Tuesday in Passion Week — Barabbas is preferred before our Lord. He is scourged at the Pillar

Consider, first, how Pilate, seeing our Lord brought back to his tribunal, and the high priest and council still bent upon destroying the innocent, thinks of another way to bring hiin off) without giving them offence. It was the privilege of the people, to have their choice of a prisoner, to be set at liberty, on that day of the paschal solemnity, in memory of their being delivered on that day from the bondage of Egypt. He proposes, there fore, to their choice, our Saviour on the one hand, and Barabbas, a notorious malefactor, robber and murderer, on the other; making sure that they would rather choose to have our Saviour released to them, in whom neither he nor they could find any crime, than Barabbas, the worst of criminals. O, eternal Son of God, how low dost thou here stoop for my sins, when thou sufferest thyself to be put in competition with the vilest and most wicked of men, and to have it put to the votes of the rabble, which of the two is the most deserving of death! O the unparalleled humility of my Saviour I O the unparalleled injury here offered to him by Pilate, whilst he pretends to favour him! But O, the unparalleled blindness of this unhappy people, who make choice of Barabbas before their Messias; and demand with loud cries, that the former may be released, and the latter crucified. See, my soul, in this wonderful humiliation of thy Lord, how deep, how desperate was the wound of thy pride, which could not be healed but by such and so great humility. Learn henceforward, at least, from him, to be humble of heart, and never to think much, if others, how mean soever, be preferred before thee, since Barabbas was preferred before Christ. Alas! how often hast thou thyself preferred something worse than Barabbas, even that ugly monster Sin, before this Lord of glory.

Consider, secondly, how, the Jews still insisting, in a tumultuous manner, that our Lord should be crucified, Pilate, in hopes of appeasing them by a kind of composition, and so making them relent, orders him to be cruelly scourged; a torment most grievous to our dear Redeemer, (who therefore, on divers occasions, speaking of his passion, takes special notice of it,) and, at the same time, most disgraceful, and most ignominious. Look on now, ray soul, in spirit, and see in what manner thy Saviour is treated for thee. See how the bloody executioners lay violent hands on this Lamb of God; see how they tear off his clothes, and expose him, all naked, before a great multitude, to cold and shame; see how they bind him fast to a stony pillar; see how they discharge upon his sacred back, shoulders, and sides, innumer able stripes, lashes, and scourges; see howhis body is all ren torn, and mangled by their barbarity; see how the blood comes spouting out on all sides. See in his gaping wounds the handiwork of thy sins. O take pity of his mangled flesh; and let the sight of so much blood, shed for thee, mollify thy heart, and determine thee, from this hour, never any more to scourge him by sin. Run in. now, and cast thyself at his feet, and bathe thyself in his precious blood; mingle, at least, some few tears with his sacred gore; and repent, from thy heart, for the share thou hast had in this scourging of thy Lord.

Consider, thirdly, in this scourging of our Saviour, who is, that is thus barbarously and ignominiously treated, and wb> he suffers all this. O my soul, it is the God that made the It is the Lord and Maker of heaven and earth, who suffers a this, by his own free choice, for the love of thee: it is to deiive thee, by his sufferings, from the grievous and eternal torment thy sins have deserved; and to purchase for thee everlasting joys, which thou never couldst deserve: O infinite love of m God! O never suffer me, dearest Saviour, to forget what thou hast here endured for the love of me! But see in what manner our Lord suffers all this barbarous usage — without resistance, without complaint, in silence, with a perfect resignation and conformity to the will of his Father, in perfect charity, praying for his enemies, whilst they stand by insulting over him, and rejoicing at his torments. My soul, let us study well, and learn these lessons of our suffering Redeemer.

Conclude to make the best acknowledgment thou art able of the love thy Saviour has showed thee in his sufferings, by a return of thanksgiving and love; and by a constant detestation of sin, as his and thy mortal enemy, and the occasion of all his sufferings.