whether it be little or much, go ever to the heart, and see the disposition thereof, and look thou do it in sincerity, having regard to God. Think it not enough, and if the Lord work a good work by thee as an instrument, but look still that he work in thee, that thou mayest find a good motion in thine heart; for, alas! what availeth the outward action, if the heart be foul, which defileth all? Indeed, we may not think that there is any perfection in us, or in our actions in this life; but this is the perfect ground that makes that action to smell sweetly in the sight of God, to wit, faith in Jesus Christ. If that thou findest that thou hast Jesus Christ in thine heart by faith, albeit with great weakness in thyself, yet in Christ all the imperfection and weakness is hidden; and when the action cometh before the Lord, it is pleasant and acceptable to him. All things are pleasant that come to the Father through the Son; there is the ground of all grace and acceptation. Stick to the Lord Jesus, and have him not in thy mouth only, as the hypocrites do, but let him also be inclosed in thine heart, and dwell therein, for then thou shalt be acceptable to God through him. To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all praise, honour, and glory, for ever and ever, world without end. Amen.

The and is used expletively.

THE SIXTH LECTURE

OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

JOHN, CHAP. XVIII.

33. So Pilate entered into the common hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?

34. Jesus answered him, Sayest thou that of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

35. Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation, and the high priests, have delivered thee unto me; what hast thou done? 36. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would surely fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

37. Pilate then said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king: for this cause am I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

THE last day (brethren) we entered into the suffering of Christ under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor and civil judge in Judea for the time. Jesus is led into the common hall to the house of justice, as ye heard, where Pilate sat. Now Pilate is not rash in judging but before he sit down to judge he will have an indictment, and will see what things the Jews have to lay to the charge of the Lord. He saw the accusers of him, the Jews, in multitudes; he saw no accusation; therefore he goes out unto them, (because they would not come to him,) and asketh what accusation have they against him? He receiveth little answer, or at least little

6

to the purpose; for they answer presumptuously, "If he had not been an evil-doer, we had not brought him unto thee." The thing they delate is very general; it is a sober1 indictment to say, "He is an evil man ;" that must be qualified, and Pilate thinks this of no valour, and casts it off. At the last, after many words, he throws3 another accusation out of the Jews; the accusation is this, as may be gathered of the text; he calls him "a king," and "king of the Jews,” and “an enemy to Cæsar, who would reave the kingdom from him," and a "traitor," and "guilty against the majesty of Cæsar." The rest of the Evangelists have this accusation more plainly, and at greater length. The Jews say, (Luke xxiii. 2,) "We have found this man perverting the people, and forbidding the people to pay tribute to Cæsar, saying, he is Christ and king." So, howbeit in this gospel of John is not mentioned that the Jews gave up this point of accusation, but that Pilate inquires, "whether he was a king or no?" it is manifest that they were delators of Christ to Pilate; and Pilate knew not this of his own head, as the text following declares. Let us examine this more deeply. The Jews that persecuted him, they delate him not before Pilate for blasphemy; they had adjudged him already" worthy of death" in their own council for blasphemy, but when it cometh to the Roman judge, he is delated of treason against the emperor. This is a piece of craft, and of the wisdom of the children of this world; they knew the judge to be a profane man, who counted of religion but as of a trifle, and knew that he was deputy to Cæsar, and that he would be loath to see Cæsar's hurt; therefore they apply well their accusation to the honour of the man, and delate Jesus as one who had committed treason against Cæsar. Ye shall then note here a piece of craft in this their doing. Yet consider it more deeply. The thing that they delate to Pilate of Jesus was a lie; for Jesus was so far from that, to accept a kingdom in this world, that when the people assembled to make him a king, he conveyed himself secretly away

1. e. Poor, insufficient. i. e. Take away by force.

accusers.

2 i. e. Value.

Supply it.

3 i. e. Twists, extorts.

6 i. e. Informers,

to the wilderness, (John vi. 15 ;) and whereas they say that he forbade to pay tribute unto Cæsar, that was false also; for he paid tribute unto Cæsar for him and Peter,' and gave commandment to give unto Cæsar that which was Cæsar's." So this point of accusation is nothing else but a calumny and a false accusation.

Yet let us look something farther here. The Jews would seem to be careful for Cæsar's kingdom, and take delight to have Cæsar to reign over them; but, indeed, Cæsar was the only man in the world that they loved worst, and hated most; and the thing that moved them to give up this accusation was a hatred they had against Christ. They flatter the judge; and as they are crafty in their accusation, so they are flatterers, and all to get the innocent blood shed; they have an evil action in hand, yea, the worst that ever man had: and so they care not by what evil means, craft, calumny, or flattery, they bring their purpose to pass. If thou once takest purpose to do an evil turn, thou wilt not care by what unlawful doing thou bringest it to pass; and to speak the truth, if once a man take an evil action in hand, then he will, of necessity, be compelled to follow out evil means; for an evil turn cannot be done but by evil means. If a man once set his mind to pursue innocent blood, of force he must use flattery, calumnies, and evil means. Therefore, as ye would eschew evil doing, eschew evil purposes; for thou wilt not care to get thy purpose by all unlawful things.

Now, to come to Pilate's part; when he hath gotten this indictment, he enters into the common hall, and calls on Jesus and says, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" No doubt, they thought that they having accused him so, that Pilate should not have looked on him, but incontinent should have given out the doom; for treason against great Cæsar was no small matter. Yet Pilate was so far from that, that he speaks not a rough word to him; he says not, "What, traitor, art thou seeking the empire of Cæsar ?" but modestly," Art thou the King of the Jews?" A fair example of modesty

1 Matth. xvii. 24-27.

Matth. xxii. 21.

and equity to be in such a man, a profane ethnic. Christian judges may learn at Pilate, what modesty and equity they should use in judgment. This tells us plainly, that the mind of Pilate was void of such affections as make judges to pervert judgment; he shows he was void of hatred, he carried no hatred against Christ, neither sought he his blood. The man is evil abused by the high priests and the Jews; he doeth all his endeavour to get Jesus absolved ;-look this whole discourse. So Pilate's mind is void of these affections, of hatred, desire of revenge, and seeking of innocent blood; for, brethren, we know it is these affections that pervert judgment. The judge who hates and envies the person accused, he will have him slain, though he were as innocent as Jesus Christ himself. Therefore, let judges learn this lesson, to be void of hatred in judgment. I suppose the man be the wickedest in this world, yet seek not the destruction of the creature, but hate its crime, and look that thine affections slay not the man, but look that justice slay him for if thou seekest the blood of the man, thou shalt be guilty of his blood in the latter day. The Lord answereth; and he answereth not at the first time to the point; ́but, first, he says to Pilate, "Askest thou that of thyself?" Is that crime that thou layest to my charge of thine own head? "Or hath any other told it thee?" There is the meaning. So ye see, before the Lord will answer, he will understand who is the inventor of this accusation. Well, brethren, I see this through all this history, that the Lord will have every man's part known in the action. He will know who is the delator, and who gives out the verdict. He will have Herod's part, Pilate's part, the Jews' part, Caiaphas' part, all their parts distinctly known, what each man doeth; the Lord hath a great eye to this action, as it were the greatest in the world; and when all is tried, ye shall see that the burden is laid upon the Jews, and especially upon the clergy, to speak it so. Pilate had his part, Herod had his part, and both were guilty of the blood of Jesus Christ, but the sin of Pilate is laid upon the Jews, and of his blood they are guilty. So Pilate, this day, may curse the Jews, that ever he was governor of Judea. Let the Papists say what they