Saturday in Passion Week — Our Lord is condemned to the Cross

Consider, first, how the Jews, perceiving that Pilate was bent.n releasing our Saviour, told him, that if he released that taan, he could be no friend of Caesar, (the emperor,) for whoM'lever made himself a king, opposed Cesar, {St, John xix. 12.) bee here, my soul, what evils human respects are capable of producing; and how sad a thing it is, either to fear or to love auy thing more tnaii God. Pilate’s resolution in a moment falls to the ground, upon tne apprehension of being accused to Caesar, and of losing his favour: rather than risk this, he is determined to make a sacrifice oi his conscience, in condemning the innocent. Alas! have we never had a share in the like guilt? Has not human fear, or the "apprehension of what the world would say, too often influenced us to condemn, at least in fact, our Lord and his doctrine, by mortal sin? Has not a much less consideration than the fear of losing the favour of an emperor, prevailed, on these occasions, over our best resolutions? O, what hold do we give to the enemy, by these human fears, and by our irregular affections to this cheating world 1 But see the vain excuses by which men seek to palliate the guilt of their sins, and to salve their conscience,: Pilate washes his hands, and cries out, I am innocent of the blood of this just man: look you to it Matt, xxvii, 24; as if tnis ceremony and verbal declaration could clear him, in the sight of the just Judge, from the guilt of concurring to the death of the innocent. But see, also, into what dismal extremities unhappy souls cast themselves, when they are once obstinately bent upon sin, in that dreadful sentence which the Jews pronounced against themselves on that occasion: His blood he upon us, and upon our children.

Consider, secondly, how Pilate proceeds to give judgment of death against the Lord of life, and sentences our Saviour to the cross, in compliance with the cry of the whole people, still calling out, in a tumultuous manner. Crucify him, crucify him! But, O my soul, reflect that it was the voice of thy crying sins that far more effectually called for the death of the Son of God, than the cry of the Jews; for that tumult could have had no power to bring on his crucifixion, had not he been determined to suffer this kind of death for the expiation of thy sins. But see with what loud huzzas, with what triumph and joy, this seni46 tence is received by the enemies of our 'Lord; and with what sighs and tears, with what grief and anguish, by his friends, and most especially by his blessed Mother. But how does this Lamb of God behave on this occasion? In what manner does he receive this sentence of death? He receives it in silence and peace, with perfect submission and conformity to the will of his Father; he receives it even with joy, out of his infinite charity for us, as the only means of our redemption and salvation. See, my soul, whether thou submittest to thy crosses with the like dispositions. Dost thou embrace them as the means ot divine appointment, to bring thee to heaven?

Consider, thirdly, that this sentence of death, pronounced against our Lord, was an act of the highest injustice on the part of Pilate; but highly just on the part of God, in consideration of our sins, which his Son had taken upon himself. And therefi>re our Saviour, who was infinitely holy, could not indeed but abhor the crime of Pilate, though he suffered it; but as to the judgment and sentence of his Father, he embraced it, as being most holy and just; he bowed down, and adored it with all the powers of his soul; — to teach us, and all that desire to be his disciples, to distinguish, on the like occasions, when we have any thing to suffer from others, between man’s injustice and God’s justice; and to receive our sufferings, from what hand soever they come, and how unjustly soever, as highly just from the part of God. punishing us, by these instruments, for our sins.

Conclude with thanksgiving to the infinite charity of the Father, who, for the love of us, spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, and sentenced him to die; and to the infinite charity of the Son, for embracing so cordially this sentence of death for the love of us. Make an oblation, in return, of thy whole self, both to the Father and to the Son; and desire henceforward to live only for him, who has delivered himself up to death for the love of thee.

N. B. Palm-Sunday being kept in memory of our Samouis solemn entry into Jerusalem five days before his passion; to cor respond to the devotion of the day we shall here insert a mediia tion upon that subject and interrupt the course of the considers Hons on the pasHon,