and, having taken Jesus to their own quarters, in the Prætorium, they summoned their comrades, and began to mock and to revile him. They put on him a purple robe; they placed a crown of thorns upon his head, and a sceptre in his right hand. They bowed the knee, in mockery, before him, and pretended to worship him: thus degraded, according to their gross conception, they insultingly hailed him, as King of the Jews; they smote him with their hands; they spat upon him; and when they found, that, though reviled, he reviled not again; though he suffered, he threatened not; though oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, they took the reed from his hand, and smote him on the head. (26) This, of a truth, is an account, alike revolting and afflictive: and, whether we refer to the conduct of the Jewish rulers, equally unmerciful and unjust, or to the weakness of the Roman governor, equally contemptible and criminal; whether we consider the brutality of the soldiers, or the blood-thirstiness of the multitude,.. the whole transaction will suffice to show, how much was required to change the heart of stone into a heart of flesh; and how very far-human nature had departed, from original righteousness.

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of

thorns, and the purple robe *; and Pilate, desirous, perhaps, to show that he was not deceived by their pretended loyalty to Cæsar, said unto them, with unrepressed contempt, Behold the Man! This poor, afflicted, smitten Man of sorrows, without friend or follower, is He of whom you entertain such fears. But the multitude still continued to shout. We have a law, said

they, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. Although you may not consider him formidable as a rebel, yet die he must, because, by claiming to be the Messiah, he not only has made himself a king, but the Son of God.

This seems to have reminded Pilate of his wife's dream, for, when he heard that saying, the Evangelist tells us, he was the more afraid. Going, therefore, back to the Judgment Hall, in order to ascertain the fact, whether Jesus did really call himself the Son of God, he said unto him, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no With reference to the question of his guilt or innocence, concerning which alone Pilate was to decide, his divine nature and dignity had nothing to do. Therefore he held his peace. Speakest thou not unto me? said the astonished

answer.

*John, xix. 5-16.

Pilate; knowest thou not, that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? (27) The answer of our Lord was as dignified, as it is important: "Thou couldest have no power against me, (since I am what thou askest, the Son of God,) except it were given thee from above, (unless it had been providentially ordered, that the just should die for the unjust with my nature and office, the Jews, who possess the Scriptures, might have made themselves acquainted; thou, though inexcusable for condemning an innocent person, yet, hast not the means of ascertaining the nature of the Messiah's person and kingdom,) therefore, he that delivered me unto thee, hath the greater sin.

This answer of our Lord, though capable of being thus understood and explained by us, to whom the whole mystery of godliness hath been revealed, may have been obscure, and intentionally so, to Pilate. For then, as now, it was no part of the divine system, to compel men to embrace the faith, by irresistible evidence; but, simply, to awaken them to inquiry, and to urge them to exertion. That Pilate, however, understood our Lord's answer to imply, in some sense or other, that he was the Son of God, is plain from this, that, instead of taking umbrage

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at what had passed, he, thenceforth, sought the more earnestly to release him. But the Jews now appealed from the justice, to the fears, of governor; from his reason, to his passions: for, they cried out saying, If thou let this man go thou art not Cesar's friend; whoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cesar.

Pilate, (perceiving, that they were determined to persevere, till they had succeeded in their purpose; and fearing, that, if he did not accede to their wishes, his conduct might be misrepresented at Rome, where his interest was, by no means, secure,) now took his place on the judg ment seat, (which was erected on a parapet, in front of the pretorium,) and prepared, formally and finally, to pronounce sentence upon him, in whom innocency had been found, and who had done no hurt. But, in so doing, he again caught a glimpse of the lowly Jesus, whose demeanor had arrested his attention, and interested his feelings, while his want of popularity rendered it impossible for him to be dangerous to the Roman dominion. With a mixture, therefore, of indignation and contempt, as he was taking his seat, he saith unto the Jews, "Behold your king! You tell us you are expecting a deliverer, behold him here!" Away with him, away with him, crucify him, was again their de

mand. What, said the sarcastic Pilate, shall I crucify your king? Then the chief priests, in the name of the people, replied, We have no king but Cesar. (28) Thus, unconsciously, did they state the truth, and condemn themselves. The Jewish theocracy was now come to an end. Their King and their God, had come to his own, but his own received him not. By their own words, let them be judged. With their own voices, they declared, that the sceptre had departed from Judah, and the lawgiver from between his feet.* And yet, stumbling at noon-day, as in the night, they perceived not the necessary conclusion, that, if Cesar were their king, the Shiloh must have come. Thus were their transgressions multiplied; and thus did their sins testify against them. They had lied against the Lord; they had conceived, and uttered from their hearts, words of falsehood: and now, they departed away from their God, speaking both oppression and revolt. †

Thus, truth having failed, and he that knew not iniquity, having made himself a preyt, Jesus was sentenced by the Roman governor, and led away to be crucified.

Genesis, xlix. 10.

Isaiah, lix. 12, 13.

Isaiah, lix. 15.