death-knell. Until now He had left His works to speak for Him. Even with His disciples He had seldom insisted on being the Messiah; He had never held Himself aloof from them in kingly state. With them He was the Son of man, their brother; before the Sanhedrim He called Himself the Son of God, their Judge.

CHAPTER VI.

PILATE'S JUDGMENT HALL.

STRAIGHTWAY, in the light of the rising sun, the whole multitude of them arose, and led Jesus away to Pilate's judgment hall. It was early, and the city would hardly be astir after the feast last night. The friends of Jesus were still buoyed up with the thought that, at the earliest, the crime of His death could not be committed until after the Sabbath was ended. The haste of the Sanhedrim was not only indecent, but it was illegal, according to their own traditions. They had taken no time to reconsider their verdict. The judges had not fasted for a whole day, as they were bound to do after sentencing a man to death before he was led away to execution. The death of Christ was a judicial murder of the blackest dye.

But at the threshold of Pilate's judgment hall a difficulty presented itself. If they entered it they would be defiled, and could not partake of the feast of that day. On this day the Chagigah was offered, which was strictly a peace-offering, and symbolized their unbroken and

undimmed communion with God. A portion of the offering was burnt upon the altar, and a portion eaten as a feast in the Temple itself, or, at least, within the walls of Jerusalem. Probably the Great Sanhedrim kept this feast in some stately chamber of the Temple; for did not they stand nearer to God than any other of the people? But if they went into Pilate's judgment hall with their prisoner they would be defiled, and rendered unfit for its celebration.

Pilate had had many a serious conflict with the Jews on subjects of their religion, which he despised and misunderstood; yet he now yielded so far as to go out to these wealthy and noble citizens. 'What accusation

bring ye against this man?' he asked.

They did not wish

to make any definite accusation, and they answered sharply, that if He had not been an evil-doer, they would not have taken the trouble to deliver Him up to him. 'Take Him yourselves,' said Pilate, and judge Him according to your law.' 'It is not lawful for us to put any man to death,' they said.

No doubt Pilate knew already something of Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, who had entered the city in what appeared to him a mock, triumph only five days before. This reply of the Sanhedrim showed him at once what they wanted. The prophet must be put to death, and he

must bear the blame of it. he to crucify this man?

But upon what grounds was The Sanhedrim were not at a

loss, though they could say nothing here of the charge of

blasphemy. 'We found Him,' said these religious rulers of the country, 'we found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that He is Christ, a King.' All there must have known how Jesus had disappointed His followers by bidding them render unto Cæsar the things that were Cæsar's. Pilate returned to the judgment hall, and looked upon the weary frame and worn face of Him who all night long had been passing through agony after agony. He still wore the festive robes in which He had eaten of the Paschal supper; but even these were only the clothing of a poor man, a man of the people, not those of any kingly pretender. 'Art thou the King of the Jews?' he asked. The Roman governor seems to have felt kindly towards Him, as a harmless fanatic, whose vague language had brought Him into danger. Jesus told him He had indeed a kingdom, but it was not of this world. True men alone could hear His voice. 'What is truth?' asked Pilate, mockingly. He had not found it among the Romans; and certainly it did not exist among the Jews. He could not but suspect the whole charge against Jesus to be a skilfully-framed falsehood. But he was prepossessed in His favour, and more than willing to disappoint his accusers. He left Jesus, and went out again to the pavement, or terrace, before his palace. By this time a rabble of citizens had gathered, among whom the partisans of the Sanhedrim were scattered, artfully exciting them against Jesus, as one who

had deceived the people and threatened to destroy the Temple. Probably a small number of His friends were also among the crowd, bewildered and shocked to find their Master handed over to the Roman power. But when Pilate was seen all were still; a few in breathless hope, the many in silent hatred.

'I find in Him no fault at all,' said the governor. A thrill of great joy must have run through the heart of John, who had followed his Lord faithfully. But a fierce clamour began; and the chief priests would not suffer their accusation to fall to the ground.

'He stirreth up the people,' they cried, 'teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee, even to this place.'

Here was a loop-hole for Pilate to escape from his difficulty. If Jesus came from Galilee, He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction. Herod was come up to the passover; and Pilate would pay him a compliment by referring the case to him. They were not friends at this moment, probably because of those Galileans whom Pilate had slain during one of the riots at some feast; but the Roman governor was anxious to be at peace with him. He therefore sent Jesus to Herod, who had for a long time wished to see the famous prophet of his own country, whose miracles were noised abroad so much. The priests and scribes violently accused Him before Herod; but Jesus spoke not a word. He had never before seen the face of the man who had murdered John