hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 31 Then faith Jefus unto them, All ye fhall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will fmite the fhepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall 32 be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, 33 I will go before you into Galilee. Peter anfwered and faid unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, that this night before the cock crow (n), thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter faid unto him, Though I fhould die with thee, yet will I not deny (o) thee. Likewise also faid all the difciples. 36 Then cometh Jefus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and faith unto the difciples, Sit ye 37 ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter, and the two fons of Zebedee, and 38 began to be forrowful, and very heavy. Then faith he unto them,. My foul is exceeding forrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with 39 me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, faying, O my Father, if it be poffible (p), let this cup pafs from me: nevertheless, 40 Not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the difciples, and findeth them afleep, and faith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with 41 me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into (4) temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but 42 the flesh is weak. He went away again the fecond (n) See Mark xiv. Note. (0) From this confidence of St. Peter, and what followed when he was put to the trial, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed left he fall, i Cor. x. 12. (p) See Chap. xx. 22. (q) Truft not to the goodness of your intention only; but be perpetually on your guard, and pray for the divine affiftance, left the hour of temptation prove too ftrong for your frailty and infirmity. Luke v. 11. time, and prayed, faying, O my Father, if this cup may not pafs away from me, except I drink it, 43 thy will be done. And he came and found them 44 afleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the 45 third time, faying the fame words. Then cometh e to his difciples, and faith unto them (r), Sleep on now, and take your reft; behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the 46 hands of finners. Rife, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. 47 And while ye yet fpake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve came, and with him a great multitude with fwords and staves from the chief priefts and elders 48 of the people. Now he that betrayed him, gave them a fign, faying, Whomfoever I fhall kifs, that 49 fame is he, hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jefus, and faid, Hail master; and (s) kiffed him. 50 And Jefus faid unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou (t) come? Then came they and laid hands on 51 Jefus, and took him. And behold, one of them which were with Jefus, ftretched out his hand, and drew his fword, and ftruck a fervant of the high 52 prieft's, and fmote off his ear. Then faid Jefus unto him, put up again thy fword into his place: for all they that take the fword, fhall perifh with 3 the fword (u). Thinkeft thou that I cannot now pray to fr) It is now too late to exhort you any more to watch and pray, the time of trial and danger being actually at hand. (s) It feems to have been the cuftom of the Jews for friends to kifs each other at their meeting. Our Saviour rebukes Simon a Pharifee, who was entertaining him at his houfe, for having neglected that civility. Luke vii. 45. (t) Our Saviour puts this question to Judas, not that he defired a reply; but to ftrike the traitor with the deeper conviction of his guilt. (u) Refiftance will but tend to your own deftruction. If I were difpofed to fave my life, I could have all the powers of heaven to to my Father, and he fhall prefently give me more 54 than twelve (w) legions of angels? But how then fhall the fcriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55 In that fame hour faid Jefus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief, with fwords and staves for to take me? I fat daily with you teaching in the 56 temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done (x), that the fcriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the difciples forfook him and fled. 57 And they that had laid hold on Jefus, led him away to Caiaphas the high-prieft, where the fcribes 58 and the elders were affembled. But Peter followed him afar off, unto the high-prieft's palace, and went in, and fat with the fervants, to fee the end. 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the coun cil, fought falfe witnefs againft Jefus to put him to 60 death, But found none: yea, though many falfe witneffes came, yet found they none. At the laft 61 came two falfe witneffes, And faid, This fellow faid, I am able to deftroy the (y) temple of God, 62 and to build it in three days. And the high-priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? 63 what is it which these witness against thee? But Jefus held his peace. And the high-prieft answered and faid unto him, I (z) adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us, whether thou be the Chrift the affift me; but I willingly fubmit to the appointment of God, and fo ought you likewise. Luke xxii. 51. (w) A legion was a large body of Roman foldiers, confifting of feveral thousand men, Mark v. 9. (x) But all these things were forefeen by the providence of God, and have a vifible tendency to prove the truth of the prophecies concerning the death of Chrift. See Chap. i. 22. (y) See Chap. xxvii. 40. Note (m). (z) To adjure, is to queftion upon oath; and as our Saviour, when examined in this manner, thought fit to anfwer, his example moft certainly juftifieth his followers in taking an oath, when required by lawful authority. I 64 Son 64 Son of God. Jefus faith unto him (aa), Thou haft faid: Nevertheless I fay unto you, Hereafter fhall ye fee the Son of man fitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high-prieft rent his clothes, faying, He hath spoken blafphemy (bb); what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his 66 blafphemy. What think ye? They anfwered and 67 faid, He is guilty of (cc) death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him, and others fmote 68 him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophefy unto us, thou Chrift, who is he that fmote thee? 69 Now Peter fat without in the (dd) palace: and a damfel came unto him, faying, Thou also wast 70 with Jefus of Galilee. But he denied before them 71 all, faying, I know not what thou fayeft. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid faw him, and faid unto them that were there, This 72 fellow was alfo with Jefus of Nazareth (ee). And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came unto him they that ftood by (ff), and faid to Peter, Surely thou alfo art one of them, 74 for thy fpeech bewrayeth thee (gg). Then began he (aa) It is true. It is as thou haft faid. See Verfe 25. And although you do not acknowledge me for the Meffiah, you fhall foon be convinced of my power in the manner defcribed by Daniel vii. 13. (bb) The charge of blafphemy brought here against our Lord, was founded on his anfwer in the preceding verfe, by which he claimed to himself the auguft character of the Son of man described by Dan. vii. 13. and ufed the very words of that prophet. (cc) His crime fubjects him by the law of Mofes to the punishment of death. (dd) In the common-hall appointed for the lower fort of people. (ee) This was faid by the maid to the company, fome of whom charged him with it; upon which followed his fecond denial of Chrift. a (f) The third charge was made likewife by fome of the company, and particularly (with great refentment we may be fure) by relation of the perfon whofe ear Peter had cut off; whereupon immediately followed his third denial. See John xviii. 26. (gg) His accent and dialect discovered him to be a Galilean as all the apostles were. to to curfe and to fwear, saying, I know not the man. 75 And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the words of Jefus, which faid unto him, Before the cock crow, thou fhalt deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly. CHA P. XXVII. I WHEN the morning was come, all the chief priefts and elders of the people took counfel 2 against Jefus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3 Then Judas which had betrayed him, when he faw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of filver to the chief 4 priefts and elders, Saying, I have finned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood (a). And they faid, 5 What is that to us? fee thou to that. And he caft down the pieces of filver in the temple, and de6 parted, and went and (b) hanged himself. And the chief priests took the filver pieces, and faid, It is. not lawful for to put them into the treafury, be7 cause it is the price of (c) blood. And they took (a) Judas probably did not intend the death of his mafter, when he fold him; for he knew there was no law of God or man by which he could be capitally condemned; or perhaps he expected that our Lord would have delivered himfelf out of the hands of the Jews by a miracle, as he had done more than once before, fee Luke iv. 30. John viii. 59. but when he faw the fatal effect of his treason, he was urged by the horrors of his confcience to deftroy himself. It is thus that finners frequently deceive themfelves; not feeing the heinoufness of their guilt in its juft light till it is too late. (b) He hanged himfelf; but his end was yet more dreadful; for the rope giving way, it is fuppofed he fell headlong, and his belly burfting alunder, all his bowels gufhed out. Acts i. 18. (c) Their fuperftition and hypocrify are exceedingly remarkable. They were afraid of dedicating the price of innocent blood to God; but they took pleasure in shedding it, without any fear of God before their eyes! F counsel, |