their own cruelty and the malice of their masters, acted over and over again all that scene of inhumanity, which they had begun whilst their masters were there, and loaded him with all kinds of outrages and blasphemies. So that we may boldly affirm, that one half of what our Saviour suffered that night will not be known till the day of judgment. All these insolences he bears in silence, and even then whilst they are abusing him, is praying for them, and excusing them to his Father, and offering up all his sufferings in atonement for their sins. Sweet Jesus, give us grace to imitate thee.
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.
Our Saviour is brought before Pilate and Herod.
CONSIDER how early in the morning, notwithstanding their late sitting up, the high-priest, and his fellows in iniquity, convene a more numerous assembly of the Sanhedrim, and there again put the question to our Saviour, whether he was the Son of God; and receiving the same answer, confirm their former sentence. Yet as they did not think it safe for themselves, being subject to the Roman empire, to put this sentence into execution without the consent of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, they determined to carry him to Pilate, and by his authority to have him crucified; a kind of execution which their malice made choice of, because it was at the same time most ignominious, as being only for vile slaves and notorious criminals; and most cruel, as being a long and lingering death, under the sharpest and most sensible torments. Come now, christian soul, and contemplate thy Saviour, as he is hurried along the streets with his hands bound, from the house of the high-priest to the court of Pilate, attended
