will pursue him to the death. There is greater hatred in the heart of an obstinate Papist against a Christian than in the heart of a Turk, and the greatest hatred is ever under cloak of religion. So there is not one who hates a godly man so greatly, as they who cloak all things under the name of the Church. The Lord save us from them, I say! I had rather fall into the hands of a Turk than into the hands of a Papist.

What is Christ's part? There is nothing but shame for him: where was there ever such an ignominy as this? Barabbas is preferred unto that just one, (if thou be an innocent man, and art counted worse than the wicked, it is a great shame,) and then not only is he preferred unto him, but in hanging upon the cross, he is put between two thieves, to testify that they counted him more. worthy of death than they were. And then, besides the suffering of that pain, he suffered pain in that they blasphemed him, and held him in derision. Whatever was the part of the Jews, and of Pilate, the Father of Jesus Christ hath his part also; there was not a word spoken but that which he directed; the Jews spake not this but by the Lord's disposition, who ruled all this action; they did nothing (as ye may read Acts iv. 28) but that which he had appointed from all eternity. Now, his dispensation was for thy weal, the dispensation of his shame was for thine honour; and, if he had not died in this ignominy, thou hadst died ignominious everlastingly; and he had not been a perfect Redeemer if he had not suffered this; and as the Lord dispensed all this, how ever it be that they did unjustly, yet it is all turned to our weal. See the wonderful just dealing of God, when they are doing unjustly; he burdens his Son with no burden either in body or soul, but that which our sin (that Jesus Christ did bear upon his back) procured and deserved. He was most innocent in himself, and altogether without sin, but our sins were laid upon his back; "for he who knew no sin was made sin for us," as the apostle says, 2 Cor. v. 21. Look to these sins that Christ had upon him; they were a thousand times greater than the sins of Barabbas; for he bare upon him the sins of all the world, many murders, many

adulteries; the Lord Jesus bare them all. So there is nothing that falls to Jesus Christ but that which we procured unto him. Whatever Christ sustained, the reproaches, shame, and blasphemics, the pain, and extremity of pain in soul and body, it is thy sin that procured all this. Brethren, mark this well; when men either hear or read this history, they turn them to the Jews, and will defy the priests, and the Pharisces, and Pilate; and in the meantime they look not to themselves, but look not to others, but to thine own self, for it is thy sin also that pierced him through; and, if thou wouldst weep, weep for thine own sin. I mean not this, that any man should think to take his sins away from Christ, and lay them upon his own back; for there is no body that is able to bear so much as an evil thought. Then let thy sins lie upon Christ, for he is able to bear them all. And as thou layest thy sins upon him, seek to be clad with his righteousness; and as he is made sin for thee, look that thou be made righteous before God in him; for if thou be clothed with that everlasting righteousness in that great day, thou shalt be counted just, and get that life of Jesus. Wherefore, to end here, let us so abhor the malice, indignity, and cruelty of the Jews against Christ the innocent, that upon the other part we may with our whole heart reverence and embrace that most just dispensation of God upon him as guilty in us, and for our cause; and let us give him thanks and praise con→ tinually, because he hath given his only son for us, and he hath made him sin for us, and he hath made him subject to all shame, ignominy, dolor, and pain, both of body and soul, for our sakes. To him, therefore, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all· praise, honour, power, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE EIGHTH LECTURE.

OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

JOHN, CHAP. XIX.

1. Then Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him.

2. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple garment,

3. And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their rods.

4. Then Pilate went forth again, and said unto them, Behold, 1 bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him at all.

5. Then came Jesus forth, wearing a crown of thorns and a purple garment. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man !

6. Then when the high priests and officers saw him, they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him; for I find no fault in him.

Now, brethren, we insist further in the suffering of Christ, under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, who abode in Hierusalem. We have heard of two accusations that were laid against the innocent Jesus Christ; the first was, that he called himself the King of the Jews, and so was guilty of treason against Cæsar. Ye heard the effect of this accusation to be nothing, and therefore he goes forth, and with his voice before them all, purgeth the innocent. In the next accusation, there were many things laid to his charge, and this chiefly, that he had corrupted the whole

country, from Galilee to Jerusalem, with false doctrine. Now, when this was tried, Pilate yet holds him innocent, in testifying his innocency, and therefore he seeks yet to get him set at liberty out of the hands of the Jews; and considering that the Jews at the passover were accustomed to seek the liberty of a prisoner who was guilty of a capital crime, he uses this opportunity, and asks of them whether they would have Jesus or Barabbas set at liberty? We heard the answer to this proposition, to wit, they cry they will not have him delivered, but Barabbas. Now the other Evangelists do insist more largely in this purpose, and write more of it; and they report, that "Pilate, when he heard this word, he asketh, What shall I do with Jesus? They cry all with one voice, Crucify him." Pilate, the third time hearing this, he cleanses the innocent. Yet they report more, that whilst Pilate was sitting in judgment, there cometh a messenger from his wife, and says, "Have nothing ado with this innocent man." Why? "for I have been troubled for him in my sleep." This is an advertisement sharp enough unto him, and the Lord wanted not his own work therein; for the Lord brought this to pass-partly in respect of Jesus Christ, that his innocency might clearly appear before the world, and that he might receive a testimony of his innocency from them who had little regard unto it; for, had not Jesus been innocent, we had been little the better of him, for he could not have justified us, for, ere our faith rest on him, we must have the full assurance of his innocency-partly in respect of Pilate, that he should be converted, or made inexcusable, if he would go forward. The working of the Lord is wonderful in the reprobate, for ere that decree of their reprobation be put in execution, the Lord assays to bring them to repentance. Rom. ix. 22, "He suffers with a long suffering the vessels of wrath;" Rom. ii. 4, "He invites the reprobate to repentance;" yea, ere he put them in hell, he will invite them to heaven; there is not a reprobate that perishes in the justice of God, but ere he utter his justice towards them, he will utter his mercy in warning them to repent.

We come, brethren, to our text: he follows out the suffering in

these words which we have read; he tells us how earnestly Pilate seeks the liberty of Jesus, and he lets us see the means that Pilate uses to set Jesus at liberty. First, he takes him out and scourges him, and puts him out to be mocked, thinking that this would satisfy the Jews; and then the fourth time he professes his innocency; then he brings him out to them with a crown of thorns and a purple garment, thinking that he should have contented and moved the Jews to pity; but all was in vain. It is said, Pilate "took Jesus and scourged him," and not content with this, "commanded his soldiers to put a crown of thorns upon his head, and a purple garment on him," to scorn the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and then "smiteth him with rods." Ye see the Lord suffers mocking, and pain in body; the Lord of glory is put to ignominy: consider well, and never let it go out of thy mind, that the Lord of glory suffered much for thy cause. But to examine this fact of Pilate's; this is commendable, that he speaks so, to get the innocent Jesus set at liberty, but in the mean that he useth he fails very far. Ye shall mark this, in profane and ungodly men, that one of these two things falls out, if not both; either they shall not take in hand a good and godly purpose, or else, if any time it falls out that they enterprise any good deed, that they shall choose ungodly and unlawful means to effectuate it; they shall do evil that good may come of it. Cast your eyes upon this land, and ye shall see this to be true. Yet let us search up the ground of this proceeding of Pilate; it cannot be denied, but that he hath a good purpose and deed in hand; but it is as true again, that, as he hath a good deed in hand, he looks not upon it with an upright eye; he hath not God nor his glory before his eyes, for his conscience, rather than any regard to God's glory or his will, moved him to purpose to loose him. Thou must not propone only to do good, but also thou must propone it for God's cause, and for his glory. Pilate, having no respect to God, goes astray, and out of the way. if the purpose were never so good, and if thou have not the glory. of God before thine eyes, thou shalt waver; but by the contrary, that man that hath respect unto the Lord, he shall not

This is certain, brethren,