before it is slain, they may themselves take a view of it, and see that it is without blemish..

But the heavenly Father never would have permitted his beloved Son to have been thus barbarously treated by the Roman soldiers, if no trespasses had been imputed to him. Though the eyes of the Roman judge were utterly incapable of seeing into this mys tery; yet the holy spirit assures us (2 Cor. v. 21.) "That God has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin.' Hence Christ is likewise termed, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.’ (John i. 29) It was for our sins therefore, that he Son of the Most High was insulted and reviled, was crowned with thorns, buffeted and cruelly scourged. Though the civil judge could find no fault in him; yet, as our surety, was held guilty at the divine tribunal of all the crimes, which the whole race of mankind had ever committed. This was the motive which induced the supreme judge of the world to give this delegate judge the power of thus scourging his only Son, since all the sins of the world were now imputed to him..

Secondly, Pilate made use of another expedient to prevent the execution of our blessed Lord; and this was to present the blessed Jesus to the Jews in a very deplorable condition, in order to move their pity and compassion. Hitherto our blessed Saviour had been scourged and abused in the hall of judgment; but now Pilate again takes him out of the hall and presents him to the Jews. After he had endeavoured to gain over the people, by addressing himself to their ears by a public testimony of our Saviour's innocence, he now places the blessed Jesus before their eyes in the most deplorable condition, in hop s that such a moving spectacle might yet kindle in their cold, blood-thirsty hearts, some small spark of compassion. For this purpose, though he had before ordered the old purple robe to be put on the Lord Jesus, it was now probably hung over his shoulders in

such a loose manner when he presented him to the people, that they might see his mangled body, covered all over with blood, stripes, and bruises. The Evangelists here mentions

1. The appearance which our blessed Saviour made, when he was brought forth before the people.

2. The words which Pilate spoke on the occasion. 1. The appearance which our blessed Lord made is described in these words: Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.' Thus it appears, that the wreath of thorns which had been pressed on his head by the insolent soldiers, and the old purple robe which had been hung about him by the way of ridicule, were not taken off: But the Lord Jesus was publicly brought forth to the people with these marks of contempt; and presented to them as a king, who had been sufficiently mortified and chastized, for his effectation of sovereignty. Here were indeed verified these words of Isaiah: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty, that we should desire him.' (Isaiah liii. 2.)

2. The words which Pilate spoke on this occasion were as follows: Behold the man!' As if he had said, see what a deplorable condition this unhappy man is in! Allowing that he has been guilty of some petty crimes, or has offended you; yet now has he been sufficiently punished for it. I think you may very well put up with such a bloody satisfaction, and, at least, spare his miserable life. Thus Pilate was for for moving the people to compassion, though he himself had acted an unjust and unmerciful part, by ordering an innocent person to be treated with such barbarity. We shall here make the following observations:

1. That the Saviour of the world was exhibited as a spectacle to his people, ought also to be considred as a part of his meritorious sufferings.

The Lord Jesus stood here full of pains and wounds, and seemed outwardly to be in so dreadful a condition, that he looked more like a despisable worm than a man. Hence the Messiah, in the Psalms, (Psalm xxii. 7, 8.) as it were contradicts these words of his judge, behold the man, saying, I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn ; they shoot out the lip, they shake their head.' But inwardly his soul was lifted up in continual prayers and ejaculations to his Father; before whom he here presented himself covered with blood and stripes, in order to move his paternal tenderness to a reconciliation with us. His afflicted soul cried out much louder to his heavenly Father, than Pilate did to the people, Behold the man! the man who suffers himself to be thus inhumanly treated for men; and has taken upon him the punishment which they deserved, that they may obtain thy pardon. Father, forgive them the debts which they have contracted, and in acquittance of them, accept of the blood which streams from my lacerated body! Here I stand, O my Father! proceed to discharge at me the keen arrows of thy displeasure: I am ready to present myself as the mark to be shot at. Is it thy pleasure that I should still suffer more? Righteous Father, I most willingly and from my heart submit, to bear all thy chastisements. Only speak the word, and whatever thou commandest, that will I do. These or such like thoughts employed our blessed Saviour's serenc mind at this juncture. At the same time, his heart was full of filial confidence in his heavenly Father, being thoroughly persuaded that he would deliver him from this hour of ignominy and reproach; that he would exhalt him to the highest honour, and present him to be adored by all the heavenly host.

Behold, to what a low condition the Creator of all worlds was brought by our sins! It was on us his sinful creatures that the sentence should have been

executed, according to that of the Prophet: The men that have transgressed against me shall be an abhorring unto all flesh' (Isaiah lxvi. 24.) The Son of God, on the contrary, was here made an abhorring unto all flesh. Oh, what an abomination must sin be in the eyes of God, since it rendered the Son of God, manifested in the flesh, a laughing-stock and an abhorrence to the people

.

But, at the same time, this affords an inexpressible comfort to the faithful servants of God, when in this afflictive circumstance they are made like unto the Son of God, the first born among many brethren, and can say with St. Paul, We are made a spectacle unto the world;' (1 Cor. iv. 9.) or, as the same Apostle says of the Hebrew Converts, (Heb. x. 33.) when 'they are made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst they become companions of them that are so used.' For as the Lord of Glory was here ridiculed, and made a gazing-stock to his people, the like opprobrious honour is likewise to be the portion of his faithful followers. How often have the primitive martyrs been made use of as torches for the nocturnal spectacles of the Heathens; who wrapped them in paper or linen garments done over with rosin, pitch, and other combustibles, and then set them on fire and burnt them alive! How often were they exposed naked to crowds of insulting spectators, by whom they were mocked, abused, and reviled! How often at the public games, were they made to fight with wild beasts, &c. &c. Therefore it might well be said, 'Behold the man!' What an unspeakable comfort and encouragement must it have been to those suffering members of Christ, to reflect, that their glorious Head was also made a gazing-stock to the people. It has also been a common practice in the Popish persecutions, to expose the martyrs who suffered for the truth of the Gospel to the insulting populace in the most ridiculous dress, in order to move their laughter and contempt. Thus

when the blessed martyr John Huss was carried to be burnt, a paper crown painted all over with frightful figures of devils was put on his head; which, however, served to remind him of his Saviour's mock crown of thorns, and so far proved a comfort to him. All these various sufferings of the martyrs for the truth, the Lord Jesus sanctified, by thus becoming a gazing stock to the Jews.

2. No sight is so profitable to the eye of the soul, as that of the blessed Jesus thus covered with blood. and stripes.

To the eyes of vain men, indeed, this is an image of disgust and horror. They see nothing in it which can give the least comfort to them. It is something extraordinary, if the contemplation of it raise in them some motions of a mere natural pity, which soon vanish away without leaving any impression on the mind. But when a pious Christian, through the medium of true faith, beholds his Mediator, as it were changed into a worm; he, like the diseased Israelites, who looked on the brazen serpent, is healed by the sight, and his whole heart is mollified and changed.

Thus the counsel of God was manifested in these words of Pilate, Behold the man!' For as in the whole history of the passion, we are to turn our eyes from the hands of men, and to look up to the decrees of God; so must we do in this particular. Pilate was now in the same case as Caiaphas the High Priest was, when he spoke those remarkable words mentioned by St John, (chap. xi. 51,) of which we have taken notice above. Therefore as the blessed Jesus here through Pilate's means, exposed himself covered with blood to his people, or rather to the whole world so likewise the words, Behold the man,' must be looked upon by us as if spoken by Christ himself.

Therefore, ye impenitent sinners, who still place your satisfaction and delight in sin, Behold the man! Do you observe how sin has caused your Redeemer