and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &C. 261 nothing make you relent ? Have ye loll all the feelings ofhumanity and bowels of corn - paffion? Can you bear to fee the innocent, a fon of Abraham, thus injured? Perhaps alit) the foldiers were fuffered to buffet JEsus again on the pavement before the multitude, in order to excite their pity, or at leaft their pride : for though they might not pity JEsus as a perfon unjuftly condemned; yet when they faw one of their countrymen infulted by Heathens, it was natural for the governor to fuppofe, that their national pride being provoked, it would have induced them to have de- manded his enlargement : but all this was to no purpofe. The priefls, whole rage and malice had extinguifhed not only the fentiments of juflice and feelings of pity natural to the human heart, but alto that love which countrymen bear for each other, no fooner law JEsus than they be- gan to fear the ficklepopulace might relent; and therefore, laying decency afide, they led the way to the multitude, crying out with all their might, Crucify him ! crucify him! Releafe not this man, but Barabbas ! The governor, vexed to fee the Jewifh rulers thus obftinately bent on the deftruc- tion of a perfon from whom they had nothing to fear that was dangerous either with regard to their church or hate, paf- fionately told them, that ifthey would have him crucified, they mull do it themfelves ; becaufe he would not fuffer his people to murder a man who was guilty ofno crime. But this they alto refufed, thinking it dif- honourable to receive permiffion to punifh a perfon who had been more than once publicly declared innocent by his judge : befides they confidered with themfelves, that the governor might afterwards have called it fedition, as the permiffion had been extorted from him. Accordingly they told him, that even though none of the things alleged againfi the prifoner were true, he had committed fuch acrime in the pretence of the council itfelf, as by their law deferved the moll ignominious death. He had fpoken blafphemy, calling himfelf No. 22. the Son of God, a title which no mortal could affurne without the higltcfl degree of guilt : We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, becaufe he wade hivfelf the Son of God, a divine perfon. Pilate's fear was increated, when he heard that JEsus called himfelf the Son of God ; but knowing the obfiinacy of the Jews in all matters of religión, he was afraid they would make a tumult in earned ; ór, per- haps he was himfelf more afraid than ever to take away his life, becaufe he fufpe&ed it might be true. He doubtiefs refnem- bercd the miracles Paid to have been per- formed by JEsus, and therefore fufpeéted that he really was the Son of God : for it is well known that the religion which the governor profeffed, direfted him to acknowledge the exiflence oldeinigods and heroes, or men defcended from the gods; nay, the Heathens believed, that their gods themfelves fometimes appeared upon earth in the form of men, and converfed with them. Thefe kind of refleflions induced Pilate to go again into thejudgment-hall, and afk JEsus from what father he fprung, and from what country he came ? But our bleffed Saviour gave him no arifwer, left the governor thould reverie his fentence, and abfolutely refufe to crucify him. Pilate marvelled greatly at this filence, and laid unto JEsus, Why doff thou refufe to anfwer me? Thou canft not be ignorant that I am inyefted with abfolute power, either to releafe or crucify thee. To which JEsus anfwered, I well know that thou art Czefar's fervant, and accountable to him for thy management. I forgive thee any injury, which, contrary to thy inclination, the popular fury confirains thee to do unto me. Thouhaft thypowerfrom above, from the emperor : for which caufe, the Jewifh high prieft, who hath put me into thy hands, and by pretending that I am Cwfar's enemy, forces thee to condemn me ; or if thou refufefi, will accule thee as negligent of the emperor's intereft; he is more guilty than thee : He that delivered 3 S me,
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