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no answer.

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not, that I have power to cruucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus an

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swered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend. Whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. MATT. XXVII.

V. 19.

When he was set down on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

JOHN XIX.

V. 14.

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And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, 15 Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar.

MATT. XXVII.

V. 24.

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When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

LESSON CCC.

Remorse of Judas.-Friday, the Day of the Crucifixion.

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again

the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou

to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the • temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with 8 them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

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LESSON CCCI.

Jesus is led away to be crucified.-Friday, the Day of the

Crucifixion.

MARK XV. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Pretorium; and they called together the whole band.

V. 16.

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And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of 18 thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their 20 knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his

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cross.

V. 27-28.

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LUKE XXIII. | And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and your children.

for

MATT. XXVII.

V. 83.

34

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And when they were come unto a place called
Golgotha, that is to say, A place of a skull,

They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

LESSON CCCII.

Jesus crucified. — Friday, the third Hour-nine o'clock.

MARK XV.
V. 25-27.

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And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

LUKE XXIII.

V. 84.

JOHN XIX.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 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.

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. These things therefore the soldiers did.

LESSON CCCIII.

The Jews mock at Jesus.-He commends his Mother to John.-Friday, from the third to the sixth Hour-nine to twelve o'clock.

MATT. XXVII.

V. 39-40.

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42

43

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging

their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

LUKE XXIII.

V. 36-37.

39

40

41

43

And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, (and offering him vinegar, And saying, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself.

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation ? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of 42 our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. JOHN XIX. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

V. 25.

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LESSON CCCIV.

Supernatural Darkness.-Jesus expires on the Cross.-Friday, the

V. 45-46.

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sixth to the ninth Hour-twelve to three o'clock.

MATT. XXVII. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

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49

LUKE XXIII. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and

V. 46.

JOHN XIX.

V. 30.

V. 51.

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54

having said thus,

He bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

MATT. XXVII. And, behold, the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom: and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And many women were there (beholding afar off) which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto 86 him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

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