I think He must have fainted beneath its weight, for we are told that when they came to the gate of the city, they met a man, Simon the Cyrenian, coming in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross after Jesus. A great multitude came out after them, and the women who had followed and loved Jesus were mourning and grieving at their dear Lord's sorrowful fate. But Jesus turned to them and told them not to cry for Him, but for all the sorrow which was coming upon Jerusalem because the Jews would not have Him for their Saviour. [Illustration: HE MUST HAVE FAINTED BENEATH ITS WEIGHT.] And there were two other men led out with Jesus to be crucified at the same time. They were called malefactors, because they had been very wicked. So the whole great company went outside the city walls, and they bring Jesus to a place called "The Skull." They offered our dear Lord some wine and myrrh to drink, but, when He had tasted it, He would not take it. Then they crucified Jesus, our King, and the two malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left, and Jesus in the midst. Children, in all His dreadful sufferings and sorrow, what is it we hear from those dear lips? Then Jesus said,— "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." XXII. The Cross of Jesus We pause at this picture, dear children, with awe and reverence, and as we gaze upon it our hearts are filled with love and grief. "Did Jesus bear that cruel death for me?" we whisper to ourselves. "Was my name on His heart when He hung all those hours on the cross? Were my sins pardoned by His most precious blood, which flowed from His bleeding side?" If we can answer a solemn "yes" to these questions, then the cross of Jesus our Saviour is the place where henceforth we can find joy, and thankfulness, and strength. On the cross where Jesus was crucified, a piece of parchment was nailed. This was generally done, so that people should know what the crime was for which any one was to suffer this cruel death. But Pilate had nothing to charge Jesus with. He had said over and over again, "I find no fault in Him." And when he sat down to write His accusation on the parchment, he wrote— "Jesus of Nazareth—the King of the Jews." This writing was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city, and many were passing backwards and forwards at this Passover feast time. And Pilate wrote it in Hebrew and Greek and Latin. The Jews did not at all like what Pilate had written, and wanted him to take the writing down. They said, "Do not say that He is the King of the Jews! But say, He said He was." But Pilate would not alter it. "What I have written, I have written," he said. [Illustration: CALVARY.] So when Jesus died, He had only this accusation—that He is King! And the people stood beholding.