Had he known what we know, then indeed he would have been extremely wicked to have consented to the death of Jesus. As it was, he did all he could to prevent this dreadful deed, and merely gave way at last because he feared a tumult in the city, which it was his duty as a governor to prevent, and in which much other blood might have been shed, together with the blood of Jesus. How far Pilate ought to have acted otherwise, how far he could have done so, it is difficult for us to say. Looking upon Jesus as one innocent of any crime against the state, he ought, we may say, to have protected Him; but then we must not forget what confusion, what loss of blood, what fierce rebellion would probably have been the consequence of such a step. Is it not almost too much to expect a heathen governor to have done more for Jesus than Pilate did?

E. Thank you, dear Mamma; I think I understand it better now and if Pilate did really after all become a Christian, I am sure we ought to rejoice in that, and that our blessed Lord would rejoice in it too.

M. Yes, Edward, we may indeed be sure, that though he could not save Jesus, our Lord would and could save him, and admit even Pilate to be a partaker in the benefits of that death, to which he was, reluctantly it should seem, yet so awfully instrumental.

See John xviii. 28-xix. 16. Matt. xxvii. 11-26. Mark xv. 2-15, Luke xxiii. 2-25.

583

FIFTY-SIXTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE CRUCIFIXION.

M. We are now come, Edward, to the closing scene of our blessed Redeemer's life; to that event to which our thoughts have been directed, ever since we first began to study the Scriptures together.

E. Do you mean that we are really going to hear to night of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ? I have somehow or other been expecting all the time, that He would not really be put to death: but I forgot, Mamma, how sad it would have been for us, if Jesus had not died.

M. The death of Christ was indeed so necessary to our salvation, that, melancholy as it is to hear of it, we could not wish it otherwise. If, indeed, we would obtain a just view either of our own sins, or of that love with which He loved us, we must not shrink from following our blessed Saviour even to the cross. There and only there, we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin : there, and only there, can we at all find out what the Apostle meant, when he spoke of "the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of Christ." But that you may judge better of this, we must go on with the melancholy narrative.

When Pilate had at length delivered Jesus to be crucified, the soldiers of the governor had assembled round the holy victim, and put on Him again a scarlet robe and a crown of thorns, and a reed in His hand; and bowing the knee in insolent mockery before Him, they saluted Him, saying, "Hail king of the Jews!" How little did they think that He was really their

king, and, that in due time, God would send forth the rod of His power out of Zion, to break in pieces like an earthen vessel those who thus set themselves against it. But they knew not what they were doing; they knew not whom they were insulting; and accordingly they went on to treat Him with all manner of indignity even spitting on Him, and striking His head with the reed He held in His hand. And after they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe, and putting His own raiment on Him again, they led Him away to crucify Him, compelling the holy sufferer, it seems, to bear the painful load of His own cross, until He came beyond the streets of Jerusalem.

E. Then they were taking our Lord out of Jerusalem: where were they going?

M. It was the Jewish as well as the Roman custom to execute offenders without the city or camp, as we may see in the time of Moses. (Numb. xv. 35.) They therefore led the holy Jesus to a hill called Golgotha; a spot set apart on purpose for the execution of malefactors; and supposed to have been called Golgotha in the Hebrew, and Calvary in the Latin language, because in shape it resembled a human skull. I think you may possibly remember something of Mount Calvary. To this spot Jesus now approached, not indeed at this moment bearing His cross, for that had been removed, probably as being too heavy for our Lord, especially after His recent agony and scourging, and other bodily trials, which might cause Him to move to the place of execution more slowly than His enemies desired so they placed the cross upon the shoulders of one called Simon, a man of Cyrene, who had met

the melancholy procession just as it left the city. We are not told why it was put upon him, nor yet whether he was one of the disciples of Christ; but merely that he was compelled to carry this heavy load. But who would not esteem him highly honoured and happy in being thus employed?

Nay, if Simon had done it willingly, instead of by necessity, who would not have envied him "the honour of being the first to bear that cross of his Saviour, which thousands of blessed martyrs have, since that time, been ambitious to carry after him1?" But we have no need to envy Simon, a cross more painful even than the one he bore, has been appointed for each one of us, and we must learn, by God's grace, to glory in it. The Lord Jesus has expressly told us, that if we do not take up our cross and follow Him, we cannot be His disciples. But if we would really do this, if we would really bear affliction or crucify sin, we must often accompany our Redeemer, in our hearts and affections, to the gloomy hill of Golgotha, and dwell with increasing love and gratitude on all He suffered there. We must not hurry over this painful scene: we must rather dwell on every little circumstance, believing that each was recorded either to confirm our faith, or to kindle our love, or to increase, and deepen, and strengthen our gratitude. For we were the cause of all that happened there.

But I must not forget to mention an affecting circumstance, which occurred just as our Lord was leaving the city; an extraordinary instance of the manner in which the blessed Jesus forgot Himself in His love

1 Bishop Hall.

and pity for others. Surely we should have supposed that, at such a moment as this, He could not possibly have thought of any thing but His own anguish, both of mind and body. But we are told, that "there followed Jesus at this moment a great company of people, and of women, which bewailed and lamented him." Yes; there were some even here, whose hearts revolted at the cruelties which they witnessed, and overflowed with pity for the holy Sufferer; some who could not restrain their tears, nor refrain from loud and open expressions of their grief. It is refreshing, in the midst of such an awful story, to turn to such a scene as this. We feel as if we might stop for a moment and join our tears to those of these weeping women; amongst whom, I dare say, was the holy mother of our Lord. No doubt the compassionate Saviour set a high value on those tears; no doubt He deeply felt for all who thus mourned for Him; and especially, if she were there, for the mother who had watched over His infancy: but the sight of their sorrow brought to His prophetic mind a time, not now far distant, when their tears should no longer flow for others, but for themselves. Turning, therefore to them with tenderest pity, He said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."

E. Mamma, I think I know what our Saviour meant. Was it not the destruction of Jerusalem, when the poor women and mothers of the city would suffer such dreadful things?

M. When the tender and the delicate woman should have her eye evil towards her husband and towards her daughter;" and should be tempted by the