet he repaired to his hall of judg-
ment, in which the chief priests and elders, from phari-
saical hypocrisy would not set foot, and desired leave of
Pilate to take down the body of Jesus from the cross.

515

in order to bury it ; which could not be done without
a licence from the Roman governor. Pilate knowing
that crucified persons often lived two or three days on?
the cross, expressed surprise to hear that Jesus was"
already dead ; but having sent for the Centurion who
commanded the party of soldiers at the cross, and found
it to be the fact, he granted Joseph's request.

Wha does not see in this circumstance the hand of
God ; which so directed these incidents, that the
Roman governor, by his inquiries^ is made the in-
strument to confirm the certainty of our Saviour's
death ? Thus, as our blessed Lord, by reason of the
enrolment and taxation, was entered in the register of
the living under Augustus ; so to strengthen our faith
concerning the reality of Christ's death, he was re-
gistered in the list of the dead. Pilate gave Joseph
the body of Jesus voluntarily, and without any present,
which he might have expected from a man of his
wealth. Upon this, " Joseph came and (with the help-
of his servants) took the body of Jesus" from the cross.
With what joy would Joseph receive the permission
from Pilate, and how happy would he think himself
in being able to pay the last honours to the remains of
a person^ whom he honoured so much while living !
Here let us observe,

I. When it so happens, that a part of public wor-
ship interferes with a necessary act of charity, and of
love to Christ and his members, which will admit of
no delay, the former may be omitted, and the latter
performed with a safe conscience. Joseph had no
reason to feel regret, because his care for the in-
terment of the Lord Jesus prevented him from at-
tending the service in the Temple, preparatory to the
approaching sabbath, He was now to attend a labour

L12

of love, which could not be deferred ; an$l this was of
higher value in the sight of God, than the numerous
sacrifices at that time offered in the Temple. It would
have been a hypocritical show of devotion, had lie,
out of fear of omitting the Temple service, been wanting
in this opportunity of showing his love to Christ.
Certainly, the public worship of God ought not to be
omitted but on important occasions, and in cases of
urgent necessity. At all other times we are to attend
it, and by our devotion to set a good example to others.
But if an occasion offers of being serviceable to a mem-
ber of Christ ; of attending on him in sickness, assisting
him under temptations, or helping him in any pressing
exigency ; or if the providence of God point out to us
an occasion wliere our charity is immediately required ;
public worship may, for that time, be omitted with
a safe conscience. Such a high value does God place
on the love of our neighbour, that he in this case
postpones his own service, and gives the former the
precedence.

2. External probity, and a love of justice, though not
sufficient to make a true Christian, are essential parts
of his. character. Though the mere observance of
justice and probity does not alone constitute a Christian,
this truth is perverted by some sectaries and -enthu-
siasts ; who entertain an impious notion, that all ex-
ternal morality is exploded by the gospel, and that it
forms no necessary part of the Christian religion to
practise the social duties. But we here see, that the
Holy Spirit gives this eulogium to the character of
Joseph, " that he was a good man and .a just," and
consequently was possessed of every - moral virtue.
They that have believed in God must therefore be
-careful to maintain good works.

517

3. He who is faithful in small things, will be en-
trusted with greater. This gospel maxim we see con-
firmed in Joseph of Arimathea. This man was faith-
ful in obeying the dictates of his conscience, by re-
sisting injustice, and refusing to join in condemning
an innocent person. He was fuithful in the improve-
ment of his knowledge of the truth of our Saviour's
doctrine,* at a time when he did not dare publicly to
own himself one of his disciples. How richly is
he here rewarded for that fidelity which he showed in
small things, and what a treasure of faith God bestows
on him ! For he publicly goes to Pilate, despises the
world and its censures, and shows himself a true dis-
ciple of the blessed Jesus, when his cause was, to
human appearance, desperate. If men would listen to
the voice of conscience, God would lead them further,
and, by his revealed word, would impart to them the
principle of spiritual life. He does not leave the least
work of faith unrewarded ; but, out of his abundant
grace, requites it with a plentiful measure of divine
assistance. On the contrary, we must not think it
strange, that he who disregards the moral sense of
reason and conscience, should be left to himself. It is
but a righteous judgment of God, that he who thus
abuses the gifts of heaven, should be given up to a
reprobate mind.

4. He that will not risque something for the love he
bears to Christ, will never make any great proficiency
in the school of Christianity. It is here said of Joseph,

* It may even be inferred from the original text of St. Matthew,-
" ipafyhia-e TU l-r^S ," that Joseph himself had made disciples to.
Jesus. The same verb is used in this sense in Matthew, xxviii. 19*.
and Acts, xiv. 21.

LI 3

• 518

that he went in boldly unto Pilate, and desired the
"body of Jesus. Something must be risqued for re-
ligion, before we can attain to any degree of perfection :
we must determine, for Christ's sake, to hazard our
reputation in the world, and perhaps submit to mockery
and insult from our former friends. The pious, pru-
dent, and resolute undertakings of a true Christian,
"however hazardous, will by the Divine assistance be
brought to a happy issue. What could seem more
dangerous, and at the same time more uncertain as to
its success, than this resolution of Joseph, to ask for
our Saviour's body ? Had he considered his own
character, that of his colleagues, or the character and
disposition of Pilate., a thousand apprehensions would
have arisen in his mind, and deterred him from the
attempt. But, as in forming this resolution, he re-
garded God only ; by the power of his faith and love
towards Jesus, he overcame all difficulties. This ex-
ample should encourage us ; and the happy issue of
Joseph's enterprise, should animate us boldly to con-
tend for the honour of God. And even if every thing
turn contrary to our expectation, yet we shall be no
losers by. the attempt. We shall still have the tes-
timony of a good conscience, and the honour of leaving
Tisqued something for the sake of Christ ; and in the
day of retribution, our feeblest attempts sliall not go
-unrewarded.

3. As the taking down the body of Jesus from the
cross was not only permitted, but appointed and pre-
dicted by God, this circumstance should strengthen
our faith. It was a part of the law of Moses,* that a
man who had been hanged as a curse on a tree, should

* Deut. xxi. 22, 23.

be taken down and buried at sunset; 4o denote that
justice was satisfied by the punishment and disgrace
inflicted on the delinquent, so that the land might
from that time be accounted clean. The great Surety
of mankind had borne our sins in his body on the
tree, and become a curse on it for us. * Now as his
body was by God's appointment taken down from
the cross, and honourably interred ; we learn from
hence that divine justice is satisfied by our Saviour's
death, and the curse is abolished, Our Redeemer
Laving paid all to the utmost farthing, God permitted
him to be taken down, as a public testimony jfco all the
world, that Divine justice was fully satisfied. Hence
all who believe in this crucified Jesus, and obey his pre-
cepts, are exempt from the curse of the law, and free
from condemnation, f — This comfort is of inestimable
value to the truly penitent and humble Christian.

After our Saviour's body was taken down from the
cross, it was prepared for an honourable interment.
The .persons who performed this generous office were
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Joseph with
his servants had taken down the body. While this
pious man was employed in preparing it for interment,
the Providence of God sent him Nicodemus as a col-
league, a person of equal distinction with himself!
He not only bore his share in the expense, but likewise
in the odium and contempt, and other inconveniences,
which Joseph might naturally expect on account of
this labour of love. It is here observed of Nicodemus,
that he formerly came to Jesus by night for fear of

**Gal. iii. 13. t Rom. viii. 1.

520

the Jews. Hence it appears, that he was not free from
the weakness which had possessed Joseph. But now,
he also shows an equal boldness ; and the fears of both
are at an end. — Joseph brought fine linen in order to
wrap up the body of Jesus; and Nicodemus brought
a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred
pounds weight, and costly spices. The linen was
steeped in this aromatic mixture or ointment ; and
the body of Jesus being washed, was wrapped and
wound in the linen. This preparation of the body for
interment had been prefigured before his death,*
when Mary came before hand and anointed him for his
burial. — The honour shown him was such, as only
the most wealthy among the Jews of that age could
afford. Thus was the end of our Lord's continuance
in this world attended with more splendour than his
first entrance into it. At his birth, he was wrapped
in swaddling clothes ; but he made his grave with
the rich.

1. We may observe the gradual progress of the
spiritual life in Nicodemus. He is first described as
coming by night to Christ, to learn the first elements
of our Saviour's doctrine, f He is afterwards described
as a disciple, opposing his colleagues and saying, "Doth
our law judge any man before it hear him, and know
what he doeth ?"- { And here, at the death of Christ,
at a time when his cause was deserted, Nicodemus
publicly owns himself his disciple, and comes to pre-
pare his body for the burial.

2. No expenses are better bestowed than those em-
ployed on Christ and his members. Let the rich con-
sider this, and encourage works of charity and benefi-

John, xii. 7. t Jobn, iii. £. t John, vii.

521

cence ! This would bring down a real blessing on
them ; for what is bestowed on his poor brethren,
Christ accepts as if it were bestowed on himself.
The expenditure of Joseph and Nicodemus in mag-
nificent houses and equipages, are buried in oblivion :
but their charitable care in burying the Lord Jesus,
is entered in God's book of remembrance, and will
be rewarded in the sight of angels and men at the
day of retribution. Let those rich persons, who would
be thus happy, tread in their footsteps ; and what they
have hitherto superfluously lavished in vain ornaments
or pleasures, let them bestow on Christ's poor brethren
for their master's sake ; so shall they be openly com-
mended and rewarded by the Son of God, when he
cometh in the glory of his Father with his angels.

Lastly, The imperfections that often attend good
works, are covered by love to the Lord Jesus, flowing
from faith in him. It must be allowed, that there
was a weakness attending the good offices of these
worthy persons. This appears in their anointing
the sacred body of the blessed Jesus, in order to pre-
serve it from putrefaction ; whereas it was written in
the Psalms, concerning this Messiah, " Thou wilt not
suffer thy Holy One to see corruption." * But this
weakness is entirely overlooked on account of that
cordial love to the Lord Jesus, from which it pro-
ceeded. The Spirit of God, instead of pointing out
this their mistake, has recorded the fact as the effect
of their love and esteem for the deceased, and has
passed over their weakness. Let us implore oUr
faithful Saviour to shed abroad his love in our hearts,

* Psalins, xvi. 20.

522

and incite us to a laudable emulation, by the two noble
examples of which we have now been treating.

PRAYER.

O, faithful Saviour, we thank thee for that transcen-
dent love to our souls, which gave thee to die for us.
Give us hearts to love thee our crucified Saviour,
and to rejoice at every opportunity of showing our
love to thee, by relieving thy poor members. Grant
this for the sake of thy love. Amen.

CHAPTER XII.

THE BURIAL OF THE LORD JESUS.

^ Now in the place where -he was crucified, there was a
" garden ; and in the garden a new sepulchre, which
" Joseph had caused to be hewn out of a rock, wherein
" never man before was laid. Here laid they Jesus,
*' therefore, because it was the Jews preparation-day ;
"for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. And they rolled
** a great alone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
" And the women also, who came with him from Galilee,
"followed after. Among these were Mary Magdalene,
" and Alary the mother of Joses, who sat over against
" the sepulchre, and beheld how, and where the body was
" laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and
" ointments, and rested the sabbath-day according to the
" commandment. Now t/ie next day that followed the
" day of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees
*' came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember
" that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After
*< three, days, I will rise again. Command therefore,

523

v< that the sepulchre be made sure unf,ii the third day;
" lest his disciples come by night and steal him away,
" and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead ;
" so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate
" said unto them, Ye have a watch ; go your way,
" make it as sure as you can. So they went, and
" made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting
" a watch."

1. WE have here an account of the sepulchre in

which the body of our Lord was laid. Joseph of
Arimathea had caused a sepulchre to be hewn out
of a rock in his garden, which was near Mount Gol-
gotha. Joseph never imagined that Jesus of Nazareth,
whose disciple he was in secret, was to be laid in this
sepulchre. It may be said of Joseph, as Jesus said
unto Peter on another occasion, " What I do, thou
knowest not now ; but thou shalt know hereafter." *
Joseph's intent was to provide a place of burial for
himself and his family ; but God had a more im-
portant design in view, and so directed contingences,
that Joseph here made a sepulchre for the Prince of
Life. Joseph probably was put in mind of death
by this tomb, and meditated on his mortality in this
garden. Let us learn from him, to familiarize our-
selves witk reflections on our death and resurrection.
Every fading flower may remind us of our mortality;
and every blade of grass that dies in whiter, and
shoots forth again in spring, is, as it were a preacher
of the resurrection.

2. It was a new sepulchre in which never any man
was laid. This was provided for, lest the resurrection
of Christ should be ascribed to a wrong cause. If it

* John, xiii. 7

524

had been otherwise, his enemies might have depre-
ciated the miracle, by saying, " Possibly some holy
prophet had been buried in that sepulchre many cen-
turies ago, and when this Jesus of Nazareth was laid
on his bones, he was restored to life, as we have a
similar instance in scripture. *

3. We are further informed, that this sepulchre was-
hewn in a rock. This circumstance no doubt was
likewise of divine appointment. For had it been on a
loose soil, unbelievers might have pretended, that the
disciples of Jesus had made a subterraneous passage,
and carried off the body, without breaking the seal, by
which the outside was secured. But the wise Pro-
vidence of God, by this circumstance obviated all such
cavils against the certainty of our Saviour's resur-
rection.

Lastly, The reason is mentioned why this sepulchre
was chosen in preference to any other, in these words :
" Here laid they Jesus, therefore, because of the Jews
preparation-day ; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."
These pious persons, who took care of our Saviour's
burial, had but little time left. It was within an
hour or two of sun-set, when the Jewish sabbath
began. As time did not permit them to carry the
body of Jesus to any place at a distance from Gol-
gotha, there was a necessity of making choice of the
nearest sepulchre. This circumstance likewise was so
ordered, that the place where Jesus Christ suffered the
greatest ignominy, should be contiguous to that which
was the first theatre of his glory.

The interment of our blessed Lord is briefly related
by the evangelists. " There laid they Jesus." Among

*2 Kings, xiii. 21-

525

the Jews, every family of distinction had a vault, con-
sisting of long narrow cavities cut in a rock. In one
of these niches, the corpse, wrapped or wound in linen
grave-clothes, was put. In this manner the body of
the Lord Jesus was laid in one of the recesses pf
Joseph's new sepulchre. According to the custom
of the Jews, he would, as a crucified person, have been
thrown into a pit, among the bodies of malefactors.
But an honourable burial took place between his state
of abasement, and that of his exaltation ; and it was,
as it were, the dawn of his approaching glory.

Let vis next take a view of the different behaviour
of the friends and enemies of our blessed Lord on this
occasion.

First, Let us consider the behaviour of his friends.
These were,

1. Joseph and Nicodemus ; of whom it is said, That
after anointing Jesus, wrapping his body in fine linen,
and laying it in the cavity of a rock, they rolled a
great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
They securely shut up the body in the sepulchre,
without entertaining any hopes that he would rise
again, or come out of it alive.

2. Among our Saviour's friends were also several
devout women, some of whom had follo\ved him from
Galilee. They had been witnesses of the death of our
Lord, and stood over against his cross when he gave
up the ghost ; and are here witnesses of his burial.
These women, " sat over against the sepulchre, and
beheld where and how his body was laid :" and were
the more careful in observing the place, that they
might find it again. It affords us a further testimony
of the reality of our Saviour's death, that these his
zealous friends were so near at the time of his burial :

526

for they never would have permitted him to be in-
terred, had there been the least signs of remaining
life. St. Luke further observes, " that they returned,
and prepared spices and ointments." Tkey went into
the city, and bought some precious aromatics, before
it was night, and consequently before the sabbath
began, in order to anoint the body of Jesus after that
day should be past. These devout women were far
from entertaining any thoughts of our Lord's resur-
rection : their design was only to show their respect
to the body of a person whom they had so highly
valued, and to preserve it as long as possible from
corruption. Lastly, the evangelist says, that " they
rested on the sabbath day, according to the command-
ment." They punctually observed the law of God,
and would not by any means violate it ; though their
love for their Saviour, struggling against their fear
of transgressing the law, must have powerfully urged
them, and have drawn their thoughts to the sepulchre.
We are to consider,

Secondly, The behaviour of our Lord's enemies on
this occasion. These were,

1. The chief priests and pharisees ; who did not let
their hatred against the Lord Jesus rest even on the
sabbath-day, though the devout women, mentioned
above, showed their respect to the commandment.
His enemies went early in the morning of the sabbath
to Pilate, instead of attending to the duties of tlie day ;
and addressed him thus : " Sir, we remember that that
deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days,
I will rise again. Command, therefore, that the se-
pulchre may be made sure, until the third day ; lest
his disciples come by night and steal him away, and
say unto the people, He is risen from the dead : so

527

the last error shall be worse than the first." Thus they
are anxious that a seal might be put on the tomb of
Jesus, and a party of soldiers appointed to watch it ;
alledging our Saviour's prophecy of his resurrection ;
which they remembered better than his own disciples
had done. Yet they could not repeat this prophecy
without an invective against Jesus; calling him <*
deceiver. This circumstance of their extreme caution,
even after death, concerning him whom they declaimed
against as a deceiver and false prophet, shows that they
had some apprehensions of the divine mission of Jesus",
though this testimony of their conscience was sup-
pressed. The innocent disciples were charged with the
intention of a fraudulent removal of the body. They
had been hitherto accounted a simple and timorous set
of men ; but now, such stratagems are apprehended
from them, as required address, courage, and resolution.
The Jews further alledged, that " the last error would
be worse than the first." That is, the report of Jesus
being risen on the third day, would have a worse effect
on the people, than his preaching while alive. Thus,
these hypocrites opposed the decree of God concerning
the resurrection of our blessed Saviour, in order to
justify their wicked proceedings in the eyes of the
world.

We are next informed of the conduct of Pilate, the
Roman governor, with whom the rulers of the Jews
" took counsel against the Lord, and against his
Anointed." * As he had before been prevailed on by
these rulers to order the crucifixion of Jesus ; so now
he is now further solicited by them to endeavour to
prevent his resurrection. It was not indeed for the

* Psalms, ii. 8 ; Acts, ir. 25.

528

interest of Pilate that he should be charged with the
crucifixion of an innocent and holy man, who after-
wards rose again from the dead. Therefore he very
willingly consents that a party of Roman soldiers
should watch and secure the sepulchre, as the Jews
might direct, The chief priests gladly received this
permission ; and now thought themselves sure -of pre-
venting the resurrection of Jesus, or even the pretence
of it by his followers.

But all these contrivances of our Lord's enemies
serve only to confirm the truth of his resurrection,
which his heavenly Father had long before decreed.
To make his triumph more illustrious, God so directed
ajl contingencies, that the enemies. of Christ should
receive advice of his resurrection from their own watch j
who with ghastly countenances and trembling limbs
came and acquainted them, that Jesus, without any
aid, had broken open the sepulchre, and come forth
alive.

Tn order to reap real benefit from the consideration
of our Lord's burial, we must reflect on the character
and-quality in which he died on the cross, before he
descended into the sepulchre, and on the lessons which
are to be learned from this circumstance in the his-
tory of his passion.

1. He hung on the cross as the Lamb of God,
bearing both the burden of our guilt, and the load of
our punishment and curse ; so that by undergoing this
painful, ignominious death, he might atone for our
sins, and satisfy the divine justice. ' As he was taken
down from the cross and deposited in the sepulchre,
we have here a certain proof that he has suffered all
the punishment which he deserved as our surety;
that he has discharged our immense debt, abolished

529

the curse of the law, and, by the shedding of his
precious blood, satisfied divine justice. It is a pub-
lic declaration, that justice had no further demands
on his person, and that the sum of the debt of all
mankind was completely discharged. This is a com-
fort not to be purchased by all the riches of this
world -, and it can be appropriated only by repentance
and faith, and by our dying to sin and being alive unto
God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. *

2. While an Israelite was hanging as a curse on a
tree, the community of which he was a member, and,
and the land in which he lived, was accounted un-
clean. f Jesus bore our curse on the cross ; <but, in
the evening, he was taken down from it, according
to the injunction of the divine law ; which was a
token that the curse was removed, and the land was
again clean. Now he, who by faith enters into fellow-
ship with Christ, becomes ,a partaker of his death and
burial, and all the precious fruits accruing from both.
He is consequently looked upon by God, as discharged
from the demands «f the law, and entirely freed from
the curse. Knew therefore, ye penitent believers who
are in this happy state, that you are «lean in the sight
of God, and that there is no longer any condem-
nation to them who are in Christ Jesus. ^ Your
heavenly Father is reconciled to you by the sufferings
of Christ; and satisfaction having been made to his
justice by your Surety, he has discharged you from
all further claims. Only approach the throne of grace,
repent of your sins, believe in Christ, and obey his
precepts ; and, instead of a curse, ye shall inherit a
blessing.

* Rom. vi. §. t Dent, xxi. 22, 23.

3. Tlie burial of Christ tends to the confirmation
of our faith. For, from this it is evident, that he
really died, and that there was no collusion in the
manner of his death ; and further, that his subsequent
resurrection, a fact on which all our hopes depend,
must have been real. — Christ having encountered
death, overcame, and swallowed it up in victory.
Hie Prince of Life extracted its venomous sting-.
He not only triumphed over it by the cross, in his
death ; but pursued it even into the grave, its residence
And strong-hold, and there, as it were, for the last
time, bruised the serpent's head.

4. The bwial of Christ had been predicted and pre-
figured. When it is said in the Psalms, " Thou wilt
not leave ?ny soul in hell (or in the state of departed
souls) neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see
corruption ;" * it is presupposed that the Messiah was
to be laid in the grave, the itsual place of corruption.
Isaiah says, " that the Messiah made his grave with
the rich ill his death," f a dear prophecy of the burial
of Christ : which is also further typified in the Old
Testament by the prophet Jonah. " For as Jonah
was three days and three nights in the whale's belly,
so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights
in the heart of -die earth." ^ In other passages also,
our Lord had foretold his burial. " Except a corn
of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth
alone : but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." J
O the transcendent love of Christ, who, by dying, liuth
begotten us again to a glorious and immortal life.

5. The burial of Christ is to be considered as a seal

* Psalms, xvi. 10. t Isaiah, liii. 9. J Matt. xii. 40.

§ Juki), xii. 2 K

531

of his innocence. Both are connected together ; hence
the prophet says, " He was with the rich in his
death, (i. e. he was laid in the sepulchre of a rich
man,) because he had done no violence, neither was
any deceit in his mouth." *

6. By virtue of our Saviour's burial, the graves of V
believers are sanctified and changed into a calm and
peaceful repose. What disciple of Christ need now
dread the grave ; since, through his Saviour, it is made
the passage to the regions of eternal day ? From
Christ's burial, he derives comfort. St. Paul says,
" If one died for all, then were all dead." f As the
first man in his fall, represented the whole race of
mankind ; so, in the work of redemption, the second
Adam in his crucifixion, death, and burial, was like-
wise the representative of mankind. Therefore it is
said in scripture, of believers who enter into the
fellowship of the blessed Jesus, " That they are cir-
cumcised with Christ, crucified with Christ, dead with
Christ." f To this fellowship with Christ's burial we
are brought by baptism, " We are buried with him
in baptism." $ For as anciently the whole body was
immersed in the water of baptism, || and thus as it
were buried for some moments, from the sight of the
spectators ; this temporary continuance under the water,
signified that baptized persons are buried with Christ,
and consequently are entitled to all the benefits which
he purchased by his death and burial. From this in-
timate union witli the buried Jesus^ a baptized person

* Isaiah, liii. 9. 1 2 Cor. v. 14,
J Rom. vi. 4, 8. ; Col. ii. 11. § Col. ii. 12.

|| This is the form prescribed by the Church of England.— <&<?
the Kubrick.

M m 2

Is accounted as really dead unto sin ; so that neither
sin nor the curse attending it, neither the world nor
the devil, dare triumph over him any longer. And as
our Saviour's burial was followed by his resurrection ;
so we v:ho are buried with Christ, must also rise again
with Win from the grave of sin, and walk in newness
of life.

Let us praise our faithful Saviour, W}K> already in
our infancy has received us into the fellowship of his
feurial, when we could only lament our misery with
tears, and had not words to express our wants, or
to implore his benefits. Let us examine whether we
are dead unto sin, buried with Christ, and made alive
•to God. The old man must be for ever put off, and
the sins which Christ buried in his grave, are never
more to be brought to light. If we have already done
this, let us still with godly sorrow, enter into the fel-
lowship of Christ's death and burial. Let us " mortify
our members which are upon the earth ; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness ;" in a word, let us " put off the old
man with his deeds." * Let us, as those who are dead
to the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life, adhere to
the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his cross. Let us
be willing to be hid with Christ in God ; so " that
•when Christ, who is our life shall appear, we may also
appear with him in glory." f To this end, may God,
for tin1 sake of his beloved Son, bless to us this and
^ill the preceding considerations ; that they may bring
forth in us the fruits of righteousness, peace, and joy
in the Holy Ghost.

* Coloss. iii. 5, 9« t Coloss, Ui, $, Z>

53$

O blessed Jesus, who didst submit to the cross, and
descend into the mansions of the dead for our sake,
praised be thy name for these proof* of thy love. O
make us the happy partakers of all the fruits of thy
meritorious sufferings, thy death, and thy burial !
Ever praised be thy name for the grace wriich we
^rust thou hast bestowed upon us in the considerations
of thy sufferings, from thy internal agony in the
garden, to thy descent into the chambers of the grave.
Set thy seal to all the good thoughts which these
considerations have stirred in our hearts. May we ir»
life and death, in the hours of suffering and of joy,
derive from this view of thy passion, health, strength,
comfort, and blessing ; and through the grave aiid
gate of thy death, may we pass to a joyful resurrection
with thee, who now livest and reignest with the Father
and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end*
Amen.

At in*

APPENDIX.

CHAPTER I.

THE WATER WHICH FLOWED FROM THE ROCK, A TYPE OF THE
WATER WHICH ISSUED FROM OUR SAVIOUR'S SIDE.

" And the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed
" from the wilderness of Sin, after their journey s , accord'
" ing fc the commandments of the Lord, and pitched in
" Bephidim : and there was no water for the people to
«« drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and
" said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses
" said unto them, Why chide you with we ? WJierefore do
" ye tempt the Lord ? And the people thirsted there for
" water, and the people murmured against Moses, and
** said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us out
" of Egypt, to kill us, and our children, and our cattle
" with thirst ? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying,
" What shall I do unto this people ? They be almost ready
" to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on
" before the people, and take with thee the elders of Israel :
" and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in
" thine hand, and go. Behold, I will s/and before thee
<f there, upon the rock in Horeb ; and thou shall smite the
" rock, and there shall come water out of it, thai the people
" may drink. And Moses did so, in the sight of the elder*
" of Israel." Exodus, xvii. 1.

IN these words we have an account of a surprising
miracle which God wrought in the deserts of Arabia-

535

The occasion of this wonderful display of the divine
power, was the want of water. Though the children
of Israel had plenty of flesh and bread, to satisfy their
hunger, the quails lying in heaps about their tents,
and the manna falling every night on the earth ; yet
they were in extreme want of water. Thus God, in
his wisdom seldom gives men at once every thing they
wish for; but permits them to feel the want of some-
tiling, in order to keep them in continual discipline,
and oblige them to look up to his all-dispensing hand.
But 'n this exigency, the Israelites returned to their
impious mistrust of divine Providence, even so as
to break out into menacing complaints against Moses.
Their distress discovered the evil concealed in their
hearts, At the waters of Marah, which were mi-
raculously sweetened for their use, and at the twelve
wells of Elim, they showed no distrust, or want of
faith. But no sooner were they again in want of
water, than their unbelief manifested itself in wicked
murmurs. Thus it is, to this very day. When God
deprives men of their earthly comforts, they are put to
the test whether they believe in him ; and then they
are too apt to betray an evil heart of unbelief The
children of Israel ought to have remembered,, that it was
not by any mistake of their leader, but by God's com-
mand, that they were come into this barren wilderness ;
for it is said in the text, "They journeyed according
to the commandments of the Lord.'* This unthink-
ing people did not look up to God, nor attend to his
hand, but in their impatience murmured and exclaimed
against Moses, the glorious instrument whom God
was pleased to make use of to conduct them. They
had not recourse to their Almighty Creator, in their
distress ; but went to Moses, and peremptorily insisted

M m 4

536

on his providing water for their use : ** Give us- water,
(say they,) that we may drink." Though these words
proceeded from a wrong disposition ; yet may we
borrow them from the Israelites, and in a spiritual
sense address them to Jesus Christ, saying, " Give us
water, that we may drink." This our blessed Lord
himself has permitted us to do. For it is not only
to the Samaritan woman, but to every one of us, that
he says, " If thou knewest the gift of God, and who
it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldest
have asked of him, and he would have given thee
living water." *

Moses briefly remonstrates with them, that their be-
haviour was very sinful ; and says, " Why chide you
with me ? Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord ?" But
he did not think it advisable to enter into a long
expostulation with this infatuated multitude, who were
already seeking stones to assault him. He addressed
himself to God ; and entreated him not to revenge
and punish such murderous intentions, but to give him
direction and assistance in such a critical time. Now
as Moses, in this instance, is a pattern of long-suffering ;
so we ought to imitate him, and possess our souls in
patience.

God, by the intercession of his faithful servant
Moses, is prevailed upon to work a miracle, to remove
the people's distress ; upon which their fury subsided.
Moses was to go to a rock upon Mount Horeb. The
omnipotence of God could have commanded the clouds
and dissolved them in rain ; or have caused a spring
to gush Jout of the earth, with which the people might
have quenched their thirst. But he was pleased to

* John, iv. 1TX

537

bring forth water by cleaving the hard rock. Thus
he not only gave a more manifest proof of his om-
nipotence, in accomplishing his design by such im-
probable means ; but likewise intended to make the
Israelites ashamed of their unbelief, and at the same
time, to shadow out a future event of a remarkable
nature. Moses was to strike this rock with the same
rod, with which he had performed his wonders in
Egypt, and had divided the waters of the Red Sea.
«* Take in thine hand thy rod wherewith thou smotest
the river:" thus by recollecting the former miracle,
Moses's faith might be strengthened, and the unbelief
of the people confounded. We have here present,

1. Christ himself, in the pillar of the cloud, who says
in the text, " liehold, I will stand before thee there,
upon the rock in Horeb;" i.e. I wiH manifest myself
in iny glory, over the rock that shall be struck. It was
by his power, that this miracle was to be performed.
As he had before directed the flight of the quails to
the wilderness, and caused them to fall among the
tents of the children of Israel ; so now he, in a won-
derful manner, directs the course of the water to this
rock.

2. The elders were to be witnesses of the miracle.
The bulk of the people, by their unbelief, had ren-
dered themselves unworthy of seeing this operation of
the divine omnipotence.

In the presence of these spectators, Moses struck the
rock with his rod, and in an instant there issued a
copious stream of water.

If we would search deeper into the mystery of this
remarkable transaction ; St Paul throws light upon it
in these words : " Our fathers did all drink the same
spiritual drink ; for they drauk of that spiritual rock

538

that followed them ; and that rock was Christ,"* The
rock which Moses struck, typified Christ ; and the
water which flowed from the rock had also a spiritual
meaning; hence it is termed by the .Apostle, "A
spiritual drink ;" i. e. drink which typified something
spiritual.

In several passages of the Old Testament, Jehovah,
when described as a protector and deliverer of his
people, is called a rock. Moses speaks thus of the
Israelites. " Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked, and for-
sook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the
rock of his salvation." f A rock being hard and im-
movable, is a fit representation of the eternity and
immutability of Christ, of his firmness and strength ;
and his being an asylum to some, and an offence to
others. Those, who in confidence of faith flee to him
for refuge, find protection. Thus in time of war, men
seek safety amongst high rocks against the attacks of
the enemy. But they, who through unbelief dash
themselves against this spiritual rock, do it to their
own destruction. Hence Christ is styled in scripture,
" a rock of offence and a stumbling stone." $ In the
miracle at the rock of Horeb, we have a type of,

1. The sufferings of Jesus Christ ; and

2. The abundant gifts of the Holy Ghost, which our
Saviour has thereby acquired for us. The former is
represented by striking the rock with the lawgiver's
rod ; and the second is typified by the plenty of water
thus produced.

The rock of Horeb derived its name from its aridity:
it was a dry parched rock, which seemed but ill adapted

* ! Cor. x. 4. t Deut. xxxii. 15. } Rom, ix, 32. ; 1 Peter, it 9.

539

to supply t a copious spring of water, to quench the
thirst of such a numerous people. Thus, it is said of
our blessed Saviour in his state of abasement, " He
shall grow up as a tender plant, and as a root out of a
dry ground."* His mean appearance, his obscure
parentage, and other circumstances externally des-
picable, rendered him a rock of offence to his people ;
a stone which the builders rejected.

2. The rock out of which the water was to flow, was
pointed out to Moses by God himself. In like man-
ner, Christ was appointed by his Father before the
foundation of the world, to be the Saviour of mankind,
and the spring of living waters.

3. The glory of the Lord manifested itself over the
rock which was struck in the pillar of the cloud :
" Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock
of Horeb." Thus the visible human nature of Jesus,
the rock of salvation, was personally united with the
divine glory ; which dwelt within it more essentially
than it did in the pillar of the cloud. Nay, a divine
glory displayed itself in Christ even in the lowest state
of humiliation ; for, notwithstanding all the indignities
and insults that were offered him, the rays of divinity
beamed in the eyes of the Roman officer who stood at
the cross, so that he cried out, " Truly this was the Son
of God !"

4. The rock on which God thus manifested his glory,
was struck by his direction : so Jesus Christ, the rock
of salvation, was wounded by the permission, and ac-
cording to the pre-determinate counsel and will of
God ; who says by the prophet, " Awake, O sword,
against my shepherd, and against the man that is my
fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts." f

* Isaiah, liii, 2. t Zach. xiii. 7-

540

5. The rock of Horeb was struck at a time when
all Israel rebelled against the Lord and his servant
Moses, and consequently little deserved so great a
benefit. Thus the rock of salvation was smitten by
God, and made a spring of living water, when Israel
committed the greatest of sins, by reviling and lightly
esteeming the rock of their salvation.

II.

We come, in the second place, to consider the water
which flowed from the rock, and which typified the rich
abundance of grace, procured for us by the sufferings of
Christ.

1. As the watejr did not come forth until after the
rock had been struck, and the glory of God had mani-
fested itself above it ; so likewise the Holy Ghost was
not poured forth in a visible manner, till Jesus had felt
the curse of the law, satisfied the justice of God, ter-
minated his sufferings in death, and was again raised
and received into glory. Hence the evangelist says,
" The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus
was not yet glorified." *

2. As the rock of Horeb yielded not merely a few
drops, but whole streams of water, which allayed the
present thirst of the people, and afterwards ran in the
dry places like a river, f to serve them in any future
exigency ; so the rock of our salvation, being smitten
and wounded, is become a copious spring of living
water ; sufficient to satisfy the whole Israel of God, in
their pilgrimage through time into eternity.

Approach to this fountain, ye who still quench your
thirst in the impure streams of sinful lusts, and drink

* John, vii, 39, t Pwtais, cv. 41.

541

iniquity like water. " If any man thirst," saith our
blessed Saviour, " let him come to me and drink :" but
this he spake of the Spirit," as the evangelist informs
us. * These are the words of the Lord Jesus, who
ardently desires your salvation. Let them not there-
fore be disregarded. Behold ! for your sake he has
suffered himself to be smitten and wounded ; and by
his meritorious sufferings has acquired for you the
spirit of grace, which in his gospel you are freely in-
vited to receive.

Come unto him, ye who pant after grace, as the hart
panteth after the refreshing stream ; be not deterred
from approaching him from a sense of your unworthi-
ness. Who could be more unworthy to receive water
from the rock, than the seditious Israelites in the
desert. Yet, notwithstanding all their murmuring,
the mercy of God opened a copious spring of water
even for these rebels.

Lastly, Come to the waters which flow from the
rock of salvation, ye who have already experienced
their enlivening virtue. Draw cheerfully out of his
inexhaustible fulness, and then you shall never thirst.

PRAYER.

O our Saviour, whose merit is infinite, be pleased so
to dispose our hearts that they may become partakers
of the living waters of thy Spirit. Create in us a
loathing of the polluted streams of sinful pleasures,
and kindle in us an ardent thirst after thy grace.
May we drink abundantly of the salutary springs of
"thy comforts, and with joy draw water out of the

* John, viu 37, 39-

542

wells of salvation, till we arrive at those blissful regions,
where we shall thirst no more, and where thou.
O Lamb of God, who art in the midst of the throne,
shalt lead us, and bring us to the living fountains of
waters. Amen.

,
CHAPTER II.

THE BLOOD OF THE SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT A TYPE Of
THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.

*' The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it
" unto you upon the altar, to make an atonement for your
'* souls ; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for
" the soul" Leviticus, xvii. 11.

IN our inquiry into the mystery concealed under the
blood of the sacrifice, two points offer themselves to our
consideration,

First, The blood of the sacrifice itself.

Secondly, The ceremonies observed respecting it.

The blood of those clean animals which were ap-
pointed for sacrifices, was the chief article in the whole
Lievitical worship. When a person by transgression
of the divine law had deserved death, he brought in
the stead of himself, such a victim as God had ap-
pointed ; laid his hand on it, and confessed over it his
crime. From that instant the victim was considered
as if it had committed the crime, and deserved death ;
but the atonement was not made till the blood of the
animal was shed, and poured at the foot of the altar.

343

Hence St. Paul says, that " without shedding of blood,
there is no remission." * Now if we consider how
many millions of victims were thus sacrificed, from the
time of Moses, to that of our Saviour, first in the court
of the tabernacle, and afterwards in the Temple of
Jerusalem ; the immense quantity of blood shed in all
those sacrifices, must fill us with astonishment, f

This blood of the sacrifices thus profusely shed was,
under the Old Testament, accounted veiy sacred. No
person, under pain of death, was to apply this blood to
his own use ; God having strictly enjoined that it
should be poured out at his altar. Nay, in order to
impress the greater awe and veneration for this blood
of the sacrifices, it was likewise prohibited by the
Levitical law, to eat the blood of any creature killed
for common use. " Whatsoever man there be of the
liouse of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among
you, that eatcth any manner of blood, I will set my
face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut
him off from among this people." $ This injunction is
likewise repeated in another place. " Tiiou mayest
kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul
lusteth after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy
God, which he hath given thee ; the unclean and the
clean may eat thereof, as of tfce roe-buck and as of the
hart. Only, ye shall not eat the blood ; ye shall pour
it on the earth as water. $ Commentators have pro-
duced many reasons, why the eating of blood was so

* Hcb. ix. 22.

t Josephtts, in his history of the Jewish Wars, VI. ix affirms,
that 255^600 paschal lambs were killed in the Temple at Jerusalem, in
one day, at the feast of the Passover.

$ Leviticus, xvii. 10. § Deut. xii. 15, 16.

strictly forbidden under the old covenant. But God
himself, who is the surest expositor of his own laws,
has made known to us the cause. " The life of the
flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the
altar, to make an atonement for your soul ; for it is the
blood that uiaketh atonement for the soul. Therefore,
I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall
eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth
among you eat blood." *

While the blood circulates in the bodies of animals
they live; without it, animal life is at an end. As
often therefore as the blood of a sacrificed animal was
shed, the life of the victim was offered up to divine
justice, and was considered as a ransom for the soul of
the sinner. According to the rule of divine justice,
" the soul that sinneth shall die." But God, in the
ceremonial law, was pleased to permit the sinner to re-
deem his soul, by the life of a beast. Now an irrational
animal is by no means an equivalent ransom for the
soul of man ; yet the blood of the beast, which was
poured out at the foot of the altar, was accepted as a
pledge of the blood of Jesus Christ, in due time to be
shed for the sins of the world, and offered up to divine
justice. As the blood of the sacrifice, or the animal
life of the sacrificed victim, was accepted instead of the
soul of the transgressor ; so the Mediator's soul, which
was separated from his body by a bloody death, was
accepted at the divine tribunal, as the ransom for the
souls of sinners who had deserved death, and became a
sin-offering to atone for their transgression. When
this was accomplished, and Christ had by a bloody
death laid down his life as an atonement ; the type of

* Leviticus, xvii. 11, 12.

545

the sacrificed blood was fulfilled. It was then uni-
versally proclaimed that God, in consideration of the
Hood of Jesus Christ his beloved Son, (which had been
typified by the streams of blood shed in the Levitical
sacrifices,) would forgive sins, and acquit sinners from
punishment, on their repentance and belief of the gos-
pel. The principal passages in scripture relating to this
subject, are the following.

" This is my blood of the New Testament, which is
shed for many, (for the infinite multitude of Adam's
descendants,) for the remission of sins."* "My flesh
is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed ; he that
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me,
and I in him."f " Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation, through faith in his blood." $ " Much
more then, being justified through his blood, we shall
be saved from wrath through him."$ "In whom we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins." || " But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes
were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ." **
" Having made peace through the blood of his cross." ff
" For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of
an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh ; how much more shall the blood
of Christ, who, through the Eternal Spirit, offered him-
self without spot to God, purge your consciences from
dead works to serve the living God!"|| ''Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest
by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which
he hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to
say his flesh." j§ " Ye know that ye were not re-

* Matt. xxvi. 28. t John, vi. 65, 56. J Rom. iii. 25.

§ Rom. v. 9. |j Eph. i. 7. ** Eph. "• 13.

n Col. i. 20. J} Heb. ix. 13, 14. §§ Heb. x. 19.

546

deemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,
from your vain conversation received by tradition from
your fathers ; but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." *
" The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sins." f " He hath loved us, and washed us from
oar sins in his own blood." \ " These are they who
came out of great tribulation, and have wrashed their
robes, and have made them white in the blood of the
L,amb." $ " They overcame him by the blood of
the Lamb, and the word of his testimony." j| Thus
the blood of Jesus Christ, and its powerful influence
is set forth in the New Testament.

But in order to understand these passages of scrip-
ture, it is to be observed that under the name of blood,
the Holy Ghost usually comprehends the entire obedi-
ence of our blessed Saviour. St. Paul uses the
words blood and sacrifices, as synonymous terms-
" It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things
in the heavens should be purified with blood, but the
heavenly things with better sacrifices than these."**
This -sacrifice, which Christ offered to his Father for our
reconciliation, includes the prayers and supplications,
the strong cries and tears, which he offered up in the
days of his flesh ; ff all the reproaches, the insults, and
contradictions of sinners ; all the pains and agonies of
his body and soul ; and lastly, his death on the cross, in
which they terminated. St. Paul, in the Epistle to the
Hebrews, says of the blood of Christ, " Ye are come to
the blood of sprinkling, which spc-akcth better things

» 1 Pet i. IS, If). 1 1 John, i. 7. + Rev. i. 5. § Rev. vii. 14.
I! Rev. xii. 11. ** Heb. ix. !>S. ft Heb. v. 7.

( 547 )

tharl the blood of Abel." * The blood of Christ cries to
God, not as the blood of Abel did, for vengeance on
those who shed it, but, for atonement, reconciliation,
and mercy on the human race. As often as his heavenly
Father thinks on this blood, he must also think on the
astonishing obedience of his Son, who shed it on the
cross ; on the outrages, and tortures which he en-
dured ; and consequently he is thereby powerfully
moved to pour down upon us pardon, forgiveness, and
every spiritual blessing.

The blood of Christ speaks likewise to men. It
speaks to secure and bold sinners, going on in im-
penitence, and reminds them of the inestimable value
of their immortal souls, which could be redeemed
from destruction only by the precious blood of the Son
of God. It represents to them the holiness and justice
of God, which, for an atonement, has required such a
ransom. Farther, it speaks to penitent sinners, who
know their depravity, and are humbled for their sins.
It represents to them the inconceivable love of God,
which moved him to give up to a bloody death his
only Son. It promises them the remission of all their
sins ; informs them that the wrath of God is appeased ;
his justice satisfied ; and his mercy ready to receive
into his bosom, and impart grace to every soul, that
is sprinkled with the blood of Christ. Blessed is he,
who with faith and obedience hears the voice of this
blood speaking peace to his conscience. Though the
blood of Christ implores mercy for us, and speaks
better things than the blood of Abel; nevertheless,
on those, who, instead of being moved by it to re-
pentance, tread it under foot, and account the blood

* Heb. xii. 24,

Nn2

548

of the covenant an unholy thing, * it will one day,
still more loudly cry out for vengeance.

WE now proceed to consider the ceremonies ob-
served, with regard to the blood of the sacrifices, in the
Old Testament ; and these are chiefly as follow.

1. The shedding of the blood. This was done by
slaying the victim that was to be offered ; its throat
being cut with a knife.

2. The receiving the blood. As the blood of the
victim was shed, it was received into a vessel, which
one of the priests held for that purpose.

3. The sprinkling of the blood. In some sacrifices,
the blood was sprinkled on the horns or corners of
the brazen altar, f In others, it was sprinkled on the
horns of the altar of incense in the sanctuary. ^ Some-
times it was sprinkled on the ark of the covenant, in
the Holy of Holies. Even the book of the law, and
the people, and the consecrated vessels of the tabernacle
were sprinkled with blood. £

4. The pouring out of the blood at the foot of the
altar. ||

5. The carrying of the blood into the Holy, of
Holies, once a year, on the great day of atonement.

Let us, in the next place, consider the mysteries
typified by these ceremonies. None of them were
arbitrary or without a meaning ; but the supreme
wisdom, by which the whole Levitical service was
instituted, had its views in these bloody sacrifices.
As the sacrifice of the blood, in general, typified the
blood of Jesus Christ ; so the accompanying ceremonies

* He'.), x. 2f). t Levit. iii. 2, 13. £ Levit iv. 7, 18-

§Heb. ix. 19, 21. || Levit, iv. 7-

549

likewise prefigured the circumstances that attended his
great sacrifice.

1. The shedding of the blood of the victim, re-
presented the shedding of the precious hlood of Christ,
of which our blessed Saviour says, " This is my blood
which was shed for many, for the remission of sins." *
Now the blood of Jesus was very copiously shed in
his sufferings. It was shed during his agony in the
garden ; on the Mount of Olives, whither he went
across the brook Cedron, the very stream into which
the blood of the sacrifices was conveyed from the
Temple. It was shed when he was cruelly scourged,
and crowned with thorns ; and at his crucifixion, when
the nails were driven through his hands and feet.
Lastly, it was shed by piercing his side with a spear,
after his death.

2. The receiving the blood of the victim in a vessel,
which was held by one of the priests, indicates the
reverence which ought to be observed towards the
blood of Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice which he of-
fered. St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, speaks
of some who accounted the blood of the covenant an
unholy thing, and as it were trod under foot the
Son of God, and intimates the sore punishment of which
such persons will be thought worthy at the last day.

3. The sprinkling of the blood. Of this ceremony
the Jews make great account, and call it the root of
the sacrifice ; and St. Paul exhorts the Hebrews, to
draw near, having their hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience." f

4. The pouring forth the blood of the sacrifice at
the foot of the altar represents, with regard to Christ,

* Matt. xxvi. 28. t Heb. x. 19.

Nn3

550

the abundant shedding of his blood on the cross, till
the absolute separation of his body and soul. " He
poured out his soul unto death,"* with the utmost
•willingness and zeal for the honour of God, and the
salvation of mankind.

Lastly, The High-Priest, by entering with the blood
of the sacrifices into the Holy of Holies, showed that
Christ, after shedding his blood on the cross, would
enter into the heavenly sanctuary, " there to appear in
the presence of God for us."

Let us, then, comply with the apostolic exhortation :
" Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and
living way, which he hath consecrated for us through
the vail, that is to say his flesh, and having an High-
Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with
a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our
bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast
the profession of our faith without wavering, for he
is faithful that promised ; and let us consider one
another to provoke unto love and to good works:
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as
the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another, and
so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." f

Moreover, the blood of Jesus Christ has a particular
use in which it differs from the typifying blood of the
victims in the Old Testament. No person, under pain
of death, was to taste of the latter ; but Christ says,
on the contrary, " Drink ye all of this." \ Nay even
death is threatened in the gospel, to those who will
not partake of it ; " Verily, verily, I say unto you,

%•» ' '

* Isaiah, liji. 13. t Heb. x. 19- J Matt. xxvi. 27,

551

except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink
his blood, ye have no life in you." On the other
hand, life is promised to those, who drink it with true
faith. "Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood,
hath eternal life ; and I will raise him up at the last
day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." This eat-
ing of the flesh of Christ, and drinking his blood, is
figuratively done in the holy sacrament of the Lord's
supper, to which the Son of God undoubtedly here
alludes.

PRAYER.

O Thou faithful and ever-living Saviour, we bless
and praise thee for shedding thy precious blood, on
the cross, and for pouring out thy soul unto death,
to redeem us from death eternal. Grant that we may
never forget this inestimable benefit ; and be pleased
daily to renewr the thoughts of it in our souls. Thou,
O Saviour, by the shedding of thy blood, hast ac-
complished the work of redemption, so that there is
no need that thou shouldest die again, and offer thy-
self, a second time. By one sacrifice of thyself, once
offered, thou hast perfected all those who shall be
sanctified. Give us grace, to make a faithful applica-
tion of thy sacrifice, and gratefully to commemorate
it in that sacrament, which thou hast instituted until
thy coming again. Amen.

* John, vi. 5J— -56.

552

CHAPTER III,

THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC, A TYPE OF THE GREAT SACRIFICE
AND CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST.

" And it came fo pass offer these things, that God did
" tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham ! And
'< he said, Behold here I am. And he said, Take now
" thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and
" get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him therefor
*' a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I
*' will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the
" morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his
*' young men with him, and Isaac his son ; and clave
" the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went
*' unto the place of which God had told him. Then on
" the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw
" the place afar off". And Abraham said unto his young
"men, Abide you here with the ass; and I and the lad
" will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
«* And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and
*« laid it upon Isaac his son; and he look the fire in his-
" hand, and a knife ; and they went both of them together.
«' And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said,
«* My father ! and he said, here am I, my son. And he
*' said, Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the
" lamb for a burnt offering ? And Abraham said, My son,
" God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offerijig :
" «o they went both of them together. And they came to
" the place which God had told #m of, and Abraham
"built an altar there, and laid the wood in order ; and
«« bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon
" the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and
" took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the
tf Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham !
«' Abraham! and fie said, flere am /. And he saidl

553

" Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing
" u?ito him ; for now I know that thoufearcst God, seeing
" thou hast not witliheld thy son, thine only son from me.
" And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold
" behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns : and
" Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for
" a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham
" called the name of that place Jehovah-jirch, as it is
" called to this day,* And the angel of the Lord called
" unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said,
" By myself have 1 sicorn, saifh the Lord, for because
" thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,
" thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in
<{ multiplying, 1 will multiply thy seed as the stars of
" heaven, and as the sand that is upon the sea shore ; and
*' thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in
" thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, be~
" cause thou hast obeyed my voice." Genesis, xxii. 1, &c.

As the sacrifice of Isaac was one of the remarkable
circumstances which prefigured the crucifixion of
Christ, it will not be improper particularly to consider
tliis glorious type. The Spirit of God has intimated,
that several incidents which happened to the Messiah
were prefigured in this transaction. St. Paul in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, in which he explains several
types exhibited in the Old Testament, makes this ob-
servation. " By faith, Abraham when he was tried,
offered up Isaac ; and he that had received the pro-
mises, offered up his only begotten son, of whom it
was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called : ac-
counting that God was able to raise him up even from
the dead ; from whence also he received him in a
figure," f or type. J

* i. e. The Lord will see, or provide, t Heb. xi. 17. % E*

554

Here we see in what light Isaac is to be considered
in this whole transaction, namely, as the type of Jesus
Christ ; who was the centre to which every part of the
preceding divine economy tended, and the great anti-
type or substance of all the shadows of the Old Testa-
ment. This is the seed which was promised to Abra-
ham, in whom all the earth was to be blessed ; for the
angel saith not, " And to seeds, as of many, but as of
one. And to thy seed ; which is Christ." * Our blessed
Lord represents himself as the antitype of Isaac, and
the rejected Ishmael as a type of the carnal Jews, when
he says, " The servant abideth not in the house for
ever; but the son abideth ever."f St. Paul again
seems to allude to the account of the sacrifice of Isaac,
when he observes in the Epistle to the Romans, that
" God spared not his own Son ;" i which words remind
us of those of God to Abraham, " Now I know that
thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son from me." These intimations of
the Holy Spirit are a sufficient warrant for our tracing
in this remarkable transaction the mystery of Christ.

The road is already beaten for us ; since from the
commencement of the Christian religion, Isaac has
been always looked upon as a lively type of the
Messiah, and his sacrifice. Even the ancient Jewish
church perceived the mystery of this transaction, and
believed that the binding of Isaac, in order to be
sacrificed, was a type of the Messiah, by the sacrifice
of whom God was to be reconciled to the Jews. But
the Jewish church afterwards totally apostatized from
the faith of their ancestors, and expected the Messiah
to appear as a temporal prince. The later Jews being

* Gill. iii. 16. t John, viii. 35. % Rom. viii. 32.

555

under this delusion, attributed the reconciliation of
Isruel to Isaac's being bound. Accordingly, the mo-
dern Jewish writings are full of the importance of this
transaction ; and in their devotions on every New-
year's day, they beseech God that lie will be pleased
to think of Isaac's being bound, and that he will be
gracious to them for the sake of his bonds. Thus
that obstinate infatuated people ascribe to the type,
what they ought to seek for in the great antitype.
Blessed be God for that light which is risen on us
in the gospel, by the help of which we see, in ail the
circumstances of the history of this transaction, a very
great resemblance to the circumstances of the crucifixion
of Christ.

The two principal persons mentioned in the Jristory of
this remarkable transaction are, Abraham and Isaac.
The former of these was a type of the heavenly Father,
and the latter of Jesus Christ his only begotten Son.

With regard to Abraham, he had such an uncommon
tenderness and affection for his children, that it was
with great difficulty and reluctance that he was pre-
vailed upon to consent that Ishmael, though rude and
petulant, should be turned out of doors. Much greater
must have been the violence offered to his paternal
heart, when he submitted to put to death his beloved
and obedient son Isaac. Thus God, the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, is love itself. He desireth
not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should
live ; much less would he desire the death of his
innocent Son, had not his justice required such a
satisfaction. However, as Abraham, at the divine
command, spared not his beloved son, but willingly
prepared to put him to death ; so likewise the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ determined to give his only

556

Son up to death for us, that in him should be accom-
plished what his wise counsel had before determined
to be done. As Abraham, in his willingness to offer
up his son at the divine command, gave the highest
proof of his love to God ; so the heavenly Father has
given the highest proof of his tender love to man,
since he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up
a sacrifice for us all. « In this," saith St. John, " was
manifested the love of God towards us, because God
sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him."* — Abraham himself carried
the knife in his hand, in order to sacrifice his son ;
together with the fire to kindle the pile of wood under
the burnt offering. In like manner, the heavenly
Father has shown the rigour of his justice in his Son's
sufferings, arid pointed it against our Surety as a sharp
sword ; for it is written ; " Awake, O sword, against
my shepherd, and against the man that is my
fellow ; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be
scattered."!

As to the other principal person concerned in this
mysterious transaction, namely Isaac, he represents
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaac was the only son of his father, by Sarah, and
consequently heir to all his possessions ; a child whose
birth had been promised long before, and whose coming
into the world had been expected for several years.
Christ h'kewise is the only begotten Son of the Father,
whom God hath appointed heir of all things ; a Son
whose coming into the world was expected by all holy
men for four thousand years, and was preceded by

* 1 John, iv. 9. t Zech. xiii. 7.

557

many gracious promises ; a Son who, like Isaac, 'was
named from his birth, and, contrary to the usual course
of nature, was produced by the divine power from the
barren womb of a virgin, as Isaac was conceived in
the dead womb of Sarah. — Isaac was a son for whom
his father had the tenderest affection. " Take now
thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest." In
like terms the scripture speaks also concerning Jesus
Christ. He is called God's dear Son. * The Father
himself sent a voice from heaven, saying, " This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." f John the
Baptist bore witness that, " the Father loveth the Son,
and hath given all things into his hand,"i as Abraham
gave all his possessions to his beloved son, Isaac. — Isaac
was a very obedient son, who, instead of making a
bad use of his father's affectionate tenderness, always
honoured him with the most unreserved obedience and
submission ; and in this transaction more particularly,
gave an astonishing proof of it in a transaction, at the
very thought of which nature itself shudders. He
patiently submitted without making any remonstrance
against the will of God, and of his father. And though
he was grown to years of maturity, (being supposed to
be four and thirty years of age,) and therefore might
easily have made his escape from his aged father ; yet
he suffers Abraham to bind him, to lay him on the
wood, and proceed as he pleased. In the same manner
also, might our Saviour have easily escaped from the
hands of his enemies : he had not only sufficient
strength in himself to procure his liberty ; but also

more than twelve legions of angels were ready at his

* Col. i. 13. f Matt. iii. 17- t Jvhn, ill 35.

558

command, had he been inclined to make use of them.
But the blessed Jesus was obedient to his Father, even
unto death, the painful ignominious death of the cross.*
Isaac was an innocent son, and though he was to be
put to death by the divine command, had committed
nothing worthy of death. And who was ever more
undeservedly led to death, than the only, the beloved
Son of God, who had always done what was acceptable
to his Father, who was holy, innocent, undefiled, and
separate from sinners; who knew no sin, and in whose
mouth was no guile ? Thus Isaac exhibits a lively type
of Jesus Christ, the only, the beloved, the obedient, the
innocent Son of God.

Among the circumstances attending the transaction,
the following deserve particular notice.

1. The land of Moriah was the place, on which
Abraham was to sacrifice his son Isaac ; he was not
offered up in his father's house, but at a considerable
distance from it. A similar circumstance appears in
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As he was the person
typified by the offerings in the Old Testament, it might
have been expected that he would have been offered up
in the Temple, emphatically called the house of God.
13ut as Isaac, the type of Christ, was directed to be
sacrificed at a distance from his father's house ; so was
Jesus likewise to be sacrificed without the temple, his
heavenly Father's house ; and probably in the place ap-
pointed for the sacrificing of Isaac. The land of
Moriah, which included a considerable mountainous
tract in those parts, comprehended the Mount of

* Philip, ii. 8.

559

Olives, and Mount Golgotha. Now as God was
pleased to choose one of these eminences in the land
of Moriah for this typical offering, it is probable that
he chose the very spot on which our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, Isaac's great antitype, was afterwards to be
offered up.

2. Isaac, in the way to the land of Moriah, conversed
very affectionately with his father. " And Isaac spake
unto Abraham his father, and said, My father ! (where
the Chaldean paraphrase uses the word Abba.) And
Abraham answered, " Here am I, my son." The saaie
filial affection shines forth in the Lord Jesus : his first
and last sayings, on Mount Golgotha began with the
endearing title of * Father ;' and his heavenly Father,
though not in words, answered him in effect, by
powerfully strengthening him to undergo his suf-
ferings, as if he had said, ' Here am I, my son ;' and at
length received his soul into his hands.

3. Isaac carried the wood on which he was to be laid,
and offered for a burnt offering. " And Abraham rose
up early in the morning, and clave the wood for the
burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of
which God had told him. And Abraham took the
wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son.**
Thus it is said of our Saviour, that he went forth
bearing his cross, and thus he dragged towards the
place of execution, that heavy piece of timber on which
he was afterwards to be sacrificed.

4. Isaac was alone writli his father the day on which
he was to have been offered up ; the two servants who
followed them, being left at a distance. Christ, likewise,
on the night preceding his crucifixion, dismissed his
disciples, who fled away and were dispersed. Yet he

560

conversed with his heavenly Father, as he had foretold
in these words : " Behold, the hour coineth, yea, is
now come, that every man shall be scattered to his own,
and shall leave me alone : and yet I am not alone, be-
cause the Father is with me." *

5. Isaac was bound hand and foot ; for it is said in
the text, " And Abraham bound Isaac his son." Our
Saviour's arms were not only, according- to the Roman
custom, bound to the cross, when he was to drag it up
Mount Golgotha ; but when he was lifted upon the
cross, after it was erected, his hands were stretched out
and fastened to it with cords.

6. Isaac was lifted from the earth, to be laid on the
wood. In like manner Christ was lifted up on the
wood of the cross, as he had foretold to Nicodemus ;
•' As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even
so must the Son of man be lifted up." f

7. Isaac was laid on the wood entire, and alive.
Those beasts which were appointed for sacrifices, were
first killed by the side of the altar, and dismembered
or divided into several pieces. But Isaac was a perfect
type or figure of that sacrifice which was to be lifted
up on the wood alive, and of which not a bone was to
be broken. — If we further consider the astonishing
patience of Isaac, in submitting silently, without any
contradiction or repugnance, it exhibits the very image
of Jesus Christ, who amidst all the tortures he endured,
did not open his mouth.

8. After Isaac had been for three days given up by
his father to certain death, he was restored to him alive
on the third day. Thus on the third day, Christ was

•John,, xvi. 32. t John, iii. 14.

also raised from the dead. What happened to Isaac
in a figure, was fulfilled in the great antitype. Here
indeed we may observe a deficiency in the type. For
Isaac did not actually die, nor was he actually sacrificed;
though Abraham had already taken the knife, and
lifted his hand to slay his son. God was pleased to
accept of this obedience of Abraham and Isaac, and
presented to the father of the faithful a ram entangled
in a thicket, which the patriarch killed and sacrificed
instead of Isaac his Son. But Christ was really sa-
crificed. Here the divine justice would not accept of
the will for the deed : for as there is no remission of
sins without shedding of blood, it was necessary that
the blood of Christ should be shed in reality. Thus
did Jesus really and truly die, and is in reality again
risen from the dead. There was none to release the
blessed Jesus : no vicarious victim that could supply
his place in this great propitiatory sacrifice ; there was
no creature in heaven or earth qualified to finish this
sacrifice, which was to appease and satisfy the divine
justice for the sins of mankind.

9. Isaac, who had been bound, was likewise re-
leased from his bonds, on the third day, by his father.
In like manner, it is said of the heavenly Father, that
he " hath raised his Son, having loosed the pains of
death," (or, as they are called in the Psalms, * the snares
of death,') * and thus set our Surety at liberty ; " it
being- impossible that he should be holden of death." f

10. Isaac returned alive to the servants of Abraham,
and afterwards lived with his father, j Thus Christ, after
appearing alive to his disciples, returned to his Father,

* Psalms, xviii. 5. t Acts, ii. 24. J Gen. 22. 1<>,

562

in whose house he now dwells, being ministered unto
and adored by all the angelic host.

11. After Isaac was, as it were, risen from the dead,
he became the father of an innumerable multitude.
He begat Jacob the father of the twelve patriarchs ;
through whom the race of Abraham was propagated,
until at length it became as the sand on the sea-shore
for number, according to the divine promise, which,
after this transaction, was confirmed by an oath in the
following words : " By myself have I sworn, saith the
Lord, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in mul-
tiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven,
and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore ; .and thy
seed shall possess the gate of his enemies." In like
manner the prophet says of the Messiah, who died
and rose again, " When thou shalt make his soul an
offering for sin, he shah1 see his seed, he shall prolong
his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
Jiis hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and
shall be satisfied : by his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many ; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong." * Thus
Christ is become the father of an innumerable mul-
titude of children, many of whom he has already trans-
lated to glory ; and all the promises of God are, as it
were, sealed anew and ratified by his resurrection, f

No reasonable man will imagine, that all these re-
rnarkable circumstances should thus concur fortuitously.
Certainly, the hand of infinite wisdom appeared in the
transaction, and so directed the several incidents as
collectively to form a complete type or representation

' Isaiah^ liii. JO. tHeb. vi. 13 — 20.

563

of the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. Let us
therefore,

1. Admire the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his
promises. By the crucifixion of Christ, he has ac-
tually accomplished what he had prefigured by this
type several centuries before ; and at the same time,
has verified the saying of faithful Abraham, " God will
provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering."

2. Let us acknowledge the justice of God ; since
he would not spare his only, his beloved, his innocent,
his obedient Son, when the sins of the world were
imputed to him. Who does not in this proceeding
see God's great hatred of sin, and his severity in
punishing it ? It should therefore impress a holy fear
on our hearts, and remind us of the words of our
blessed Lord, " If these things be done in a green tree,
what shall be done in the dry ?"

3. Let us also adore the inconceivable love of the
heavenly Father to the human race, who, as it were,
did violence to his own paternal heart ; sent his only
beloved Son from his bosom, and for us men, and for
our salvation, delivered him up to a painful and ig-
nominious death.

4. Let us, in the last place, consider the inference
which St. Paul makes on this occasion : " He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for
us all ; how shall he not with him, also freely give
us all things?" Nothing is so great, but we may
hope for it from so affectionate a Father. We may
approach him with faith and confidence, since he is
reconciled to us by the death of his Son. If God who
raised Isaac from the dead in a figure, hath restored
again to life his beloved Son as the antitype, and loosed

564

the bands of death with which he was bound ; we may
be assured that his love will not rest here, but \\i\\
accomplish in us the whole scheme which it has planned.
He will collect our scattered ashes ; he will raise our
bodies from dissolution, invest them with glory, and
translate the whole man, body and soul, into the bliss-
ful mansions of his house, into which Christ, the great
antitype of Isaac, is entered, in order to prepare a place
for us.

PRAYER.

O heavenly Father ! we adore thy truth and justice,
and thine infinite love, which moved thee to deliver up
to death thine only and beloved Son ; that we might
not be given up to eternal death, and appointed as
sheep for the slaughter. May this amazing instance
of thy love be ever present to our minds ; and may it
excite us to present ourselves unto thee a living sacri-
fice ; and henceforth to live not unto ourselves, but
unto him who died for us and rose again, and who now
liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one
God, world without end ! Amen.

THE END.

il-mi and -ons, Printers,
Hlgh-Ontegate, York.

000 124 981

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Full text of "Meditations on the sufferings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in which the history of the passion, as given by the four evangelists, is harmonized and explained"

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