treated our Lord with flagrant injustice, scourged Him, allowed Him to be treated with the vilest indignities by his soldiers, and held Him up to scorn, knowing in his own mind all the time that He was a guiltless person. He had, in short, sinned, away his opportunities, forsaken his own mercies, and turned a deaf ear to the cries of his own conscience. Hence our Lord would have nothing more to do with him, and would tell him nothing more. " He gave him no answer."
Here, as in many other cases, we learn that God will not force conviction on men, and will not compel obstinate unbelievers to believe, and will not always strive with men's consciences. Most men, like Pilate, have a day of grace, and an open door put before them. If they refuse to enter in, and choose their own sinful way, the door is often shut, and never opened again. There is such a thing as a " day of visitation," when Christ speaks to men. If they will not hear His voice, and open the door of their hearts, they are often let alone, given over to a reprobate mind, and left to reap the fruit of their own sins. It was so with Pharaoh, and Saul, and Aliab ; and Pilate's case was like theirs. He had his opportunity, and did not choose to use it, but preferred to please the Jews at the expense of his con- science, and to do what he knew was wrong. We see the con- sequence. Our Lord will tell him nothing more.
In saying all this, I think we must not forget that Pilate's wicked refusal to listen to his own conscience, and our Lord's consequent refusal to speak to him any more, were all over- ruled by the eternal counsels of God to the carrying out of His purpose of redemption. In handling such a point we must speak with reverence. But it is plain that if our Lord had re- vealed to Pilate who He was, and forced Pilate to see it, the crucifixion might perhaps never have taken place, and the great sacrifice for a world's sins might never have been oflered up on the cross. Our Lord's silence was just and well merited. But it was also part of God's counsels about man's salvation.
Let us note that there is " a time to be silent," as well as " a time to speak." This is a matter in the social intercourse of daily life, about which we all need to pray for wisdom. To be always saying to everybody everything we know, is not the line of a wise follower of Christ.
Let us note that if we do not make a good use of light and opportunities, — and if we resist Christ speaking to our con- science,— a time may come when, like Pilate, we may speak to Christ, and ask things of Him, and He may give us no answer. It is written in a certain place, " They would none of my coun- sel, they despised all my reproof ; therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way." " Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer." (Pro v. i. 24 — 32.)
Chrysostom observes, " Christ answered nothing, because He knew that Pilate asked all the questions idly."
<-2^() KxroHri'oiiv 'j'iioij(iii'j's.
IJciHHrsr r«itriarlcH, "A pc^iilion tr> (!liriHt for onll^liieninont, even wIkmi olTorrrI ii[) in a iidim'h IhhI iiiodkwiIh from u (IcutJi bed, n(iv<!r failH of Ixiin/jf JiiiHW<!nMl, if odiiirod in Hiiwmrity arid from Mid iHriirt, ; mid ol>l,uinH for tlio Hiippliunl/UH iniich ^rn,c() art Ih ucodtul for Kalva,l,loii. Jiiit to a l?ilato Johuh iu Hiloiit."
10. — \Tlirn itaUli. PilfUc, ctn.] In tiiiw vf'.rHo w(j h(!o tlio iinprriouH, lUivt'A'i, liRiif.,'lil.y, arrogant, i(im|)(!r of tim ltoiiia,n (Jovcriior bnuiii- 'u\^ oiiL AccuHl.omod to hc-o priHonorH <;riii^''iii<,'' Ixiforo him, an(i willing to do aiiytliiii/^ to (thl.aiii ITih favor, Ik; could not undctr- Htand our liord'H Hilonc-o. lie, addrcrH.Sf^H him in a tono of an^j^tir and MurpriHo comhincd : - " Why doMtThou not annwrr my (jn(!H lion? l)(»Ht'rii<>n know whn.t Thou art doin;^ in olliuidin;^ nioV J)o.Mt 'I'hou not know tha,t Thou art at my nntrcy, and that I liavn pow(!r to criic-ify Thno or ndnaHo Thoo, according an I. think ri^htV" — I mu hoo no othnr n',a,H(»nahl() ('.onHtniction that can he put on Pihito'H wordn. Tho ichia that ho wan only p(!r- Huadin^ onr Lord, and ^i^cntly romindin/!^ I lirti of hin own pow»!r, nH nttfirly iinr<!aHonal)h!,a,n(l incoiiHiMtcnt witli tho followin;^
HO( V(irno
to oxcrciHo it.
It Ih only fair to ronunidxir tluit the (J rook word nMuh^n^d " ])Ovv«ir," mi^clit l>n nmchinMl "authority," or " <',ommiHnion ; " and in thin hcuho I'ihito mi^^lif, only nmaji, " 1 have (*,ommiMHion from tho lionnin (iovtu-nnntnt to Hontonco prinoncrH to <l(taih or lot them /,^o frcio : would it not 1x5 rorThinn inlrrc.st to npoak to mo V "
11. — [Jrsns (inmncrcd, cic,.^ Our Ijonl'rt reply to I*ilat(5 in thirt vcrHo JM rcinarkiihly calm and di^niliod, thou^j^h not without Homo «liHicull1(^H, hecauHo of itn «dlipticn,l conntrucLion. It may ho piiraplirMHc<l thuH : "Thou HpcakcHt of power, 'riieii do.st not know that hoth thou and the .)ew.M are only tool.s in tlie hand of a hi;^;her Hein;!f,and t.ha,t iIkmi couldHt have no power whatever a/j;ninHt M(!, if it wei-e not ;^^iven theel)y(h)(l. 'I'his, h<»W(iVer, tlM>u <h)Ht not underHtH,nd, and a,rt therefore h^Hrt guilty than the JinvH. 'IMio .lewH who (hdiven^l Me into thine hand, do know that all power iH from (Jod. 'IMiuH their knowledge nuikciH I hem morci K"'''y than 'i'hou. Hoth thou and they are committing a /j;r()a,t Hin ; hut their nin in a nin a/^ainnt knowh-di^e, and ihino JH <"(unpa.ra,t,ively at-in uf i/j^n(U'a.nc.e. Vou a,re hol.h uncouMcioiiMly nnu't) in.sti'umentM in the hand of (Jod, and you could <lo nothinuf uyainnt Me, if (Jod did not ixrmit and overrule it." The loijical