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embraced the truths of the Gospel, that he who is our head has prayed, and still is praying, as we believe, for us at the right hand of his Father in heaven.

And this reflection may well support us in all our weaknesses and infirmities, that "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins'." By worldly troubles we may be cast down; by our spiritual wants our souls may be harassed, but here is "an anchor of the soul sure and stedfast2" which will never fail us or deceive us. For a while we may have sorrow, but the knowledge that he is our friend will ever recur to us, will strengthen and support us, and so will our hearts be filled with holy joy, "that joy which no man taketh from us." Which may God grant us all through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

1 John ii. 1.

2 Heb. vi. 19.

SERMON XIII.

THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ATTENDED THE CRUCIFIXION OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR.

ST. JOHN xix. 5.

Pilate said unto them, Behold the Man.

It was of our blessed Saviour, when, with all the solemn mockery of pretended respect, his enemies had placed on his head a crown of thorns, and had arrayed him with a purple robe, that the Roman governor, presenting him to the assembled multitude, spake the wellknown words of our text. Compassion in his own heart, and the hope of exciting a corresponding feeling in the hearts of the crowd, would appear to have been Pilate's motive for thus presenting him to them. Every thing which could add

bitterness to sufferings had been heaped on the devoted head of our Lord, by the soldiers employed by the Pharisees. With solemn derision had they invested him with the emblems of authority; but the diadem which they had placed on his head was composed of thorns, and the sceptre which they had given into his hand was a worthless reed. True, they had bowed the knee before him, but it was only to insult him; and they had called him "the Christ," but it was only to mock at his pretensions. The meekness with which he bore the revilings of his enemies, and the gentleness with which he replied to Pilate's own questions, appears to have raised in him a compassion for such unmerited sufferings, and a desire in him to release one who endured them so mildly; and there can be but little doubt that it was with this view that he brought out before them our Lord, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and presenting him to them, exclaimed, "Behold the Man."

Words of memorable import were they, though little heeded by him who unconsciously uttered them, and full of deep and interesting reflection to all who now are able to comprehend their meaning. For who was "the man" of whom they were spoken, and wherefore did he appear in the situation which caused their utterance? Was it not he, who "for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven," where he dwelt "one with the Father, very God," and who was pleased for our sakes to endure all the torments, all the miseries and infirmities which could befal the meanest of mankind? Was it not he who, if he had chosen, might have remained in his own blessed state of happiness and perfection, and have suffered us to perish unheeded, but whose compassion would not allow our overthrow, but bade him, at the price of his own extreme sufferings, redeem ours? Surely, then, we have only to consider this, to see how much was comprehended in the few words uttered by Pilate, when

presenting him to the Jews he said, " Behold the Man."

But, "the Man"-could a mere man pay the ransom for mankind, when man had sinned? Could a man take away the curse of the law, who was himself liable to the curse? Only one man, indeed, could do this. Sinful and disobedient man would have had his own sins to answer for. Perfect God and perfect Man might, "by the taking of the manhood into God," sinless himself, atone for the sins of others. That Man it was of whom the words of our text were pronounced, "the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus'."

But would the perfect Godhead assume the perfect manhood? It is indeed a mystery to us that this should be so, but the Scriptures declare to us (and from them we have the assurance) that, one thing only excepted, our Lord became, in every other respect, during his sojourn

1 Tim. ii. 5.

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