63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.
64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and vked him, saying, Prophecy, wno is it tiiat smote thee ?
65 And many other things blasphe- mously spake they agfunst him.
66 Ana as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the Chief Priests and the Scnbes came together, and led him into the council, saying,
67 Art thou the Christ ? teu us.
And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe :
68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.
69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
70 Then said they all. Art thou then the Son of God } And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.
71 And they said, What need we any further witness.^ for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.
We should notice, firstly, in these verses the shameful treatment that our Lord Jesus Christ underwent at the hands of His enemies. We read that the men who held Him, "mocked" Him, "smote" Him, "blindfolded" Him, and " dtruck him on the face." It was not enough to have taken prisoner a person of most blameless and charitable life. They must needs add insult to injury.
Conduct like this shows the desperate corruption of human nature. The excesses of savage malice to which