miles north of Jerusalem.

Here be remained

until the week before the Passover, when he returned again to Bethany, and spent this last earthly Sabbath in the flesh, with the again happy family of Lazarus.

The chief priests, thus far disappointed, still continue their conclaves, devising measures for silencing this troublesome teacher. He had grown more bold in his addresses to the people, and more personal in his exposures of their hypocrisy. He had made a triumphant entry into the holy city; and the multitude had greeted him with hosannas, and hailed him as the son of David, coming in the name of the Lord. He had driven the buyers and sellers out of the temple, and when they had demanded by what authority he took upon himself these responsibilities, he had most pointedly condemned their gross assumptions, in that severe but just parable of the vineyard.*

The Passover was now but two days distant; and though the enemies of Christ had industriously employed spies, "who feigned themselves just men- that is, believers in

* Matt. xxi. 33-44.

him that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power of the governor," yet they had been effectually foiled in their attempts.

Matthew admits us into one of their councils, held on Wednesday, the day before the Passover, and the day but one before the crucifixion. Their purpose has now become more definitely settled, and their plan of operations more clearly manifest. They now consult "that they might take Jesus by subtlety and kill him." Once get him into their hands, and escape for him will be hopeless. They did not dare to make a public arrest of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, because they feared an uproar among the people; there being, as it is computed, no less than three million of people assembled in the city at the time of the feasts, a tumultuous company,

ready for a disturbance upon any thing which they fancied affected their prerogatives. Not daring, therefore, to take Jesus publicly, they resort to hidden measures, industriously circulating placards, as it seems from John, tc this intent, that "If any man knew where he

*Luke xx. 20. † Matt. xxvi. 4.

John xi. 57.

were, he should show it, that they might take him;" they meant to come upon him in some of his nightly retreats in the suburbs, for he spent only the day in Jerusalem. It was the sight of one of these placards, probably, that first suggested to Judas, the diabolical scheme of delivering his Master for the offered reward.

In all these previous proceedings, we are struck with the determined prejudice of the Jewish rulers, and with the baseness of the motives which actuated them in their unhallowed schemes. As was said above, the sacred historian, with the utmost frankness, has admitted us to their secret conclaves, and has allowed our ears to hear their envenomed speeches, where every one comes with his mind resolved only to whet the others' appetite for innocent blood.

This conclave of the chief priests and Pharisees was probably not a regular meeting of the sanhedrim, for the Pharisees are mentioned as a sect, who were not, as such, members of the national council. It was rather a general gathering of the nobility, whose insolent authority was endangered by the teachings

of Jesus. If it were a regular assembly, they dissolved themselves virtually by their irregularities; which are too obvious to escape notice. For example, we have the high priest, who was, ex officio, president of the sanhedrim, and therefore not allowed to give his opinion, except in equally-balanced questions, haranguing the rest, and inciting them to put Jesus to death. Again, they passed no decree in a legal manner; that is, by first citing Jesus to appear before them and make his defence. No; but without an examination, without testimony, they first determined to put him to death, and then proceeded to discuss the measures whereby they might take him so as not to provoke a disturbance among the people. For the people, they felt, would not see the teacher snatched from them who so boldly resisted the onerous traditions of the elders, and who so effectually laid bare the proud pretensions of their blind guides, the Scribes and Pharisees.

Let us now turn to the Man against whom "principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places" have been thus moved to him who was holy, harmless, un

defiled and separate from sinners"— who was daily teaching in the temple, but on whom they did not dare to lay their hands till they had estimated their strength.

Jesus Christ knew all that was before him. He had known it from the beginning of his ministry. As the Son, he knew it in eternity, when he dwelt in the bosom of the Father. To pass through these very scenes of envy, hatred, persecution, suffering, and death, was the great object of his advent in the world, that, by his sufferings and death, he might open a way through which the mercy of God might, consistently with divine justice, display itself in recovering the seed of Christ.

Accordingly, he took measures that the purposes of God respecting this glorious object should be fulfilled. When he called his disciples in the beginning of his ministry, he perfectly knew their then characters and their future conduct, and he chose them that they might act the part which they did act. So he told them at their last meeting at the Pass"I know whom I have chosen."-I know your characters, and I chose you because you had such characters; "that the

over.