of thyself from thy own knowledge, be not over hasty to credit what others

say

of me.

35. Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? thine own nation, and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

In answer, he tells him, nothing that could give umbrage to him as the Roman governor; and at the same time owns in what sense the charge against him was true.

36. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Let the men of the world fight for the world: if thou art a servant of Christ, do as he bids thee, take up the cross, and fight for Him, by fighting against the world in thy heart.

It is the Christian's joy, that Christ's kingdom is not from hence. It is to our comfort, that the kingdom of heaven is brought down to us; and now is the time for entering into it, by the separation of our wills and desires from the world.

37. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.

That is, It is even so as thou sayest; I am a king.

37. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.

There is but one truth, comparatively, worth knowing, namely, that Christ came into the world to redeem us from sin and death, and fit us for heaven, by ruling over us.

37. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

There is no refusing to be tried by this test. If Christ is the truth, those who do not hear him, however wise and prudent they may be in other respects, are not of it. And hearing Christ, is hearing him, with full submission in all things.

38. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

He thought he did not need to be told what truth was; or, that one talking of a kingdom not of this world, was a fit person to tell it to him. What Christ said was all a riddle to him. Many, at all times, hear it to as little purpose.

38. And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

It was so much Pilate's interest, and office to condemn him, for calling himself a king, that one cannot help thinking he was overruled by God, in declaring him innocent.

39. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover; will ye therefore that I release unto you the king of the Jews?

40. Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

O my soul! turn short upon thyself. When thou preferrest anything to Christ, verily, this is thy own case, and thou joinest with the Jews, in saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas,"

SECTION LXXIV.

Chap. xix. ver. 1-12.

CHRIST ILL TREATED.

1. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

Thinking, perhaps, to content the Jews with this lesser punishment. But his scourging would not take away our sins, and therefore he must be given up to their bloodthirsty disposition.

2. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

3. And said, Hail, king of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

Doubtless, you think that you abhor this mockery of the blessed Jesus, and that you could not have been guilty of it for the world. But where is the difference, if we mock him with a false show of subjection? Nay, is it not worse in us, who know what he is, and own him for our King, Saviour, and God?

4. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

It was a marvellous work of Providence, and tends strongly to confirm our belief in Christ, that he was acquitted by the same mouth which condemned him.

5. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

Yes; let us behold him; fix our whole attention steadily upon that man, and think what he is to us. Let us see our guilt, see our pattern. Though the thorns were in a tender part, we do not hear one word of complaint from him.

6. When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

We read this account to no purpose, if we do not remember, and lay it deeply to heart, that our sins were in that cry.

7. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

It was true, he ought to have suffered. Not indeed for the reason they gave, but because we ought, and because he had put himself in our stead.

8. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid

;

His fear worked no good effect. He had a natural dis

cernment of what was right in the case, but he wanted grace to make him stand to his own conviction.

9. And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus made him no answer.

Jesus took this method, knowing that the truth would be lost upon him, and observing his own rule, of not casting his pearls before swine. We should dread to be in such a state.

10. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

11. Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Pilate could have no power of any kind; whatever he might think of his own greatness, but by the divine will, which orders all things: and especially not against Him.

"Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." Namely, the people of the Jews, who had better means of knowing who he was. Observe, the more light we have, the greater will be our condemnation for sinning against it.

12. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar.

This was touching Pilate in a tender part, and setting up his interest against his conscience. They spoke like men that knew the world.

SECTION LXXV.

Chap. xix. ver. 13–27.

PILATE IS OVERCOME BY THE JEWS.

13. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

14. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

The Jews called every Friday, or the day before their sabbath, the preparation, and this in particular, the preparation of the Passover.

"And it was about the sixth hour;" that is, near twelve o'clock, the same point of time with the ending of the third hour, Mark xv. 25, according to the Jews' division of the day into four parts, or hours, called the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours; the first hour beginning at six o'clock, and ending at nine; the third hour at nine, and ending at twelve; the sixth hour at twelve, and ending at three o'clock; the ninth hour beginning at three o'clock, and ending at six. Others, and perhaps with more probability, say that the Evangelists reckon the hours as we do, and that the sixth hour here should be read the third, on the authority of some copies. On the latter supposition, Christ hung three hours longer upon the cross than he did according to the former.

15. But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar.

He submitted to this scornful treatment that he might be our King; and he never is, till we are willing to learn of him this same lesson of patient suffering. "The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar." They said this to gain their point, and as it were to force Christ into their measures. Their subjection to Cæsar was very gall

VOL. II.

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