ted. The spirit of imperial Rome was the spirit of compromise,
manoeuvre and expediency; as the spirit of government has too often
been elsewhere, not only in the State but also in the Church. Pilate
had settled scores of cases on the same principle--or no principle;
scores of officials were conducting their administration throughout the
vast Roman empire in the same way at that very time. Only to Pilate
fell the sinister distinction of putting the base system in operation
in the case where its true character was exposed in the light of
history.

But ought we not to believe that in all other cases, however obscure
the victims, the spirit manifested by Pilate has been equally
displeasing to God? In our Lord's picture of the Last Judgment one
striking trait is that all are astonished at the reasons assigned for
their destiny. Those on the right hand are credited with feeding
Christ when He was hungry, giving Him drink when He was thirsty, and so
forth; and they ask in surprise, Lord, when saw we Thee hungry and fed
Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink? In like manner those on the left
are accused of seeing Christ hungry but neglecting to feed Him, of
seeing Him thirsty and refusing to give Him drink, and so forth; and
they ask, Lord, when saw we Thee hungry or thirsty and ministered not
to Thee? You perhaps think they say so to conceal the sins of which
they are conscious? Not at all. They are really astonished: they
think their identity has been mistaken and that they are about to be
punished for sins they have never committed. They are only aware of
having neglected a few children or old women not worth thinking about.
But Christ says, Each of these stood for Me, and, when you neglected or
injured them, you were doing it unto Me. Thus may all life at the last
prove far more high and solemn than we now imagine. Take care how you
touch your brother man; you may be touching the apple of God's eye:
take care how you do an injustice even to a child; you may find out at
the last that it is Christ you have been assailing.

II.

Pilate had cut himself loose from principle when he declared Jesus to
be innocent and yet ordered Him to be chastised. He thought, however,
that he could guide his course safely enough to the point at which he
aimed. We are to see how completely he failed and at last suffered
total shipwreck. Hands were stretched out towards him, as he advanced,
some to save him, some to do the rever