meet many that we never thought to meet there, and mifs many we were confident we should fee there.

Corollary, 12. Laftly, Did Judas, one of the twelve, a man fo obliged, raifed and honoured by Chrift, do this? Gease then from man, be not too confident, but beware of men. "Truft ye

not in a friend, put no confidence in a guide, keep the door "of thy lips from her that lieth in thy bofom," Mic. vii. 5. Not that there is no fincerity in any man, but because there is fo much hypocrify in many men, and fo much corruption in the best of men, that we may not be too confident, nor lay too great a ftrefs upon any man. Peter's modeft expreffion of Sylvanus is a pattern for us; Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you (as I fuppofe") 1 Pet. v. 12. The time shall come, faith Christ, that "brother shall betray brother to death," Mat. x. II. Your charity for others may be your duty, but your too great confidence may be your foare. Fear what others may do, but fear thyfelf more.

Opens the Enemies fecond and third Preparatives for the Death of CHRIST, by their illegal Trial and Condemnation.

LUKE Xxiii. 23, 24. And they were inftant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified; and the voices of them, and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave fentence that it should be as they required.

UDAS has made good his promise to the high priest, and delivered Jesus a prifoner into their hands. Thefe wolves of the evening, no fooner feize the Lamb of God, but they thirst and long to the fucking his precious innocent blood; their revenge and malice admit no delay, as fearing a rescue by the people.

When Herod had taken Peter, he committed him to prifon, "intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people *," Acts

*In fo great a mixed multitude it was eafy to raise a tumult, if the people had thought fo great a prophet was murdered, contrary to all law and juftice. Par. on Matth. xxvi. 5.

xii. 4. But thefe men cannot fleep till they have his blood, and therefore the preparation of the paffover being come, they refolve in all hafte to destroy him; yet left it thould look like a downright murder, it fhall be formalized with a trial. This his trial and condemnation are the two last acts by which they prepared for his death, and are both contained in this context; in which we may obferve, 1. The indictment. 2. The Sentence to which the judge proceeded.

1. The indictment drawn up against Christ, wherein they accuse him of many things, but can prove nothing. They charge him with fedition and blafphemy, but falter shamefully in the proof. However, what is wanting in evidence, shall be fupplied with clamour and importunity. For faith the text, "They were inftant with loud voices, requiring that he might "be crucified; and their voices prevailed: When they can neither prove the fedition or blafphemy they charged him with, then Crucify him, Crucify him, muft ferve the turn, instead of all witneffes and proofs.

The fentence pronounced upon him; Pilate gave fentence, that it should be as they required; i. e. he fentenced Chrift to be Dailed to the cross, and there to hang till he was dead. From both thefe we may obferve, these two doctrinal conclufions.

Doct. 1. That the trial of Chrift for his life, was managed moft maliciously and illegally against him, by his unrighteous judges.

Doct. 2. Though nothing could be proved against our Lord Jefus Chrift worthy of death, or of bonds; yet he was condemned to be nailed to the cross, and there to hang till he died.

I shall handle these two points diftinctly in their order, beginning with the first, namely,

Doct. 1. That the trial of Chrift for his life, was managed moft maliciously and illegally against him, by his unrighte→ · ous judges.

Reader, here thou mayeft fee the Judge of all the world ftanding himself to be judged; he that thall judge the world in righteousness, judged most unrighteously; he that fhall one day come to the throne of judgment, attended with thousands, and ten thousands of angels and faints, ftanding as a prisoner at man's

bar, and there denied the common right which a thief or murderer might claim, and is, commonly given them.

To manifeft the illegality of Chrift's trial, let the following particulars be heedfully weighed.

1. That he was inhumanly abufed, both in words and actions, before the court met, or any examination was taken of the fact: for as foon as they had taken him, they forthwith bound him, and led him away to the High-prieft's houfe, Luke xxii. 54. And there they that held him, mocked him, fmote him, blindfolded him, ftruck him on the face, and bid him prophefy who fmote him; and many other things blafphemously fpake they against him, ver. 63, 64, 65. How illegal and barbarous a thing was this? When they were but binding Paul with thongs, he thought himself abufed contrary to law, and afked the centurion that flood by, "Is it lawful for you to fcourge a man "that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" q. d. Is this legal? What, punish a man firft, and judge him afterwards! But Christ was not only bound, but horribly abufed by them all that night, dealing with him as the lords of the Philiftines did with Sampfon, to whom it was fport to abufe him. No reft had Jefus that night; no more fleep for him now in this world: 0 it was a fad night to him: and this under Caiaphas's own roof. 2. As he was inhumanly abused before he was tried, fo he was examined and judged by a court that had no authority to try him. Luke xxii. 66. “As foon as it was day, the elders "of the people, and the chief priests, and the scribes came to

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gether, and led him into their council." This was the ecclefiaftical court, the great Sanhedrim, which, according to its first conftitution, fhould confift of feventy grave, honourable, and learned men; to whom were to be referred all doubtful matters, too hard for inferior courts to decide. And these were to judge impartially and uprightly for God, as men in whom was the Spirit of God, according to God's counsel to Mofes, Numb. xi, 16, &c. In this court the righteous and innocent might expect relief and protection. And that is conceived to be the meaning of Chrift's words, Luke xiii. 33. "It cannot be "that a prophet perish out of Jerufalem;" that is, their righteoufnefs and innocency may expect protection. But now, contrary to the first conftitution, it confifted of a pack of malicious fcribes and pharifees, men full of revenge, malice, and all unrighteousness: and over these Caiaphas (a head fit for fuch a body) at this time prefided. And though there was ftill fome face of a court among them, yet their power was fo abridged by the Romans, that they could not hear and determine, judge and con

*

321 demn in capital matters, as formerly. For as Jofephus their own hiftorian informs us, Herod in the beginning of his reign took away this power from them; and that fcripture feems to confirm it, John xviii. 31. "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death;" and therefore they bring him to Pilate's bar. He also understood him to be a Galilean; and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee, and at that time in Jerufalem, he is fent to him, 1 and by him remitted to Pilate.

3. As he was at first heard and judged by a court that had no authority to judge him; fo when he ftood at Pilate's bar, he was accused of perverting the nation, and denying tribute to Caefar, than which nothing was more notoriously falfe. For as all his doctrine was pure and heavenly, and malice itself could not find a flaw in it; fo he was always obfervant of the laws under which he lived, and fcrupulous of giving the leaft juft offence to the civil powers. Yea, he not only paid the tribute himself, though he might have pleaded exemption, but charged it upon others as their duty fo to do, Mat. xxii. 24. "Give unto Caefar the things that are Caefar's." And yet with fuch palpable untruths is Chrift charged.

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4. Yea, and what is more abominable and unparalleled; to compass their malicious defigns, they industriously labour to fu born false witnesses to take way his life, not sticking at the grofteft perjury, and manifest injustice, fo they might destroy him. So you read, Mat. xxvi. 59. Now the chief priests and elders, "and all the council, fought falfe witneffes against Jefus to put "him to death." Abominable wickednefs! for fuch men, and fo many, to complot to thed the blood of the innocent, by known and ftudied perjury! What will not malice againft Chrift tranfport men to?

5. Moreover, the carriage of the court was most infolent and base towards him during the trial: for whilst he stood before them as a prifoner, yet uncondemned, fometimes they are angry at him for his filence; and when he speaks and that pertinently to the point, they fmite him on the mouth for fpeaking, and fcoff at what he speaks t. "To fome of their light, frivo"lous and entnaring questions, he is filent, not for want of an

anfwer, but because he heard nothing worthy of one." And to fulfil what the prophet Ifaiah had long before predicted of him:

* Antiq. lib. 14. cap. 205.

+ Quia indignam refponfo judicat manifeftam falfitatem; non defenfione deftitutus, fed ut impleretur prophetae oraculum. Par. VOL. I. Sf

1

SERM. XXIV. "He was oppreffed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not "his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as "a fheep before her fhearers is dumb, fo he opened not his "mouth," Ifa. v. 3, 7. As alfo to leave us a precedent when to fpeak, and when to be filent, when we for his name fake fhall be brought before governors: for such reasons as these he fometimes anfwers not a word, and then they are ready to condemu him for a mute. "Anfwereft thou nothing? (faith the high-priest) what is it that these witness against thee?” Mat. xxvi. 62. "Heareft thou not how many things they witness "against thee?" faith Pilate, Mat. xxvii. 13.

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And when he makes his defence in words of truth and fober. nefs, they fmite him for fpeaking, John xviii. 22. " And when " he had thus fpoken, one of the officers which stood by, struck Jefus with the palm of his hand, faying, anfwerest thou the high priest fo?" And what had he spoken to exasperate them? Had he spoken impertinently? Not at all; what he faid was but this, when they would have had him enfnare himself with his own lips: "Jefus anfwered, I fpake openly in the world, "I ever taught in the fynagogue, and in the temple, whither "the Jews always refort, and in fecret have I faid nothing.

Why afkeft thou me? Ask them that heard me, behold they "know what I faid :" q. d. I am not obliged to accuse and enfnare myself, but you ought to proceed fecundum allegata et probata, according to what is alledged and proved. Did he deferve a blow on his mouth for this? O who but himself could have fo patiently digefted fuch abufes! Under all this he stands in perfect innocency and patience, making no other return to that wretch that fmote him, but this, "If I have spoken evil, "bear witness of the evil: but if well, why fmitest thou me?" 6. Laftly, To inftance in no more: he is condemned to die by that very mouth which had once and again professed he found no fault in him. He had heard all that could be alledged against him, and faw it was a perfect piece of malice and envy. When they urge Pilate to proceed to fentence him; why, faith he,

what evil hath he done?" Mat. xxvii. 23. Nay, in the preface to the very fentence itself, he acknowledges him to be a juft perfon, Mat. xxvii. 24. "When Pilate faw he could prevail no. thing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and “washed his hands before the multitude, and said, I am inno

cent of the blood of this just perfon, fee ye to it." Here the innocency of Chrift brake out like the fun wading out of a cloud, convincing the confcience of his judge that he was juft; and yet he must give fentence on him, for all that, to please the people.