e convinced that drunthe kingdom of God, slight temptation, are ds are convinced that tan's most dangerous ffer themselves to be able to extricate them s of those who act der to please others. s of evil customs, as n account of the feast. us torrent, draw many them away into sin. f those who do not beand unshaken firmsometimes from the , turn aside from the and the like sins; had arist, it behoves us to we are conscious that them, we ought sinamend our lives, and t our refuge to screen e justice. fore nnds himself ent whoever is conscious minon over him, let I his Redeemer. Wha nature is possible wit Thirdly, It is a ver to commit the least in This was Pilate's c more safe to scourge cify him and put him we may be taught, wh afterwards, for want office, he was carried was for preventing by tice. For at length them; and when he ha him to be crucified,' it advisable to commi vent a greater, is a fals son finds himself unal of two sins at once, he self to avoid the greate consent to, or by any If we are by faith unite ened by his spirit, we lives, rather than offenc ------ Customs of the world, and all those sins ht thee down into such an abyss of hu1 sufferings. Grant this for the sake of rious sufferings which thou didst endure en, * CONSIDERATION Χ. ERER BARABBAS PUT IN COMPETI ON WITH THE LORD JESUS. Then they were gathered together, Pilate hem, Ye have a custom, that I should into you at the passover. Then the mulg aloud, began to desire him to do as he he unto them. But Pilate answered them, nom will ye that I release unto you? Baesus who is called Christ? Will ye that to you the King of the Jews? For he he chief Priest had delivered him for envy. ne was set down on the judgment-seat, t unto him, saying, Have thou nothing hat just man; for I have suffered many lay in a dream, because of him. But the In the last Consideration we have observed, how ilate had recourse to various by-ways, and unjust xpedients, for promoting the releasement of the inocent Jesus; how he proposed scourging him; how e put it to the people's choice, whether they would ave Jesus released, or Barabbas a notorious rebel nd murderer, being in hopes that the multitude Fould prefer our blessed Saviour to such an odious riminal. But this affair turned out contrary to Pite's expectations, as appears from that part of the istory of our Saviour's passion which is cited above; here we are informed that the murderer Barabbas as publicly set in competition with the blessed JeIn this account we shall consider, First, What preceded this incident. Secondly, Pilate's management of the affair. Thirdly, The intimation God gave Pilate on this ccasion. us. Fourthly, The effect of this proposal made by Piate to the people. I. As to what preceded this incident we shall ob erve, 1. What happened on Pilate's side. 2. What happened with regard to the people. 1. On Pilate's side it was preceded by a proposal. For the Jews being gathered together, Pilate said nto them, 'Ye have a custom that I should release ne unto you at the Passover.' The people, who vere come to Jerusalem from all parts on the account f the Passover, had, some out of hatred against Christ, and some out of curiosity to see the issue of The affair, assembled in great numbers in the court is to me nature of uns custom and its origin, I have Just touched upon it in the preceding Consideration. Pilate was no stranger to the zealous adherence of the Jews to the ordinances and customs transmitted down to them from their ancestors, and well knew that they would rather suffer death, than be deprived of their ancient privileges. Therefore, he thought of hrowing a bait among the people, who looked upon his custom as an essential part of their liberty, and by that means gaining their hearts; so that they might make use of that favourable opportunity, and release esus. 2. Hereupon followed what St. Mark relates of the people, in these words, according to some copies: And the multitude went up, i. e. they drew nearer • Pilate's house, in order to have a distinct view of he two persons exhibited together. In other copies f the Greek text the words are, 'The multitude ried aloud, and began to desire him to do as he had ver done unto them. The minds of the people eem to have been so taken up with the proceedings gainst Jesus of Nazareth, that they never thought of his their customary privilege; nor had they claimed of the Roman governor. But when they were put mind of it by Pilate himself, their desire that this ncient custom should be observed, revived and grew such a head, that it broke out into tumultuous utcries, demanding that Pilate would immediately roceed to business; so that their customs and priileges might not suffer any prejudice. From these Fircumstances we shall deduce the following doc cines: 1. Our deliverance from the tyranny of evil ustoms cost our blessed Lord very dear. wer of ancien customs, and now it god of us orld holds weak men so fastly bound with these ters. Now in order to deprive these evil worldly xims and customs of their power and dominion, d to procure for us absolute deliverance from them, e innocent and spotless Lamb of God suffered the Fannical violence of such customs to rage against person; and at last permitted that, through the servance of such an ancient privilege, he should rejected and sentenced to death. Since therefore, Son of God, for our deliverance from worldly stoms, thus shed his precious blood, far be it from by our levity and irresolution, to forfeit again t privilege which he so dearly purchased, by givourselves up as slaves to sinful customs and ill Dits. Some sins, indeed, by long custom are own into a fashion, to which few are so scrupulous not to conform; yet far be it from us, that we ould suffer ourselves to be carried away by that erflowing stream. And though our singularity uld expose us to the laughter of the world, let us hesitate to suffer ourselves to be ridiculed with Son of God, rather than tread under foot that cious ransom, by which he has redeemed us from customs of our fathers. 2. Men usually shew most zeal for, and attachnt to those things which concern their carnal ertv. This custom of the Jews had some shadow of lib. r; and the people were extremely fond of a privie, by which they had a right annually to claim the asment of a malefactor at the passover. There, on the first intimation from Pilate, that they |