though disposed to reply to questions which were asked from an honest and good motive, He would never reply to any idle, inquisitive question. Pilate's motive in this inquiry was in no degree to enlighten or confirm his faith; but in order to excuse to himself his own weak and vaccillating judgment, so that "Jesus gave him no answer." Pilate's reply is very condemnatory of his want of firmness: "Speakest Thou not unto me; knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee?" There is no doubt that this was so; but how little did this boasted power avail him, when, in his judicial capacity, it was necessary for him to exert some slight exercise of firmness, in the case of one accused with no shadow of justice of any breach of the Roman laws, or design against the public peace! "Jesus answered," I could easily secure Myself, and thou couldest have no power to hurt Me, were it not My Father's will; that, for great and wise reasons, I should at this time submit to be delivered to you by the envy and malice of My enemies the Jews': "Therefore, he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.' Hereupon, he goes forth to the gate again, and urges for His release more than ever. The enemies of Jesus, finding themselves again at fault with Pilate upon the charge of blasphemy, 9 Dr. S. Clarke. return again to that of treason, and "cried out, saying, If thou let this Man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæsar." This allegation had the greatest effect upon Pilate, because, as historians relate, Tiberius Cæsar, who was then the Roman emperor, was most jealous of any opposition to his government, and punished with death all political crimes. Pilate, therefore, durst not venture that any such charge should be laid against him by the Jews'. They also saw clearly that nothing could be better calculated to decide the wavering Governor than this; and his constancy was evidently overcome by it. It seemed to imply an intimation that, if he spared Jesus, they would find means to let Cæsar know that he had given liberty to One, who had claimed to be a King in a part of the imperial dominions; and Pilate had some past experience to instruct him that they would be quite ready, as they threatened, to denounce him to Cæsar; for he had received a sharp reproof on their representation not very long before 2. At length this unrighteous judge pronounced the awful sentence "on the Lord of life and glory;" and the holy Jesus, whom he had repeatedly declared to be blameless, was delivered to the will of his enraged enemies, to expire under the very severe tortures of crucifixion. But, 1 Dr. Whitby. 2 Pictorial Bible. 3 Dr. Robinson. even at this solemn act, Pilate showed his own SECT. CLIV.-Christ bears His Cross.-Matt. xxvii. 32; IT was the custom that the person who was to Dr. Whitby. 1 66 coming out of the country, "him they compelled to bear His cross.' It is supposed that these two persons were well known at the time when St. Mark wrote his Gospel; and they probably were living afterwards in Rome, as St. Paul salutes Rufus there". And there followed Jesus a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him." We may imagine that in this crowd were some of the Apostles, and other favoured disciples; dejected and dispirited, as they might have been, at this exhibition of Him, whom they "trusted had been He, which would have redeemed Israel;" and that even the blessed Virgin Mother, and His mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene, were mixed in this sad company. "But Jesus turning unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children." Jesus, foreseeing the time when the Romans, now devoting Him to the severest earthly torment, should become the instruments of God's righteous vengeance, and would utterly destroy the sinful place in which these things were done, and the sinful nation who was guilty of them, breaks out into a prophetic exclamation, foretelling that so great and terrible will be the afflictions and calamities that shall then befall the nation, that men will wish 5 Mant and D'Oyly. they had never been born, or that they might suddenly perish, to escape this sad extremity ; for, so severe will be the strait to which women especially shall be reduced, that they shall be induced to eat even their own sucking child': so that, "Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare." Then He adds, in a proverbial expression, probably well understood by those to whom it was spoken, though to us it may be obscure: If these things are done, and permitted to be done, towards one who is no more fit to suffer, than a green tree is fit for burning, what must those expect who are as dry wood, ready to be "hewn down, and cast into the fire"," -those wicked persons who, like the dry tree, are already fit to be burned and destroyed'? SECT. CLV.-Christ Crucified.—Matt. xxvii. 33—35; Mark xv. 22-25; Luke xxiii. 32-34; John xix. 17-24. TRADITION professes to point out the whole of the Dolorous Way by which our Saviour was led from the palace of Pilate to the place of crucifixion. The distance is somewhat less than a mile; and in the way the supposed locality of every little incident which the sacred narrative records is precisely indicated2. The Dolorous Way rises with a gradual ascent, terminating with Calvary. The hill to which our Saviour was now led to be crucified, is |