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Yet, in the hour of guilt and shame,
Jesus, thy glance could bring relief,
The wandering spirit could reclaim,

And ope the source of hallow'd grief.
Thus, when we leave thy heavenly way,
Lord, may the love, the thought of thee,
Subdue each sinful passion's sway,
And, in thy spirit, make us free.

SECTION XLIV.

JESUS BEFORE PILATE.

JOHN XVIII. 27, and XIX.

THEN led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment; and it was early. And they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. Then Pilate

entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me; what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not have been delivered to the Jews; but now is my kindom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest truth; for I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find no fault in him at all. But ye have a custom that I should release unto you one at the passover; will ye, therefore, that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 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. Pilate went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold I bring him forth to

you, that ye may know that 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! When the chief priests therefore 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 Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the judg ment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 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? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, unless it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

REFLECTIONS.

What a contrast is presented in this scene, between the judge and the holy prisoner before him! In Pilate we see an inclination to do right, struggling ineffectually with the maxims of a cold-hearted policy; and from the high station which he holds, he sinks to be an object of pity and indignation; pity

for his vacillating weakness, when the path of duty lay plain before him,-indignation at the crime into which he suffers himself to be led. Before this timo

Saviour of manpower which the

rous yet unjust judge, stands the kind, acknowledging calmly the governor possesses over him, as a power derived from God, and submitting therefore to the decree of Providence. With the unaffected dignity of innocence, he describes the spiritual nature of his kingdom, and declares the object for which he came into the world. Did not a feeling of the beauty of holiness enter the mind of Pilate, as he listened to his prisoner? The proud and politic Roman felt the nobler feelings of his nature awakened from their long slumber, and sought to release the man whom he could not but revere and love. But he dared not to meet the clamours of the populace, and the indignation of his jealous superiors. The fear of man brought a snare upon him; the remonstrances of conscience were hushed, and he decreed the death of Jesus.

HYMN.

In Pilate's hall, by scornful Pharisees
Surrounded, and by dark-brow'd Roman bands,
Before the procurator's footstool stands

The Son of God, the glorious Prince of Peace.
Alone he stands, his followers all have fled;

In mockery o'er his limbs a robe is thrown

Of regal purple; and a thorny crown
Appears in scorn upon his sacred head.

But calm he spake, From God my cause proceeds;
Without his will thou canst not harm a hair
Upon my brow; then patient will I bear
The unrighteous punishment of holy deeds.
I am a king, but not with mortal state,
He said; and humbly died, the greatest of the great.
And oh! what beams of dignity and love

Flow'd o'er his sacred features, as he stood
Calmly, amid the foes who sought his blood,
His eyes upturning to his home above!
The haughty judge in admiration gazed,

And spoke him guiltless; but the frantic crowd Demand their victim's death, with clamours loud, As the fierce scribes their stormy passion raised. Follower of Jesus! learn of him to bear,

Unmoved, the fury of victorious foes:

Though shame environ thee, and anguish close Thy dying eyes, yet shrink not; thou dost share Thy Master's sufferings; thou shalt share his rest Oh, learn of him to live, to die, and to be blest!

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