"To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My Voice."

115

6

Ver. 39, 40. "Ye have a custom that I should release unto you one at the Passover"; then in a persuasory way, "Will ye therefore that I release the king of the Jews? Then cried they all, Not this man, but Barabbas."7

Pilate

"I find no fault in him." Consider how prudently he acted. He said not, "Since he hath sinned, and is deserving of death, forgive him on account of the Feast"; [1] A MARVELOUS thing is longsuffering; it but having first acquitted Him of all guilt, he places the soul as in a quiet harbor, freeing it asks them over and above, if they were not from tossings and evil spirits. And this every-minded to dismiss Him as innocent, yet as where Christ hath taught us, but especially now, guilty to forgive Him on account of the time. when He is judged, and dragged, and led about. Wherefore he added, For when He was brought to Annas, He answered with great gentleness, and, to the servant who smote Him, said what had power to bring down all his insolence; thence having gone to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, and having spent the whole night in these scenes, He all through exhibiteth His own mildness; and when they said that He was a malefactor, and were not able to prove it, He stood silent; but when He was questioned concerning the Kingdom, then He spake to Pilate, instructing him, and leading him in to2 higher matters. But why was it that Pilate made the enquiry not in their presence, but apart, having gone into the judgment hall? He suspected something great respecting Him, and wished, without being troubled by the Jews, to learn all accurately. Then when he said, "What hast thou done?" on this point Jesus made no answer; but concerning that of which Pilate most desired to hear, namely, His Kingdom, He answered, saying, "My Kingdom is not of this world." That is, "I am indeed a King, yet not such an one as thou suspectest, but far more glorious," declaring by these words and those which follow, that no evil had been done by Him. For one who saith, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth," showeth, that no evil hath been done by Him. Then when He saith, "Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice," He draweth him on by these means, and persuadeth him to become a listener to the words. "For if," saith He, "any one is true, and desireth these things, he will certainly hear Me." And, in fact, He so took him by these short words, that he said,

Ver. 38. "What is truth?"

But for the present he applieth himself to what was pressing, for he knew that this question needed time, and desired to rescue Him from the violence of the Jews. Wherefore he went out, and what said he?

1 or,

"waves, or,

2 Sav. conj. up."

"winds."

al. "hinting."
4i.e. the things of truth.

O accursed decision! They demand those like mannered with themselves, and let the guilty go; but bid him punish the innocent. For this was their custom from old time. But do thou all through observe the lovingkindness of the Lord in these circumstances. scourged Him, perhaps desiring to exhaust and to soothe the fury of the Jews. For when he had not been able to deliver Him by his former measures, being anxious to stay the evil at this point, he scourged Him, and permitted to be done what was done, the robe and crown to be put on Him, so as to relax their anger. Wherefore also he led Him forth to them crowned (ver. 5), that, seeing the insult which had been done to Him, they might recover a little from their passion, and vomit their venom. "And how would the soldiers have done this, had it not been the command of their ruler?" To gratify the Jews. Since it was not by his command that they at first went in by night, but to please the Jews; they dared anything for money. But He, when so many and such things were done, yet stood silent, as He had done during the enquiry, and answered nothing. And do thou not merely hear these things, but keep them continually in thy mind, and when thou beholdest the King of the world and of all Angels, mocked of the soldiers, by words and by actions, and bearing all silently, do thou imitate Him by deeds thyself. For when Pilate had called Him the King of the Jews, and they now put about Him the ap

"And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews N. T. and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all." lit. "grant him to the feast."

7" Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber." N. T.

8 Chap. xix. 1-3. "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote Him with their hands." 9i.e. to the garden.

parel of mockery, then Pilate having led out, said,

Ver. 4, 5. "I find no fault against him. therefore went forth, wearing the crown."1 But not even so was their rage quenched, they cried out,

He

but

Ver. 6. "Crucify him, crucify him."2 Then Pilate, seeing that all was done in vain, said,

"Take ye him, and crucify him."

Him done?" but, shaken by fear, he begins the enquiry again, saying, "Art thou the Christ?" But He answered not. For he who had heard, "To this end was I born, and for this came I," and, "My Kingdom is not of this world," he, when he ought to have opposed His enemies and delivered Him, did not so, but seconded the fury of the Jews. Then they being in every way silenced, make their cry issue in a political charge, saying, "He that maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæsar." (Ver. 12.) Pilate ought therefore to have accurately enquired, whether He had aimed at sovereignty, and set His hand to expel Cæsar from the kingdom. But he makes not an exact enquiry, and therefore Christ answered him nothing, because He knew that he asked all the questions idly. Besides, since His works bare witness to Him, He would not prevail by word, nor compose any defense, showing that He came voluntarily to this condition. When He was silent, Pilate saith,

Whence it is clear that he had permitted what had been done before, because of their madness.

"For I," he saith, " find no fault in him." [2.] See in how many ways the judge makes His defense, continually acquitting Him of the charges; but none of these things shamed the dogs from their purpose. For the, "Take ye him and crucify him," is the expression of one clearing himself of the guilt, and thrusting them forward to an action not permitted to them. They therefore had brought Him, in order that the thing might be done by the decision of the governor; but the contrary fell out, that He was rather acquitted than condemned by the governor's decision. Then, because they were ashamed,

Ver. 7. "We have," they said, a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God."

"How then when the judge said, 'Take ye him, and judge him according to your law,' did ye reply, 'It is not lawful for us to put any man to death,' while here ye fly to the law? And consider the charge, 'He made himself the Son of God.' Tell me, is this a ground of accusation, that He who performed the deeds of the Son of God should call Himself the Son of God?" What then doth Christ? While they held this dialogue one with the other, He held His peace, fulfilling that saying of the Prophet, that "He openeth not his mouth: in His humiliation His judgment was taken away." (Isa. liii. 7, 8, LXX.)

Ver. 10. "Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee?" 5

Seest thou how he condemned himself beforehand; for, "if the whole rests with thee, why dost not thou let Him go, when thou hast found no fault in Him?" When then Pilate had uttered the sentence against himself, then He saith, Ver. 11. "He that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin."

Showing that he also was guilty of sin. Then, to pull down his pride and arrogance, He saith, "Thou wouldst have no power except it were given thee." "

Showing that this did not come to pass merely in the common order of events, but that it was accomplished mystically. Then lest, when thou hearest, "Except it were given thee," thou shouldest deem that Pilate was exempt from all blame, on this account therefore He said, "Therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin." "And yet if it was given, neither he nor they were liable to any charge.' "Thou objectest idly; for the 'given' in this Then Pilate is alarmed when he hears from place means what is 'allowed'; as though He them, that He made Himself the Son of God, had said, 'He hath permitted these things to and dreads lest the assertion may possibly be be, yet not for that are ye clear of the wickedtrue, and he should seem to transgress; but ness.' He awed Pilate by the words, and these men who had learnt this, both by His proffered a clear defense. On which account deeds and words, did not shudder, but are put- that person sought to release Him; but they ting Him to death for the very reasons for which again cried out, saying, they ought to have worshiped Him. On this account he no more asks Him, "What hast thou

1 Ver. 4, 5. "Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate saith unto them, Behold

the man." N. T.

unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer."
NT.
4 εἰκῇ πάντα ἐρωτῶντα. Savile reads ἐρωτῶν, with the conjec-
ture épov. The reading rendered above best suits the sense, and is
supported by MSS.
Ver. 10.
"Then saith Pilate unto Him, Speakest thou not
unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and
have power to release thee?" N. T.

6 "no power against Me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that," &c. N. T.

7 τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀκολουθίαν, al. τῶν ἄλλων.

2 Ver. 6. "When the chief priests therefore and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him." N. T. "When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was "And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release the more afraid; and went again into the judgment-hall, and saith Him; but the Jews cried out, saying." N. T.

3 Ver. 8, 9.

8 Ver. 12.

For when they profited nothing by bringing charges drawn from their own law, they wickedly betook themselves to external laws, saying, [3] But let us not merely read of these. "Every one that maketh himself a king speak-things, but bear them in our mind; the crown eth against Cæsar."

yet not by reason of the inefficacy of the remedies, but by reason of his own carelessness. And this also is wont to happen to us, when we attend but little to the divine oracles, but give ourselves up wholly and incessantly to things of this life; for thus all the seed is choked, and all is made unfruitful. That this may not be the case, let us look carefully a little, let us look up to heaven, let us bend down to the tombs and coffins of the departed. For the same end

the palace, and deemed worthy to stoop down but allow it to fall off, and expose his sore to and enter into the sanctuary, and have been wet, and dust, and heat, and ten thousand other made partakers of the releasing Mysteries, and things able to irritate it, he will get no good; who yet are worse than the Greeks, who have shared in none of these things? For if they for the sake of vainglory have shown so much true wisdom, much more ought we to go after all virtue, because it is pleasing to God. But at present we do not even despise wealth; while they have often been careless of their life, and in wars have given up their children to their madness about devils, and have despised nature for the sake of their devils, but we do not even despise money for the sake of Christ, nor anger' awaiteth us, and the same necessity of departon account of God's will, but are inflamed, and in no better state than the fevered. And just as they, when possessed by their malady, are all burning, so we, suffocated as by some fire, can stop at no point of desire, increasing both anger and avarice. On this account I am ashamed and astonished, when I behold among the Greeks men despising riches, but all mad among ourselves. For even if we could find some despising riches, we should find that they have been made captive by other vices, by passion or envy; and a hard thing it is to discover true wisdom without a blemish. But the reason is, that we are not earnest to get our remedies from the Scriptures, nor do we apply ourselves to those Scriptures with compunction, and sorrow, and groaning, but carelessly, if at any time we chance to be at leisure. Therefore when a great rush of worldly matters comes, it overwhelms all; and if there hath been any profit, destroys it. For if a man have a wound, and after putting on a plaster, do not tie it tight,

ure will often come upon us before the evening. Prepare we then for this expedition; there is need of many supplies for the journey, for great is the heat there, and great the drought, and great the solitude. Henceforth there is no reposing at an inn, there is no buying anything, when one hath not taken all from hence. Hear at least what the virgins say, "Go ye to them that sell" (Matt. xxv. 9); but they who went found not. Hear what Abraham saith, "A gulf between us and you." (Luke xvi. 26.) Hear what Ezekiel saith concerning that day, that Noah, and Job, and Daniel shall in nowise deliver their sons. (Ezek. xiv. 14.) But may it never come to pass that we hear these words, but that having taken hence sufficient provision for our way to eternal life, we may behold with boldness our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

HOMILY LXXXV.

JOHN xix. 16-18.

"Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led Him away. And He, bearing His Cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull, where they crucified Him." 7

[1] SUCCESSES have terrible power to cast down or draw aside those who take not heed. Thus the Jews, who at first enjoyed the influence

1 Or,

to peep," διακύψαι.

2 Ben."mysteries releasing from sins."

3 i.e. their heathen worship.

al. "they are made."

N. T.

Η καθαράν.

8

of God, sought the law of royalty from the Gentiles, and in the wilderness after the manna remembered the onions. In the same way here, refusing the Kingdom of Christ, they invited to themselves that of Cæsar. Wherefore God set a king over them, according to their own decision. When then Pilate heard these things, he delivered Him to be crucified. Utterly without reason. For when he ought to have enquired whether Christ had aimed at sovereign power, he pronounced the sentence through fear alone.

place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha." Yet that this might not befall him, Christ said beforehand, "My kingdom is not of this world"; 10 ἐφοδίων.

7 "Him, and two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." N. T. * ῥοπής.

Ο έξοδον.

For

but he having given himself wholly up to present placed, as on a trophy, those letters, which utter things, would practice no great amount of wis- a clear voice, and show forth His victory, and dom. And yet his wife's dream should have proclaim His Kingdom, though not in its combeen sufficient to terrify him; but by none of pleteness. And this he made manifest not in a these things was he made better, nor did he single tongue, but in three languages; for since look to heaven, but delivered Him up. And it was likely that there would be a mixed multinow they laid the cross upon Him as a male-tude among the Jews on account of the Feast, factor. For even the wood they abominated, in order that none might be ignorant of the deand endured not even to touch it. This was fense, he publicly recorded the madness of the also the case in the type; for Isaac bare the Jews, in all the languages. For they bore malwood. But then the matter stopped at the will ice against Him even when crucified." "Yet of his father, for it was the type; while here it what did this harm you? Nothing. For if He proceeded to action, for it was the reality. was a mortal and weak, and was about to be"And He came to the place of a skull." Some come extinct, why did ye fear the letters assertsay that Adam died there, and there lieth; and ing that He is the King of the Jews?" And that Jesus in this place where death had reigned, what do they ask? "Say that 'he said.' there also set up the trophy. For He went forth now it is an assertion, and a general sentence, bearing the Cross as a trophy over the tyranny but if he said' be added, the charge is shown of death and as conquerors do, so He bare to be one arising from his own rashness and arupon His shoulders the symbol of victory. rogance." Still Pilate was not turned aside, but What matter if the Jews did these things with stood to his first decision. And it is no little a different intent. They crucified Him too with thing that is dispensed even from this circumthieves, in this also unintentionally fulfilling pro- stance, but the whole matter. For since the phecy; for what they did for insult contributed wood of the cross was buried, because no one to the truth, that thou mayest learn how great is was careful to take it up, inasmuch as fear was its power, since the Prophet had foretold of old, pressing, and the believers were hurrying to that "He was numbered with the transgressors." other urgent matters; and since it was in after (Isa. liii. 12.) The devil therefore wished to cast times to be sought for, and it was likely that the a veil over what was done, but was unable; for the three crosses would lie together, in order that three were crucified, but Jesus alone was glorious, the Lord's might not be unknown, it was made that thou mayest learn, that His power effected all. manifest to all, first by its lying in the middle, Yet the miracles took place when the three had and then by the title. For those of the thieves been nailed to the cross; but no one attributed had no titles. anything of what was done to either of those others, but to Jesus only; so entirely was the plot of the devil rendered vain,3 and all returned upon his own head. For even of these two, one was saved. He therefore did not insult the glory of the Cross, but contributed to it not a little. For it was not a less matter than shaking the rocks, to change a thief upon the cross, and to bring him unto Paradise.

Ver. 19.

"And Pilate wrote a title.".

10

[2.] The soldiers parted the garments, but not the coat. See the prophecies in every instance fulfilled by their wickednesses; for this also had been predicted of old; yet there were three crucified, but the matters of the prophecies were fulfilled in Him. For why did they not this in the case of the others, but in His case only? Consider too, I pray you, the exactness of the prophecy. For the Prophet saith not only, that they "parted," but that they "did not At the same time requiting the Jews, and mak-part." The rest therefore they divided, the coat ing a defense for Christ. For since they had given Him up as worthless, and attempted to confirm this sentence by making Him share the punishment of the robbers, in order that for the future it might be in no man's power to prefer evil charges against him, or to accuse him as a worthless and wicked person, to close moreover their mouths and the mouths of all who might desire to accuse Him, and to show that they had risen up against their own King, Pilate thus

they divided not, but committed the matter to a decision by lot. And the, "Woven from the top" (ver. 23) is not put without a purpose; but some say that a figurative assertion is declared by it, that the Crucified was not simply man, but had also the Divinity from above." Others say that the Evangelist describes the very form

6 lit." inscribed on a pillar."

7 Ver. 21, 22. "Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews, but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written." N. T. 8 to the Jews.

9 Ver. 23, 24. "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also His coat; now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, They parted My raiment among them, and for My vesture they did cast lots." N. T. 10 al." of the prophetical." "from the first," avw@ev.

11 or,