danger of like sins. Strengthen thy brethren.' Confirm them, warn them, or encourage them. They are in danger also of sinning. Use thy experience to warn them of their danger, and to comfort and sustain them in their trials. The two epistles of Peter, and his whole subsequent life, show that he was attentive to this command of Jesus; and history relates that in his death he manifested his deep abhorrence of this act of dreadful guilt in denying his blessed Lord, by requesting to be crucified with his head downwards, as unworthy to suffer in the manner that Christ did.

33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou

knowest me.

See Matt. xxvi. 33-35.

35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

"When I sent you.' you want any thing? 36 Then said he

See Matt. x. 9, 10. Lacked ye.' Did Did not God fully provide for you? unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy

one.

'But now.' The Saviour says the times are changed. Before, he sent them out only for a little time. They were in their own country. But now they were to go into the wide world, among strangers, trials, dangers, and wants. And as the time was near, as he was about to die, and as these dangers pressed on, it was proper that they should make provision for what was before them. A purse.' See Matt. x. 9. He intimates that they should now take money, as it would be necessary to provide for their wants in travelling. 'Scrip.' See Matt. x. 10.* And he that hath no sword.' The common preparation for their manner of life was money, provision, and the means of defence. And he foretells them of that manner of life by giving them directions commonly understood to be appropriate to it. It amounts, then, to a prediction that they would soon leave the places they had been accustomed to, and go into scenes of poverty, want, and danger, where they would feel the necessity of money, provisions, and the means of defence. All, therefore, that the passage proves, is, that self-defence is lawful. It does not prove that it is lawful to make offensive war on either a nation or an individual. 'Let him sell his garment.' His mantle, or his outer garment, See

Matt. v. 40; intimating that the dangers would be very great and pressing.

37 For I say unto you, That this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

'This that is written,' Isa. liii. 12. 'Was reckoned among the transgressors.' Not reckoned as a transgressor, but among or with them. That is, he was treated as transgressors are. He was put to death in their company, and as he would have been if he had been a transgressor. Have an end.' That is, they are about to be fulfilled, or are now fulfilled.

38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

'Are two swords.' The Galileans, it is said, often went armed. The reason was that the country was full of robbers and wild beasts, and it was necessary to carry in their travels some means of defence. It seems that the disciples followed the customs of the country, and had with them some means of defence, though they had but two swords among the twelve. It is enough.' It is to be observed that he did not say the two swords are enough,' but it is enough;' perhaps meaning simply, enough has been said. Other matters press on, and you will yet understand what I mean.

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39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

See Matt. xxvi. 30-46; Mark xiv. 26-42, 'Strengthening

him.' His human nature, to sustain the great burden that was upon his soul. The man, Christ Jesus, was suffering. His

human nature was in agony; and it is the manner of God to sustain the afflicted by the intervention of others. Nor was there any more unfitness in sustaining the human nature of his Son in this manner, than any other sufferer. In an agony.' See this verse explained in the notes on Matthew xxvi. 42-44. 'Sleeping for sorrow.' On account of the greatness of their sorrow. See Matt. xxvi. 40.

47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? 49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? 50 ¶ And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

See this explained in Matt. xxvi. 47-56. 'Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss ?" A kiss was the sign of affection. Jesus, with severity, reproaches him for it. Every word is emphatic. Betrayest thou dost thou violate all thy obligations of fidelity, and deliver thy Master up to death? Betrayest thou-thou, so long with him, so much favoured, so sure that this is the Messiah? Betrayest thou the Son of man-the Messiah, the hope of the nations, the desire of all people, the world's Redeemer? Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss-the sign of friendship and affection, prostituted to a base and wicked purpose, intending to add deceit, disguise, and an abuse of a mark of affection, to the crime of treason? Every word of this must have gone to the very soul of Judas! Perhaps few reproofs of crime more resemble the awful searchings of the souls of the wicked in the day of judgment !

54 Then took they him, and him into the high priest's house. afar off. 55 And when they had

led him, and brought And Peter followed kindled a fire in the

midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 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.

57 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. 59 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 Galilean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 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 thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

See Matt. xxvi. 57, 58. 69-75.

63¶And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. 64 And when they had blind-folded him, they struck hin on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? 65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. 66 ¶ 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, 67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: 68 And if I also ask you ye will not answer me, nor let me go. 69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. 71 And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

See notes on Matt. xxvi. 57-68.

CHAPTER XXIII.

1 AND the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

See Matt. xxvii. 1, 2.

2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a King.

"This fellow.' The word' fellow' is not in the original. It conveys a notion of contempt, which no doubt they felt, but which is not expressed in the Greek. 'Perverting the nation.' That is, exciting them to sedition and tumults. This was a mere wanton accusation, but it was plausible before a Roman magistrate. For the Galileans, as Josephus testifies, were prone to seditions and tumults. Forbidding,' &c. They did not say that he taught that men should not give tribute. That would have been too gross a charge, and would have been easily refuted. They said it followed from his doctrine. He professed to be a king. They inferred, therefore, if he was a king, he must hold that it was not right to acknowledge allegiance to any foreign prince. 'Tribute.' Taxes. 'Cesar. The Roman emperor, called also Tiberius. The name Cesar was common to the Roman emperors, as Pharaoh was to the Egyptian kings.

3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him, and said, Thou sayest it.

See Matt. xxvii. 11.

4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

'I find no fault.' This was after Pilate had taken Jesus into the judgment hall by himself, and examined him privately, and been satisfied in regard to the nature of his kingdom. See John xviii. 33-38. He was then satisfied, that though he claimed to be a king, yet his kingdom was not of this world; and that his claims did not interfere with those of Cesar.

5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

'The more fierce.' The more urgent and pressing. They saw there was a prospect of losing their cause, and they attempted to press on Pilate the point that would be most likely now to affect him. 'Stirreth up the people.' Excites them to tumult and 'From Galilee to this place.'

sedition. All Jewry.' All Judea.

To Jerusalem. That is, throughout the whole country.

6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean.

'Whether he were a Galilean.' He asked this because, if he

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