58 When once a falsehood has passed the lips, none can recal it. In attempting to establish one falsehood by another, men add sin to sin. had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me 62 Blessed repentance! Peter sowthrice. 62 And Peter went ed in tears-he reaped in joy. out, and wept bitterly. And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: and if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. CHAPTER XXIII. MARCH 12, JULY 11, Nov. 7. EASTER EVEN, Morning, from ver. 50. AND the whole multitude of 2 them arose, and led him unto Pilate. And they began to 2 This was false. (See Chap. xx. accuse him, saying, We found 25 *.) To this day, when religion is to be assailed, how often is the attack made by falsehood. The refuge of lies is the favourite refuge of the wicked. Well has our divine Master forewarned us-" Blessed are ye when men shall speak all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake." this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. When 5 They mentioned Galilee, maliciously; to excite Pilate's suspicions: the Galileans being very impatient of the Roman yoke, and especially prone to sedition. Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan. And as soon as he knew that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: no, nor yet Herod for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will there 9 To Pilate, the appointed judge, our Lord had replied courteously. Before Herod, whose questions flowed from mere curiosity, he preserves a dignified silence. 22 Pilate at once saw and felt what the strictness of Roman justice required; but basely yielding to popular clamour, he laid upon his conscience the dreadful guilt of con demning the innocent, and letting the guilty go free. 28 Jesus ever sympathized with others' sufferings. Will He not care for us in our sorrows now? fore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, 34 Thus fulfilling a wondrous proFather, forgive them; for phecy. (Ps. xxii. 18.) they know not what they do. and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the 35 31 "If thus they treat me in my innocence, how shall the wicked es cape them?" In Scripture-language good men are compared to trees, fair and flourishing-evil men to "all oak, whose leaf fadeth." (Is. i. 30.) And they parted his raiment, 35 To this day, derision is a favourite mode adopted by wicked men to show their hatred of religion and its followers. 43 This example checks despair, but does not encourage delay. Paradise is the place of departed spirits, where the just rest in peace, before the resurrection. 44 From noon to three o'clock there was a supernatural darkness. Nature herself mourned, as it were, when the Lord of nature did die. JULY 11, Nov. 7. same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. Ver. 50. And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: (the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. "And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never contradictory prophecy, that He 53 Thus was fulfilled the apparently should make his grave "with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." 56 How does a fulfilment of these man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. "And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. pious offices on this occasion sanctify the observance of them in our own case, where they aid in alleviating, in some degree, the mourner's sorrow. * How marvellous a faith! In one breath he testifies both to the divine and human nature of the crucified Redeemer. Having declared "This man hath done nothing amiss;" he instantly adds "Lord! remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." CHAPTER XXIV. MARCH 13, JULY 12, Nov. 8. TUESDAY IN EASTER-WEEK, morning, to ver. 13. 1 Warm affection never delays its pious offices. 5 Their appearance was transcendently glorious-as angels. 'Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 'and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? he is not here, but is risen remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. "Eleven apostles only were leftJudas having gone to his own place. 15 We are encouraged to cultivate a holy turn of mind and conversation, by reflecting, that Jesus is still at hand to open the eyes of our understanding, and teach us the wonders Ver. 13. And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. What manner of communications are to another, as ye walk, and are sad? of his law. And he said unto them, these that ye have one And one of them, whose |