sus answered, Thou hast said it; I am he: The Highpriest then rent his garments, saying, He has blasphemed, what need we any further witnesses; what do you all think? They answered, He is guilty of death; and they condemned him forthwith. Q. How did they then use him? A. They spit in his face, hoodwinked him, and struck him with their fists, saying, in mockery, Prophecy, O Christ, who it is that smote thee: and added many other abuses and blasphemies. Q. What did he suffer more in the house of Caiphas? A. It was here Peter thrice denied him; accused the first time by a servant-maid, that he was with Jesus of Naza reth, and that he was one of his disciples, he denied it; and going out of the palace into the porch, the cock crowed. Then another maid-servant said, This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth; and thereupon being questioned by those who sat with him at the fire, whether he were not one of his disciples? he denied it a second time, and swore he knew him not. About an hour after, a kinsman of Malchus said to him, Did not I see you in the Garden with him? for your very speech betrays you. He denied it a third time, with cursing and swearing, that he knew not what they said; and presently the cock crowed a second time. Q. Did Peter repent? A. Yes: Jesus looked back at Peter, and brought to his mind what he had foretold: This night, before the cock crows twice thou shalt thrice deThis look of Jesus was an aspect of mercy, and a secret motion of grace, which opened Peter's eyes to see his fault, and so molified his heart, that he immediately went out and wept bitterly. Q. What became of Judas? A. He returned the money, and in despair hanged himself, confessing that he had betrayed innocent blood.

ny me.

EXHOR.-Follow Jesus, O christian, into the court of Caiphas, and see what you may learn from him: many false witnesses came in against him; take heed of wrong censuring others; of rash judgment, slander, detraction; for by these things you shall not escape the judgment of God, Rom. ii. 3. If your neighbor lays any thing false to your charge, vindicate yourself

with mildness, and return not evil for evil, but overcome evil with good.

Jesus, when his own private honour, as man, was concerned, kept silence; but when his Father's glory was likely to suffer, he boldly confessed himself to be the Son of God: humble yourself under your own private injuries, but be ever prompt to defend the honour of God, when it is attacked, and never be ashamed to profess or practice the truth of his gospel, for which he died; He that confesseth me before men, I will confess him before my Father, Mat. x. 32.

Be astonished at the insults, mockeries, and blasphemies of the Jews, and join not with them in prophaning his holy name, by swearing and cursing. Behold in Peter, the inconstancy and infirmity of your state; confide in God, and distrust yourself; and, if you have followed Peter in sin, follow him in his quick and speedy repentance, when Jesus turns to you, by the inspiration of divine grace.

Under your greatest crimes, neither presume of God's mercy, nor, like Judas, despair of pardon; but with King David say, Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy mercies, blot out my iniquity. God is both able and willing to forgive, when we are truly humble and repent: an humble and contrite heart he never despises

in any one.

Q.

SECT. IV.

Suffered under Pontius Pilate.

WHA THAT was done to Jesus the next morning? A. They led him to Pontius Pilate, who was governor of Judea, for the Roman emperor Tiberius: they accused him to Pilate, that he was a seditious man, who encouraged the country to rebel, and forbid the people to pay tribute to Caesar. Jesus made no answer; but Pilate finding no proof against him, and plainly perceiving that the Jews accused him through malice and envy, tried many ways to acquit him; and

hearing he was a Galilean, he sent him to Herod Antipas, who was son of Herod the Great, and Tetrarch of Galilee. Q. How did Herod behave to him? A. He was glad to see him, expecting to see some miracle from him; but Jesus was silent to all their accusations, at the court of Herod, and disappointed his expectation; for which Herod despised him, and cloathing him with a white garment, in derision, sent him back to Pilate. Q. How did Pilate proceed? A. Finding no cause to put him to death, he endeavored to release him? Q. How? A. First he proposed to them to scourge him and then acquit him. This not being liked, he contrived another way: it being the custom, on the festival day of the Passover, to release one prisoner, he proposed to their choice either Jesus or Barabbas, thinking they would petition for the life of Jesus before Barabbas, who was a robber and a murdered. Q. What choice did they make? A. The chief priests persuaded the people to beg the life of Barabbas, and petition that Jesus might die. Q. What then did Pilate do? A. Receiving a message from his wife, not to concern himself in the death of this just man, for that she had suffered a great deal in her sleep that night on his account, he still endeavored to release him, and asked them a second time, whom he should dismiss? They still cried out, Put this man to death, and give us Barabbas. Q. What said Pilate to this? A. He said, What evil hath he done? I find no cause in him. Q. What then said the Jews? A. They doubled their cry; Crucify him, caucify him. Q. Did Pilate still endeavor to release him? A. He did, and to move them to compassion, he then ordered him to be scourged, and leaving him to the soldiers, they platted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, clothed him with a purple garment, and put a reed in his hand for a sceptre; and then upon the knee, saluted him King of the Jews, struck his head with the reed, and spit in his face. Q. What then did Pilate do with him? A. He brought him forthwith to the Jews, and in compassion said, Behold the man! They still cried out, Crucify him. Pilate still excused him, saying, I

find no fault in him. They alleged that he ought to die, because he had made himself the Son of God: this made Pilate still more fearful to put him to death; and the Jews perceiving it, insisted in the last place, that he had made himself king, and that every one who does so is a rebel to Caesar, and that he is no friend to Caesar, if he dismissed him. Pilate hearing this, and fearing they would send an accusation against him before the Emperor, at length, to content them, condemned Jesus to be crucified; at the same time, he washed his hands, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look you to it; and all the people answered, Let his blood fall upon us, and our children.

Thus Pilate and the Jews were both guilty of his death: Pilate according to his own words, I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee. But the Jews, who betrayed him into Pilate's hands, were guilty of the greater sin; because they knew more of his doctrine and miracles: and the just judgment of God soon after fell upon them for it, in the destruction of their city, temple and nation, and an end was put to their law and sacrifices, by this great Sacrifice of the Cross, of which the others being types and figures, must of course cease, after they were once fulfilled.

EXHOR.-Learn here, O christian, from Jesus, to bear all calamities with his meekness, mildness, and patience. Think not you, who are servants, to fare better than your Master. All who live piously in Jesus Christ, shali suffer persecutiou, 2 Tim. iii. 12. If then, you are slandered or belied, think of those false accusations before Pilate. If treated with contempt, and below your deserts, think of Jesus and Barabbas. If reviled, think of his buffets, and of him scourged at the pillar, and crowned with thorns.

Let no human respect biass you from your duty with Pilate, or cause you to betray the cause of God: God must be obeyed before man! O, how many with him are drawn away from heaven, through the influence of vain earth! How many from the love of God, for fear of man! How many pawn their souls, lest their bodies should suffer! But you, O Christian, remember the dif

ference between the judgments of God, and those of men: fear not man who can only hurt the body; rather fear God, who can destroy both body and soul, and render them miserable in flames, for all eternity.

Join not with the Jews in crucifying Jesus, like those relapsing impenitent sinners, mentioned by the Apostle, Heb. vi. Who crucified to themselves again the Son of God. All who fall into mortal sin, and return not unto penance, do the like: swearers, blasphemers, the lewd, the prophane, drunkards, gluttons, who make a God of their belly, following their corrupt nature, their passions and vicious inclinations, like the Jews or Heathens. As you see the temporal judgments fallen on that reprobate race, think of those eternal judgments fallen on other reprobate sinners, and which wait on your sins, if not cancelled by timely repentance

SECT. V.

Was crucified, dead and buried.

Q. W tence of death?

HAT did they do with Jesus after his sen A. He was led away, loaded with his cross to be executed on Mount Calvary; but fainting under the burthen of it on the way, they hired a man of Cirene, called Simon, to carry it for him. Jesus seeing the woman and people that followed weeping for him, said to them, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves, and for your children; for if these things are done in the green wood, what will be done in the dry wood? Q. What was the punishment of the cross? A. It was the punishment of the worst of malefactors, the most infamous and torturing death of any. Q. How was he crucified? A. His hands and feet were bored with nails, and fastened to the cross, and for greater ignominy, they crucified him between two thieves: while they were crucifying him, he prayed for them, saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Q. Did the thieves repent, who were crucified with him? A. One of them repented, but the other did not: he that was