punishment, which their law prescribed. But, as it was "not lawful for them to put any man to death," they led him away to * the Roman governor; and fearing that Pilate would not be difpofed to put Chrift to death, for blafphemy against the God of Ifrael, they changed their ground of accusation, and represented him, as a mover of fedition, and a ftate criminal; "if thou let this man go, thou art not Cæfar's friend; "whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæfar." That charge fubjected Chrift to the Julian law, which was executed in the reign of Tiberius with the utmost rigour. Fear of the tyrant, and of the turbulent multitude, who demanded that crucifixion, ▾ Either, because according to their law, crucifixion could not be inflicted; (See Le Clerc. Hamm. on John xviii. 31.Grot. on Gal. iii. 13.) which nevertheless, and not ftoning, they were refolved that Jefus fhould undergo. Judæi non alio quam crucis fupplicio Chriftum affici volebant, tamen alio potuiffent. Gregor. Nyff. 1 Orat. in Ref. Chrifti.Or elfe, on account of the feaft, left they should be defiled, Auguftin. Tractat. 114. in Johan. of the fame opinion is Chryfoftom, ap. Merilli not. Philol. in Cren. Fascic. z Tacit. Ann. xv. 44. 114. b Senec. lib. iii. de benef, cap. 26. Sueton. in Tiberio. cap. xxviii. 1. Tacitus, Ann. 3. xxxviii 1.— addito majeftatis crimine, quod tum omnium accufationum complementum erat. ap. Merilli. not. philol. ad Johan, xix. 12. in Cren. Fafcic. accord prescribed by the Roman law, might be inflicted on him, prevailed over the favourable difpofition of the governor to Jefus, and induced him to give sentence, that it should be, as they required. Thus was he delivered up to the foldiers of Pilate, and treated by them according to the customs, and law of the Romans. The Jews, who had unjustly condemned him to death by their law, constrained the Gentiles to crucify him as unjustly by their own. St. Peter afterwards upbraided them with this aggravation of their guilt; "him, by wicked hands, ye have crucified and flain." с Thus was he " numbered with the tranfgreffors," and, “ poured out his foul unto death," in full accomplishment of his own affurances, as a prophet, and of his c Chrift was fcourged. Matth. xxvii. 26. Mark xv. 15. as being condemned to crucifixion.-Florus alfo, firft fcourged those whom he afterwards crucified. Joseph. ubi fupra. Titus did the fame. Lib. vi. cap. 12. Paul. Lib. v. fentent. tit. 22. Authores feditionum, et tumultûs, concitato populo, pro qualitate conditionis, aut in crucem tolluntur-aut beftiis fubjiciuntur, aut in infulam deportantur. The fame punishment was inflicted upon others, for fedition, by Varus, and Florus, fucceffors of Pilate. Jofeph. de bell. Iud. Lib. ii. cap. 14. Merill. ubi fupra. Acts ii. 23. See Huet. Dem. Evang. 61. Locke on Rom. vi. 8. Gal. ii. 15. Benf. Hift. planting Ch. 81. f Ifai. liii. 12. lamb character, as Lamb of God; and even in the midst of unspeakable agony upon the cross, he faw, as at one glance, the compass and extent of prophecy, and the whole scheme and intention of the Father, concerning his fufferings; and, having firft verified the prophecies in one only point, that ' yet remained to be fulfilled, pronounced that all, which was written in Scripture, or purposed by the Father, was accomplished; "it is finished," and bowing his head he "gave up the ghost." From the fubftance of thefe particulars, feveral important inferences evidently arise. It thence appears, that, as all things, whether they were written in the ancient prophecies, or not, which fhould come upon him, under every fituation and conjuncture, were known to Chrift without limitation, he has given the plaineft evidence, that his miffion, and his doctrines, were divine; and that, according to his frequent affurances, his death was expiatory, and, as such, had been foreordained by the Father, and confented to by himself. f John xix. 28. See the promife of the Father, Ifaiah liii. 7, 10, 11, -and the undertaking of the Son, Pfalm iv. 7, 8, 9.fee alfo Zechariah vi. 13. 12. h 2. It appears alfo, that, the human heart, in all its present and future movements, lay St. Mark attributes this open to him. knowledge of the heart, to "his Spirit ;" not to prophetical inspiration merely, (for a prophet is not faid to know by his fpirit) but to his tranfcendent participation of the effential Word, τῇ ἀκρᾷ μετόχῃ τα Αὐτολόγο, as the apologist to Celfus fpeaks; and, in * Scripture, "the divine nature of Christ, is called the Spirit, through which he is faid to have offered up k himself." It appears also, laftly, that the divine mind, no less than the human, was by him diftinctly known; and that, according to the witness of the Baptist, and his own, he testified what he had heard and feen, with the Father, whose words he fpake, whom he knew, as the Father knew him, and in whom he was, as the Father in him, his beloved and onlybegotten Son. These predictions related immediately to his character, as Lamb of God; he alfo hii. 8, Grot. ad loc. See John xvi. 30. Revel. ii. 23. i Heb. ix. 14. 1 Pet. iii. 18. k 1 John v. 8. delivered delivered others, that chiefly refpected his great attribute, as Son of God, which the Baptist had likewise ascribed to him. Of this kind was the prophecy of his rifing from the dead, which generally accompanied the prediction of his death. He represented his refurrection, as a fign to that generation, evidently, because it would fully "declare him the Son of God;" and his prophecy of that miracle, was not imparted to the difciples only, but delivered at large, and generally known. 1 "Foregoing prophets had strongly implied, rather than expreffly named, the Meffiah's refurrection from the dead. The terms, in which Christ predicted it, were not only very direct and particular, but also included circumstances, that either were entirely original, or if, in any degree, alluded to in the Old. Teftament, were first brought out into light by him. Such inftances, therefore, feem fully to evince the reality of his own prophetical character. 1 Matt. xxvii. 63. Pfalm xvi. 10. xli. 10. Ifaiah liii. 10, 11. Acts iii. 1. 1 Pet. i. 11. He |