it, nor never shall be,) when he thinks he is exonered, then he goes quickly to work, then he begins to serve the foul and cruel appetite of the Jews, he lets loose Barabbas, a foul murderer: then, as Luke2 marks, he gives out the sentence of condemnation against the innocent; then he takes him and scourges him the second time; and, lastly, he puts him in the hands of the burrio ;-this is the second thing. Yet there is one third thing; when they get him, they lead him, not incontinent, out of the ports to that filthy place of execution; but to satisfy the maliciousness of their hearts, they led him to the common hall again, and there misuse the Lord of glory; when all this was done, they lead him out to the place of execution.

We shall speak of these things according to the rehearsal of Matthew, As for the first, Matthew says, that "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing at their hands, but that more tumult was made, he cries for water, and washes his hands," and makes a protestation, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man." And as he protests that he is clean, he turns it over upon the Jews, saying, " See ye to it," ye shall give an account for this day's work, it shall be the dearest work that ever ye wrought; they say, "Let his blood be on us, and on our children." First, we shall mark somewhat on the part of Pilate; secondly, on the part of the high priests and the rest of the Jews. The history is very plain. This miserable man, Pilate, hath fought on a reasonable space, yea, a long time, for the Lord Jesus Christ, against the obstinacy of the Jews; at the last, when he is charged as guilty of treason, when he sees he cannot prevail, and finds him so straited with so great incommodities, he is compelled to yield, and he thinks that this necessity should excuse him for his part well enough. Brethren, this is the lesson; men, commonly, and especially such as Pilate was, men without God, natural men, that see not an

There is much confusion in the original. Here, every word is printed as it stands there. The punctuation is depended on for indicating the author's meaning. The confusion is occasioned by the mention of Luke, and of particulars in Matthew afterwards noted. Luke xxiii. 24.

other life, that see not another world, they will strive, and they will strive wonderfully, through the instinct of nature, to keep a good conscience, but, at the last, if they be importunately straited with great incommodity, and fear of dangers, they will yield and give over. Alas! nature, and all the benefits thereof, is but a weak ground; at the last they will yield, and that good conscience that they contended to keep, they bid farewell, and at the last they will yield to a mischief, and when they have done, they will think that necessity wherewith they were straited, that importunity of men that compelled them will excuse them for their doing sufficiently; they will think, that albeit they put to their hand to do the most wicked action in the world, that necessity will disburden them; this is the judgment of natural men; but this is as true, whatever he or she be that perseveres not to the end, shall never get the crown. Take the sentence, albeit thou hast begun well, if thou goest not on to the end, thou shalt not get the crown of glory, and the Lord shall never account of thy former well-doing more than if thou hadst never done a good action. Indeed, I grant that necessity which is without the consent, and forces and compels men against their wills; as, for example, when our bodies, moved with external force and violence, without consent or voluntary moving of the members thereof, hurteth another, I say, that necessity excuseth a man; but as for that necessity, which, for fear of inconveniences and great dangers to follow, makes a man consent to an evil action, it excuseth not. Some will say, "I was sore straited, and I behoved to do or die; I strove so long as I might, and I saw I could not escape if I had not done it ;" but I say, that kind of necessity and compulsion that draws on an evil action upon thy conscience shall never excuse thee; albeit all the kings of the world should threaten thee, and terrify thee with the fear of torture, and if thou once consentest, all that shall never excuse thee; no, if we once consent to an evil action, which may hurt the conscience, we should rather suffer to be beheaded or hanged, and die ten thousand deaths. The Lord of life can and will give thee life, if thou diest in his fear, but miserable shall that life be that thou shalt live,

when thou hast done against the Lord and a good conscience. Pilate calleth for water and washeth his hands; then mark what he says, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man; see ye to it." Well is this out of his own mouth; both the speaking and doing of Pilate testifieth that Jesus was innocent, he confesseth that he was going to condemn an innocent man. So I see that the conscience of the innocency of Christ never leaves Pilate; I doubt not but he would gladly have wanted it. It is a marvel, that during all the time of the suffering of Jesus Christ, the Lord will have the innocency of his dear Son to appear in the beginning, in the midst, and in the ending thereof. All the time of his accusation, Pilate preaches his innocency; when it cometh to condemnation, the judge, both by word and deed, testifies that he was innocent: it is not a common person that protests this, but the judge himself; then, again, look to the end of this work, when Jesus is lifted on the cross, then the Father from the heaven testifies that he was innocent, then the centurion with the burrio and the men of war, seeing the wonders, are compelled to say, "This is the Son of God," and the people seeing this, go home thumping on their breasts, and say, "Alas!" and so they had cause; so the innocency of Jesus Christ is declared all this whole time out of the mouth of the judge himself, and of many others. What means all this? No doubt but the Father herein had respect to the honour of his Son, for indeed the most honourable death is to die as an innocent, and if thou wouldst die honourably, die not as a guilty person, but die innocently; and this was to aggreadge' Pilate's damnation, and the damnation of the Jews. But, brethren, there is another cause that pertains more to us, and serves more to our comfort, even that we should have faith in this Mediator, the Lord Jesus; for, except he had died as an innocent, I would never lay my sin on him; the thing that makes me to believe that he hath made satisfaction is, because he suffered innocently, and had no sin in himself, Hebrews vii. 26; and as Peter says, " he bare our sins,' because I am persuaded he bare my sins upon him, I believe in

i. e. Aggravate, increase.

21 Pet. ii. 24.

2

him; so this redounds to the comfort of the members of the Church. of God.

Yet I see more here, Pilate he hath not only the conscience of the innocency of Jesus, but this same very conscience, it makes him to turn to the Jews, and to summon them before that terrible tribunal. "See ye to it," says he, "I tell you, ye will give an account of this day's work;" so this is a citation of the Jews before that terrible tribunal, and they have found it, and shall find it. No, brethren, take heed, thou shalt never want summoning; let kings, and them who are in authority, cease to summon thee, let thine own conscience never speak a word to thee nor charge thee, the Lord shall not let thee be without a citation; if thy conscience will not waken thee, he will waken the conscience of a Turk or a Pagan, and he shall charge thee to appear before that terrible tribunal. Thou thinkest when thou sleepest, and thy conscience accuses thee not, that all is well; no; the Lord shall raise up the conscience of a Pagan to summon thee, and I say to thee, albeit thou thinkest thou art at rest, when thy conscience is sleeping, and wilt spend thy time, thou wilt eat and drink, be merry, and take thy pastime, yet it is one of the most heaviest judgments that ever God laid on any; and then, when he hath raised the conscience of another man to warn thee, it is a sore warning, that if thou sleep on and repent not, thou shalt be wakened, that thou shalt not get leisure to say, "God be merciful to me." This world knows not what it is doing. Yet, mark further, notwithstanding all this conscience of the innocency of Jesus, alas! I see not this, that his own conscience accuses him, or says to him, "Woe to thee, Pilate, thou art going an evil way, thou wilt make thyself guilty of that innocent blood that will burden thee everlastingly;" his conscience is busier to accuse the Jews as himself; he should not be so busy to accuse the Jews as himself. For if his conscience had accused himself sharply, had he ever said, "Thus I am clean of the blood of this just and innocent one?" By the contrary, it had urged out another ' i. e. Than.

confession and sentence, "There is nothing but damnation for me, for the condemning of the innocent." What should have been the cause of this? He was but a silly, natural man, and his conscience was wrong informed concerning that thing; and he thought himself well enough, seeing he had striven so long, and yielded through necessity. All this sluggishness of his conscience came of a wrong information, he knew no better. The more thou knowest, the better informed conscience thou hast. Strive aye to get knowledge. Alas! that blindness that man lies in by nature, that makes thee think that sin is no sin, that is deceit. Strive aye to get a clear mind, and a well informed conscience, whereof thou should excuse thee, and whereof to accuse thee. Get this out of the Word of God, which is the only rule of our life, and of all our actions, from that light that comes from heaven; for the light of nature will beguile thee, and it will say that thou art blessed, when the malediction of God is upon thee, and it will say that thou doest well, when thou doest evil. Therefore, get that light that comes from heaven to make thee to see. This for Pilate's part.

Now let us come to the part of the Jews. Their part is far worse. This is a great deformity, when these who have the oracles of God are warned by Turks and Pagans. This is to turn the upside of the world down. Look how ready Pilate is to lay off the burden from himself upon the Jews, as ready are they to lay it both upon their own backs, and upon their posterity. If this exoneration of himself, when he disburdens himself of the blood of Jesus, testifies that he had a conscience of his blood that was innocent, it must follow, if the Jews were ready to take on this burden, then they had no sight of his innocency, neither were they touched therewith in conscience; and, therefore, like blinded bodies, seeing nothing, with an imprecation they translate the burden from Pilate, and lay it upon themselves. Ignorance is ever temerarious; the blinder the body is, the more rashly will it endanger itself. A blind body without knowledge will run itself speedily and without remorse into hell, and will take on such a burden, that it shall never be able to lay it off again. What means all this running so speedily in