To Pilate's first question, namely, 'What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' he receives for answer, Crucify him.' They now tell him particularly, and without any hesitation, what he should do with Christ. Before they had only cried out in general terms, Away with him;' but now they specify what death he should die, and desire that the punishment which Barabbas deserved, as a rebel and murderer, should be inflicted on Jesus, and that he should be crucified instead of that malefactor. In this cry the people unanimously join. When Pilate said therefore, 'What shall I then do with Jesus?' they answered Crucify him! Crucify him!' and by repeating the words twice, they shewed their eagerness and tumultuous impatience, and that they thirsted after our Saviour's blood.

In answer to Pilate's second question, viz. What evil hath he done?' they cannot produce a single fault of which they can accuse him with any appearance of truth so that they have nothing to urge, but only to repeat a senseless clamour, Crucify him! Crucify him! The medium, which Pilate had proposed of chastising Jesus and letting him go, they take no notice of; but insist on his being put to death by crucifixion. Whatever unsteadiness Pilate might shew on this occasion, the Jews unmoveably persisted in their bloody purpose, and would by no means be dissuaded from it. Thus this tumultuous outcry grew to such a head, that St. Luke (Lukexxiii. 23.) can scarce find words to express the impetuosity of it. He says, in the first place, They were instant with loud voices.' By this he gives us to understand, that as the judge, instead of the firmness becoming his office, began to waver and give way to their clamours, so they became more bold and urgent in their demands; and since they had no proofs to adduce® of our Saviour's guilt, they made up that deficiency with the vehemence of their voices. After this, the Evangelist adds, requiring that he might be cruci

fied.' They now no longer made use of a submissive request to obtain their ends, but assumed to themselves the authority of dictating to the governor, and peremptorily insisted on his compliance with their de mands. In the last place, St. Luke says, 'and the voices of them and of the chief Priests prevailed.' Hence it appears, that the hoary Chiefs of the Jewish people likewise cried out as loud as their feeble age would permit, and that they were not ashamed to join in one tumultuous cry with the rude populace, of whom, upon another occasion, they contemptuously said, 'This people who knoweth not the law, are cursed,' (John vii. 49.) Thus the voices of the people and of the chief Priests were here combined together, and became so vehement and importunate, that they prevailed over Pilate's irresolution and timHere likewise was fulfilled the prophecy in the Psalms, (Psalm xxii. 13.) where the Messiah complains of this outrageous multitude in these words: they gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.' We shall here make the following observation :

orousness.

Sin is of such a savage nature, that the more it is indulged and yielded to, the more violent it rages.

The more Pilate represented to his enemies the innocence of the blessed Jesus, and the more he expostulated with them, the more vehemently did they cry out in a rage, Crucify him! Crucify him! Even the most cautious and prudent people are often thrown into a kind of phrenzy, when they have once drank of the intoxicating cup of satan. Such a troubled sea is the heart of man; that when it is once set in a violent agitation, it usually throws up its own filth and shame. How should it humble every one of us to think, that he bears in his bosom the latent seeds of his abomination. If any one has not been unhappily carried to such excess, it is not owing merely to his own caution and prudence, but to the grace of God, who has hitherto kept from him such occasions

as would have stirred up this fury within him. But on this holy person the power of sin failed; here it met with a more powerful restraint. "Hitherto, said

the divine justice, shall thou come and no farther; here shall thy proud waves be stayed.' Sin shall now no longer tyrannize over thee, O man, if thou continuest in the grace of God and fellowship of Christ and buildest thine house on this immoveable rock.

Thirdly, and lastly, mention is here made, how Pilate at length, after an ineffectual resistance, yields to the will of the people, when he heard their clamours and tumultuous outcries continually increasing. Pilate concluded, that nothing was to be done with the enraged multitude, and that it was better to give way to their violence, lest, if their fury should break out into an open insurrection, they should assault his house, and murder him and his family. He therefore resolved to content the people, and to act as they de sired him. To this end, he not only complied with their demand, by pronouncing a judicial sentence that Jesus, at the desire of the people, should be crucified; but also discharged the murderer Barabbas, whom they probably congratulated on his narrow escape, and received into the Synagogue as one of their society. Hence we shall deduce the following truths.

1. When the natural man begins to slip down the precipice of sin, his own strength is not sufficient to recover him.

When Pilate once departed from the plain path of justice, and had recourse to schemes and artifice, he fell into such a slippery way, that he could not recover himself. When once he began to capitulate with the people, and to yield to them, hoping that they in return might meet him half way, satan pres... sed him so close, by means of the tumultuous populace, that he threw him to the ground, and triumphed over his faint strugglings. It is the same still with all presumptuous men, however they may persuade; themselves, that, notwithstanding the many oppor

tunities of sinning that occur to them, they will be careful to keep within bounds, and at a proper time clear themselves with honour. Happy is the man who, acting more wisely, withstands the first assaults of sin, and avoids the opportunities of falling. Let no one rely too much on his good dispositions, his natural strength, or the abhorrence he may have for some particular sin. A violent temptation soon overcomes nature, which, with all its boasted strength, is not able to withstand its efforts. Satan is a subtle enemy, and by the fear of man, the hope of favour and applause, or upon the urgent demands of the people, he strikes a damp on the best inclinations. This, Pilate unhappily experienced; and the only way to come off conqueror is, to apply for assistance from above.

2. The condemnation of the Lord Jesus, and the releasing of Barabbas, as a type of our freedom and release, by the condemnation of Christ.

Barabbas, as it were, represents the first Adam and his whole sinful progeny. As this Barabbas was a rebel, so likewise was Adam; and in him all mankind were guilty of rebellion against God. As Barablas was a murderer, so Adam, as it were, murdered all his posterity, by subjecting them to the sentence of temporal and eternal death. As Barabbas had hitherto lain in bonds and chains; so the whole human race naturally lies captive under the power of satan, and bound with the chains of sin. Moreover, on Adam and all his posterity was this sentence denounced, and was to have been executed, "On the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die;' and this was not only a temporal, but an eternal death. But as Barabbas is here, as it were, exchanged for Jesus; as the former is set at liberty, and the latter crucified; so is the first Adam with all his descendants exchanged for the second Adam, who stood in their stead. He is sentenced to death; and they are discharged. This is the incomprehensible mystery of

Divine love, in which justice and mercy have kissed each other, and joined in the most amiable harmony. Justice is satisfied; since the sentence of death which it had pronounced is executed, though not on the sinner, but on the surety. Mercy may receive the sinner into favour, and set him at liberty; since the surety permitted the sentence of death to be vicariously executed on himself. O miracle of love, which it becomes us humbly to admire, and gratefully to adore! How can we sufficiently praise our merciful Saviour, for thus standing as a victim in our stead, and submitting to be sentenced to death, against the hideous outcries of an outrageous multitude!

But let us be very careful that we do not act over again this tragedy, which the impious Jews acted here. We have within us a Barabbas, namely, the old man, who is a rebel against the Divine Majesty, and a transgressor of his commands, and consequently deserves to be crucified. Far be it from us, that by suffering him to live, we should crucify the Son of God afresh by our sins. Far be it from us, to fulfil the wicked lusts of the flesh, and to suppress the good motions of the Holy Spirit. Far be it from us, by continuance in sin, to spare the old, and do violence to the new man. Lastly, far be it from us to deliver a criminal, out of an abject fear of, or complaisance to man, and to injure a true member and faithful servant of Christ. May the Lord of all mercy ever preserve us from treading in these footsteps of Pilate and the Jews! Amen.

THE PRAYER,

O FAITHFUL and ever-living Saviour! blessed be thy holy name for thy goodness in standing as a victim in our stead, and submitting to be condemned to die, that we might be happily acquitted We adore this thy stupendous love, and humbly beseech thee to make us partakers of all the salutary fruits of it. Make a deep and lasting impression in our minds of

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