It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, that men of different tongues, met together at that feast, might read and understand the cause of His Death; and that every tongue should confess, that JESUS CHRIST is King of kings, and LORD of lords, to the Glory of GoD the FATHER, and that every tongue should recount the treachery of the Jews; and also to show that He was suffering for every people and was their everlasting LORD. Pilate would not change the Title, though the Jews petitioned for it, for they saw that it redounded to their shame; it told them that they had crucified their King.

These three tongues proclaimed, this is the King of

1 See also Williams, page 294.

all religions, of all wisdom, and of all power. These three nations claim pre-eminence in the Cross of CHRIST, by which, devout and religious, wise and powerful men should be subjugated, and converted. Whether the Jews will or not, diverse languages, every kingdom of the world, all worldly wisdom, all the sacrifices of the Divine Law testify, that JESUS is the King of the Jews, the LORD of believers, of all who confess GOD. When He had conquered the devil, it was written over His Head, This is the King of the Jews, viz., of such as are crucified in heart and spirit; and by this it is shown that even in death He is King of the Jews; even in death He did not lose His Kingdom, but gained over true Jews, such, that is, as confess Him in heart, in mouth, and in deed.

Meditations.

O LORD, we would read the title on Thy Cross as true Jews; that is, confess Thee to be the King of kings, the LORD CHRIST. We read it not with scorning, but with devout meditation, impressing it upon our hearts, and always bearing it as a shield against all temptations! for this is the triumphal title of Victory, appointed by Thee, O LORD, to break by the virtue of Thy Cross, all the power of the enemy. O LORD JESUS, we confess Thee to be the true Saviour and Redeemer of the world; and we humbly implore Thee to heal our souls, and purge out every spot of sin. Thou art the Nazarene, i. e., flourishing; O make us to flourish in all virtue. We

also confess Thee as our true King, to Whom all power in heaven and earth is given; receive us as children of faithful Abraham, and reign in us as our King and Saviour, look upon us in mercy, and exalt us at last to Thy eternal kingdom, and make us co-heirs with Thee in the kingdom of Thy FATHER.

Praper.

All praise and glory be to Thee, O LORD JESUS, King of kings, LORD of lords, Who didst vouchsafe to have a title affixed to Thy Cross as a trophy of victory, that beholding it we might strenuously fight against our spiritual enemies. Protect me, O LORD, against all the snares and wiles of the devil; teach me, by that title, to vanquish every temptation, and to subdue all my sins, that having overcome them by Thy grace, I may give all the praise and glory to Thee, through Whom alone all victory is obtained. Amen.

V. THE LORD REVILED ON THE CROSS.

Prophecy.

I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All that see Me laugh Me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted in the LORD that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him. Ps. xxii. 6-8.

Gospel Harmony.

S. Matt. xxvii. 39-43; S. Mark xv. 28–32; S. Luke xxiii. 33-37.

And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save Thyself.

If

Thou be the SON of GOD, come down from the Cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking

Him, with the Scribes and Elders, said, He saved others, Himself He cannot save. If He

be the King of Israel, let Him come down from the Cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusted in GOD; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him; for He said, I am the SON of GOD. And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar, and saying, If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself.

Reflections.1

If Thou be the SON of GOD, come down from the Cross. Had He yielded to their insults, and come down, would not have shown us the virtue of patience. He waited a little, He endured reproaches, He bore mockery, He preserved His patience. Though He would not come down from the Cross, He rose from the grave, which was more. It was more to destroy death by rising again, than to preserve His Life by coming down. See, too, in those words of the sons of Belial, how they imitate their father's voice. He said, If Thou be the SON of GOD, cast Thyself down; and they said, in like manner, If Thou be the Son of God, come down. He would not come down, because He is the CHRIST, the Chosen of GOD. He came down from Heaven to be crucified for us, therefore He

1 See also Williams, p. 307.

would not save Himself by coming down; for He would save, by His Death, even those who crucified Him, as well as other sinners.

Meditations.

O wretched men! He might save Himself if He would; rather should they pray, Save us, who need it, not Thyself; for Thou art the Saviour of all. But He would teach us to persevere in tribulations; they were not satisfied with crucifying, without mocking Him; so many are not satisfied with crucifying CHRIST with their sins, unless they mock Him by repeating them and glorying in them. O Saviour, Thine ear was more painfully pierced than Thy brows, or hands, or feet. It could not but go deep into Thy soul, to hear those bitter reproaches from them Thou camest to save. Lo, Thou that art the Mediator betwixt GOD and man, the Reconciler of heaven and earth, art lifted up between both. Thou that art the great Captain of our salvation, the Conqueror of all the adverse powers of death and hell, art exalted upon this triumphal chariot of the Cross, that Thou mightest trample upon death. Those arms which Thine enemies meant violently to extend, are stretched forth for the embracing of all mankind that shall come in for the benefit of Thy all-sufficient redemption. Even while Thou sufferest, Thou reignest. O the impotent madness of silly men! they think to disgrace Thee with wry faces, with tongues put out, with bitter scoffs, with wretched indignities; when, in the mean time, the heavens declare Thy righteousness, O LORD,