The scourging appears to have been inflicted within the _prætorium_ (Mtt. xxvii. 27), and when it had been carried out, Pilate himself went and led forth the Sufferer wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe (Jn. xix. 4, 5), and presented Him to the people, saying, _Behold the Man_[556]. Would not this spectacle of terrible suffering suffice? Could cruelty demand yet more? _Crucify Him_ was the cry of the chief priests and their attendants (Jn. xix. 6). The sight of so much suffering so meekly borne drew forth no pity, and no relenting. _Take ye Him, and crucify Him_, replied the procurator; _for I find no fault in Him_. _We have a law_, rejoined the Jews, _and by our law[557] He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God_. These last words roused afresh all Pilate’s fears (Jn. xix. 8). Taking his bleeding, lacerated Prisoner once more within the prætorium he enquired anxiously, _Whence art Thou[558]?_ But the Holy One made him no reply. Startled by this continued silence the procurator asked whether He did not know that he had power to release Him, and power to crucify Him. _Thou couldest have had no power at all against Me_, was the mysterious reply, _unless it had been given thee from above; therefore he[559] that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin_ (Jn. xix. 11). This answer, so calm, so gentle, so full of mystery, made a deep impression on Pilate, already awed by the message of his wife, and still more by the infinite patience of the accused, and he resolved to make one last effort to release Him (Jn. xix. 12). But it was too late. A cry, far more formidable to himself than any he had yet heard, struck upon his ears: _If thou let this Man go_, cried the Jews, _thou art not Cæsar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar_ (Jn. xix. 12). It was a crafty, well-chosen cry. Pilate knew that the Jews already had matter for accusation against him[560], and could well divine the consequences, if they accused him before the gloomy suspicious Tiberius of sparing a prisoner who had been accused of treason[561]. Loss of place, degradation, banishment, perhaps a death by torture, stared him in the face. His fears for his own personal safety turned the scale. He must save _himself_[562], even though he sacrificed One whom he had confessed to be innocent. Once more, therefore, he took his seat upon the tribunal (Jn. xix. 13), but even now he could not resist the impulse to bid the Jews bethink themselves before it was too late. _Behold your King_, said he. His words were the signal for uproarious cries of _Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!_ _Shall I crucify your King?_ asked the procurator. _We have no king but Cæsar_, replied the chief priests (Jn. xix. 15), thus renouncing altogether the hope of the Messiah in order to satisfy their thirst for the Redeemer’s blood, and Pilate seeing it was useless to prolong the controversy, pronounced the word, the irrevocable word,