hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? (Having before afked him if he was the king of the Jews, and receiving no direct anfwer; he now afks if he was in any reipec a king.) Jefus anfwered, Thou fayeft that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this 'cause came I into the world, that I fhould bear 'witness unto the truth. Every one that is of 'the truth, heareth my voice. Pilate faith unto him, What is truth? And when he had faid this, he went out again unto the Jews, and faith unto them I find in him no fault at all, (that ' is worthy of death) but ye have a custom, that 'I fhould release unto you one at the Paffover.

Will ye therefore that I release unto you the 'king of the Jews? From this examination, or rather converfation, and the fubfequent conduct of Pilate, we may fuppofe that the replies of Jefus were unintelligible to him; and that he held Jefus in contempt; for though he asked him what he meant by truth, he did not wait for an answer; or if he did it, doth not appear that Jefus made any. Upon the Jews refufing Jefus, and demanding Barabbas (a notable prifoner, fays Matthew a feditious murderer, fays Mark and Luke: a robber, fays John) Then Pilate therefore took Jefus, and fcourged him, and the foldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and faid, Hail king of the

'Jews, and they fmote him with their hands.' The fcourging must have been by order of Pilate, and the other indignities executed in his prefence; as it appears that he immediately led Jefus out to the Jews in this condition- Pilate there'fore went forth again, and faith unto them (the Jews) behold I bring him forth to you, that ye

may know that I find no fault in him (he still 'wishes to release Jesus, in preference to a robber and a murderer) Then came Jefus forth wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple 'robe, and Pilate faith unto them; behold the man. When the chief priests therefore and ' officers faw him, they cried out, faying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate faith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no ⚫ fault in him (deferving that punishment.) The Jews anfwered him: We have a law, and by our law, he ought to die, because he made himfelf the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that faying, he was the more afraid. (From what fource could thofe fears flow, in the 'heart of a Pagan ?) And went again into the Judgment Hall, and faith unto Jesus-Whence art thou but Jefus gave him no answer. Then faith Pilate unto him, Speakeft thou not 6 unto me? knoweft thou not, that I have power to crucify thee; and have power to release thee? (Pilate, throughout the examination, appears

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tó bé a man of humanity and great patience) Jefus anfwered; thou couldeft have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto

thee hath the greater fin.' The first part of this anfwer is plain nothing can be done contrary to the will of God, or without his permiffion. But why, for that reafon, he that delivered Jefus to Pilate, had the greater fin; I know not. 'And 'from thenceforth (as he had before) Pilate fought to release him. But the Jews cried out, 'faying, If thou let this man go thou art not 'Cæfar's friend: whofoever maketh himself a

king, fpeaketh against Cæfar.' Pilate, a Roman magiftrate, acting under Cæfar's authority; thus called upon, was obligated to order the punishment due to the crime alledged. He feems however to make another effort to fave him and which no doubt, proceeded from a conviction in his own mind, that Jefus had no treafonable defigns. Perhaps his meek demeanour, his patient fubmiffion under ftripes and infult, had gained him credit with Pilate for the goodnefs of his heart: though neither his filence, or what he had spoken could do fo for the goodness of his head. Poffibly he viewed him as an enthusiast but poorly qualified for the task he had undertaken. 'When Pilate therefore heard that faying, he brought Jefus forth, and fat down ' in the judgment feat, in a place that is called • the

M 2

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Chapter Verfe the Pavement, but in the Hebrew Gabbatha,

and it was the preparation of the paffover, and about the fixth hour, and he faith unto the Jews-Behold your king. But they cried outAway with him; away with him: crucify him. 'Pilate faith unto them-Shall I crucify your king? (These two speeches must have been ironical, and yet I know not for what purpose.) The

chief priests anfwered, We have no king but 'Cæfar. Then delivered he him therefore unto 'them to be crucified.' Having thus given St. John's account of the examination before Herod and Pilate to the delivery for crucifixion: it is neceffary we recur to St. Matthew, who records two circumftances in this affair, omitted by the other three. The firft, is the dream of Pilate's xxvii. 19 wife-'When he (Pilate) was fet down on the judgment feat, his wife fent unto him, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with that juft man, for I have fuffered many things this day in a 24 dream, because of him.' The fecond, is the ceremony of Pilate's washing his hands, &c.

When Pilate faw that he could prevail nothing, but rather a tumult was made; he took water and washed his hands before the multitude,

faying, I am innocent of the blood of this just perfon: fee ye to it.' Here we find Pilate echoing the words of his wife. He could, ac

cording to Matthew's account,

have no other

reafon for calling Jefus this juft perfon. Jefus

having faid nothing but Thou fayeft when afked Chapter Verfe

by Pilate if he was the King of the Jews: when

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accused by the chief priests and elders, he anfwered nothing; and when urged by Pilate to make his defence-he answered him to never a word. This conclufion is recorded by Matthew only- Then anfwered all the people and faid; xxvii. 25 'his blood be on us, and on our children.' And then he thus proceeds with the ftory- Then releafed he Barabbas unto them: and when he had fcourged Jefus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the foldiers of the governor took Jefus into the common hall, and gathered " unto him the whole band of foldiers. And they ftripped him, and put on him a Scarlet robe (Mark calls it purple. Luke fays'Herod and his men of war, arrayed him in a gorgeous robe. John calls it a purple robe.) And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, (Luke ⚫ omits the crown) they put it upon his head,

and a reed in his hand.' Mark fays nothing of their putting a reed in his hand, but that—they fmote him on the head with a reed. Luke fays nothing of the reed, or crown of thorns. John fays nothing of the reed, but that-they fmote him with their hands. Matthew goes on- And 'they bowed the knee before him, and mocked

him, faying-Hail, King of the Jews. And

they fpit upon him, and took the reed, and
fmote him on the head. And after they had

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