,,the ,,trial ,,and ,,death ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,a ,devotional ,history of our ,lord's ,passion4 ,,by ,,james ,,stalker1 ,d4,d4 ,,author ,,of ,,life ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ1 ,,life ,,of ,,st4 ,,paul1 ,,imago ,,christi1 ,,etc4 ,,crux ,,domini ,,palma1 ,,cedrus1 ,,cypressus1 ,,oliva4 ,,hodder ,,stoughton ,,new ,,york ,,george ,h4 ,,doran ,,company ,,copyright1 #ahid1 ,,by ,a4 ,c4 ,,armstrong ,,son4 ,,to ,,my ,,wife ,,preface ,ever since ,i wrote1 in a contracted form1 ,the ,life of ,jesus ,christ1 the desire has slumbered in my mind to describe on a much more extended scale the closing passages of the ,saviour's earthly history2 and1 although renewed study has deepened my sense of the impossibility of doing these scenes full justice1 yet the subject has never ceased to attract me1 as being beyond all others impressive and remunerative4 ,the limits of our ,lord's ,passion are somewhat indeterminate4 ,krummacher begins with the ,triumphal ,entry into ,jerusalem1 ,tauler with the ,feet-washing before the ,last ,supper1 and ,rambach with ,gethsemane2 most end with the ,death and ,burial2 but ,grimm1 a ,roman ,catholic1 the latest writer on the subject1 means to extend his ,leidensgeschichte to the end of the ,forty ,days4 ,taking the word passion in the strict sense1 ,i have commenced at the point where1 by falling into the hands of ,his enemies1 our ,lord was deprived of voluntary activity2 and ,i have finished with the ,burial4 ,no doubt the same unique greatness belongs to the scenes of the previous evening2 and ,i should like to write of ,christ among ,his ,friends as ,i have here written of ,him among ,his ,foes2 but for this purpose a volume at least as large as the present one would be requisite2 and the portion here described has an obvious unity of its own4 ,the bibliography of the ,passion is given with considerable fulness in ,zckler's ,das ,kreuz ,christi2 but a good many of the books there enumerated may be said to have been superseded by the monumental work of ,nebe1 ,die ,leidensgeschichte unsers ,herrn ,hesu ,christi 7#b vols41 #ahha71 which1 though not a work of genius1 is written on so comprehensive a plan and with such abundance of learning that nothing could better serve the purpose of anyone who wishes to draw the skeleton before painting the picture4 ,of the numerous ,lives of ,christ those by ,keim and ,edersheim are worthy of special notice in this part of the history1 because of the fulness of information from classical sources in the one and from ,talmudical in the other4 ,steinmeyer 7,leidensgeschichte7 is valuable on apologetic questions4 ,on the ,seven ,words from the ,cross there is an extensive special literature4 ,schleiermacher and ,tholuck are remarkably good2 and there are volumes by ,baring-,gould1 ,scott ,holland and others4 ,in the sub-title ,i have called this book a ,devotional ,history1 because the subject is one which has to be studied with the heart as well as the head4 ,but ,i have not on this account written in the declamatory and interrogatory style common in devotional works4 ,i have to confess that some even of the most famous books on the ,passion are to me intolerably tedious1 because they are written1 so to speak1 in oh's and ah's4 ,surely this is not essential to devotion4 ,the scenes of the ,passion ought1 indeed1 to stir the depths of the heart2 but this purpose is best attained1 not by the narrator displaying his own emotions1 but1 as is shown in the incomparable model of the ,gospels1 by the faithful exhibition of the facts themselves4 ,,glasgow1 #ahid4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,arrest ,matt4 xxvi4 #dg-ef2 ,mark xiv4 #dc-ej2 ,luke xxii4 #dg-ec2 ,john viii4 #a-aa4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,ecclesiastical ,,trial ,matt4 xxvi4 #eg-fh2 ,mark xiv4 #ea-fe2 ,luke xxii4 #ed-ga2 ,john xviii4 #ab-ad1 #ai-bd4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,great ,,denial ,matt4 xxvi4 #fi-ge2 ,mark xiv4 #ff-gb2 ,luke xxii4 #ed-fb2 ,john xviii4 #ae-ah1 #be-g4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,civil ,,trial ,matt4 xxvii4 #aa2 ,mark xv4 #b2 ,luke xxiii4 #b-d2 ,john xviii4 #bh-ch4 ,v4 ,,jesus ,,and ,,herod ,luke xxiii4 #e-ab4 ,,vi4 ,,back ,,to ,,pilate ,matt4 xxvii4 #ae-bc2 ,mark xv4 #f-ad2 ,luke xxiii4 #ac-be2 ,john xviii4 #ci1 #dj4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,crown ,,of ,,thorns ,matt4 xxvii4 #bf-cj2 ,mark xv4 #ae-bj2 ,luke xxiii4 #be2 ,john xix4 #a-e4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,shipwreck ,,of ,,pilate ,matt4 xxvii4 #bd1 #be2 ,mark xv4 #ae2 ,luke xxiii4 #be2 ,john xix4 #e-af4 ,,ix4 ,,judas ,,iscariot ,matt4 xxvii4 #c-aj2 ,acts i4 #ah1 #ai4 ,x4 ,,via ,,dolorosa ,matt4 xxvii4 #ca-c2 ,mark xv4 #bj1 #ba2 ,luke xxiii4 #bf2 ,john xix4 #af1 #ag4 ,,xi4 ,,the ,,daughters ,,of ,,jerusalem ,luke xxiii4 #bg-ca4 ,,xil4 ,,calvary ,matt4 xxvii4 #cc-h2 ,mark xv4 #bg1 #bh2 ,luke xxiii4 #cb1 #cc2 ,john xix4 #ah-bb4 ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,groups ,,round ,,the ,,cross ,matt4 xxvii4 #ci-dd1 #ee1 #ef2 ,mark xv4 #bi-cb2 ,luke xxiii4 #ce-g1 #di2 ,john xix4 #bc-e4 ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,first ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross ,luke xxiii4 #cd4 ,,xv4 ,,the ,,second ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross ,luke xxiii4 #ci-dc4 ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,third ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross ,john xix4 #be-bg4 ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,fourth ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross ,matt4 xxvii4 #df-i2 ,mark xv4 #cd-f4 ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross ,john xix4 #bh4 ,,xix4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross ,john xix4 #cj4 ,,xx4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross ,luke xxiii4 #df4 ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,signs ,matt4 xxvii4 #ej-d2 ,mark xv4 #ch1 #ci2 ,luke xxiii4 #dd1 #de1 #dg4 ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,dead ,,christ ,john xix4 #ca-g4 ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,burial ,matt4 xxvii4 #eg-fa2 ,mark xv4 #db-g2 ,luke xxiii4 #ej-f2 ,john xix4 #ch-db4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,arrest ,our study of the closing scenes of the life of our ,lord begins at the point where ,he fell into the hands of the representatives of justice2 and this took place at the gate of ,gethsemane and at the midnight hour4 ,on the eastern side of ,jerusalem1 the ground slopes downwards to the bed of the ,brook ,kedron2 and on the further side of the stream rises the ,mount of ,olives4 ,the side of the hill was laid out in gardens or orchards belonging to the inhabitants of the city2 and ,gethsemane was one of these4 ,there is no probability that the enclosure now pointed out to pilgrims at the foot of the hill is the actual spot1 or that the six aged olive trees which it contains are those to the silent shadows of which the ,saviour used to resort2 but the scene cannot have been far away1 and the piety which lingers with awe in the traditional site cannot be much mistaken4 ,the agony in ,gethsemane was just over1 when lo1 as ,st4 ,matthew says1 ,judas1 one of the twelve1 came1 and with him a great multitude4 ,they had come down from the eastern gate of the city and were approaching the entrance to the garden4 ,it was full moon1 and the black mass was easily visible1 moving along the dusty road4 ,the arrest of ,christ was not made by two or three common officers of justice4 ,the great multitude has to be taken literally1 but not in the sense of a disorderly crowd4 ,as it was at the instance of the ecclesiastical authorities that the apprehension took place1 their servants--the ,levitical police of the temple--were to the front4 ,but1 as ,jesus had at least eleven resolute men with ,him1 and these might rouse incalculable numbers of ,his adherents on the way to the city1 it had been considered judicious to ask from the ,roman governor a division of soldiers1#a which1 at the time of the ,passover1 was located in the fortress of ,antonia1 overlooking the temple1 to intervene in any emergency4 ,and some of the members of the ,sanhedrim had even come themselves1 so eager were they to see that the design should not miscarry4 ,this composite force was armed with swords and staves--the former weapon belonging perhaps to the ,roman soldiers and the latter to the temple police--and they carried lanterns and torches1 probably because they expected to have to hunt for ,jesus and ,his followers in the recesses of ,his retreat4 ,altogether it was a formidable body3 they were determined to make assurance doubly sure4 ,i4 ,the leader of them was ,judas4 ,of the general character of this man1 and the nature of his crime1 enough will be said later2 but here we must note that there were special aggravations in his mode of carrying out his purpose4 ,he profaned the ,passover4 ,the better day1 says the proverb1 the better deed4 ,but1 if a deed is evil1 it is the worse if it is done on a sacred day4 ,the ,passover was the most sacred season of the entire year2 and this very evening was the most sacred of the ,passover week4 ,it was as if a crime should in ,scotland be committed by a member of the ,church on the night of a ,communion ,sabbath1 or in ,england on ,christmas ,day4 ,he invaded the sanctuary of his ,master's devotions4 ,gethsemane was a favourite resort of ,jesus2 ,judas had been there with ,him1 and he knew well for what purpose ,he frequented it4 ,but the respect due to a place of prayer did not deter him2 on the contrary1 he took advantage of his ,master's well-known habit4 ,but the crowning profanation1 for which humanity will never forgive him1 was the sign by which he had agreed to make his ,master known to ,his enemies4 ,it is probable that he came on in front1 as if he did not belong to the band behind2 and1 hurrying towards ,jesus1 as if to apprise ,him of ,his danger and condole with ,him on so sad a misfortune as ,his apprehension1 he flung himself on ,his neck1 sobbing1 ,master1 ,master6 and not only did he kiss ,him1 but he did so repeatedly or fervently3 so the word signifies4#b ,as long as there is true1 pure love in the world1 this act will be hated and despised by everyone who has ever given or received this token of affection4 ,it was a sin against the human heart and all its charities4 ,but none can feel its horror as it must have been felt by ,jesus4 ,that night and the next day ,his face was marred in many ways3 it was furrowed by the bloody sweat2 it was bruised with blows2 they spat upon it2 it was rent with thorns3 but nothing went so close to ,his heart as the profanation of this kiss4 ,as another said1 who had been similarly treated3 ,it was not an enemy that reproached me1 then ,i could have borne it2 neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me1 then ,i would have hid myself from him2 but it was thou1 a man mine equal1 my guide and mine acquaintance2 we took sweet counsel together1 and walked to the house of ,god in company4 #c ,before the kiss was given1 ,jesus still received him with the old name of ,friend2 but1 after being stung with it1 ,he could not keep back the annihilating question1 ,judas1 betrayest thou the ,son of man with a kiss8 ,the kiss was the sign of discipleship4 ,in the ,east1 students used to kiss their rabbis2 and in all likelihood this custom prevailed between ,christ and ,his disciples4 ,when we become ,his disciples1 we may be said to kiss ,him2 and every time we renew the pledge of our loyalty we may be said to repeat this act4 ,we do so especially in the ,lord's ,supper4 ,in our baptism ,he may be said to take us up in ,his arms and kiss us2 in the other sacrament we obtain the opportunity of returning this mark of affection4 ,,ii4 ,probably ,judas1 being ahead of the band he was leading1 went somewhat into the shadows of the garden to reach ,jesus2 and no doubt it was expected that ,jesus would try to get away4 ,but1 instead of doing so1 ,he shook ,himself free from ,judas and1 coming forward at once into the moonlight1 demanded1 ,whom seek ye8 ,at this they were so startled that they reeled back and1 stepping one on another1 fell to the ground4 ,similar incidents are related of famous men4 ,the ,roman ,marius1 for instance1 was in prison at ,minturnae when ,sylla sent orders that he should be put to death4 ,a ,gaulish slave was sent to dispatch him2 but1 at the sight of the man who had shaken the world1 and who cried out1 ,fellow1 darest thou to slay ,caius ,marius8 the soldier threw down his weapon and fled4#d ,there are many indications scattered through the ,gospels that1 especially in moments of high emotion1 there was something extraordinarily subduing in the aspect and voice of ,christ4#e ,on the occasion1 for example1 when ,he cleared the temple1 the hardened profaners of the place1 though numerous and powerful1 fled in terror before ,him4 ,and the striking notice of ,him as ,he was going up to ,jerusalem for the last time will be remembered3 ,jesus went before them1 and they were amazed2 and1 as they followed1 they were afraid4 ,on this occasion the emotion of ,gethsemane was upon ,him--the rapt sense of victory and of a mind steeled to go through with its purpose--and perhaps there remained on ,his face some traces of the ,agony1 which scared the onlookers4 ,it is not necessary to suppose that there was anything preternatural1 though part of the terror of ,his captors may have been the dread lest ,he should destroy them by a miracle4 ,evidently ,judas was afraid of something of this kind when he said1 ,take ,him and lead ,him away safely4 ,the truth is1 they were caught1 instead of catching ,him4 ,it was a mean1 treacherous errand they were on4 ,they were employing a traitor as their guide4 ,they expected to come upon ,christ1 perhaps when ,he was asleep1 in silence and by stealth2 or1 if ,he were awake1 they thought that they would have to pursue ,him into a lurking-place1 where they would find ,him trembling and at bay4 ,they were to surprise ,him1 but1 when ,he came forth fearless1 rapt and interrogative1 ,he surprised them1 and compelled them to take an altogether unexpected attitude4 ,he brought all above board and put them to shame4 ,how ridiculous now looked their cumbrous preparations--all these soldiers1 the swords and staves1 the torches and lanterns1 now burning pale in the clear moonlight4 ,jesus made them feel it4 ,he made them feel what manner of spirit they were of1 and how utterly they had mistaken ,his views and spirit4 ,whom seek ye8 ,he asked them again1 to compel them to see that they were not taking ,him1 but that ,he was giving ,himself up4 ,he was completely master of the situation4 ,singling out the ,sanhedrists1 who probably at that moment would rather have kept in the background1 ,he demanded1 pointing to their excessive preparations1 ,be ye come out as against a thief1 with swords and staves8 ,when ,i was daily with you in the temple1 ye stretched forth no hands against ,me4 ,he1 a solitary man1 though ,he knew how many were against ,him1 had not been afraid3 ,he taught daily in the temple--in the most public place1 at the most public hour4 ,but they1 numerous and powerful as they were1 yet were afraid1 and so they had chosen the midnight hour for their nefarious purpose4 ,this is your hour1 ,he said1 and the power of darkness4 ,this midnight hour is your hour1 because ye are sons of night1 and the power ye wield against ,me is the power of darkness4 ,so spake the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah6 ,so will ,he speak on that day when all ,his enemies shall be put under ,his feet4 ,kiss the ,son1 lest ,he be angry1 and ye perish from the way when ,his wrath is kindled but a little4 ,blessed are all they that put their trust in ,him4 ,,iii4 ,we cannot recall to mind too often that it was the victory in the ,garden that accounted for this triumph outside the gate4 ,the irresistible dignity and strength here displayed were gained by watching and prayer4 ,this1 however1 is made still more impressively clear by the fate of those who did not watch and pray4 ,on them everything came as a blinding and bewildering surprise4 ,they were aroused out of profound slumber1 and came stumbling forward hardly yet awake4 ,when hands were laid on ,jesus1 one of the disciples cried1 ,shall we smite with the sword8 ,and1 without waiting for an answer1 he struck4 ,but what a ridiculous blow6 ,how like a man half-awake6 ,instead of the head1 he only smote the ear4 ,this blow would have been dearly paid for had not ,jesus1 with perfect presence of mind1 interposed between ,peter and the swords which were being drawn to cut him down4 ,suffer ye thus far1 ,he said1 keeping the soldiers back2 and1 touching the ear1 ,he healed it1 and saved ,his poor disciple4 ,surely it was even with a smile that ,jesus said to ,peter1 ,put up again thy sword into his place2 for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword4 ,inside the scabbard1 not outside1 was the sword's place2 it was out of place in this cause2 and those who wield the sword without just reason1 and without receiving the orders of competent authority1 are themselves liable to give life for life4 ,but it was with the high-strung eloquence with which ,he had spoken to ,his enemies that ,jesus further showed ,peter how inconsistent was his act4 ,it was inconsistent with his ,master's dignity2 ,for1 said ,he1 if ,i ask ,my ,father1 ,he would presently give ,me more than twelve legions of angels2 and what against such a force were this miscellaneous band1 numbering at the most the tenth part of a legion of men8 ,it was inconsistent with ,scripture3 ,how then shall the ,scriptures be fulfilled1 that thus it must be8 ,it was inconsistent with ,his own purpose and ,his ,father's will3 ,the cup which ,my ,father hath given ,me1 shall ,i not drink it8 ,poor ,peter6 ,on this occasion he was thoroughly like himself4 ,there was a kind of rightness and nobleness in what he did2 but it was in the wrong place4 ,if he had only been as prompt inside ,gethsemane to do what he was bidden as outside it to do what he was not bidden6 ,how much better if he could have drawn the spiritual sword and cut on the ear which was to be betrayed by a maid-servant's taunt6 ,peter's conduct on this occasion1 as often on other occasions1 showed how poor a guide enthusiasm is when it is not informed with the mind and spirit of ,christ4 ,,iv4 ,perhaps it was by the recollection of how deeply he had vowed to stick by ,christ1 even if he should have to die with ,him1 that ,peter was pricked on to do something4 ,the others1 however1 had said the same thing4 ,did they remember it now8 ,it is to be feared1 not3 the apparition of mortal danger drove everything out of their minds but the instinct of self-preservation4 ,sometimes1 in cases of severe illness1 especially of mental disease1 the curious effect may be observed--that a face into which years of culture have slowly wrought the stamp of refinement and dignity entirely loses this1 and reverts to the original peasant type4 ,so the fright of their ,master's arrest1 coming so suddenly on the prayerless and unprepared disciples1 undid1 for the time1 what their years of intercourse with ,him had effected2 and they sank back into ,galilean fishermen again4 ,this was really what they were from the arrest to the resurrection4 ,here again their conduct is in absolute contrast with their ,master's4 ,as a mother-bird1 when her brood is assailed1 goes forward to meet the enemy1 or as a good shepherd stands forth between his flock and danger1 so ,jesus1 when ,his captors drew nigh1 threw ,himself between them and ,his followers4 ,it was partly with this in view that ,he went so boldly out and concentrated attention on ,himself by the challenge1 ,whom seek ye8 ,when they replied1 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 ,he said1 ,i am ,he3 if therefore ye seek ,me1 let these go their way4 ,and the fright into which they were thrown made them forget ,his followers in their anxiety to secure ,himself4 ,this was as ,he intended4 ,st4 ,john1 in narrating it1 makes the curious remark1 that this was done that the saying might be fulfilled which ,he spake1 ,of them which ,thou gavest ,me have ,i lost none4 ,this saying occurs in ,his great intercessory prayer1 offered at the first ,communion table2 but in its original place it evidently means that ,he had lost none of them in a spiritual sense1 whereas here it seems to have only the sense of losing any of them by the swords of the soldiers or by the cross1 if they had been arrested with ,him4 ,but a deep hint underlies this surface meaning4 ,st4 ,john suggests that1 if any of them had been taken along with ,him1 the likelihood is that they would have been unequal to the crisis3 they would have denied ,him1 and so1 in the sadder sense1 would have been lost4 ,jesus1 knowing too well that this was the state of the case1 made for them a way of escape1 and they all forsook ,him and fled4 ,it was perhaps as well1 for they might have done worse4 ,yet what an anticlimax to the asseveration which everyone of them had made that very evening1 ,if ,i should die with ,thee1 ,i will not deny ,thee in any wise6 ,i have sometimes thought what an honour it would have been to ,christianity1 what a golden leaf in the history of human nature1 had one or two of them--say1 the brothers ,james and ,john--been strong enough to go with ,him to prison and to death4 ,we should1 indeed1 have missed ,st4 ,john's writings in that case--his ,revelation1 ,gospel and ,epistles4 ,but what a revelation that would have been1 what a gospel1 what a living epistle6 ,it was not1 however1 to be4 ,jesus had to go unaccompanied3 ,i have trodden the winepress alone2 and of the people there was none with ,me4 ,so they bound ,him and led ,him away4 #a ,speiracohors1 tenth part of legion4 ,see ,ramsay1 ,r4,a41 #cha4 #b katephilesen4 ,it is used of the woman who was a sinner1 when she kissed the feet of the ,saviour4 #c ,psalm lv4 #ac-ad4 #d ,other instances in ,sskind1 ,passionsschule1 in loc4 #e ,see fuller details in ,imago ,christi1 last chapter4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,ecclesiastical ,,trial ,over the ,kedron1 up the slope to the city1 through the gates1 along the silent streets1 the procession passed1 with ,jesus in the midst2 midnight stragglers1 perhaps1 hurrying forward from point to point to ask what was ado1 and peering towards the ,prisoner's face1 before they diverged again towards their own homes4#a ,he was conducted to the residence of the high priest1 where ,his trial ensued4 ,jesus had to undergo two trials--the one ecclesiastical1 the other civil2 the one before ,caiaphas the high priest1 the other before ,pontius ,pilate the governor4 ,the reason of this was1 that ,judaea was at that time under ,roman rule1 forming a portion of the ,roman province of ,syria and administered by a ,roman official1 who resided in the splendid new seaport of ,caesarea1 fifty miles away from ,jerusalem1 but had also a palace in ,jerusalem1 which he occasionally visited4 ,it was not the policy of ,rome to strip the countries of which she became mistress of all power4 ,she flattered them by leaving in their hands at least the insignia of self-government1 and she conceded to them as much home rule as was compatible with the retention of her paramount authority4 ,she was specially tolerant in matters of religion4 ,thus the ancient ecclesiastical tribunal of the ,jews1 the ,sanhedrim1 was still allowed to try all religious questions and punish offenders4 ,only1 if the sentence chanced to be a capital one1 the case had to be re-tried by the governor1 and the carrying out of the sentence1 if it was confirmed1 devolved upon him4 ,it was at the instance of the ecclesiastical authorities that ,jesus was arrested1 and they condemned ,him to death2 but they were not at liberty to carry out their sentence3 they had to take ,him before ,pilate1 who chanced at the time to be in the city1 and he tried the case over again1 they of course being the accusers at his bar4 ,not only were there two trials1 but in each trial there were three separate stages or acts4 ,in the first1 or ecclesiastical trial1 ,jesus had first to appear before ,annas1 then before ,caiaphas and the ,sanhedrim during the night1 and again before the same body after daybreak4 ,and in the second1 or civil trial1 ,he appeared first before ,pilate1 who refused to confirm the judgment of the ,jews2 then ,pilate attempted to rid himself of the case by sending the ,culprit to ,herod of ,galilee1 who happened also to be at the time in ,jerusalem2 but the case came back to the ,roman governor again1 and1 against his conscience1 he confirmed the capital sentence4 ,but let me explain more fully what were the three acts in the ecclesiastical trial4#b ,jesus1 we are informed by ,st4 ,john1 was taken first to ,annas4 ,this was an old man of seventy years1 who had been high priest twenty years before4 ,as many as five of his sons succeeded him in this office1 which at that period was not a life appointment1 but was generally held only for a short time2 and the reigning high priest at this time1 ,caiaphas1 was his son-in-law4 ,annas was a man of very great consequence1 the virtual head of ecclesiastical affairs1 though ,caiaphas was the nominal head4 ,he had come originally from ,alexandria in ,egypt on the invitation of ,herod the ,great4 ,he and his family were an able1 ambitious and arrogant race4 ,as their numbers multiplied1 they became a sort of ruling caste1 pushing themselves into all important offices4 ,they were ,sadducees1 and were perfect types of that party--cold1 haughty1 worldly4 ,they were intensely unpopular in the country2 but they were feared as much as they were disliked4 ,greedy of gain1 they ground the people with heavy ritual imposts4 ,it is said that the traffic within the courts of the temple1 which ,jesus condemned so sternly a few days before1 was carried on not only with their connivance but for their enrichment4 ,if this was the case1 the conduct of ,jesus on that occasion may have profoundly incensed the high-priestly caste against ,him4 ,indeed1 it was probably the depth of his hatred which made ,annas wish to see ,jesus in the hands of justice4 ,the wary ,sadducee had in all likelihood taken a leading part in the transaction with ,judas and in the sending out of the troops for ,christ's apprehension4 ,he1 therefore1 waited out of bed to see what the upshot was to be2 and those who took ,jesus brought ,him to ,annas first4 ,but whatever interrogation ,annas may have subjected ,him to was entirely informal4#c ,it allowed time1 however1 to get together the ,sanhedrim4 ,messengers were dispatched to scour the city for the members at the midnight hour1 because the case was urgent and could not brook delay4 ,none knew what might happen if the multitude1 when it awoke in the morning1 found the popular ,teacher in the hands of ,his unpopular enemies4 ,but1 if the trial were all over before daybreak and ,jesus already in the strong hands of the ,romans before the multitude had learnt that anything was going on1 there would be nothing to fear4 ,so the ,sanhedrim was assembled under cloud of night2 and the proceedings went forward in the small hours of the morning in the house of ,caiaphas1 to which ,jesus had been removed4 ,this was not strictly legal1 however1 because the letter of the law did not allow this court to meet by night4 ,on this account1 although the proceedings were complete and the sentence agreed upon during the night1 it was considered necessary to hold another sitting at daybreak4 ,this was the third stage of the trial2 but it was merely a brief rehearsal1 for form's sake1 of what had been already done4#d ,therefore1 we must return to the proceedings during the night1 which contain the kernel of the matter4 ,imagine1 then1 a large room forming one side of the court of an ,oriental house1 from which it is separated only by a row of pillars1 so that what is going on in the lighted interior is visible to those outside4 ,the room is semicircular4 ,round the arc of the semicircle the half-hundred or more#e members sit on a divan4 ,caiaphas1 the president1 occupies a kind of throne in the centre of the opposite wall4 ,in front stands the ,accused1 facing him1 with the jailers on the one side and the witnesses on the other4 ,how ought any trial to commence8 ,surely with a clear statement of the crime alleged and with the production of witnesses to support the charge4 ,but1 instead of beginning in this way1 the high priest asked ,jesus of ,his disciples and of ,his doctrine4 ,the insinuation was that ,he was multiplying disciples for some secret design and teaching them a secret doctrine1 which might be construed into a project of revolution4 ,jesus1 still throbbing with the indignity of being arrested under cloud of night1 as if ,he were anxious to escape1 and by a force so large as to suggest that ,he was the head of a revolutionary band1 replied1 with lofty self-consciousness1 ,why askest thou ,me8 ,ask them that heard ,me what ,i have said unto them2 behold1 they know what ,i said4 ,why had they arrested ,him if they had yet to learn what ,he had said and done8 ,they were trying to make ,him out to be an underground schemer2 but they1 with their arrests in secrecy and their midnight trials1 were themselves the sons of darkness4 ,such simple and courageous speech was alien to that place1 which knew only the whining of suppliants1 the smooth flatteries of sycophants1 and the diplomatic phrases of advocates2 and a jailer1 perhaps seeing the indignant blush mount into the face of the high priest1 clenched his fist and struck ,jesus on the mouth1 asking1 ,answerest ,thou the high priest so8 ,poor hireling6 better for him that his hand had withered ere it struck that blow4 ,almost the same thing once happened to ,st4 ,paul in the same place1 and he could not help hurling back a stinging epithet of contempt and indignation4 ,jesus was betrayed into no such loss of temper4 ,but what shall be said of a tribunal1 and an ecclesiastical tribunal1 which could allow an untried ,prisoner to be thus abused in open court by one of its minions8 ,the high priest had1 however1 been stopped on the tack which he had first tried1 and was compelled to do what he ought to have begun with--to call witnesses4 ,but this1 too1 turned out a pitiful failure4 ,they had not had time to get a charge properly made out and witnesses cited2 and there was no time to wait4 ,evidence had to be extemporized2 and it was swept up apparently from the underlings and hangers on of the court4 ,it is expressly said by ,st4 ,matthew that they sought false witness against ,jesus to put ,him to death4 ,to put ,him to death was what in their hearts they were resolved upon1--they were only trying to trump up a legal pretext1 and they were not scrupulous4 ,the attempt was1 however1 far from successful4 ,the witnesses could not be got to agree together or to tell a consistent story4 ,many were tried1 but the fiasco grew more and more ridiculous4 ,at length two were got to agree about something they had heard from ,him1 out of which1 it was hoped1 a charge could be constructed4 ,they had heard ,him say1 ,i will destroy this temple that is made with hands1 and within three days ,i will build another made without hands4 ,it was a sentence of ,his early ministry1 obviously of high poetic meaning1 which they were reproducing as the vulgarest prose2 although1 even thus interpreted1 it is difficult to see what they could have made of it2 because1 if the first half of it meant that ,he was to destroy the temple1 the second promised to restore it again4 ,the high priest saw too well that they were making nothing of it2 and1 starting up and springing forward1 he demanded of ,jesus1 ,answerest ,thou nothing8 ,what is it which these witness against ,thee8 ,he affected to believe that it was something of enormity that had been alleged2 but it was really because he knew that nothing could be founded on it that he gave way to such unseemly excitement4 ,jesus had looked on in absolute silence while the witnesses against ,him were annihilating one another2 nor did ,he now answer a word in response to the high priest's interruption4 ,he did not need to speak3 silence spoke better than the loudest words could have done4 ,it brought home to ,his judges the ridiculousness and the shamefulness of their position4 ,even their hardened consciences began to be uneasy1 as that calm ,face looked down on them and their procedure with silent dignity4 ,it was by the uneasiness which he was feeling that the high priest was made so loud and shrill4 ,in short1 he had been beaten along this second line quite as completely as he had been along the first4 ,but he had still a last card1 and now he played it4 ,returning to his throne and confronting ,jesus with theatrical solemnity1 he said1 ,i adjure ,thee by the living ,god that ,thou tell us whether ,thou be the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,that is to say1 he put ,him on oath to tell what ,he claimed to be2 for among the ,jews the oath was pronounced by the judge1 not by the prisoner4 ,this was one of the great moments in the life of ,christ4 ,apparently ,he recognised the right of the high priest to put ,him on oath2 or at least ,he saw that silence now might be construed into the withdrawal of ,his claims4 ,he knew1 indeed1 that the question was put merely for the purpose of incriminating ,him1 and that to answer it meant death to ,himself4 ,but ,he who had silenced those by whom the title of ,messiah had been thrust upon ,him1 when they wished to make ,him a king1 now claimed the title when it was the signal for condemnation4 ,decidedly and solemnly ,he answered1 ,yes1 ,i am2 and1 as if the crisis had caused within ,him a great access of self-consciousness1 ,he proceeded1 ,hereafter shall ye see the ,son of ,man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven4 #f ,for the moment they were ,his judges1 but one day ,he would be their ,judge2 it was only of ,his earthly life that they could dispose1 but ,he would have to dispose of their eternal destiny4 ,it has often been said that ,christians have claimed for ,christ what ,he never claimed for ,himself2 that ,he never claimed to be any more than a man1 but they have made ,him a ,god4 ,but this great statement1 made upon oath1 must impress every honest mind4 ,every effort has1 indeed1 been made to deplete its terms of their importance and to reduce them to the lowest possible value4 ,it is argued1 for example1 that1 when the high priest asked if ,he were the ,son of ,god1 he meant no more than when he asked if ,he were the ,christ4 ,but what is to be said of ,christ's description of ,himself as sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven8 ,can ,he who is to be the ,judge of men1 searching their hearts to the bottom1 estimating the value of their performances1 and1 in accordance with these estimates1 fixing their eternal station and degree1 be a mere man8 ,the greatest and the wisest of men are well aware that in the history of every brother man1 and even in the heart of a little child1 there are secrets and mysteries which they cannot fathom4 ,no mere man can accurately measure the character of a fellow-creature2 he cannot even estimate his own4 ,how this great confession lifts the whole scene6 ,we see no longer these small men and their sordid proceedings2 but the ,son of man bearing witness to ,himself in the audience of the universe4 ,how little we care now what the ,jewish judges will say about ,him6 ,this great confession reverberates down the ages1 and the heart of the world1 as it hears it from ,his lips1 says1 ,amen4 ,the high priest had achieved his end at last4 ,as a high priest was expected to do when he heard blasphemy1 he rent his clothes1 and1 turning to his colleagues1 he said1 ,what need have we of witnesses8 behold1 now ye have heard ,his blasphemy4 ,and they all assented that ,jesus was guilty1 and that the sentence must be death4 ,sometimes good-hearted ,bible-readers1 in perusing these scenes1 are troubled with the thought that the judges of ,jesus were conscientious4 ,was it not their duty1 when anyone came forward with ,messianic pretensions1 to judge whether or not his claim was just8 and did they not honestly believe that ,jesus was not what ,he professed to be8 ,no doubt they did honestly believe so4 ,we must ascend to a much earlier period to be able to judge their conduct accurately4 ,it was when the claims of ,jesus were first submitted to them that they went astray4 ,he1 being such as ,he was1 could only have been welcomed and appreciated by expectant1 receptive1 holy minds4 ,the ecclesiastical authorities of ,judaea in that age were anything but expectant1 receptive and holy4 ,they were totally incapable of understanding ,him1 and saw no beauty that they should desire ,him4 ,as ,he often told them ,himself1 being such as they were1 they could not believe4 ,the fault lay not so much in what they did as in what they were4 ,being in the wrong path1 they went forward to the end4 ,it may be said that they walked according to their light2 but the light that was in them was darkness4 ,their proceedings1 however1 on this occasion will not tend to soften the heart of anyone who looks into them carefully4 ,they had hardly the least show of justice4 ,there was no regular charge or regular evidence1 and no thought whatever of allowing the ,accused to bring counter-evidence2 the same persons were both accusers and judges2 the sentence was a foregone conclusion2 and the entire proceedings consisted of a series of devices to force the ,accused into some statement which would supply a colourable pretext for condemning ,him4#g ,but it was by what ensued after the sentence of condemnation was passed that these men cut themselves off forever from the sympathy of the tolerant and generous4 ,a court of law ought to be a place of dignity2 when a great issue is tried and a solemn judgment passed1 it ought to impress the judges themselves2 even the condemned1 when a death sentence has been passed1 ought to be hedged round with a certain awe and respect4 ,but that blow inflicted with impunity at the commencement of the trial by a minion of the court was too clear an index of the state of mind of all present4 ,there was no solemnity or greatness of any kind in their thoughts2 nothing but resentment and spite at ,him who had thwarted and defied them1 lessened them in the public estimation and stopped their unholy gains4 ,a perfect sea of such feelings had long been gathering in their hearts2 and now1 when the opportunity came1 it broke loose upon ,him4 ,they struck ,him with their sticks2 they spat in ,his face2 they drew something over ,his head and1 smiting ,him again1 cried1 ,christ1 prophesy who smote ,thee4 #h ,one would wish to believe that it was only by the miserable underlings that such things were done2 but the narrative makes it too clear that the masters led the way and the servants followed4 ,there are terrible things in man4 ,there are some depths in human nature into which it is scarcely safe to look4 ,it was by the very perfection of ,christ that the uttermost evil of ,his enemies was brought out4 ,there is a passage in ,paradise ,lost1 where a band of angels1 sent out to scour ,paradise in search of ,satan1 who is hidden in the garden1 discover him in the shape of a toad squat at the ear of ,eve4 ,ithuriel1 one of the band1 touches him with his spear1 whereat1 surprised1 he starts up in his own shape1-- for no falsehood can endure ,touch of celestial temper1 but returns ,of force to its own likeness4 ,but the touch of perfect goodness has often the opposite effect3 it transforms the angel into the toad1 which is evil's own likeness4 ,christ was now getting into close grips with the enemy ,he had come to this world to overcome2 and1 as it clutched ,him for the final wrestle1 it exhibited all its ugliness and discharged all its venom4#i ,the claw of the dragon was in ,his flesh1 and its foul breath in ,his mouth4 ,we cannot conceive what such insult and dishonour must have been to ,his sensitive and regal mind4 ,but ,he rallied ,his heart to endure and not to faint2 for ,he had come to be the death of sin1 and its death was to be the salvation of the world4 #a ,here would come in the curious little notice in ,st4 ,mark3 ,and there followed ,him a certain young man1 having a linen cloth cast about his naked body2 and the young men laid hold on him2 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked2 on which ,i have not commented1 not well knowing1 in truth1 what to make of it4 ,it may be designed to show the rudeness of the soldiery1 and the peril in which any follower of ,jesus would have been had he been caught4 ,some have supposed that the young man was ,st4 ,mark1 and that this is the painter's signature in an obscure corner of his picture4 7,see ,holzmann in ,handcommentar zum ,neuen ,testament47 ,in the first volume of the ,expositor there is a paper on the subject by ,dr4 ,cox1 but it does not throw much light on it4 #b ,on the ,sanhedrim and the high priests see ,schrer1 ,the ,jewish ,people in the ,time of ,christ1 div4 ii41 vol4 i4 #c ,this1 many think1 is what is given in ,st4 ,john4 #d ,many think that this is what is given in ,st4 ,luke4 #e ,the full number was seventy-one1 including the president4 #f ,see ,psalm cx4 #a1 and ,dan4 vii4 #ac4 #g ,even ,jost1 the ,jewish historian1 calls it a murder2 but he does not believe that there was an actual trial2 and in this ,edersheim agrees with him4 #h ,in allusion to ,his claim to be the ,messianic ,prophet4 ,the ,roman soldiers1 on the other hand1 ridiculed ,his claim to be a ,king4 #i ,the central figure is the holiest ,person in history1 but round ,him stand or strive the most opposed and contrasted moral types4 4 4 4 ,the men who touch ,him in this supreme hour of ,his history do so only to have their essential character disclosed4--,,fairbairn4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,great ,,denial ,to the ecclesiastical trial of our ,lord there is a side-piece1 over which we must linger before proceeding to the civil trial4 ,at the very hour when in the hall of the high priest's house ,christ was uttering ,his great confession1 one of ,his disciples was1 in the court of the same building1 pouring out denial after denial4 ,i4 ,when ,jesus was bound in ,gethsemane and led away back to ,jerusalem1 all ,his disciples forsook ,him and fled4 ,they disappeared1 ,i suppose1 among the bushes and trees of the garden and escaped into the surrounding country or wherever they thought they would be safe4 ,but two of the ,twelve--,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,john1 who tells the story--soon rallied from the first panic and followed1 at a distance1#a the band in whose midst their ,master was4 ,keeping in the shadow of the trees by the roadside1 keeping in the shadow of the houses in the streets1 they stole after the moving mass4 ,at last1 when it got near its destination--the palace of the high priest---they hurried forward2 and ,st4 ,john went in with the crowd2 but somehow1 probably through irresolution1 ,st4 ,peter was left outside in the street2 and the door was shut4 ,to understand what follows1 it is necessary to describe more in detail the construction of such a house as the high priest's palace2 for it was very unlike most of our houses4 ,a ,western house looks into the street1 but an ,oriental into its own interior1 having no opening to the front except a great arched gateway1 shut with a heavy door or gate4 ,when this door is opened1 it discloses a broad passage1 penetrating the front building and leading into a square1 paved courtyard1 open to the sky1 round which the house is built1 and into which its rooms1 both upstairs and downstairs1 look4 ,a similar arrangement is to be seen in some large warehouses in our own cities1 or you may have seen it in large hotels on the ,continent4 ,it only requires to be added that on the side of the passage1 inside the outer gate1 there is a room or lodge for the porter or portress1 who opens and shuts the gate2 and in the gate there is a little wicket by which individuals can be let in or out4 ,when the band conducting ,jesus appeared in front of the palace1 no doubt the portress opened the large gate to admit them and then shut it again4 ,they passed under the archway into the court1 which they crossed1 and then entered one of the apartments overlooking the courtyard4 ,but the police and other underlings employed in the arrest1 their work being now done1 stayed outside1 and1 as it was midnight and the weather was cold1 they lighted a fire there under the open sky and1 gathering round it1 began to warm themselves4 ,as has been said1 ,john went in through the gate with the crowd1 but ,peter was somehow shut out4 ,john1 who seems to have occupied a higher social position than the rest of the ,twelve1 was known to the high priest1 and1 therefore1 probably was acquainted with the palace and knew the servants2 and1 when he noticed that ,peter had been left out1 he went to the portress and got her to let him in by the wicket-gate4 ,it was a friendly act2 and yet1 as the event proved1 it was unintentionally an ill turn3 ,john led ,peter into temptation4 ,the best of friends may do this sometimes to one another2 for the situation into which one man may enter without peril may be dangerous to another4 ,one man may mingle freely in company which another cannot enter without terrible risks4 ,there are amusements in which one ,christian can take part1 though they would ruin another if he touched them4 ,a mind matured and disciplined may read books which would kindle the fire of hell in a mind less experienced4 ,there are always two things that go to the making of a temptation3 there is the particular set of circumstances to be encountered on the one hand1 and there is the peculiar character or history of the person entering into the situation on the other4 ,we need to remember this if we are to defend either ourselves or others against temptation4 ,,ii4 ,john no doubt1 as soon as he got ,peter inside the door1 hurried away across the court into the hall where ,jesus was1 to witness the proceedings4 ,not so ,peter4 ,he was not familiar with the place as ,john was2 and he had the shyness of a plain man at the sight of the inside of a great house4 ,besides1 he was under fear of being recognized as a follower of ,christ and apprehended4 ,now also the unlucky blow he had made at ,malchus at the gate of ,gethsemane had to be paid for1 because it greatly increased his chance of detection4 ,he remained1 therefore1 just inside the great door1 watching from the shadows of the archway what was going on inside1 and1 without knowing it1 himself being watched by the portress from her coigne of vantage4 ,he was ill at ease2 for he did not know what to do4 ,he did not dare to go1 like ,john1 into the judgment-hall4 ,perhaps he half wished he could get out into the street again4 ,he was in a trap4 ,at last he strolled forward to the group round the fire and1 sitting down among them1 commenced to warm himself4 ,it was a miscellaneous group there in the glare of the fire1 and no notice was taken of him4 ,he took his place as if he were one of them4 ,it was1 however1 a dangerous situation in another sense than he supposed4 ,it was of bodily peril he was in terror2 he did not anticipate danger to his soul2 yet this was very near4 ,it is always dangerous when a follower of ,christ is sitting among ,christ's enemies without letting it be known what he is4 ,blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly1 nor standeth in the way of sinners1 nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful4 ,it is more than probable that when ,peter sat down the air was ringing with jest and laughter about ,jesus2 but he did not interrupt3 he kept silence and tried to look as like one of the scorners as he could4 ,but not to confess ,christ is the next step to denying ,him4 ,temptation1 as is its wont1 came suddenly and from the most unexpected quarter4 ,as has been said1 when he was skulking beneath the archway1 his movements were noted by the portress4 ,they were suspicious1 and she1 with a woman's cleverness1 divined his secret4 ,accordingly1 when she was relieved at her post by another maid1 she not only pointed him out to this companion and communicated to her what she thought about him1 but1 in passing to her room1 she went up to the fire among the soldiers and1 looking him straight in the face1 said1 with a malicious twinkle in her eye1 ,this is one of the ,nazarene's followers4 ,peter was taken completely by surprise4 ,it was as if a mask had been torn from his face4 ,in a moment the instinct of terror seized him2 perhaps1 too1 the instinct of shame at being thought a disciple of ,him they were mocking4 ,indeed1 there was a further shame3 how could he confess himself the disciple of the ,master whom he had heard blasphemed without protest8 ,he had denied his ,master in act before he denied ,him in word2 and the preceding act made the word also necessary4 ,i do not know what you mean1 he said1 with a surly frown2 and away she tripped laughing1 having done her work quite successfully4 ,none pursued the subject4 ,but ,peter was uneasy1 and took the earliest opportunity of escaping from the fireside4 ,he went away into the archway1 intending apparently1 if he could1 to get out of the place altogether4 ,but here the trap was closed2 for the other maid1 whose attention had been directed to him1 and who may have been laughing from a distance at her neighbour's sally1 was standing at the door of her lodge1 with two or three men2 and1 pointing him out to them as he came forward1 she said1 ,that is one of the ,nazarene's followers4 ,poor ,peter6 felled to the ground a second time by the touch of a woman's hand4 ,but how often has the saucy tongue and jeering laugh of a woman made a man ashamed of the highest and holiest6 ,peter flung at her an angry oath and1 turning on his heel1 went back again to the fire4 ,he was now completely panic-stricken1 and lost all self-control4 ,he was boiling with conflicting emotions and could not keep quiet4 ,assuming an air of defiance and indifference1 he plunged into the conversation1 speaking loudly to throw off suspicion1 but really defeating his own object2 for he drew attention on himself1 and they scanned him the more narrowly the more excited he became4 ,a relative of ,malchus1 whose ear he had cut off1 recognised him4 ,his loud country voice and rough ,galilean accent aroused the suspicions of others4 ,to bait such a pretender was a welcome diversion in the idle night1 and soon they were all in full cry after the quarry4 ,peter was thoroughly lost2 like a bull in the arena attacked and stabbed on every side1 he became blind with rage1 terror and shame2 and1 pouring out denials1 he added to them oaths and curses hurled at his adversaries4 ,the latter element was1 no doubt1 the resurrection of an old fisherman's habit1 long since dead and buried4 ,peter was just the man likely to be a profane swearer in his youth--the headlong man of temper1 who likes to say a thing with as much emphasis and exaggeration as possible4 ,this is a sin whose power is generally broken instantly at conversion4 ,while there are sins which linger on for years and require to be crucified by inches1 profane swearing often dies an instantaneous death4 ,but even in this case it is difficult to get quit of the evil past4 ,in ,peter this sin may have seemed to die at his conversion2 for years it had been dead and buried2 yet1 when the favourable moment came1 lo and behold1 there it was again in vigorous life4 ,old habits of sin are hard to kill4 ,we seem to have killed and buried them2 but do you not sometimes hear a knocking beneath the ground8 do you not feel the dead thing turning in its coffin1 and see the earth moving above its grave8 ,this is the penalty of the days given to the flesh4 ,till his dying day the man who has been a drunkard or a fornicator1 a liar or a swearer1 will have to keep watch and ward over the graveyard in which he has buried the past4 ,yet there was a kind of method in the madness of ,peter's profanity4 ,when he wanted to prove that he was none of ,christ's1 he could not do better than take to cursing4 ,they did not credit his assertions that he had no connection with his ,master1 but they could not help believing his sins4 ,nobody belonging to ,jesus1 they knew1 would speak as ,peter was doing4 ,it is one of the strongest testimonies to ,jesus still1 that even those who do not believe in ,him expect cleanness of speech and of conduct from ,his followers1 and are astonished if those who bear ,his name do things which when done by others are matters of course4 ,,iv4 ,while ,peter was in the midst of this outbreak of denial and profanity1 suddenly he saw the eyes of his tormentors turned away from him to another object4#b ,it was ,jesus1 whom ,his enemies had condemned in the neighbouring judgment-hall1 and whom they were now leading1 amidst blows and reproaches1 across the courtyard to the guard-room1 where ,he was to be kept for two or three hours till a subsequent stage of ,his trial came on4 ,as ,jesus stepped down out of the hall into the courtyard1 ,his ear had caught the accents of ,his disciple1 and1 stung with unutterable anguish1 ,he turned quickly round in the direction whence the sounds proceeded4 ,at the same moment ,peter turned1 and they looked one another full in the face4 ,jesus did not speak2 for a single syllable1 even of surprise1 would have betrayed ,his disciple4 ,nor could ,he linger2 for the soldiers were hurrying ,him on4 ,but for a single instant their eyes met1 and soul looked into soul4 ,who shall say what was in that look of ,christ8#c ,there may be a world in a look4 ,it may be more eloquent than a whole volume of words4 ,it may reveal far more than the lips can ever utter4 ,one soul may give itself away to another in a look4 ,a look may beatify or plunge in the depths of despair4 ,the look of ,jesus was a talisman dissolving the spell in which ,peter was held4 ,sin is always a kind of temporary madness2 and it was manifestly so in this case4 ,peter was so bewildered with terror1 anger and excitement that he did not know what he was doing4 ,but the look of ,jesus brought him to himself1 and immediately he acted like a man4 ,he made at once for the exit with impetuous speed4#d ,and now nothing stood in his way3 he got past the maid and her companions without trouble4 ,for1 indeed1 the trap of temptation is only an illusion4 ,to a resolute man it presents no obstacles4 ,but further1 the look of ,christ was a mirror in which ,peter saw himself4 ,he saw what ,christ thought of him4 ,the past came rushing back4 ,he was the man who1 in a great and never-to-be-forgotten moment1 had confessed ,christ and earned ,his hearty recognition4 ,he was the man who1 a few hours ago1 had vowed1 above all the rest1 that he never would deny his ,master4 ,and now he had deserted ,him and wounded ,him to the heart in ,his utmost need4 ,he had placed himself among ,his enemies as one of themselves and1 with oaths and curses1 trodden ,his sacred name beneath his feet4 ,he had put off the disciple and reverted to the rudeness of his godless youth4 ,he was a perjured traitor4 ,all this was in that look of ,christ4 ,but there was far more in it4 ,it was a rescuing look4 ,if any friend had met ,peter rushing out from the scene of his sin1 he might well have been terrified for what might happen4 ,where was he rushing to8 ,was it to the precipice over which ,judas plunged not many hours afterwards8 ,peter was not very far from that4 ,had it been an angry look he saw on ,christ's face when their eyes met1 this might have been his fate4 ,but there was not a spark of anger in it4 ,there was pain1 no doubt1 and there was immeasurable disappointment4 ,but deeper than these--rising up from below them and submerging them--there was the ,saviour's instinct1 that instinct which made ,him reach out ,his hand and grasp ,peter when he was sinking in the sea4 ,with this same instinct ,he grasped ,him now4 ,in that look of an instant ,peter saw forgiveness and unutterable love4 ,if he saw himself in it1 he saw still more his ,saviour--such a revelation of the heart of ,christ as he had never yet known4 ,he saw now what kind of ,master he had denied2 and it broke his heart4 ,it is this that always breaks the heart4 ,it is not our sin that makes us weep2 it is when we see what kind of ,saviour we have sinned against4 ,he wept bitterly2 not to wash out his sin1 but because even already he knew it had been washed out4 ,the former weeping is a pelting shower2 this is the close1 prolonged downpour1 which penetrates deep and fertilises the plants of the soul at their very roots4 ,indeed1 this was the real beginning of all the good ,st4 ,peter was to do in the world4 ,but we will not speak of this now4 ,let our last thought be of ,him who1 in the crisis and extremity of ,his own suffering1 when ,he heard ,his name not only denied but mingled with oaths and curses1 yielded not one moment to the resentment which such an act of treachery might have occasioned1 but1 forgetting ,his own sorrows and overmastered with the instincts of the ,saviour1 threw into a look such a world of kindness and of love that1 in an instant1 it lifted the falling disciple from the gulf and set him on the rock where he ever afterwards stood1 himself a rock in the constancy of his faith and the vigor of his testimony4 #a makrothen 4 #b ,it is to ,st4 ,luke we owe the account here given of ,peter's awakening2 but he also refers to the crowing of the cock1 the only cause mentioned by the other ,evangelists4 ,there is no difficulty in understanding that such a psychological crisis may have been due to two lines of suggestion4 #c ,mrs4 ,browning's sonnets on this subject must be quoted in full3 ,two sayings of the ,holy ,scriptures beat ,like pulses in the ,church's brow and breast2 ,and by them we find rest in our unrest1 ,and1 heart-deep in salt tears1 do yet entreat ,god's fellowship1 as if on heavenly seat4 ,the first is ,,jesus ,,wept2 whereon is prest ,full many a sobbing face1 that drops its best ,and sweetest waters on the record sweet4 ,and one is where the ,christ1 denied and scorned1 ,,looked ,,upon ,,peter4 ,oh to render plain1 ,by help of having loved a little and mourned1 ,that look of sovran love and sovran pain1 ,which ,he1 who could not sin yet suffered1 turned ,on him who could reject but not sustain4 ,the ,saviour looked on ,peter4 ,ay1 no word1 ,no gesture of reproach2 the heavens serene1 ,though heavy with armed justice1 did not lean ,their thunders that way2 the forsaken ,lord ,looked only on the traitor4 ,none record ,what that look was2 none guess2 for those who have seen ,wronged lovers loving through a death-pang keen1 ,or pale-cheeked martyrs smiling to a sword1 ,have missed ,jehovah at the judgment call4 ,and ,peter from the height of blasphemy-- ',i never knew this man'--did quail and fall1 ,as knowing straight ,,that ,,god2 and turnd free1 ,and went out speechless from the face of all1 ,and filled the silence1 weeping bitterly4 ,i think3 that look of ,christ might seem to say3 ',thou1 ,peter6 art thou a common stone ,which ,i at last must break ,my heart upon1 ,for all ,god's charge to ,his high angels may ,guard ,my feet better8 ,did ,i yesterday ,wash thy feet1 ,my beloved1 that they should run ,quick to destroy me 'neath the morning sun8 ,and do thy kisses1 like the rest1 betray8 ,the cock crows coldly4 ,go1 and manifest ,a late contrition1 but no bootless fear6 ,for1 when thy final need is dreariest1 ,thou shall not be denied1 as ,i am here2 ,my voice to ,god and angels shall attest1 ,because ,i ,,know this man1 let him be clear4' #d ,this may be the meaning of epibalon2 but it is much disputed4 ,other interpretations are3 7#a7 epeballe klaiein1 he began to weep2 7#b7 with head covered--in mourning4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,civil ,,trial ,in the chapter before last we saw the ,sanhedrim pass a death sentence on ,jesus4 ,gladly would they have carried it out in the ,jewish fashion--by stoning4 ,but1 as was then explained1 it was not in their power3 their ,roman masters1 while conceding to the native courts the power of trying and punishing minor offences1 reserved to themselves the prerogative of life and death2 and a case in which a capital sentence had been passed in a ,jewish court had to go before the representative of ,rome in the country1 who tried it over again1 and might either confirm or reverse the sentence4 ,accordingly1 after passing sentence on ,jesus themselves1 the ,sanhedrists had to lead ,him away to the tribunal of the governor4 ,i4 ,the representative of ,imperial ,rome in ,palestine at this time was ,pontius ,pilate4 ,the position which he held may perhaps be best realised by thinking of one of our own subordinate governors in ,india2 with the difference1 however1 that it was a heathen1 not a ,christian power1 that ,pilate represented1 and that it was the spirit of ancient ,rome1 not that of modern ,england1 which inspired his administration4 ,of this spirit--the spirit of worldliness1 diplomacy and expediency--he was a typical exponent2 and we shall see how true to it he proved on this momentous day4#a ,pilate had occupied his position for a good many years2 yet he neither liked his subjects nor they him4 ,the ,jews were among the most intractable and difficult of all the states which the officials of ,rome had to manage4 ,mindful of the glory of their ancient history1 and still cherishing the hope of universal empire1 they were impatient of the yoke of subordination2 they were constantly discovering in the conduct of their rulers insults directed against their dignity or their religion2 they complained of the heavy taxation and pestered their rulers with petitions4 ,pilate had not got on at all well with them4 ,between him and them there was no sympathy4 ,he hated their fanaticism4 ,in his quarrels with them1 which were frequent1 he had freely shed their blood4 ,they accused him of corruption1 cruelty1 robbery1 and maladministration of every description4 ,the residence of the governor was not in ,jerusalem1 in which no one accustomed to the pleasures of ,rome--its theatres1 baths1 games1 literature and society--could desire to live1 but in the new coast city of ,caesarea1 which in its splendour and luxury was a sort of small imitation of ,rome4 ,occasionally1 however1 the governor had to visit the capital for business reasons2 and usually as on this occasion1 he did so at the time of the ,passover4 ,when there1 he took up his residence in what had formerly been the royal palace while ,judaea still had a king4 ,it had been built by ,herod the ,great1 who had a passion for architecture2 and it was situated on the hill to the south-west of the one on which the temple stood4 ,it was a splendid building1#b rivalling the temple itself in appearance1 and so large as to be capable of containing a small army4 ,it consisted of two colossal wings1 springing forward on either side1 and a connecting building between4 ,in front of the latter stretched a broad pavement2 and here1 in the open air1 on a raised platform1 was the scene of the trial2 because the ,jewish authorities would not enter the building1 which to them was unclean4 ,pilate had to yield to their scruples1 though probably cursing them in his heart4 ,but1 indeed1 it was quite common for the ,romans to hold courts of justice in the open air4 ,the front of the palace1 all round1 was supported by massive pillars1 forming broad1 shady colonnades2 and round the building there extended a park1 with walks1 trees and ponds1 where fountains cast their sparkling jets high into the sunshine and flocks of tame doves plumed their feathers at the water's edge4 ,through the huge gateway1 then1 of this palatial residence1 the ,jewish authorities1 with their ,prisoner in their midst1 came pouring in the early morning4 ,pilate came out to receive them and seated himself on his chair of state1 with his secretaries beside him1 and behind him1 no doubt1 numbers of bronzed ,roman soldiers with their stolid looks and upright spears4 ,the ,accused would have to ascend the platform1 too2 and over against ,him stood ,his accusers1 with ,caiaphas at their head4 ,what a spectacle was that6 ,the heads of the ,jewish nation leading their own ,messiah in chains to deliver ,him up to a ,gentile governor1 with the petition that ,he should be put to death6 ,shades of the heroes and the prophets1 who loved this nation and boasted of it and foretold its glorious fate1 the hour of destiny has come1 and this is the result6 ,it was an act of national suicide4 ,but was it not more8 ,was it not the frustration of the purpose and the promise of ,god8 ,so it certainly appeared to be4 ,yet ,he is not mocked4 ,even through human sin ,his purpose holds on its way4 ,the ,jews brought the ,son of ,god to ,pilate's judgment-seat1 that both ,jew and ,gentile might unite in condemning ,him2 for it was part of the work of the ,redeemer to expose human sin1 and here was to be exhibited the ne plus ultra of wickedness1 as the hand of humanity was lifted up against its ,maker4 ,and yet that death was to be the life of humanity2 and ,jesus1 standing between ,jew and ,gentile1 was to unite them in the fellowship of a common salvation4 ,oh the depth both of the wisdom and knowledge of ,god6 ,how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6 ,,ii4 ,pilate at once demanded what was the accusation which they brought against the ,prisoner4 ,the reply was a characteristic one1 ,if ,he were not a malefactor1 we would not have delivered ,him up unto thee4 ,this was as broad a hint as they could give that they desired the governor to waive his right to re-try the case1 accepting their trial of it as sufficient1 and content himself with the other half of his prerogative--the passing and the execution of the sentence4 ,sometimes provincial governors did so1 either through indolence or out of compliment to the native authorities2 and especially in a religious cause1 which a foreigner could not be expected to understand1 such a compliment might seem a boon which it was not unreasonable to ask4 ,but ,pilate was not in a yielding mood1 and retorted1 ,take ye ,him and judge ,him according to your law4 ,this was as much as to say3 ,if ,i am not to hear the case1 then ,i will neither pass the sentence nor inflict the punishment2 if you insist on this being a case for yourselves as ecclesiastics1 then keep it to yourselves2 but1 if you do1 you must be content with such a punishment as the law permits you to inflict4 ,to them this was gall and wormwood1 because it was for the life of ,christ they were thirsting1 and they well knew that imprisonment or beating with rods was as far as they could go4 ,the cold1 keen ,roman1 as proud as themselves1 was making them feel the pressure of ,rome's foot on their neck1 and he enjoyed a malicious pleasure in extorting from them the complaint1 ,it is not lawful for us to put any man to death4 ,forced against their will and their expectation to formulate a charge1 they began to pour forth many vehement accusations2 out of which at length three emerged with some distinctness--first1 that ,he was perverting the nation2 second1 that ,he forbade to pay the imperial tribute2 and third1 that ,he set ,himself up as a king4 ,it will be observed that they never mentioned the charge on which they had condemned ,him themselves4 ,it was for none of these three things that they had condemned ,him1 but for blasphemy4 ,they knew too well1 however1 that if they advanced such a charge in this place1 the likelihood was that it would be sneered out of court4 ,it will be remembered how a ,roman governor1 mentioned in the life of ,st4 ,paul1 dealt with such a charge3 ,gallio said unto the ,jews1 ,if it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness1 ,o ye ,jews1 reason would that ,i should bear with you2 but1 if it be a question of words and names1 and of your law1 look ye to it2 for ,i will be no judge of such matters4 ,and he drave them from the judgment-seat4 #c ,and1 although of course ,pilate could not have dared to exhibit the same cynical disdain for what he would have called ,jewish superstition1 yet they knew that it was in his heart4 ,but their inability to bring forward the real charge put them in a false position1 the dangers of which they did not escape4 ,they had to extemporise crimes1 and they were not scrupulous about it4 ,their first charge--that ,jesus was perverting the nation#d--was vague4 ,but what are we to say of the second--that ,he forbade to pay the imperial tribute8 ,when we remember ,his reply that very week to the question whether or not it was lawful to pay tribute--,render unto ,caesar the things which are ,caesar's1 and unto ,god the things which are ,god's--it looks very like a deliberate falsehood4#e ,there was more colour in their third statement--that ,he said ,he was ,christ a ,king--for ,he had at their tribunal solemnly avowed ,himself to be the ,christ4 ,yet1 in this case1 also1 they were well aware that to the ear of a ,roman the claim that ,he was a king would convey a different meaning from that conveyed to their ears by the claim to be the ,christ4 ,indeed1 at bottom their objection to ,him was just that ,he did not sufficiently claim to be a king in the ,roman sense4 ,they were eagerly looking for a king1 of splendour and military renown1 to break the ,roman yoke and make ,jerusalem the capital of a worldwide empire2 and it was because the spirit and aims of ,jesus were alien to such ambitions that they despised and hated ,him4 ,pilate understood perfectly well with whom he was dealing4 ,he could only be amused with their zeal for the payment of the ,roman tribute4 ,one of the ,evangelists says1 ,he knew that for envy they had delivered ,him4 ,how far he was already acquainted with the career of ,jesus we cannot tell4 ,he had been governor all the time of the movement inaugurated by the ,baptist and continued by ,christ1 and he can hardly have remained in entire ignorance of it4 ,the dream of his wife1 which we shall come to soon1 seems to prove that ,jesus had already been a theme of conversation in the palace2 and perhaps the tedium of a visit to ,jerusalem may have been relieved for the governor and his wife by the story of the young ,enthusiast who was bearding the fanatic priests4 ,pilate displays1 all through1 a real interest in ,jesus and a genuine respect4 ,this was no doubt chiefly due to what he himself saw of ,his bearing at his tribunal2 but it may also have been partly due to what he had already heard about ,him4 ,at all events there is no indication that he took the charges against ,jesus seriously4 ,the two first he seems never to have noticed2 but the third--that ,he was setting ,himself up as a king1 who might be a rival to the emperor--was not such as he could altogether pass by4 ,,iii4 ,pilate1 having heard the accusations1 took ,jesus inside the palace to investigate them4 ,this he did1 no doubt1 for the purpose of getting rid of the importunity of ,his accusers1 which was extreme4 ,and ,jesus made no scruple1 as they had done1 about entering the palace4 ,shall we say that the ,jews had rejected ,him1 and ,he was turning to the ,gentiles--that the wall of partition had now fallen1 and that ,he was trampling over its ruins8 ,in the silence1 then1 of this interior hall ,he and ,pilate stood face to face--,he in the prisoner's lonely place1 ,pilate in the place of power4 ,yet how strangely1 as we now look back at the scene1 are the places reversed6 ,it is ,pilate who is going to be tried--,pilate and ,rome1 which he represented4 ,all that morning ,pilate was being judged and exposed2 and ever since he has stood in the pillory of history with the centuries gazing at him4#f ,in the old pictures of the ,child ,christ by the great masters a halo proceeds from the ,babe that lights up the surrounding figures1 sometimes with dazzling effect4 ,and it is true that on all who approached ,christ1 when ,he was in the world1 there fell a light in which both the good and the evil in them were revealed4 ,it was a search-light1 that penetrated into every corner and exposed every wrinkle4 ,men were judged as they came near ,him4 ,is it not so still8 ,we never show so entirely what is in us as by the way in which we are affected by ,christ4 ,we are judging ourselves and passing sentence on ourselves for eternity by the way in which we deal with ,him4 ,pilate asked ,him1 ,art ,thou the ,king of the ,jews8 referring to the third charge brought against ,him4 ,the reply of ,jesus was cautious2 it was another question3 ,sayest thou this of thyself1 or did others tell it thee of ,me8 ,he desired to learn in what sense the question was asked--whether from the standpoint of a ,roman or from that of the ,jews2 because of course ,his answer would be different according as ,he was asked whether ,he was a king as a ,roman would understand the word or according as it was understood by the ,jews4 ,but this answer nettled ,pilate1 perhaps because it assumed that he might have more interest in the case than he cared to confess2 and he said angrily1 ,am ,i a ,jew8 ,thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered ,thee unto me4 ,if he intended this to sting1 the blow did not fail of its mark4 ,ah1 tingling shame and poignant pain6 ,his own nation--,his own beloved nation1 to which ,he had devoted ,his life--had given ,him up to the ,gentile4 ,he felt a shame for it before the foreigner such as a slave on the block may feel before her purchaser for the father and the family that have sold her into disgrace4 ,jesus at once proceeded1 however1 to answer ,pilate's question on both sides1 both on the ,roman political and then on the ,jewish religious side4 ,first1 ,he answered negatively1 ,my kingdom is not of this world6 ,he was no rival of the ,roman emperor4 ,if ,he had been1 the first thing ,he must have done would have been to assemble soldiers about ,him for the purpose of freeing the country from the ,roman occupation1 and the very first duty of these soldiers would have been to defend the person of their king2 but it could be proved that at ,his arrest there had been no fighting on ,his behalf1 and that ,he had ordered the one follower who had drawn a sword to sheathe it again4 ,it was not a kingdom of force and arms and worldly glory ,he had in view4 ,yet1 even in making this denial1 ,jesus had used the words1 ,my kingdom4 ,and ,pilate broke in1 ,art ,thou a king then8 ,yes1 replied ,jesus2 to this end was ,i born1 and for this cause came ,i into the world1 that ,i should bear witness unto the truth4 ,this was ,his kingdom--the realm of ,truth4 ,it differs widely from that of ,caesar4 ,caesar's empire is over the bodies of men2 this is over their hearts4 ,the strength of ,caesar's empire is in soldiers1 arms1 citadels and navies2 the strength of this kingdom is in principles1 sentiments1 ideas4 ,the benefit secured by ,caesar to the citizens is external security for their persons and properties2 the blessings of ,christ's kingdom are peace of conscience and joy in the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the empire of ,caesar1 vast as it was1 yet was circumscribed2 the kingdom of ,christ is without limits1 and is destined to be established in every land4 ,caesar's empire1 like every other earthly kingdom1 had its day and passed out of existence2 but the kingdom of ,truth shall last for evermore4 ,it has been remarked that there was something ,western rather than ,oriental in this sublime saying of ,christ4 ,what a noble-minded ,jew longed for above all things was righteousness2 but what a noble-minded ,gentile aspired after was truth4 ,there were some spirits1 in that age1 even among the heathen1 in whom the mention of a kingdom of truth or wisdom would have struck a responsive chord4 ,jesus was feeling to see whether there was in this man's soul any such longing4 ,he approached still nearer him when ,he added the searching remark1 ,every one that is of the truth heareth ,my voice2 for it was a hint that1 if he loved the truth1 he must believe in ,him4 ,jesus preached to ,his judge4 ,just as the prisoner ,paul made ,felix the judge tremble1 and ,agrippa the judge cry out1 ,almost thou persuadest me to be a ,christian1 so ,jesus1 with the instinct of the preacher and the ,saviour1 was feeling for ,pilate's conscience4 ,he who fishes for the souls of men must use many angles2 and on this occasion ,jesus selected a rare one4 ,there will always be some who1 though common appeals do not touch them1 yet respond to this delicate appeal4 ,is truth a magic word to you8 do you thirst for wisdom8 ,there are those to whom the prizes which the majority strive for are as dross4 ,the race for wealth1 the pride of life1 the distinctions of society--you laugh at them and pity them4 ,but a golden page of a favourite poet1 a thought newly minted in the glowing heat of a true thinker's mind1 a pregnant word that sets your fancy ranging through eternity1 a luminous doctrine that rises on the intellectual horizon like a star1--these are your wealth4 ,you feel keenly the darkness of the world1 and are perplexed by a hundred problems4 ,child and lover of wisdom1 do you know the ,king of ,truth8 ,this is ,he who can satisfy your craving for light and lead you out of the maze of speculation and error4 ,but is it true1 as ,he says here1 that everyone who is of the truth heareth ,his voice8 ,is not the world at present full of men and women who are in search of truth1 yet pass ,christ by8 ,it is a very strong word ,he uses2 it is1 every one who has been born of the truth4 ,have you actually clambered on ,truth's knees1 and clung to her neck1 and fed at her breast8 ,there are many who seek truth earnestly with the intellect1 but do not desire it to rule their conduct or purify their heart4 ,but only those who seek truth with their whole being are her true children2 and to these the voice of ,christ1 when it is discerned1 is like the sunrise to the statue of ,memnon or as the call of spring to the responsive earth4 ,alas6 ,pilate was no such man4 ,he was incapable of spiritual aspiration2 he was of the earth earthy2 he sought for nothing which the eye cannot see or the hand handle4 ,to him a kingdom of truth and a king of truth were objects of fairyland or castles in the air4 ,what is truth8 he asked2 but1 as he asked1 he turned on his heel1 and did not wait for an answer4 ,he asked only as a libertine might ask1 ,what is virtue8 or a tyrant1 ,what is freedom8 ,but he was clearly convinced that ,jesus was innocent4 ,he judged ,him to be an amiable enthusiast1 from whom ,rome had nothing to fear4 ,so he went out and pronounced ,his acquittal3 ,i find in ,him no fault at all4 #a ,on ,pilate there is an essay of extraordinary subtlety and power in ,candlish's ,scripture ,characters4 #b ,an eloquent account in ,keim 7vi41 p4 #hj1 ,english tr471 who gives the authorities3 in part a tyrant's stronghold1 and in part a fairy pleasure-house4 #c ,acts xviii4 #ad-af4 #d ethnos1 not laos3 they were speaking to a heathen4 #e ,keim calls it a very flagrant lie4 #f ,socrates1 quum omnium sapientissime sanctissimeque vixisset1 ita in judicio capitis pro se dixit1 ut non supplex aut reus1 sed magister aut dominus videretur judicum4--,,cicero4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,jesus ,,and ,,herod ,pilate had tried ,jesus and found ,him innocent2 and so he frankly told the members of the ,sanhedrim1 thereby reversing their sentence4 ,what ought to have followed8 ,of course ,jesus ought to have been released and1 if necessary1 protected from the feeling of the ,jews4 ,why was this not what happened8 ,an incident in the life of ,pilate1 narrated by a secular historian1 may best explain4 ,some years before the trial of ,jesus1 ,pilate1 newly settled in the position of governor of ,judaea1 resolved to remove the headquarters of the ,roman army from ,caesarea to ,jerusalem2 and the soldiers entered the ,holy ,city with their standards1 each of which bore the image of the emperor4 ,to the ,jewish mind these images were idolatrous1 and their presence in ,jerusalem was looked upon as a gross insult and desecration4 ,the foremost men of the city poured down to ,caesarea1 where ,pilate was staying1 and besought him to remove them4 ,he refused1 and for five days the discussion went on4 ,at length he was so irritated that he ordered them to be surrounded by soldiers1 and threatened to have them put to death unless they became silent and dispersed4 ,they1 however1 in no way dismayed1 threw themselves on the ground and laid bare their necks1 crying that they would rather die than have their city defiled4 ,and the upshot was that ,pilate had to yield1 and the army was withdrawn from ,jerusalem4#a ,such was the governor1 and such were the people with whom he had to deal4 ,he was no match for them1 when their hearts were set on anything and their religious prejudices roused4 ,in the present case they did with him exactly as they had done on that early occasion4 ,he declared ,jesus innocent1 and thereupon the trial ought to have been at an end4 ,but they raised an angry clamour--they were the more fierce1 says ,st4 ,luke--and began to pour out new accusations against the ,prisoner4 ,pilate had not nerve enough to resist4 ,he weakly turned to ,jesus ,himself1 asking1 ,hearest ,thou not what these witness against ,thee8 ,but ,jesus answered to him never a word4 ,he would not1 by a single syllable1 give sanction to any prolongation of the proceedings3 insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly4 ,flustered and irresolute himself1 he could not comprehend this majestic composure4 ,the stake of ,jesus in the proceedings was nothing less than ,his life2 yet ,he was the only calm person in the whole assemblage4 ,suddenly1 however1 amidst the confusion a way of escape from his embarrassing situation seemed to open to ,pilate4 ,they were crying1 ,he stirreth up the people1 teaching throughout all ,jewry1 beginning from ,galilee to this place4 ,the mention of ,galilee was intended to excite prejudice against ,jesus1 because ,galilee was noted as a hotbed of insurrection4 ,but it set agoing a different train of thought in the mind of ,pilate1 who asked anxiously if ,he was a ,galilean4 ,it had flashed upon him that ,herod1 the ruler of ,galilee1 was in the city at the time1 having come for the ,passover celebration2 and1 as it was not an unusual procedure in ,roman law to transfer a prisoner from the territory where he had been arrested to his place of origin or of domicile1 it seemed to him a happy inspiration to send ,jesus to be tried by the ruler of the province to which ,he belonged1 and so get rid altogether of the case4#b ,he acted at once on this idea2 and1 under the escort of ,pilate's soldiers1 ,jesus and ,his accusers were sent away to the ancient palace of the ,maccabees1 in which ,herod used to reside on his visits to the ,holy ,city4 ,thus was ,jesus1 on this day of shame1 tossed1 like a ball1 from hand to hand--from ,annas to ,caiaphas1 from ,caiaphas to ,pilate1 from ,pilate to ,herod1 with more to follow2 and these weary marches#c in chains and in the custody of the officers of justice1 with ,his persecutors about ,him1 are not to be forgotten in the catalogue of ,his sufferings4 ,i4 ,there are several ,herods mentioned in the ,new ,testament1 and it must be made clear which of them this was4 ,the first of them was he who slew the babes of ,bethlehem1 when the infant ,saviour was carried away to ,egypt4 ,he was called ,herod the ,great1 and reigned over the whole country1 though only by permission of the ,romans4 ,at his death his dominions were divided among his sons by the foreigner1 who thus more effectually brought the country under control2 for the smaller the size of subject states the more absolute is the power of the suzerain4 ,judaea was given to ,archelaus2 but it was soon taken from him1 to be administered by the ,romans themselves through their procurators1 of whom ,pilate was one4 ,galilee and ,peraea were given to another son1 ,antipas2 and a region more to the north to a third1 ,philip4 ,our present ,herod is ,antipas4 ,he was a man of some ability and at the outset of his career gave promise of ruling well4 ,like his father1 he had a passion for architecture1 and among his achievements in this line was the building of the city of ,tiberias1 well known in connection with modern missions4 ,but he took a step which proved fatal when he entered into an intrigue with ,herodias1 the wife of his own brother ,philip4 ,she left her husband to come to him1 and he sent away his own wife1 the daughter of ,aretas1 the king of ,arabia ,petraea4 ,herodias was a much stronger character than he2 and she remained at his side through life as his evil genius4 ,better aspirations were not1 however1 wholly extinguished in him even by this fall4 ,when the ,baptist began to fire the country1 he took an interest in his preaching1 and invited him to the palace1 where he heard him gladly1 till ,john said1 ,it is not lawful for thee to have her4 ,for this the great preacher was cast into prison2 but even then ,herod frequently sent for him4 ,manifestly he was under religious impression4 ,he admired the character and the teaching of ,john4 ,it is said he did many things4 ,only he could not and would not do the one thing needful3 ,herodias still retained her place4 ,naturally she feared and hated the man of ,god1 who was seeking to remove her2 and she plotted against him with implacable malignity4 ,she was only too successful1 making use of her own daughter--not ,antipas'1 but her first husband's--for her purpose4 ,on the king's birthday ,salome danced before ,herod and so intoxicated him with her skill and beauty1 that1 heated and overcome1 he promised--the promise showing the man--to give her whatever she might ask1 even to the half of his kingdom2 and when the young witch1 well drilled by her mother in the craft of hell1 asked the head of the man of ,god1 she was not refused4 ,this awful crime filled his subjects with horror1 and when1 soon afterwards1 ,king ,aretas1 the father of his discarded wife1 invaded the country1 to revenge his daughter's wrong1 and inflicted on him an ignominious defeat1 this reverse was popularly regarded as a divine punishment for what he had done4 ,his own mind was haunted by the spectres of remorse1 as we learn from the fact that1 when he heard of the preaching of ,jesus1 his first thought was that this was ,john the ,baptist risen from the dead4 ,indeed1 from this point he seems to have rapidly deteriorated4 ,feeling the aversion of the minds of his subjects1 he turned more and more to foreign customs4 ,his court became distinguished for ,roman imitations and affectations4 ,the purveyors of pleasure1 who in that age hawked their wares from one petty court to another--singers1 dancers1 jugglers and the like--were welcome at ,tiberias4 ,the fibre of his character was more and more relaxed1 till it became a mere mass of pulp1 ready to receive every impression but able to retain none4 ,his annual visits to ,jerusalem even1 at ,passover time1 were inspired less by devotion than by the hope of amusement4 ,in so large a concourse there would at any rate be acquaintances to see and news to hear2 and who could tell what excitement might turn up8 ,,ii4 ,his reception of ,jesus was thoroughly characteristic4 ,had he had the conscience even of a bad man1 he might have been abashed to see the ,baptist's ,friend4 ,once he had been moved with terror at the mere rumour of ,jesus2 but that was all past2 these emotions had been wiped out by newer ones and forgotten4 ,he was exceeding glad to see ,him4 ,first1 it was an excitement2 and this was something for such a man4 ,then1 it was a compliment from the ,roman2 indeed1 we are told that ,pilate and he had aforetime been at enmity1 but by this attention were made friends again4 ,his delight1 however1 arose chiefly from the hope that he might see ,jesus working a miracle4 ,for two or three years his own dominions had been ringing with the fame of the ,miracle-worker1 but ,herod had never seen ,him4 ,now was his chance2 and no doubt entered his mind that ,jesus would gratify his curiosity1 or could count it anything but an honour to get the opportunity of displaying ,his skill4 ,such was ,herod's estimate of ,christ4 ,he put ,him on the level of a new dancer or singer2 he looked on ,his miracles as a species of conjuring or magic2 and he expected from ,him the same entertainment as he might have obtained from any wandering professor of magical arts4 ,at once he addressed ,him in the friendliest manner and questioned ,him in many words4 ,apparently he quite forgot the purpose for which ,pilate had sent ,him4 ,he did not even wait for any replies1 but went rambling on4 ,he had thought much about religion1 and he wished ,jesus to know it4 ,he had theories to ventilate1 puzzles to propound1 remarks to make4 ,a man who has no religion may yet have a great deal to say about religion2 and there are people who like far better to hear themselves talking than to listen to any speaker1 however wise4 ,no mouth is more voluble than that of a characterless man of feeling4 ,,iii4 ,herod at last exhausted himself1 and then he waited for ,christ to speak4 ,but ,jesus uttered not a word4 ,the silence lasted till the pause grew awkward and painful1 and till ,herod grew red and angry2 but ,jesus would not break it with a single syllable4 ,for one thing1 the entire proceedings were irrelevant4 ,jesus had been sent to ,herod to be tried2 but this had never been touched upon4 ,had ,jesus1 indeed1 desired to deliver ,himself at all hazards1 this was a rare opportunity2 because1 if ,he had yielded to ,herod's wishes and wrought a miracle for his gratification1 no doubt ,he would have been acquitted and sent back loaded with gifts4 ,but we cannot believe that such an expedient was even a temptation to ,him4 ,never had ,he wrought a miracle for ,his own behoof1 and it is inconceivable that ,he should have stooped to offer any justification of the estimate of ,himself which this man had formed4 ,jesus was ,herod's subject2 but it was impossible for ,him to look upon him with respect4 ,how could ,he help feeling disdain for one who thought of ,himself so basely and treated this great crisis so frivolously8 ,to one who knew ,herod's history1 how loathsome must it have been to hear religious talk from his lips6 ,there was no manliness or earnestness in the man4 ,religion was a mere diversion to him4 ,to such ,christ will always be silent4 ,herod is the representative of those for whom there is no seriousness in life1 but who live only for pleasure4 ,there are many such4 ,not only has religion1 in any high and serious sense1 no attraction for them1 but they dislike everything like deep thought or earnest work in any sphere4 ,as soon as they are released from the claims of business1 they rush off to be excited and amused2 and the one thing they dread is solitude1 in which they might have to face themselves4 ,in certain classes of society1 where work is not necessary to obtain a livelihood1 this spirit is the predominant one3 life is all a scene of gaiety2 one amusement follows another2 and the utmost care is taken to avoid any intervals where reflection might come in4 ,religion itself may be dragged into this circle of dissipation4 ,it is possible to go to church with substantially the same object with which one goes to a place of amusement--in the hope of being excited1 of having the feelings stirred and the aesthetic sense gratified or1 at the least1 consuming an hour which might otherwise lie heavy on the hands4 ,with shame be it said1 there are churches enough and preachers enough ready to meet this state of mind half-way4 ,with the fireworks of rhetoric or the witchery of music or the pomp of ritual the performance is seasoned up to the due pitch2 and the audience depart with precisely the same kind of feeling with which they might leave a concert or a theatre4 ,very likely it is accounted a great success2 but ,christ has not spoken3 ,he is resolutely mute to those who follow religion in this spirit4 ,sometimes the same spirit takes another direction2 it becomes speculative and sceptical and1 like ,herod1 questions in many words4 ,when ,i have heard some people propounding religious difficulties1 the answer which has risen to my lips has been1 ,why should you be able to believe in ,christ8 what have you ever done to render yourselves worthy of such a privilege8 you are thinking of faith as a compliment to be paid to ,christ2 in reality the power to believe in ,him and ,his words is a great privilege and honour1 that requires to be purchased with thought1 humility and self-denial4 ,we do not owe an answer to the religious objections of everyone4 ,religion is1 indeed1 a subject on which everyone takes the liberty of speaking2 the most unholy and evil-living talk and write of it nothing doubting2 but in reality it is a subject on which very few are entitled to be heard4 ,we may know beforehand1 from their lives1 what the opinions of many must be about it2 and we know what their opinions are worth4 ,it may be thought that ,jesus ought to have spoken to ,herod--that ,he missed an opportunity4 ,ought ,he not to have appealed to his conscience and attempted to rouse him to a sense of his sin8 ,to this ,i answer that ,his silence was itself this appeal4 ,had there been a spark of conscience left in ,herod1 those ,eyes looking him through and through1 and that divine dignity measuring and weighing him1 would have caused his sins to rise up out of the grave and overwhelm him4 ,jesus was silent1 that the voice of the dead ,baptist might be heard4 ,if we understood it1 the silence of ,christ is the most eloquent of all appeals4 ,can you remember when you used to hear ,him--when the words of the ,book and the preacher used to move you in church1 when the singing awoke aspiration1 when the ,sabbath was holy ground1 when the ,spirit of ,god strove with you8 ,and is that all passed of passing away8 ,does ,christ speak no more8 ,if a man is lying ill1 and perceives day by day everything about him becoming silent--his wife avoiding speech1 visitors sinking their voices to a whisper1 footsteps falling and doors shutting noiselessly--he knows that his illness is becoming critical4 ,when the traveller1 battling with the snow-storm1 sinks down at last to rest1 he feels cold and painful and miserable2 but1 if there steals over him a soft1 sweet sense of slumber and silence1 then is the moment to rouse himself and fight off his peace1 if he is ever to stir again4 ,there is such a spiritual insensibility4 ,it means that the ,spirit is ceasing to strive1 and ,christ to call4 ,if it is creeping over you1 it is time to be anxious2 for it is for your life4 ,,iv4 ,how far ,herod understood the silence of ,jesus we cannot tell4 ,it is too likely that he did not wish to understand4 ,at all events he acted as if he did not2 he treated it as if it were stupidity4 ,he thought that the reason why ,jesus would not work a miracle was because ,he could not3 a pretender's powers generally forsake him when he falls into the hands of the police4 ,jesus1 he thought1 was discredited2 ,his ,messianic claims were exploded2 even ,his followers must now be disillusioned4 ,so he thought and so he said2 and the satellites round his throne chimed in2 for there is no place where a great man's word is echoed with more parrot-like precision than in a petty court4 ,and no doubt they considered it a great stroke of wit1 well worthy of applause1 when ,herod1 before sending ,him back to ,pilate1 cast over ,his shoulders a gorgeous robe--probably in imitation of the white robe worn at ,rome by candidates for office4 ,the suggestion was that ,jesus was a candidate for the throne of the country1 but one so ridiculous that it would be a mistake to treat ,him with anything but contempt4 ,thus amidst peals of laughter was ,jesus driven from the presence4 #a ,josephus1 ,ant41 ,,xviii41 #c1 #a4 #b ,it may be questioned whether it was for trial he sent ,jesus to ,herod or only for advice1 as ,festus caused ,st4 ,paul's case to be heard by ,agrippa4 #c ,called die ,gnge des ,dulders1 in ,german devotional literature4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,back ,,to ,,pilate ,the sending of ,jesus to ,herod had not1 as ,pilate had hoped1 finished the case1 and so the ,prisoner was brought back to the imperial palace4 ,herod had affected to treat ,jesus with disdain2 but in reality1 as we are now aware1 he had himself been tried and exposed4 ,and ,jesus returned to do the same thing for ,pilate--to make manifest what manner of spirit he was of2 though ,pilate had no conception that this was going to happen3 he was only annoyed that a case of which he thought he had got rid was thrown on his hands again4 ,he had reluctantly to resume it1 and he carried it through to the end2 but1 before this point was reached1 his character was revealed1 down to its very foundations1 in the light of ,christ4 ,herod's spirit was that of frivolous worldliness--the worldliness which tries to turn the whole of life into a pastime or a joke2 ,pilate's was that of strenuous worldliness--the worldliness which makes self its aim and subordinates everything to success4 ,of the two this is perhaps the more common2 and1 therefore1 it will be both interesting and instructive to watch its self-revelation under the search-light of ,christ's proximity4 ,i4 ,pilate might perhaps have been justified in suspending the release of ,jesus till after he received ,him back from ,herod2 because1 although he had himself found no fault in ,him1 his ignorance of ,jewish laws and customs might have made him hesitate about his own judgment and wish1 before absolutely settling the case1 to obtain the opinion of an expert4 ,when1 however1 he learned that the opinion of ,herod coincided with his own1 there was no further excuse for delay4 ,accordingly he plainly informed the ,jews#a that he had examined the ,prisoner and found no fault in ,him2 he had also sent ,him to ,herod with a like result4 ,therefore1 he continued4 ,therefore--what8 ,therefore1 you expect to hear1 ,i dismiss ,him from the bar acquitted1 and ,i will protect ,him1 if need be1 from all violence4 ,this would have been the only conclusion in accordance with logic and justice4 ,pilate's conclusion was the extraordinary one3 ,therefore ,i will chastise ,him and release ,him4 ,he would inflict the severe punishment of scourging as a sop to their rage1 and then release ,him as a tribute to justice4 ,was a more unjust proposal ever made8 ,yet it was thoroughly characteristic of the man who made it as well as of the system which he represented4 ,the spirit of imperial ,rome was the spirit of compromise1 manoeuvre and expediency2 as the spirit of government has too often been elsewhere1 not only in the ,state but also in the ,church4 ,pilate had settled scores of cases on the same principle--or no principle2 scores of officials were conducting their administration throughout the vast ,roman empire in the same way at that very time4 ,only to ,pilate fell the sinister distinction of putting the base system in operation in the case where its true character was exposed in the light of history4 ,but ought we not to believe that in all other cases1 however obscure the victims1 the spirit manifested by ,pilate has been equally displeasing to ,god8 ,in our ,lord's picture of the ,last ,judgment one striking trait is that all are astonished at the reasons assigned for their destiny4 ,those on the right hand are credited with feeding ,christ when ,he was hungry1 giving ,him drink when ,he was thirsty1 and so forth2 and they ask in surprise1 ,lord1 when saw we ,thee hungry and fed ,thee1 or thirsty and gave ,thee drink8 ,in like manner those on the left are accused of seeing ,christ hungry but neglecting to feed ,him1 of seeing ,him thirsty and refusing to give ,him drink1 and so forth2 and they ask1 ,lord1 when saw we ,thee hungry or thirsty and ministered not to ,thee8 ,you perhaps think they say so to conceal the sins of which they are conscious8 ,not at all4 ,they are really astonished3 they think their identity has been mistaken and that they are about to be punished for sins they have never committed4 ,they are only aware of having neglected a few children or old women not worth thinking about4 ,but ,christ says1 ,each of these stood for ,me1 and1 when you neglected or injured them1 you were doing it unto ,me4 ,thus may all life at the last prove far more high and solemn than we now imagine4 ,take care how you touch your brother man2 you may be touching the apple of ,god's eye3 take care how you do an injustice even to a child2 you may find out at the last that it is ,christ you have been assailing4 ,,ii4 ,pilate had cut himself loose from principle when he declared ,jesus to be innocent and yet ordered ,him to be chastised4 ,he thought1 however1 that he could guide his course safely enough to the point at which he aimed4 ,we are to see how completely he failed and at last suffered total shipwreck4 ,hands were stretched out towards him1 as he advanced1 some to save him1 some to do the reverse2 but the impulse of his own false beginning carried him on to the fatal issue4 ,the first hand stretched out to him was a loving and helpful one3 it was the hand of his wife4 ,she sent to tell him of a dream she had had about his ,prisoner and to warn him to have nothing to do with that just man4 ,difficulties have been made as to how she could know about ,christ2 but there is no real difficulty4 ,probably1 while ,jesus was away at ,herod's1 ,pilate had entered the palace and told his wife about the singular trial and about the impression which ,jesus had made upon his mind4 ,when he left her1 she had fallen asleep and dreamed about it2 for1 though our version makes her say1 ,this night ,i have dreamed about ,him1 the literal translation is this day2 and of course there might be many causes why a lady should fall asleep in the daytime4 ,her dream had been such as to fill her with a vague sense of alarm1 and her message to her husband was the result4 ,this incident has taken a strong hold of the ,christian imagination and given rise to all kinds of guesses4 ,tradition has handed down the name of ,pilate's wife as ,claudia ,procula2 and it is said that she was a proselyte of the ,jewish religion2 as high-toned heathen ladies in that age not infrequently became when circumstances brought the ,old ,testament into their hands4 ,the ,greek ,church has gone so far as to canonise her1 supposing that she became a ,christian4 ,poets and artists have tried to reproduce her dream4 ,many will remember the picture of it in the ,dor ,gallery in ,london4 ,the dreaming woman is represented standing in a balcony and looking up an ascending valley1 which is crowded with figures4 ,it is the vale of years or centuries1 and the figures are the generations of the ,church of ,christ yet to be4 ,immediately in front of her is the ,saviour ,himself1 bearing ,his cross2 behind and around ,him are ,his twelve apostles and the crowds of their converts2 behind these the ,church of the early centuries1 with the great fathers1 ,polycarp and ,tertullian1 ,athanasius and ,gregory1 ,chrysostom and ,augustine2 further back the ,church of the ,middle ,ages1 with the majestic forms and warlike accoutrements of the ,crusaders rising from its midst2 behind these the ,church of modern times1 with its heroes2 then multitudes upon multitudes that no man can number pressing forward in broadening ranks1 till far aloft1 in the white and shining heavens1 lo1 tier on tier and circle upon circle1 with the angels of ,god hovering above them and on their flanks2 and in the midst1 transfigured to the brightness of a star1 the cross1 which in its rough reality ,he is bearing wearily below4 ,of course these are but fancies4 ,in the woman's anxiety that no evil should befall the ,innocent we may1 with greater certainty1 trace the vestiges of the ancient ,roman justice as it may have dwelt in the noble matrons1 like ,volumnia and ,cornelia1 whose names adorn the pristine annals of her race2 while the wife's solicitude to save her husband from a deed of sin associates her with the still nobler women of all ages who have walked like guardian angels by the side of men immersed in the world and liable to be coarsened by its contact1 to warn them of the higher laws and the unseen powers4 ,we can hardly doubt that the hand of ,god was in this dream1 or that it was outstretched to save ,pilate from the doom to which he was hastening4 ,,iii4 ,another hand1 however1 was now stretched out to him2 and he grasped it eagerly1 thinking it was going to save him2 when it suddenly pushed him down towards the abyss4 ,it was the hand of the mob of ,jerusalem4 ,up to this point the actors assembled on the stage of ,christ's trial were comparatively few4 ,it had been the express desire of the ,jewish authorities to hurry the case through before the populace of the city and the crowds of ,passover strangers got wind of it4 ,the proceedings had accordingly gone forward all night2 and it was still early morning4 ,as ,jesus was led through the streets to ,herod and back1 accompanied by so many of the principal citizens1 no doubt a considerable number must have gathered4 ,but now circumstances brought a great multitude on the scene4 ,it was the custom of the ,roman governor1 on the ,passover morning1 to release a prisoner to the people4 ,as there were generally plenty of political prisoners on hand1 rebels against the detested ,roman yoke1 but1 for that very reason1 favourites and heroes of the ,jewish populace1 this was a privilege not to be forgotten2 and1 while the trial of ,jesus was proceeding in the open air1 the mob of the city came pouring through the palace gates and up the avenue1 shouting for their annual gift4 ,for once their demand was welcome to ,pilate1 for he thought he saw in it a way of escape from his own difficulty4 ,he would offer them ,jesus1 who had a few days before been the hero of a popular demonstration1 and as an aspirant to the ,messiahship would1 he imagined1 be the very person they should want4 ,it was an utterly unjust thing to do2 because1 first1 it was treating ,jesus as if ,he were already a condemned man1 whereas ,pilate had himself a few minutes before declared ,him innocent2 and1 secondly1 it was staking the life of an innocent man on a guess1 which might be mistaken1 as to the fancy of the mob4 ,no doubt1 however1 ,pilate considered it kind1 as he felt sure of the disposition of the populace2 and1 at all events1 the chance of extricating himself was too good to lose4 ,the minds of the mob it turned out1 however1 were pre-occupied with a favourite of their own4 ,singularly enough his name also appears to have been ,jesus3 ,jesus ,barabbas is the name he bears in some of the best manuscripts of the gospel of ,st4 ,matthew4#b ,he was a notable prisoner1 who had been guilty of insurrection in the city1 in which blood had been spilt1 and was now lying in jail with the associates whose ringleader he had been4 ,a bandit1 half robber half insurrectionary leader1 is a figure which easily lays hold of the popular imagination4 ,they hesitated1 however1 when ,pilate proposed ,jesus2 and ,pilate seems to have sent for the other prisoner1 that they might see the two side by side2 for they could not1 he thought1 hesitate for a moment1 if they had the opportunity of observing the contrast4 ,but this brief interval was utilised by the ,sanhedrists to persuade the multitude4 ,it must be remembered that this was not the ,galilean crowd by which ,jesus had been brought in triumph into the city a few days before1 but the mob of ,jerusalem1 with whom the ecclesiastical authorities had influence4#c ,the priests and scribes1 then1 mingled among them and used every artifice they could think of4 ,probably their most effective argument was to whisper that ,jesus was obviously the choice of ,pilate1 and therefore should not be theirs4 ,if ,pilate actually placed the two ,jesuses side by side on his platform1 what a sight it was6 ,the political desperado1 stained with murder1 there2 the ,healer and ,teacher1 who had gone about continually doing good1 the ,son of man1 the ,son of ,god1 here4 ,now which will you have--,jesus or ,barabbas8 ,and the cry came ringing from ten thousand throats1 ,barabbas6 ,to ,jesus what must that have meant6 ,these were the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 whom ,he had longed to gather as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings2 they were the hearers of ,his words1 the subjects of ,his miracles1 the objects of ,his love2 and they prefer to ,him a murderer and a robber4 ,this scene has often been alleged as the self-condemnation of democracy4 ,vox populi vox ,dei1 its flatterers have said2 but look yonder3 when the multitude has to choose between ,jesus and ,barabbas1 it chooses ,barabbas4 ,if this be so1 the scene is equally decisive against aristocracy4 ,did the priests1 scribes and nobles behave better than the mob8 ,it was by their advice that the mob chose4 ,it is poor sport1 on either side1 to pelt opponents with such reproaches4 ,it is better far to learn holy fear from such a scene in reference to ourselves1 to our own party and to our country4 ,what are we to admire8 ,whom are we to follow8 ,in what are we to seek salvation8 ,certainly there are great questions awaiting the democracy4 ,whom will it choose--the revolutionist or the regenerator8 ,and to what will it trust--cleverness or character8 ,what spirit will it adopt as its own--that of violence or that of love8 ,which means will it employ--those which work from without inwards1 or those which work from within outwards8 ,what end will it seek--the kingdom of meat and drink1 or the kingdom which is righteousness and peace and joy in the ,holy ,ghost8 ,but such questions are not for the democracy alone4 ,all classes1 all parties1 every generation and every country have1 from time to time1 to face them4 ,and so has the individual4 ,perhaps all the great choices of life ultimately resolve themselves into this one--,jesus or ,barabbas8 ,,iv4 ,to ,pilate the choice of ,barabbas must have been not only a surprise1 but a staggering blow4 ,what then1 he asked1 shall ,i do with ,jesus8 ,probably he expected the answer1 ,give us ,him too2 and there can be little doubt that he would willingly have complied with such a request4 ,but1 instead of this1 there came1 quick as echo1 the reply1 ,crucify ,him6 and it was more a command than a request4 ,he was now made sensible that what he had considered a loophole of escape was a noose into which he had thrust his head4 ,he might1 indeed1 have intimated that he had only given them the prerogative to save one of the two lives1 not to take either of them away4 ,but virtually he had put both prisoners at their disposal4 ,in this way1 at all events1 the mob interpreted the situation2 and he did not venture to contradict them4 ,he was1 however1 deeply moved1 and he did a very unusual thing3 calling for a basin of water1 he washed his hands before them all and said1 ,i am innocent from the blood of this just ,person2 see ye to it4 ,this was an impressive act2 yet its impressiveness was too theatrical4 ,he washed his hands when he ought to have exerted them4 ,and blood does not come off so easily4 ,he could not abnegate his responsibility and cast it upon others4 ,public men frequently think they can do so3 they say that they bow to the force of public opinion1 but wash their hands of the deed4 ,but if their position1 like ,pilate's1 demands that they should decide for themselves and take the consequences1 the guilt of sinful action clings to them and cannot be transferred4 ,this whole scene1 indeed1 is a mirror for magistrates1 to show them down what dark paths they may be pushed if they resign themselves to be the mere tools of the popular will4 ,pilate ought to have opposed the popular will at whatever risk and refused to do the deed of which he disapproved4 ,but such a course would have involved loss to himself2 and this was the real reason for his conduct4 ,the populace felt their triumph1 and in reply to his solemn dissociation of himself from ,christ's death sent back the insulting cry1 ,his blood be on us and on our children4 ,pilate was afraid of the guilt1 but they were not4 ,well might the heavens have blackened above them at that word1 and the earth shuddered beneath their feet6 ,profaner cry was never uttered4 ,but they were mad with rage and reckless of everything but victory in the contest in which they were engaged4 ,still1 their words were not forgotten in the quarter to which they were directed2 and it was not long before the curse which they had invoked descended on their city and their race4 ,meanwhile they gained their end3 the will of ,pilate was breaking down before their well-directed persistency4 #a ,on the return of ,jesus from ,herod1 the ,sanhedrists do not seem to have been present4 ,pilate had to call them together1 presumably from the temple4--,,edersheim4 #b ,see ,keim's note4 ,westcott and ,hort reject it4 ,some have further seen an impressive coincidence in the name ,barabbas1 interpreting it son of the father4 ,jesus was by no means a rare name4 #c ,hence the contrast1 common in popular preaching1 between the multitude crying ,hosanna and the same multitude crying ,crucify is incorrect4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,crown ,,of ,,thorns4 ,pilate had failed in his attempt to save ,jesus from the hands of ,his prosecutors1 whose rage against their ,victim was only intensified by the struggle in which they had engaged2 and there was no course now open to him but to hand ,jesus over to the executioners for1 at least1 the preliminary tortures of crucifixion4 ,it is not in accordance with modern ,christian sentiment to dwell very much on the physical sufferings of ,christ4 ,once the feeling on this subject was very different3 in old writers1 like the mystic ,tauler1 for example1 every detail is enlarged upon and even exaggerated1 till the page seems to reek with blood and the mind of the reader grows sick with horror4 ,we rather incline to throw a veil over the ghastly details1 or we uncover them only so far as may be necessary in order to understand the condition of ,his mind1 in which we seek ,his real sufferings4 ,the sacred body of our ,lord was exposed to many shocks and cruelties before the final and complicated horrors of the crucifixion4 ,first1 there was ,his agony in the garden4 ,then--not to speak of the chains laid on ,him when ,he was arrested--there was the blow on the face from the servant of the high priest4 ,after ,his condemnation by the ecclesiastical authorities in the middle of the night they did spit in ,his face and buffeted ,him2 and others smote ,him with the palms of their hands1 saying1 ,prophesy unto us1 ,thou ,christ4 ,who is he that smote ,thee8 ,the present is1 therefore1 the fourth access of physical suffering which ,he had to endure4 ,first1 they scourged ,him4 ,this was done by the ,roman soldiers by order of their master ,pilate1 though the governor1 in all likelihood1 retired from the scene while it was being inflicted4 ,it took place1 it would appear1 on the platform where the trial had been held1 and in the eyes of all4 ,the victim was stripped and stretched against a pillar1 or bent over a low post1 his hands being tied1 so that he had no means of defending himself4 ,the instrument of torture was a sort of knout or cat-o'-nine-tails1 with bits of iron or bone attached to the ends of the thongs4 ,not only did the blows cut the skin and draw blood1 but not infrequently the victim died in the midst of the operation4 ,some have supposed that ,pilate1 out of consideration for ,jesus1 may have moderated either the number or the severity of the strokes2 but1 on the other hand1 his plan of releasing ,him depended on his being able to show the ,jews that ,he had suffered severely4 ,the inability of ,jesus to bear ,his own cross to the place of execution was no doubt chiefly due to the exhaustion produced by this infliction2 and this is a better indication of the degree of severity than mere conjecture4 ,after the scourging the soldiers took ,him away with them to their own quarters in the palace and called together the whole band to enjoy the spectacle4 ,evidently they thought that ,he was already condemned to be crucified2 and anyone condemned to crucifixion seems1 after being scourged1 to have been handed over to the soldiery to be handled as they pleased1 just as a hunted creature1 when it is caught1 is flung to the dogs4 ,and1 indeed1 this comparison is only too appropriate2 because1 as ,luther has remarked1 in those days men were treated as only brutes are treated now4 ,to us it is incomprehensible how the whole band should have been called together merely to gloat over the sufferings of a fellow-creature and to turn ,his pain and shame into brutal mockery4 ,this1 however1 was their purpose2 and they enjoyed it as schoolboys enjoy the terror of a tortured animal4 ,it must be remembered that these were men who on the field of battle were inured to bloodshed and at ,rome found their chief delight in watching the sports of the arena1 where gladiators butchered one another to make a ,roman holiday4 ,their horseplay took the form of a mock coronation4 ,they had caught the drift of the trial sufficiently to know that the charge against ,jesus was that ,he pretended to be a king2 and lofty pretensions on the part of one who appears to be mean and poor easily lend themselves to ridicule4 ,besides1 in their minds there was perhaps an amused scorn at the thought of a ,jew aiming at a sovereignty above that of ,caesar4 ,foreign soldiers stationed in ,palestine cannot have liked the ,jews1 who hated them so cordially2 and this may have given an edge to their scorn of a ,jewish pretender4 ,they treated ,him as if they believed ,him to be a king4 ,a king must wear the purple4 ,and so they got hold of an old1 cast-off officer's cloak of this colour and threw it over ,his shoulders4 ,then a king must have a crown4 ,so one of them ran out to the park in which the palace stood and pulled a few twigs from a tree or bush4 ,these happened to be thorny2 but this did not matter1 it was all the better2 they were plaited into the rude semblance of a crown and crushed down on ,his head4 ,to complete the outfit1 a king must have a sceptre4 ,and this they found without difficulty3 a reed1 probably used as a walking-stick1 being thrust into ,his right hand4 ,thus was the mock king dressed up4 ,and then1 as on occasions of state they had seen subjects bow the knee to the emperor1 saying1 ,ave1 ,caesar6 so they advanced one after another to ,jesus and1 bending low1 said1 ,hail1 ,king of the ,jews6 ,but1 after passing with mock solemnity1 each turned and1 with a burst of laughter1 struck ,him a blow1 using for this purpose the reed which ,he had dropped4 ,and1 though ,i hardly dare to repeat it1 they covered ,his face with spittle6 ,what a spectacle6 ,it might have been expected that those who were themselves poor and lowly1 and therefore subject to the oppression of the powerful1 would have felt sympathy and compassion for one of their own station when crushed by the foot of tyranny4 ,but there is no cruelty like the cruelty of underlings4 ,there is an instinct in all to wish to see others cast down beneath themselves2 and1 especially1 if one who has aimed high is brought low1 there is a sense of personal exultation at his downfall4 ,such are the base passions which lie at the bottom of men's hearts2 and the dregs of the dregs of human nature were revealed on this occasion4 ,what must it have been to ,jesus to look on it--to have it thrust on ,his sight and into contact with ,his very person1 so that ,he could not get away8 ,what must it have been to ,him1 with ,his delicate bodily organism and sensitive mind1 to be in the hands of those rude and ruthless men8 ,it was1 however1 necessary1 in order that ,he might fully accomplish the work which ,he had come to the world to perform4 ,he had come to redeem humanity--to go down to the very lowest depths to seek and to save the lost2 and1 therefore1 ,he had to make close acquaintance with human nature in its worst specimens and its extremest degradation4 ,he was to be the ,saviour of sinners as bad and degraded as even these soldiers2 and1 therefore1 ,he had to come in contact with them and see what they were4 ,thus have ,i passed as lightly as was possible over the details2 nor would my readers wish me to dwell on them further4 ,but it will be profitable to linger on this spot a little longer1 in order to learn the lessons of the scene4 ,first1 notice in the conduct of the tormentors of ,jesus the abuse of one of the gifts of ,god4 ,in the conduct of the ,roman soldiers from first to last the most striking feature is that at every point they turned their work into horseplay and merriment4 ,now1 laughter is a gift of ,god4 ,it is a kind of spice which the ,creator has given to be taken along with the somewhat unpalatable food of ordinary life4 ,it is a kind of sunshine to enliven the landscape1 which is otherwise too dull and sombre4 ,the power of seeing the amusing side of things immensely lightens the load of life2 and he who possesses the gift of evoking hearty and innocent mirth may be a true benefactor of his species4#a ,but1 while laughter is a gift of ,god1 there is no other gift of ,his which is more frequently abused and converted from a blessing into a curse4 ,when laughter is directed against sacred things and holy persons2 when it is used to belittle and degrade what is great and reverend2 when it is employed as a weapon with which to torture weakness and cover innocence with ridicule--then1 instead of being the foam on the cup at the banquet of life1 it becomes a deadly poison4 ,laughter guided these soldiers in their inhuman acts2 it concealed from them the true nature of what they were doing2 and it wounded ,christ more deeply than even the scourge of ,pilate4 ,a second thing to be noticed is that it was against the kingly office of the ,redeemer that the opposition of men was directed on this occasion4 ,it was different on a former occasion1 when ,he was abused at the close of the ecclesiastical trial4 ,then it was ,his prophetic office that was turned into ridicule3 when they had blindfolded ,him1 they struck ,him on the face and asked ,him1 saying1 ,prophesy who is it that smote thee4 ,here1 on the other hand1 the ridicule was directed against ,him entirely on the ground of ,his claiming to be a king4 ,the soldiers considered it an absurdity and a joke that one apparently so mean1 friendless and powerless should make any such pretensions4 ,many a time since then has the same derision been awakened by this claim of ,christ4 ,he is the ,king of nations4 ,but earthly kings and statesmen have ridiculed the idea that ,his will and ,his law should control them in their schemes and ambitions4 ,even where ,his authority is nominally acknowledged1 both aristocracies and democracies are slow to recognise that their legislation and customs should be regulated by ,his words4 ,he is ,king of the ,church4 ,andrew ,melville told ,king ,james3 ,there are two kings and two kingdoms in ,scotland2 there is ,king ,james1 the head of this commonwealth1 and there is ,christ ,jesus1 the ,king of the ,church1 whose subject ,james ,,vi4 is1 and of whose kingdom he is not a king1 nor a lord1 nor a head1 but a member4 ,the entire history of the ,scottish ,church has been one long struggle to maintain this truth2 but the struggle has frequently been carried on in the face of opposition almost as scornful as that which assailed ,jesus in ,pilate's palace4 ,most vital of all is the acknowledgment of ,christ's kingship in the realm of the individual life2 but it is here that ,his will is most resisted4 ,in words we acknowledge allegiance to ,him2 but in which of us has the victory over the flesh been so complete that ,his full claim has been conceded1 to have the arrangement of our business and our leisure and to dictate what is to be done with our time1 our means and our services8 ,a third lesson is to recognise that in what ,jesus bore on this occasion ,he was suffering for us4 ,of all the features of the scene the one that has most impressed the imagination of ,christendom is the crown of thorns4 ,it was something unusual1 and brought out the ingenuity and wantonness of cruelty4 ,besides1 as the wound of a thorn has been felt by everyone1 it brings the pain of the ,sufferer nearer to us than any other incident4 ,but it is chiefly by its symbolism that it has laid hold of the ,christian mind4 ,when ,adam and ,eve were driven from the garden into the bleak and toilsome world1 their doom was that the ground should bring forth to them thorns and thistles4 ,thorns were the sign of the curse2 that is1 of their banishment from ,god's presence and of all the sad and painful consequences following therefrom4 ,and does not the thorn1 staring from the naked bough of winter in threatening ugliness1 lurking beneath the leaves or flowers of summer to wound the approaching hand1 tearing the clothes or the flesh of the traveller who tries to make his way through the thicket1 burning in the flesh where it has sunk1 fitly stand for that side of life which we associate with sin--the side of care1 fret1 pain1 disappointment1 disease and death8 ,in a word1 it symbolises the curse4 ,but it was the mission of ,christ to bear the curse2 and1 as ,he lifted it on ,his own head1 ,he took it off the world4 ,he bore our sins and carried our sorrows4 ,why is it that1 when we think of the crown of thorns now1 it is not only with horror and pity1 but with an exultation which cannot be repressed8 ,because1 cruel as was the soldiers' jest1 there was a divine fitness in their act2 and wisdom was1 even through their sin1 fulfilling her own intention4 ,there are some persons with faces so handsome that the meanest dress1 which would excite laughter or disgust if worn by others1 looks well on them1 and the merest shreds of ornament1 stuck on them anyhow1 are more attractive than the most elaborate toilets of persons less favoured by nature4 ,and so about ,christ there was something which converted into ornaments even the things flung at ,him as insults4 ,when they called ,him the ,friend of publicans and sinners1 though they did it in derision1 they were giving ,him a title for which a hundred generations have loved ,him2 and so1 when they put on ,his head the crown of thorns1 they were unconsciously bestowing the noblest wreath that man could weave ,him4 ,down through the ages ,jesus passes1 still wearing the crown of thorns2 and ,his followers and lovers desire for ,him no other diadem4 ,fourthly1 this scene teaches the lesson of patience in suffering4 ,i remember a saint whom it was my privilege to visit in the beginning of my life as a minister4 ,though poor and uneducated1 she was a person of very unusual natural powers2 her ideas were singularly original1 and she had a charming pleasantness of wit4 ,though not very old1 she knew that she was doomed to die2 and the disease from which she was suffering was one of the most painful incident to humanity4 ,often1 ,i remember1 she would tell me1 that1 when the torture was at the worst1 she lay thinking of the sufferings of the ,saviour1 and said to herself that the shooting pains were not so bad as the spikes of the thorns4 ,christ's sufferings are a rebuke to our softness and self-pleasing4 ,it is not1 indeed1 wrong to enjoy the comforts and the pleasures of life4 ,god sends these2 and1 if we receive them with gratitude1 they may lift us nearer to ,himself4 ,but we are too terrified to be parted from them and too afraid of pain and poverty4 ,especially ought the sufferings of ,christ to brace us up to endure whatever of pain or reproach we may have to encounter for ,his sake4 ,many would like to be ,christians1 but are kept back from decision by dread of the laughter of profane companions or by the prospect of some worldly loss4 ,but we cannot look at the suffering ,saviour without being ashamed of such cowardly fears4 ,if the crown of thorns now becomes ,christ so well as to be the pride and the song of men and angels1 be assured that any twig from that crown which we may have to wear will one day turn out to be our most dazzling ornament4 #a ,a ministerial friend told me that he once1 in the hearing of ,dr4 ,andrew ,bonar1 made reference to some things in the life of ,st4 ,paul which seemed to him to betray on the part of the apostle a sense of humour4 ,he was not very sure how ,dr4 ,bonar might take such a remark1 and at the close he asked if he agreed with him4 ,not only1 was the reply1 do ,i agree with you1 but ,i go further3 ,i think there are distinct traces of humour in the sayings and the conduct of our ,lord2 and he proceeded to quote examples4 ,everyone is aware how ,dr4 ,bonar himself knew how to combine with the profoundest reverence and saintliness a strain of delightful mirth2 and the absence of this is the great defect of his otherwise charming autobiography4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,shipwreck ,,of ,,pilate ,we have lingered long at the judgment-seat of ,pilate4 ,far too long4 ,pilate has detained us4 ,he knew perfectly well1 the first glance he bestowed on the case1 what it was his duty to do4 ,but1 instead of acting at once on his conviction1 he put off4 ,of such delay good seldom comes4 ,pilate gave temptation time to assail him4 ,he resisted it1 indeed2 he fought hard and long against it2 but he ought never to have given it the chance4 ,and he miserably succumbed in the end4 ,i4 ,when ,pilate delivered ,jesus over to be scourged1 it looked as if he had surrendered ,him to the cross2 and so in all probability the ,jews thought1 because scourging was the usual preliminary to crucifixion4 ,he1 however1 had not yet abandoned the hope of saving ,jesus3 he was still secretly adhering to the proposal he had made1 to chastise ,him and then let ,him go4 ,perhaps1 if he retired into the palace while the scourging was taking place1 his wife may have urged him to make a further effort on behalf of that ,just ,man4 ,at all events he came out on the platform1 round which the ,jews were still standing1 and informed them that the case was not finished2 and1 as ,jesus1 whose scourging was now over1 came forward1 he turned round and1 pointing to ,him1 exclaimed with deep emotion1 ,behold the ,man4 ,it was an involuntary expression of commiseration1#a an appeal to the ,jews to recognize the unreasonableness of proceeding further3 ,jesus was so obviously not such an one as they had tried to make ,him out to be2 at all events ,he had suffered enough4 ,but the ,christian mind has in all ages felt in these words a sense deeper than ,pilate intended4 ,as ,caiaphas was uttering a greater truth than he knew when he said it was expedient that one should die for the whole people1 so in uttering this exclamation the governor was an unconscious prophet4 ,preachers in every subsequent age have adopted his words and1 pointing to ,jesus1 cried1 ,behold the ,man6 ,painters have chosen this moment1 when ,jesus came forth1 bleeding from the cruel stripes and wearing the purple robe and crown of thorns1 as the one in which to portray the ,man of ,sorrows2 and many a priceless canvas bears the title ,ecce ,homo4 ,from ,pilate's lips there fell two words which the world will never forget--the question1 ,what is truth8 and this exclamation1 ,behold the ,man6 ,and the one may be taken as the answer to the other4 ,when the question1 ,what is truth8 is put with deep earnestness1 what does it mean but this8--,who will make ,god known to us8 who will clear up the mystery of existence8 who will reveal to man his own destiny8 ,and to these questions is there any answer but this2 ,behold the ,man8 ,he has shown to the sons of men what they ought to be2 ,his is the perfect life1 after which every human life ought to be fashioned2 ,he has opened the gates of immortality and revealed the secrets of the other world4 ,and1 what is far more important1 ,he has not only shown us what our life here and hereafter ought to be1 but how the ideal may be realised4 ,he is not only the image of perfection but the ,saviour from sin4 ,therefore ought the world to turn to ,him and behold the ,man4 ,,ii4 ,pilate hoped that the sight of the sufferings of ,jesus would move the hard hearts of ,his persecutors1 as it had moved his own4 ,but the only response to his appeal was1 ,crucify ,him1 crucify ,him4 ,it is to be noted1 however1 that these cruel words now came from the chief priests and officers4 ,apparently the common people were moved3 they might have yielded1 if their superiors had allowed them4 ,but nothing could move those hard hearts2 indeed1 the sight of blood only inflamed them the more2 and they felt certain that by sheer persistence they could break down ,pilate's opposition4 ,he was at his wits' end and replied to them angrily1 ,take ye ,him and crucify ,him2 for ,i find no fault in ,him2 meaning probably1 that he was willing to yield the ,prisoner up to their will1 if they would take the responsibility of executing ,him2 if1 indeed1 he had in his mind any clear meaning and was not merely uttering an exclamation of annoyance4 ,they perceived that the critical moment had arrived1 and at last they let out the true reason for which they desired ,his death3 ,we have a law1 and by our law ,he ought to die1 because ,he made ,himself the ,son of ,god4 ,this was the ground on which they had condemned ,him themselves1 though up to this point they had kept it concealed4 ,they had not mentioned it1 because they thought that ,pilate would jeer at it4 ,it had on him1 however1 a very different effect4 ,all the morning he had been feeling uneasy2 and the more he saw of ,jesus the more he disliked the part he was playing4 ,but now at length the mention of ,his claim to be the ,son of ,god caused his fears to take a definite and alarming shape4 ,it revived in his mind the stories1 with which his own pagan religion was rife1 of gods or sons of the gods who had sometimes appeared on earth in disguise4 ,it was dangerous to have to do with them2 for any injury inflicted on them1 even unconsciously1 might be terribly avenged4 ,he had discerned in ,jesus something mysterious and inexplicable3 what if ,he were the son of ,jehovah1 the native deity of ,palestine1 as ,castor and ,pollux were sons of ,jupiter8 and might not ,jehovah1 if ,he were injured1 blast the man who wronged ,him with a curse8 ,such was the terror that flashed through his mind2 and1 taking ,jesus once more inside the palace1 he asked ,him1 with a mixture of awe and curiosity1 ,whence art ,thou8 ,jesus gave him no answer1 but again retired into the majestic silence which at three points already had marked ,his trial4 ,in the whole conduct of the ,saviour in ,his sufferings there is nothing more sublime than these pauses2 but it is not easy at every point to gauge the state of mind to which they were due4 ,why was ,jesus silent at this point8 ,some have said1 because it was impossible to answer the question4 ,he could not have said either ,yes or ,no2 for1 if ,he had said that ,god was ,his ,father1 ,pilate would have understood the statement in a grossly pagan sense2 and yet1 to avoid this1 ,he could not say that ,he was not the ,son of ,god4 ,so it was best to say nothing4 ,the true explanation1 however1 is simpler4 ,jesus would say nothing about whether ,he was the ,son of ,god or not1 because ,he did not wish to be released on this ground4 ,not as a son of ,god1 but as an innocent man1 which ,pilate had again and again acknowledged ,him to be1 was ,he entitled to be set free2 and ,his silence called upon ,pilate to act on this acknowledgment4 ,the judge was more than ever astonished2 and he was irritated a little at being thus treated4 ,speakest ,thou not unto me8 he asked1 flushing2 knowest ,thou not that ,i have power to crucify ,thee and have power to release ,thee8 ,poor man6 it was to be seen before many minutes had passed how much power he had4 ,and what was this power of which he boasted8 ,he spoke as if he had arbitrary discretion to do whatever he pleased4 ,no just judge would make such a claim3 justice takes from him the power to follow his own inclination if it be unjust4 ,it was of this ,jesus reminded him when ,he now answered with quiet dignity1 ,thou couldest have no power at all against ,me1 unless it were given thee from above4 #b ,he reminds him that the power he wields is delegated by ,heaven1 and therefore not to be used according to his own caprice1 but according to the dictates of justice4 ,yet ,he added1 ,therefore he that delivered ,me unto thee hath the greater sin4 ,he acknowledged that ,pilate was in a position in which he was compelled to try the case3 he had not taken it up at his own hand1 as the ,jewish authorities had done4 ,thus ,jesus recognised all the difficulties of ,his judge's position and was willing to make for him every allowance4 ,this was ,he whom ,pilate had1 a few minutes before1 given over to torture4 ,was there ever such sublime and unselfish clemency8 ,could there have been a more complete triumph over resentment and irritation8 ,if the silence of ,christ was sublime1 no less sublime1 when ,he did speak1 were ,his words4 ,,iii4 ,pilate felt the greatness and the magnanimity of his ,prisoner1 and came forth determined at all hazards to set ,him free4 ,the ,jews saw it in his face4 ,and at length they brought out their last weapon1 which they had been keeping in reserve and ,pilate had been fearing all the time3 they threatened to complain against him to the emperor2 for this was the meaning of what they now cried3 ,if thou let this man go1 thou art not ,caesar's friend3 whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against ,caesar4 ,there was nothing which a ,roman provincial governor so much dreaded as a complaint lodged against him at ,rome4 ,and in ,pilate's case such an accusation1 for more reasons than one1 would have been specially perilous4 ,the imperial throne was occupied at the time by one who was a most suspicious master4 ,tiberius seemed to delight in humiliating and disgracing his subordinates4 ,besides1 at this very period he was peculiarly dangerous4 ,a diseased body1 the punishment of vices long indulged1 had made his mind gloomy and savage2 in fact1 he was little better than a madman--morose1 suspicious and malicious4 ,nor was any charge so likely to inflame him as the one which they proposed to lay against ,pilate4 ,it was well known at ,rome that the hope of a ,messiah was spread throughout the ,east2 and any provincial governor supposed to be favouring or even conniving at the claims of such a pretender would certainly be recalled1 probably exiled1 and possibly executed4 ,amicus ,caesaris1 ,caesar's friend1 was one of the most coveted titles of a man in ,pilate's position2 and to be accused of acting as no friend of ,caesar's could act was the most serious of all dangers4 ,but there was something else which lent point to the threat of the ,jewish authorities3 ,pilate well knew that his administration could not bear the light of an investigation such as would inevitably follow a complaint from his subjects4 ,it is a curious thing that in a secular writer of that age we find an account of another occasion on which this same threat was held over ,pilate2 and the writer who mentions it adds3 ,he was afraid that if a ,jewish embassy were sent to ,rome1 they might discuss the many maladministrations of his government1 his extortions1 his unjust decrees1 his inhuman punishments4 #c ,such had been the character of ,pilate's past life2 and now1 when he was going to do a humane and righteous act1 it stayed his hand4 ,there is nothing which so frustrates good resolutions and paralyzes noble efforts as the dead weight of past sins4 ,those who are acquainted with secret and discreditable chapters of a man's history are able1 wielding this knowledge over his head1 to say1 ,thou shalt not do this good act which thou wishest to do1 or1 ,thou shalt do this evil and shameful thing which we bid thee4 ,there are companies in which men cannot utter the fine1 high-sounding things they would say elsewhere1 because there are present those who know how their lives have contradicted them4 ,what is it that mocks the generous thought rising in our minds1 that silences the noble word on our lips1 that paralyzes the forming energy of our actions8 ,is it not the internal whisper1 ,remember how you have failed before8 ,this is the curse of past sin3 it will not let us do the good we would4 ,but1 if a man has thus committed himself by an evil past1 what is he to do8 ,what ought ,pilate to have done8 ,there is only one course4 ,it is to summon together the resources of his manhood1 defy consequences1 and do the right forthwith1 come what may4 ,one step taken in loyalty to conscience1 one word of confession spoken1 and in a moment the power of the tyranny is broken1 and the spellbound man is free to issue forth from the inglorious prison of the past4 ,alas1 ,pilate was not equal to any such effort4 ,for the sake of righteousness1 for the sake of this impressive and innocent but obscure and friendless ,galilean1 to face a complaint at ,rome and run the risk of exile and poverty--the man of the world's philosophy could not rise to any such height4 ,he belonged to the world1 whose fashion and favour1 pleasures and comforts were the breath of his nostrils2 and1 when he heard the menace of his subjects1 he surrendered at discretion4 ,thus ,jewish passion and persistency triumphed4 ,pilate resisted1 but he was forced to yield inch by inch4 ,he wished to do right2 he felt the spell of ,jesus2 and it irritated him to have to go against his conscience1 but his subjects compelled him to obey their wicked will4 ,yet the true reason of his failure was in himself--in the shallowness and worldliness of his own character1 which this occasion laid bare to the very foundations4#d ,,iv4 ,there was little more to do4 ,the mind of ,pilate was very savage and his heart very sore4 ,he had been beaten and humiliated2 and he would gladly inflict some humiliation on his opponents1 if he could find a way4 ,he ascended the judgment-seat1 in a place that is called the ,pavement1 but in the ,hebrew ,gabbatha--an act similar in significance1 ,i suppose1 with our judges' habit1 before pronouncing a death sentence1 of putting on the black cap4 ,pointing to ,jesus1 he exclaimed1 ,behold your ,king6 ,it was as much as to say that he believed this really to be their ,messiah--this poor1 bleeding1 mishandled ,man4 ,he was trying to cut them with a taunt4 ,and he succeeded3 smarting with pain they shouted1 ,away with ,him6 away with ,him6 crucify ,him6 ,what1 he proceeded1 shall ,i crucify your ,king8 ,and1 borne away with fury1 they responded1 ,we have no king but ,caesar4 ,what a word to come from the representatives of a nation to which pertained the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of ,god and the promises6 ,it was the renouncement of their birthright1 the abandonment of their destiny4 ,pilate well knew what it had cost their proud hearts thus to forswear the hopes of their fathers and acknowledge the right of their conqueror2 but to compel them to swallow this bitter draught was some compensation for the cup of humiliation they had compelled him to drink4 ,and he took them at their word4 #a ,perhaps also of admiration4 ,pilate had never before seen so impressive a specimen of humanity2 and the contrast between the sweetness and majesty of ,his appearance and the indignities which ,he had suffered drew from him this involuntary exclamation4 ,one recalls ,shakespeare's words about ,brutus3 ,his life was gentle1 and the elements ,so mixed in him1 that nature might stand up ,and say to all the world1 ,this was a ,man6 #b ,we are much tempted on account of the therefore to explain from above as referring to the ,jewish tribunal4 #c ,philo4 #d ,it is a striking illustration of the irony of history that ,pilate was overtaken by the very fate to escape which he abandoned ,jesus4 ,soon after the ,crucifixion his subjects lodged a complaint against him at ,rome4 ,he was recalled from his province and never returned4 ,ultimately1 it is said1 he terminated his existence with his own hand1 wearied out with miseries4 ,many legends in subsequent centuries clustered about his name4 ,several spots were supposed to be haunted by his restless and despairing spirit1 notably a spring in ,switzerland on the top of ,mount ,pilatus1 which was thought to have derived its name from him2 but this is more than doubtful4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,judas ,,iscariot ,to the civil trial of our ,lord there is a sad appendix1 as we have already had one to the ecclesiastical trial4 ,christ's great confession in the palace of the high priest was accompanied by the great denial of ,peter outside2 and the proceedings in the court of ,pontius ,pilate were accompanied by the final act of the treachery of ,judas4 ,only in the latter case we are not able with the same accuracy to fix the circumstances of time and place4 ,i4 ,judas is one of the darkest riddles of human history4 ,in the ,vision of ,hell the poet ,dante1 after traversing the circles of the universe of woe1 in which each separate kind of wickedness receives its peculiar punishment1 arrives at last1 in the company of his guide1 at the nethermost circle of all1 in the very bottom of the pit1 where the worst of all sinners and the basest of all sins are undergoing retribution4 ,it is a lake not of fire but of ice1 beneath whose transparent surface are visible1 fixed in painful postures1 the figures of those who have betrayed their benefactors2 because this1 in ,dante's estimation1 is the worst of sins4 ,in the midst of them stands out1 vast and hideous1 the emperor who sways the realm of woe--,satan himself2 for this was the crime which lost him ,paradise4 ,and the next most conspicuous figure is ,judas ,iscariot4 ,he is in the mouth of ,satan1 being champed and torn by his teeth as in a ponderous engine4 ,such was the mediaeval view of this man and his crime4 ,but in modern times opinion has swung round to the opposite extreme4 ,ours is an age of toleration1 and one of its favourite occupations is the rehabilitation of evil reputations4 ,men and women who have stood for centuries in the pillory of history are being taken down2 their cases are retried2 and they are set up on pedestals of admiration4 ,sometimes this is done with justice1 but is other cases it has been carried to absurdity4 ,nobody1 it would appear1 has ever been very bad2 the criminals and scoundrels have been men whose motives have been misunderstood4 ,among those on whose behalf the attempt has thus been made to reverse the verdict of history is ,judas ,iscariot4 ,eighteen centuries had agreed to regard him as the meanest of mankind1 but in our century he has been transmuted into a kind of hero4 ,the theory is of ,german origin2 but it was presented to the ,english public by ,de ,quincey1 who adorned it with all the persuasiveness of his meretricious genius4 ,it is held that the motive of ,judas was totally different from the one hitherto supposed3 it was not filthy lucre4 ,the smallness of the price for which he sold his ,master--it was less than four pounds of our money1 though the value of this sum was much greater then--proves that there must have been another motive4 ,the traditional conception is inconsistent with ,christ's choice of him to be a disciple2 and it is irreconcilable with the tragic greatness of his repentance4 ,his view of ,christ's enterprise was no doubt of a material cast3 he expected ,christ to be a king1 and hoped to hold a high place in ,his court3 but these ideas were common to all the disciples1 who to the very end were waiting to see their ,master throw off the cloak of ,his humble condition and take to ,himself ,his great power and reign2 only they left the time and the means in their ,master's hands1 not venturing to criticise ,his proceedings4 ,judas was not so patient4 ,he was a man of energy and practicality1 and he allowed himself to believe that he had discerned a defect in the character of his ,master4 ,jesus was too spiritual and unworldly for the enterprise on which he had embarked--too much occupied with healing1 preaching and speculating4 ,these would be well enough when once the kingdom was established2 but ,he was losing ,his opportunities4 ,his delay had turned against ,him the authoritative classes4 ,one vast force1 indeed1 was still on ,his side--the enthusiasm of the populace--but even of it ,he was not taking advantage4 ,when1 on ,palm ,sunday1 ,he was borne into the capital by a crowd throbbing with ,messianic expectation1 ,he seemed to have in ,his hand what ,judas supposed to be the object of ,his life2 but ,he did nothing1 and the crowd dispersed1 disappointed and disheartened4 ,what ,jesus required was to be precipitated into a situation where ,he would be compelled to act4 ,he lacked energy and decision2 but1 if ,he were delivered into the hands of the authorities1 who were known to be seeking ,his life1 ,he could hesitate no longer4 ,when they laid hands on ,him1 ,he would of course liberate ,himself from them1 and ,his miraculous power would exhibit itself in forms so irresistible as to awaken universal enthusiasm4 ,thus would ,his kingdom be set up in magnificence2 and the man whom the king would delight to honour would surely be the humble follower by whose shrewdness and audacity the crisis had been brought about4 ,,ii4 ,even if this were the true history of ,judas1 his conduct would not1 perhaps1 be as innocent as it looks4 ,in the course of ,his life our ,lord had frequently to deal with persons who attempted1 from what appeared to themselves to be good motives1 to interfere with ,his plans--to precipitate ,him into action before ,his time or to restrain ,him when ,his time had come--and ,he always resented such interference with indignation4 ,even ,his own mother was not spared when she played this part4 ,to do ,god's will exactly1 neither more nor less1 neither anticipating it nor lagging behind it1 was the inner-most principle of the life of ,jesus2 and ,he treated any interference with it as a suggestion of the ,evil ,one4 ,still the theory will not hold water4 ,the ,scriptures know nothing of it1 and it is inconsistent with the tone of moral repulsion in which they speak of ,judas4 ,besides1 they assign a totally different motive4 ,they affirm that ,judas was a thief and stole out of the bag from which ,jesus gave to the poor and supplied ,his own wants--a sacrilege which most thieves would have scorned4 ,it is in entire accordance with this that the word with which he approached the ,sanhedrim was1 ,how much will ye give me8 ,that he was willing to accept so little proves how strong his passion was4 ,it is altogether impossible that a character of this kind can have been combined with the generous although mistaken enthusiasm which the theory attributes to him4#a ,but1 on the other hand1 the passion of avarice may easily have been nourished by brooding with disappointment on ,messianic visions2 and the theory of ,de ,quincey may supply important hints for unravelling the mystery of his career4 ,there can be no doubt that at one time the life of ,judas seemed full of promise4 ,jesus1 who was so strict about permitting any to follow ,him1 would not have chosen him into the apostolic circle unless he had exhibited enthusiasm for ,his person and ,his cause4 ,he well knew1 indeed1 that in his motives there was a selfish alloy2 but this was the case with all ,his followers2 and fellowship with ,himself was the fire in which the alloy was to be purged out4 ,in the other apostles this process actually took place3 they were refined by fellowship with ,him4 ,their worldliness1 indeed1 remained to the end of ,his earthly career1 but it was growing less and less2 and other ties1 stronger than their hopes of earthly glory1 were slowly but surely binding them indissolubly to ,his cause4 ,in ,judas1 on the contrary1 the reverse process took place3 what was good in him grew less and less1 and at last the sole bond which held him to ,christ was what he could make out of the connection4 ,when the suspicion first dawned on him that the hope of a ,messianic kingdom was not to be fulfilled1 the inner man of ,judas underwent a critical change4 ,this happened a year before the end1 on the occasion when ,christ resisted the attempt of ,his followers to take ,him by force and make ,him a king1 and when many of ,his disciples went back and walked no more with ,him4 ,at that time ,jesus warned ,judas against the evil spirit which he was allowing to take possession of his mind by the strong saying1 ,have ,i not chosen you twelve8 and one of you is a devil4 ,but the disciple did not heed the warning4 ,perhaps it was at this stage that he commenced to steal from the bag which he carried4 ,he felt that he must have some tangible reward for following ,christ1 and he justified his peculation by saying to himself that what he was taking was infinitely less than he had been led to expect4 ,he regarded himself as an ill-used man4 ,under the practice of this secret sin his character could not but rapidly deteriorate4 ,jesus dropped a word of warning now and then2 but it had the reverse of the desired effect4 ,judas knew that ,jesus knew2 and he grew to hate ,him4 ,this was by far the worst aspect of the case4 ,the other disciples were becoming more and more attached to their ,master1 because they felt increasingly how much they owed ,him2 but ,judas did not feel that he owed ,him anything3 on the contrary1 his feeling was that he had been betrayed4 ,why should he not betray in turn8 ,there may even have been an element of scorn in selling ,christ for so little4 ,more than one of the ,evangelists seem to connect the treachery of ,judas directly with the scene at ,bethany in which ,mary anointed ,jesus with costly ointment4 ,apparently this beautiful act brought all the evil in his heart to such a head that an outbreak could no longer be deferred4 ,his spite found vent in the angry contention that the money ought to have been given to the poor4 ,it was a large sum1 off which he could have taken an unusually large slice of booty4 ,but probably there was more in the occasion to incense ,judas4 ,to him this feasting and anointing1 at the moment when the crisis of ,christ's fortunes had obviously come1 appeared sheer folly2 as a practical man he despised it4 ,it was manifest that the game was up2 a leader loitering and dreaming in this fashion at the crisis of his fate was doomed4 ,it was time to get out of the ship1 for it was clearly sinking2 but he would do so in such a way as to gratify his resentment1 his scorn and his love of money all at once4 ,thus the master-passion of ,judas was nourished from potent springs4 ,but1 indeed1 avarice in itself is one of the most powerful of motives4 ,in the teaching of the pulpit it may seldom be noticed1 but both in ,scripture and in history it occupies a prominent place4 ,it is questionable if anything else makes so many ill deeds to be done4 ,avarice breaks all the commandments4 ,often has it put the weapon into the hand of the murderer2 in most countries of the world it has in every age made the ordinary business of the market-place a warfare of falsehood2 the bodies of men and the hearts of women have been sold for gold4 ,why is it that gigantic wrongs flourish from age to age1 and practices utterly indefensible are continued with the overwhelming sanction of society8 ,it is because there is money in them4 ,avarice is a passion of demonic strength2 but it may help us to keep it out of our hearts to remember that it was the sin of ,judas4 ,,iii4 ,the repentance of ,judas is alleged as the sign of a superior spirit4 ,certainly it is an indication of the goodness which he once possessed1 because it is only by the light of a spark of goodness that the darkness of sin can be perceived2 and the more the conscience has been enlightened the severer is the reaction when it is outraged4 ,those who have in any degree shared the company of ,christ can never afterwards be as if they had not enjoyed this privilege2 and religion1 if it does not save1 will be the cruellest element in the soul's perdition4 ,it is not certain at what point the reaction in the mind of ,judas set in4#b ,there were many incidents of the trial well calculated to awaken in him a revulsion of feeling4 ,at length1 however1 the retributive powers of conscience were thoroughly aroused--those powers which in all literature have formed the theme of the deepest tragedy2 which in the ,bible are typified by ,cain1 escaping as a fugitive and a vagabond from the cry of his brother's blood2 which in ,greek literature are shadowed forth by the terrible figures of the ,eumenides1 with gorgon faces and blood-dropping eyes1 following silently but remorselessly those upon whose track they have been set2 and which in ,shakespeare are represented in the soul-curdling scenes of ,macbeth and ,richard ,,iii4 ,he was seized with an uncontrollable desire to undo what he had done4 ,the money1 on which his heart had been set1 was now like a spectre to his excited fancy4 ,every coin seemed to be an eye through which eternal justice was gazing at his crime or to have a tongue crying out for vengeance4 ,as the murderer is irresistibly drawn back to the spot where his victim lies1 he returned to the place where his deed of treachery had been transacted and1 confronting those by whom he had been employed1 handed back the money with the passionate confession1 ,i have betrayed innocent blood4 ,but he had come to miserable comforters4 ,with cynical disdain they asked1 ,what is that to us8 ,see thou to that4 ,they had been cordial enough to him when he had come before1 but now1 after the instrument has served their turn1 they fling it contemptuously aside4 ,the miserable man had to turn away from the scorn of the partners of his guilt2 but he could keep the money no longer--it was burning in his hands--and1 before escaping from the precincts1 he flung it down4 ,this is said to have happened in that part of the temple which could be entered only by the priests2#c and he must either have made a rush across the forbidden threshold or availed himself of an open door to fling it in4 ,not only did he desire to be rid of it1 but a passionate impulse urged him to leave with the priests their own share of the guilt4 ,then he rushed away from the temple4 ,but where was he going8 ,oh that it had been in him to flee to ,christ--that1 breaking through all obstacles and rules1 he had rushed to ,him wherever ,he was to be found and cast himself at ,his feet6 ,what if the soldiers had cut him down8 ,then he would have been the martyr of penitence1 and that very day he would have been with ,christ in ,paradise4 ,judas repented of his sin2 he confessed it2 he cast from him the reward of iniquity2 but his penitence lacked the element which is most essential of all--he did not turn to ,god4 ,true repentance is not the mere horror and excitement of a terrified conscience3 it is the call of ,god2 it is letting go the evil because the good has prevailed2 it includes faith as well as fear4 ,,iv4 ,the manner of his end is also used as an argument in favour of the more honourable view of ,judas4 ,the act of suicide is one which has not infrequently been invested with a glamour of romance1 and to go out of life the ,roman way1 as it is called1 has been considered1 even by ,christians1 an evidence of unusual strength of mind4 ,the very reverse is1 however1 the true character of suicide3 except in those melancholy cases where the reason is impaired1 it must be pronounced the most contemptible act of which a human being is capable4 ,it is an escape from the burdens and responsibilities of existence2 but these burdens and responsibilities are left to be borne by others1 and along with them is left an intolerable heritage of shame4 ,from a religious point of view it appears in a still worse light4 ,not only does the suicide1 as even heathen writers have argued1 desert the post of duty where ,providence has placed him1 but he virtually denies the character and even the existence of ,god4 ,he denies ,his character1 for1 if he believed in ,his mercy and love1 he would flee to instead of from ,him2 and he denies ,his existence1 for no one who believed that he was to meet ,god on the other side of the veil would dare in this disorderly way to rush into ,his presence4 ,the mode of ,judas' suicide was characteristically base4 ,hanging does not appear to have been at all usual among the ,jews4 ,in the entire ,old ,testament there is said to occur only a single case2 and1 strange to say1 it is that of the man who1 in the principal act of his life also1 was the prototype of ,judas4 ,ahithophel1 the counsellor and friend of ,david1 betrayed his master1 as ,judas betrayed ,christ2 and he came to the same ignominious end4 ,it would seem1 further1 that the hanging of ,judas was accompanied with circumstances of unusual horror4 ,this we gather from the account in the beginning of ,acts4#d ,the terms employed are obscure2 but they probably signify that the suicidal act was attended by a clumsy accident1 in consequence of which the body1 being suspended over a precipice and suddenly dropped by the snapping of the rope1 was mangled in a shocking manner1 which made a profound impression on all who heard of it4#e ,and this sense of his end being accursed was further accentuated in the minds of the early ,christians by the circumstance that the money for which he had sold ,christ was eventually used for the purchase of a graveyard for burying strangers in4 ,the priests1 though they picked up the coins from the floor over which ,judas had strewn them1 did not1 scrupulous men1 consider them good enough to be put in the sacred treasury2 so they applied them to this purpose4 ,the public wit1 hearing of it1 dubbed the place the ,field of ,blood2 and thus the cemetery became a kind of monument to the traitor1 of which he took possession as the first of the outcasts for whom it was designed4 ,the world has agreed to regard ,judas as the chief of sinners2 but1 in so judging1 it has exceeded its prerogative4 ,man is not competent to judge his brother4 ,the master-passion of ,judas was a base one2 ,dante may be right in considering treachery the worst of crimes2 and the supreme excellence of ,christ affixes an unparalleled stigma to the injury inflicted on ,him4 ,but the motives of action are too hidden1 and the history of every deed is too complicated1 to justify us in saying who is the worst of men4 ,it is not at all likely that those whom human opinion would rank highest in merit or saintliness will be assigned the same positions in the rewards of the last day2 and it is just as unlikely that human estimates are right when they venture to assign the degrees of final condemnation4 ,two things it is our duty to do in regard to ,judas3 first1 not so to palliate his sin as to blunt the healthy1 natural abhorrence of it2 and1 secondly1 not to think of him as a sinner apart and alone1 with a nature so different from our own that to us he can be no example4 ,but for the rest1 there is only one verdict which is at once righteous1 dignified and safe2 and it is contained in the declaration of ,st4 ,peter1 that he went to his own place4 #a ,hanna1 in ,the ,last ,day of ,our ,lord's ,passion1 attempts to combine both motives1 but without being able really to unite them2 they remain as distinct as oil and water4 #b ,if1 as ,st4 ,matthew seems to indicate1 ,judas disappeared from the scene long before the end of the trial1 this is strongly against the theory of ,de ,quincey1 according to which he must have stayed to the last moment1 hoping to see ,jesus assert ,himself4 #c ,en to nao4 #d ,st4 ,matthew knows best the beginning1 ,st4 ,luke the end of the story4 #e ,de ,quincey's interpretation of the words as a description of mental anguish must be felt by every reader of the brilliant essay to be forced and unnatural4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,via ,,dolorosa ,we have finished the first part of our theme--the ,trial of ,jesus--and turn now to the second and more solemn part of it--,his ,death4 ,the trial had been little better than a mockery of justice3 on the part of the ecclesiastical authority it was a foregone conclusion1 and on the part of the civil authority it was the surrender of a life acknowledged to be innocent to the ends of selfishness and policy4 ,but at last it was over1 and nothing remained but to carry the unjust sentence into execution4 ,so the tribunal of ,pilate was closed for the day2 the precincts of the palace were deserted by the multitude2 and the procession of death was formed4 ,i4 ,persons condemned to death in modern times are allowed a few weeks1 or at least days1 to prepare for eternity2 but ,jesus was crucified the same day on which ,he was condemned4 ,there was a merciful law of ,rome in existence at the time1 ordaining that ten days should intervene between the passing of a capital sentence and its execution2 but either this was not intended for use in the provinces or ,jesus was judged to be outside the scope of its mercy1 because ,he had made ,himself a king4 ,at all events ,he was hurried straight from the judgment-seat to the place of execution1 without opportunity for preparation or farewells4 ,of course the sentence was carried out by the soldiers of ,pilate4 ,st4 ,john1 indeed1 speaks as if ,pilate had simply surrendered ,him into the hands of the ,jews1 and they had seen to the execution4 ,but this only means that the moral responsibility was theirs4 ,they did everything in their power to identify themselves with the deed4 ,so intent were they on the death of ,jesus1 that they could not leave the work to the proper parties1 but followed the executioners and superintended their operations4 ,the actual work1 however1 was performed by the hands of ,roman soldiers with a centurion at their head4 ,in this country executions are now carried out in private1 inside the walls of the prison in which the criminal has been confined4 ,not many years ago1 however1 they took place in public2 and not many generations ago the procession of death made a tour of the public streets1 that the condemned man might come under the observation and maledictions of as many of the public as possible4 ,this also was the manner of ,christ's death4 ,both among the ,jews and the ,romans executions took place outside the gate of the city4 ,the traditional scene of ,christ's death1 over which the ,church of the ,holy ,sepulchre is built1 is inside the present walls1 but those who believe in its authenticity maintain that it was outside the wall of that date4 ,this1 however1 is extremely doubtful2 and1 indeed1 it is quite uncertain outside which gate of the city the execution took place4 ,the name ,calvary or ,golgotha probably indicates that the spot was a skull-like knoll2 but there is no reason to think that it was a hill of the size supposed by designating it ,mount ,calvary4 ,indeed1 there is no hill near any gate corresponding to the image in the popular imagination4 ,in modern ,jerusalem there is a street pointed out as the veritable ,via ,dolorosa along which the procession passed2 but this also is more than doubtful4 ,like ancient ,rome1 ancient ,jerusalem is buried beneath the rubbish of centuries4#a ,from the scene of the trial to the supposed site of the execution is nearly a mile4 ,and it is quite possible that ,jesus may have had to travel as far or farther1 while an ever-increasing multitude of spectators gathered round the advancing procession4 ,one special indignity connected with the punishment of crucifixion was that the condemned man had to carry on his back through the streets the cross upon which he was about to suffer4 ,in pictures the cross of ,jesus is generally represented as a lofty structure1 such as a number of men would have been needed to carry2 but the reality was something totally different3 it was not much above the height of a man1#b and there was just enough of wood to support the body4 ,but the weight was considerable1 and to carry it on the back which had been torn with scourging must have been excessively painful4 ,another source of intense pain was the crown of thorns1 if1 indeed1 ,he still wore it4 ,we are told that before the procession set out towards ,golgotha the robes of mockery were taken off and ,his own garments put on2 but it is not said that the crown of thorns was removed4 ,most cruel of all1 however1 was the shame4 ,there was a kind of savage irony in making the man carry the implement on which he was to suffer2 and1 in point of fact1 throughout classical literature this mode of punishment is a constant theme of savage banter and derision4#c ,there is evidence that the imagination of ,jesus had occupied itself specially beforehand with this portion of ,his sufferings4 ,long before the end ,he had predicted the kind of death ,he should die2 but even before these predictions had commenced ,he had described the sacrifices which would have to be made by those who became ,his disciples as cross-bearing--as if this were the last extreme of suffering and indignity4 ,did ,he so call it simply because ,his knowledge of the world informed ,him of this as one of the greatest indignities of human life8 or was it the foreknowledge that ,he ,himself was to be one day in this position which coloured ,his language8 ,we can hardly doubt that the latter was the case4 ,and now the hour on which ,his imagination had dwelt was come1 and in weakness and helplessness ,he had to bear the cross in the sight of thousands who regarded ,him with scorn4 ,to a noble spirit there is no trial more severe than shame--to be the object of cruel mirth and insolent triumph4 ,jesus had the lofty and refined self-consciousness of one who never once had needed to cringe or stoop4 ,he loved and honoured men too much not to wish to be loved and honoured by them2 ,he had enjoyed days of unbounded popularity1 but now ,his soul was filled with reproach to the uttermost2 and ,he could have appropriated the words of the ,psalm1 ,i am a worm and no man2 a reproach of men and despised of the people4 ,the reproach of ,christ is all turned into glory now2 and it is very difficult to realise how abject the reality was4 ,nothing perhaps brings this out so well as the fact that two robbers were sent away to be executed with ,him4 ,this has been regarded as a special insult offered to the ,jews by ,pilate1 who wished to show how contemptuously he could treat ,one whom he affected to believe their king4 ,but more likely it is an indication of how little more ,christ was to the ,roman officials than any one of the prisoners whom they put through their hands day by day4 ,pilate1 no doubt1 had been interested and puzzled more than usual2 but1 after all1 ,jesus was only one of many2 ,his execution could be made part of the same job with that of the other prisoners on hand4 ,and so the three1 bearing their crosses1 issued from the gates of the palace together and took the ,dolorous ,way4 ,,ii4 ,though ,he bore ,his own cross out of the palace of ,pilate1 ,he was not able to carry it far4 ,either ,he sank beneath it on the road or ,he was proceeding with such slow and faltering steps that the soldiers1 impatient of the delay1 recognised that the burden must be removed from ,his shoulders4 ,the severity of the scourging was in itself sufficient to account for this breakdown2 but1 besides1 we are to consider the sleepless night through which ,he had passed1 with its anxiety and abuse2 and before it there had been the agony of ,gethsemane4 ,no wonder ,his exhaustion had reached a point at which it was absolutely impossible for ,him to proceed farther with such a burden4 ,one or two of the soldiers might have relieved ,him2 but1 in the spirit of horseplay and mischief which had characterised their part of the proceedings from the moment when ,christ fell into their hands1 they lay hold of a casual passer-by and requisitioned his services for the purpose4 ,he was coming in from the region beyond the gate as they were going out1 and they acted under the sanction of military law or custom4 ,to the man it must have been an extreme annoyance and indignity4 ,doubtless he was bent on business of his own1 which had to be deferred4 ,his family or his friends might be waiting for him1 but he was turned the opposite way4 ,to touch the instrument of death was as revolting to him as it would be to us to handle the hangman's rope2 perhaps more so1 because it was ,passover time1 and this would make him ceremonially unclean4 ,it was a jest of the soldiers1 and he was their laughing-stock4 ,as he walked by the side of the robbers1 it looked as if he were on the way to execution himself4 ,this is a lively image of the cross-bearing to which the followers of ,christ are called4 ,we are wont to speak of trouble of any kind as a cross2 and doubtless any kind of trouble may be borne bravely in the name of ,christ4 ,but1 properly speaking1 the cross of ,christ is what is borne in the act of confessing ,him or for the sake of ,his work4 ,when anyone makes a stand for principle1 because he is a ,christian1 and takes the consequences in the shape of scorn or loss1 this is the cross of ,christ4 ,the pain you may feel in speaking to another in ,christ's name1 the sacrifice of comfort or time you may make in engaging in ,christian work1 the self-denial you exercise in giving of your means that the cause of ,christ may spread at home or abroad1 the reproach you may have to bear by identifying yourself with militant causes or with despised persons1 because you believe they are on ,christ's side--in such conduct lies the cross of ,christ4 ,it involves trouble1 discomfort and sacrifice4 ,one may fret under it1 as ,simon did2 one may sink under it1 as ,jesus did ,himself2 it is ugly1 painful1 shameful often2 but no disciple is without it4 ,our ,master said1 ,he that taketh not his cross and followeth after ,me is not worthy of ,me4 ,,iii4 ,the one thing which makes ,simon an imperfect type of the cross-bearer is that we are uncertain whether or not he bore the burden voluntarily4 ,the ,roman soldiers forced it on him2 but was it force-work and nothing else8 ,some have supposed that he was an adherent of ,christ2 but it is extremely improbable that1 just at the moment when the soldiers needed someone for their purpose1 one of the very few followers of ,jesus should have appeared4 ,the tone of the narrative seems rather to indicate that he was one who happened to be there by mere chance and had nothing to do with the proceedings till1 against his will1 he was made an actor in the drama4 ,he is said by the ,evangelist to have been a ,cyrenian1 that is1 an inhabitant of ,cyrene1 a city in ,north ,africa4 ,strangers from this place are mentioned among those who were present soon after at the ,feast of ,pentecost1 when the ,holy ,spirit descended on the ,church in tongues of fire4 ,and the probability is that ,simon had1 in a similar way1 come from his distant home to the ,passover4#d ,he had come on pilgrimage4 ,perhaps he was a devout soul1 waiting for the consolation of ,israel4 ,in far ,cyrene he may have been praying for the coming of the ,messiah and1 before setting out on this journey1 pleading for a season of unusual blessing4 ,god had heard and was going to answer his prayers1 but in a way totally different from his expectations4 ,for apparently this rencontre issued in his salvation and in the salvation of his house4 ,the ,evangelist calls him familiarly the father of ,alexander and ,rufus4 ,evidently the two sons were well known to those for whom ,st4 ,mark was writing2 that is1 they were members of the ,christian circle4 ,and there can be little doubt that the connection of his family with the ,church was the result of this incident in the father's life4 ,st4 ,mark wrote his ,gospel for the ,christians of ,rome2 and in the ,epistle to the ,romans one ,rufus is mentioned as resident there along with his mother4 ,this may be one of the sons of ,simon4 ,and in ,acts xiii4 #a one ,simeon--the same name as ,simon--is mentioned along with a ,lucius of ,cyrene as a conspicuous ,christian at ,antioch3 he is called ,niger1 or ,black1 a name not surprising for one who had been tanned by the hot sun of ,africa4 ,there are ,alexanders mentioned elsewhere in the ,new ,testament2 but the name was common1 and there is not much probability that any of them is to be identified with ,simon's son4 ,still putting the details aside1 we have sufficiently clear indications that in consequence of this incident ,simon became a ,christian4 ,is it not a significant fact1 proving that nothing happens by chance8 ,had ,simon entered the city one hour sooner1 or one hour later1 his after history might have been entirely different4 ,on the smallest circumstances the greatest results may hinge4 ,a chance meeting may determine the weal or woe of a life4 ,doubtless to ,simon this encounter seemed at the moment the most unfortunate incident that could have befallen him--an interruption1 an annoyance and a humiliation2 yet it turned out to be the gateway of life4 ,thus do blessings sometimes come in disguise1 and out of an apparition1 at the sight of which we cry out for fear1 may suddenly issue the form of the ,son of ,man4 ,but it was not ,simon's own salvation only that was involved in this singular experience1 but that of his family as well4 ,how much may follow when ,christ is revealed to any human soul6 ,the salvation of those yet unborn may be involved in it--of children and children's children4 ,but think how blessed to ,simon would appear in after days the cross-bearing which was at the time so bitter6 ,no doubt it became the romance of his life4 ,and to this day who can help envying him for being allowed to give his strength to the fainting ,saviour and to remove the burden from that bleeding and smarting back8 ,so for all men there is a day coming when any service they have done to ,christ will be the memory of which they will be most proud4 ,it will not be the recollection of the prizes we have won1 the pleasures we have enjoyed1 the discomforts we have escaped1 that will come back to us with delight as we review life from its close2 but1 if we have denied ourselves and borne the cross for ,christ's sake1 the memory of that will be a pillow soft and satisfying for a dying head4 ,in that day we shall wish that the minutes given to ,christ's service had been years1 and the pence pounds2 and every cup of cold water and every word of sympathy and every act of self denial will be so pleasant to remember that we shall wish they had been multiplied a thousandfold4 #a ,interesting details in ,ross's ,cradle of ,christianity4 #b ,a soldier was able to reach up to the lips of ,christ on the cross with a sponge on a reed4 #c ,see ,horace1 ,s4 ii4 #g1 #dg2 ,e4 i4 #af1 #dh4 #d ,many ,jews1 indeed1 who had once been inhabitants of ,cyrene lived in ,jerusalem--old people1 probably1 who had come to lay their bones in holy ground2 for we learn from an incidental notice in the ,acts that they had a synagogue of their own in the city2 and ,simon may have been one of these4 ,but the other is the more likely case4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,daughters ,,of ,,jerusalem ,there are many legends clustering round this portion of our ,lord's history4 ,it is narrated1 for example1 that1 when the divine ,sufferer1 burdened with the cross1 was creeping along feebly and slowly1 ,he leaned against the door of a house which stood in the way1 when the occupier1 striking a blow1 commanded ,him to hurry on2 to which the ,lord1 turning to ,his assailant1 replied1 ,thou shall go on and never stop till ,i come again2 and to this day1 unable to find either rest or death1 the miserable man still posts over the earth1 and shall continue doing so until the ,lord's return4 ,this is the legend of the ,wandering ,jew1 which assumed many forms in the lore of other days and still plays a somewhat prominent part in literature4 ,it is1 ,i suppose1 a fantastic representation1 in the person of an individual1 of the tragic fate of the ,jewish race1 which1 since the day when it laid violent hands on the ,son of ,god1 has had no rest for the sole of its foot4 ,to another story of the ,via ,dolorosa as distinguished a place has been given in art as to the legend of the ,wandering ,jew in literature4 ,veronica1 a lady in ,jerusalem1 seeing ,christ1 as ,he passed by1 sinking beneath ,his burden1 came out of her house and with a towel washed away the blood and perspiration from ,his face4 ,and lo6 when she examined the napkin with which the charitable act had been performed1 it bore a perfect likeness of the ,man of ,sorrows4 ,some of the greatest painters have reproduced this scene1 and it may be understood as teaching the lesson that even the commonest things in life1 when employed in acts of mercy1 are stamped with the image and superscription of ,christ4 ,in ,roman ,catholic churches there may generally be seen round the walls a series of about a dozen pictures1 taken from this part of our ,lord's life4 ,they are denominated the ,stations of the ,cross1 because the worshippers1 going round1 stop to look and meditate on the different scenes4 ,in ,catholic countries the same idea is sometimes carried out on a more imposing scale4 ,on a knoll or hill in the neighbourhood of a town three lofty crosses stand2 the road to them through the town is called ,via ,calvarii1 and at intervals along the way the scenes of our ,lord's sad journey are represented by large frescoes or bas-reliefs4 ,but we really know for certain of only two incidents of the ,via ,dolorosa--that in which our ,lord was relieved of ,his cross by ,simon the ,cyrenian and that1 which we are now to consider1 of the sympathetic daughters of ,jerusalem4 ,i4 ,the reader of the history of our ,lord in its last stages is sated with horrors4 ,in some of the scenes through which we have recently accompanied ,him we have seemed to be among demons rather than men4 ,the mind longs for something to relieve the monstrous spectacles of fanatic hate and cold-blooded cruelty4 ,hence this scene is most welcome1 in which a blink of sunshine falls on the path of woe1 and we are assured that we need not lose faith in the human heart4 ,it was1 indeed1 a surprising demonstration4 ,it would hardly have been credited1 had it not there been made manifest1 that ,jesus had so strong a hold upon any section of the population of ,jerusalem4 ,in the capital ,he had always found the soil very unreceptive4 ,jerusalem was the headquarters of rabbinic learning and priestly arrogance--the home of the ,pharisee and the ,sadducee1 who guided public opinion2 and there1 from first to last1 ,he had made few adherents4 ,it was in the provinces1 especially in ,galilee1 that ,he had been the idol of the populace4 ,it was by the ,galilean pilgrims to the ,passover that ,he was convoyed into the capital with shouts of ,hosanna2 but the inhabitants of the city stood coldly aloof1 and before ,pilate's judgment-seat they cried out1 ,crucify ,him1 crucify ,him6 ,yet now it turns out that ,he has touched the heart of one section at least even of this community3 ,there followed ,him a great company of people and of women1 which#a also bewailed and lamented ,him4 ,some have considered this so extraordinary that they have held these women to be ,galileans2 but ,jesus addressed them as daughters of ,jerusalem4 ,the ,galilean men who had surrounded ,him in ,his hour of triumph put in no appearance now in ,his hour of despair2 but the women of ,jerusalem broke away from the example of the men and paid the tribute of tears to ,his youth1 character and sufferings4 ,it is said that there was a ,jewish law forbidding the showing of any sympathy to a condemned man2 but1 if so1 this demonstration was all the more creditable to those who took part in it4 ,the upwelling of their emotion was too sincere to be dammed back by barriers of law and custom4 ,it is said there is no instance in the ,gospels of a woman being an enemy of ,jesus4 ,no woman deserted or betrayed1 persecuted or opposed ,him4 ,but women followed ,him1 they ministered to ,him of their substance1 they washed ,his feet with tears1 they anointed ,his head with spikenard2 and now1 when their husbands and brothers were hounding ,him to death1 they accompanied ,him with weeping and wailing to the scene of martyrdom4#b ,it is a great testimony to the character of ,christ on the one hand and to that of woman on the other4 ,woman's instinct told her1 however dimly she at first apprehended the truth1 that this was the ,deliverer for her4 ,because1 while ,christ is the ,saviour of all1 ,he has been specially the ,saviour of woman4 ,at ,his advent1 her degradation being far deeper than that of men1 she needed ,him more2 and1 wherever ,his gospel has travelled since then1 it has been the signal for her emancipation and redemption4 ,his presence evokes all the tender and beautiful qualities which are latent in her nature2 and under ,his influence her character experiences a transfiguration4#c ,it has1 indeed1 been contended that there was no great depth in the emotion of the daughters of ,jerusalem2 and we need not deny the fact4 ,their emotion was no outburst of faith and repentance1 carrying with it revolutionary effects1 as tears may sometimes be4 ,it was an overflow of natural feeling1 such as might have been caused by any pathetic instance of misfortune4 ,it was not unlike the tears which may be still made to flow from the eyes of the tender-hearted by a moving account of the sufferings of ,christ2 and we know that such emotions are sometimes far from lasting4 ,our nature consists of several strata1 of which emotion is the most superficial2 and it is not enough that religion should operate in this uppermost region2 it must be thrust down1 through emotion1 into the deeper regions1 such as the conscience and the will1 and catch hold and kindle there1 before it can achieve the mastery of the entire being4 ,but this response of womanhood to ,christ was a beginning2 and therein lay its significance4 ,it was to ,him a foretaste of the splendid devotion which ,he was yet to receive from the womanhood of the world4 ,it was as welcome to ,him in that hour of desertion and reproach as is the sight of a tuft of grass to the thirsty traveller in the desert4 ,the sounds of sympathy flowed over ,his soul as gratefully as the gift of ,mary's love enveloped ,his senses when the house was filled with the odour of the ointment4 ,thus in the ,via ,dolorosa ,jesus experienced two alleviations of ,his suffering3 the strength of a man relieved ,his body of the burden of the cross1 and the pain of ,his soul was cooled by the sympathy of women4 ,is it not a parable--a parable of what men and women can do for ,him still8 ,christ needs the strength of men--the strong arm1 the vigorous hand1 the shoulders that can bear the burden of ,his cause2 ,he seeks from men the mind whose originality can plan what needs to be done1 the resolute will that pushes the work on in spite of opposition1 the liberal hand that gives ungrudgingly what is required for the progress and success of the ,christian enterprise4 ,from women he seeks sympathy and tears4 ,they can give the sensibility which keeps the heart of the world from hardening2 the secret knowledge which finds out the objects of ,christian compassion and wins their confidence2 the enthusiasm which burns like a fire at the heart of religious work4 ,the influence of women is subtle and remote2 but it is on this account all the more powerful2 for they sit at the very fountains1 where the river of human life is springing1 and where a touch may determine its entire subsequent course4 ,,ii4 ,it has been allowed to condemned men in all ages to speak to the crowds assembled to witness their death4 ,the dying speech used in this country to be a regular feature of executions4 ,even in ages of persecution the martyrs were usually allowed1 as they ascended the ladder1 to address the multitude2 and these testimonies1 some of which were of singular power and beauty1 were treasured by the religious section of the community4 ,it is nothing surprising1 therefore1 that ,jesus should have addressed those who followed ,him or should have been permitted to do so4 ,no doubt ,he was at the last point of exhaustion1 but1 when ,he was relieved of the weight of the cross1 ,he was able to rally strength sufficient for this effort4 ,pausing in the road and turning to the women1 whose weeping and wailing were filling ,his ears1 ,he addressed ,himself to them4 ,his words are1 in the first place1 a revelation of ,himself4 ,they show what was demonstrated again and again during the crucifixion--how completely ,he could forget ,his own sufferings in care and anxiety for others4 ,his sufferings had already been extreme2 ,his soul had been filled with injustice and insult2 at this very moment ,his body was quivering with pain and ,his mind darkened with the approach of still more atrocious agonies4 ,yet1 when ,he heard behind ,him the sobs of the daughters of ,jerusalem1 there rushed over ,his soul a wave of compassion in which for the moment ,his own troubles were submerged4 ,we see in ,his words1 too1 the depth and fervour of ,his patriotism4 ,when ,he saw the tears of the women1 the spectacle raised in ,his mind an image of the doom impending over the city whose daughters they were4 ,jerusalem1 as has been already said1 had always been extremely unresponsive to ,him2 she had played to ,him an unmotherly part4 ,none the less1 however1 did ,he feel for her the love of a loyal son4 ,he had shown this a few days before1 when1 in the midst of ,his triumph1 ,he paused on the brow of ,olivet1 where the city came into view1 and burst into a flood of tears1 accompanied with such a lyric cry of affection as has never been addressed to any other city on earth4 ,subsequently1 sitting with ,his disciples over against the temple1 ,he showed how well ,he foreknew the terrible fate which hung over the capital of ,his country1 and how poignantly ,he felt it4 ,the city's doom was nigh at hand3 less than half a century distant3 and it was to be unparalleled in its horror4 ,the secular historian of it1 himself a ,jew1 says in his narrative3 ,there has never been a race on earth1 and there never will be one1 whose sufferings can be matched with those of ,jerusalem in the days of the siege4 ,it was the foresight of this which made ,jesus now say1 ,daughters of ,jerusalem1 weep not for ,me1 but weep for yourselves and for your children4 ,his words1 still further1 reveal ,his consideration for women and children4 ,the tears of the women displayed an appreciation and sympathy for ,him such as the men were incapable of2 but well did ,he deserve them1 for ,his words show that ,he had a comprehension of women and a sympathy with them such as had never before existed in the world4 ,with the force of the imagination and the heart ,he realised how1 in the approaching siege1 the heaviest end of the misery would fall on the female portion of the population1 and how the mothers would be wounded through their children4 ,in that country1 where children were regarded as the crown and glory of womanhood1 the currents of nature would be so completely reversed by the madness of hunger and pain that barrenness would be esteemed fortunate2 and in a country where length of days had been considered the supreme blessing of life they would long and cry for sudden and early death4 ,so it actually turned out4 ,an outstanding feature of the siege of ,jerusalem1 according to the secular historian1 was the suffering of the women and children4 ,besides using every other device of warfare1 the ,romans deliberately resorted to starvation1 and the inhabitants endured the uttermost extremities of hunger4 ,so frenzied did the men become at last that every extra mouth requiring to be filled became an object of delirious suspicion1 and the last morsels were snatched from the lips of the women and children4 ,one is tempted to quote some of the stories of ,josephus about this1 but they are so awful that it would be scarcely decent to repeat them4 ,this was what the quick sympathy of ,jesus enabled ,him to divine2 and ,his compassion gushed forth towards those who were to be the chief sufferers4 ,women and children--how irreverently they have been thought of1 how callously and brutally treated1 since history began6 ,yet they are always the majority of the human race4 ,praise be to ,him who lifted them1 and is still lifting them1 out of the dust of degradation and ill-usage1 and who put in on their behalf the plea of justice and mercy6 ,finally1 there was in the words addressed to the daughters of ,jerusalem an exhortation to repentance4 ,when ,jesus said1 ,weep for yourselves and for your children1 ,he was referring not merely to the approaching calamities of the city1 but to its guilt4 ,this was indicated most clearly in the closing words of ,his address to them--,for if they do these things in a green tree1 what shall be done in the dry8 ,he could speak of ,himself as a green tree4 ,he was young and ,he was innocent2 to this the tears of the women testified2 there was no reason why ,he should die2 yet ,god permitted all these things to happen to ,him4 ,the ,jewish nation ought also to have been a green tree4 ,god had planted and tended it2 it had enjoyed every advantage2 but1 when ,he came seeking fruit on it1 ,he found none4 ,it was withered2 the sap of virtue and godliness had gone out of it2 it was dry and ready for the burning2 and1 when the enemy came to apply the firebrand1 why should ,god interpose8 ,thus did ,jesus attempt once more to awaken repentance4 ,he wished to thrust the impressions of the daughters of ,jerusalem down from the region of feeling into a deeper place4 ,they had given ,him tears of emotion2 ,he desired1 besides these1 tears of contrition2 for in religion nothing is accomplished till impression touches the conscience4 ,whether any of them responded in earnest we cannot tell4 ,not many1 it is to be feared4 ,nor can we tell whether by repentance the destruction of the ,jewish state might still have been averted4 ,at all events1 the fire of invasion soon fell on the dry tree1 and it was burnt up4 ,and since then those who would not weep for their sins before the stroke of punishment fell have had to weep without ceasing4 ,visitors to ,jerusalem at the present day are conducted to a spot called the ,place of ,wailing1 where every ,friday representatives of the race weep for the destruction of their city and temple4#d ,this has gone on for centuries2 and it is only a symbol of the cup of astonishment1 filled to the brim1 which has during many centuries been held to the lips of ,israel4 ,sin must be wept for some time--if not before punishment has fallen1 then after2 if not in time1 then in eternity4 ,this is a lesson for all4 ,and has not that final word of ,jesus a meaning for us even more solemn than it had for those to whom it was first addressed--,if these things be done in a green tree1 what shall be done in the dry8 ,if woe and anguish fell1 as they did1 even on the ,son of ,god1 when ,he was bearing the sins of the world1 what will be the portion of those who have to bear their own8 #a ,the participle refers to the women alone4 #b ,how slow we have been to ask our sister members to help us6--although we read of deaconesses in the early ,church1 and although we do not read of a single woman who was unkind and unfaithful to the ,saviour while here upon earth4 ,men were diabolic in their cruelty to ,him1 but never did a woman betray ,him1 mock ,him1 desert ,him1 nor spit in ,his face4 ,many of them cheered ,him on ,his way to the ,cross1 washing ,his feet with tears before men pierced them with nails1 anointing ,his head with precious perfume in anticipation of the thorns with which men crowned ,him4 ,they wept with ,him on the way to ,calvary1 and were true to ,him to the very end4 ,and are they not devoted and true to ,him still8 ,why1 then1 have we been so long in calling for their services8--,e4 ,,herbert ,,evans1 ,d4,d4 #c ,brace1 ,gesta ,christi4 #d ,striking description in ,baring-,gould1 ,the ,passion of ,jesus1 p4 #ge4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,calvary ,anyone writing on the life of our ,lord must many a time pause in secret and exclaim to himself1 ,it is high as heaven1 what canst thou do8 deeper than hell1 what canst thou know8 ,but we have now arrived at the point where this sense of inadequacy falls most oppressively on the heart4 ,to-day we are to see ,christ crucified4 ,but who is worthy to look at this sight8 ,who is able to speak of it8 ,such knowledge is too wonderful for me2 it is high2 ,i cannot attain unto it4 ,in the presence of such a subject one feels one's mind to be like some tiny creature at the bottom of the sea--as incapable of comprehending it all as is the crustacean of scooping up the ,atlantic in its shell4 ,this spot to which we have come is the centre of all things4 ,here two eternities meet4 ,the streams of ancient history converge here1 and here the river of modern history takes its rise4 ,the eyes of patriarchs and prophets strained forward to ,calvary1 and now the eyes of all generations and of all races look back to it4 ,this is the end of all roads4 ,the seeker after truth1 who has explored the realms of knowledge1 comes to ,calvary and finds at last that he has reached the centre4 ,the weary heart of man1 that has wandered the world over in search of perfect sympathy and love1 at last arrives here and finds rest4 ,think how many souls every ,lord's ,day1 assembled in church and chapel and meeting-house1 are thinking of ,golgotha6 how many eyes are turned thither every day from beds of sickness and chambers of death6 ,lord1 to whom can we go8 ,thou hast the words of eternal life4 ,though1 therefore1 the theme is too high for us1 yet we will venture forward4 ,it is too high for human thought2 yet nowhere else is the mind so exalted and ennobled4 ,at ,calvary poets have sung their sweetest strains1 and artists seen their sublimest visions1 and thinkers excogitated their noblest ideas4 ,the crustacean lies at the bottom of the ocean1 and the world of waters rolls above it2 it cannot in its tiny shell comprehend these leagues upon leagues of solid translucent vastness2 and yet the ocean fills its shell and causes its little body to throb with perfect happiness4 ,and so1 though we cannot take in all the meaning of the scene before which we stand1 yet we can fill mind and heart with it to the brim1 and1 as it sends through our being the pulsations of a life divine1 rejoice that it has a breadth and length1 a height and depth1 which pass understanding4 ,i4 ,the long journey through the streets to the place of execution was at length ended1 and thereby the weary journeyings of the ,sufferer came to a close4 ,the soldiers set about their preparations for the last act4 ,but meanwhile a little incident occurred which the behaviour of ,jesus filled with significance4 ,the wealthy ladies of ,jerusalem had the practice of providing for those condemned to the awful punishment of crucifixion a soporific draught1 composed of wine mixed with some narcotic like gall or myrrh1#a to dull the senses and deaden the pain4 ,it was a benevolent custom2 and the cup was offered to all criminals1 irrespective of their crimes4 ,it was administered immediately before the frightful work of nailing the culprit to the tree commenced4 ,this draught was handed to ,jesus on ,his arrival at ,golgotha4 ,exhausted with fatigue and burning with thirst1 ,he grasped the cup eagerly and lifted it without suspicion to ,his lips4 ,but1 as soon as ,he tasted it and felt the fumes of the stupefying ingredient1 ,he laid it down and would not drink4 ,it was a simple act1 yet full of heroism4 ,he was in that extremity of thirst when a person will drink almost anything2 and ,he was face to face with outrageous torture4 ,in subsequent times many of ,his own faithful martyrs1 on their way to execution1 gladly availed themselves of this merciful provision4 ,but ,he would not allow ,his intellect to be clouded4 ,his obedience was not yet complete2 ,his plan was not fully wrought out2 ,he would keep ,his taste for death pure4 ,i have heard of a woman dying of a frightful malady1 who1 when she was pressed by those witnessing her agony to take an intoxicating draught1 refused1 saying1 ,no1 ,i want to die sober4 ,she had caught1 ,i think1 the spirit of ,christ4 ,this is a very strange place in which to alight on the problem of the use and abuse of those products of nature or art which induce intoxication or stupefaction4 ,roots or juices with such properties have been known to nearly all races1 the savage as well as the civilised2 and they have played a great part in the life of mankind4 ,their history is one of the most curious4 ,they are associated with the mysteries of false religions and with the phenomena of heathen prophecy and witchcraft2 acting on the mind through the senses1 they open up in it a region of mystery1 horror and gloomy magnificence of which the normal man is unconscious4 ,they have always been a favourite resource of the medical art1 and in modern times1 in such forms as opium and other better-known intoxicants1 they have created some of the gravest moral problems4 ,on the wide question of the use of such substances as stimulants we need not at present enter2 it is to their use for the opposite purpose of lowering consciousness that this incident draws attention4 ,that in some cases this use is both merciful and permissible will not be denied4 ,the discovery in our own day1 by one of our own countrymen1 of the use of chloroform is justly regarded as among the greatest benefits ever conferred on the human race4 ,when the unconsciousness thus produced enables the surgeon to perform an operation which might not be possible at all without it1 or when in the crisis of a fever the sleep induced by a narcotic gives the exhausted system power to continue the combat and saves the life1 we can only be thankful that the science of to-day has such resources in its treasury4 ,on the other hand1 however1 there are grave offsets to these advantages4 ,millions of men and women resort to such substances in order to dull the nerves and cloud the brain during pain and sorrow which ,god intended them to face and bear with sober courage1 as ,jesus endured ,his on the cross4 ,on the medical profession rests the responsibility of so using the power placed in their hands as not to destroy the dignity of the most solemn passages of life4#b ,it will for ever remain true that pain and trial are the discipline of the soul2 but to reel through these crises in the drowsy forgetfulness of intoxication is to miss the best chances of moral and spiritual development4 ,men and women are made perfect through suffering2 but that suffering may do its work it must be felt4 ,there is no greater misfortune than to bear too easily the strokes of ,god4 ,a bereavement1 for example1 is sent to sanctify a home2 but it may fail of its mission because the household is too busy1 or because too many are coming and going1 or because tongues1 mistakenly kind and garrulous1 chatter ,god's messenger out of doors4 ,it is natural that physicians and kind friends should try to make sufferers forget their grief4 ,but they may be too successful4 ,though the practice of the ladies of ,jerusalem was a benevolent one1 the gift mixed by their charitable hands appeared to our ,lord a cup of temptation1 and ,he resolutely put it aside4 ,,ii ,all was now ready for the last act1 and the soldiers started their ghastly work4 ,it is not my intention to harrow up the feelings of my readers with minute descriptions of the horrors of crucifixion4#c ,nothing would be easier1 for it was an unspeakably awful form of death4 ,cicero1 who was well acquainted with it1 says3 ,it was the most cruel and shameful of all punishments4 ,let it never1 he adds1 come near the body of a ,roman citizen2 nay1 not even near his thoughts or eyes or ears4 ,it was the punishment reserved for slaves and for revolutionaries1 whose end was intended to be marked by special infamy4 ,the cross was most probably of the form in which it is usually represented--an upright post crossed by a bar near the top4 ,there were other two forms--that of the letter ,t and that of the letter ,x--but1 as the accusation of ,jesus is said to have been put up over ,his head1 there must have been a projection above the bar on which ,his arms were outstretched4 ,the arms were probably bound to the cross-beam1 as without this the hands would have been torn through by the weight4 ,and for a similar reason there was a piece of wood projecting from the middle of the upright beam1 on which the body sat4 ,the feet were either nailed separately or crossed the one over the other1 with a nail through both4 ,it is doubtful whether the body was affixed before or after the cross was elevated and planted in the ground4 ,the head hung free1 so that the dying man could both see and speak to those about the cross4 ,in modern executions the greatest pains are taken to make death as nearly as possible instantaneous1 and any bungling which prolongs the agony excites indignation and horror in the public mind4 ,but the most revolting feature of death by crucifixion was that the torture was deliberately prolonged4 ,the victim usually lingered a whole day1 sometimes two or three days1 still retaining consciousness2 while the burning of the wounds in the hands and feet1 the uneasiness of the unnatural position1 the oppression of overcharged veins and1 above all1 the intolerable thirst were constantly increasing4 ,jesus did not suffer so long2 but ,he lingered for four or five hours4 ,i will not1 however1 proceed further in describing the sickening details4 ,how far all these horrors may have been essential elements in ,his sufferings it would be difficult to say4 ,apart from the prophecies going before which had to be fulfilled1 was it a matter of indifference what death ,he died8 ,would it have served equally well if ,he had been hanged or beheaded or stoned8 ,we cannot tell4 ,only1 when we know the secret of what ,his soul suffered1 we can discern the fitness of the choice of the most shameful and painful of all forms of death for ,his body4#d ,the true sufferings of ,christ were not physical1 but internal4 ,looking on that ,face1 we see the shadow of a deeper woe than smarting wounds and raging thirst and a racking frame--the woe of slighted love1 of a heart longing for fellowship but overwhelmed with hatred2 the woe of insult and wrong1 and of unspeakable sorrow for the fate of those who would not be saved4 ,nor is even this the deepest shadow4 ,there was then in the heart of the ,redeemer a woe to which no human words are adequate4 ,he was dying for the sin of the world4 ,he had taken on ,himself the guilt of mankind1 and was now engaged in the final struggle to put it away and annihilate it4 ,on the cross was hanging not only the body of flesh and blood of the ,man ,christ ,jesus1 but at the same time ,his mystical body--that body of which ,he is the head and ,his people are the members4 ,through this body also the nails were driven1 and on it death took its revenge4 ,his people died with ,him unto sin1 that they might live for evermore4 ,this is the mystery1 but it is also the glory of the scene4 ,till ,he hung on it1 the cross was the symbol of slavery and vulgar wickedness2 but ,he converted it into the symbol of heroism1 self-sacrifice and salvation4 ,it was only a wretched framework of coarse and blood-clotted beams1 which it was a shame to touch2 but since then the world has gloried in it2 it has been carved in every form of beauty and every substance of price2 it has been emblazoned on the flags of nations and engraved on the sceptres and diadems of kings4#e ,the cross was planted on ,golgotha a dry1 dead tree2 but lo6 it has blossomed like ,aaron's rod2 it has struck its roots deep down to the heart of the world1 and sent its branches upwards1 till to-day it fills the earth1 and the nations rest beneath its shadow and eat of its pleasant fruits4#f ,,iii4 ,at length the ghastly preparations were completed2 and in the greedy eyes of ,jewish hatred the ,saviour1 whom they had hunted to death with the ferocity of bloodhounds1 was exposed to full view4 ,but the first triumphant glance of priests1 ,pharisees and populace met with a violent check2 for above the ,victim's head they saw something which cut them to the heart4 ,the practice of affixing to the apparatus of execution a description of the crime prevails in some countries to this day4 ,in the ,life of ,gilmour of ,mongolia there is a description of an execution which he witnessed in ,china2 and in the cart which conveyed the condemned man to the scene of death a board was exhibited describing his misdeeds4 ,the custom was a ,roman one2 and1 besides1 there was generally an official who walked in front of the procession of death and proclaimed the crimes of the condemned4 ,no mention1 however1 of such a functionary appears in the ,gospels2 nor does the inscription appear to have been visible to all till it was affixed to the cross4 ,it was fastened to the top of the upright beam2 and ,pilate made use of this opportunity to pay out the ,jews for the annoyance they had caused him4 ,he had parted from them in anger1 for they had humiliated him2 but he sent after them that which should be a drop of bitterness in their cup of triumph4 ,when they were still at his judgment-seat1 his last blow in his encounter with them had been to pretend to be convinced that ,jesus really was their king4 ,this insult he now prolonged by wording the inscription thus3 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,king of the ,jews4 ,it was as much as to say1 ,this is what becomes of a ,jewish king2 this is what the ,romans do with him2 the king of this nation is a slave1 a crucified criminal2 and1 if such be the king1 what must the nation be whose king he is8 ,so enraged were the ,jews that they sent a deputation to the governor to entreat him to alter the words4 ,no doubt he was delighted to see them2 for their coming proved how thoroughly his sarcasm had gone home4 ,he only laughed at their petition and1 assuming the grand air of authority which became no man so well as a ,roman1 dismissed them with the words1 ,what ,i have written ,i have written4 ,this looked like strength of will and character2 but it was in reality only a covering for weakness4 ,he had his will about the inscription--a trifle2 but they had their will about the crucifixion4 ,he was strong enough to browbeat them1 but he was not strong enough to deny himself4 ,yet1 though the inscription of ,pilate was in his own mind little more than a revengeful jest1 there was in it a ,divine purpose4 ,what ,i have written ,i have written1 he said2 but1 had he known1 he might almost have said1 ,what ,i have written ,god has written4 ,sometimes and at some places the atmosphere is so charged and electric with the ,divine that inspiration alights and burns on everything2 and never was this more true than at the cross4 ,pilate had already unconsciously been almost a prophet when1 pointing to ,jesus1 he said1 ,behold the ,man--a word which still preaches to the centuries4 ,and now1 after being a speaking prophet1 he becomes1 as has been quaintly remarked1 a writing one too2 for his pen was guided by a supernatural hand to indite the words1 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,king of the ,jews4 ,it added greatly to the significance of the inscription that it was written in ,hebrew and ,greek and ,latin4 ,what ,pilate intended thereby was to heighten the insult2 he wished all the strangers present at the ,passover to be able to read the inscription2 for all of them who could read at all would know one of these three languages4 ,but ,providence intended something else4 ,these are the three great languages of the ancient world--the representative languages4 ,hebrew is the tongue of religion1 ,greek that of culture1 ,latin the language of law and government2 and ,christ was declared ,king in them all4 ,on ,his head are many crowns4 ,he is ,king in the religious sphere--the ,king of salvation1 holiness and love2 ,he is ,king in the realm of culture--the treasures of art1 of song1 of literature1 of philosophy belong to ,him1 and shall yet be all poured at ,his feet2 ,he is ,king in the political sphere--,king of kings and ,lord of lords1 entitled to rule in the social relationships1 in trade and commerce1 in all the activities of men4 ,we see not yet1 indeed1 all things put under ,him2 but every day we see them more and more in the process of being put under ,him4 ,the name of ,jesus is travelling everywhere over the earth2 thousands are learning to pronounce it2 millions are ready to die for it4 ,and thus is the unconscious prophecy of ,pilate still being fulfilled4 #a ,one ,evangelist says gall1 another myrrh1 and on this difference harmonists and their antagonists have spent their time2 but surely it is not worth while4 #b ,the distinction between the legitimate and the illegitimate use is not very easy to draw2 but there is an obvious difference between destroying pain for an ulterior purpose and destroying it merely to save the feeling of the sufferer4 #c ,on the details of crucifixion there is an extremely interesting and learned excursus in ,zckler's ,das ,kreus ,christi 7,beilage ,,iii474 ,cicero's ,verrine ,orations contain a good deal that is valuable to a student of the ,passion1 especially in regard to scourging and crucifixion4 ,crucifixion was an extremely common form of punishment in the ancient world2 but the cross of the ,god-,man has put an end to the punishment of the crow4 #d ,zckler maintains that crucifixion1 while the most shameful1 was not absolutely the most painful form of death4 #e ,the appreciation of the significance of the ,cross has gone on in two lines--the ,artistic and the ,doctrinal--both of which arc followed out with varied learning in ,zckler's ,kreus ,christi4 ,the ,english reader may with great satisfaction trace the artistic development in ,mrs4 ,jameson's ,history of our ,lord as exemplified in ,works of ,art1 where the following scheme is given of the varieties of treatment3-- ,symbolical1 when the abstract personifications of the sun and moon1 earth and ocean1 are present4 ,sacrificially symbolical1 when the ,eucharistic cup is seen below the ,cross1 or the pelican feeding her young is placed above it4 ,simply doctrinal1 when the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john stand on each side1 as solemn witnesses2 or our ,lord is drinking the cup1 sometimes literally so represented1 given ,him of the ,father1 while the lance opens the sacramental font4 ,historically ideal1 as when the thieves are joined to the scene1 and sorrowing angels throng the air4 ,historically devotional1 as when the real features of the scene are preserved1 and saints and devotees are introduced4 ,legendary1 as when we see the ,virgin fainting4 ,allegorical and fantastic1 as when the tree is made the principal object1 with its branches terminating in patriarchs and prophets1 virtues and graces4 ,realistic1 as when the mere event is rendered as through the eyes of an unenlightened looker-on4 ,these and many other modes of conception account for the great diversity in the treatment of this subject2 a further variety being given by the combination of two or more of these modes of treatment together2 for instance1 the pelican may be seen above the ,cross giving her life's blood for her offspring2 angels in attitudes of despair1 bewailing the ,second ,person of the ,trinity2 or1 in an ideal sacramental sense1 catching the blood from ,his wounds--the ,jews below looking on1 as they really did1 with contemptuous gestures and hardened hearts2 the centurion acknowledging that this was really the ,son of ,god1 while the group of the fainting ,virgin1 supported by the ,marys and ,st4 ,john1 adds legend to symbolism1 ideality1 and history4 ,in the study of the doctrinal development nothing is so important as the exegesis of the ,new ,testament statements about the ,cross2 and this has been done in a masterly way by ,dr4 ,dale in his work on the ,atonement4 ,what may be called the ,philosophy of the ,cross 7to borrow a happy phrase of ,mc,cheyne ,edgar's7 came late4 ,it is usually reckoned to have commenced with ,anselm2 and since the ,reformation every great theologian has added his contribution4 ,yet the work is by no means completed4 ,indeed1 at the present day there is no greater desideratum in theology than a philosophy of the ,cross which would thoroughly satisfy the religious mind4 ,shallow theories abound2 but the ,church of ,christ will never be able to rest in any theory which does not do justice1 on the one hand1 to the tremendously strong statements of ,scripture on the subject and1 on the other1 to her own consciousness of unique and infinite obligation to the dying ,saviour4 ,perhaps the most satisfactory expression of the ,christian consciousness on the subject is to be found in the hymns of the ,church1 from the ,te ,deum down through ,scotua ,erigena and ,fulbert of ,chartres to ,gerhardt and ,toplady4 ,see ,schaff's ,christ in ,song4 ,a third line of development might be traced--the ,practical--in martyrology1 the history of missions1 asceticism1 and the like2 and the spokesman of this branch of the truth is ,kempis1 who1 as ,zckler says1 teaches his disciples to know poverty and humility as the roots of the tree of the ,cross1 labour and penitence as its bark1 righteousness and mercy as its two principal branches1 truth and doctrine as its precious leaves1 chastity and obedience as its blossoms1 temperance and discipline as its fragrance1 and salvation and eternal life as its glorious fruit4 #f ,when the ,northern nations became ,christian they transferred to the ,cross the nobler ideas embodied in the mystic tree ,igdrasil2 and one of the commonest ideas of the mystical writers of the ,middle ,ages is the identification of the ,cross as both the true tree of life and the true tree of knowledge4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,groups ,,round ,,the ,,cross ,in the last chapter we saw the ,son of ,man nailed to the cursed tree4 ,there ,he hung for hours1 exposed1 helpless1 but conscious1 looking out on the sea of faces assembled to behold ,his end4 ,on the occasion of an execution a crowd gathers outside our jails merely to see the black flag run up which signals that the deed is done2 and in the old days of public executions such an event always attracted an enormous crowd4 ,no doubt it was the same in ,jerusalem4 ,when ,jesus was put to death1 it was ,passover time1 and the city was filled with multitudes of strangers1 to whom any excitement was welcome4 ,besides1 the case of ,jesus had stirred both the capital and the entire country4#a ,the sight which the crowd had come to see was1 we now know1 the greatest ever witnessed in the universe4 ,angels and archangels were absorbed in it2 millions of men and women are looking back to it to-day and every day4 ,but what impressions did it make on those who saw it at the time8 ,to ascertain this1 let us look at three characteristic groups near the cross1 whose feelings were shared in varying degrees by many around them4 ,i4 ,look1 first1 at the group nearest the cross--that of the ,roman soldiers4 ,in the ,roman army it seems to have been a rule that1 when executions were carried out by soldiers1 the effects of the criminals fell as perquisites to those who did the work4 ,though many more soldiers were probably present on this occasion1 the actual details of fixing the beam1 handling the hammer and nails1 hoisting the apparatus1 and so forth1 in the case of ,jesus1 fell to a quaternion of them4 ,to these four1 therefore1 belonged all that was on ,him2 and they could at once proceed to divide the spoil1 because in crucifixion the victim was stripped before being affixed to the cross--a trait of revolting shame4#b ,a large1 loose upper garment1 a head-dress perhaps1 a girdle and a pair of sandals1 and1 last of all1 an under garment1 such as ,galilean peasants were wont to wear1 which was all of a piece and had perhaps been knitted for ,him by the loving fingers of ,his mother--these articles became the booty of the soldiers4 ,they formed the entire property which ,jesus had to leave1 and the four soldiers were ,his heirs4 ,yet this was ,he who bequeathed the vastest legacy that ever has been left by any human being--a legacy ample enough to enrich the whole world4 ,only it was a spiritual legacy--of wisdom1 of influence1 of example4 ,the soldiers1 their ghastly task over1 sat down at the foot of the cross to divide their booty4 ,they obtained from it not only profit but amusement2 for1 after dividing the articles as well as they could1 they had to cast lots about the last1 which they could not divide4 ,one of them fetched some dice out of his pocket--gambling was a favourite pastime of ,roman soldiers--and they settled the difficulty by a game4 ,look at them--chaffering1 chattering1 laughing2 and1 above their heads1 not a yard away1 that ,figure4 ,what a picture6 ,the ,son of ,god atoning for the sins of the world1 whilst angels and glorified spirits crowd the walls of the celestial city to look down at the spectacle2 and1 within a yard of ,his sacred ,person1 the soldiers1 in absolute apathy1 gambling for these poor shreds of clothing6 ,so much1 and no more1 did they perceive of the stupendous drama they were within touch of4 ,for it is not only necessary to have a great sight to make an impression2 quite as necessary is the seeing eye4 ,there are those to whom this earth is sacred because ,jesus ,christ has trodden it2 the sky is sacred because it has bent above ,him2 history is sacred because ,his name is inscribed on it2 the daily tasks of life are all sacred because they can be done in ,his name4 ,but are there not multitudes1 even in ,christian lands1 who live as if ,christ had never lived1 and to whom the question has never occurred1 ,what difference does it make to us that ,jesus died in this world of which we are inhabitants8 ,,ii4 ,look now at a second group1 much more numerous than the first1 consisting of the members of the ,sanhedrim4 ,after condemning ,jesus in their own court1 they had accompanied ,him through stage after stage of ,his civil trial1 until at last they secured ,his condemnation at the tribunal of ,pilate4 ,when at last ,he was handed over to the executioners1 it might have been expected that they would have been tired of the lengthy proceedings and glad to escape from the scene4 ,but their passions had been thoroughly aroused1 and their thirst for revenge was so deep that they could not allow the soldiers to do their own work1 but1 forgetful of dignity1 accompanied the crowd to the place of execution and stayed to glut their eyes with the spectacle of their ,victim's sufferings4 ,even after ,he was lifted up on the tree1 they could not keep their tongues off ,him or give ,him the dying man's privilege of peace2 but1 losing all sense of propriety1 they made insulting gestures and poured on ,him insulting cries4 ,naturally the crowd followed their example1 till not only the soldiers took it up1 but even the thieves who were crucified with ,him joined in4 ,so that the crowd under ,his eyes became a sea of scorn1 whose angry waves dashed up about ,his cross4 ,the line taken was to recall all the great names which ,he had claimed1 or which had been applied to ,him1 and to contrast them with the position in which ,he now was4 ,the ,son of ,god1 ,the ,chosen of ,god1 ,the ,king of ,israel1 ,the ,christ1 ,the ,king of the ,jews1 ,thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days--with these epithets they pelted ,him in every tone of mockery4 ,they challenged ,him to come down from the cross and they would believe ,him4 ,this was their most persistent cry--,he had saved others1 but ,himself ,he could not save4 ,they had always maintained that it was by the power of devils ,he wrought ,his miracles2 but these evil powers are dangerous to palter with2 they may lend their virtue for a time1 but at last they appear to demand their price2 at the most critical moment they leave him who has trusted them in the lurch4 ,this was what had happened to ,jesus2 now at last the wizard's wand was broken and ,he could charm no more4 ,as they thus poured out the gall which had long been accumulating in their hearts1 they did not notice that1 in the multitude of their words1 they were using the very terms attributed in the twenty-second ,psalm to the enemies of the holy ,sufferer3 ,he trusted in ,god2 let ,him deliver ,him now1 if ,he will have ,him2 for ,he said1 ,i am the ,son of ,god4 ,cold-blooded historians have doubted whether they could have made such a slip without noticing it2 but1 strange to say1 there is an exact modern parallel4 ,when one of the ,swiss reformers was pleading before the papal court1 the president interrupted him with the very words of ,caiaphas to the ,sanhedrim3 ,he hath spoken blasphemy3 what further need have we of witnesses8 ,what think ye8 and they all answered1 ,he is worthy of death2 without noticing1 till he reminded them1 that they were quoting ,scripture4#c ,jesus might have answered the cries of ,his enemies2 because to one hanging on the cross it was possible not only to hear and see1 but also to speak4 ,however1 ,he answered never a word--when ,he was reviled1 ,he reviled not again1 as a sheep before her shearers is dumb1 so ,he opened not ,his mouth4 ,this was not1 however1 because ,he did not feel4 ,more painful than the nails which pierced ,his body were these missiles of malice shot at ,his mind4 ,the human heart laid bare its basest and blackest depths under ,his very eyes2 and all its foul scum was poured over ,him4 ,was it a temptation to ,him1 one wonders1 when so often from every side the invitation was given ,him to come down from the cross8 ,this was substantially the same temptation as was addressed to ,him at the opening of ,his career1 when ,satan urged ,him to cast ,himself from the pinnacle of the temple4 ,it had haunted ,him in various forms all ,his life through4 ,and now it assails ,him once more at the crisis of ,his fate4 ,they thought ,his patience was impotence and ,his silence a confession of defeat4 ,why should ,he not let ,his glory blaze forth and confound them8 ,how easily ,he could have done it6 ,yet no2 ,he could not4 ,they were quite right when they said1 ,he saved others1 ,himself ,he cannot save4 ,had ,he saved ,himself1 ,he would not have been the ,saviour4 ,yet the power that kept ,him on the cross was a far mightier one than would have been necessary to leave it4 ,it was not by the nails through ,his hands and feet that ,he was held1 nor by the ropes with which ,his arms were bound1 nor by the soldiers watching ,him2 no1 but by invisible bands--by the cords of redeeming love and by the constraint of a ,divine design4 ,of this1 however1 ,his enemies had no inkling4 ,they were judging ,him by the most heathenish standard4 ,they had no idea of power but a material one1 or of glory but a selfish one4 ,the ,saviour of their fancy was a political deliverer1 not ,one who could save from sin4 ,and to this day ,christ hears the cry from more sides than one1 ,come down from the cross1 and we will believe ,thee4 ,it comes from the spiritually shallow1 who have no sense of their own unworthiness or of the majesty and the rights of a holy ,god4 ,they do not understand a theology of sin and punishment1 of atonement and redemption2 and all the deep significance of ,his death has to be taken out of ,christianity before they will believe it4 ,it comes1 too1 from the morally cowardly and the worldly-minded1 who desire a religion without the cross4 ,if ,christianity were only a creed to believe1 or a worship in whose celebration the aesthetic faculty might take delight1 or a private path by which a man might pilgrim to heaven unnoticed1 they would be delighted to believe it2 but1 because it means confessing ,christ and bearing ,his reproach1 mingling with ,his despised people and supporting ,his cause1 they will have none of it4 ,none can honour the cross of ,christ who have not felt the humiliation of guilt and entered into the secret of humility4 ,,iii4 ,let our attention now be directed to a third group4 ,and again it is a comparatively small one4 ,as the eyes of ,jesus wandered to and fro over the sea of faces upturned to ,his own--faces charged with every form and degree of hatred and contempt--was there no point on which they could linger with satisfaction8 ,yes1 among the thorns there was one lily4 ,on the outskirts of the crowd there stood a group of ,his acquaintances and of the women who followed ,him from ,galilee and ministered unto ,him4 ,let us enumerate their honoured names1 as far as they have been preserved--,mary ,magdalene1 and ,mary the mother of ,james and ,joses ,transcriber's note3 ,joseph81 and the mother of ,zebedee's children4 ,their position1 afar off1 probably indicates that they were in a state of fear4 ,it was not safe to be too closely identified with ,one against whom the authorities cherished such implacable feelings2 and they may have been quite right not to make themselves too conspicuous4 ,apart from the danger to which they might be exposed1 they had a whole tempest of trouble in their hearts4 ,as yet they knew not the ,scriptures that ,he must rise again from the dead2 and this collapse of the cause in which they had embarked their all for time and for eternity was a bewildering calamity4 ,they had trusted that it had been ,he who should have redeemed ,israel1 and that ,he would live and reign over the redeemed race forever4 ,and there ,he was1 perishing before their eyes in defeat and shame4 ,their faith was at the very last ebb4 ,or say1 rather1 it survived only in the form of love4 ,bewildered as were their ideas1 ,he had as firm a hold as ever on their hearts4 ,they loved ,him2 they suffered with ,him2 they could have died for ,him4 ,may we not believe that the eyes of ,jesus1 as long as they were able to see1 turned often away from the brutal soldiers beneath ,his feet1 and from the sea of distorted faces1 to this distant group8 ,in some respects1 indeed1 their aspect might be more trying to ,him than even the hateful faces of ,his enemies2 for sympathy will sometimes break down a strong heart that is proof against opposition4 ,yet this neighbourly sympathy and womanly love must1 on the whole1 have been a profound comfort and support4 ,he was sustained all through ,his sufferings by the thought of the multitudes without number who would benefit from what ,he was enduring2 but here before ,his eyes was an earnest of ,his reward2 and in them ,he saw of the travail of ,his soul and was satisfied4 ,in these three groups1 then1 we see three predominant states of mind--in the soldiers apathy1 in the ,sanhedrim antipathy1 in the ,galileans sympathy4 ,has it ever occurred to you to ask in which group you would have been had you been there8 ,this is a searching question4 ,of course it is easy now to say which were right and which were wrong4 ,it is always easy to admire the heroes and the causes of bygone days2 but it is possible to do so and yet be apathetic or antipathetic to those of our own4 ,even the ,roman soldiers at the foot of the cross admired ,romulus and ,cincinnatus and ,brutus1 though they had no feeling for ,one at their side greater than these4 ,the ,jews who were mocking ,christ admired ,moses and ,samuel and ,isaiah4 ,christ is still bearing ,his cross through the streets of the world1 and is hanging exposed to contempt and ill-treatment2 and it is possible to admire the ,christ of the ,bible and yet be persecuting and opposing the ,christ of our own century4 ,the ,christ of to-day signifies the truth1 the cause1 the principles of ,christ1 and the men and women in whom these are embodied4 ,we are either helping or hindering those movements on which ,christ has set ,his heart2 often1 without being aware of it1 men choose their sides and plan and speak and act either for or against ,christ4 ,this is the ,passion of our own day1 the ,golgotha of our own city4 ,but it comes nearer than this4 ,the living ,christ ,himself is still in the world3 ,he comes to every door2 ,his ,spirit strives with every soul4 ,and ,he still meets with these three kinds of treatment--apathy1 antipathy1 sympathy4 ,as a magnet1 passing over a heap of objects1 causes those to move and spring out of the heap which are akin to itself1 so redeeming love1 as revealed in ,christ1 passing over the surface of mankind century after century1 has the power so to move human hearts to the very depths that1 kindling with admiration and desire1 they spring up and attach themselves to ,him4 ,this response may be called faith1 or love1 or spirituality1 or what you please2 but it is the very test and touchstone of eternity1 for it is separating men and women from the mass and making them one for ever with the life and the love of ,god4 #a ,keim strangely surmises that there was no great crowd2 but this is impossible4 #b ,as1 however1 the ,jews would have objected to this1 ,edersheim argues--but not convincingly--that there must have been at least a slight covering4 #c ,sskind1 ,passionsschule1 in loc4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,first ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross#a ,in the last chapter we saw the impressions made by the crucifixion on the different groups round the cross4 ,on the soldiers1 who did the deed1 it made no impression at all2 they were absolutely blind to the wonder and glory of the scene in which they were taking part4 ,on the members of the ,sanhedrim1 and the others who thought with them1 it had an extraordinary effect3 the perfect revelation of goodness and spiritual beauty threw them into convulsions of angry opposition4 ,even the group of the friends of ,jesus1 standing afar off1 saw only a very little way into the meaning of what was taking place before their eyes3 the victory of their ,master over sin1 death and the world appeared to them a tragic defeat4 ,so true is it1 as ,i said1 that1 when something grand is to be seen1 there is required not only the object but the seeing eye4 ,the image in a mirror depends not only on the object reflected but on the quality and the configuration of the glass4 ,we wish1 however1 to see the scene enacted on ,calvary in its true shape2 and where shall we look8 ,there was one mind there in which it was mirrored with perfect fidelity4 ,if we could see the image of the crucifixion in the mind of ,jesus ,himself1 this would reveal its true meaning4 ,but in what way can we ascertain how it appeared to ,him1 as from ,his painful station ,he looked forth upon the scene8 ,the answer is to be found in the sentences which he uttered1 as ,he hung1 before ,his senses were stifled by the mists of death4 ,these are like windows through which we can see what was passing in ,his mind4 ,they are mere fragments1 of course2 yet they are charged with eternal significance4 ,words are always photographs1 more or less true1 of the mind which utters them2 these were the truest words ever uttered1 and ,he who uttered them stamped on them the image of ,himself4 ,they are seven in number1 and it will be to our advantage to linger on them2 they are too precious to be taken summarily4 ,the sayings of the dying are always impressive4 ,we never forget the deathbed utterances of a parent or a bosom friend2 the last words of famous men are treasured for ever4 ,in ,scripture ,jacob1 ,joseph1 ,moses1 and other patriarchal men are represented as having risen on their deathbeds far above themselves and spoken in the tones of a higher world2 and in all nations a prophetic importance has been attached to the words of the dying4 ,now1 these are the dying words of ,christ2 and1 as all ,his words are like gold to silver in comparison with those of other men1 so these1 in comparison with the rest of ,his words1 are as diamonds to gold4 ,in the ,first ,word three things are noticeable--the ,invocation1 the ,petition1 and the ,argument4 ,i4 ,it was not unusual for crucified persons to speak on the cross2 but their words usually consisted of wild expressions of pain or bootless entreaties for release1 curses against ,god or imprecations on those who had inflicted their sufferings4 ,when ,jesus had recovered from the swooning shock occasioned by the driving of the nails into ,his hands and feet1 ,his first utterance was a prayer1 and ,his first word ,father4 ,was it not an unintentional condemnation of those who had affixed ,him there8 ,it was in the name of religion they had acted and in the name of ,god2 but which of them was thus impregnated through and through with religion8 which of them could pretend to a communion with ,god so close and habitual8 ,evidently it was because prayer was the natural language of ,jesus that at this moment it leapt to ,his lips4 ,it is a suspicious case when in any trial1 especially an ecclesiastical one1 the condemned is obviously a better man than the judges4 ,the word ,father1 further1 proved that the faith of ,jesus was unshaken by all through which ,he had passed and by that which ,he was now enduring4 ,when righteousness is trampled underfoot and wrong is triumphant1 faith is tempted to ask if there is really a ,god1 loving and wise1 seated on the throne of the universe1 or whether1 on the contrary1 all is the play of chance4 ,when prosperity is turned suddenly into adversity and the structure of the plans and hopes of a life is tumbled in confusion to the ground1 even the child of ,god is apt to kick against the ,divine will4 ,great saints have been driven1 by the pressure of pain and disappointment1 to challenge ,god's righteousness in words which it is not lawful for a man to utter4 ,but1 when the fortunes of ,jesus were at the blackest1 when ,he was baited by a raging pack of wolf-like enemies1 and when ,he was sinking into unplumbed abysses of pain and desertion1 ,he still said ,father4 ,it was the apotheosis of faith1 and to all time it will serve as an example2 because it was gloriously vindicated4 ,if ever the hand of the ,creator seemed to be withdrawn from the rudder of the universe1 and the course of human affairs to be driving down headlong into the gulf of confusion1 it was when ,he who was the embodiment of moral beauty and worth had to die a shameful death as a malefactor4 ,could good by any possibility rise out of such an abyss of wrong8 ,the salvation of the world came out of it2 all that is noblest in history came out of it4 ,this is the supreme lesson to ,god's children never to despair4 ,all may be dark2 everything may seem going to rack and ruin2 evil may seem to be enthroned on the seat of ,god2 yet ,god liveth2 ,he sits above the tumult of the present2 and ,he will bring forth the dawn from the womb of the darkness4 ,,ii4 ,the prayer which followed this invocation was still more remarkable3 it was a prayer for the pardon of ,his enemies4 ,in the foregoing pages we have seen to what kind of treatment ,he was subjected from the arrest onwards--how the minions of authority struck and insulted ,him1 how the high priests twisted the forms of law to ensnare ,him1 how ,herod disdained ,him1 how ,pilate played fast and loose with ,his interests1 how the mob howled at ,him4 ,our hearts have burned with indignation as one depth of baseness has opened beneath another2 and we have been unable to refrain from using hard language4 ,the comment of ,jesus on it all was1 ,father1 forgive them4 ,long ago1 indeed1 ,he had taught men1 ,love your enemies1 bless them that curse you1 do good to them that hate you1 and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you4 ,but this morality of the ,sermon on the ,mount had been considered1 as the world still inclines to consider it1 a beautiful dream4 ,there have been many teachers who have said such beautiful things2 but what a difference there is between preaching and practice6 ,when you have been delighted with the sentiments of an author1 it is frequently well that you know no more about him2 because1 if you chance to become acquainted with the facts of his own life1 you experience a painful disillusionment4 ,have not students even of our own ,english literature in very recent times learned to be afraid to read the biographies of literary men1 lest the beautiful structure of sentiments which they have gathered from their writings should be shattered by the truth about themselves8 ,but ,jesus practised what ,he taught4 ,he is the one teacher of mankind in whom the sentiment and the act completely coincide4 ,his doctrine was the very highest3 too high it often seems for this world4 ,but how much more practical it appears when we see it in action4 ,he proved that it can be realised on earth when on the cross ,he prayed1 ,father1 forgive them4 ,few of us1 perhaps1 know what it is to forgive4 ,we have never been deeply wronged2 very likely many of us have not a single enemy in the world4 ,but those who have are aware how difficult it is2 perhaps nothing else is more difficult4 ,revenge is one of the sweetest satisfactions to the natural heart4 ,the law of the ancient world was1 at least in practice1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy4 ,even saints1 in the ,old ,testament1 curse those who have persecuted and wronged them in terms of uncompromising severity4 ,had ,jesus followed these and1 as soon as ,he was able to speak1 uttered to ,his ,father a complaint in which the conduct of ,his enemies was branded in the terms it deserved1 who would have ventured to find fault with ,him8 ,even in that there might have been a revelation of ,god2 because in the ,divine nature there is a fire of wrath against sin4 ,but how poor would such a revelation have been in comparison with the one which ,he now made4 ,all ,his life ,he was revealing ,god2 but now ,his time was short2 and it was the very highest in ,god ,he had to make known4 ,in this word ,christ revealed ,himself2 but at the same time ,he revealed the ,father4 ,all ,his life long the ,father was in ,him1 but on the cross the divine life and character flamed in ,his human nature like the fire in the burning bush4 ,it uttered itself in the word2 ,father1 forgive them2 and what did it tell8 ,it told that ,god is love4 ,,iii4 ,the expiring ,saviour backed up ,his prayer for the forgiveness of ,his enemies with the argument--,for they know not what they do4 ,this allows us to see further still into the divine depths of ,his love4 ,the injured are generally alive only to their own side of the case2 and they see only those circumstances which tend to place the conduct of the opposite party in the worst light4 ,but at the moment when the pain inflicted by ,his enemies was at the worst ,jesus was seeking excuses for their conduct4 ,the question has been raised how far the excuse which ,he made on their behalf applied4 ,could it be said of them all that they knew not what they were doing8 ,did not ,judas know8 did not the high priests know8 did not ,herod know8 ,apparently it was primarily to the soldiers who did the actual work of crucifixion that ,jesus referred2 because it was in the very midst of their work that the words were uttered1 as may be seen in the narrative of ,st4 ,luke4 ,the soldiers1 the rude uninstructed instruments of the government1 were the least guilty among the assailants of ,jesus4 ,next to them1 perhaps1 came ,pilate2 and there were different stages and degrees down1 through ,herod and the ,sanhedrim1 to the unspeakable baseness of ,judas4 ,but ,st4 ,peter1 in the beginning of ,acts1 expressly extends the plea of ignorance so far as to cover even the ,sanhedrists--,and now1 brethren1 ,i wot that through ignorance ye did it1 as did also your rulers--and who will believe that the heart of the ,saviour was less comprehensive than that of the disciple8 ,let us not be putting limits to the divine mercy4 ,it is true of every sinner1 in some measure1 that he knows not what he does4 ,and to a true penitent1 as he approaches the throne of mercy1 it is a great consolation to be assured that this plea will be allowed4 ,penitent ,st4 ,paul was comforted with it3 ,god had mercy on me1 because ,i did it ignorantly in unbelief4 ,god knows all our weakness and blindness2 men will not make allowance for it or even understand it2 but ,he will understand it all1 if we come to hide our guilty head in ,his bosom4 ,of course this blessed truth may be perverted by an impenitent heart to its own undoing4 ,there is no falser notion than that expressed in the ,french proverb1 ,tout comprendre est tout pardonner 7,to understand everything is to pardon everything71 for it means that man is the mere creature of circumstances and has no real responsibility for his actions4 ,how far our ,lord was from this way of thinking is shown by the fact that ,he said1 ,forgive them4 ,he knew that they needed forgiveness2 which implies that they were guilty4 ,indeed1 it was ,his vivid apprehension of the danger to which their guilt exposed them that made ,him forget ,his own sufferings and fling ,himself between them and their fate4 ,it has been asked1 ,was this prayer answered8 were the crucifiers of ,jesus forgiven8 ,to this it may be replied that a prayer for forgiveness cannot be answered without the co-operation of those prayed for4 ,unless they repent and seek pardon for themselves1 how can ,god forgive them8 ,the prayer of ,jesus1 therefore1 meant that time should be granted them for repentance1 and that they should be plied with providences and with preaching1 to awaken their consciences4 ,to punish so appalling a crime as the crucifixion of ,his ,son1 ,god might have caused the earth to open on the spot and swallow the sinners up4 ,but no judgment of the kind took place4 ,as ,jesus had predicted1 ,jerusalem perished in indescribable throes of agony2 but not till forty years after ,his death2 and in this interval the pouring out of the ,spirit at ,pentecost took place1 and the apostles began their preaching of the kingdom at ,jerusalem1 urgently calling the nation to repentance4 ,nor was their work in vain2 for thousands believed4 ,even before the scene of the crucifixion terminated1 one of the two thieves crucified along with ,jesus1 who had taken part in reviling ,him1 was converted2 and the centurion who superintended the execution confessed ,him as the ,son of ,god4 ,after all was over1 multitudes who had beheld the sight went away smiting their breasts4#b ,we have no reason to doubt1 therefore1 that even in this direct sense the prayer received an abundant answer4 ,but this was a prayer of a kind which may also be answered indirectly4 ,besides the effect which prayer has in procuring specific petitions1 it acts reflexly on the spirit of the person who offers it1 calming1 sweetening1 invigorating4 ,although some erroneously regard this as the only real answer that prayer can receive1 denying that ,god can be moved by our petitions1 yet we1 who believe that more things are wrought by prayer1 ought not to overlook this4 ,by praying that ,his enemies might be forgiven1 ,jesus was enabled to drive back the spirits of anger and revenge which tried to force their way into ,his bosom1 and preserved undisturbed the serenity of ,his soul4 ,to ask ,god to forgive them was the triumphant ending of ,his own effort to forgive2 and it is impossible to forgive without a delicious sense of deliverance and peace being shed abroad in the forgiving heart4 ,may we not add that part of the answer to this prayer has been its repetition age after age by the persecuted and wronged8 ,st4 ,stephen led the way1 in the article of death praying meekly after the fashion of his ,master1 ,lord1 lay not this sin to their charge4 ,hundreds have followed4 ,and day by day this prayer is diminishing the sum of bitterness and increasing the amount of love in the world4 #a ,father1 forgive them2 for they know not what they do4 #b ,luke xxiii4 #dh4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,second ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross#a ,i4 ,it is not said by whose arrangement it was that ,jesus was hung between the two thieves4 ,it may have been done by order of ,pilate1 who wished in this way to add point to the witticism which he had put into the inscription above the cross2 or the arrangement may have been due to the ,jewish officials1 who followed their ,victim to ,golgotha and may have persuaded the soldiers to give ,him this place1 as an additional insult2 or the soldiers may have done it of their own accord1 simply because ,he was obviously the most notable of their prisoners4 ,the likelihood is that there was malice in it4 ,yet there was a divine purpose behind the wrath of man4 ,again and again one has to remark how1 in these last scenes1 every shred of action and every random word aimed at ,jesus for the purpose of injuring and dishonouring ,him so turned1 instead1 to honour1 that in our eyes1 now looking back1 it shines on ,him like a star4 ,as a fire catches the lump of dirty coal or clot of filth that is flung into it1 and converts it into a mass of light1 so at this time there was that about ,christ which transmuted the very insults hurled at ,him into honours and charged even the incidents of ,his crucifixion which were most trivial in themselves with unspeakable meaning4 ,the crown of thorns1 the purple robe1 ,pilate's ,ecce ,homo1 the inscription on the cross1 the savage cries of the passers-by and other similar incidents1 full at the time of malice1 are now memories treasured by all who love the ,saviour4 ,so ,his position between the thieves was ordained by ,god as well as by men4 ,it was ,his right position4 ,they had called ,him long before a friend of publicans and sinners2 and now1 by crucifying ,him between the thieves1 they put the same idea into action4 ,as1 however1 that nickname has become a title of everlasting honour1 so has this insulting deed4 ,jesus came to the world to identify ,himself with sinners2 their cause was ,his1 and ,he wrapped up ,his fate with theirs2 ,he had lived among them1 and it was meet that ,he should die among them4 ,to this day ,he is in the midst of them2 and the strange behaviour of the two between whom ,he hung that day was a prefigurement of what has been happening every day since3 some sinners have believed on ,him and been saved1 while others have believed not3 to the one ,his gospel is a savour of life unto life1 to the other it is a savour of death unto death4 ,so it is to be till the end2 and on the great day when the whole history of this world shall be wound up ,he will still be in the midst2 and the penitent will be on the one hand and the impenitent on the other4 ,but it was not in one way only that the divine wisdom overruled for high ends of its own the humiliating circumstance that ,jesus was thus reckoned with the transgressors4 ,it gave ,him an opportunity of illustrating1 at the very last moment1 both the magnanimity of ,his own character and the nature of ,his mission2 and at the moment when ,he needed it most it supplied ,him with a cup of what had always been to ,him the supreme joy of living--the bliss of doing good4 ,as the parable of the ,prodigal ,son is an epitome of the whole teaching of ,christ1 so is the salvation of the thief on the cross the life of ,christ in miniature4 ,,ii4 ,both thieves appear to have joined in taunting ,jesus1 in imitation of the ,sanhedrists4 ,this has1 indeed1 been doubted or denied by those1 of whom there have been many1 who have experienced difficulty in understanding how so complete a revolution as the conversion of the penitent thief could take place in so short a time4 ,two of the ,evangelists say that those crucified with ,him reviled ,him2 but it is just possible grammatically to explain this as referring only to one of them2 because sometimes an action is attributed to a class1 though only one person of the class has done it4#b ,the natural interpretation1 however1 is that both did it4 ,it is likely enough1 indeed1 that the one who did not repent began it1 and that the other joined in1 less of his own accord than in imitation of his reckless associate4 ,very probably this was not the first time that he had been dragged into sin by the same attraction4 ,his companion may have been his evil genius1 who had ruined his life and brought him at last to this shameful end4 ,it was an awful extreme of wickedness to be engaged1 so near their own end1 in hurling opprobrious words at a fellow-sufferer4 ,of course1 the very excess of pain made crucified persons reckless2 and to be engaged doing anything1 especially anything violent1 helped to make them forget their agony4 ,it mattered not who or what was the object of attack2 they were reduced to the condition of tortured animals2 and the trapped brute bites at anything which approaches it4 ,this was the state of the impenitent thief4 ,but the other drew back from his companion with horror4 ,the very excess of sin overleaped itself2 and for the first time he saw how vile a wretch he was4 ,this was brought home to him by the contrast of the patience and peace of ,jesus4 ,his brutal companion had hitherto been his ideal2 but now he perceives how base is his ferocious courage in comparison with the strength of ,christ's serene endurance4 ,the desire to explain away the suddenness of the conversion has led to all sorts of conjectures as to the possibility of previous meetings between the thief and ,christ4 ,it is quite legitimate to dwell on what he had seen of the behaviour of ,jesus from the moment when they were brought into contact in the crucifixion4 ,he had heard ,him pray for the forgiveness of ,his enemies2 he had witnessed ,his demeanour on the way to ,calvary and heard ,his words to the daughters of ,jerusalem2 the very cries of ,his enemies round the cross1 when they cast in ,his teeth the titles which ,he had claimed or which had been attributed to ,him1 informed him what were the pretensions of ,jesus2 perhaps he may have witnessed and heard the trial before ,pilate4 ,but1 when we attempt to go further back1 we have nothing solid to found upon4 ,had he ever heard ,jesus preach8 ,had he witnessed any of ,his miracles8 ,how much did he know of the nature of ,his ,kingdom1 of which he spoke8 ,guesses may be made in answer to such questions1 but they cannot be authenticated4 ,i should be inclined with more confidence to look further back still4 ,he may have come out of a pious home2 he may have been a prodigal led astray by companions1 and especially by the strong companion with whom he was now associated4 ,as there was a weeping mother at the foot of the cross of ,jesus1 there may have been a heart-broken parent at the foot of that other cross also1 whose prayers were yet going to be answered in a way surpassing her wildest hopes4 ,the question of the possibility of sudden conversion is generally argued with too much excitement on both sides to allow the facts to be recognised4 ,among us there may1 in one sense1 be said to be no such thing4 ,suppose anyone reading this page1 who may know that he has not yet with his whole heart and soul turned to ,god1 were to do so before turning the next leaf1 would this be a sudden conversion8 ,why1 the preparation for it has been going on for years4 ,what has been the intention of all the religious instruction which you have received from your childhood1 of the prayers offered on your behalf of the appeals which have moved you1 of the strivings of ,god's ,spirit1 but to lead up to this result8 ,though your conversion were to take place this very hour1 it would only be the last moment of a process which has gone on for years4 ,yet in a sense it would be sudden4 ,and why should it not8 ,what reason is there why your return to ,god should be further postponed8 ,there are two experiences in religion which require to be carefully distinguished3 there is the making of religious impressions on us by others from the outside--through instruction1 example1 appeal and the like2 and there is the rise of religion within ourselves1 when we turn round upon our impressions and make them our own4 ,the former experience is long and slow1 but the latter may be very sudden2 and a very little thing may bring it about4 ,another way in which it is possible to minimise the greatness of this conversion is by questioning the guilt of the man4#c ,when he is called a thief1 the name suggests a very common and degraded sinner2 but it is pointed out that robber would be the correct name1 and that probably he and his companion may have been revolutionaries1 whose opposition to the ,roman rule had driven them outside the pale of society1 where1 to win a subsistence1 they had to resort to the trade of highwaymen2 but in that country1 tyrannised over by a despotic foreign power1 those who attempted to raise the standard of revolt were sometimes far from ignoble characters1 though the necessities of their position betrayed them into acts of violence4 ,there is truth in this2 and the penitent thief may not have been a sinner above all men4 ,but his own words to his companion1 ,we receive the due reward of our deeds1 point the other way4 ,his memory was stained with acts for which he acknowledged that death was the lawful penalty4 ,in short1 there is no reason to doubt either that he was a great sinner or that he was suddenly changed4 ,and therefore his example will always be an encouragement to the worst of sinners when they repent4 ,it is common for penitents to be afraid to come to ,god1 because their sins have been too great to be forgiven2 but those who are encouraging them can point to cases like ,manasseh1 and ,mary ,magdalene1 and the thief on the cross1 and assure them that the mercy which sufficed for these is sufficient for all3 ,the blood of ,jesus ,christ1 ,god's ,son1 cleanseth us from all sin4 ,the fear of those who endeavour to minimise the wonderfulness of this conversion is lest1 if it be allowed that a man of the worst character could undergo so complete a change in so short a time on the very verge of the other world1 men may be induced to put off their own salvation in the hope of availing themselves of a death-bed repentance4 ,this is a just fear2 and the grace of ,god has undoubtedly been sometimes thus abused4 ,but it is an utter abuse4 ,those who allow themselves to be deceived with this reasoning believe that they can at any moment command penitence and faith1 and that all the other feelings of religion will come to them whenever they choose to summon them4 ,but does experience lead us to believe this8 ,are not the occasions1 on the contrary1 very rare when religion really moves irreligious men ,we cannot kindle when we will ,the fire that in the soul resides3 ,the spirit breatheth and is still-- ,in mystery the soul abides4 ,nor is it by any means a uniform experience that the approach of death awakens religious anxiety4 ,the other thief is a solemn warning4 ,though face to face with death and in such close proximity to ,jesus1 he was only hardened and rendered more reckless than ever4 ,and this is far more likely to be the fate of anyone who deliberately quenches the ,spirit because he is trusting to a death-bed repentance4 ,yet we will not allow the possible abuse of the truth to rob us of the glorious testimony contained in this incident to the grace of ,god4 ,we set no limits to the invitation of the ,saviour1 ,him that cometh unto ,me ,i will in no wise cast out4 ,however late a sinner may be in coming1 and however little time he may have in which to come1 let him only come and he will not be cast out4 ,there is no more critical test of theologies and theologians than the question what message they have to a dying person whose sins are unforgiven4 ,if the salvation which a preacher has to offer is only a course of moral improvement1 what can he have to say in such a place8 ,we may be sure that our gospel is not the gospel of ,him who comforted the penitent thief1 unless we are able to offer even to a dying sinner a salvation immediate1 joyful and complete4 ,how complete the revolution was in the penitent thief is shown by his own words4 ,st4 ,paul in one place sums up ,christianity in two things--repentance towards ,god and faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,and both of these we see in this penitent's words4 ,his repentance towards ,god is brought out by what he said to his companion4 ,dost thou not fear ,god8 he asked4 ,he had himself forgotten ,god1 no doubt1 and put ,him far away in the sinful past4 ,but now ,god was near1 and in the light of ,god he saw his own sinfulness4 ,he confessed it1 doing so not only in his secret mind but audibly4 ,thus he separated himself from it1 as he did also from the companion who had led him astray1 when he would not come with him on the path of penitence4 ,not less distinctly do ,his words to the ,saviour manifest his faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,they are simple and humble3 all he dared to expect was that1 when ,christ came into ,his kingdom1 ,he would remember him4 ,but they recognised the glory of ,christ and expressed trust in ,him4 ,at the moment when the religious teachers of the nations thought that they had for ever destroyed ,christ's claims1 and even ,his own disciples had forsaken ,him1 this poor dying sinner believed in ,him4 ,how clear1 exclaims ,calvin1 was the vision of the eyes which could thus see in death life1 in ruin majesty1 in shame glory1 in defeat victory1 in slavery royalty4 ,i question if ever since the world began there has been so bright an example of faith4 ,luther is no less laudatory4 ,this1 says he1 was for ,christ a comfort like that supplied to ,him by the angel in the garden4 ,god could not allow ,his ,son to be destitute of subjects1 and now ,his ,church survived in this one man4 ,where the faith of ,st4 ,peter broke off1 the faith of the penitent thief commenced4 ,and another#d asks1 ,did ever the new birth take place in so strange a cradle8 ,,iii4 ,it is worth noting that it was not by words that ,jesus converted this man4 ,he did not address the penitent thief at all till the thief spoke to ,him4 ,the work of conviction was done before ,he uttered a word4 ,yet it was ,his work2 and how did ,he do it8 ,as ,st4 ,peter exhorted godly wives to convert their heathen husbands1 when he wrote to them1 ,likewise1 ye wives1 be in subjection to your own husbands1 that1 if any obey not the ,word1 they also may1 without the ,word1 be won by the conversation 7i4e41 behaviour7 of the wives1 while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear4 ,it was by the impression of ,his patience1 ,his innocence1 ,his peace1 and ,his magnanimity1 that ,jesus converted the man2 and herein ,he has left us an example that we should follow in ,his steps4 ,but ,his words1 when ,he did speak1 added immensely to the impression4 ,they were few1 but every one of them expressed the ,saviour4 ,the robber was thinking of some date far off when ,christ might intervene in his behalf1 but ,christ says1 ,to-day4 ,this was a prophecy that he would die that day1 and not be allowed to linger for days1 as crucified persons often were2 and this was fulfilled4 ,but it was1 besides1 a promise that as soon as death launched him out of time into eternity1 ,christ would be waiting there to receive him4 ,to-day thou shalt be with ,me4 ,all heaven is in these two last words4 ,what do we really know of heaven1 what do we wish to know1 except that it is to be with ,christ8 ,yet a little more was added--in ,paradise4 ,some have thought that in this phrase ,christ was stooping to the conceptions of the penitent thief by using a popular expression for some happy place in the other world4#e ,at least the word1 which means a garden or park and was applied to the abode of our first parents in ,eden1 could not but call up in the consciousness of the dying man a scene of beauty1 innocence and peace1 where1 washed clean from the defilement of his past errors1 he would begin to exist again as a new creature4 ,even ,christians have believed that the utmost that can be expected in the next world by a soul with a history like the robber's is1 at least to begin with1 to be consigned to the fires of purgatory4 ,but far different is the grace of ,christ3 great and perfect is ,his work1 and therefore ours is a full salvation4 ,this second word from the cross affords a rare glimpse into the divine glory of the ,saviour2 and it is all the more impressive that it is indirect4 ,the thief1 in the most solemn circumstances1 spoke to ,him as to a ,king and prayed to ,him as to a ,god4#f ,and how did ,he respond8 ,did ,he say1 ,pray not to ,me2 ,i am a man like yourself1 and ,i know as little of the unknown country into which we are both about to enter as you do8 ,this is what ,he ought to have answered1 if ,he was no more than some make ,him out to be4 ,but ,he accepted the homage of ,his petitioner2 ,he spoke of the world unseen as of a place native and familiar4 ,he gave him to understand that ,he possessed as much influence there as he attributed to ,him4 ,this great sinner laid on ,christ the weight of his soul1 the weight of his sins1 the weight of his eternity2 and ,christ accepted the burden4 #a ,to-day shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise4 #b ,so ,augustin and many4 #c ,schleiermacher makes much of this2 and1 indeed1 does everything in his power to minimise the moral miracle4 ,the whole sermon is a specimen of his worst manner1 when he rides away on some side issue and fails to expound the great central lessons of a subject4 #d ,tholuck4 #e ,in ,biblical ,hebrew the word is used for a choice garden but in the ,,lxx4 and the ,apocalypse it is already used in our sense of ,paradise4--,,edersheim4 #f ,the word ,lord in the robber's speech is1 however1 unauthentic4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,third ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross#a ,in the life of our ,lord from first to last there is a strange blending of the majestic and the lowly4 ,when a beam of ,his divine dignity is allowed to shine out and dazzle us1 it is never long before there ensues some incident which reminds us that ,he is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh2 and1 contrariwise1 when ,he does anything which impressively brings home to us ,his humanity1 there always follows something to remind us that ,he was greater than the sons of men4 ,thus at ,his birth ,he was laid in a manger2 yet out on the pastures of ,bethlehem angels sang ,his praise4 ,long afterwards ,he was asleep in the end of the boat1 and so overcome with fatigue that ,he needed to be awakened to realise ,his danger2 but immediately ,he rebuked the winds and the waves1 and there was a great calm4 ,when ,he saw the grief of ,martha and ,mary1 ,jesus wept2 but only a few minutes afterwards ,he cried1 ,lazarus1 come forth1 and ,he was obeyed4 ,so it was to the very last4 ,in studying the ,second ,word from the cross we saw ,him opening the gates of ,paradise to the penitent thief2 to-day the ,third ,word will show ,him to us as the ,son of a woman1 concerned in ,his dying hour for her bodily sustenance4 ,i4 ,the eye of ,jesus1 roving over the multitude whose component parts have been already described1 lighted on ,his mother standing at the foot of the cross4 ,in the words of the great mediaeval hymn1 which is known to all by its opening words1 ,stabat mater1 and from the fact that it has been set to music by such masters as ,palestrina1 ,haydn and ,rossini1 ,beside the cross in tears ,the woeful mother stood1 ,bent 'neath the weight of years1 ,and viewed ,his flowing blood2 ,her mind with grief was torn1 ,her strength was ebbing fast1 ,and through her heart forlorn ,the sword of anguish passed4 ,when she carried her ,infant into the temple in the pride of young motherhood1 the venerable ,simeon foretold that a sword would pierce through her own soul also4 ,often perhaps had she wondered1 in happy days1 what this mysterious prediction might mean4 ,but now she knew1 for the sword was smiting her1 stab after stab4 ,it is always hard for a mother to see her son die4 ,she naturally expects him to lay her head in the grave4 ,especially is this the case with the first-born1 the son of her strength4 ,jesus was only thirty-three1 and ,mary must have reached the age when a mother most of all leans for support on a strong and loving son4 ,far worse1 however1 was the death ,he was dying--the death of a criminal4 ,many mothers have had to suffer from the kind of death their children have died1 when it has been in great agony or in otherwise distressing circumstances4 ,but what mother's sufferings were ever equal to ,mary's8 ,there ,he hung before her eyes2 but she was helpless4 ,his wounds bled1 but she dared not stanch them2 ,his mouth was parched1 but she could not moisten it4 ,these outstretched arms used to clasp her neck2 she used to fondle these pierced hands and feet4 ,ah6 the nails pierced her as well as ,him2 the thorns round ,his brow were a circle of flame about her heart2 the taunts flung at ,him wounded her likewise4 ,but there was worse still--the sword cut deeper4 ,had not the angel told her before ,his birth1 ,he shall be great1 and shall be called the ,son of the ,highest1 and the ,lord ,god shall give unto ,him the throne of ,his father ,david2 and ,he shall reign over the house of ,jacob for ever2 and of ,his kingdom there shall be no end8 ,this greatness1 this throne1 this crown1 this kingdom--where were they8 ,once she had believed that she really was what the angel had called her--the most blessed of women--when she saw ,him lying in her lap in ,his beautiful infancy1 when the ,shepherds and the ,magi came to adore ,him1 and when ,simeon and ,anna recognised ,him as the ,messiah4 ,after that ensued the long period of ,his obscurity in ,nazareth4 ,he was only the village carpenter2 but she did not weary1 for ,he was with her in their home2 and she was confident that the greatness1 the throne1 the crown1 the kingdom would all come in good time4 ,at last ,his hour struck2 and1 casting down ,his tools and bidding her farewell1 ,he went forth out of the little valley into the great world4 ,it is all coming now1 she said4 ,soon the news arrived of the words of grace and power ,he was speaking1 of the multitudes following ,him1 of the nation being roused1 and of the blind1 the lame1 the diseased1 the bereaved who blessed ,him for giving joy back to their lives1 and blessed her who had borne ,him4 ,it is all coming to pass1 she said4 ,but then followed other news--of reaction1 of opposition1 of persecution4 ,her heart sank within her4 ,she could not stay where she was4 ,she left ,nazareth and went away trembling to see what had happened4 ,and now she stands at the foot of ,his cross4 ,he is dying2 and the greatness1 the glory1 and the kingdom have never come4 ,what could it mean8 ,had the angel been a deceiver1 and ,god's word a lie1 and all the wonders of ,his childhood a dream8 ,we know the explanation now3 ,jesus was about to climb a far loftier throne than ,mary had ever imagined1 and the cross was the only road to it4 ,before many weeks were over ,mary was to understand this too2 but meantime it must have been dark as ,egypt to her1 and her heart must have been sorrowful even unto death4 ,the sword had pierced very deep4 ,,ii4 ,there were other women with ,mary beneath the cross--two of them ,marys1 like herself4#b ,as an ancient father#c has said1 the weaker sex on this occasion proved itself the stronger4 ,when the apostles had forsaken their ,master and fled1 these women were true to the last4 ,perhaps1 indeed1 their sex protected them4 ,women can venture into some places where men dare not go2 and this is a talent which many women have used for rendering services to the ,saviour which men could not have performed4 ,but there was one there who had not this protection1 and who in venturing so near must have taken his life in his hand4 ,st4 ,john1 ,i suppose1 is included with the rest of the apostles in the sad statement that they all forsook their ,master and fled4 ,but1 if so1 his panic can only have lasted a moment4 ,he was present at the very commencement of the trial2 and here he still is with his ,master at the last--the only one of all the ,twelve4 ,perhaps1 indeed1 the acquaintance with the high-priest1 which availed him to get into the palace where the trial took place1 may still have operated in his favour4 ,but it was most of all his greater devotion that brought him to his ,master's side4 ,he who had leaned on ,his breast could not stay away1 whatever might be the danger4 ,and he had his reward2 for he was permitted to render a last service to ,jesus amidst ,his agony1 and he received from ,him a token of confidence which by a heart like his must have been felt to be an unspeakable privilege and honour4 ,,iii4 ,it is most of all1 however1 with the impression made by the situation on ,jesus ,himself that we wish to acquaint ourselves4 ,he looked on ,his mother2 and it was with an unpreoccupied eye1 that was able to disengage its attention from every other object by which it was solicited4 ,he was suffering at the time an extremity of pain which might have made ,him insensible to everything beyond ,himself4 ,or1 if ,he had composure enough to think1 a dying man has many things to reflect upon within his own mind4 ,christ1 we know1 had a whole world of interests to attend to2 for now ,he was engaged in a final wrestle with the problem to which ,his whole life had been devoted4 ,the prayer on behalf of ,his enemies does not surprise us so much1 for it may be said to have been part of ,his office to intercede for sinners2 nor ,his address to the penitent thief1 for this also was quite in harmony with ,his work as the ,saviour4 ,but we do wonder that in such an hour ,he had leisure to attend to a domestic detail of ordinary life4 ,men who have been engaged in philanthropic and reformatory schemes have not infrequently been unmindful of the claims of their own families2 and they have excused themselves1 or excuse has been made for them1 on the ground that the public interest predominated over the rights of their relatives4 ,now and then ,jesus ,himself spoke as if ,he took this view3 ,he would not allow ,his plans to be interfered with even by ,his mother4 ,but now ,he showed that1 though ,he could not but refuse her unjust interference1 ,he had never for a moment forgotten her just claims or her true interests4 ,in spite of ,his greatness and in spite of ,his work1 ,he still remained ,mary's ,son and bore to her an undying affection4 ,the words ,he spoke were1 indeed1 few2 but they completely covered the case4 ,every word ,he uttered in that position was with great pain2 therefore ,he could not say much4 ,besides1 their very fewness imparted to them a kind of judicial dignity2 as has been said1 this was ,christ's last will and testament4 ,to ,his mother ,he said1 ,woman1 behold thy son1 #d indicating ,st4 ,john with ,his eyes2 and to the disciple ,he merely said1 ,behold thy mother4 ,it was simple1 yet comprehensive2 a plain1 almost legal direction1 and yet overflowing with love to both ,mary and ,john4 ,it is supposed that ,joseph1 the husband of the ,virgin1 had died before our ,lord's public career began1 and that in ,nazareth the weight of the household had fallen on the shoulders of ,jesus4 ,no doubt1 during ,his years of preaching1 ,he would tenderly care for ,his mother4 ,but now ,he too was leaving her1 and the widow would be without support4 ,it was for this ,he had to provide4 ,he had no money to leave her2 ,his earthly all1 when ,he was crucified1 consisted of the clothes ,he wore2 and these fell to the soldiers4 ,but it is one of the privileges of those who1 though they may be poor themselves1 make many rich with the gifts of truth1 that they thereby win friends who are proud and eager to serve them or theirs4 ,in committing ,his mother to ,st4 ,john ,jesus knew that the charge would be accepted not as a burden but a gift4 ,why she did not go to the home of one of her other sons it is impossible to say4 ,they were not yet believers1 though soon afterwards they became so2 but there may have been other reasons also1 to us unknown4 ,at all events1 it is easy to see how kind and considerate was the selection of ,st4 ,john for this office4 ,there are indications in the ,gospels that ,st4 ,john was wealthier1 or at least more comfortable in his circumstances1 than the rest of the ,apostles2 and this may have weighed with ,jesus3 ,he would not send ,his mother where she would feel herself to be a burden4 ,it is highly probable also that ,st4 ,john was unmarried4 ,but there were deeper reasons4 ,there was no arm on which ,his mother could lean so confidently as that of him who had leaned on her ,son's breast4 ,st4 ,peter1 with his hot temper and rough fisherman's ways1 would not have been nearly so eligible a choice4 ,john and ,mary were kindred spirits4 ,they were especially one in their intense affection for ,jesus4 ,they would never tire of speaking to one another about ,him4 ,he honoured both of them in each other's eyes by giving them to one another in this way4 ,if ,he gave ,mary a great gift in giving her ,st4 ,john for a son1 ,he gave him no less a gift by giving him such a mother2 for ,mary could not but be an ornament to any home4 ,besides1 did ,he not make ,st4 ,john in a quite peculiar sense ,his own brother by substituting him in ,his own stead as the son of ,mary8 ,the ,evangelist says that from that hour ,john took her to his own home4 ,many have understood this to mean that he at once gently withdrew her from the spot1 that she should not be agitated by seeing the death-throes of her ,son1 though he himself returned to ,calvary4 ,it is said by tradition that they lived together twelve years in ,jerusalem1 and that he refused to leave the city1 even for the purpose of preaching the gospel1 as long as ,mary survived4 ,only after her death did he depart on those missionary travels which landed him in ,ephesus and its neighbourhood1 with which his later history is connected4 ,,iv4 ,it is not difficult to read the lesson of this touching scene4 ,from the pulpit of ,his cross ,jesus preaches to all ages a sermon on the fifth commandment4 ,the heart of the mother of ,jesus was pierced with a sword on account of ,his sufferings4 ,it was a sharp weapon2 but ,mary had one thing on which to steady up her soul2 it kept her calm even in the wildest moment of her grief--she knew ,he was innocent4 ,he had always been pure1 noble and good2 she could be proud of ,him even when they were crucifying ,him4 ,many a mother's heart is pierced with anguish on account of a son's illness1 or misfortunes1 or early death2 but she can bear it if she is not pierced with the poisoned sword4 ,what is that8 ,it is when she has to be ashamed of her child--when he is brought to ruin by his own misdeeds4 ,this is a sorrow far worse than death4 ,how beautiful it is to see a mother wearing as her chief ornament the good name and the honourable success of a son6 ,you who still have a mother or a father1 let this be to you both a spur to exertion and a talisman against temptation4 ,to some is accorded the rarer privilege of being able to support their parents in old age4 ,and surely there is no sweeter memory in the world than the recollection of having been allowed to do this4 ,if any widow have children or nephews1 let them learn first to show piety at home and to requite their parents2 for that is good and acceptable before ,god4 4 4 4 ,but if any provide not for his own1 and specially for those of his own house1 he hath denied the faith1 and is worse than an infidel4 #e ,but this sermon1 delivered from the pulpit of the cross1 has a wider range4 ,it informs us that our ,saviour has a concern for our temporal as well as for our eternal interests4 ,even on the cross1 where ,he was expiating the sin of the world1 ,he was thinking of the comfort of ,his widowed mother4 ,let the needy and the deserted take courage from this1 and cast all their care upon ,him1 for ,he careth for them4 ,it is often an astonishment to see how widows especially are helped through4 ,when they are left1 with perhaps a number of little children1 it seems incomprehensible how they can get on4 ,yet not infrequently their families turn out better than those where the father has been spared4 ,one reason is1 perhaps1 that their children feel from the first that they must take a share of the responsibility1 and this makes men and women of them4 ,but the chief reason undoubtedly is that ,god fulfils ,his own promise to be a ,father to the fatherless and a ,husband to the widow1 and that they have not been forgotten by ,him who in the hour of ,his absorbing agony remembered ,mary4 #a ,woman1 behold thy son 4 4 4 ,behold thy mother4 #b ,it is not certain whether ,john xix4 #be describes three women or four4 ,is the second ,salome1 ,john's mother8 #c ,chrysostom4 #d ,woman may mean sadly 7proleptically71 ,thou hast no son now4 #e #a ,tim4 v4 #f1 #h4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,fourth ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross#a ,the ,seven ,words from the ,cross may be divided into two groups4 ,in the first three--namely1 the prayer for ,his crucifiers1 the word to the penitent thief1 and the directions about ,his mother--our ,lord was dealing with the interests of others2 in the last four1 to which we now pass1 ,he was absorbed in ,his own concerns4 ,this division is natural4 ,many a dying man1 after arranging his affairs and saying his farewells1 turns his face to the wall1 to encounter death and be alone with ,god4 ,it was highly characteristic of ,jesus1 however1 before turning to ,his own things1 first to mind the things of others4 ,between these two groups of sayings there seems to have elapsed a long interval4 ,from the sixth hour to the ninth ,jesus was silent4 ,and during this interval there was darkness over all the land4 ,of what precise nature this atmospheric effect may have been it is impossible at this distance to say4 ,but the ,evangelists1 three of whom mention it1 evidently consider it to have indicated in some sense the sympathy of nature with her ,lord4 ,it was as if the sun refused to look on such a deed of shame4 ,it may be supposed that by this weird phenomenon the noises round the cross were in some degree hushed4 ,at length the silence was broken by ,christ ,himself1 who1 in a loud voice1 gave utterance to the ,fourth ,word from the cross4 ,this was a word of astonishment and agony1 yet also of victory4 ,i4 ,of what nature had been the meditations of our ,lord during the three hours of silence8 ,had ,he been in an ecstasy of communion with ,his heavenly ,father8 ,not infrequently has this been vouchsafed to dying saints4 ,and it has sometimes enabled them completely to overcome physical suffering4 ,martyrs have occasionally been so exalted at the last as to be able even to sing in the flames4 ,it is with awe and astonishment we learn that the very opposite of this was the state of mind of ,jesus4 ,the word with which ,he burst out of the trance of silence may be taken as the index of what was going on in ,his mind during the preceding hours2 and it is a cry out of the lowest depths of despair4 ,indeed1 it is the most appalling sound that ever pierced the atmosphere of this earth4 ,familiar as it is to us1 it cannot be heard by a sensitive ear even at this day without causing a cold shudder of terror4 ,in the entire ,bible there is no other sentence so difficult to explain4 ,the first thought of a preacher1 on coming to it1 is to find some excuse for passing it by2 and1 after doing his utmost to expound it1 he must still confess that it is quite beyond him4 ,yet there is a great reward in grappling with such difficult passages2 for never does the truth impress us so profoundly as when we are made to feel that all the length which we are able to go is only into the shallows of the shore1 while beyond our reach lies the great ocean4 ,even in ,christ's own mind the uppermost thought1 when ,he uttered this cry1 was one of astonishment4 ,in ,gethsemane1 we are told1 ,he was sore amazed4 ,and this is obviously the tone of this utterance also4 ,we almost detect an accentuation of the ,thou like that in the word with which the murdered ,caesar fell4 ,all ,his life ,jesus had been accustomed to find ,himself forsaken4 ,the members of ,his own household early rejected ,him4 ,so did ,his fellow-townsmen in ,nazareth4 ,ultimately the nation at large followed the same course4 ,the multitudes that at one time followed ,him wherever ,he went and hung upon ,his lips eventually took offence and went away4 ,at last1 in the crisis of ,his fate1 one of ,his nearest followers betrayed ,him and the rest forsook ,him and fled4 ,but in these disappointments1 though ,he felt them keenly1 ,he had always had one resource3 ,he was always able1 when rejected of men1 to turn away from them and cast ,himself with confidence on the breast of ,god4 ,disappointed of human love1 ,he drank the more deeply of the love divine4 ,he always knew that what ,he was doing or suffering was in accord with the will of ,god2 ,his feelings kept constant time with the ,divine heart2 ,god's thoughts were ,his thoughts2 ,he could clearly discern the divine intention leading through all the contradictions of ,his career to a sublime result4 ,therefore ,he could calmly say1 even at the ,last ,supper1 with reference to the impending desertion of the ,twelve1 ,behold1 the hour cometh1 yea1 is now come1 that ye shall be scattered1 every man to his own1 and shall leave ,me alone2 and yet ,i am not alone1 because the ,father is with ,me4 ,now1 however1 the hour had come2 and was this expectation fulfilled8 ,they were scattered1 as ,he had predicted1 and ,he was left alone2 but was ,he not alone8 was the ,father still with ,him8 ,his own words supply the answer3 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 ,,ii4 ,although the state of mind of our ,lord on this occasion was so different from what we know to have been ,his habitual mood1 yet it does not stand absolutely isolated in ,his history4 ,we know of at least two experiences somewhat resembling it1 and these may in some degree help us to its explanation4 ,the first overtook ,him on the occasion of the visit of certain ,greeks at the beginning of the last week of ,his life4 ,they had desired to see ,him2 but1 when they were introduced by ,andrew and ,philip1 ,jesus1 instead of being exhilarated1 as might have been expected1 was overcome with a spasm of pain1 and groaned1 ,now is ,my soul troubled1 and what shall ,i say8 ,father1 save ,me from this hour4 ,the sight of these visitors from the outside world made ,him feel how grand and how congenial to ,himself would have been a worldwide mission to the heathen1 such as ,he might have undertaken had ,his life been prolonged2 but this was impossible1 because in the flower of ,his age ,he was to die4 ,the other occasion was the ,agony of ,gethsemane4 ,a careful and reverent study will reveal that this incident was the effort by which the will of ,christ rose into unity with the will of ,his ,father4 ,it belongs to the very essence of human nature that it must grow from stage to stage2 and the perfection of our ,lord1 just because it was human1 had to realise itself on every step of a ladder of development4 ,he was always both perfect on the stage which ,he had reached1 and at the same time rising to a higher stage of perfection4 ,sometimes the step might be more easy1 at other times more difficult2 the step which ,he had to take in ,gethsemane was supremely difficult2 hence the effort and the pain which it cost4 ,it seemed1 however1 in ,gethsemane as if ,he had finally conquered1 and it might have been expected that the mood of weakness and darkness could not come back4 ,yet it was to be permitted to return once more2 and on the cross the attack was far more violent and prolonged than on either of the preceding occasions4 ,keeping in mind the light which these two previous accesses of the same mood may cast on this one1 let us draw near reverently and see how far we may be able to penetrate into the mystery4 ,there can be little doubt that there was a physical element in it4 ,he had now been a considerable time on the cross2 and every minute the agony was increasing4 ,the wounds in ,his hands and feet1 exposed to the atmosphere and the sun1 grew barked and hardened2 the blood1 impeded in its circulation1 swelled in heart and brain1 till these organs were like to burst2 and the slightest attempt to move the body from the one intolerable posture caused pains to shoot along the quivering nerves4 ,bodily suffering clouds the brain and distorts the images formed on the mirror of the mind4 ,even the face of ,god1 reflected there1 may be turned to a shape of terror by the fumes of physical trouble4 ,the horror of mortal suffering may have been greater to ,jesus than to other men1 because of the fineness and sensitiveness of ,his physical organization4 ,his body had never been coarsened with sin1 and therefore death was utterly alien to it4 ,the stream of physical life1 which is one of the precious gifts of ,god1 had poured through ,his frame in abundant and sunny tides4 ,but now it was being withdrawn1 and the counterflow had set in4 ,the unity of a perfect nature was being violently torn asunder2 and ,he felt ,himself drifting away from the living world1 which to ,him had been so full of ,god's presence and goodness1 into the pale1 cold regions of inanity4#b ,he did not belong to death2 yet ,he was falling into death's grasp4 ,no angel came to rescue ,him2 ,god interposed with no miracle to arrest the issue2 ,he was abandoned to ,his fate4 ,there was more1 however1 it is easy to see1 in the agony which prompted this cry than the merely physical4 ,if in ,gethsemane we have the effort of the will of ,jesus1 as it raised itself into unity with the will of the ,father1 we here see the effort of ,his mind as1 amidst the confusion and contradictions of the cross1 it finally rose into unity with the mind of ,god4 ,this intellectual character of ,his pain is indicated by the word ,why4 ,it is always painful when the creature has to say ,why to the ,creator4 ,we believe that ,he is ,sovereign of the world and ,guide of our destiny1 and that ,he urges forward the course of things in the reins of infinite wisdom and love4 ,but1 while this is the habitual and healthy sense of the human mind1 especially when it is truly religious1 there are crises1 both in the great and in the little world1 when faith fails4 ,the world is out of joint2 everything appears to have gone wrong2 the reins seem to have slipped out of the hands of ,god and the chariot to be plunging forward uncontrolled2 the course of things seems no more to be presided over by reason1 but by a blind1 if not a cruel fate4 ,it is then that the poor human mind cries out ,why4 ,the entire book of ,job is such a cry4 ,jeremiah cried ,why to ,god in terms of startling boldness4 ,in mortal pain1 in bewildering disappointments1 in bereavements which empty the heart and empty the world1 millions have thus cried ,why in every age4 ,it seems an irreligious word4 ,when ,jeremiah says1 ,o ,lord1 ,thou hast deceived me and ,i was deceived1 or when ,job demands1 ,why did ,i not from the womb8 why did ,i not give up the ghost when ,i came out of the belly8 it sounds like the voice of a blasphemer4 ,but indeed it is into the most earnest and delicate souls that this despair is likeliest to slip4 ,the ignorant1 the frivolous and the time-serving are safe from it2 for they are well enough satisfied with things as they are4 ,callous minds learn to be content without explanations4 ,but the more deeply pious a mind is1 the more jealous must it be for justice and the glory of ,god2 the appearance of unwisdom in the government of the world shocks it2 to be able to trace the footsteps of ,god's care is a necessity of its existence4 ,hence its pain when these evidences disappear4 ,now1 all the contradictions and confusions of the world were focussed on ,golgotha4 ,injustice was triumphant2 innocence was scorned and crushed2 everything was exactly the reverse of what it ought to have been4 ,and all the millions of ,whys which have risen from agonized souls1 jealous for the honour of ,god but perplexed by ,his providence1 were concentrated in the ,why of ,christ4 ,how near to us ,he is6 ,never perhaps in ,his whole life did ,he so completely identify ,himself with ,his poor brethren of mankind4 ,for here ,he comes down to stand by our side not only when we have to encounter pain and misfortune1 bereavement and death1 but when we are enduring that pain which is beyond all pains1 that horror in whose presence the brain reels1 and faith and love1 the eyes of life1 are put out--the horror of a universe without ,god1 a universe which is one hideous1 tumbling1 crashing mass of confusion1 with no reason to guide and no love to sustain it4 ,can we advance a step farther into the mystery8 ,the deepest question of all is whether the desertion of ,jesus was subjective or objective--that is1 whether ,he had only1 on account of bodily weakness and a temporary obscuration of the inward vision1 a sense of being abandoned1 or whether1 in any real sense1 ,god had actually forsaken ,him4 ,of course we are certain that ,god was infinitely well pleased with ,him--never more so1 surely1 than when ,he was sacrificing ,himself to the uttermost on behalf of others4 ,but was there1 at the same time1 any outflashing against ,him of the reverse side of the ,divine nature--the lightning of the ,divine wrath8 ,calvary was an awful revelation of the human heart1 whose enmity was directed straight against the perfect revelation of the love of ,god in ,christ4 ,there the sin of man reached its climax and did its worst4 ,what was done there against ,christ1 and against ,god in ,him1 was a kind of embodiment and quintessence of the sin of the whole world4 ,and undoubtedly it was this which was pressing on ,jesus2 this was the travail of ,his soul4 ,he was looking close at sin's utmost hideousness2 ,he was sickened with its contact2 ,he was crushed with its brutality--crushed to death4 ,yet this human nature was ,his own2 ,he was identified with it--bone of its bone1 flesh of its flesh2 and1 as in a reprobate family an exquisitely delicate and refined sister may feel the whole weight of the debt and shame of the household to lie on herself1 so ,he felt the unworthiness and hopelessness of the race as if they were ,his own2 and1 like the scapegoat on whose head the sins of the community were laid in the old dispensation1 ,he went out into the land of forsakenness4 ,thus far we may proceed1 feeling that we have solid ground beneath our feet4 ,but many have ventured farther4 ,even ,luther and ,calvin allowed themselves to say that in the hours which preceded this cry our ,lord endured the torments of the damned4 ,and ,rambach1 whose ,meditations on the ,sufferings of ,christ have fed the piety of ,germany for a hundred years1 says3 ,god was now dealing with ,him not as a loving and merciful father with his child1 but as an offended and righteous judge with an evildoer4 ,the heavenly ,father now regards ,his ,son as the greatest sinner to be found beneath the sun1 and discharges on ,him the whole weight of ,his wrath4 ,but1 if we were to make use of such language1 we should be venturing beyond our depth4 ,much to be preferred is the modest comment of the holy and learned ,bengel on our text3 ,in this fourth word from the cross our ,saviour not only says that ,he has been delivered up into the hands of men1 but that ,he has suffered at the hands of ,god something unutterable4 ,certainly there is here something unutterable4 ,we have ventured into the mystery as far as we are able2 but we know that we are yet only in the shallows near the shore2 the unplumbed ocean lies beyond4 ,,iii4 ,it may appear an affectation to speak of this as in any sense a cry of victory4 ,yet1 if what has just been said be true1 this1 which was the extreme moment of suffering1 was also the supreme moment of achievement4 ,as the flower1 by being crushed1 yields up its fragrant essence1 so ,he1 by taking into ,his heart the sin of the world1 brought salvation to the world4 ,in point of fact1 all history since has shown that it was in this very hour that ,christ conquered the heart of mankind4 ,long before ,he had said1 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up from the earth1 will draw all men unto ,me4 ,and the correctness of this anticipation is matter of history4 ,christ on the cross has ever since then been the most fascinating object in the eyes of mankind4 ,the mind and heart of humanity have been irresistibly attracted to ,him1 never weary of studying ,him4 ,and the utterance of this cry is the culminating moment to which the inquiring mind specially turns4 ,theology has its centre in the cross4 ,sometimes1 indeed1 it has been shy of it1 and has divagated from it in wide circles2 but1 as soon as it becomes profound and humble again1 it always returns4 ,yes1 when it becomes humble6 ,penitent souls are drawn to the cross1 and the deeper their penitence the more are they at home4 ,they stand beside the dying ,saviour and say1 ,this is what we ought to have suffered2 our life was forfeited by our guilt2 thus our blood deserved to flow2 we might justly have been banished forever into the desert of forsakenness4 ,but1 as they thus make confession1 their forfeited life is given back to them for ,christ's sake1 the peace of ,god is shed abroad in their hearts1 and the new life of love and service begins4 ,the supreme ,christian rite brings us to this very spot and to this very moment3 ,this is ,my blood of the ,new ,testament1 shed for many for the remission of sins4 ,it was not1 however1 merely in this profound sense that this fourth word of the dying ,saviour was a cry of victory4 ,it was so1 also1 because it liberated ,him from ,his depression4 ,it has been said that when1 at ,his encounter with the ,greeks1 ,he groaned1 ,father1 save ,me from this hour1 ,he immediately checked ,himself with ,father1 glorify ,thy name2 likewise that in ,gethsemane1 when ,he prayed1 ,if it be possible1 let this cup pass from ,me1 ,he hastened to add1 ,nevertheless1 not ,my will1 but ,thine be done2 but that on this occasion the cry of despair was followed by no word of resignation4 ,this1 however1 is a mistake4 ,the cry itself1 though an utterance of despair1 yet involved the strongest faith4 ,see how ,he lays hold of the ,eternal with both hands3 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god6 ,it is a prayer3 a thousand times ,he had turned to this resource ,in days of trial2 and ,he does so in this supreme trouble4 ,to do so cures despair4 ,no one is forsaken who can pray1 ,my ,god4 ,as one in deep water1 feeling no bottom1 makes a despairing plunge forward and lands on solid ground1 so ,jesus1 in the very act of uttering ,his despair1 overcame it4 ,feeling forsaken of ,god1 ,he rushed into the arms of ,god2 and these arms closed round ,him in loving protection4 ,accordingly1 as the darkness1 which had brooded over all the land1 disappeared at the ninth hour1 so ,his mind emerged from eclipse2 and1 as we shall see1 ,his last words were uttered in ,his usual mood of serenity4 #a ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 #b ,some of the ,fathers thought of the separation of the divine from the human nature as taking place now4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross#a ,the fourth word from the cross we looked upon both as the climax of the struggle which had gone on in the mind of the divine ,sufferer during the three hours of silence and darkness which preceded its utterance and as the liberation of ,his mind from that struggle4 ,this view seems to be confirmed by the terms in which ,st4 ,john introduces the ,fifth ,word--,after this1 ,jesus1 knowing that all things were now accomplished1#b that the ,scripture might be fulfilled1 saith1 ,i thirst4 ,the phrase1 that the ,scripture might be fulfilled1 is usually connected with the words1 ,i thirst1 as if the meaning were that ,he had said this fifth word in fulfilment of some prediction that ,he would do so2 and the ,old ,testament is ransacked1 without much result1 for the prophetic words which may be supposed to be alluded to4 ,it is better1 however1 to connect the phrase with what goes before--,jesus1 knowing that all things were now accomplished4 ,it was only when ,his work1 appointed by ,god and prescribed in ,scripture1 was completed1 that ,he became sufficiently conscious of ,his bodily condition to say1 ,i thirst4 ,intense mental preoccupation has a tendency to cause the oblivion of bodily wants4 ,even the excitement of reading a fascinating book may keep at a distance for hours the sense of requiring sleep or food2 and it is only when the reader comes out of the trance of absorption that he realises how spent he is4 ,during the temptation in the wilderness ,jesus was too absorbed to be aware of ,his bodily necessities2 but1 when the spiritual strain was removed1 ,he was afterward an hungered4 ,in the present instance1 when ,he came out of ,his spiritual trance1 it was thirst ,he became conscious of4 ,i remember once talking with a ,german student who had served in the ,franco-,prussian ,war4 ,he was wounded in an engagement near ,paris1 and lay on the field unable to stir4 ,he did not know exactly what was the nature of his wound1 and he thought that he might be dying4 ,the pain was intense2 the wounded and dying were groaning round about him2 the battle was still raging2 and shots were falling and tearing up the ground in all directions4 ,but after a time one agony1 he told me1 began to swallow up all the rest1 and soon made him forget his wound1 his danger and his neighbours4 ,it was the agony of thirst4 ,he would have given the world for a draught of water4 ,this was the supreme distress of crucifixion4 ,the agonies of the horrible punishment were of the most excruciating and complicated order2 but1 after a time1 they all gathered into one central current1 in which they were lost and swallowed up--that of devouring thirst2 and it was this that drew from our ,lord the fifth word4#c ,i4 ,this was the only cry of physical pain uttered by our ,lord on the cross4 ,as was remarked in a previous chapter1 it was not uncommon for the victims of crucifixion1 when the ghastly operation of nailing them to the tree began1 to writhe and resist1 and to indulge either in abject entreaties to be saved from the inevitable or in wild defiance of their fate4 ,but at this stage ,jesus uttered never a word of complaint4 ,afterwards also1 in spite of the ever-increasing pain1 ,he preserved absolute self-control4 ,he was absorbed either in caring for others or in prayer to ,god4 ,it is a sublime example of patience4 ,it rebukes our softness and intolerance of pain4 ,how easily we are made to cry out2 how peevish and ill-tempered we become under slight annoyances6 ,a headache1 a toothache1 a cold1 or some other slight affair1 is supposed to be a sufficient justification for losing all self-control and making a whole household uncomfortable4 ,suffering does not always sanctify4 ,it sours some tempers and makes them selfish and exacting4 ,this is the besetting sin of invalids--to become absorbed in their own miseries and to make all about them the slaves of their caprices4 ,but many triumph nobly over their temptation2 and in this they are following the example of the suffering ,saviour4 ,there are sick-rooms which it is a privilege to visit4 ,you may know that the place is a scene of excruciating pain2 but on the pillow there lies a sweet1 patient face2 the voice is cheerful and thankful2 and1 instead of being self-absorbed1 the mind is full of unselfish thoughts for others4 ,i recall the description given by a friend of one such invalid's chamber1 which used to be filled with the most beautiful cheerfulness and activity4 ,at a certain time of year you might see in it quite an exhibition of stockings1 pinafores1 dresses and other pretty things1 prepared for the children of a mission-school in ,india4 ,by thinking of the needs of those children far away the invalid not only kept her own sufferings at bay1 but created for herself delightful connections with ,god's work and ,god's people4 ,yet she was one who might easily have asserted the right to do nothing1 and have taxed the patience and the services of those by whom she was surrounded4 ,but there is another lesson besides patience in this word of ,christ4 ,he only uttered one word of physical pain2 but ,he did utter one4 ,his self-control was not proud or sullen4 ,there is a silence in suffering that is mere doggedness1 when we screw our courage to the sticking-place and resolve that nobody shall hear any complaint from us4 ,we succeed in being silent1 but it is with a bad grace3 there is no love or patience in our hearts1 but only selfish determination4 ,this is especially a temptation when anyone has injured us and we do not wish to let him see how much we have suffered1 lest he should be gratified4 ,jesus was surrounded by those who had wantonly wronged ,him2 not only had they inflicted pain1 but they had laughed and mocked at ,his sufferings4 ,he might have resolved not on any account to show ,his feelings or at least to ask any kindness4 ,it is sometimes more difficult to ask a favour than to grant one2 it requires more of the spirit of forgiveness4#d ,but not only did ,jesus ask a favour3 ,he expected to receive it4 ,shamefully as ,he had been treated by those to whom ,he had to appeal1 ,he believed that there might still be some remains of goodness at the bottom of their hearts4 ,all ,his life ,he had been wont to discover more good in the worst than others believed to exist1 and to the last ,he remained true to ,his own faith4 ,the maxim of the world is to take all men for rogues till the reverse has been proved4 ,especially when people have enemies1 they believe the own very worst of them and paint their characters without a single streak of any colour but black4 ,to those from whom we differ in opinion we attribute the basest motives and refuse to hear any good of them4 ,but this is not the way of ,christ3 ,he believed there were some drops of the milk of human kindness even in the hard-hearted ,roman soldiers2 and ,he was not disappointed4#e ,,ii4 ,it is impossible to hear this pathetic cry1 so expressive of helplessness and dependence1 without recalling other words of our ,lord to which it stands in marked contrast4 ,can this be ,he who1 standing in ,jerusalem not long before1 surrounded with a great multitude1 lifted up ,his voice and cried1 ,if any man thirst1 let him come unto ,me and drink8 ,can it be ,he who1 standing at the well of ,jacob with the ,samaritan woman and pointing to the springing fountain at their feet1 said1 ,whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again2 but whosoever drinketh of the water that ,i shall give him shall never thirst2 but the water that ,i shall give shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life8 ,can ,he who in words like these offered to quench the thirst of the world be the same who now whispers in mortal exhaustion1 ,i thirst8 ,it is the same2 and this is a contrast which runs through ,his whole life1 the contrast between inward wealth and outward poverty4 ,he was able to enrich the whole world1 yet ,he had to be supported by the contributions of the women who followed ,him2 ,he could say1 ,i am the bread of life1 yet ,he sometimes hungered for a meal2 ,he could promise thrones and many mansions to those who believed on ,him1 yet ,he said ,himself1 ,foxes have holes1 and the birds of the air have nests1 yet the ,son of man hath not where to lay ,his head4 ,in a materialistic age1 when in so many circles money is the measure of the man1 and when people are so excessively concerned about what they shall eat and what they shall drink and wherewithal they shall be clothed1 it is worth while to bear this contrast in mind4 ,seldom have the noblest specimens of humanity been those who have been able to wallow in luxury2 and the men who have enriched the world with the treasures of the mind have not infrequently been hardly able to procure daily bread4 ,our older boys may have seen on some of their school-books the name of ,heyne4 ,his is an immortal name in classical scholarship2 but when he was a student1 and even when he was enriching the literature of his country with splendid editions of the ancient writers1 he was literally starving1 and had sometimes to subsist on skins of apples and other offal picked up from the streets4 ,our own ,samuel ,johnson1 to whose wisdom the whole globe is now a debtor1 when engaged on some of his greatest works1 had not shoes in which to go out1 and did not know where his dinner was to come from4 ,it would be easy from history to multiply instances of those who1 though poor1 yet have made many rich4 ,the inference is not1 that one must be poor externally if one desires to be inwardly rich4 ,the materially poor are not all spiritually rich by any means2 multitudes of them1 alas1 are as poverty-stricken in mind and character as in physical condition4 ,perhaps one might even go so far as to say that as a rule the inwardly rich enjoy at least a competent portion of the good things of this life2 for intelligence and character have even a market value1 ,money1 too1 can be made subservient to the highest aims of the soul4 ,but what it is essential to remember is1 that the inward is the true wealth1 and that we must seek and obtain it1 even1 if necessary1 at the sacrifice of the outward4 ,if life is not to be impoverished and materialised1 some in every age must make the choice between the inward and the outward wealth2 and no one is worthy to be the servant of scholarship1 art or religion who is not prepared for the choice should it fall to him4 ,it is by the possession of intelligence1 generosity and spiritual power that we enter into the higher ranks of manhood2 and the most ,christlike trait of all is to have the will and the ability to overflow in influences and activities which sweeten and elevate the lives of others4 ,,iii4 ,it would appear that some of those round the cross were opposed to granting the request of ,jesus4 ,misunderstanding the fourth word1#f they supposed ,he was calling for ,elijah2 and they proposed not to help ,him even with a drink of water1 in order to see whether or not ,elijah would come to the rescue4 ,but in one man the impulse of humanity was too strong1 and he gave ,jesus what ,he desired4 ,we almost love the man for it1 and we envy his office4 ,but the ,saviour is still saying1 ,i thirst4 ,how and where8 ,listen6 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave ,me drink4 ,lord1 when saw we ,thee athirst and gave ,thee drink8 ,inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these ,my brethren1 ye did it unto ,me4 ,wherever the brothers and sisters of ,jesus are suffering1 sitting in lonely rooms and wishing that somebody would come and visit them1 or lying on beds of pain and needing somebody to come and ease the pillow or to reach the cup to the dry lips1 there ,christ is saying1 ,i thirst4 ,perhaps ,he is saying it in vain4 ,there are multitudes of professing ,christians who never from end to end of the year visit any poor person4 ,they never thread the obscure streets or ascend the grimy stairs in search of ,god's hidden ones4 ,they have never acquired the art of cheering a dark home with a flower1 or a hymn1 or a diet1 or the touch of a sympathetic hand and the smile of a healthy face4 ,it would completely alter the ,christianity of many if they could begin to do these lowly services2 it would put reality into it1 and it would bring into the heart a joy and exhilaration hitherto unknown4 ,for ,christ sees to it that none who thus serve ,him lose their reward4 ,an ,american friend told me that once1 when travelling on the continent of ,europe1 he fell in with a fellow-countryman on board a ,rhine steamer4 ,they talked about ,america and soon confided to each other from which parts of the country they came1 with other fragments of personal detail4 ,they continued to travel for some days together1 and my informant was so overwhelmed with kindness by his companion that at last he ventured to ask the reason4 ,well1 rejoined the other1 when the ,war was going on1 ,i was serving in your native state2 and one day our march lay through the town in which you have told me you were born4 ,the march had been very prolonged2 it was a day of intense heat2 ,i was utterly fatigued and felt on the point of dying for thirst1 when a kind woman came out of one of the houses and gave me a glass of cold water4 ,and ,i have been trying to repay through you1 her fellow-townsman1 the kindness she showed to me4 ,does it not remind us of the great word of the ,son of ,god1 ,whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple1 verily ,i say unto you1 he shall in no wise lose his reward8 ,but is this not enough8 ,does anyone wish to get still nearer to ,christ and hold the cup not only to ,him in the person of ,his members but to ,his own very lips8 ,well1 this is possible too4 ,jesus still says1 ,i thirst4 ,he thirsts for love4 ,he thirsts for prayer4 ,he thirsts for service4 ,he thirsts for holiness4 ,whenever the heart of a human being turns to ,him with a genuine impulse of penitence1 affection or consecration1 the ,saviour sees of the travail of ,his soul and is satisfied4 #a ,i thirst4 #b tetelestai--the very word of ,jesus ,himself--,it is finished-- which may possibly have been fourth4 #c ,he had by this time been on the cross for four hours or more4 ,the arrest took place about midnight2 the ecclesiastical trial terminated about sunrise2 the proceedings before ,pilate occupied perhaps from six to nine1 or rather more2 the crucifixion took place towards noon2 from noon till three o'clock darkness prevailed2 and between this and sunset the death and burial took place4 ,see ,matt4 xxvii4 #a2 ,mark xv4 #be1 #cc1 #cd1 #db4 ,st4 ,john's statement of time1 xix4 #ad1 is a difficulty4 ,he appears to reckon from a different starting-point4 ,see ,andrews' ,life of ,our ,lord 7new edition71 pp4 #ede ff4 ,in the same passage ,st4 ,john says1 ,it was the preparation of the passover2 does this mean the day before the feast commenced1 or the day before the ,sabbath of ,passover ,week8 ,there are held to be other indications that ,st4 ,john represents the crucifixion as having taken place the day before the ,passover began1 whereas the ,synoptists place it the day after 7especially ,john xviii4 #bh1 where the question is whether the passover means the ,paschal ,lamb or the ,chagigah1 a portion of the feast belonging to the second day74 ,on this question there is an extensive literature4 ,see ,andrews1 #deb-ha1 and ,keim1 vol4 vi41 pp4 #aie-bai4 #d ,to be in too great a hurry to discharge an obligation is itself a kind of ingratitude4--,,la ,,rochefoucauld4 #e ,hoffmann says that ,jesus refused the intoxicating draught1 before the crucifixion began1 that ,his senses might be kept clear2 and that now ,he accepted the refreshing draught for the same purpose4 #f ,eli1 ,eli1 etc4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross#a ,like the ,fifth1 the ,sixth ,word from the ,cross is1 in the ,greek1 literally a single word2 and it has been often affirmed to be the greatest single word ever uttered4 ,it may be said to comprehend in itself the salvation of the world2 and thousands of human souls1 in the agony of conviction or in the crisis of death1 have laid hold of it as the drowning sailor grasps the life-buoy4 ,sometimes it has been interpreted as merely the last sign of ebbing life3 as if the meaning were1 ,it is all over2 this long agony of pain and weakness is done at last4 ,but the dying words of ,jesus were not spoken in this tone4 ,the ,fifth ,word1 we are expressly told1 was uttered with a loud voice2 so was the ,seventh2 and1 although this is not expressly stated about the ,sixth1 the likelihood is that1 in this respect1 it resembled the other two4 ,it was not a cry of defeat1 but of victory4 ,both the suffering of our ,lord and ,his work were finishing together2 and it is natural to suppose that ,he was referring to both4 ,suffering and work are the two sides of every life1 the one predominating in some cases and the other in others4 ,in the experience of ,jesus both were prominent3 ,he had both a great work to accomplish and ,he suffered greatly in the process of achieving it4 ,but now both have been brought to a successful close2 and this is what the ,sixth ,word expresses4 ,it is1 therefore1 first1 the ,worker's ,cry of ,achievement2 and1 secondly1 the ,sufferer's ,cry of ,relief4 ,i4 ,christ1 when on earth1 had a great work on hand1 which was now finished4 ,this dying word carries us back to the first word from ,his lips which has been preserved to us3 ,wist ye not that ,i must be about my ,father's business8 ,even at twelve years of age ,he already knew that there was a business entrusted to ,him by ,his ,father in heaven1 about which ,his thoughts had to be occupied4 ,we cannot perhaps say that then already ,he comprehended it in its whole extent4 ,it was to grow upon ,him with the development of ,his manhood4 ,in lonely meditations in the fields and pastures of ,nazareth it seized and inspired ,his mind4 ,as ,he cultivated the life of prayer1 it became more and more ,his settled purpose4 ,the more ,he became acquainted with human nature1 and with the character and the needs of ,his own age1 the more clearly did it rise before ,him4 ,as ,he heard and read the ,scriptures of the ,old ,testament1 ,he saw it hinted and foreshadowed in type and symbol1 in rite and institution1 in law and prophets4 ,there ,he found the programme of ,his life sketched out beforehand2 and perhaps one of ,his uppermost thoughts1 when ,he said1 ,it is finished1 was that all which had been foretold about ,him in the ancient ,scriptures had been fulfilled4 ,after ,his public life commenced1 the sense of being charged with a task which ,he had to fulfil was one of the master-thoughts of ,his life4 ,it was written on ,his very face and bodily gait4 ,he never had the easy1 indeterminate air of one who does not know what ,he means to do in the world4 ,i have a baptism1 ,he would say1 to be baptized with1 and how am ,i straitened till it be accomplished4 ,in a rapt moment1 at the well of ,sychar1 after ,his interview with the ,samaritan woman1 when ,his disciples proffered ,him food1 ,he put it away from ,him1 saying1 ,i have meat to eat that ye know not of1 and ,he added1 ,my meat is to do the will of ,him that sent ,me and to finish ,his work4 ,on ,his last journey to ,jerusalem1 as ,he went on in front of ,his disciples1 they were amazed and1 as they followed1 they were afraid4 ,his purpose possessed ,him2 ,he was wholly in it1 body1 soul and spirit4 ,he bestowed on it every scrap of power ,he possessed1 and every moment of ,his time4 ,looking back now from the close of life1 ,he has not to regret that any talent has been either abused or left unused4 ,all have been husbanded for the one purpose and all lavished on the work4 ,what was this work of ,christ8 ,in what terms shall we express it8 ,at all events it was a greater work than any other son of man has ever attempted4 ,men have attempted much1 and some of them have given themselves to their chosen enterprises with extraordinary devotion and tenacity4 ,the conqueror has devoted himself to his scheme of subduing the world2 the patriot to the liberation of his country2 the philosopher to the enlargement of the realm of knowledge2 the inventor has rummaged with tireless industry among the secrets of nature2 and the discoverer has risked his life in opening up untrodden continents and died with his face to his task4 ,but none ever undertook a task worthy to be compared with that which engrossed the mind of ,jesus4 ,it was a work for ,god with men1 and it was a work for men with ,god4 ,the thought that it was a work for ,god1 with which ,god had charged ,him1 was often in ,christ's mouth1 and this consciousness was one of the chief sources of ,his inspiration4 ,i must work the work of ,him that sent ,me while it is day1 ,he would say2 or1 ,therefore doth my ,father love ,me1 because ,i do always those things which please ,him4 ,and1 at the close of ,his life-work1 ,he said1 in words closely related to those of our text1 ,i have glorified ,thee on the earth1 ,i have finished the work which ,thou gavest ,me to do4 ,this was ,his task1 to glorify ,god on the earth--to make known the ,father to the children of men4 ,but just as obviously was it a work for men with ,god4 ,this was stamped on all ,his words and on the entire tenor of ,his life4 ,he was bringing men back to ,god1 and ,he had to remove the obstacles which stood in the way4 ,he had to roll away the stone from the sepulchre in which humanity was entombed and call the dead to come forth4 ,he had to press ,his weight against the huge iron gates of human guilt and doom and force them open4 ,he had done so2 and1 as ,he said1 ,it is finished1 ,he was at the same time saying to all mankind1 ,behold1 ,i have set before you an open door1 and no man can shut it4 ,the more difficult and prolonged any task is1 the greater is the satisfaction of finishing it4 ,everyone knows what it is1 after accomplishing anything on which a great deal of labour has been bestowed or the accomplishment of which has been delayed1 to be able to say1 ,there2 it is finished at last4 ,in the more signal efforts of human genius and energy there is a satisfaction of final achievement which warms even spectators with sympathy at the distance of hundreds of years4 ,what must it be to the poet1 after equipping himself by the labours of a lifetime with the stores of knowledge and the skill in the use of language requisite for the composition of a ,divine ,comedy or a ,paradise ,lost1 and after wearing himself lean for many years at his task1 to be able at last1 when the final line has been penned1 to write ,finis at the bottom of his performance8 ,what must it have been to ,columbus1 after he had worn his life out in seeking the patronage necessary for his undertaking and endured the perils of voyaging in stormy seas and among mutinous mariners1 to see at last the sunlight on the peak of ,darien which informed him that his dream was true and his lifework accomplished8 ,when we read how ,william ,wilberforce1 the champion of ,slave ,emancipation1 heard on his deathbed1 a few hours before he breathed his last1 that the ,british ,legislature had agreed to the expenditure necessary to secure the object to which he had sacrificed his life1 what heart can refuse its tribute of sympathetic joy1 as it thinks of him expiring with the shouts of emancipated millions in his ears8 ,these are feeble suggestions of the triumph with which ,christ saw1 fallen behind ,him1 ,his accomplished task1 as ,he cried1 ,it is finished4 ,,ii4 ,if ,jesus had during life a vast work on hand which ,he was able on the cross to say ,he had finished1 ,he was in quite as exceptional a degree a sufferer2 yet on the cross ,he was able to say that ,his suffering also was finished4 ,suffering is the reverse side of work4 ,it is the shadow that accompanies achievement1 as his shadow follows a man4 ,it is due to the resistance offered to the worker by the medium in which he toils4 ,the life of ,jesus was one of great suffering1 because ,he had to do ,his work in an extremely resistant medium4 ,his purpose was so beneficent1 and ,his passion for the good of the world so obvious1 that it might have been expected that ,he would meet with nothing but encouragement and furtherance4 ,he was so religious that all the religious forces might have been expected to second ,his efforts2 ,he was so patriotic that it would have been natural if ,his native country had welcomed ,him with open arms2 ,he was so philanthropic that ,he ought to have been the idol of the multitude4 ,but at every step ,he met with opposition4 ,everything that was influential in ,his age and country turned against ,him4 ,obstruction became more and more persistent and cruel1 till at length on ,calvary it reached its climax1 when all the powers of earth and hell were combined with the one purpose of crushing ,him and thrusting ,him out of existence4 ,and they succeeded4 ,but the mystery of suffering is very insufficiently explained when it is defined as the reaction of the work on the worker4 ,while a man's work is what he does with the force of his will1 suffering is what is done to him against his will4 ,it may be done by the will of opponents and enemies4 ,but this is never the whole explanation4 ,above this will1 which may be thoroughly evil1 there is a will which is good and means us good by our suffering4 ,suffering is the will of ,god4 ,it is ,his chief instrument for fashioning ,his creatures according to ,his own plan4 ,while by our work we ought to be seeking to make a bit of the world such as ,he would have it to be1 by our suffering ,he is seeking to make us such as ,he would have us to be4 ,he blocks up our pathway by it on this side and on that1 in order that we may be kept in the path which ,he has appointed4 ,he prunes our desires and ambitions2 ,he humbles us and makes us meek and acquiescent4 ,by our work we help to make a well-ordered world1 but by our suffering ,he makes a sanctified man2 and in ,his eyes this is by far the greater triumph4 ,perhaps this is the most difficult half of life to manage4 ,while it is by no means easy to accomplish the work of life1 it is harder still to bear suffering and to benefit by it4 ,have you ever seen a man to whom nature had given great talents and grace great virtues1 so that the possibilities of his life seemed unbounded1 while he had imagination enough to expatiate over them3 a man who might have been a missionary1 opening up dark countries to civilisation and the gospel2 or a statesman1 swaying a parliament with his eloquence and shaping the destinies of millions by his wisdom2 or a thinker1 wrestling with the problems of the age1 sowing the seeds of light1 and raising for himself an imperishable monument3 but who was laid hold of by some remorseless disease or suddenly crushed by some accident2 so that all at once his schemes were upset and his life narrowed to petty anxieties about his health and shifts to avoid the evil day1 which could not1 however1 be long postponed8 ,and did it not seem to you1 as you watched him1 to be far harder for him to accept this destiny with a good grace and with cheerful submission than it would have been to accomplish the career of enterprise and achievement which once seemed to lie before him8 ,to do nothing is often more difficult than to do the greatest things1 and to submit requires more faith than to achieve4 ,the life of ,christ was hemmed and crushed in on every hand4 ,evil men were the proximate cause of this2 but ,he acknowledged behind them the will of ,god4 ,he had to accept a career of shame instead of glory1 of brief and limited activity instead of far-travelling beneficence1 of premature and violent death instead of world-wide and everlasting empire4 ,but ,he never murmured2 however bitter any sacrifice might be on other grounds1 ,he made it sweet to ,himself by reflecting that it was the will of ,his ,father4 ,when the worst came to the worst1 and ,he was forced to cry1 ,if it be possible1 let this cup pass from ,me1 ,he was swift to add1 ,nevertheless not ,my will1 but ,thine1 be done4 ,and thus on step after step of the ladder ,his thoughts were brought into perfect accord with ,his ,father's1 and ,his will with ,his ,father's will4 ,at last on the cross the cup out of which ,he had drunk so often was put into ,his hands for the last time4 ,the draught was large1 black and bitter as never before4 ,but ,he did not flinch4 ,he drank it up4 ,as ,he did so1 the last segment of the circle of ,his own perfection completed itself2 and1 while1 flinging the cup away after having exhausted the last drop1 ,he cried1 ,it is finished1 the echo came back from heaven from those who saw with wonder and adoration the perfect round of ,his completed character1 ,it is finished4 ,though these two sides of the life of ,christ are separable in thought1 it is evident that they constitute together but one life4#b ,the work ,he did involved the suffering which ,he bore and lent to it meaning and dignity4 ,on the other hand1 the suffering perfected the ,worker and thus conferred greatness on ,his work4 ,in ,his crowning task of atoning for the sin of the world it was as a sufferer that ,he accomplished the will of ,god4 ,and now both are finished2 and henceforward the world has a new possession3 it has had other perfect things2 but never before and never since has it had a perfect life4 #a ,it is finished4 #b ,sometimes they are expressed by saying that life is both a ,mission and a ,discipline4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,word ,,from ,,the ,,cross#a ,while all the words of dying persons are full of interest1 there is special importance attached to the last of them4 ,this is the ,last ,word of ,jesus2 and both for this reason and for others it claims particular attention4 ,a noted ,englishman is recorded to have said1 when on his deathbed1 to a nephew1 ,come near and see how a ,christian can die4 ,whether or not that was a wise saying1 certainly to learn how to die is one of the most indispensable acquirements of mortals2 and nowhere can it be learnt so well as by studying the death of ,christ4 ,this ,last ,word especially teaches us how to die4 ,it will1 however1 teach us far more1 if we have the wit to learn3 it contains not only the art of dying but also the art of living4 ,i4 ,the final word of the dying ,saviour was a prayer4 ,not all the words from the cross were prayers4 ,one was addressed to the penitent thief1 another to ,his mother and ,his favourite disciple1 and a third to the soldiers who were crucifying ,him2 but prayer was distinctly the language of ,his dying hours4 ,it was not by chance that ,his very last word was a prayer2 for the currents within ,him were all flowing ,godwards4 ,while prayer is appropriate for all times and seasons1 there are occasions when it is singularly appropriate4 ,at the close of the day1 when we are about to enter into the state of sleep1 which is an image of death1 the most natural of all states of mind is surely prayer4 ,in moments of mortal peril1 as on shipboard when a multitude are suddenly confronted with death1 an irresistible impulse presses men to their knees4 ,at the communion table1 when the bread and the wine are circulating in silence1 every thoughtful person is inevitably occupied with prayer4 ,but on a death-bed it is more in its place than anywhere else4 ,then we are perforce parting with all that is earthly--with relatives and friends1 with business and property1 with the comforts of home and the face of the earth4 ,how natural to lay hold of what alone we can keep hold of2 and this is what prayer does2 for it lays hold of ,god4 ,it is so natural to pray then that prayer might be supposed to be an invariable element of the last scenes4 ,but it is not always4 ,a death-bed without ,god is an awful sight2 yet it does occur4 ,the currents of the mind may be flowing so powerfully earthward that even then they cannot be diverted4 ,there are even death-beds where the thought of ,god is a terror which the dying man keeps away2 and sometimes his friends assist him to keep it away1 suffering none to be seen and nothing to be said that could call ,god to mind4 ,natural as prayer is1 it is only so to those who have learned to pray before4 ,it had long been to ,jesus the language of life4 ,he had prayed without ceasing--on the mountain-top and in the busy haunts of men1 by ,himself and in company with others--and it was only the bias of the life asserting itself in death when1 as ,he breathed ,his last1 ,he turned to ,god4 ,if1 then1 we would desire our last words to be words of prayer1 we should commence to pray at once4 ,if the face of ,god is to shine on our death-bed1 we must now acquaint ourselves with ,him and be at peace4 ,if1 as we look upon the dying ,christ or on the dying saints1 we say1 ,let me die the death of the righteous1 and let my last end be like his1 then we must begin now to live the life of the righteous and to practise its gracious habits4 ,,ii4 ,the last word of the dying ,saviour was a quotation from ,scripture4 ,this was not the first time our ,lord quoted ,scripture on the cross3 ,his great cry1 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 was likewise borrowed from the ,old ,testament1 and it is possible that there is ,scriptural allusion in others of the ,seven ,words4 ,if prayer is natural to the lips of the dying1 so is ,scripture4 ,for different seasons and for different uses there is special suitability in different languages and literatures4 ,latin is the language of law and scholarship1 ,french of conversation and diplomacy1 ,german of philosophy1 ,english of commerce4 ,but in the most sacred moments and transactions of life there is no language like that of the ,bible4 ,especially is this the case in everything connected with death4 ,on a tombstone1 for example1 how irrelevant1 as a rule1 seem all other quotations1 but how perfect is the fitness of a verse from ,scripture4 ,and on a death-bed there are no words which so well become the dying lips4 ,this is strikingly illustrated by the following extract1 guaranteed as authentic1 from a private diary3--,i remember1 when ,i was a student1 visiting a dying man4 ,he had been in the university with me1 but a few years ahead2 and1 at the close of a brilliant career in college1 he was appointed to a professorship of philosophy in a colonial university4 ,but1 after a very few years1 he fell into bad health2 and he came home to ,scotland to die4 ,it was a summer ,sunday afternoon when ,i called to see him1 and it happened that ,i was able to offer him a drive4 ,his great frame was with difficulty got into the open carriage2 but then he lay back comfortably and was able to enjoy the fresh air4 ,two other friends were with him that day--college companions1 who had come out from the city to visit him4 ,on the way back they dropped into the rear1 and ,i was alone beside him1 when he began to talk with appreciation of their friendship and kindness4 ',but1' he said1 'do you know what they have been doing all day8' ,i could not guess4 ',well1' he said1 'they have been reading to me ,sartor ,resartus2 and oh6 ,i am awfully tired of it4' ,then1 turning on me his large eyes1 he began to repeat1 ',this is a faithful saying1 and worthy of all acceptation1 that ,jesus ,christ came into the world to save sinners1 of whom ,i am chief2' and then he added with great earnestness1 ',there is nothing else of any use to me now4' ,i had not opened the subject at all3 perhaps ,i was afraid to introduce it to one whom ,i felt to be so much my superior2 but ,i need not say how overjoyed ,i was to obtain such a glimpse into the very depths of a great1 true mind4 ,sartor ,resartus is one of the best of books2 there are few to be so heartily recommended4 ,yet there are moments in life--and those immediately before death are among them--when even such a book may be felt to be irrelevant1 and1 indeed1 no book is appropriate except the one which contains the words of eternal life4 ,it is worth noting from which portion of the ,old ,testament ,jesus fetched the word on which ,he stayed up ,his soul in this supreme moment4 ,the quotation is from the thirty-first ,psalm4 ,the other great word uttered on the cross to which ,i have already alluded was also taken from one of the ,psalms--the twenty-second4 ,this is undoubtedly the most precious of all the books of the ,old ,testament4 ,it is a book penned as with the life-blood of its authors2 it is the record of humanity's profoundest sorrows and sublimest ecstasies2 it is the most perfect expression which has ever been given to experience2 it has been the vade-mecum of all the saints2 and to know and love it is one of the best signs of spirituality4 ,jesus knew where to go in the ,bible for the language that suited ,him2 for ,he had been a diligent student of it all ,his days4 ,he heard it in the home of ,his childhood2 ,he listened to it in the synagogue2 probably ,he got the use of the synagogue rolls and hung over it in secret4 ,he knew it through and through4 ,therefore1 when ,he became a preacher1 ,his language was saturated with it1 and in controversy1 by the apt use of it1 ,he could put to shame those who were its professional students4 ,but in ,his private life likewise ,he employed it in every exigency4 ,he fought with it the enemy in the wilderness and overcame him2 and now1 in the supreme need of a dying hour1 it stood ,him in good stead4 ,it is to those who1 like ,jesus1 have hidden ,god's ,word in their hearts that it is a present help in every time of need2 and1 if we wish to stay ourselves upon it in dying1 we ought to make it the man of our counsel in living4 ,it is worth observing in what manner ,jesus made this quotation from the ,psalter3 ,he added something at the beginning and ,he omitted something at the close4 ,at the beginning ,he added1 ,father4 ,this is not in the psalm4 ,it could not have been4 ,in the ,old ,testament the individual had not begun yet to address ,god by this name1 though ,god was called the ,father of the nation as a whole4 ,the new consciousness of ,god which ,christ introduced into the world is embodied in this word1 and1 by prefixing it to the citation1 ,he gave the verse a new colouring4 ,we may1 then1 do this with the ,old ,testament3 we may put ,new-,testament meaning into it4 ,indeed1 in connection with this very verse we have a still more remarkable illustration of the same treatment4 ,stephen1 the first martyr of ,christianity1 was in many respects very like his ,master1 and in his martyrdom closely imitated ,him4 ,thus on the field of death he repeated ,christ's prayer for ,his enemies--,lord1 lay not this sin to their charge4 ,also1 he imitated this final word1 but he put it in a new form1 ,lord ,jesus1 receive my spirit2 that is1 he addressed to ,christ the dying prayer which ,christ ,himself addressed to the ,father4#b ,the other alteration which ,jesus made was the omission of the words1 for ,thou hast redeemed me4 ,it would not have been fitting for ,him to employ them4 ,but we will not omit them2 and if1 like ,stephen1 we address the prayer to ,christ1 how much richer and more pathetic are the words to us than they were even to him who first penned them4 ,,iii4 ,it was about ,his spirit that the dying ,saviour prayed4 ,dying persons are sometimes much taken up with their bodies4 ,their pain and trouble may occasion this1 and the prescriptions of the physician may require close attention4 ,some display a peculiar anxiety even about what is to happen to the body after the life has left it1 giving the minutest instructions as to their own obsequies4 ,not infrequently the minds of the dying are painfully occupied with their worldly affairs3 they have their property to dispose of1 and they are distracted with anxieties about their families4 ,the example of ,jesus shows that it is not wrong to bestow attention on these things even on a deathbed2 for ,his fifth word1 ,i thirst1 had reference to ,his own bodily necessities2 and1 whilst hanging on the cross1 ,he made provision for ,his mother's future comfort4 ,but ,his supreme concern was ,his spirit2 to the interests of which ,he devoted ,his final prayer4 ,what is the spirit8 ,it is the finest1 highest1 sacredest part of our being4 ,in modern and ordinary language we call it the soul1 when we speak of man as composed of body and soul2 but in the language of ,scripture it is distinguished even from the soul as the most lofty and exquisite part of the inner man4 ,it is to the rest of our nature what the flower is to the plant or what the pearl is to the shell4 ,it is that within us which is specially allied to ,god and eternity4 ,it is also1 however1 that which sin seeks to corrupt and our spiritual enemies seek to destroy4 ,no doubt these are specially active in the article of death2 it is their last chance2 and fain would they seize the spirit as it parts from the body and1 dragging it down1 rob it of its destiny4 ,jesus knew that ,he was launching out into eternity2 and1 plucking ,his spirit away from these hostile hands which were eager to seize it1 ,he placed it in the hands of ,god4 ,there it was safe4 ,strong and secure are the hands of the ,eternal4 ,they are soft and loving too4 ,with what a passion of tenderness must they have received the spirit of ,jesus4 ,i have covered thee1 said ,god to ,his servant in an ancient prophecy1 in the shadow of ,my hand2 and now ,jesus1 escaping from all the enemies1 visible and invisible1 by whom ,he was beset1 sought the fulfilment of this prophecy4 ,this is the art of dying2 but is it not also the art of living8 ,the spirit of every son of ,adam is threatened by dangers at death2 but it is threatened with them also in life4 ,as has been said1 it is our flower and our pearl2 but the flower may be crushed and the pearl may be lost long before death arrives4 ,the flesh lusteth against the spirit4 ,so does the world4 ,temptation assails it1 sin denies it4 ,no better prayer1 therefore1 could be offered by a living man1 morning by morning1 than this of the dying ,saviour4 ,happy is he who can say1 in reference to his spirit1 ,i know whom ,i have believed1 and ,i am persuaded that ,he is able to keep that which ,i have committed to ,him against that day4 ,,iv4 ,this last word of the expiring ,saviour revealed ,his view of death4 ,the word used by ,jesus in commending ,his spirit to ,god implies that ,he was giving it away in the hope of finding it again4 ,he was making a deposit in a safe place1 to which1 after the crisis of death was over1 ,he would come and recover it4 ,such is the force of the word1 as is easily seen in the quotation just made from ,st4 ,paul1 where he says that he knows that ,god will keep that which he has committed to ,him--using the same word as ,jesus--against that day4 #c ,which day8 ,obviously some point in the future when he could appear and claim from ,god that which he had entrusted to ,him4 ,such a date was also in ,christ's eye when ,he said1 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend my spirit4 ,death is a disruption of the parts of which human nature is composed4 ,one part--the spirit--was going away to ,god2 another was in the hands of men1 who were wreaking on it their wicked will2 and it was on its way to the house appointed for all living4 ,but ,jesus was looking forward to a reunion of the separated parts1 when they would again find each other1 and the integrity of the personal life be restored4 ,the most momentous question which the dying can ask1 or which the living can ask in the prospect of death1 is1 ,if a man die1 shall he live again8 does he all die8 and does he die forever8 ,there is a terrible doubt in the human heart that it may be so2 and there have never been wanting teachers who have turned this doubt into a dogma4 ,they hold that mind is only a form or a function of matter1 and that1 therefore1 in the dissolution of the bodily materials1 man dissolves and mixes with the material universe4 ,others1 while holding fast the distinction between mind and matter1 have taught that1 as the body returns to the dust1 the mind returns to the ocean of being1 in which its personality is lost1 as the drop is in the sea1 and there can be no reunion4 ,there is1 however1 something high and sacred within us that rebels against these doctrines2 and the best teachers of the race have encouraged us to hope for something better4 ,still1 their assurances have been hesitating and their own faith obscure4 ,it is to ,christ we have to go3 ,he has the words of eternal life4 ,he spoke on this subject without hesitation or obscurity2 and ,his dying word proves that ,he believed for ,himself what ,he taught to others4 ,not only1 however1 has ,he by ,his teaching brought life and immortality to light3 ,he is ,himself the guarantee of the doctrine2 for ,he is our immortal life4 ,because we are united to ,him we know we can never perish2 nothing1 not even death1 can separate us from ,his love2 ,because ,i live1 ,he has said1 ye shall live also4 ,it may be that in a very literal sense we have in the study of this sentence been learning the art of dying3 these may be our own dying words4 ,they have been the dying words of many4 ,when ,john ,huss was being led to execution1 there was stuck on his head a paper cap1 scrawled over with pictures of devils1 to whom the wretched priests by whom he was surrounded consigned his soul2 but again and again he cried1 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend my spirit4 ,these were also the last words of ,polycarp1 of ,jerome of ,prague1 of ,luther1 of ,melanchthon1 and of many others4 ,who could wish his spirit to be carried away to ,god in a more glorious vehicle8 ,but1 whether or not we may use this prayer in death1 let us diligently make use of it in life4 ,close not the book without breathing1 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend my spirit4 #a ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend ,my spirit4 #b ,the first business of the interpreter of ,scripture is to find out precisely what every verse or paragraph meant at the time and place where it was written2 and there is endless profit in the exact determination of this original application4 ,but1 whilst the interpreter's task begins1 it does not end with this4 ,the ,bible is a book for every generation2 and the deduction of the message which it is intended to convey to the present day is as truly the task of the interpreter4 ,there is a species of exegesis1 sometimes arrogating to itself the sole title to be considered scientific1 by which the garden of ,scripture is transmuted into an herbarium of withered specimens4 #c ,christ's word is paratithemai1 and ,st4 ,paul's1 #b ,tim4 i4 #ab1 ten paratheken mou1 according to the best reading4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,signs ,there are indications that to some of those who took part in the crucifixion of ,christ ,his death presented hardly anything to distinguish it from an ordinary execution2 and there were others who were anxious to believe that it had no features which were extraordinary4 ,but ,god did not leave ,his ,son altogether without witness4 ,the end of the ,saviour's sufferings was accompanied by certain signs1 which showed the interest excited by them in the world unseen4 ,i4 ,the first sign was the rending of the veil of the temple4 ,this was a heavy curtain covering the entrance to the ,holy ,place or the entrance to the ,holy of ,holies--most probably the latter4 ,both entrances were thus protected1 and ,josephus gives the following description of one of the curtains1 which will probably convey a fair idea of either2 five ells high and sixteen broad1 of ,babylonian texture1 and wonderfully stitched of blue1 white1 scarlet and purple--representing the universe in its four elements--scarlet standing for fire and blue for air by their colours1 and the white linen for earth and the purple for sea on account of their derivation1 the one1 from the flax of the earth and the other from the shellfish of the sea4 ,the fact that the rent proceeded from top to bottom was considered to indicate that it was made by the finger of ,god2 but whether any physical means may have been employed we cannot tell4 ,some have thought of the earthquake1 which took place at the same moment1 as being connected with it through the loosening of a beam or some similar accident4#a ,at critical moments in history1 when the minds of men are charged with excitement1 even slight accidents may assume remarkable significance4#b ,such incidents occur at turning-points of the life even of individuals4#c ,they derive their significance from the emotion with which the minds of observers happen at the time to be filled4 ,no doubt the rending of the temple veil might appear to some a pure accident1 while in the minds of others it crystallised a hundred surging thoughts4 ,but we must ascribe to it a higher dignity and a divine intention4 ,like the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness1 it had a double face--one of judgment and another of mercy4 ,it betokened the desecration of the shrine and the exodus of the ,deity from the temple whose day of opportunity and usefulness was over4 ,and it is curious to note how at the time not only the ,christian but even the ,jewish mind was big with this thought4 ,there is a ,jewish legend in ,josephus1 which is referred to also by the ,roman historian ,tacitus1 that at the ,passover some years after this the east door of the inner court of the temple1 which was so heavy that twenty men were required to close it1 and was1 besides1 at the moment strongly locked and barred1 suddenly at midnight flew open2 and1 the following ,pentecost1 the priests whose duty it was to guard the court by night1 heard first a rushing noise as of hurrying feet and then a loud cry1 as of many voices1 saying1 ,let us depart from hence4 ,nor was it only in ,palestine that in that age the air was charged with the impression that a turning-point in history had been reached1 and that the ancient world was passing away4 ,plutarch#d heard a singular story of one ,epitherses from the rhetorician ,aemilianus1 who had it from the man's father4 ,on a certain occasion this ,epitherses happened to be a passenger on board a ship which got becalmed among the ,echinades4 ,as it stood near one of the islands1 suddenly there came from the shore a voice1 loud and clear1 calling ,thamus1 the pilot1 an ,egyptian1 by his name4 ,twice he kept silence2 but1 when the call came the third time1 he replied2 whereupon the voice cried still louder1 ,when you come to the ,paludes1 proclaim that the great ,pan is dead4 ,pan being the god of nature in that ancient world1 all who heard were terrified1 and they debated whether or not they should obey the command4 ,at last it was agreed that if1 when they came to the ,paludes1 it was windy1 they were not to obey1 but1 if calm1 they would4 ,it turned out to be calm2 and1 accordingly1 the pilot1 standing on the prow of the vessel1 shouted out the words2 whereupon the air was filled1 not with an echo1 but the loud groaning of a great multitude mingled with surprise4#e ,the pilot was called before the ,emperor ,tiberius1 who strictly enquired into the truth of the incident4 ,such was the meaning of the rending of the veil on its dark side3 it denoted that the reign of the gods was over and that ,jerusalem was no longer to be the place where men ought to worship4 ,but it had at the same time a bright side2 and this was the side for the sake of which the incident was treasured by the friends of ,jesus4 ,it meant1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 that the wall between ,jew and ,gentile had been broken down4 ,it meant1 as is set forth in the noble argument of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 that the system of ceremonies and intermediaries by which under the ,old ,testament the worshipper might approach ,god and yet was kept at a distance from ,him had been swept away4 ,the heart of ,god is now fully revealed1 and it is a heart of love2 and1 at the same time1 the heart of man1 liberated by the sacrifice of ,christ from the conscience of sin1 as it could never be by the offering of bulls and goats1 can joyfully venture into the divine presence and go out and in with the freedom of a child4 ,having therefore1 brethren1 boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of ,jesus1 by a new and living way1 which ,he hath consecrated for us1 through the veil--that is to say1 ,his flesh--and having a ,high ,priest over the house of ,god1 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith4 #f ,,ii4 ,the second sign was the resurrection of certain of the dead--,the graves were opened1 and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after ,his resurrection1 and went into the holy city and appeared unto many4 ,whether or not the rending of the veil in the temple was connected with the earthquake1 there is no doubt that this second sign was4 ,the graves in ,palestine were caves in the rocks1 the mouths of which were closed with great stones4 ,some of these stones were shaken from their places by the earthquake2 and the bodies themselves1 which lay on shelves or stood upright in niches1 may have been disturbed4 ,but in some of them a greater disturbance occurred3 besides the external shaking there took place within them a motion of the life-giving breath of ,god4 ,in the minds of many devout scholars this miracle has excited suspicion on several accounts4 ,they say it is contrary to the teaching of ,scripture elsewhere1 according to which ,christ was the firstfruits of them that slept4 ,if these dead bodies were reanimated at the moment of this earthquake1 they1 and not ,he1 were the firstfruits4 ,to this it is answered that ,st4 ,matthew is careful to note that they came out of their graves after ,his resurrection2 so that ,st4 ,matthew still agrees with ,st4 ,paul in making ,christ the first to rise4 ,but1 then1 it is asked1 in what condition were they between their reanimation and their resurrection8 ,the ,evangelist appears to state that they rose from death to life at the moment of the earthquake1 but did not emerge from the tomb till the third day afterwards1 when ,christ had risen4 ,is this credible8 or is it an apocryphal marvel1 which has been interpolated in the text of ,st4 ,matthew8 ,the other ,evangelists1 while1 along with ,st4 ,matthew1 narrating the rending of the veil1 do not touch on this incident at all4 ,the whole representation1 it is argued1 lacks the sobriety which is characteristic of the authentic miracles of the ,gospels and broadly separates them from the ecclesiastical miracles1 about which there is generally an air of triviality and grotesqueness4 ,on the other hand1 there is no indication in the oldest and best manuscripts of ,st4 ,matthew that this is an interpolation2 and many of the acutest minds have felt this trait to be thoroughly congruous and suitable to its place4 ,if1 they contend1 ,he who had just died on ,calvary was what ,he gave ,himself out and we believe ,him to be1 ,his death must have excited the profoundest commotion in the kingdoms of the dead4 ,the world of living men and women was insensible to the character of the event which was taking place before its eyes2 but the world unseen was agitated as it never had been before and never was to be again4 ,it was not unnatural1 but the reverse1 that some of the dead1 in their excitement and eagerness1 should even press back over the boundaries of the other world1 in order to be in the world where ,christ was4 ,the question where they were or what they were doing between their reanimation and resurrection is a triviality not worth considering4 ,at all events1 they rose after their ,lord2 and was it not appropriate that when1 after the forty days1 ,he ascended to heaven1 there to be received by rejoicing angels and archangels1 ,he should not only appear in the flesh1 but be accompanied by specimens of what ,his resurrection power was ultimately to do for all believers8 ,if it be asked who the favoured saints were to whom this blessed priority was vouchsafed1 we cannot tell4 ,the dust1 however1 was not far away of many whom the ,lord might delight to honour--patriarchs1 like ,abraham2 kings1 like ,david2 prophets1 like ,isaiah4 ,but the true significance of this sign is not dependent on such speculations4 ,even if it should ever be discovered1 as it is not in the least likely to be1 that this story was interpolated in ,st4 ,matthew1 and we should be driven to the conclusion that it was invented by the excited fancy of the primitive ,christians1 even then we should have to ask what caused them to invent it4 ,and the only possible answer would be1 that it was the force of the conviction burning within them that by ,his death and resurrection ,christ had opened the gates of death to all the saints4 ,this was the glorious faith which was begotten by the experiences of those never-to-be-forgotten days1 whether the sight of these resurrected saints played any part or not in maturing it2 and it is now the faith of the ,church and the faith of mankind4 ,this may well be called the rending of another veil4 ,if in the ancient world there was a veil on the face of ,god1 there was a veil likewise on the face of eternity4#g ,the home of the soul was hidden from the children of men4 ,they vaguely surmised it1 indeed2 they could never believe that they were wholly dust4 ,but1 apart from ,christ1 the speculations even of the wisest as to the other world are hardly more correct or certain than might be the speculations of infants in the womb as to the condition of this world4#h ,christ1 on the contrary1 always spoke of the world invisible with the freedom and confidence of one to whom it was native and well known2 and ,his resurrection and ascension afford the most authentic glimpses into the realm of immortality which the world has ever received4 ,in this sign1 indeed1 it is with the death and not with the resurrection that this authentication is connected4 ,but the resurrection of ,christ is allied in the most intimate manner with ,his death4 ,it was the public recognition of ,his righteousness4 ,since1 however1 ,he died not for ,himself alone1 but as a public person1 ,his mystical body has the same right to resurrection1 and in due time it will be made manifest that1 ,he having discharged every claim on their behalf1 death has now no right to detain them4 ,,iii4 ,the first sign was in the physical world2 the second was in the underworld of the dead2 but the third was in the common world of living men4 ,this was the acknowledgment of ,christ by the centurion who superintended ,his crucifixion4 ,whether1 like the preceding signs1 this third one is to be connected with the earthquake is a question4 ,probably the answer ought to be in the affirmative4 ,the sensation produced by an earthquake is like nothing else in nature2 and its first effect on an unsophisticated mind is to create the sense that ,god is near4 ,probably1 therefore1 the earthquake was felt by the centurion to be the divine ,amen to the thoughts which had been rising in his mind1 and it gave them a speedy and complete delivery in his confession4 ,this confession was1 however1 the result of his observation of ,jesus throughout ,his whole trial and the subsequent proceedings2 and it is an eloquent tribute to our ,lord's behaviour4 ,the centurion may have been at the side of ,jesus from the arrest to the end4 ,through those unparalleled hours he had observed the rage and injustice of ,his enemies2 and he had marked how patient1 unretaliating1 gentle and magnanimous ,he had been4 ,he had heard ,him praying for ,his crucifiers1 comforting the thief on the cross1 providing for ,his mother1 communing with ,god4 ,more and more his interest was excited and his heart stirred1 till at last he was standing opposite the cross1#i drinking in every syllable and devouring every movement2 and1 when the final prayer was uttered and the earthquake answered it1 his rising conviction brimmed over and he could not withhold his testimony4 ,st4 ,luke makes him say only1 ,this was a righteous man1 while the others report1 ,this was the ,son of ,god4 ,but ,st4 ,luke's may include theirs2 because1 if the centurion meant to state that the claims of ,jesus were just1 what were ,his claims8 ,at ,pilate's judgment-seat he had heard it stated that ,jesus claimed to be the ,son of ,god1 and perhaps he had heard ,him make this claim ,himself in reply to ,pilate's question4 ,this name1 along with others like it1 had been hurled at ,jesus1 in his hearing1 by those standing round the cross4 ,but what did he mean when he made this acknowledgment8 ,it has been held that all which he1 a heathen1 could imply was that ,jesus was a son of ,god in the sense in which the ,greeks and ,romans believed ,hercules1 ,castor and other heroes to be sons of their deities4 ,this may be near the truth2 but his soul was moved1 his mind was opened2 and1 once in the way1 he could easily proceed further in the knowledge of ,christ4 ,tradition says that his name was ,longinus1 and that he became bishop of ,cappadocia and ultimately died a martyr4 ,have we not here the rending of a third veil8 ,there is a veil on the face of ,god which requires to be removed2 and there is a veil on the face of eternity which requires to be removed2 but the most fatal veil is that which is on the heart of the individual and prevents him from seeing the glory of ,christ4 ,it was on the faces of nearly all the multitude that day assembled round the cross4 ,it was on the faces of the poor soldiers gambling within a few feet of the dying ,saviour2 in their case it was a veil of insensibility4 ,it was on the faces of the ecclesiastics and the mob of ,jerusalem2 and in their case it was a thick veil of prejudice4 ,the greatest sight ever witnessed on earth was there beside them2 but they were stoneblind to it4 ,the glory of ,christ is still the greatest sight which anyone can see between the cradle and the grave4 ,and it is now as near everyone of us as it was to the crowd on ,calvary4 ,some see it2 for the veil upon their faces is rent2 and they are transfixed and transformed by the sight4 ,but others are blinded4 ,how near one may be to ,jesus1 how much mixed up with ,his cause1 how well informed about ,his life and doctrine1 and yet never see ,his glory or know ,him as a personal ,saviour6 ,it is said that people may spend a lifetime in the midst of perfect scenery and yet never awake to its charm2 but by comes a painter or poet and drinks the beauty in1 till he is intoxicated with it and puts it into a glorious picture or a deathless song4 ,so can some remember a time when ,jesus1 though in a sense well known1 was nothing to them2 but at a certain point a veil seemed to rend and an entire change supervened2 and ever since then the world is full of ,him2 ,his name seems written on the stars and among the flowers2 ,he is their first thought when they wake and their last before they sleep2 ,he is with them in the house and by the way2 ,he is their all in all4 ,this is the most critical rending of the veil2 because1 when it takes place1 the others follow4 ,when we have our eyes opened to see the glory of ,christ1 we soon know the ,father also2 and the darkness passes from the face of eternity1 because eternity for us is to be forever with the ,lord4 #a ,may this phenomenon account for the early conversion of so many priests recorded in ,acts vi4 #g8--;,,edersheim4 #b ,shakespeare is very fond of describing the portents by which remarkable events are foreshadowed4 ,thus1 ,julius ,caesar1 ,act ,i4 ,scene ii43-- ,o ,cicero1 ,i have seen tempests1 when the scolding winds ,have rived the knotty oaks2 and ,i have seen ,th' ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam1 ,to be exalted with the threatening clouds2 ,but never till to-night1 never till now ,did ,i go through a tempest dropping fire4 ,a common slave--you know him well by sight-- ,held up his left hand1 which did flame and burn ,like twenty torches joined2 and yet his hand1 ,not sensible of fire1 remained unscorched4 ,besides--,i ha' not since put up my sword-- ,against the ,capitol ,i met a lion1 ,who glared upon me and went surly by1 ,without annoying me4 ,and there were drawn ,upon a heap an hundred ghastly women1 ,transformed with their fear1 who swore they saw ,men1 all in fire1 walk up and down the streets4 ,and yesterday the bird of night did sit ,even at noonday upon the marketplace1 ,hooting and shrieking4 ,when these prodigies ,do so conjointly meet1 let not men say1 ',these are their reasons--they are natural1' ,for ,i believe they are portentous things ,unto the climate that they point upon4 ,see also ,act ,,ii41 ,scene ii41 and ,act ,v41 ,scene i4 of the same play2 ,macbeth1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene ii42 ,hamlet1 ,act ,i41 ,scene i4 ,such impressions are not1 however1 even in modern times1 confined to poetry alone4 ,historical instances will suggest themselves to every reader4 #c ,some of the most interesting ,i have read occur in a brief memoir of the founder of the ,bagster ,publishing ,company issued on the centenary of its opening4 #d ,de ,oraculorum ,defectu1 quoted by ,heubner in his commentary1 in loc4 #e stenagmos ama thaumasmo4 #f ,heb4 x4 #ai-bb4 #g ,so the ignorance of immortality is expressly called in the beautiful passage1 ,isa4 xxv4 #g4 #h ,sir ,thomas ,browne1 ,hydrotaphia1 chap4 iv43 ,a dialogue between two infants in the womb concerning the state of this world might handsomely illustrate our ignorance of the next1 where1 methinks1 we still discourse in ,plato's den1 and are but embryo philosophers4 #i ,parestekos ex enantias autou4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,dead ,,christ ,it was not usual to remove bodies from the cross immediately after their death4 ,they were allowed to hang1 exposed to the weather1 till they rotted and fell to pieces2 or they might be torn by birds or beasts2 and at last a fire was perhaps kindled beneath the cross to rid the place of the remains4 ,such was the ,roman custom2 but among the ,jews there was more scrupulosity4 ,in their law there stood this provision3 ,if a man have committed a sin worthy of death1 and he be put to death1 and thou hang him on a tree1 his body shall not remain all night upon the tree1 but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day 7for he that is hanged is accursed of ,god72 that thy land be not defiled which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee for an inheritance4 #a ,whether or not the ,jews always tried to get this provision observed in executions carried out in their midst by their ,roman masters1 we cannot tell2 but it was natural that they should do so in reference to executions carried out in the neighbourhood of the holy city and at ,passover time4 ,in the present instance there was the additional reason1 that the morrow of the execution of ,jesus was a high day--it was the ,sabbath of the ,passover--a kind of double ,sabbath1 which would have been desecrated by any unclean thing1 like an unburied corpse1 exposed to view4 ,the ,jews were extremely sensitive about such points4 ,at any time they regarded themselves as unclean if they touched a dead body1 and they had to go through a process of purgation before their sense of sanctity was restored4 ,but on the occasion of a ,passover ,sabbath they would have felt it to be a desecration if any dead thing had even met their eyes or rested uncovered on the soil of their city4 ,therefore their representatives went to the ,roman governor and begged that the three crucified men should be put to death by clubbing and their bodies buried before the ,sabbath commenced4 ,the suggestion has often been made that1 behind this pretended scrupulosity1 their real aim was to inflict additional pain and indignity on ,jesus4 ,the breaking of the bones of the body1 by smashing them with clubs1 was a peculiarly horrible form of punishment sometimes inflicted by the ,romans4#b ,it was nearly as cruel and degrading as crucifixion itself2 and it was an independent punishment1 not conjoined with crucifixion4 ,but the ,jews in this case attempted to get them united1 that ,jesus1 besides being crucified1 might1 so to speak1 die yet another death of the most revolting description4 ,the ,evangelist1 however1 throws no doubt on the motive which they put forward--namely1 that the ,passover ,sabbath might be saved from desecration--and1 although their insatiable hatred may have made them suggest clubbing as the mode by which ,his death should be hastened1 we need not question that their scruples were genuine4 ,it is an extraordinary instance of the game of self-deception which the human conscience can play4 ,here were people fresh from the greatest crime ever committed--their hands still reeking1 one might say1 with the blood of the ,innocent--and their consciences1 while utterly untouched with remorse for this crime1 are anxious about the observance of the ,sabbath and the ceremonial defilement of the soil4 ,it is the most extraordinary illustration which history records of how zeal for what may be called the body of religion may be utterly destitute of any connection with its spirit4 ,it is surely a solemn warning to make sure that every outward religious act is accompanied by the genuine outgoing of the heart to ,god1 and a warning that1 if we love not our brother1 whom we have seen1 neither can we be lovers of ,god1 whom we have not seen4 ,pilate hearkened to the request of the ,jews1 and orders were given to the soldiers to act accordingly4 ,then the ghastly work began4 ,they broke the legs of the malefactor on the one side of ,jesus1 and then those of the other on the opposite side4 ,the penitent thief was not spared2 but what a difference his penitence made6 ,to his companion this was nothing but an additional indignity2 to him it was the knocking-off of the fetters1 that his spirit might the sooner wing its way to ,paradise1 where ,christ had trysted to meet him4 ,then came the turn of ,jesus4 ,but1 when the soldiers looked at ,him1 they saw that their work was unnecessary3 death had been before them2 the drooping head and pallid frame were those of a dead man4 ,only1 to make assurance doubly sure1 one of them thrust his spear into the body1 making a wound so large that ,jesus1 when ,he was risen1 could invite the doubting ,thomas to thrust his hand into it2 and1 as the weapon was drawn forth again1 there came out after it blood and water4 ,st4 ,john1 who was on the spot and saw all this taking place1 seems to have perceived in the scene an unusual importance2 for he adds to his report these words of confirmation1 as if he were sealing an official document1 ,and he that saw it bare record2 and his record is true2 and he knoweth that he saith true1 that ye might believe4 ,why should he interrupt the flow of his narrative to add these words of assurance8 ,some have thought that he was moved to do so by a heresy which sprang up in the early ,church to the effect that ,christ was not really human3 ,his body1 it was said1 was only a phantom body1 and therefore ,his death was only an apparent death4 ,in opposition to such a notion ,st4 ,john directs attention to the realistic details1 which prove so conclusively that this was a real man and that ,he died a real death4 ,of course that ancient heresy has long ceased to trouble2 there are none now who deny that ,jesus was a man4 ,yet it is curious how the tendency ever and anon reappears to evaporate the facts of ,his life4 ,at the present hour there are eminent ,christian teachers in ,europe who are treating the resurrection of the ,lord in very much the same way as these early ,docetae treated ,his death--as a kind of figure of speech1 not to be understood too literally4 ,against such the ,church must lift up the crude facts of the resurrection as ,st4 ,john did those of the death of the ,saviour4#c ,in our generation teachers of every kind are appealing to ,christ and putting ,him in the centre of theology2 but we must ask them1 ,what ,christ8 ,is it the ,christ of the ,scriptures3 the ,christ who in the beginning was with ,god2 who was incarnated2 who died for the sins of the world2 who was raised from the dead and reigns for evermore8 ,we must not delude ourselves with words3 only the ,christ of the ,scriptures could have brought us the salvation of the ,scriptures4 ,what excited the wonder of ,st4 ,john is supposed by others to have been the fulfilment of two passages of the ,old ,testament ,scripture which he quotes4 ,it appeared to be a matter of mere chance that the soldiers1 contrary to the intention of the ,jews1 refrained from breaking the bones of ,jesus2 yet a sacred word1 of which they knew nothing1 written hundreds of years before1 had said1 ,a bone of ,him shall not be broken4 ,it seemed the most casual circumstance that the soldier plunged the spear into the side of ,jesus1 to make sure that ,he was dead2 yet an ancient oracle1 of which he knew nothing1 had said1 ,they shall look on ,him whom they pierced4 ,thus1 by the overruling providence of ,god1 the soldiers1 going with rude unconcern about their work1 were unconsciously fulfilling the ,scriptures2 and those who both saw what they had done and knew the ,scriptures recognised the ,divine finger pointing out ,jesus as the ,sent of ,god4 ,the first of these texts is generally supposed#d to be taken from the account in ,exodus of the institution of the ,passover1 and originally it refers to the paschal lamb1 which was to be eaten whole1 the breaking of its bones being forbidden4 ,st4 ,john's idea is that ,christ was to be the paschal lamb of the ,new ,dispensation1 and that therefore ,providence took care that nothing should be done to destroy ,his resemblance to the type1 as would have happened if ,his bones had been broken4 ,the ,passover was the great event of the year in all the generations of ,jewish history4 ,it was intended to carry the minds of ,god's people back to the wonderful scenes of divine grace and power in which their existence as a nation had begun1 when ,god liberated them from their bondage and led them out of ,egypt with a mighty hand4 ,the centre of the solemnity was the slaying and eating of the paschal lamb4 ,this reminded them of how in ,egypt the blood of this lamb1 sprinkled on the lintels and doorposts of their huts1 saved them from the visit of the destroying angel1 who was passing through the land2 and how1 at the same time1 the flesh of the lamb was eaten by the people1 with their loins girt and staves in their hands1 and supplied them with strength for their adventurous journey4 ,thus through all ages it impressed on them two things--that the sins of the past required to be expiated1 and that strength had to be obtained from above for the new stage of their history on which at the annual ,passover they might be supposed to be entering4 ,in the same way1 in the ,new ,dispensation1 are our minds ever to revert to the marvellous revelation of the grace and saving power of ,god in which ,christianity originated2 and in the very midst is the ,lamb slain1 who is both the expiation of the sins that are past and the strength requisite for the conflict and the pilgrimage4 ,if we walk in the light1 as ,he is in the light1 we have fellowship one with another1 and the blood of ,jesus ,christ ,his ,son cleanseth us from all sin4 ,the other words of prophecy which appeared to ,st4 ,john to be fulfilled on this occasion were1 ,they shall look on ,him whom they pierced4 ,they are from a passage in ,zechariah1 which is so remarkable that it may be quoted in full--,and ,i will pour out on the house of ,david and upon the inhabitants of ,jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications1 and they shall look upon ,me whom they have pierced1 and they shall mourn for ,him1 as one mourneth for his only son1 and shall be in bitterness for ,him1 as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn4 ,jehovah speaks figuratively of the opposition shown to ,himself and ,his servants as piercing ,him with pain1 just as we say of an insult that it cuts to the heart4 ,but in the death of ,jesus the figure became a fact3 against the sacred person of the ,son of ,god the spear was lifted up1 and it was driven home without compunction4 ,evidently ,st4 ,john thinks of this rather as the act of the ,jewish people than of the ,roman soldier4 ,but the prophecy speaks not only of the people piercing ,god1 but of their looking at their own work with shame and tears4 ,at ,pentecost this began to be fulfilled2 and in every age since there have been members of the ,jewish race who have acknowledged their guilt in the transaction4 ,the full acknowledgment1 however1 still lingers2 but the conversion of ,god's ancient people1 when it comes1 must begin with this4 ,indeed1 every human being to whom his own true relation to ,christ is revealed must make the same acknowledgment4 ,it was the heart not of a few soldiers or of the representatives of a single people1 but of the human race1 that hardened itself against ,him4 ,it was the sin of the world that nailed ,him to the tree and shed ,his blood4 ,every sinner may therefore feel that he had a hand in it2 and it is only when we see our own sin as aiming at the very existence of ,god in the death of ,his ,son that we comprehend it in all its enormity4 ,there have been many who have found the reason for ,st4 ,john's wonder in the fact that out of the wounded side there flowed blood and water4 ,from a corpse1 when it is pierced--at least1 if it has been some time dead--it is not usual for anything to flow4 ,but whether ,st4 ,john reflected on this or not we cannot tell4 ,what fascinated him was simply the fact that the piercing of the body of the ,saviour made it a fountain out of which sprang this double outflow4 ,when the rock in the wilderness was smitten with the rod of ,moses1 there issued from it a stream which was life to the perishing multitude2 but in the double stream coming from the side of ,jesus ,st4 ,john saw something better even than that2 because to him the blood symbolized the atonement1 and the water the ,spirit of ,christ2 and in these two all our salvation lies4#e ,so we sing in the most precious of all our hymns1-- ,let the water and the blood ,from ,thy living side which flowed ,be of sin the double cure-- ,cleanse me from its guilt and power4 ,although1 however1 ,st4 ,john did not perhaps speculate on the reason why this double outflow took place from the wounded side1 others have occupied themselves with the question4 ,some#f have considered the phenomenon altogether abnormal1 and endeavoured to explain it from the peculiarity of our ,lord's humanity4 ,though ,he died4 ,he was not1 like other men1 to see corruption2 ,his body was to escape in a few hours1 transfigured and glorious1 from the grasp of death4 ,this transforming process1 which issued in ,his resurrection1 began as soon as ,he was dead2 and the spear-thrust1 breaking in on it1 so to speak1 revealed something altogether unique in the constitution of ,his body4 ,others1 keeping within the limits of ascertained fact1 have given a totally different yet a peculiarly interesting explanation4 ,they have directed attention to the suddenness of ,christ's death4 ,it was usual for crucified persons to linger for days2 but ,he did not survive more than six hours4 ,yet immediately before dying ,he again and again cried with a loud voice1 as if ,his bodily force were by no means exhausted4 ,suddenly1 however1 with a loud cry ,his life terminated4 ,to what could this be due8 ,it is said that sometimes1 under the pressure of intense mental and physical agony1 the heart bursts2 there is a shriek1 and of course death is instantaneous4 ,we speak of people dying of a broken heart--using the phrase only figuratively--but sometimes it can be used literally3 the heart is actually ruptured with grief4 ,now1 it is said that1 when this takes place1 the blood contained in the heart is poured into a sac by which it is surrounded2 and there it separates into two substances--a clotty substance of the colour of blood and a pure1 colourless substance like water4 ,and1 if the sac1 when in this condition1 were pierced by a spear or any other instrument1 there would flow out a large quantity of both substances1 which would by an unscientific spectator be described as blood and water4 ,it was by an ,english medical man that this theory was first propounded fifty years ago1#g and it has been adopted by other medical men1 equally famous for their scientific eminence and ,christian character1 such as the late ,professor ,begbie and ,sir ,james ,simpson4 ,the latter well brings out the point and the pathos of this view of the ,saviour's death in these words3#h ,it has always appeared--to my medical mind at least--that this view of the mode by which death was produced in the human body of ,christ intensifies all our thoughts and ideas regarding the immensity of the sacrifice which ,he made for our sinful race upon the cross4 ,nothing can be more striking and startling than the passiveness with which1 for our sakes1 ,god as man submitted ,his incarnate body to the horrors and tortures of the crucifixion4 ,but our wonderment at the stupendous sacrifice increases when we reflect that1 whilst thus enduring for our sins the most cruel and agonising form of corporeal death1 ,he was ultimately slain1 not by the effects of the anguish of ,his corporeal frame1 but by the effects of the mightier anguish of ,his mind2 the fleshly walls of ,his heart--like the veil1 as it were1 in the temple of ,his body--becoming rent and riven1 as for us ,he poured out ,his soul unto death--the travail of ,his soul in that awful hour thus standing out as unspeakably more bitter and dreadful than even the travail of ,his body4 ,in this chapter we have been moving somewhat in the region of speculation and conjecture1 and we have not rigidly ascertained what is logically tenable and what is not4 ,this is a place of mystery1 where dim yet imposing meanings peep out on us in whatever direction we turn4 ,we have called the scene the ,dead ,christ4 ,but who does not see that the dead ,christ is so interesting and wonderful because ,he is also the living ,christ8 ,he lives2 ,he is here2 ,he is with us now4 ,yet the converse is also true--that the living ,christ is to us so wonderful and adorable because ,he was dead4 ,the fact that ,he is alive inspires us with strength and hope2 but it is by the memory of ,his death that ,he is commended to the trust of our burdened consciences and the love of our sympathetic hearts4 #a ,deut4 xxi4 #bb1 #bc4 #b ,crurifragium1 as it was called1 consisted in striking the legs of the sufferer with a heavy mallet--,,farrar1 ,life of ,christ1 ii41 #dbc4 #c ,the words that follow in this paragraph are a reminiscence of a singularly eloquent and powerful passage in a speech of ,dr4 ,maclaren1 of ,manchester1 delivered last year in ,edinburgh4 #d ,weiss1 however1 supposes ,psalm xxxiv4 #bj to be the reference4 #e ,on the symbolism of this phenomenon see the excursus in ,westcott's ,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 pp4 #bhd-hf4 #f ,e4g41 ,lange1 characteristically4 #g ,stroud in his treatise ,on the ,physical ,cause of the ,death of ,christ4 #h ,given in ,hanna's ,the ,last ,day of our ,lord's ,passion4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,burial ,there is a hard and shallow philosophy which regards it as a matter of complete indifference what becomes of the body after the soul has left it and affects contempt of all funeral ceremonies4 ,but the instincts of mankind are wiser4 ,in ancient times it was considered one of the worst of misfortunes to miss decent burial2 and1 although this sentiment was mixed with superstition1 there was beneath it a healthy instinct4 ,there is a dignity of the body as well as of the soul1 especially when it is a temple of the ,holy ,ghost2 and there is a majesty about death which cannot be ignored without loss to the living4#a ,it is with a sense of pain and humiliation1 as if a dishonour were being done to human nature1 that we see a funeral at which everything betokens hurry1 shabbiness and slovenliness4 ,on the contrary1 the satisfaction is not morbid with which we see a funeral conducted with solemnity and chaste pomp4 ,and1 when someone falls whose career has been one of extraordinary achievement and beneficence1 and who has become ,on fortune's crowning slope ,the pillar of a nation's hope1 ,the centre of a world's desire1 then1 as the remains are borne amidst an empire's lamentation to rest under the cross of gold that shines over river and city1 and the tolling bells and echoing cannon sound over hushed ,london1 and the silent masses line the streets1 and the learned and the noble stand uncovered around the open grave1 it would be a diseased and churlish mind which did not feel the spell of the pageant4 ,thus ought the great1 the wise and the good to be buried4 ,how then was ,he buried whom all now agree to call the ,greatest1 the ,wisest and the ,best8 ,i4 ,the three corpses were taken down towards evening1 before the ,jewish ,sabbath set in1 which commenced at sunset4 ,probably the two robbers were buried on the spot1 crosses and all1 or they were hurriedly carried off to some obscure and accursed ditch1 where the remains of criminals were wont to be unceremoniously thrust underground4 ,this would have been the fate of ,jesus too1 had not an unexpected hand interposed4 ,it was the humane custom of the ,romans to give the corpses of criminals to their friends1 if they chose to ask for them2 and a claimant appeared for the body of ,jesus1 to whom ,pilate was by no means loath to grant it4 ,this is the first time that ,joseph of ,arimathea appears on the stage of the gospel history2 and of his previous life very little is known4 ,even the town from which he derives his appellation is not known with certainty4 ,the fact that he owned a garden and burying-place in the environs of ,jerusalem does not necessarily indicate that he was a resident there2 for pious ,jews had all a desire to be buried in the precincts of the sacred city2 and1 indeed1 the whole neighbourhood is still honeycombed with tombs4 ,joseph was a rich man2 and this may have availed him in his application to ,pilate4 ,those who possess wealth or social position or distinguished talents can serve ,christ in ways which are not accessible to ,his humbler followers4 ,only1 before such gifts can be acceptable to ,him1 those to whom they belong must count them but loss and dung for ,his sake4 ,joseph was a councillor4 ,it has been conjectured that the council of which he was a member was that of ,arimathea2 but the observation that he had not consented to the counsel and deed of them1 which obviously refers to the ,sanhedrim1 makes it more than probable that it was of this august body he was a member4 ,no doubt he absented himself deliberately from the meeting at which ,jesus was condemned1 knowing well beforehand that the proceedings would be utterly painful and revolting to his feelings4 ,for he was a good man and a just4 ,we are1 however1 told more about him3 he waited for the kingdom of ,god4 ,this is a phrase applied elsewhere also in the ,new ,testament to the devout in ,palestine at this period2 and it designates in a striking way the peculiarity of their piety4 ,the age was spiritually dead4 ,religion was represented by the high-and-dry formalism of the ,pharisees on the one hand and the cold and worldly scepticism of the ,sadducees on the other4 ,in the synagogues the people asked for bread and were offered a stone4 ,the scribes1 instead of letting the pure river of ,bible truth flow over the land1 choked up its course with the sand of their soulless commentary4 ,yet there are good people even in the worst of times4 ,there were truly pious souls sprinkled up and down ,palestine4 ,they were like lights shining here and there1 at great intervals1 in the darkness4 ,they could not but feel that they were strangers and foreigners in their own age and country1 and they lived in the past and the future4 ,the prophets1 on whose words they nourished their souls1 foretold a good time coming1 when on those who sat in darkness there would burst a great light4 ,for this better time1 then1 they were waiting4 ,they were waiting to hear the voice of prophecy echoing once more through the land and waking the population from its spiritual slumber4 ,they were waiting1 above all1 for the ,messiah1 if they might dare to hope that ,he would come in their days4 ,such were the souls among which both ,john and ,jesus found their auditors4 ,all such must have welcomed the voices of the ,baptist and his ,successor as at least those of prophets who were striving earnestly to deal with the evils of the time4 ,but whether ,jesus was ,he that should come or whether they should look for another1 some of them stood in doubt4 ,among these perhaps was ,joseph4 ,he was1 it is said1 a disciple of ,jesus1 but secretly1 for fear of the ,jews4 ,he had faith1 but not faith enough to confess ,christ and take the consequences4 ,even during the trial of ,jesus he satisfied his conscience by being absent from the meeting of the ,sanhedrim1 instead of standing up in his place and avowing his convictions4 ,such he had been up to this point4 ,but now in the face of danger he identified himself with ,jesus4 ,it is interesting to note what it was that brought him to decision4 ,it was the excess of wickedness in his fellow-councillors1 who at length went to a stage of violence and injustice which allowed him to hesitate no longer4 ,complete religious decision is sometimes brought about in this way4 ,thus1 for example1 one who has been halting between two opinions1 or1 at all events1 has never had courage enough openly to confess his convictions1 may be some day among his fellow-workmen or shopmen1 when religion comes up as a topic of conversation and is received with ridicule1 ,christ's people being sneered at1 ,his doctrines denied1 and ,he ,himself blasphemed4 ,but at last it goes too far the silent1 half-convinced disciple can stand it no longer2 he breaks out in indignant protest and stands confessed as a ,christian4 ,in some such way as this must the change of sentiment have taken place in the mind of ,joseph4 ,he had to defy the entire ,sanhedrim2 he was putting himself in imminent peril2 but he could hold in no longer2 and1 casting fear behind his back1 he went in boldly to ,pilate and begged the body of ,jesus4 ,,ii4 ,boldness in confessing ,christ is apt to have two results4 ,on the one hand1 it cows adversaries4 ,it is not said that ,joseph got himself into trouble by his action on this occasion1 or that the ,sanhedrim immediately commenced a persecution against him4 ,they were1 indeed1 in a state of extreme excitement1 and they were seventy to one4 ,but sometimes a single bold man can quell much more numerous opposition than even this4 ,it is certain that the consciences of many of them were ill at ease1 and they were by no means prepared to challenge to argument on the merits of the case a quiet and resolute man with the elevation of whose character they were all acquainted4 ,it is one of the great advantages of those who stand up for ,christ that they have the consciences even of their adversaries on their side4 ,the other effect of boldness in confessing ,christ is that it brings out confession from others who have not had in their own breast enough of fire to make them act1 but are heated up to the necessary temperature by example4 ,it seems clear that in this way the example of ,joseph evoked the loyalty of ,nicodemus4 ,nicodemus was of the same rank as ,joseph1 being a member of the ,sanhedrim2 and he was a secret disciple4 ,this is not the first time that he appears on the stage of the ,gospel history4 ,at the very commencement of the career of ,jesus he had been attracted to ,him and had gone so far as to seek a private interview2 the account of which is one of the most precious component parts of the ,gospel and has made tens of thousands not only believers in ,christ but witnesses for ,him4 ,it had not1 however1 as much effect on the man to whom it was originally vouchsafed1 though it ought to have had4 ,nicodemus ought to have been one of the earliest followers of the ,lord2 and his position would have brought weight to the apostolic circle4 ,but he hesitated and remained a secret disciple4 ,on one occasion1 indeed1 he spoke out3 once1 when something intolerably unjust was said against ,jesus in the ,sanhedrim1 he interposed the question1 ,doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth8 ,but with the angry answer1 ,art thou also of ,galilee8 he was shouted down2 and he held his peace4 ,doubtless1 like ,joseph1 he absented himself from the meeting of the ,sanhedrim at which ,jesus was condemned2 but the injustice done was so flagrant that he was ready to make a public protest against it4 ,he might not1 however1 have had the courage of his convictions1 had not ,joseph shown him the way4 ,yet this must be praised in ,nicodemus1 that he was a growing and improving man4 ,though he hung back for a time1 he came forward at last2 and better late than never4 ,it was a happy hour for him when he was brought into contact with ,joseph4 ,there are many circles of friends where all are internally convinced and leaning to the right side1 and1 if only one would come boldly out1 the others would willingly follow4 ,the hands of ,joseph and ,nicodemus met and clasped each other round the body of their ,redeemer4 ,there is no love1 or friendship1 or fellowship like that of those who are united to one another through their connection with ,him4 ,,iii4 ,art has described the burial of our ,lord with great fulness of detail1 drawing largely on the imagination4 ,it has divided it into several scenes4#b ,there is1 first1 the ,descent from the ,cross1 in which1 besides ,joseph and ,nicodemus1 ,st4 ,john at least1 and sometimes other men1 are represented as extracting the nails and lowering the body2 while beneath the cross the holy women1 among whom the ,virgin ,mary and ,mary ,magdalene are prominent1 receive the precious burden4 ,many readers will recall the most famous of such pictures1 that by ,rubens in the ,cathedral at ,antwerp--an extremely impressive but too sensuous representation of the scene of busy affection--wherein the corpse is being let down by means of a great white sheet into the hands of the women1 who receive it tenderly1 one foot resting on the shoulder of the ,magdalene4 ,then there is what is called the ,pieta1 or the mourning of the women over the dead body4 ,in this scene the holy mother usually holds the head of her ,son in her lap1 while the ,magdalene clasps ,his feet and others clasp ,his hands4 ,next ensues the ,procession to the ,sepulchre2 and1 last of all1 there is the ,entombment1 which is represented in a great variety of forms4 ,on these scenes the great painters have lavished all the resources of art2 but the narrative of the ,gospels is brief and unpictorial4 ,the ,virgin is not even mentioned2 and1 although others of the holy women are said to have been there1 it is not suggested that they helped in the labour of burial1 but only that they followed and marked where ,he was laid4 ,joseph and ,nicodemus are the prominent actors1 though it is reasonable to suppose that they were assisted by their servants2 and the soldiers may have lent a hand in disentangling the body4 ,it was in a new sepulchre1 which ,joseph had had hewn out of the rock for himself1 in order that after death he might lie in the sacred shadow of the city of ,god1 that the ,lord was laid4 ,no corpse had ever been placed in it before4 ,this was a great gift to give to an excommunicated and crucified man2 and it was a most appropriate one2 for it was meet that the pure and stainless ,one1 who had come to make all things new and1 though dead1 was not to see corruption1 should rest in an undefiled sepulchre4 ,similarly appropriate and suggestive was the new linen cloth1 which ,joseph bought expressly for the purpose of enwinding the body4 ,nor was ,nicodemus behind in affection and sacrifice4 ,he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes1 about an hundred pound weight4 ,this may appear an enormous quantity1 but custom was very lavish in such gifts2 at the funeral of ,herod the ,great1 for example1 the spices were carried by five hundred bearers4 ,the tomb was in a garden--another touch of appropriateness and beauty4 ,the spot does not seem to have been far from the place of execution2 but whether it was as near as it is represented to have been in the traditional site may well be doubted4 ,the ,church of the ,holy ,sepulchre includes within its precincts both the ,lord's tomb and the hole in the rock in which stood ,his cross2 and the two are only thirty yards apart4#c ,but it is highly questionable whether the identification of either is possible4 ,still1 this may be said to be the most famous bit of the entire surface of the globe4 ,christendom accepted the tradition1 which dates from the time of ,constantine1 and since then pilgrims have flocked to the spot from every land4 ,it was for the possession of this shrine that the ,crusades were undertaken1 and at the present day the ,churches of ,christendom fight for a footing in it4 ,we may have no sympathy with the practice of pilgrimages and little interest in the identification of holy places2 but the holy sepulchre cannot but attract the believing heart4 ,it was a practice of the piety of former days to meditate among the tombs4 ,the piety of the present day inclines to more cheerful and1 let us hope1 not less healthy exercises4 ,but every man with any depth of nature must linger sometimes beside the graves of his loved ones2 every man of any seriousness must think sometimes of his own grave4 ,and in such moments what can be so helpful as to pilgrim in spirit to the tomb of ,him who said1 ,i am the resurrection and the life8 ,in comparison with the great ones of the earth ,jesus had but a humble funeral2 yet in the character of those who did ,him the last honours it could not have been surpassed2 and it was rich in love1 which can well take the place of a great deal of ceremony4 ,so at last1 stretched out in the new tomb1 wherein man had never lain1 enwrapped in an aromatic bed of spices and breathed round by the fragrance of flowers1 with the white linen round ,him and the napkin which hid the wounds of the thorns about ,his brow1 while the great stone which formed the door stood between ,him and the world1 ,he lay down to rest4 ,it was evening1 and the ,sabbath drew on2 and the ,sabbath of ,his life had come4 ,his work was completed2 persecution and hatred could not reach ,him any more2 ,he was where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest4 #a ,the most beautiful thing ever said about the bodies of the dead is in the ,shorter ,catechism3 ,and their bodies1 being still united to ,christ1 do rest in their graves till the resurrection4 #b ,on these and similar details see ,the ,life of our ,lord as exemplified in ,works of ,art1 by ,mrs4 ,jameson 7completed by ,lady ,eastlake74 #c ,many interesting details in ,ross's ,cradle of ,christianity4