Chapter Verfe

xxvi. 64 folemn adjurement ?) Jefus faith unto him, Thou

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haft faid. This is not an answer, but an equivoque and which we fhall find repeated again and again on fimilar occafions. Mark fays that Jefus anfwered plainly to the question, I am, But Luke and John agree with Matthew in the equivoque. Matthew proceeds Nevertheless I fay unto you, hereafter fhall ye fee the Son of Man

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fitting on the right-hand of power and coming 65 in the clouds of Heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes faying, He hath spoken blafphemy; what further need. have we of witneffes? Behold, now ye have heard his blafphemy, 'what think ye? They anfwered and faid, He is guilty of death. Then did they fpit in his 'face, and buffetted him, and others fmote him with the palms of their hands faying, Prophesy unto us thou Chrift, who is he that fmote thee.' Mark records this examination nearly in the fame words, except when the high priest asked him

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Art thou the Chrift, the Son of the Bleffed?' He answers plainly-I am. Luke (first recording Peter's denial) gives us the particulars of this. examination, differing in the order and circumftances from the other two- And the men that held Jefus mocked him and fmote him, and when they had blindfolded him, they ftruck him on the face, and asked him faying, Prophefy who it is that fmote thee, and many other things blafphemously fpake they against him. • And

And as foon as it was day, the elders of the 'people, and the chief priefts, and the fcribes

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came together and led him into their council,

faying, Art thou the Chrift? Tell us. And he 'faid unto them, If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter fhall the Son of Man fit on the right hand of the power of God. Then faid they all, Art thou then the • Son of God? And he faid unto them, Ye fay ' that I am.' This appears, as it does in Matthew, an equivoque, and yet they rejoin- What need we any further witnefs? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.' But this may be a comment upon the preceding speech relative to the elevation of the Son of Man. We will now proceed to St. John's account of this examination, and which we fhall find differs from the other three. Ch. xviii. v. 19.-"Then the high priest asked Jefus of his difciples, and of his doctrine, Jefus answered him: I fpake openly to the world: I never taught in the fynagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always re"fort: and in fecret have I said nothing. (What 'were his explanations and particular instructions to his difciples.) Why afkeft thou me? Afk

• them which heard me what I have faid unto

'them; behold they know what I said.

(The

high priest Caiaphas, we may suppose was a

! man of learning, and in course capable of de

Chapter Verfeciding upon the propriety or impropriety of the

xxvi.

'doctrine taught by Jefus. Like a wife man, he

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wifhed to be informed by the teacher himself, and not from hearfay: why he was referred to the latter I know not: and it is plain, by what followed, that they were greatly displeased with his reply.) And when he had thus fpoken, one of the officers which stood by, ftruck Jefus with the palm of his hand, faying, Answerest • thou the high prieft fo? Jefus answered him: "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil,

but if well, why fmiteft thou me?' There was indeed no evil; but there appears to be great rudeness or want of refpect to a man of rank who was questioning him officially. During this examination it was (according to St. John) that Peter denied Jefus: it was previous to it, according to Luke: and after it, according to Matthew and Mark: Luke fays it was in the prefence of Jefus; and we may fuppofe it was fo by John's account; but Matthew and Mark fay otherwise. They differ likewife about the crowing of the cock, &c. as will be feen by comparing their records. Matthew, after informing us (in verse 58) that Peter followed him (Jefus) afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in and fat with the servants to fee the end, and recording the examination of Jefus : he, in verfe 69, goes 69 on with Peter's ftory- Now Peter fat without

in the palace, and a damfel came unto him fay

ing; Thou alfo waft with Jefus of Galilee. But ⚫ he denied before them all, faying, I know not what thou fayeft. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid faw him, and faid unto them that were there; This fellow was alfo with Jefus of Nazareth. And again 'he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after awhile came unto him they that stood by, and faid to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them, for thy fpeech bewrayeth thee. Then

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began he to curfe and to fwear, faying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. x And Peter remembered the words of Jefus, which faid unto him, before the cock crow, thou fhalt deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly.' We will now examine Mark's account of this ungracious bufinefs. He (after recording a circumftance relative to a naked young man, omitted by the others) fays, ch. xiv. v. 54. And Peter followed him (Jefus) afar off, even into the palace of the high priest and he fat with the fervants, and warmed himself at the fire.' After reciting the examination of Jefus, he, in verfe 66, goes on with Peter's story- And as Peter was beneath in the palace. (Beneath, feems to imply that Jefus was above. Matthew fays without in the palace which 'feems to imply that Jefus was in an inner room. "But it will appear by Luke's account, they were in the fame room.) There cometh one of the

maids of the high priest. And when the faw Peter warming himself, fhe looked upon him, and faid, Thou also waft with Jefus of Nazareth. But he denied faying, I know not, nei'ther understand I what thou fayeft. (This was not only a lie, but an improbable lie; it differs from that in Matthew with refpect to terms, but in fubftance it is the fame) And he went out into the porch, and the cock crew. (St. Matthew fays nothing of the crowing in this place.) And a maid faw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. (Here the oath mentioned by Matthew is omitted.) And a little after, they that ftood by, faid again to Peter; Surely 'thou art one of them for thou art a Galilean, and thy fpeech agreeth thereto.

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But he began

to curse and to fwear, faying, I know not this

man of whom ye fpeak. And the fecond time 'the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jefus faid unto him, before the cock crow twice, thou fhalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.' Here we perceive a difagreement between Matthew and Mark, with refpect to the times of crowing, and the prophecy relative thereto : yet each of them makes his fact correfpond with his prophecy. We will now examine Luke's account, he fays, (ch. xxii.) And Peter followed afar off: and when they had kindled a fire in the midft of

• the