Take this very man Pilate who {is the author of the second questi look through the story of his inter course with Jesus and I find that Pilate had not much difficulty in forming his opinions. The experienced and discerning Roman was wood judge of character, and he was Rot very far from a true conception of the person of Jesus Christ, He aid "I find no fault in Him." He called Him a "righteous man." He Anew what the Jews expected the Christ, and he asked "Art thou the Christ But what to do with Him was another and mush more—diffcale matter, and Pilate failed, There is painting by a great artist entitled "Christ before Pilate." There is jesus the Christ, majestic, calm, with holy innocence stamped upon la brow. There is the mad crowd training toward the Judgment Seat, with hearse shouts clamouring for His crucifixion, am} there on the bench is Pilate, with knitted Brow and troubled face, the very picture of misery, of hesitancy, and Srresolution. He is trying to settle the question, "What shall T do unto Jesus who is valled Christ."
He had settled the first question easily enough and settled it aright, ut he found it a far more difficult Pilate. We are not one whit better than the soldiers in Pilate': Judgment Hall. Like them we mock the Holy One of God. We too ery "Hail King of the Jews," and then scorn Him by our actions. Yes, spit upon Him! We nail Him-again to the Cross! For as the great Apostle said, "If we continue in our sin we erusify Him afresh." useless for us to call Him God's Son, and then to repudiate His authority over our lives. The last Kings of the Merovingian dynasty i France were called "Puppet Kings. They were kings in name only. They were, given the royal title and men paid'a kind of ceremonial respect to them, bat they had not rear power. The people gave them a royal title, but none of the royal authority, they called them "Lord," but gave their service and duty to another.
And th Jesus, We call Him give Him the royal title.
We say He is our King.
But He is only a nominal King, He has the name but! not the substance of royalty. He docs not rule. We pray, "Thy Kingdom come," but never tarn a sod, never do a hand's turn to bring ju the kingdom. We do not even give him the authority in our own lives. thing to answer the second and when he lid he taited terribly.
Put these two sentences of Pilate's side by. sides T find no fault in Dim", "Take Him and crucify fand you have a striking example of the fact that it is infinitely easier to think rightly of Jesus than it is to act rightly by Him,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.