Luke 23

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XXIII.—Sinners often presumptuously charge their own faults upon Jesus and his faithful servants, and many cement their friendship by contempt of him. How strong is the power of prejudice against him! It undervalues and derides him, because he will not gratify curiosity or answer unreasonable demands: it forms the falsest accusations: it prefers every temporal interest, or even a base malefactor, lust, or devil, to him;—indignant that he should reign or have any honour in the world. Yea, often they who seemed convinced of his excellency, through importunity and carnal fear, or other similar temptations, violate all the bonds of truth, and rights of conscience and honour, to injure him. Many have their affections touched with the cruelty or love of his death, whose hearts are never renewed to believe in and love him. But O how astonishing the grace, the infinite grace, of our Lord Jesus, in thus suffering, dying, and praying for his enemies! How great is his power and sovereignty in triumphing over Satan on the cross, and forming one of his fellow sufferers from an hardened thief into a strong believer, a bold confessor, a fervent supplicant, an immediate partaker of heaven; while the other dies contradicting and blaspheming! And great likewise was the honour with which his Father marked his sufferings.—His judge, his crucifiers, the attending women, and even the darkened sun, the quaking earth, and the rent vail, concur to attest his Messiahship! 2