ten by any one Evangelist, tliat can possibly be contrary either to his own or another's narration."
Melancthon suggests that the whole history of the passion, in this chapter, is a vivid typical picture of the history of Christ's Church in every age. He bids us observe what a multitude of portraits it contains ! Saints both weak and strong, — enemies of many kinds — traitors, hypocrites, tyrants, priests, rulers, mobs, violence, treachery, the flight of friends, the bitter lan- guage of foes. What is it but a kind of prophetic history of Christ's Church ?
The character of Pontius Pilate is so ably drawn out by Ellicott, that it may be well to quote it, in concluding this chapter. " Pilate was a thorough and complete type of the later-Roman man of the world. Stern, but not relentless, — shrewd and world-worn, — prompt and practical, — haughtily just, — and yet, as the early writers correctly observed, self-seek- ing and cowardly, — able to perceive what was right, but with- out moral strength to follow it out, — the Procurator of Judaea stands forth a sad and terrible instance of a man whom the fear of endangered self-interest drove not only to act against the deliberate convictions of his heart and conscience, but further to commit an act of cruelty and injustice, even after those con- victions had been deepened by warnings and strengthened by presentiment."