of him whose reward for seeking t.o bTess mankind was that he wa■ arrested as a common felon. II. Tm: llAGNANllHTY OF CHRIST UNDER ARREST, as shown by his healing Malohus and s_hielding ~is disciples. . When efforts to . help other men h&ve only brought calamity on ones self, there 1s strong provocation to resentment &nd bitterneSB. It is o~ly the fe~ who, when misinterpreted and ill used by ignorance and malignity, c&n retain any lovmg care for others. III. Observe how the various elements of THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT find an actual pl&ce in the life of Christ. 1. His substitution is pictured in his now giving himself up and shielding his disciples. The Jews clearly understood that he was the head of the movement. Peter's obtrusive violence did not divert their attention for a moment. He was not the kind of man to lead a great movement. Jesus was the dangerous Person. And on his side Jesus acknowledged they were right. It was he who had gathered these men together. But for him, they would have been dreaming at their nets on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus therefore steps to the front, and takes upon himself all the responsibility. And in this the disciples see a picture of his whole work of substitution. This night in the garden represents t.o them the hour of darkness• and always in every hour of darkness they see Jesus stepping to the front, and saying," H ye seek me, let these go their way." 2. The voluntariness of his sacrifice is also brought out. It was at this point it was especially brought out whether or not he was willing to die, whether he would flee, hide, fight, or surrender himself. Everything is proof of his willingness-his going that night as usual to the garden, his definite resig- nation to God's will, his meeting his captors, his avowal that he was the Person they sought, his refusal to allow Peter to defend him. Voluntariness was an essential element in his work of atonement. In order to atone for our sin, he had t.o submit himself to the penalty of sin, to accept as righteously inflicted what was dne to sin. Obviously it was needful that he should be a perfectly free agent in doing so. Had his death been compulsory, we could not know whether he was accepting it as righteonsly inflicted or not.-D. Vers. 57-68.-CJlirist before Cawpluu. The key to the examination of our Lord by Caiaphas is found in the fact that Caiaphas was the person who had declared it to be expedient that one man should die for the people. This, reduced from the high-sound- ing phraseology of a.n e.bstract maxim to its practical significance a.s & policy, meant that justice to individuals must not be too scrupulously ea.red for if the good of the state seems to require injustice ; that at e.ny cost of injustice t.o an individual thll' Jewish people must ingratiate themselves with Rome. If any bewildered counsellors disliked the idea of putting an innocent man t.o death, Ca.iaphas had his answer ready, "Ye kn.ow not anything; could we have a better opportunity of showing our zeal for Rome than by sacrificing a Person who claims to be King of the Jews? What though he be innocent? He is ·e. poor Ge.lilrea.n, whose death is of no consequence. He is connected with no good family which can expose us. By his execution we shall merit the confidence of Rome." Thus Jesus was made a scape-goat, on whom might be laid much treachery and in.fidelity of which the Romans justly suspected the Jews. An ex:a.mination begun from this point of view was of no significance as a. means of evincing truth. Jesus was prejudged. His death we.a a much-desired boon to the community. But some show of legal form must be gone through. Cite the legal process in capital cases, and show how it was transgressed, and in what points adhered to. Significance of the silence of JeBUB. It is beneath him to reply to questions put under pretext of examining, but really for the purpose of betraying the accUBed into some expression which might condemn him. The false man is best replied to by silence, His con- science is more likely to be stirred. Buch seems to have been the result in Caiaphas's case. At least there is an e.ppearance of sincerity in the words," I adjure thee," etc. (ver. 63). He seems to have been impressed by the manner of Christ. He had pro- bably never before had an opportunity of studying him, e.nd he has discernment enough to see that this is no ordinary fanatic nor demagogue. To this appeal Jesus a~ once replies. And on this reply, on his own confession, and not on anything witnessed against him, he is condemned. Jesus' confession, that he is the Christ, the Son of God. Nothing could exceed the solemnity of the circumstances in which the confe88ion wu OIi, x.xvr. 1-76.] TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 559
mrLde. There is no doubt thnt Jesus laid claim to superhuman dignity; to a dignity which it was blasphemy for any mere man to claim. It was for this he was con- demned (see Liddou'8 'Bampton Lectures,' 288). Comparing the conduct of the high priest with that of lhe servants who mocked and abused Christ, we gather two sugges- tions for practical teaching. 1. How much wrong we may inflict upon Christ by resist- ing conviction. 2, How much wrong we may do him in ignorance-by adoptina the judgmenta passed upon him by others, and declining the duty of considering his claims ourselves.-D.