sive influence, he now assumes that authority, and subjects Christ to interrogations. I discover three very censurable elements in the conduct of this conventional judge on this occasion. Here is, First: Officiousness. If he had been in possession of judical authority at this time he had no right whatever to ask the prisoner concerning "His disciples, and of His doctrine." His business was with His personal conduct. Was He personally guilty, or not, of any sin against ecclesiastic or civic laws? But, inasmuch as in all probability he was not in possession of any judical authority, his officiousness was indecent and offensive. Another censurable element discoverable in this Conventional judge is, Secondly :- Craftiness. The question was evidently designed to entrap Christ into some state

ments that might be used against Him at His trial, some statements that might involve Christ in something like a selfcrimination. Craftiness is one of the most despicable attributes of character, and scarcely anywhere is it so prominent and prevalent as in courts of law, and on the judical bench; in sooth it is regarded too much as а qualification for judical work. Another censurable element discovered in this conventional judge is, Thirdly: Heartlessness. It might have been supposed that an old man who had been brought up from childhood in the religion of the patriarchs, and who, long before Christ was born, occupied the highest position, in order to vindicate its rights and extend its influence, would have been touched into the tenderest compassion at seeing a young

Man Whose countenance had no trace of vice, but radiated with virtue, bound with chains, and awaiting a terrible doom. But no, his whole heart is callous. The atmosphere of the high office which he had sustained for many a long year had frozen within him all the fountains of humanity. In a conventional judge, sad to say, there is nothing very rare in this. How often do we find an old man on the bench, who seems to gloat over every new contribution of evidence that goes to convict the prisoner, and with the black cap on his head will pronounce sentence of death with heart unthrilled, and a voice unquivering. It is said that justice is cold. This is a libel on the celestial attribute. Justice is a ray of love, it is indeed a modification of love, it is rooted in love, and cannot live without

officers which stood by, struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest Thou the High Priest so ?" First: Here is an act of sycophancy. This man was one of those mean craven souls, who are ever ready to flatter superiors. He wished Annas to think that he saw in the reply of Christ the want of that respect which such a high dignitary should always have, and the miserable lacquey considered that he would be pleased by a prompt recognition and avengement of the same. No

doubt this was the spirit that actuated this man. A more despicable and pernicious character than this, know I not: despicable because it implies the lack of all manly independence; pernicious, for it degrades the possessor, deceives others, and impedes the progress of individuals and communities. But whilst it is despicable and pernicious, it is, alas, prevalent not only in courts, but in all circles society through; parasites abound, the Calibans count their millions.

"Struck Jesus with the
palm of his hand," or,
more correctly, with his
hand. Mark the heart-
less insolence of this
creature: he struck an
innocent man who stood
before him bound as a
prisoner; more than that,
he struck the incarnate
God. The lowest na-
tured persons are always
the most insolent, men
who are the most ready
to flatter those above
them, are ever most dis-
posed to treat with the
most rudeness those of a
humbler grade. The rea-
son is obvious, the sycho-
phant can have no true
respect for himself, for
being an abject toady he
finds nothing in himself
to respect, and much with
which to feel self-disgust:
and he who respects not
himself has neither the
desire or the qualifica-
tion to respect others.
At the bidding of those
in

power, the servile
multitudes will deal out

insults, not only to every passer by, but even to those in the higher ranks of intelligence and morality. The words present to

us

III. AN UNIQUE PRISONER. First: Mark His reply to the conventional judge. "Jesus answered him, I spake, (or 'I have spoken') openly to the world, I ever taught in the synagogue (or synagogues'), and in the temple whither the Jews always resort (or where all the Jews come together), and in secret have I said (or 'spake I') nothing. Why askest

thou Me? Ask them which heard Me (or 'that have heard Me') what I have said (or 'spake') unto them, behold they know what I said (or these know the things which I said')." In this reply three things are observable. (1) Manly independency. There is no bowing down before this venerable official, nothing crouching or craven, He

speaks to him as man to man. It is noteworthy that Christ pays no respect to mere office. In these last days men have come to think that an elevated office of itself has a just claim to respect and honour, a huge fallacy this. Legislative, administrative, regal offices, what are they worth if not occupied by morally worthy men? Nothing, they are simply contemptible. The more elevated the office is, the more dishonourable the man who occupies it, if not intellectually and morally qualified. Ignorance and depravity are bad everywhere; bad in the poor and the obscure, but a thousand times more abhorrent in the legislator, the judge, and king. Mere office is an abstraction, it is the man who makes the office worthy or unworthy. Christ had no respect for this man as a man, and therefore no respect for