be the Messiah, that person being considered as the Immanuel; we shall find them, before Pilate, imputing treason to him, as implied in the other character of the Messiah, his being a king. He claimed to be the God of the Jews-and they had a law, and by that law he was worthy of death. He claimed to be the king of the Jews-and no loyal Roman, no 'friend to Cæsar,' would let him escape. This was their case

against him.

It is remarkable that the Jews should thus have rejected Jesus, for the want of the signs of temporal royalty; and yet have made his accusation before Pilate rest on his pretension to it. In short, they accused him of doing that, which had he done, they would have welcomed him, risen in his behalf, and died for him. They not only laid to his charge things that he knew not;'* but a crime, the commission of which was all that was wanting to have secured him their favour and support.

PETER DENIES JESUS.

Ver. 66-72.

And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch and the cock crew. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little after,

*Psalm xxXV. II.

:

they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them for thou art a Galilæan, and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

Viewing our Lord's agony in the garden of Gethsemane as an especial trial and temptation, in which Satan was exerting his mysterious power against Him and his apostles, we may readily understand the failure of their constancy, and more particularly the denial of Peter, even of Peter, who certainly wanted neither faith nor courage. It was Peter who first

confessed Jesus to be the Christ, and was on that account honourably distinguished by his Master. It was Peter who braved the risk of interfering in his behalf when he was apprehended. And yet, of all his followers, it was Peter who denied him.

Powerful indeed must have been the agency of the Tempter to effect that denial. Nor are we without some clue to the state of mind which exposed the apostle to Satanic agency. It was, in some respects, not unlike that of Judas Iscariot. He was anticipating the Messiah's kingdom as a temporal kingdom. To this view tended his thoughts and desires. At a very early period of his apostleship, our Lord rebuked him, saying, 'Get thee behind me, Satan;' words which, however severe they might have seemed at the time, were proved, by the after-trial of the apostle, to be a merciful warning, the more severe the more

merciful, because, the more likely to sink deep into his mind, and to prepare him for this his more perilous temptation. To the last he had looked, it would seem, for some miraculous interposition in behalf of Jesus; the disappointment of this hope was the trial, through which his faith was most likely to fail. Confident that his Master was to be rescued, he drew his sword in his defence. 'Put up thy sword,' said Jesus; he obeyed, nothing doubting that Jesus had defence he knew not of. His faith wavered not yet. But when his Master stood before the high priest, was condemned, and still no heavenly rescue appeared-when he evidently shewed by his manner that he meant to submit to death-the apostle's mind was wrought to the highest pitch of dismay. He could not comprehend the event. Against faith he, for the moment, desponded, and, in that bewildered state of mind, denied his Master. he was still a little child of that same Lord who had

But, unlike Judas,

prayed for him. Jesus turned and looked upon him. Oh that we all could fancy ourselves, in the many temptations of life, turning to meet that look! As when he stretched out his hand, and at the same moment snatched Peter from the waves of Genesareth into which he was sinking, and rebuked him for his want of faith;* so he now at once saved him, and reproved him, by a look. It was only a look; but it was more expressive than words. It

*Matt. xiv. 31.

converted him, it saved him. Henceforth his Lord's strength was made perfect in his weakness, and enabled him to fulfil the command which he had received from him, when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.'* He it was who first preached Jesus to the Jews; and it is remarkable, that the sum of his discourse was the very point which seems to have constituted his own former difficulty and trial-the doctrine on which his own faith was so near being shipwrecked. 'Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.'+

*Luke xxii. 32.

+ Acts ii. 36.

CHAPTER XV.

JESUS BEFORE PILATE.

Ver. 1-15.

And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? and they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

WHA

HAT share had Pilate in the guilt of Christ's crucifixion? This need be only so far made a subject of inquiry as to ascertain, whether there be