mercy! mercy! mercy! without fear of cffending against the words of Christ, Matt. vi. 7.

45. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

You have let slip the season of watching and prayer, and will soon find, to your cost, that you are not proof against temptation. Or the words might be spoken, in a way of farther reproof, Ye do sleep on, and are careless to the last.

46. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

47. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he hold him fast.

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49. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

Profession of Christ, with an unconverted heart, is this

kiss.

50. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

Jesus addresses thee, O sinner, under the title of friend : let this word go deep into thy heart.

51. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.

This act of Peter's misguided zeal was calculated to injure his divine Master rather than serve him. The conclusion likely to be drawn from it would be, that he taught his followers to resist lawful authority.

52. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

VOL. I.

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Rash, and unauthorized men, are liable, and deserve to perish with the sword. It was also a prediction of Peter's suffering.

53. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

O strong rebuke to our impotent malice! We want nothing but the power to execute our purposes: Christ, with all the power of heaven at his command, would not defend himself. There was scripture in the way, and he was all submission.

54. But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?

So the scripture must be fulfilled by us, or it will be fulfilled against us. Happy shall we be when we have always this example before us, and can say, in the power of these words, to every temptation, "How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled ?”

55. In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on

me.

56. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.

This shows to what intent the foregoing words, ver. 55, were spoken, namely, that before his hour was come, they could not take him; and when it was, the scriptures must be fulfilled, by the same necessity that a child comes to the birth at its time.

56. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

Take notice of the men; and that they were the very same who, afterwards, in the power of the Holy Ghost, went into all the world to testify their Saviour openly, with a certain knowledge that they were to lay down their lives for him.

SECTION LXXI.

Chap. xxvi. ver. 57–75.

CHRIST IS CARRIED TO CAIAPHAS.

57. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

58. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.

Now his fears began to work strongly. But think not only of Peter. Alas! it is the case of many; though they pretend to follow Christ, it is a great way off, as to any lively faith, or pure obedience.

59. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

60. But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none.

It was necessary that Christ's innocence should be declared.

60. At the last came two false witnesses,

61. And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

62. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing ? what is it which these witness against thee ? 63. But Jesus held his peace.

It was necessary that he should not stand upon his innocence, because his intention was to suffer ; neither, as being in the place of sinners, and bearing their sins, would he deny the guilt he had taken upon himself.

63. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

64. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

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"Thou hast said." It is as thou hast said; I do not deny it I am. He was silent to the charge of guilt; he could not be silent here, without denying himself to be the Son of God. And he farther tells them, that they should one day see him, who now appeared before them as a malefactor, in all his power and majesty, as the Son of man, him spoken of by the prophet Daniel, the Messiah, or Son of God. "Every eye shall see him!" And those to their inexpressible joy, who have seen him here in the glory of his salvation.

65. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses ? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

66. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

As taking our sin he was, and submitted to the sentence; and we never believe in him, till we know that we deserve to suffer death.

67. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

68. Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

Let us not turn our whole indignation against the vile, abominably-insulting Jew; but if our sins had their full share in putting the Son of God to this open shame, let us fetch a deep groan for ourselves.

O Jesus, how I long to imitate thee, to possess thy meekness, to be happy in thy patience! I see in this single instance what it is to be born again, and what need there is for it. When we can do as thou didst, bear the insolent stroke, the opprobrious taunt, the contemptuous spitting, calm and unruffled, we are new creatures, have a new nature, and a joyful experience of the wisdom that cometh down from above.

69. Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.

70. But he denied bfeore them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

71. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

72. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the

man.

73. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

74. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man.

And immediately the cock crew.

75. And Peter reinembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Peter had a root of faith in him, and though he had fallen grievously, could remember the words of Jesus for his rising again. Lord, when we fall, raise us up again, though it be with bitter sorrow; but keep us from falling, lest we never repent.

75. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Retire this moment into thyself. Think how soon Peter's repentance followed his sin, and how long thine has been deferred; how bitterly he wept, and what cause thou hast for it; how graciously he was received to favour again, and what a Saviour thou hast to wipe away thy tears.

SECTION LXXII.

Chap. xxvii. ver. 1--34.

THE SIXTH DAY, OR FRIDAY.

Mark xv.; Luke xxiii.; John xviii. 28-40; xix.

JESUS DELIVERED TO PILATE.

1. When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death :