wicked courses, but that men want conscience, and their own corruption hath blindfolded them. Is there any man that hath light, that will run on to their death, to dash themselves on the sword to devour them? It is a miserable thing to want the light of the soul; so the Jews saw not with whom they had to do, they had no conscience, as Pilate had, and, therefore, being through malice and appetite of revenge incensed against the Lord Jesus, blindfolded, they regard not what imprecations they utter, for they saw not hell. Or else, if these Jews had a light of conscience, they did so rashly against Jesus with knowledge, which is most likely; then it follows that they were marvellous malicious; as ignorance is hardy, so is maliciousness more hardy; albeit such a man should see, yet against the light his malice will make him to run over the belly of his conscience. Ye know the voices of profane men, "Ere I were not revenged of him, I had rather be in hell;" this cometh of maliciousness, to get the foul spirit within him satisfied; but if thou felt one twitch of hell, thou wouldst recant these words, for it would cause thee shout and squeal hideously. And I incline to this judgment, that this wicked action is more to be ascribed to malice than ignorance; the Jews and the high priests had the Word of God and the prophets, whereby they might have known the Messiah. When I read of the prophets that speak of induration in the time of Jesus Christ, I say it hath come of a hardness and induration of heart. And when I see the words of the apostles, that say, "O stiffnecked people," I think that they put their own fingers in their eyes, that they should not see. The Lord save us from maliciousness, and, namely, from such maliciousness as is not without knowledge, when a man sees, and will pull out his eyes. Compare the Jews with Pilate; now Pilate sinneth, he killed himself in the end, and the Lord made his own hands to be his burrio. No doubt he sinned, who can excuse him? he sinned maliciously, he had a conscience, and goes against it maliciously. But, brethren, to speak the truth, it was not so much malice that pushed him forward, as great infirmity and fear; for, first, he fears to be accused of treason against Cæsar; it was no marvel to such a man to fear who had no God

but Cæsar; then he saw appearance of great tumult to rise amongst the Jews. What necessity was laid on them to have the blood of the innocent? So I see nothing in them but malice, if it were but in this respect, that the sin of the Jews weigheth down the sin of Pilate, and their damnation is a thousand times greater. What had this man? He had nothing but nature; the contravention of the light of nature will never make up the sin against the Holy Ghost, which gets no mercy. But come to them; they had the light of nature, and the light that cometh from heaven; they had the Word of God amongst them; they contravened a heavenly light that came down from heaven, and was wrought into their hearts by the Spirit. Stephen says, in the 7th chapter and 51st verse of the Acts of the Apostles, "Ye have always resisted the Holy Ghost; as did your fathers, so do you;" that is not a natural light, but a light that came from above. There were some of these men who sinned maliciously against the Holy Spirit. What marvel was it, then, that they got no grace to repent? for of all sins the sin against the Holy Spirit is the most dangerous; they that commit this sin have no grace to repent, and, therefore, no mercy to them, the Lord strikes their souls with impenitency; so that soul is everlastingly hardened; and so being stricken with impenitency, they got never grace to say, "God be merciful to me." Seeing, then, their sin against Christ was so great, seeing it was not so much of ignorance as of malice, it was not only against the light of nature, but also against the illumination of the Holy Spirit; what marvel was it, that such a terrible judgment overtook them, as never lighted on any nation? The Jews found this innocent blood in experience laid to their charge. Josephus, that saw all these things with his eyes, writeth what heavy vengeance and judgment fell upon Jerusalem and the Jews; for he testifies, that there were slain at the siege of Jerusalem eleven hundred thousand, besides ninety thousand that were taken captives; thereafter the town was lamentably destroyed and sacked. So the blood of the innocent never left them; and these that remain yet feel the judgment of the blood of the innocent; for, according as they desired that his

blood should be upon them and their posterity, so "the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost," 1 Thes. ii. 16. It is a wonder that a Jew should be safe, and if ye hear of a Jew to be converted, think it to be a great mercy.

did it, and one When will these

Now, to apply this shortly to us, if it were but this terrible example of vengeance which followed the Jews, it should terrify to the end of the world all souls to take on the blood of the innocent. Take on one, and take on all; if thou takest on the blood of one servant of God, thou shalt take on all the innocent blood from Abel to that man whom thou hast slain. Fy upon foul butchers! who are more meet to be butchers' dogs than men. What care they to wash their hands in innocent blood? But I say to thee, if ever thou gettest grace it is a wonder; fy upon the butchers of Scotland! No, if the Lord would waken thy conscience to torment thee, and present to thee the sight of him of whose blood thou hast shed, it would be so terrible, that it would make thee to curse the time that ever thou day fearfully without comfort it will torment thee. bloody men leave off the shedding of innocent blood, in this bloody and barbarous nation? Of all nations it is the most barbarous and bloody. Above all things, dip not thine hands in the blood of Jesus Christ. Thou who sheddest innocent blood, and art a persecutor of the servants of Jesus Christ, and who resistest the truth, thou wilt say, if thou hadst been in Christ's days, thou wouldst not have consented to his death; but thou who sayest so, if thou hadst fallen in these days, thou hadst maliciously been partaker of the death of Christ, and hadst put hands on him, thou wantest nothing but time. I will tell you who is it that sheds the blood of Jesus Christ, and takes his blood on them; whatever he or she be that will resist this known truth of Jesus Christ, and persecute the professors thereof, I affirm they are as guilty of the blood of Christ as the Jews and the high priests were, and that same blood shall be laid to their charge in the great day of the Lord. Read ye not in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. vi. 4–6, and x. 29, of them who have repined,' and have 1 i. e. Fallen from their faith. From re and peyne, to forge?

begun to cast off that heavenly power, and so go like dogs to their vomit, and spue out the light they had received, they are as guilty of the blood of Christ as Pilate, and tramp the blood of the Covenant under their feet. Woe to them that resist the Gospel! woe to the apostate lords of this land, for thus resisting the light! There is no light but this to lead thee to heaven. I denounce woe to them if they continue, the treasure of wrath and woe shall be heaped on them, they shall be as guilty as Judas, or Pilate, or the Jews; hasty and sudden shall be their judgment, except the Lord prevent them with repentance; they and their posterity shall be cursed, and underly a terrible vengeance; woe to their friends who will join with them! Separate thee from them, as thou wouldst see salvation. Away out of Babylon. Ye would think this a light word, "Let his blood be upon our head." As they wish the blood of the innocent to light on them, so it never leaves them, nor shall never leave so many of them as repented not; the blood of the innocent shall lie upon their backs everlastingly. This should learn us to take good heed to our words; it was but a word to cast off the God of glory, and to take on a tyrant. They got Cæsar to be their king, and he spoiled them. Take good heed to thy words, for thou who usest against thyself imprecations and cursings, and wilt say, "God plague me, God's vengeance light upon me, I give my soul to the devil, if this or that be not "--well, hast thou given thy soul to the devil? he shall get it; hast thou taken a curse upon thyself? thou shalt be cursed. It is a wonder that the earth should not open to swallow such men. The Lord makes these things to come to pass; now and then he makes the cursed creature that uses such speeches to be a terrible example. And if thou be a profane person, who wilt say, "I give my soul to the devil;" I say, and if the devil get thee not then, and thou be not thrust into hell, but gettest repentance, it is a wonder. Such is the judgment of God, that ofttimes he will let no reversion be, except that earnestly thou seek for grace and mercy; the Lord, I say, shall make that word which thou spakest to have no reversion, wilt thou, or wilt thou not; but like as thy foul mouth spake it, so thou shalt be given to the

devil; for there is nothing more effectual to a man's destruction than the words which proceed out of his own mouth.

Well, Pilate is lying in security, and he thinks himself well enough; when he hath once disburthened himself, he sits down and gives out sentence, and absolves a seditious vagabond, "He letteth Barabbas loose unto them.” Woe to them who will absolve a seditious loon and a murderer! The next thing is more woeful, he begins to give out the sentence against the innocent; he comes on and strikes him, he scourges him, (this is the second time,) and when he hath done, "he giveth him into the hands of the Jews," to satisfy their wicked appetite. As long as thou hast a wakened conscience, and so long as it tells thee, "This is good, and this is evil," thou wilt not go so boldly and forwardly in evil. (Well is that body who hath a wakened conscience, suppose it terrify thee, and hold thee waking.) But after it be once lulled in a sleep and security, then thou runnest on, as the arrow doth out of the bow, to a mischief; there is nothing to hold thee, but thou runnest swiftly to mischief. Ephes. iv. 19, "After they once lost feeling, they ran out to all wantonness, committing all uncleanness with greediness." There was never any creature so greedy of any thing in the world as men who live without conscience will be of filthiness. As thou wouldst keep thyself, so keep feeling in thy conscience, and count it more precious than all things in the world. Nothing can guard thy soul from Satan but the approbation of a feeling conscience. Thou wilt come out with thy pearls, and with decked clothing; but if thou want this conscience, thou art a prey to the devil. Fy on these men who lie in such a senselessness; shame and confusion shall light upon them. Was there ever such a dead and senseless generation as this? It is a token that hell is overtaking them, seeing they lie all in such a senseless security.

Mark notes a word here that would be considered, chapter xv. 15, Pilate did this to gratify an evil people-he would not displease the Jews. This is the common fashion of princes to seek

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