Galilee, he asked whether the man was a Galilæan. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him for a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the Chief Priests and Scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

SECTION CXCIX.

Christ is brought back again to Pilate, who again declares him innocent.

MATT. xxvii. 15-21. MARK XV. 6-12. LUKE xxiii. 13-20. JOHN Xviii. 39.

And Pilate, when he had called together the Chief Priests and the rulers of the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man, touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod : for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is established against him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release unto the people one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas, who lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, and who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude, crying aloud, began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)

Therefore, when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Ye have a custom that I should release

unto you one at the Passover: whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ? will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the Chief Priests had delivered him for envy. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the Chief Priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas, that he should rather release Barabbas to them, and destroy Jesus. And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.

SECTION CC.

Pilate three times endeavours again to release Christ.

MATT. xxvii. 21-23. MARK XV. 12-14.

20-23. JOHN xviii. 40.

LUKE Xxiii.

Pilate, the governor, therefore, willing to release Jesus, answered, [and] spake again to them, and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do with Jesus who is called Christ? him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him! and they all say unto him, Crucify him! crucify him! Let him be crucified. Then Pilate said unto them, the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. Let him be crucified. And they were earnest with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the Chief Priests prevailed.

SECTION CCI.

The Jews imprecate the Punishment of Christ's Death upon themselves.

MATT. xxvii. 24, 25.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

SECTION CCII.

Pilate releases Barabbas, and delivers Christ to be crucified. MATT. xxvii. 26-30. MARK XV. 15-19. LUKE Xxiii.

24-25. JOHN xix. 1-16.

And so Pilate, willing to content the people, gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them Barabbas, him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him; and when he had scourged him, he delivered Jesus to their will, to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus, and led him away into the common hall, called Prætorium; and they called together the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and they put on him a scarlet cloak; yea, they clothed him with a purple robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, [and] did him homage, and mocked him, and began to salute him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews; and they smote him with their hands. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the Chief Priests, therefore, and officers saw him, they cried

out saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment-hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæsar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down on the judgment-seat in a place which is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the passover's preparation, and about the sixth hour, [or six a.m. according to the Roman reckoning]:* and he

It is probable that St. John here used the Roman reckoning of days and hours, which resembled our own, (according to Townsend,) and commenced their circle at midnight. The other Evangelists used the Jewish reckoning of days and hours, which commenced their circle about sunset. This diversity of reckoning, expositors have often failed to perceive, and consequently have gone into great technicalities and perplexities.

I have a strong persuasion that, according to the Gospel history, Christ took his last Passover toward the commencement of the fifth day of the Jewish week, which extended from our Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon. In this day of the Passover of the Jews, there was full moon-light shining all night; and the population of Jerusalem, from the highest to the lowest, was all in commotion, at the celebration of their national festival. During the night, or early morning, of this Passover day, Christ was tried and condemned; he was delivered up by Pilate at six in the morning thereof, and he was crucified at nine in the morning thereof, and he expired on the cross at three in the afternoon, after which he was buried.

saith unto the Jews, Behold, your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The Chief Priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar. Then he delivered him therefore unto them to be crucified.

SECTION CCIII.

Christ is led away from the Judgment-Hall of Pilate to Mount Calvary.

MATT. xxvii. 31, 32. MARK XV. 20, 21. LUKE Xxiii. 26-33. JOHN xix. part of ver. 16 and ver. 17.

And they took Jesus, and led him away. And after that they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And he, bearing his cross, went forth into a place which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha, or skull-place. And as they led him away, as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: yea, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by,

Now St. John (who, as I say, used the Roman reckoning) includes the Jewish Passover's Preparation day of the Sabbath, in the Roman day to which he refers; though, according to the Jewish reckoning, it did not commence till the evening thereof. In the same way, he says it was the sixth hour of the morning (according to the Roman reckoning), when it was the first hour according to the Jewish reckoning of the other Evangelists, who tell us that Christ was crucified three hours after, at the third hour of the morning, or what we term 9 a.m.

The Jewish Passover's Preparation day, which, like all the days of the Jews, began in the evening, could not be their Passover day, because it succeeded the Passover; neither could it be their Sabbath, because it preceded the Sabbath.

The other Evangelists tell us that, according to the Jewish reckoning, when the evening of the Passover day was come, the Passover's preparation of the Sabbath commenced. This Preparation day is what the Jews called their sixth day, extending from Thursday evening till Friday afternoon. Then their seventh day-their Sabbath-commenced, extending from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon, at the last part of which their week concluded.

Thus I conceive our Lord, according to his own prediction, lay three nights and three days buried in the earth; namely, Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night; and Friday