thirty pieces of silver to the priests; he went away and hanged himself; and falling down his body burst, and his bowels fell out, Matt. xxvii. 1-5. Acts i 18. 21 Q. What did Pilate determine concerning Jesus?

A. Pilate found him to be an innocent man, and that the priests and elders had accused him out of envy, and therefore he would fain have released him, Mark xv. 9, 10. and Luke xxiii. 4.

22 Q. How did Pilate propose to release him, when he was charged as so great a criminal by their accusations?

4. It was the custom at the passover to release some prisoner, and he offered to release Jesus to them at that season, Mark xv. 6—9.

3 Q. Did the Jews accept of Pilate's proposal? A. No, they rather chose to have Barabbas released, who was a robber and a murderer, and demanded Jesus to be crucified, ver. 7. 11. 13.

24 Q. Did Pilate yield to their demands?

A. Yes at last he released Barabbas; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified, even against his own conscience, ver. 15.

25 Q. How came Pilate to be persuaded to crueify an innocent man?

A. He did it partly to please the Jews, and partly lest he should be counted an enemy to Cæsar if he spared Christ, who did not deny himself to be a king, Mark xv. 15. John xix. 12, 13.

26 Q. What further indignities were cast on our Saviour?

4. They stripped him of his own clothes, and put on him a scarlet robe in mockery, oecause he did not deny himself to be the King of the Jews: they platted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, with a reed in his right hand; they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! they smote him with a reed, and spit upon him, Mark xv. 17-19.

27 Q. How did the blessed Jesus carry it under all these affronts?

A. Being reviled he reviled not again, but stood before his accusers and his judges as an innocent lamb stands silent before the shearers; and made very few replies to all their accusations, charges, and inquiries, Mark xiv. 61. Acts viii. 32. 1 Pet. ii 23. 28 Q. In what manner did they crucify him?

A. They put his own garments on him again, they carried him to Calvary, the place of execution, and there they nailed him on the cross; where they also crucified two malefactors, one on his right hand and the other on his left, Mark xv. 20. Luke xxiii. 33.

29 Q. Did our Saviour then make no resistance, nor give a rebuke to their wicked cruelty?

A. He only prayed for them, and said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, Luke xxiii. 34.

30 Q. What was the inscription set over his head? A. This is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews, and it was written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, John xix. 19.

31 Q. What affronts did he suffer on the cross? A. When the soldiers had cast lots for his garments, the rulers mocked him, many of the Jews reviled him, and so did one of the thieves that was crucified with him, Luke xxiii. 34-39.

32 Q. How did the other thief carry it towards him? A. He rebuked his fellow, acknowledged his own guilt and the innocence of Christ: he prayed that Jesus would remember him when he came into his kingdom, Luke xxiii. 40–42.

33 Q. What answer did Christ make to his faith and prayer?

A. Jesus said, Verily to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, ver. 43.

34 Q. What respect did Jesus pay to his own mother Mary when he saw her near the cross?

A. He commended her to the care of John his

beloved disciple, and from that time John took her to his own house, John xix. 26, 27.

35 Q. What were some of the last words of Jesus on the cross?

A. He cried out My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? and a little after he said, It is finished; then he cried with a loud voice, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, and died immediately, Mark xv. 34. Luke xxiii. 46. John xix. 30.

36 Q. What remarkable occurrences attended the death of Christ?

A, 1. At the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land till the ninth; that is, from noon till three o'clock in the afternoon, Mark xv. 33.

2. The veil of the temple, which divided the holy place from the Holy of Holies, was rent from the top to the bottom.

3. There was an earthquake, the rocks were rent, graves were then opened, and many of the pious dead arose after his resurrection, and appeared to several persons in Jerusalem, Matt. xxvii. 51–53.

4. The centurion who guarded the crucifixion of Christ, seeing these things, was constrained to confess, Truly this Man was the Son of God, Mark xv. 39. 37 Q. What was done to the body of Jesus after his death?

A. When they broke the legs of the thieves who were crucified, that they might die the sooner, and be taken down from the cross before the sabbath, they brake not the legs of Jesus, because he was already dead; but a soldier pierced his side with a spear, and there issued blood and water, John xix. 31-37. 38 Q. How was Jesus buried?

A. Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, went to Pilate, begged the body of Jesus, wrapped it in clean linen, with spices, laid it in his own new tomb, and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, Mark xv. 3-46. Luke xxiii. 56. John xix. 40.

39 Q. What was done by the enemies of Christ to secure him from rising again?

A. The Jews desired Pilate to set a guard of soldiers about the sepulchre: and that they might know if the tomb had been opened, they sealed the stone that was rolled to the door of it, Matt. xxvii. 62-66.

SCETION II.

Of the Resurrection and Appearances of Christ.

40 Q. How did Jesus arise from the dead?

A. Early on the first day of the week there was a great earthquake, an angel rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it, his countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow: the keepers shook for fear, and Jesus rose and departed, Matt. xxviii. 1-4.

41 Q. What was the first notice the Apostles of Christ had of his resurrection?

A. Early in the morning after the Sabbath, some good women came to bring spices and ointments to anoint the body, and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, and an angel told them Jesus was risen, and bid them go tell his disciples, Mark xvi. 1—8.

42 Q. Which of the apostles came to the sepulchre to examine this matter?

A. Peter and John both went to the sepulchre, and found the linen clothes and the napkin, in which the body was wrapped, and were convinced that Jesus was risen, John xx. 1-10.

43 Q. What story did the Jews tell concerning the resurrection of Christ?

A. When the guards told the chief-priests what was done, the priests and elders bribed them largely to

say, that while they fell asleep, his disciples came by night and stole him away, Matt. xxviii. 11–13.

44 Q. How then did the soldiers come off with the governor?

A. The priests persuaded the governor to forgive them for sleeping, ver. 14.

45 Q. To whom did Jesus appear after his resurrection?

A. First to Mary Magdalen, afterwards to two disciples going to Emmaus : then to the Apostles assembled, without Thomas; and all this on the day of his resurrection: afterwards he appeared to the Apostles when Thomas was with them; again at the sea of Tiberias to seven of his disciples; then to eleven of his disciples on a mountain in Galilee; then near Jerusalem, when he ascended to heaven. 46 Q. How long did he continue on earth after his resurrection?

A. He continued forty days, giving his disciples further instructions in the great things of the Gospel, which they were not prepared to receive before his death, Acts i. 3. John xvi. 12.

47 Q. How did he appear to Mary Magdalen?

A. When she found not Jesus in the tomb she turned away from the sepulchre, and she saw Jesus, but knew him not, till he called her by her name, John xx. 14-16.

48 Q. What did he say to her?

A. Touch me not at present, but go to my brethren, and tell them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God, ver. 17.

49 Q. How did he appear to his disciples going to Emmaus ?

A. He joined himself to them as they were walking: he reproved them for their unbelief; he proved to them out of the prophets that the Messiah was to suffer death, and to enter into glory; he went into the house and eat with them; and when they began to know him, he vanished out of their sight, Luke xxiv. 13-31.