very often succumbed to it. The scourge was formed of switches or thongs, armed at the extremity with pieces of bone or lead. The prisoner received the strokes while fastened to a small post, so as to have his back bent, and the skin on the stretch. The flesh became quick flesh and the blood spurted out with the first strokes." Pilate now inflicted this chastisement, not as a punishmentfor as yet Christ had not been pronounced a criminalbut in order to conciliate the persecutors, and thus, if possible, to avoid that which he felt in his own conscience would be a crime, viz., to pronounce on Him the sentence of death. Ver. 2, 3: "And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe, and said, Hail King of the Jews, and they smote Him with their hands," &c. The crown of thorns and the purple robe, and the reed, which Matthew tells us they put in His right hand, are the expressions of their malignant mockery and derision. It is not said that Pilate commanded or even sanctioned them in this, but it was no doubt done under

his eyes.

went forth again and saith unto them, Behold I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know I find no fault in Him. Then came Jesus forth wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" The object which Pilate had in thus bringing Jesus forth, all bleeding from the scourging, wearing in mockery the insignia of royalty, was no doubt so to assuage their wrath, and evoke their pity, that they might willingly let Him go. He bids them look upon Him in His wretched condition and be satisfied. Ecce Homo ! "The solemn presentation of Jesus before the world preceding His final delivery to death, has produced the most solemn impression upon the minds of the Church of all Christian ages. The pencils of the great masters of Christian art have selected it as a choice subject. Pre-eminently He stands forth, the Man, the representative of the race, the memento of our sins, the exhibition of our misery." Ver. 6: "When the chief priests 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.". The spectacle of the agonised Prisoner failed to touch their savage natures; like Shyloek, they must have their "pound of flesh." In bringing Christ forth and calling their attention to Him, Pilate seems to say,

66

Here, here is your man! Look at Him bleeding from the scourge and mocked by the fictitious emblems of a royal crown and royal robe. Surely that is enough. Let Him creep away to His delusions in peace. But when this unjust judge perceives that the sop he would throw to Cerberus only makes them more furious, he drops all remaining care for their Victim, throws off the case entirely from his jurisdiction, and cries with mingled vexation and scorn, Well, then, take the man yourselves, I wash my hands of Him, though I tell you again, I find no fault in Him."-P. Griffiths, A.M. (Prebendary of St. Paul's).

6

Ver. 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 a custom of the Romans to enjoy their own laws and institutions. The Jews here take their

stand on this ground and appeal to an article in their creed (Lev. xxiv. 15), an article which condemns blasphemers to death. "He made Himself the Son of God," therefore He is a blasphemer, and now we demand that as thou wilt not condemn Him as the Kings of the Jews on political grounds, thou wilt condemn on the ground of

our law as a blasphemer. Ver. 8, 9: 66 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the judgment-hall and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou?" The " Son of God" had a meaning to Pilate that struck him, with terror. Once more he returns to the judgment-hall-the Prætorium, and addresses to Christ a question referring to His personal origin," Whence art Thou?" He seemed to feel that He had some supernatural origin, for he knew well concerning His natural origin, viz., that He was a Galilean. "But Jesus gave him no answer." Christ had virtually answered the question over and over again, further words would be useless. There is a moral majesty in His silence. Ver. 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?" Pilate seems to have felt the silence of Christ, felt it as a reproach, felt it to the quick, and perhaps with indignant haughtiness asserts his power. Thy destiny is in my hands.

Ver. 11: "Thou couldest have

no power against Me except it were given thee from above." "Thou thinkest too much of thy power, Pilate. Against me that power is none, save what is meeted out to thee by special Divine appointment for special ends." "From above," not from the Roman Emperor, but from heaven. "Therefore he that delivereth Me unto thee hath the greater sin." He, that is Caiaphas, the high priest, including also all who were acting with him; the whole Sanhedrin is included in this "he."

Ver. 12: "And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him." He had sought to release Him before, he could have released Him by his own powers, but he wanted to do it in a way that would insure their consent. The more he saw of Jesus the more he was impressed with the fact of His innocence, and with His

supernatural bearing. "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." Here they struck the blow that would bend the soul of Pilate to their purpose. "They have noticed his pliability, they work upon it now by arousing his fears. What! snatch out of our hands a wretch, whom we as friends to Cæsar, have publicly denounced before the representative of Cæsar, for conspiring against Cæsar? Remember if you let such a man escape, you are not one of Cæsar's friends. And this was enough.”—Prebendary Griffiths.

Ver. 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." His mind was now brought to their purpose, and he brings Jesus forth, takes the judgment seat and pronounces the sentence against the prisoner. "The Pavement" was a hall of mosaic or tessellated, on which the throne stood. "Gabbatha" signifies an elevation.

Ver. 14: "And it was the pre