II. TIIAT HE WAS NOT DEVOID OF SPIRITUAi, DISCF:RNMENT. It is clenr thnt he was much impressed by all that he saw of Jesus. 'l'he calmness, patience, and nobility of our Lord called forth from Pilate a sincere respect. There was genuine admiration in his heart as he led forth the Divine Sufferer and exclaimed, " Behold the Man I " He w1u atfocte<l, and even awed, by the moral greatness he WI.Ill witnessiug. He may also have been moved to pity. . I_II. 'l:HAT H_rs WORLDLINESS HAD WORN OUT urs FAITH. He had probably hnd his v1s10ns, m earlier days, of the sacredness and supremacy of truth; he had iudul,,ed his i<lea of what was morally good and sound, more to be desired than riches, mo;, to be pursued than honour or authority. But a life of worldliness had done for him what it will do for any of its votaries-it had eaten away his early faith; it had caused his fairest views and noblest purposes to melt and to disappear; it had left his spilit "naked to his enemies," without any assured belief in any one or in anything. "To bear witness to the truth." "What is truth?" asks the poor sceptic, whose soul was empty of all sustaining trust, of all ennobling hope. IV. THAT HE HAD COME TO SUD0RDINATE RIGHTEOUSNESS TO POLICY. That Prisoner on his hands was innocent : of that he was well assured. He would not condemn him to a cruel death unless he was obliged to do so. But he must not push his preference for righteousne55 too far. He must not seriously endanger his own position; he must not put a handle into the power of his enemies. No; rather than that, this pure and holy One must be scourged, must even die the death. As the trial proceeds, it appears that he is exciting a very strong hostility to himself. Let the poor Man go, then, to his doom ; one more act of injustice, however regrettable in itself, will not make much difference. "And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required." APPLICATION. 1. Outward circumstances prove very little. It is the judge whom we pity now; it is the bound and buffeted, the maltreated and maligned Prisoner whom we now honour and emulate. 2. Real strength is in righteousness and in love, Unrighteousness and selfishness, in the person of Pilate, resorted to shifts and expedients, and vacillated again and again betweeu obligation and self-iuterest. Flawless integrity and abounding love for man, in the person of Jesus Christ, wavered not for an instant, but pursued its holy and gracious purpose through pain and shame. Policy prevails for a very little while; it goes back to its palace, but its end is exile and suicide. Poverty a.nd love go through the deep darkness of earth to the ucshadowed glory oi tho skies.-C. 1
Ver. 26.-Compulsion and invitation; the l,uman and the Divine methods. Here we ha,·e an illustration of- I. HuM.AN VIOLENCE. "They la.id hold upon" one Simon, and "him they compelled" (Matt. n:vii. 32) to bear his cross. What right had these Roman soldiers to impress this stranger into their service? What claim had they upon him? By what law of rectitude did they arrest him as he was entering the city, and insist on his bearing e. burden, and going whither he would not? What justified them i~ laying hands upon Lim and violently enforcing this service? None whatever; nothing whatsoever. It was ouly another instance of the unscrupulousness of human power. 'l'hue has it been everywhere and always. Let men but feel that they have the mastery, that theirs is the more powerful mind, the firmer will, the stronger hand, and they will ask no leave, contiult no law, be restrained by no consideration of conscience. 'l'he history of_ ma.n, where not under special Divine direction, has been the history of the assertion of strer;uth over weakness; that has been the course of national, of tribal, of family, of individual life. The strong man, well armed, has "laid hold upon" the weak man, an,! laid some burden upon him to carry. He has virtually said, "I can command your labour serve me; if you refuse to do so, you shall pay some penalty of my own choosi~g." Human violence (1) is essentially unrighteous, for it is based on !lo clai~u that can be properly so ea.lied; (2) has been found to be shamelessl! unmerc1f~1_l; p,) has been gradually, though slowly, subjected to the ~reat rule of ChrJJ!t (Matt. vu.12) • (4) is destined in time to make way for the rule of rrghteousness. II. DrvrNE PERSUASIVENESS. God does not compel us to serve him. He may, ind~ed, so wisely ove1Tule all things as to make the life deliberately withhe)d from him or the action directed against him (e.g. the act of betrayal by Judas) contnbute to the c11. xxm. 1-SG.] 'l'IIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE.
finnl isRue; but he does not force the individual soul to serve him. Jesus Christ docs not compel us to his service. It is true that his invitations have the authority of a command; but hie commands have the sweetness of invitations. 1. He invites us to approach him and seek his favour. " Come unto me all ye that laliour" is not a 6everc command; it is a most gracious invitation. "Whosoever believeth on me bath everlasting life" is not a peremptory injunction; it is a welcome and ~enerous announce- ment. And while it is indeed true that Christ says, imperatively "Follow me!" it is also true that he does not force any one into his company; he makes his appeal to our conscience and conviction; he will not have any in his service who do not freely and whole-heartedly consent to come. 2. He graciously influenc.es us, that we may see and follow the true light. Paul, indeed, does speak of Christ as "apprehending," or laying hold of, him (Phil. iii. 12). But this referred to the very exceptional mani- festation of his Divine power, and the language is strongly figurative. The Spirit of God does illumine our unJ.erstantling and affect our heart; but he does not compel us to decide without the consent of our own will. In the last resort we ha"<e to "choose life" or death. 3. He summons us to a/ull discipleship by following him as one that bore a cross (eh. ix. 23; Matt. xvi. 24). He lets us know that we shall not meet with his full approval if we do not bear the cross after him, if we do not follow him in the path of sacrificial love. But there is truest kindness, both of substance and manner, in this his ur11;erit challen)?e. 4. He promises us inward rest here, and a large reward hereafter, if we do hear his voice and do thus follow him. Between human compulsion and Divino invitation or Divine constraint, there is exceeding breadth: the one is an intolerable tyranny; the other is essential righteousness, and introduces to true liberty, to spiritual rest, to abiding joy.-C.