blood. Pilate therefore, much earlier than his usual time of appearing in court, willing to pay a due compliment to men of publick office and character, went out unto them, and desired to know what accusation they had to bring against this man; to whom they answered in a rude and uncivil manner, that, if he were not a malefactor, they would not have delivered him unto him, without specifying any particular crime of which he had been guilty. Pilate, supposing him only to have been guilty of some trivial, but no very criminal transgression of their law, bade them take him back to their own court, and judge him according to their own law. To which they replied, that it was not lawful for them to put any man to death; the Romans having deprived them of the power of executing sentence on those who were condemned for capital crimes they had examined him, and had found him guilty of death, but it remained with him—the Roman officer, to order the execution. Pilate, perceiving that they had gone so far, could not but be desirous of knowing what capital offence he had committed: to which they replied, That they had found this fellow, perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying, that he

himself is a King. This accusation, however false, was the occasion of the fulfilling of another prophecy of JESUS, signifying what death he should die; for crucifixion was the punishment of sedition.

To these frivolous accusations JESUS would make no answer, at which the governor marvelled greatly. But when such questions were put to him, as he thought it his duty to answer, he was far from remaining silent. When Pilate therefore asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? he answered, Others have told you this, having maliciously misinterpreted my words: to which he added, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a King then? JESUS answered, Thou sayest that I am a King: or, it is as thou sayest; 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: and such is the evidence which I have given of it, that every one who is of the truth, heareth my voice. Pilate said unto him, What is truth? and either not

caring for an answer, or perceiving that JESUS was not disposed to answer unnecessary questions, hastened away to the chief priests and to the people, declaring his opinion of the innocence of the prisoner JESUS, for he could find no fault at all in him.

But neither had this declaration of the governor more weight with them, than the prior recantation of the traitor had; for they continued to shoot out their arrows against JESUS, even bitter words*, and became more fierce and exasperated, accusing him of stirring up the people, teaching dangerous and seditious doctrines throughout all Jewry, beginning from that factious country Galilee, even unto this place. Pilate, hearing the name of Galilee, and finding that JESUS belonged to the jurisdiction of Herod,

*Ps. lxiv. 3.

It may not be improper, for the sake of those who are less acquainted with the Jewish history, to observe, that this was Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee, by whom John the Baptist had been beheaded, and whom CHRIST had justly represented as a fox. (Luke xiii. 32.) He was son to Herod the Great, under whom CHRIST was born; and uncle to Herod Agrippa, (by whom James was beheaded, and Peter imprisoned,) who was eaten by worms; (Acts xii. 2, 3, 23.) and great uncle to that Agrippa, who was

hoping also to transfer to another tribunal a cause he was not able to comprehend, and which so perplexed him, sent him to be examined by that king, who happened to be at that time at Jerusalem. Herod also rejoiced at having an opportunity, which he had so long wished, of seeing JESUS; because he had heard many things of him, and hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. JESUS, however, would not satisfy his curiosity, although he asked him many questions; for he would neither return any answer to Herod, nor to the chief priests and scribes, who stood there and vehemently accused him. Herod, therefore, having treated him with great indignity and contempt, which was aggravated by arraying him in a gorgeous robe, sent him back again to Pilate. By this mutual compliment which passed between Pilate and Herod, who had long cherished great enmity towards each other, they became friends, and

by Paul's discourse almost persuaded to become a Christian. (Acts xxvi. 28.)----CHRIST's arraignment before him, when he was sent back uncondemned, was a great additional proof of the falsehood of those accusations, which the Jews had brought against him as a seditious person, and particularly as one who had stirred up the people in Galilee.---Doddridge's Fam. Exp. vol. 2, sect. 187. note (a.)

were entirely reconciled. Pilate therefore calling together the chief priests, and the rulers and the people, repeated to them his opinion, that JESUS was not grity of the crime of perverting the pele, which they had laid to his charge; and told them, that Herod also to whom he had sent him, had found nothing worthy of death in him; adding, that to prevent JESUS from persisting in such enthusiastic claims, he would chastise, and then release him.

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But why chastise a man, whom he knew, and declared, to be innocent? Were the people to be satisfied by an act of injustice? No, this would not appease them: or, if it would have appeased them, was a judge to have recourse to such an expedient? This, however, failing, and the people demanding of Pilate the usual release of a prisoner at the passover, he proposed to release unto them JEsUs: At the mention of this they became exceedingly clamorous, and demanded that he should release unto them not this man, but Barabbas. Pilate remonstrating with them on the impropriety of this demand, because JESUS had done no evil, but Barabbas had been guilty not only of sedition, but of murder also; their rage encreased, and they became