of man sit on the right hand of priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. the power of God. 70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, 'Ye say that I am. 71 "And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. y Mat. xxvi. 57.-z Mat. xxvi. 58. John xviii. 15.a Mat. xxvi. 69. Mark xiv. 66. John xviii. 17, 18. 5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan. 7 And as soon as he knew 6 Mat. xxvi. 71. Mark xiv. 69. John xviii. 25.-c Mat. that he belonged unto " Herod's xxvi. 73. Mark xiv. 70. John xviii. 26.-d Mat. xxvi. 75. Mark xiv. 72.-e Mat. xxvi. 34, 75. John xiii. 38. ƒ Mat. xxvi. 67, 68. Mark xiv. 65.-g Mat. xxvii. 1.— h Acts iv. 26. See Acts xxii. 5.-¡ Mat. xxvi. 63. Mark jurisdiction, he sent him to xiv. 61.- Mat. xxvi. 64. Mark xiv. 62. Heb. i. 3; & vili. Herod, who himself also was at 1.- Mat. xxvi. 64. Mark xiv. 63. Mark xiv. 62.-m Mat. xxvi. 65. Jerusalem at that time. 8 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. 9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12 And the same day 'Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between 4 Then said Pilate to the chief themselves. a Mat. xxvii. 2. Mark xv. 1. John xviii. 28.-b Acts xvii. 7.-c See Mat. xvii. 27; & xxii. 21. Mark xii. 17.d John xix. 12.-e Mat xxvii. 11. 1 Tim. vi, 13.-f1 Pet. ii. 22.-g ch. iii. 1.-h ch. xi. 9.-i Mat, xiv, 1. Mark vi. 14.-k Is. liii. 3.-/ Acts iv. 27. READER.-Pilate asked him saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.-He, that was no less wisdom than truth, thought it not best either to affirm or deny at once. Sometimes it may be extremely prejudicial to speak all truths. To disclaim that title suddenly, which had been of old given him by the prophets, at his birth by the Eastern sages, and now lately at his procession by the acclaiming multitude, had been injurious to himself; to profess and challenge it absolutely, had been unsafe, and needlessly provoking. By wise and just degrees, therefore, doth he so far affirm this truth, that he both satisfies the inquirer, and takes off all peril and prejudice from his assertion. Pilate shall know him a king, but such a king, as no king needs to fear, as all kings ought to acknowledge and adore: "My kingdom is not of this world." It is your mistaking, O ye earthly potentates, that is guilty of your fears. Herod hears of a king born, and is troubled; Pilate hears of a king of the Jews, and is incensed. Were ye not ignorant, ye could not be jealous; had ye learned to distinguish of kingdoms these suspicions would vanish. There are secular kingdoms, there are spiritual: neither of these trenches upon other: your kingdom is secular, Christ's is spiritual; both may, both must, stand together. His laws are divine, yours civil: his reign nal is eternal, yours temporal: the glory of his rule is inward, and stands in the graces of sanctification, love, peace, righteousness, joy in the Holy Ghost; yours in outward pomp, riches, magnificence: his enemies are the devil, the world and the flesh; yours are bodily usurpers and exterbreakers: peace his sword is the power of the Word and Spirit; yours material; his rule is over the conscience, yours over bodies and lives; he punishes with hell, ye with temporal death or torture. Yea, so far is he from opposing your government, that "by him ye kings reign:" your sceptres are his; but to maintain, not to wield, not to resist. O the unjust fears of vain men! He takes not away your earthly kingdoms, who gives you heavenly; he discrowns not the body, who crowns the soul; his intention is not to make you less great, but more happy. The charge is so fully answered that Pilate acquits the prisoner. The Jewish masters stand still without: their very malice dares not venture their pollution in going in to prosecute their accusation. Pilate hath examined him within, and now comes forth to these eager complainants, with a cold answer to their overhot expectation: "I find in him no fault at all." O noble testimony of Christ's innocence, from that mouth which afterwards doomed him to death! What a difference there is betwixt a man as he is himself, and as he is the servant of other's wills! It is Pilate's tongue that says, "Let him be crucified." That cruel sentence cannot blot him, whom this attestation cleareth. Neither doth he say, I find him not guilty in that whereof he is accused; but gives a universal acquittance of the whole carriage of Christ-"I find in him no fault at all." In spite of malice, innocence shall find abettors. Rather than Christ shall want witnesses, the mouth of Pilate shall be opened to his justification. -BP. HALL. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought.-It became our High Priest, who was to sanctify all our sufferings, to consecrate affronts and scorn, that we may learn to endure contempt, and to suffer ourselves in a religious cause to be despised; and when it happens in any other, to remember that we have our dearest Lord for a precedent of bearing it with admirable simplicity and equanimity of deportment and it is a mighty stock of self-love that dwells in our spirits, which makes us of all afflictions most impatient of this. But Jesus endured this despite, and suffered this to be added, that he was exposed in scorn to the boys of the streets. For Herod caused him to be arrayed in a gorgeous robe, sent him out to be scorned by the people, and hooted at by idle persons, and so remitted him to Pilate.-TAYLOR. HYMN. Saviour of men and Lord of love, 14 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: 15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 16 "I will therefore chastise Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of him, and release him. 17(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 22 And he said unto them 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 26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. m Mat. xxvii. 23. Mark xv. 14. John xviii. 38; & xix 4.-n ver. 1. 2.-o ver.4 -p Mat. xxvii. 26. John xix. John xviii. 39.- Acts 1-9 Mat. xxvii. 15. Mark xv. 6. iii. 14.-s Mat. xxvii. 26. Mark xv. 15. John xix. 16. See John xix. 17. Mark xv. 21. See §§ LXXXIX. XC. Matthew XXVII. 15–32. § CCXXVII. CHAP. XXIII. 27-33. Christ telleth the women that lament him the destruction of Jerusalem. 27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29"For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and paps that never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. the 31 "For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? 32 * And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him | brew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. to be put to death. 33 "And when they were come to the place, which is called 'Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Mat. xxiv. 19. ch. xxi. 23.- Is. ii. 19. Hos. x. 8. Rev. vi. 16; & ix. 6.-y Prov. xi. 31. Jer. xxv. 29. Ezek. xx. 47; & xxi. 3, 4. 1 Pet. iv. 17.-z Is. liii. 12. Mat. xxvii. 38.-a Mat. xxvii. 33. Mark xv. 22. John xix. 17, 18- Or, the place of a scull. h 39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation ? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. b Mat. v. 44. Acts vii. 60. 1 Cor. iv. 12.-c Acts iii. 17-d Mat. xxvii. 35. Mark xv. 24. John xix. 23.- Ps. xxii. 17. Zech. xii. 10.-ƒ Mat. xxvii. 39. Mark xv.29.g Mat. xxvii. 37. Mark xv. 26. John xix. 19.- Mat. xxvii. 44. Mark. xv. 32. READER. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, &c.-As he prayed for his enemies, so must we; as he blessed them that cursed him, so must that wronged him, so must we; we; as he freely forgave the men as he died for the truth, so must we; as he defended it to the last, without wavering, so must we; as he would not suffer any outward respects to discourage him from conscientiousness, so neither must we; as he, before his foes, witnessed a did good for evil, so must we; as he good confession, so must we; as he showed pity to men in distress, though they had affronted and done |