people to fall upon him as a man already condemned spitting upon him, buffeting him, and offering him all manner of rudeness and indignities. They blindfolded him: and some of the council, in order to ridicule him for having pretended to be the great prophet, bid him exercise his prophetical gift, in declaring who had smote him.

Such was the treatment of the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners, which though unworthy of his character, he bore with patience and resignation, leaving his people an example to follow his steps, and submit to the will of God in all things, nor murmur at any of the dispensations of his Providence.

CHAP. XXXVII.

Our blessed Saviour is carried before the Roman Governor. The traitor Judas becomes his own executioner. Pilate publicly acquits Jesus, and refers his Case to the Decision of Herod.

TH

HE blessed Jesus being thus condemned, by the unanimous voice of the grand assembly, it was resolved to carry him before the governor, that he likewise might pass sentence on him. The Roman governors of Judea,generally resided at Cæsarea; but at the great feast they came up to Jerusalem, to prevent or suppress tumults, and to administer justice: it being a custom for the Roman governors of provinces, to visit the principal towns under their jurisdiction, on this latter account. Pilate being accordingly come to Jerusalem, some time before the feast, had been informed of the great ferment among the rulers, and the true character of the person on whose account it was raised; for he entertained a just notion of it: "He knew that for envy they had delivered him. He knew the cause of their envy, was impressed with a favourable opinion of Jesus, and wished, if possible, to deliver him from his vile persecutors."

Early in the morning, the Jewish council brought Jesus to the hall of judgment or governor's palace. They themselves, however, went not into the hall, but stood without, lest they should be defiled, and rendered incapable of eating the passover.

Now Judas Iscariot, who had delivered his Master into the hands of the council, finding his project turn out very different from what he expected, was filled with the deepest remorse for what he had done. He saw all his golden dreams of temporal honours and advantages sunk at once to nothing; he saw his kind, his indulgent Master, condemned, and forsaken by all his followers. He saw all this, and determined to make all the satisfaction in his power for the crime he had committed.

Accordingly, he came and confessed openly his sin, before the chief priests and elders, offered them the money they had given him to commit it, and earnestly wished he could recal the fatal transaction of the preceding night.

It seems he thought this was the most public testimony he could possibly give of his Master's innocence, and his own repentance. I have, said he, committed a most horrid crime, in betraying an innocent man to death.

But this moving speech of Judas had no effect on the callous hearts of the Jewish rulers. They affirmed, that however he might think the prisoner innocent, and for that reason had sinned in bringing the sentence of death upon his head, they were not to blame; because they knew him a blasphemer, who deserved to die. "What

is that to us? said they, see thou to that." Nay, they even refused to take back the money they had given him as a reward for performing the base act of betraying his Master.

The deepest remorse now seized upon the

wretched Judas, and his soul was agitated by the horrors of despair The innocence and benevolence of his Master, the many favours he himself had received from him, and the many kind offices he had done for the sons and daughters of affliction, crowded at once into his mind, and rendered his torments intolerable. Racked with those agonizing passions, and unable to support. the misery, he threw down the wages of his iniquity in the temple; and confessing at the same time his own sin, and the innocence of his Master, went away in despair, and. hanged himself.

Thus perished Judas Iscariot the traitor, a miserable example of the fatal influence of covetousness, and a standing monument of divine vengeance to deter future generations from acting in opposition to the dictates of conscience, through a love of the things of this world; for which this wretched mortal betrayed his master, his friend, his Saviour, accumulated such a load of guilt on himself, as sunk his soul into the lowest pit of perdition.

The pieces of silver cast down by Judas were gathered up, and delivered to the priests, who thinking it unlawful to put them into the treasury, because they were the wages of a traitor, agreed to lay them out in purchasing the potter's field, and to make it a common burial-place for strangers.

This the evangelist tells us was done, that a particular prophecy, relating to the Messiah might be fulfilled: "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 had appointed." This prophecy is found in Zachariah ; but by a mistake of some copyist, the word Jeremiah is inserted in the Greek manuscripts of St. Matthew's gospel, unless we suppose with the learned Grotius, that this remarkable prophecy was first No. 15.

made by Jeremiah, and afterwards repeated by the immediate direction of the Spirit, by Zachariah; and that therefore the evangelist has only ascribed the prophecy to its origi nal author. But, however this be, the prophecy is remarkable, and was remarkably fulfilled. And the evangelist, by thus appealing to a public transaction, puts the truth of this part of the history beyond all manner of exception..

We have already observed, that the chief priests and elders refused to go themselves into the judgment-hall, lest they should contract some pollutions in the house of an heathen, which would have rendered. them unfit for eating the passover. The same reason also hindered them from entering the governor's palace, on other festivals, when that magistrate attended in order to administer justice: a kind of structure was therefore erected, adjoining to the palace, which served instead of a tribunal or judgment-seat. This structure, called in the Hebrew Gabbatha, was finely paved with small pieces of marble of different colours, being always expos ed to the weather. One side of this structure joined to the palace, and a door was made in the wall, through which the governor passed to this tribunal. By this con-trivance, the people might staud round the tribunal in the open air, hear and see the governor when he spake to them from the pavement: and observe the whole admini-. stration of justice, without the least fear of being defiled, either, by him or any of his

retinue.

Before this tribunal the great Redeemer of mankind was brought, and the priests and elders having taken their places round the pavement, the governor ascended the judgmeut-seat, and asked them what accusation they brought against the prisoner? Though nothing could be more natural than for the governor to ask this question, yet the Jews thought themselves highly affront-

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ed by it, and haughtily answered, if he had not been a very great and extraordinary malefactor, we should not have given you this trouble at all, much less at so unseasonable an hour.

Pilate then examined Jesus; and finding he had not been guilty either of rebellion or sedition, but that he was accused of particu lars relating to the religion and customs of the Jews, grew angry, and said, What are these things to me? Take him yourselves and judge him, according to your own law. Plainly insinuating, that in his opinion the crime they laid to the prisoner's charge was not of a capital nature; and that such punishments as they were permitted by Cæsar to inflict, were adequate to any misdemeanor that Jesus was charged with. But this proposal of the Roman governor was absolutely refused by the Jewish priests and elders, because it condemned the whole proceeding; and therefore they answered, we have no power to put any one to death, as this man certainly deserves, who has attempted not only to make innovations in our religion, but also set up himself for a king.

This eagerness of the Jews to get Jesus condemned by the Roman governor, who often sentenced malefactors to be crucified, tended to fulfil the saying of our great Redeemer, who, during the course of his ministry, had often mentioned what kind of death he was, by the council of Omnipotence, appointed to die.

Pilate finding it impossible to prevent a tumult, unless he proceeded to try Jesus, ascended again the judgment-seat, and commanded his accusers to produce their accusations against him. Accordingly they accused him of seditious practices, affirming that he had used every method in his power to dissuade the people from paying taxes to Cæsar, pretending that he himself was the Messiah, the great king of the Jews, so long expected. But they brought no proof of these assertions. They only in

sinuated that they had already convicted Aim of this crime; which was absolutely false. Pilate, however, asked him, Is it true what these men lay to your charge, that you have, indeed, attempted to set up yourself as king of the Jews? To which Jesus replied, have you ever during your stay in this province, heard any thing of me, that gave you reason to suspect me guilty of secret practices and seditious designs against the government? Or do you found your question, only on the present clamour and tumult that is raised against me? If this be the case, be very careful lest you be imposed on merely by the ambiguity of a word: for, to "be King of the Jews" is not to erect a temporal throne in opposition to that of Cæsar, but a thing of a very different nature; the kingdom of the Messiah is in the heavenly Canaan,

Jesus answered, I have, indeed a king-. dom, and this kingdom I have professed to establish. But then it is not of this world, nor have my endeavours to establish it any tendency to cause disturbances in the government. For had that been the case, my servants would have fought for me, and not suffered me to have fallen into the hands of the Jews. But I tell you plainly, my kingdom is wholly spiritual. I reign in the hearts of my people, and subdue their wills and affections into a confirmity to the will of God,

You acknowledge then, in general, answered Pilate, that you have pretended to be a king? To which the blessed Jesus

replied, In the sense I have told you I have declared, and do now declare myself to be a king. For this very end I was born, and for this purpose I came into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth; and whosoever sincerely loves, and is always ready to embrace the truth, will hear my testimony, and be convinced by it.

Pilate answered, (What is truth ?) And immediately went out to the Jews, and said unto them, I have again examined this man, but cannot find him guilty of any fault, which, according to the Roman law, is worthy of death.

This generous declaration made by the governor, of the innocence of our blessed Saviour, had no effect on the superstitious, and bigotted Jews. They even persisted in their accusations with more vehemence than before, affirming that he had attempted to raise a sedition in Galilee: "He stirreth up (said they) the people, beginning from Galilee to this place."

Jesus, however, made no answer at all to this heavy charge. Nay, he continued silent, notwithstanding the governor himself expressly required him to speak in his own defence. A conduct so extraordinary, in such circumstances, astonished Pilate exceedingly; for he had great reason to be persuaded of the innocence of our dear Redeemer. The truth is, he was altogether ignorant of the divine counsel, by which the whole affair was directed.

There were many reasons which induced the blessed Jesus not to make a public defence. He came into the world purely to redeem lost and undone mankind, by offering up himself a sacrifice to appease the wrath of his Almighty Father; but had he pleaded with his usual force, the people had, in all probability, been induced to ask his release, and consequently his death had been prevented. Besides, the gross falsehood of the accusation known to all the

inhabitants of Galilee, rendered any reply absolutely need less.

In the mean time the chief priests continued to accuse him with great noise and tumult. And the meek and humble Jesus still continuing mute, Pilate speak again to him, saying, Wilt thou continue to make no defence? Dost thou not hear how velemently these men accuse thee?

But Pilate recollecting what the chief priests had said with regard to a sedition in Galilee, asked if Jesus came out of that country; and on being informed he did, he immediately ordered him to be carried to Herod, who was also then at Jerusalem.

The governor supposed that Herod, in whose dominions the sedition was said to have been raised, must be a much better judge of the affair than himself. Besides, his being his being a Jew rendered him more expert in the religion of his own country, and gave him greater influence over the chief priests and elders; he therefore considered him as the most proper person to prevail on the Jewish council to desist from their cruel prosecution. But if, contrary to all human probability, he should, at their solicitation, condemn Jesus, Pilate hoped to escape the guilt and infamy of putting an innocent person to death. He might also propose by. this action, to regain Herod's friendship, which he had formerly lost by encroaching, in all probability, on his privileges.

But however that be, or whatever motive induced Pilate to send our great Redeemer to Herod, the latter greatly rejoiced at this opportunity of seeing Jesus, hoping to have the pleasure of beholding him perform some great miracle.

In this he was, however, mistakeu; for as Herod had apostatized from the doctrine of John the Baptist, to which he was once a convert, and had even put his teacher te

death, the blessed Jesus, however liberal of his miracles to the sons and daughters of affliction, would not work them to gratify the curiosity of a tyrant, nor even answerone of the many questions he proposed to him.

Herod, finding himself thus disappointed, ordered our blessed Saviour to be clothed, with an old robe, resembling in colour those worn by kings, and permitted his attendants to insult him.

From Herod's dressing him in this manner, it evidently appears, that the chief priests and elders had accused him of nothing, but his having assumed the character of the Messiah, for the affront put upon him was plainly in derision of that profession.

The other head of accusation, namely, his having attempted to raise a sedition. in Galilee, on account of tribute paid to Cæsar, they did not dare to mention, as Herod could not fail of knowing it to be a gross and malicious falsehood. And no crime worthy' of death being laid to his charge, Herod sent him again to Pilate. It seems, that though he was displeased with the great Redeemer of mankind for refusing to work a miracle before him, yet he did not think proper to be unjust to him.

The multitude being now again assembled before the governor's palace, began to. call aloud on him to perform the annual office of merey, customary at that festival.

Pilate, glad of this opportunity, told them, that he was very willing to grant the favour they desired; and asked them whether they would have Barabbas, or Jesus, released unto them? But without waiting for an answer, he offered to release Jesus, knowing that the chief priests had delivered him through envy; especially as Herod. had not found him guilty of the crimes laid. to his charge.

The people had not yet determined whether they would have Jesus or Barabbasreleased to them; therefore when Pilate received the message from his wife, he called the chief priests and rulers together, and in the hearing of the multitude, made a speech to them, in which he gave them an account of the examination which Jesus had undergone both at his own and Herod's tribunal, declaring, that in both courts it had. turned out honourably to his character: for. which reason he proposed to them, that he should be the object of the people's favour.

Pilate did the priests the honour of desiring to know their inclinations in particular, perhaps with a design to soften their stony. hearts, and, if possible, to move them for once to pity an unhappy and innocent man,