Luke xxiii. 7-9; John xix. 9.
POLITICAL WRITINGS 301 pation, by an unlawful act of daring, of the royal power; and yet of neither did Jesus falsely claim possession, but each of them is truly His as both the only-begotten Son of God, and by Him appointed King upon His holy hill of Zion; and both might He now have shown to be His, were it not that in proportion to the greatness of His power He preferred to manifest the corresponding greatness of His patience.
"When Pilate, therefore, heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and entered ajgain into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer." It is found, in comparing the narratives of all the evangelists, that this silence on the part of our Lord Jesus
Christ took place more than once, both before the chief priests and before Herod, to whom, as Luke intimates, Pilate had sent Him for a hearing, and before Pilate himself ;^^ so that it was not in vain that the prophecy regarding Him had preceded, "As the lamb before its shearer was dumb, so He opened not His mouth," ^^ especially on those occasions when He answered not His questioners. For although He frequentiy replied to questions addressed to Him, yet because of those in regard to which He declined making any reply, the metaphor of the lamb is supplied, in order fliat in His silence He might be accounted not as guilty, but innocent. When, therefore. He was passing through the process of judgment, wherever He opened not His mouth it was in the character of a lamb that He did so; that is, not as one with an evil conscience who was convicted of his sins,
14. Matt. xxvi. 63, xxvii. 14; Mark xiv. 61, xv. 5: Luke xxiii. 7-9; John xix. 9.
15. Isa. liii. 7.