any objection or impediment, and went into the palace of the high priest, with Jesus and the guard that attended him. But Peter, who had no interest or acquaintance there, stood waiting without at the door; that other disciple, therefore, who was known to the high priest, went out of the inner room, into which Jesus was then carried, in order to his examination, and spake to her who kept the door to open it, and so by her consent brought in Peter. And when they had kindled a fire of coals in the midst of the large hall, and were set down together, Peter hoping to pass undiscovered, by mingling with the rest of the company, sat down among them with the servants, that he might be at hand to see the end of this affair; and while he thus waited for this purpose, though warned of what would happen, most shamefully and basely denied, even with oaths and imprecations, all knowledge of his blessed Lord and Master. And Jesus having been examined by the council in a more retired room, was now brought back into the hall, while they were consulting what they should do with him so that he stood within sight of Peter when he thus ungratefully denied him; and hearing such shocking language from a voice so familiar to him, just as those dreadful words proceeded out of his mouth, though tortured by his own unparalleled anguish, yet lost not for a moment his

great diversity of their rank and station in life: but a thousand occurrences occasion some knowledge of each other between persons whose conditions are as unequal as those we have been speaking of."

solicitude for the spiritual welfare of his unworthy friend; but turning him about, looked upon Peter, with such a mixture of earnestness and tenderness in his countenance, as, through the secret energy of the Holy Spirit that accompanied this look, pierced Peter to the heart; and he then recollected the word of the Lord Jesus, how he had said to him but that very evening, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter could no longer bear the place, nor stand in the sight of his injured Master, but immediately went out,* quite overwhelmed with grief and shame; and reviewing with the deepest contrition his weakness and ingratitude, he wept bitterly.

"We now return to the examination of Jesus before the council. The high priest therefore asked Jesus, as he stood before him, concerning his doctrine-what it was that he taught, and with what view he had gathered so many followers? Jesus answered him and said, What I have taught has been delivered in the most public manner, and I have spoken it openly and freely to the world. I have always, as I had proper opportunity, taught in the synagogue, and

*" (And Peter went out.) It is observable that Luke, in two or three lines, here calls him three times by the name of Peter, that memorable name which Christ had given him, with a particular view to that fortitude and resolution with which he was to defend the gospel; perhaps thereby intending to intimate how low this courageous hero was now fallen; and yet to what a height of holy magnanimity he was afterwards raised, and thereby enabled to stand as a rock in that sacred cause, and so fully to answer the name with which his Master had honoured him."

VOL. III.

C

in the temple, whither the Jews continually resort in the greatest numbers, and have said nothing in secret, even to my most intimate friends, but what has been perfectly agreeable to the tenor of my public discourses; why dost thou therefore ask me, whose testimony in my own cause will not, to be sure, be much regarded in such a circumstance as this, when I am standing as on a trial for my life? Ask those that heard me, what I have spoken to them in the whole series of my ministry; for behold, they know it, and I am willing to appeal to any impartial person among them as to the innocence, propriety, and usefulness of what I have said.

"Such was the calm and rational reply which Jesus made to those that examined him. But when he had spoken these things, one of the officers belonging to the court, who then stood by, rudely struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Dost thou presume to answer the high priest thus, by sending him to others for a reply to his question? And Jesus, with his usual mildness, answered him, If thou hast been one of my hearers, and canst say that I at any time have spoken evil, either of God or man, in the course of my preaching, then thou wilt do well to bear thy testimony concerning that evil; but if I have spoken well, why smitest thou me? Can reason be answered by blows? or can such a sober appeal to it deserve them? Now the chief priests and elders of the people, and the whole Sanhedrim, with all its officers, not being able to make out a sufficient accusation against Jesus from such answers as

these, maliciously endeavoured, by the vilest means, to have something criminal alleged against him; and as they were determined to condemn him, that they might colour over their proceedings with some form of law, they sought for false evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death; and managed the trial in so partial and unjust a manner, that they did in effect invite any of the most infamous of mankind to come and depose against him, with the assurance of being favourably heard. But they found none that fully answered their purpose; for though many false witnesses came and falsely testified against him, yet they found none sufficient, for the testimonies they gave did not so far agree together as that a capital sentence could be passed upon him on that evidence, since such a case required at least the concurrent oath of two persons, (see Deuteronomy xvii. 6. xix. 15.) At last there came two false witnesses, (who) maliciously wresting some words he had formerly spoken relating to his own death and resurrection, rose up and falsely testified against him, saying upon their oaths, This fellow said in our hearing, I am able

(Sought for false evidence, but found none.) As this was a great proof of Christ's innocence, (for otherwise his confederates might have been glad to purchase their own security by impeaching him,) so it is a singular instance of the power of God over men's minds, that for all the rewards these great men could offer, no two consistent witnesses could be procured to charge him with any gross crime; possibly the exertion of his miraculous power in striking to the ground those that were most forward to seize him, might intimidate the spirits of some who might otherwise have been prevailed upon."

to destroy the temple of God, and to build it again in three days; and would any one talk of destroying it, unless he was an enemy to that holy place? or think of building it again so soon, unless he was in league with Beelzebub? Yea, one of them, designing to aggravate the matter, confidently affirmed,* We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days time I will build up another which shall be made without the help of hands, in obedience to my command. Yet neither thus did their testimony exactly agree, nor was sufficient to convict him; as evidently appears from comparing the different words in which it was expressed; and as this difference was observed in court, they could not for shame proceed upon the evidence so as to condemn Jesus to death for words which no two persons could pretend to ascertain; nor would they indeed have amounted to a capital crime, if they had jointly been charged upon him.

"However, they resolved to try him in full council, even on this slender evidence, hoping that some further discovery would arise in the process of the examination; and accordingly, as

*

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(Designing to aggravate the matter, &c.) This is one instance among many others, in which the bow of malice has been broken by over-straining it, and innocence cleared up by the very extravagance of those charges which had been advanced against it. It is observable that the words which they thus misrepresented, were spoken by Christ at least three years before. (Compare John ii. 19.) Their going back so far to find matter for the charge they brought, was a glorious though silent attestation of the unexceptionable manner in which our Lord had behaved himself during all the course of his public ministry."