au,1 accused him of every crime-maladministration, cruelty, and robbery." "Pilate understood their pretended zeal for the Roman authority." He may not have known the precise occasion for their strong feeling against Jesus ; but he saw plainly that it was a caae of malice Rnd revenge, and they were prepared to humiliate themselves utterly in carrying out their evil purpose. But, if Pilate knew them so well, we must judge his guilt in yielding to them by the light of his knowledge. II. Pn,ATE's READING OF THE CHARACTKR AND MOTIVES O}' JESUS. He seems to have known something of Jesus. The story of the triumphal entry had been duly reported to him; and he fo1med his opinion when he• found that Jesus took no material advantage of that time of excitement. He settled it--Jesus was a harmless enthusiast, of no account politically. "He questioned Jesus in regard to the accusa- tions brought against hi:n, asking especially if he pretended to boa King." He may have laughed cynically at our Lord's answer, but he knew well that nothing of the demagogue lurked behind tha.t calm a.nd peaceful face. Aga.in a.nd again he decla.red him innocent-he found no fault in him. Pilate read him aright, but condemned him~ self in the reading. Our guilt is a.lways measured by our knowledge.-R. T. Ver. 24.-Guilt that will 'IWt wash off. By the Mosaic regul&tions, the elders of a city in which an undiscovered murder had been committed were to wash their han.~ over the sin offering, and to say, "Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it" (Deut. xxi. 6). Pilate thinks that "when he gets the Jews to take the crucifixion of Jesus upon themselves, he has relieved himself, if not entirely, yet in a great measure, of the responsibility. But just as the outward washing of hands could not clea.r him of his share in the guilt, so guilt contracted by. our being• a ·con- senting or co-operating party in any deed of injustice and dishonour cannot be thus mitigated or wiped away" (Hanna). Hand-washing as a symbolic action is familiar at all times. Lady Macbeth cannot wash off the murder-spot which hllr conscience clea.rly sees on seemingly clean hands. .. . L THE GUILT OF IGNORANCE WILL WASH OFF. we II1ay do things ,that. are wrong without knowing them to be wrong. They may do mischief aud bring trouble; but they do not involve soul-at.a.in; so the sins of ignora.nce--if the ignorance is not giiilty ignorance-will wash off. . IL THE GUILT OF FRAILTY WILL WASH OFF. We sometimes do wrong through body~ bias. Sometimes even against our will. Sometimes by temporary swerving of the will. If there be no set purpose, only hnman infirmity, the guilt will wash off. . III. THE GUILT OF FORCED DOING AGAINST OUR WILL WII,L WASH OFF. We may be compelled, by circumstances or human persuasions, to do what we would not do, That may bring trouble a.nd spoil our lives, but it does not soil our souls, and it will wash off. JV. THE GJJILT OF WILFUL BIN WILL NOT WASII OFF. That involves inward stain, It must be got UU,t. That can only be done (1) by regeneration, or (2) by jndgment. "Oh! if a man could roll off his deeds on other men; if a man that is a partner with o,bers could only roll off his portion of crime upon his confeders.tes, as easily as a man can wash his hands in a bowl of water, and clean them, how easy it would be for men to be cleansed from their transgressions in this world I Pilate was the guiltiest of all that acted in this matter. He was placed where he was hound to maintain justice. He went against bis better feelings." He willed the death of One whom he knew to be innocent. Pilate's guilt will not" wash off."-R. T. Ver. 32.-The h<m<Al,rable mmistry of Simon. "Sentence of death hii.viug been passed against Jesus, he was led forth to Calvary, bearing his cross, guarded by a band of Roman soldiers, and followed by a multitude of people. Exhausted by what he had passed through in the C(lurse of the previous night, the load he carried seemed too heavy for him. The procession was met by one Simon, a Cyrenian-who may possibly be identified with the" Niaer" of Acts xiii. 1-coming out of the country·; and the solciie:rn laid hold upon him: and compelled him-the term is a military oue, 'pressed him into the service '-to help our Lord with hiR burden. Perha.ps they .laid the wLc.l,, beam on his Ghvulder, perhar,s ouly the light eud, Jesus still going foremost and cooti1aiing to bear the principal weight.; so tliat in the moat literal way Simon bore oa. xxvu. 1-GG.] 'fHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 63/i
Hafter him." Dr. Hanna so.ye, "It was part of the degra,lation of a pnblic crucifixirm that the doomed one should assist in carrying to the place of crucifixion the instrument of death." But the reason why this particular man was seized upon for this ministry is not suggested. We may suppose either (1) that it was a simple act of wantonness on the po.rt of the soldiers, who feared their victim would die before they could get him to the place of execution ; or (2) that he was known as a secret disciple, and the people pointed him ont to the soldiers; or (3) that he had reproached the soldiers for treating Jesus so cruelly, and, in spite, they made him bear the cross. However it was, we certainly envy Simon the honourable and helpful service he was permitted to render to our suffering Lord. Fix aUention on him as the one and only man who helped Jesus in the time of his sorest need. From his arrest to his death no apostle helped him, no disciple helped him; he was alone. This unknown Simon breaks the loneli- ness, and shares with him the burden of his cross. I. SrnoN's MINISTRY WAS A SYMPATHY. There must have been something that drew the attention of the soldiers to Simon. It might well have been an expression of sympathy with the fainting crnss-bearer. It was a sight to move a sympathizing soul. II. SIMON'S MINISTRY WAS A 0OMPULSION. Yet evidently a willing compulsion. He could not have offered to bear the cross-that would have been against the rules. He gladly did what he was made to do. III. SraoN's MilHSTRY WAS A SERVICE. Just the service of the hour. The thing Christ needed jUBt then. The thing to do for Christ just now is what we all need to find out.-R. •r.