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xviii. 1,

to fhew them where they might find Him in his private Retirement, lat Night, when every thing was ftill and quiet. So, to John king with him, a band of men and officers, &c. from the Chief Priefts and Pharifees, with lanterns and torches and weapons, he cont ducted them, over the Brook Cedron, which ran close by the Walls of the City, into a fuburbian Garden; where JESUS ust often to refort, with his Disciples. There they found him, accordingly, and took him, and bound him, and fooled him away. 1 stau bau danid cast ou de new wodw

SECT. VII.

The Trial of our LORD.

Now this celebrated Trial and Condemnation of our bleffed LORD, being the most ample Inftance of any in S in Scripture, of the Method of Proceeding in the Great Council or Sanhedrim, it will be worth while to trace every Step taken therein, from the Time of his being apprehended, to that of his Crucifixion; as they are severally related by the four Evangelifts.

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xviii. 13.

They had him first before Annas, who John was Father-in-Law to Caiaphas, which was the High Priest, that fame Year. He, being either the Judge to whom the Writ was returnable; or a Perfon, in great Authority; whom the High-Prieft, his Sonin-Law, and the Reft of the Council, had deputed to take his Examination first. Or perhaps where he was only to be detain'd, till the Council could be got together. For we do not find that Annas took any Cognizance of JESUS, at that Time; but fent him, bound, unto Caiaphas the- 24. High-Prieft; with whom were affembled the Chief Priests, and the Elders, and the Scribes. This Affembly therefore was the Great Council.

The High-Prieft then asked JESUS, of his difciples, and of his doctrine. JESUS anfwer'd him, I ever taught in the fynagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always refort; and in fecret have I faid 1 nothing. Why askeft thou me? Ask them

which beard me, what I have faid unto them: behold, they know what I have faid. Upon this, one of the Officers that stood by, ftruck him with his Hand, faying, An

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fwereft thou the High-Prieft fo? To which JESUS replied, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but, if well, why smiteft thou me?

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They hop'd to draw him in to accuse himself; but, that Project not fucceeding, we are told the Chief Priests and Elders, and all the Council fought falfe Witness against JESUS to put him to Death. And, accordingly, many falfe Witneffes offer'd to testify against him: But they were fo ill concerted, and blunder'd so egregioufly in their Evidence, that it would not do. Atlaft there ftood up Matt. two falfe Witneffes, and faid, This fellows xxvi. 61. faid, I am able to deftroy the temple of God, Mark and to build it in three days; or, I will xiv. 58. deftroy this temple that is made with hands, and, within three days, I will build another made without bands. But neither, fo, did their Witness agree together.

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Upon which, the High-Priest, defirous of drawing him into a Confeffion, stood up, and faid unto him, Anfwereft thou nothing? What is it which thefe witness against thee? But JESUS held his Peace, and anfwered nothing. The High-Prieft, there

fore,

fore, spoke to him again, and said, I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou tell us ; whether Thou be the CHRIST, the fon of God? JESUS then spoke calmly, and without Hefitation, to this Effect; I am: And, though I appear in a mean Form, now, nevertheless, I fay unto you, Hereafter fhall ye fee the fon of man, fitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.com vipods

Upon this, the High-Prieft, to fhew the great Transport of Indignation this Answer put him into, very indecently, rent his Clothes; and, addreffing himself to the reft of the Judges, faid, He bath spoken blafphemy s what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blafphemy, what think ye? They answered, and said, He is guilty of death: And fo they all condemn'd him, and adjourn'd the Court.

Then it was that thofe who had him in custody, infulted him in a very brutish and barbarous Manner; Spitting in his Face, buffeting and deriding him, various ways, during the rest of the Night. He was left to the arbitrary Infolence of a Parcelof Slaves, the very Dregs of his Enemies; Cc

all

Luke

xxii. 63.

all his Friends having forfaken him, and fled. Or, if any of them had been courageous enough to venture in with the Crowd; they hop'd to pafs for his Enemies; and, when challeng'd, durft not confefs that they belong'd to him. For though Love and Fidelity to their Master had prevail'd with two of his Difciples, Peter and John, to get Admittance into the High-Prieft's Palace; that they might hoar and fee a little, how Matters were like to go; yet, the former of these, Peter, while he stood and warmed himself, in the High-Prieft's Hall, among the Servants and Officers, happening to be fufpected by fome of them, of belonging to JESUS, denied with an Oath, two or three Times, that he fo much as knew him.

This, JESUS (notwithstanding Peter's boafted Refolution of dying with him) both forefaw, and foretold. The Court, therefore, being up, and JESUS brought out into the Hall to be kept in Cuftody there 'till the Morning, at the fame Time. that he was treated with all Sorts of Indignity, by the Servants and Officers, had

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