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, w r e 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 
 
 A3
 
 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 aifliled 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 
 
 TO 
 
 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 
 
 B
 
 " 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 The place was a farm or country-house at the foot 
 of the Mount of Olives, called Gethsemane, either 
 
 B 2
 
 4 
 
 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. 
 
 B3
 
 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. 4j 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-
 
 8 
 
 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 
 
 o 
 
 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.
 
 9 
 
 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.
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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
 
 11 
 
 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.
 
 12 
 
 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.
 
 13 
 
 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.
 
 14 
 
 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.
 
 15 
 
 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-
 
 16 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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.
 
 19 
 
 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. 
 
 C2
 
 29 
 
 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
 
 22 
 
 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.
 
 23 
 
 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 
 
 C4
 
 24 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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.
 
 26 
 
 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, 
 
 l v 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
 
 31 
 
 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. 
 
 D
 
 34 
 
 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.
 
 35 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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. 
 
 D3
 
 88 
 
 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 
 
 ~
 
 39 
 
 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
 
 40 
 
 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
 
 41 
 
 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<rTf. 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,
 
 43 
 
 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 ; w r e 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.
 
 44 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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
 
 45 
 
 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.
 
 46 
 
 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.
 
 47 
 
 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*.
 
 49 
 
 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 S f aviour' 
 conflict, in which we observe, first, The repetition of
 
 50 
 
 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'
 
 51 
 
 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 %
 
 52 
 
 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.
 
 53 
 
 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
 
 54 
 
 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
 
 55 
 
 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
 
 56 
 
 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.
 
 57 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 " 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.
 
 58 
 
 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.
 
 59 
 
 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
 
 60 
 
 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
 
 61 
 
 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,
 
 65 
 
 '* 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 
 
 F
 
 66 
 
 " 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.
 
 I. 
 
 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
 
 68 
 
 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.
 
 69 
 
 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
 
 70 
 
 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,
 
 73 
 
 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.
 
 74 
 
 *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
 
 75 
 
 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
 
 70 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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
 
 77 
 
 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,
 
 78 
 
 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 .
 
 79 
 
 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,
 
 81 
 
 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, 
 
 G
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 " 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 
 
 G2
 
 84 
 
 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 Lrd 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.
 
 85 
 
 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. 
 
 G3
 
 86 
 
 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.
 
 87 
 
 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.
 
 68 
 
 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.
 
 89 
 
 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
 
 91 
 
 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.
 
 92 
 
 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
 
 93 
 
 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,
 
 94 
 
 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.
 
 95 
 
 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.
 
 96 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 1. It is said, " Then came they ;" meaning the soldiers, 
 and officers who, at the desire of the chief priests, and
 
 97 
 
 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. 
 
 H
 
 98 
 
 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.
 
 99 
 
 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. 
 
 H?
 
 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; 
 
 o 
 
 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 
 
 H3
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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 
 
 H4
 
 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 sw r ord." 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 The instruments of this cruelty, were the Roman 
 soldiers, with their captain ; and the officers of the
 
 no 
 
 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& 
 
 I
 
 , 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 
 
 12
 
 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. 
 
 14
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 " 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. 
 
 K
 
 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. 
 
 K2
 
 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. 
 
 1 2. 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. 
 
 K3
 
 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 law r . 
 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.''' 
 
 I. 
 
 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 
 
 o 
 
 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- 
 
 L
 
 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. 
 
 L2
 
 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. 
 
 L3
 
 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 
 
 L4
 
 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 
 
 o 
 
 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 pair7p2, 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 w r as 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 
 ah 1 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 
 ought x 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 
 
 M
 
 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 
 
 MS
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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 propel 4 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.
 
 I. 
 
 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. 
 
 N4
 
 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 the 1 
 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. 
 
 o
 
 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. 
 
 O2
 
 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 w r as 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. 
 
 OS
 
 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. 
 
 O4
 
 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." 
 
 iiany 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 w r e 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 
 w 7 ill 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. 
 
 P
 
 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. 
 
 P4
 
 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 
 
 Q
 
 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. 
 
 Q3
 
 ^ _ " : **<> 
 
 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<ru 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- 
 
 R
 
 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 
 
 o 
 
 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 
 
 o 
 
 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. 
 
 S
 
 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. 
 
 S2
 
 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. 
 
 S3
 
 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- 
 
 84
 
 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 w r ho, 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. $ Jhft, x - 32. 
 
 T
 
 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 
 
 T4
 
 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 ah 1 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 
 
 U
 
 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-hah 1 . 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- 
 
 U8
 
 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. 
 
 U3
 
 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. ?. 
 
 U4
 
 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 
 
 O 
 
 " 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, w r e 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 w r ere 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 
 
 X
 
 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 w r orthv 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- 
 
 X3
 
 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 w r as 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 
 
 X4
 
 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 
 
 Y
 
 in 
 
 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. 
 
 YS
 
 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 nw 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. 
 
 Y3
 
 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 INDIMTIES 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 
 
 O 
 
 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 
 
 Z
 
 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 w r ere 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 
 
 Z3
 
 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 w r as 
 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. 
 
 Aa
 
 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. 
 
 Bb
 
 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 
 " w r ere 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 
 
 Bb3
 
 $74 
 
 " 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 
 
 Bb4
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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. 
 
 Cc2
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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. 
 
 Cc3
 
 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 
 
 Cc4
 
 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. 
 
 Dd
 
 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 
 
 o 
 
 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 ee%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 w r as 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. 
 
 i 
 
 * 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. 
 
 Ee
 
 418 
 
 I. 
 
 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, saying 1 , Behold your king 1 ; 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 w r as 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. 
 
 Ee 3
 
 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 w r orld ! 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<r e 
 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 w r ould 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 him t 
 " 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. 
 
 Ff
 
 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.njpjoy, 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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 w r as 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 ; s yet 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- 
 
 Gg
 
 . 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 
 
 o 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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. Jhn, 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. 
 
 Hh
 
 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 
 
 O 
 
 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 pow r er. 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 
 
 HhS
 
 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 ow r n 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 ah 1 , 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. 
 
 II
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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 to r the 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, par)Tai eyr<, 
 
 &*80T<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 tle 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 
 
 o 
 
 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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 
 
 o 
 
 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. 
 
 LI
 
 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. 
 
 IL 
 
 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. 
 
 LU
 
 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. 
 
 Mm
 
 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 tin 1 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. 
 
 I. 
 
 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. 
 
 Nn
 
 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 w r ashed 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 renew r 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 said l
 
 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 
 
 A 
 
 / 
 
 * 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 w r itli 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<>, 
 
 Oo
 
 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 shah 1 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. 
 
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