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.

5. Q. What do you observe from this?

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A. The same which the providence of God evidently designed to declare by it; viz. that Christ suffered for our sins, not for any evil that himself had done.

PROOFS SUBJOINED. "Isaiah, liii. 5, 6. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Rom. iv. 25. Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 1 Cor. xv. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. Heb. vii. 26. Who needeth not daily, as those high-priests, to offer up sacrifice, first, for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. ix. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation. x. 10. By the which will, we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. 1 Peter, ii. 21, 22, 24. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the

tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed.

6. Q. Did Christ suffer any thing before his crucifixion; that you say, first, he suffered; and then he was crucified?

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b

A. Yes, very much: he was betrayed by one of his own apostles; was denied by another; was forsaken by them all. He was accused as a rebel and false prophet by the Jews; 'was evil-intreated by the soldiers; hurried from the chief priests to Pilate; thence to Herod; from him back to Pilate again. He was blind-folded, buffetted, scourged, crowned with thorns, spit upon; he carried his own cross through the city: and besides all this underwent that inward grief and anguish of mind in the garden, which much surpassed all that he endured upon Mount Calvary. Matt. xxvi. 37, 38. And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful, and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. Mark, xiv. 33, 34. And he taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and began to be sore amazed, and very heavy. And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death; tarry ye here, and watch. Luke, xxii. 44. Compare John, xii. 27. Luke. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. John. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I into the world.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-bc Matt. xxvi. 2, 24, 47, 69, &c. Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be cruci

fied. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now, Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee: for thy speech bewrayeth thee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. Luke, xxii. 22, 48, 57, 61. And truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined; but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed. Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?—And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 1 Cor. xi. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread.

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d Matt. xxvi. 56. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. Mark, xiv. 50. And they all forsook him and fled. Luke, xxiii. 2, 5. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying, that he himself is Christ, a king. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. John, xix. 12. From henceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæsar. 'Matt. xxvii. 26. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And

they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. Luke, xxiii. 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 unto Pilate. John, xix. 1, 2, 3. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him, and the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe. And said, Hail, king of the Jews! And they smote him with their hands.

7. Q. Wherefore was Christ crucified?

A. To fulfil both the types and prophecies concerning his death. Gen. xxii. 6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. Numb. xxi. 9. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it on a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Compare John, iii. 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. Psalm xxii. 17. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. Zech. xii. 10. And they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced.

And, in the next place, to deliver us from the curse of the law, by making himself a curse for us. Gal.

iii. 13.

8. Q. How did Christ suffer all this?

A. Only in his * humane nature: his body endured all the inflictions of the Jews and soldiers without: his soul was the seat of all his fears, and horrors, and pains, which he felt within. The divine nature only gave worth and value to what the humane bare.

The same person was God and man, who underwent all this but the man only suffered; the divine nature neither did, nor could suffer any thing.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-* 1 Pet. iii. 18. For Christ also hath suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit. iv. 1. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from

sin.

Acts, xx. 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 1 Cor. ii. 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.

9. Q. Wherefore to his being crucified, do you add, that he died?

A. Because, though crucifixion was a capital punishment, and extended unto death, yet it was not necessarily in itself, mortal. So that Christ might have been crucified, and yet for all that, not have died.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Luke, xxiii. 46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Mark, xv. 37, 44. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.-And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. Acts, ii.