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And Jesus said, I am; and ye shall fee the son of man fitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and faith, What need we any further witnesses? ye have heard the blafphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. + And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy; and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest; and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and faid, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch, and the cock crew. And a maid faw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by, faid again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them; for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye fpeak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. I And when he thought thereon, he wept.

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Tuesday before Easter.

For the Epistle. Ifai. 50. 5.

HE Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the

They all condemned him to be guilty of Death. It should have been translated, They all agreed that he was guilty of a capital crime, viz. Blafphemy.

† And fome began to spit on him, &c. &c. Thus was the Judge of the World placed at the bar of his own guilty creatures, falsely accused by the Witnesses, unjustly condemned by his Judges, and barbarously insulted by all. Yet, because it was agreeable to the end of his coming, he patiently submitted. Though with a frown he could have made his Judges, his accufers, and those who had him in custody, to drop down dead in a moment, or shrink into nothing.

↑ And when he thought thereon, &c. Behold in Peter an eminent example of the vanity of self-confidence, and of the weakness of human nature, unsupported by God's help! God grant that all who Sin, like Peter, may like him also immediately confider their ways and turn their feet unto God's teftimonies, and henceforward glorify their Redeemer even unto Death.

This portion of Scripture contains so exact a description of the barbarous indignities our Saviour suffered, and of his meek depoitment under them as seems more like a history, than a prophecy which was fulfilled several hundred years after.

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smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked, off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will. help me, therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I fet my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me? let us stand together; who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. hold, hold, the the Lord Lord God God will will help help me me; who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment: the moth shall eat. them up. * Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compafs yourselves about with sparks; walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in forrow.

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The Gospel. S. Mark 15. 1.

ND straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, tand delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the king of the Jews ? And he answering, said unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, faying, Answerest thou nothing? Behold, how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing: so that Pilate marvelled. Now at that feaft he released unto them one prifoner, whomsoever they defired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made infurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud, began to defire

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Who is among you that feareth the Lord, Sc. i. e. Whosoever feareth God, and obeyeth the Gospel of Jesus Chrift: if they be under grievous troubles; let not their afflictions drive them to defpair: but let them fix a firm dependance on God, for protection and de

liverance.

+ And delivered him to Pilate. Thus the Jews delivered up our Lord to the Romans, and they for that Sin, were, themselves, afterwards given up into the hands of the Romans.

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him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, faying, Will ye that I release unto you the king of the Jews? (§for he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.) But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered, and faid again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the king of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And fo Pilate willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the foldiers led him away into the hall, called Pretorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head; and began to falute him, Hail, king of the Jews. And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees, worshipped him. And when 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 they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, † the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place || Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a scull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but he received it not. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, cafting lots upon them,

§. For he knew that the Chief Priests had delivered him for Envy. What pity it was that he who was so well acquainted with the motive of their accufations against Jesus, should yield to the execution of their malicious designs! But, alas! when ambition and views of worldly interest have taken possession of a Man's heart, he is too often apt to facrifice to them, confcience, integrity, and every good inclination.

1 And delivered Jefus, when he had Scourged him, S. The Romans ufually scourged the criminals whom they condemned to be crucihed. This was the reason of Pilate's proceeding in that respect. Thus custom contri

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buted to increase our Lord's suffering. But, whilft our hearts sympathize with our afflicted Saviour, blessed be God who hath taught us that by those stripes we are bealed.

+ The Father of Alexander and Rufus. These were two noted Men amongst the first Christians. See Acts xix. 33. Rom. xvi. 13.

|| Golgotha probably so called from the criminals bones which lay scattered there. And for this reason perhaps, (as well as his being crucified betwixt two Thieves) Chrift might be said to be numbered amongst the Tranfgreffors.

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ومه

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what every man should take. * And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the fuperfcription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which faith, And he was numbered with the tranfgreffors. And they that passed by, railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that deftroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking, faid among themselves, with the fcribes, He faved others, hi nself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Ifrael descend now from the cross, that we may fee and believe. And they that were crucified with him, reviled him. I And when the fixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land, until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama fabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why haft thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, faid, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran, and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone ; let us fee whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion which stood over against him, faw that he fo cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

• And it was the third hour, and they crucifiea kim. That is, it was the third Jewish hour when he was fixed to the cross-which is about our nine o'clock in the morning.

$ And when the fixth hour was come there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. That is from twelve till three in the afternoon. That this Darkness was not occafioned by a natural Eclipse is evident, because it was full Moon then. A natural Eclipse never happening, except when the Moon is about the change. Besides, the darkness, occafioned by Eclipses of the

Sun, never continue above twelve or fifteen minutes. Wherefore it must have been produced by a divine power, in a manner we are not able to explain. To this we may add that Phlegon the Astronomer, and Freedman of Adrian (as he is cited by Origen) in treating of the 4th year of the 202d Olympiad the 19th of Tiberius, (supposed to be the year in which our Lord, was crucified,) tells us, " That the greatest Eclipse of the " Sun that ever was known, happened then; for the day was so turned into night that the stars in the hea"vens were seen."

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Wednesday before Easter.
The Epistle. Hebr. 9. 16..

THERE a teftament is, there must alfo of neceffity be

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the death of the teftator: for a teftament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no strength at all whilft the tef tator liveth. Whereupon, neither the first teftament was dedicated without blood: for when Mofes had spoken every precept to all the people, according to the law, he took the blood of calves, and of goats, with water and scarlet wool, and hyffop, and fprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the teftament, which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover, he sprinkled likewife with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore neceffary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better facrifices than these. § For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the prefence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others: for then must he often have fuffered fince the foundation of the world; but now once, in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away fin by the facrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the Judgment: fo Chrift was once

* Where a Testament is, there must also of neceffity be the Death of the Teftator. St. Paul in order to prove the necessity of Chrift's Death for the establishment of the Gospel, or new Covenant (as it is called) cites as a parallel cafe, what was well known amongst mankind in their worldly affairs, viz. that a common Will or Feftament was of no force till the Death of the Testa tor. To the fame purpose he spoke that the Old Testament, or first Covenant which was given by Mofes was dedicated by sprinkling it with the blood of flain calves and goats, but that the New Testament was purified with far better Sacrifices than thefe, even with the pre

cious blood of the Son of God.

For Christ is not entered, Sc. As the Jewith High Prieft entered once ayear into the Holy of Holies (the most facred part of the Temple) to make atonement for the Sins of the people, with the blood of flain beasts: fo Christ has entered, once for all, into the Holy Places of Heaven, there to appear in the presence of God; where, by the offering of his own blood, he hath obtained eternal redemption for us; of which the aforementioned ceremony, under the law, was but a Figurative representation.

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