AND

CHRIST BEFORE PILATE.

ND Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked Him, saying, Art thou the King

of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when He was accused of the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto Him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. said unto them, Whom will ye that I Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. Pilate said

Q

Therefore Pilate release unto you?

unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all said unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.'-MATT. xxvii.

T is not easy to see how Pilate could even think

IT

himself innocent of the blood of a just man, whom,

to gratify the unhallowed rage of envious men, he was consigning to a death the most ignominious and dreadful that could be devised. 'Then released he

CHRIST ARRAYED IN MOCKERY.

243

Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head. And after that they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him.' It will be well for us to take care, in reading and hearing continually the particulars of this unparalleled, but oft-told tale, that we do not as often lose the impression and influence which facts of a kind so awful and incomparably affecting and interesting should produce in our minds. Let us remember that He, who was then clothed in the garb of insult and derision, spit upon and scourged by wicked men, was the well-beloved Son of God; and that it was for our sakes that He endured all these sufferings.-MATT. xxvii.

ND they led Him away to crucify Him. And as

AND

they came out, they found a man of Cyrene,

Simon by name: him they compelled to bear His cross.' As it was the custom to impose this dreadful burden on malefactors, to add as much as possible to their sufferings, it is probable that the Saviour was at first loaded in the same way, and that His strength was found unequal to the weight.-MATT. xxvii.

THE CRUCIFIXION.

ND when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink. And they crucified Him.' ('Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which said, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.'-JOHN Xix.) 'And, sitting down, they watched Him there; and set up over His head His accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves cruci