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think ye? And they all answered, and condemned him, and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and the men that held Jesus mocked him, covered his face, and when they had blindfolded him, they 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 : and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

Thus was the patient Lamb of God surrounded by his bloodthirsty enemies: Thus did the dogs encompass him, and the strong bulls of Bashan beset him on every side. (Psalm xxii. 12, 16.) Thus was he brought as a lamb to the slaughter ; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah liii. 7, 8.) He was taken from judgment, and suffered the worst kind of murder, even that which had the appearance of being legal. But those gentle words which he dropped in the midst of all the injuries which were offered him are surely worthy ever to be recorded and remembered, It had always been his care to provide things honest in the sight of all men and as he answered with a most graceful and courageous appeal to all that heard him, as to the innocence and usefulness of his doctrine, so it is well worthy our observation and reflection, that God so far restrained the rage and malice of hell, that no such false witnesses arose against him, as could on the whole asperse his character, or bring it under any brand of public infamy; though Judas, as well as others, might have sought a reward, or at least an indemnity, for their own villiany, in accusing him. And indeed it is no inconsiderable instance of God's providential government of the world, that wicked men are restrained by this one remainder of reverence for the Divine omniscience, and dread of his vengeance, from destroying the reputations and lives of his children; especially in countries where (as in our own) the punishment which human laws inflict on perjury is so much below its desert.

When Jesus was examined on oath he witnessed a good con fession, and cited those that were now his judges to appear at his bar. Nor was it a vain boast! The Son of man is now sitting at the right hand of power, and will ere long come in the clouds of heaven; and then they that condemned, and insulted, and pierced him, shall mourn because of him, (Rev. i. 7.) May we be now so wise as to kiss the Son in token of our hum

ble allegiance to him, lest he be then justly angry with us; yea, lest we immediately perish from the way, when his wrath is but beginning to be kindled! (Psalm ii. 12.)

SECTION CV.

MATT. XXVI. 69-75. MARK XIV. 66-72. LUKE XXII. 56-62. JOHN XVIII. 17, 18, 25—27.

Now Peter sat without in the palace: and as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high-priest, the damsel that kept the door. And when she saw Peter as he sat by the fire, warming himself, she earnestly looked upon him, and said, Art thou not also one of this man's disciples? Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, Woman, I am not, I know him not, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And when he was gone out into the porch, this maid saw him again, and another, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold; and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? And again he denied with an oath, I am not, I do not know the man.. And after a while, about the space of one hour after, one of the servants of the high-priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow was also with him; for he is a Galilean. And he said to Peter, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? And they that stood by said unto Peter, Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech bewrayeth thee. Peter then denied again, and began to curse and to swear, and said, Man, I know not what thou sayest; I know not this man of whom ye speak. And immediately, while

he yet spake, the second time the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon 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 when he thought thereon, he went out, and wept bitterly.

How loudly does this affecting story speak to us in the words of the apostle, Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall, (1 Cor. x. 12.) Peter professed the warmest zeal; and gave his Lord repeated and no doubt, very sincere assurances of the firmest resolution in his cause! and yet, except Judas the traitor, none of his brethren fell so low as he. But a few hours before he had been with Christ at the sacred table, and had heard from his own lips those gracious discourses which, as echoed back from his word, do still strike so strongly on the heart of every true believer. He had just seen those words remarkably, and even miraculously, verified, that Jesus having loved his own that were in the world, loved them to the end, (John xiii. 1.) How reasonably then might it have been expected that his own should also have continued their most zealous and constant affection to him! But Peter, who, if possible, was more than doubly his as a disciple, as an apostle, as a distinguished intimate, most shamefully denies him; and that not only once, but a second, yea, and a third time, even with oaths and curses, as if he would by that diabolical language give a sensible proof that he did not belong to Christ: and who indeed, that had heard it, would have imagined that he did? Nay, to aggravate it yet farther, it was done in the presence of the other disciple, and even of Christ himself, who surely was much more painfully wounded by this perfidiousness of Peter than by all the rage and fury of his enemies. Lord, what is man? What is our boasted strength but weakness! and, if we are left unto curselves, how do our most solemn resolutions melt like snow before the sun! Be thou surety for thy servants for good, (Psalm cxix. 122.)

The Lord turned and looked upon Peter. So may he graciously look upon us if we at any time make any approach towards the like sin! May he look upon us with a glance which shall penetrate our hearts, and cause floods of penitential sorrow to flow forth! Peter went out, and wept bitterly. He quitted that dangerous scene where temptation had met and vanquished him; and chose retirement and solitude to give vent to his overflowing soul. Thus may we recover our selves; or rather, thus may we be recovered by Divine grace from those slips and falls which in this frail state we shall

often be making! Let us retire from the business and the snares of life; that we may attend to the voice of conscience, and of God speaking by it; and may so taste the wormwood and gall, that our souls may long have them in remembrance. To conclude; let us express the sincerity of our godly sorrow by a more cautious and resolute guard against the occasions of sin, if we would not be found to trifle with God when we pray that he would not lead us into temptation, but would deliver us from evil.

SECTION CVI.

MATT. XXVII. 1-10. MARK XV.

LUKE XXII.

66-71, xxii. 1. JOHN XVIII. 28.

AND as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests and the Scribes came together, led him into their council, saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

MATT. XXVI. 1, 2. MARK XV. 1. LUKE XXIII. 1. JOHN XVIII. 28.

And straightway in the morning all the chief Priests held a consultation with the elders and Scribes and the whole council, against Jesus to put him to death: And the whole multitude of them arose, and when they had bound Jesus, they led him away from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor: and it was early.

MATT. XXVII. 3—10.

Then Judas which 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 departed, and went and hanged himself; (and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. Acts i. 18.)

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into 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, And 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.

In how fatal a manner does the way of transgressors deceive them! Judas, no doubt, but a few hours before, was thinking with eager impatience of receiving this sum of money, which was the wages of unrighteousness: but though he might for a little while roll it as a sweet morsel under his tongue, yet how soon was it turned into the gall of asps within him? (Job. xx. 12-14.)

We see the force of conscience, even in the worst of men. He that had slighted all the warnings that his Master gave him, and neither was affected by the remembrance of his goodness to him, nor by the fear of his displeasure, while he was set upon accomplishing his covetous design, no sooner comes to feel the sting of an awakened conscience, but he is filled with horror, and is unable to endure the cutting anguish of his own reflections. And thus could God, in a moment, drive the most hardened sinner into all the agonies of remorse and despair, by letting loose his own thoughts upon him, to prey upon his heart like so many hungry vultures, and make him a terror to others, and an executioner to himself.

We must surely admire the wisdom of Providence, in extorting even from the mouth of this traitor so honourable a testimony of the innocence of Jesus, though to his own condemnation. And who could have imagined that the supreme court of Israel itself should have been so little impressed with it, as coldly to answer, What is that to us? See thou to that. Is this the language of rulers, yea, of priests? But they had

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