532 They accufe him as one that fet up for a King. Sect. 186 and which he eafily I faw would be attended with John XVHI 2. 1. Then the Jews faid to him again. You well Luk.XXIII. And, as Pilate could not but enquire of what Joh. XVIII. ",: 33 -The Jews therefore ful for us to put any Man to faid unto him, It is not lawDeath. Conduct, how unwilling he was to engage in this Caufe; he seems therefore cautious, not to enter into the full Senfe of what the Jewish Rulers intended, when they called him a Malefactor; and answers them in ambiguous Language, which they might have interpreted as a Warrant to execute Chrift, if they found it neceffary; and yet, which would have left them liable to be queftioned for doing it, and might have given him fome Advantage against them; which a Man of his Character might have wifhed. Their Reply thews they were more aware of this Artifice, than Commentators have generally been. (f) And f As JESUS did not answer, Pilate takes him in, and examines him. fhould die, 32. 533 fignifying what Death he 33 and Mat, xx, 19.) fignifying or implying by Sect. 186. what Kind of Death be fhould die, even by being lifted up from the Earth, or by Crucifixion, which John XVIII. was a Roman Punishment; whereas according to the Jewish Law, (Lev. xxiv. 16.) he would have been stoned, (as his Servant Stephen afterwards was,) having been impiously adjudged by them to have deferved Death as a Blafphemer. (Compare Mat. xxvi. 65, 66. and Mark xiv. 64. pag. 527.) MAT. XXVII. 12. And when he was accused of the Chief Priefts and Elders [of many Things,] he answered nothing. [MARK XV. 3.] 13. Then faith Pilate unto him, [Anfwereft thou nothing?] Heareft thou not? [Behold] how many Things they witness against thee. [MARK XV. 4.]. 14 And [Jefus yet] anfwered him to never a Word, infomuch that [Pilate] the " Governor marvelled greatly. [MARK XV. 5.] JOHN XVIII. 33. Then Pilate entred into the Judg Art thou the King of the And when he was thus accused by the Chief Matth. as Jefus knew how little all his Apologies would But yet as the Governor had heard an honour- John XVIII. Jefus (f) And when he was thus accused &c.] The Reader may, perhaps, obferve, that I have tranfpofed Mat. xxvii. II. and Mark xv. 2. But it is only because I think, the other Evangelifts relate the Story in fuch an Order, as to fhew the Propriety of this little Tranfpofition. 534 Sect. 186. John XVIII. 34. 35 36 34 Jefus anfwered him, Sayeft thou this Thing of thyfelf, or did others tell it thee of me? JESUS declares, his Kingdom is not of this World. Pilate immediately replied, Am I a few? or Jefus answered him, My Kingdom is not of this World, nor is it my Bufinefs or Defign to erect a Temporal Dominion, and to establish any Claim which should at all interfere with that of Cæfar, or of which any Prince has Reason to be jealous. Indeed if I would have entertained fuch Views, I might have found Support and Encouragement, from the very Perfons who are now my Accufers: And if I had afferted, that my Kingdom was of this World, and had favoured fuch Methods of Defence, my Servants, who profeffed of late fo great and fo publick a Regard to me, would refolutely have fought, that I might not have been delivered to the Jews (g), or would attempt even now I 35 Pilate answered, Am a Jew? Thine own Nahave delivered thee unto me: What haft thou done? tion, and the Chief Priefts 36 Jefus answered, My Kingdom is not of this World: if my Kingdom were of this World, then would my Servants fight, that I fhould not be deliis my Kingdom not from hence. vered to the Jews; but now (8) My Servants would have fought, &c.] Tho' our Tranflation of novel may be more literal, yet confidering that our Lord was now actually in the Hands of his Enemies, I think it plain, that it is to be taken in fuch an Extent. It may be objected, that the Number of Chrift's Difciples, had all the Five hundred been affembled in Arms, could have been no Match for the Jewish and Roman Power at Jerufalem. But it is to be remembered, that (as Mr. Lardner with his ufual good Senfe obferves,) the Populace appeared zealously on Chriff's Side but a few Days before; and the Reafon of their turning against him was, his not affuming a Temporal Kingdom, as they certainly expected he would have done. (See Lardn. Credib. Vol. i. book i. chap. 5. pag. 170.) And we may farther add, that a very fmall Body of Forces, under a Leader endowed with fuch miraculous Power, as Jefus lately exercised, might have been fufficient to vanquish all the Roman Legions. Compare Nite (i) on John vi. 14. Vol. i. pag. 489.. (b) Every Pilate comes out, and tells the Jews, be found no Fault in him. 38 Pilate faith unto him, What is Truth? And when again unto the Jews, and faith to the Chief Priefts, and to the People,] I find no Fault at all in this Man.] ELUKE XXIII. 4]. he had faid this, he went out 535 now to rescue me out of their Hands: But now Sect. 186. my Kingdom is not from bence, nor to be erected John XVIII here; and therefore I have been fo far from arm- 36. Pilate therefore faid to him, Thou fpeakest how- 37 And Jefus answered him and faid, therein cou End I came into the World from another and much pays Pilate fays to bim, What is the Truth which 38: (b) Every Perfon who is a Friend of the Truth, heareth my Voice.] What our Lord here. fays incidentally, is to be regarded as an univerfal Maxim; all fincere Lovers of the Truth will hear him: And accordingly St. John, with all Simplicity, depending on the Evidences which he, and his Brethren,, had given of their Miffion from Chrift, lays down the fame Teft. John iv. 6. We are of GOD; he that knoweth GOD, heareth us. 536 Reflections on CHRIST's Examination by Pilate. Sect. 186. fee how I cam with any Juftice condemn him to H% IMPROVEMENT. OW much Exactnefs in the Ceremonials of Religion may be found in thofe, who have even the most outragious Contempt for its vital Principles and effential Duties! Yea, how much of that Exactnefs may be made fubfervient to the most mifchievous and DiaboJohn xviii. lical Purposes! Thefe Wolves in Sheep's Clothing would not enter into the Houfe of a Heathen, left they should be polluted, and become unfit to eat the Paffover; yet they contrive, and urge an impious Murther, which that very Heathen, tho' he had much lefs Evidence of Christ's Innocence than they, could not be brought to permit without strong Reluctance, and a folemn, tho' vain, tranferring of the Guilt from himself to them. 28. Luke xxiii. 2. Juftly might our Lord fay in the Words of David, They laid to my Charge Things which I knew not. (Pfal. xxxv. 11.) Yet what can defend the moft Innocent and Excellent against malicious Slanders and Defamations? Or who can expect, or even wish, wholly to efcape, when fuch Mat. xxvii. Accufations are brought againft Chrift, even by the Rulers of his Nation, who should have been Men of diftinguished Generofity and Honour! But instead of this, they were all an Affembly of Murtherers, and lay in wait for their Prey like fo many devouring Lions. 12. John xviii. 29, 30. Ver. 37. Ver. 36. Pilate would renew the Examination of the Caufe; and fo far he acted a cautious and an honourable Part. But, alas, how many that fet out on fuch Maxims, want Courage and Refolution to purfue them. But the Courage of Chrift never failed. He witnessed before Pontius Pilate the good Confeffion, we have now been reading; (1 Tim. vi. 13.) and owned himself a King, tho' at the fame Time he declared, (what it were to be wished, all his Followers had duly regarded,) that his Kingdom is not of this World. Greatly do we debafe it, if we imagine it is; and most unworthy is it of thofe that call themselves the Minifters of his Kingdom, to act as if they thought it was. Yet fuch is the Wickedness of some, and fuch the Blindness of others, in the Roman Church, that tho' of all the Churches in the World it is manifeftly the moft Secular Kingdom (1), it arrogates to itself the Name, not only of a Part, but of the whole of Chrift's Kingdom here below. drift (i) It is manifeftly the moft Secular Kingdom.] This Mr. Boyfe of Dublin has finely illuftrated in his most ingenious Difcourfe on thefe Words. |