Because He was just going to enter upon the work of atonement, in which they could do nothing, because the prince of this world, had he come, would have had _plenty in them_; but then, the moment He, as it were, in spirit passes through that sorrowful hour, He says, "_Arise_, let us go hence;" i.e., although we could not move a single step in the achievement of the victory, yet we could enjoy the fruits of it; and not only so, but _display_ the fruits of it in a life of service and fruit-bearing to God, which forms the subject of teaching in the next chapter. Here, then, is what gives peace to the awakened conscience of the sinner. God Himself has done the work. God has triumphed over all man's wickedness and rebellion, and now every soul who feels his need of pardon and peace can draw near in faith and holy confidence and reap the fruits of this wondrous triumph of grace and mercy. And now, dear reader, if _you_ have not as yet made these wondrous fruits your own; if you have not as yet cast the whole burden of your sins on God's eternal love as seen in the cross, I ask you, Why do you stand aloof? Why do you doubt? Perhaps you feel the hardness of your heart, perhaps you are ready to say that you feel yourself even now unmoved by the contemplation of all the deep sorrow endured by the Son of God. Well, what of that? If it be a question of _your_ guilt, you may go much farther than even this, for in that hour of which we have been speaking you stood unmoved, looked on with cold and heartless indifference, while all creation owned the wondrous fact. Yea, more, you yourself crucified the incarnate God, you spat in His face, and plunged your spear into His side. Do you shrink back and say, "Oh, not so bad!" I say _it was the act of the human heart_; and if you have a human heart, it was your act. But the Scriptures at once decide this point, for it is written, "For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, _with the Gentiles_ and the people of Israel, were gathered together" (Acts iv. 27). This passage, I say, proves that all the world were _representatively_ around the cross. But why insist on this? Simply to show forth the riches of the grace of God, which can only be seen in all its effulgent lustre in the cross; and therein it is seen mounting far above all man's sin and malignant rebellion; for when man, in the fiendish pride of his heart, could plunge his spear into the side of incarnate Deity, God's cry was--BLOOD! and through _that blood "remission of sins, beginning at Jerusalem_." Thus, "where _sin_ abounded, _grace_ did _much more abound_," and "grace REIGNS through righteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord."