who being himself a Jew, was also at Jerusalem in those days, having come up to celebrate the Passover there. And when Herod saw Jesus, he rejoiced exceedingly; for he had a long time been very desirous to see him, because he had heard much concerning him in Galilee; and he now hoped that he should have an opportunity so far to satisfy his curiosity, as to see some miracle done by him; and might be able also to determine whether He was, as he had once suspected, John the Baptist risen from the dead. And he examined him in many words, concerning a variety of particulars both as to his pretensions and the proof of his mission, as well as the tenor of his doctrine. But as Jesus knew this was not a proper time and circumstance to enter into those questions, of which Herod long ago might have been sufficiently informed, He gave him no answer.

"And the chief priests and scribes, whose malice had prompted them to attend him thither, stood in the presence of the king, eagerly accusing him of the same crimes which they had before charged him with, in their application to Pilate. And Herod, with those of his soldiers who now attended him as his life-guard, looked upon Jesus with disdain, and treated him in a very contemptuous manner, like a poor incon

and great uncle to that Agrippa, who was by Paul's discourse almost persuaded to become a Christian. (Acts xxvi. 28.) Christ's arraignment before him, when He was sent back uncondemned, was a great additional proof of the falsehood of those accusations which the Jews had brought against him as a seditious person, and particularly as one who had stirred up the people in Galilee."

siderable creature, who no way answered the account they had heard of him, neither saying or doing anything to gratify their curiosity; and having derided him for pretending to be a king, (as it was urged by his accusers he had done,) in public contempt of that claim, whatever it was, Herod clothed him with a splendid robe,* and sent him back to Pilate; thereby intimating that he left him to do what he pleased with his prisoner, but that for his own part he apprehended his pretensions to royalty worthy of derision, rather than serious resentment. And whatever Pilate's real intentions were, the compliment of sending Jesus to be examined by him, was so well taken by Herod, and Herod's sending him back to the Roman governor was, on the other hand, such a public instance of regard to him, that the same day Pilate and Herod became friends, and were reconciled to each other: for before this they were at enmity between themselves. And Pilate having received an account of what had passed before Herod, called together the chief priests and the rulers, and with them the

* "(A splendid robe.) This expression does not so properly signify (as Le Clerk renders it) a white robe; nor was it, as he supposes, intended as a declaration of his innocence; it was rather some gorgeous garment which belonged to Herod, or some of his officers, and was perhaps grown old; and they clothed him with it in derision of his having pretended to be a king. This usage was extremely insolent; perhaps the remorse of conscience which Herod had felt on account of the murder of John the Baptist might render him cautious how he joined in any attempt on the life of Jesus, which we do not find that he did."

rest of the people who had appeared against him as his accusers, and said to them, You have brought me this man, Jesus of Nazareth, as one that has perverted the people, and taught doctrines injurious to your religion, and also to the civil peace and the Roman government; and, behold, I have examined him both in your presence and in private, and heard all that could be alleged against him; but I must solemnly declare that I have found no crime in this man as to the things that you have charged him with; nor can I in my conscience think that you have made good any of the accusations you have brought against him; nor yet has Herod been able to make any such discovery, for 1 sent you to him with the prisoner, that you might do your utmost to convict him before that prince, who being a person of your own religion, and well acquainted with your laws and customs, might have known more of the matter than myself; and yet, behold, it appears to have been Herod's judgment that nothing worthy of death has been done by him; for instead of sending him back like one who deserves a capital sentence, he has treated him like an idiot rather than a traitor, so as plainly to show that he thinks him merely the object of ridicule, or to deserve at most but some slight punishment; and therefore when I have chastised him by scourging, which will be an admonition to him for the future not to use those wild enthusiastical expressions, which have given so much umbrage and suspicion, I will let him go. And I believe you may depend upon it, that He will give us no further trouble; nor would He

have interest enough to do it, if He were inclined to the attempt.

Now it was usual at the feast of the Passover, and even was grown by custom in a manner necessary,* for the Roman governor, when such multitudes were assembled from all parts, to release to the people any one prisoner whom they desired to be set at liberty, whatever crime it was that he was charged with. And there was then in Pilate's custody a very infamous and notable prisoner, whose name was Barabbas, that lay bound with some other ruffians who had made an insurrection in the city in conjunction with him, and who had also committed murder in the insurrection; and besides the part he had acted in this seditious riot, he was a fellow of the most abandoned character, and known to be a robber who had infested the highways with his villainy; so that it was generally concluded he would receive sentence of death, and would be executed that day. And as the power of reversing or executing such sentences then lay in the Romans, the people therefore, when they were gathered together about the tribunal, began with a great noise and clamour to demand of Pilate that he would do at this Passover, as he had always

There was no law

* 66 (Usual, and in a manner necessary.) to oblige him to this, but as acts of grace are generally popular things, this seems to have been first freely used by the Romans to please their tributaries, and now by custom was in a manner established. I find no substantial reason to believe there was in the original of this custom any reference to he deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian bondage at this time."

done to them upon the like occasions, and would discharge a prisoner.

"And Pilate hoping that he might preserve the life of Jesus, whose innocence he so clearly saw, determined to attempt it by this method, and accordingly that he might induce them to choose him, he proposed no other alternative than that scandalous and outrageous criminal whom we have just now mentioned, and answered them, saying, You have indeed a custom that I should release to you one at the Passover, and I am ready now to oblige you in this affair: whom will you therefore choose that I should release unto you? Barabbas, that seditious and murderous robber, or this Jesus, who is called Christ, who, in I know not what strange sense, is pretended to be the king of the Jews, and whom you see before you in the fine robe in which Herod has thought fit to array him? For he knew that the chief priests and rulers had delivered him up into his hands, not from a regard to justice, but merely out of envy at his popularity; and therefore he was willing to make the proposal to the people in such a form as might be most likely to secure his life. But the chief priests and elders, who were exceedingly solicitous to obtain their end, lest this artifice of the governor should defeat all their laboured scheme, excited the most forward of the people, and effectually persuaded the mob they had brought with them, that they should ask the governor with a continual noise and clamour, that he would rather release Barabbas to them; that by this means the point they had in view might be secured, and they